Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 260

Chapter 260

“Closed-Eyed One?”

[Yes. But is it possible that you really… ?]

Sparrow asked again, sounding as if he genuinely couldn’t comprehend the situation.

Alon scoured his memories for any trace of information regarding the ‘Closed-Eyed One’— but he ultimately shook his head.

Regardless of how deeply he searched, he couldn’t recall ever coming across such a name.

“Could you elaborate a little more?”

Alon requested further explanation from Sparrow.

[I am not even sure where I should start.]

“Regrettably, this is the very first time I have heard the name ‘Closed-Eyed One.’”

After a moment of contemplation, Sparrow appended,

[Unfortunately, my ability to explain is also limited. The only things I know are the deeds associated with the Closed-Eyed One.]

“…Deeds?”

[The entity that birthed the Black, the one who consumed the lifespans of the elves, the progenitor of all sin.

Although undeniably a mage, he aligned himself with the dark forces and attempted to usher in the world’s destruction.]

[That is how the people who lived during that era described the Closed-Eyed One.]

Alon nodded in understanding, and Sparrow followed up with a question.

[You mentioned that the name of your spell was Reverse Heaven, correct?]

“That is correct.”

[…And you are the one who created this spell personally?]

“Yes.”

Another heavy silence descended between the two.

It seemed Sparrow was trying to piece together the puzzle in his mind, remaining quiet for a considerable time before finally letting out a sigh.

[To be honest, I do not understand.]

“What is it that you don’t understand?”

[The fact that you possess both the name Reverse Heaven and the law of the Closed-Eyed One— I cannot fathom how such a thing is possible.]

“…Is it truly that peculiar?”

[It is. No, it goes beyond simply being peculiar.]

“ Then how would you describe it?”

[From a linguistic perspective, it resembles a paradox. From the perspective of the rules, it is an occurrence that should be impossible.]

“In what way?”

Sparrow took a moment to breathe before offering an explanation.

[Essentially, once a law has been engraved, its name is immutable and cannot be overwritten. If the name of your spell is Reverse Heaven, then the law you utilize must be identical to that of the primordial mage.]

“However, I definitely established the law myself.”

[Then that implies you created a law identical to that of the primordial mage. Unless you engraved it in the exact same manner, you would have been forced to utilize a different law.]

“…Is that how it works?”

[That is an unbreakable foundational premise. It has been verified through innumerable experiments.]

Alon could easily deduce the point Sparrow was trying to make.

“…So, what you are suggesting is that if I wield Reverse Heaven, I must be following the primordial mage’s law—and the problem lies in the fact that this law belongs to the ‘Closed-Eyed One’?”

[It isn’t a problem, strictly speaking— I am simply astonished. If what you say is accurate, then—]

“Then the primordial mage and the entity that attempted to destroy the world, the Closed-Eyed One— are one and the same?”

[Yes.]

The same individual.

Alon paused, reflecting on the conclusion they had reached, then asked with a casual tone, “What are the odds that they simply happened to utilize a similar spell?”

[To the best of my knowledge, that is impossible. The only plausible scenario is that the primordial mage and the Closed-Eyed One were master and disciple. That would offer a logical explanation.]

Sparrow exhaled a deep, weary sigh.

[Of course, there may be factors I am unaware of. I never attained the pinnacle of what it means to be a mage. If you were to inquire with someone else, you might find assistance. There could be a method unknown to me.]

Naturally, Alon’s thoughts drifted to Kylrus.

[In any case, setting that aside, there is something else that I personally find intriguing.]

“And what is that?”

[The fact that you acquired a law of the Ancient.]

“…A law of the Ancient?”

[You are already aware of how a mage engraves a law, are you not?]

“Yes.”

[Have you ever questioned why the vast majority of mages opt to become disciples rather than forging their own laws?]

Alon considered the question briefly before replying,

“Is it not because the process of creating laws is arduous?”

[That is part of the reason, but the more fundamental cause is that creating a desired law requires an exponentially greater quantity of faith.]

“Are you implying that the necessary amount of faith varies depending on the type of law?”

[Yes, and that is also the reason the population of mages has not increased significantly. Furthermore, to engrave the law you currently possess, you would require the faith of the greatest god in Kalgunius, ‘The One Who Watches From Above.’ In fact, I am not even certain that would suffice.]

“…Is the requirement truly that extreme?”

[That is why I called it intriguing.]

Alon thought back to the moment he first established his law.

It was true that he had accumulated faith from numerous different races, but it hadn’t felt as extreme as Sparrow described.

[Anyway, that is the extent of what I can tell you.]

Alon mentally reorganized the information Sparrow had provided.

In the Wasteland situated between the Allied Kingdom and the Empire.

In a place where no one should have been present, were the elves—

“P-Please, just spare my life~!”

And the lizardmen.

At the edge of a cliff in the desolate wasteland, the final executive of the Black Hand was desperately begging for survival.

The elven warrior Rim and the lizardman Kabu simultaneously drove an axe and a sword into the man’s chest.

“F-Finally—”

“We have killed them all…!”

Reacting on instinct, they embraced each other, shouting in triumph.

With that act, the Black Hand was completely annihilated.

The heat of victory filled the air around them.

The two, still locked in a tight embrace—

“L-Let go of me, you lizard!”

“W-What the hell! You are the one who hugged me first!”

—Suddenly shoved each other away, looking flustered.

In the awkward moment when their gazes met, both fell into a strange sense of disillusionment.

After all, Rim and Kabu were originally assigned to guard Marquis Palatio.

So why were they out here—

Or to be precise, why were the elf guard unit and the lizardman guard unit in this location?

It all stemmed from the Black Hand, the organization that had the audacity to target Alon when he passed through Terea.

…In reality, neither the elves nor the lizardmen needed to go to such lengths to dismantle the Black Hand.

However, the force that drove them to act with such ferocity was pure rivalry.

It was a competition to prove—objectively—that they were more helpful than the other group.

Initially, the elves and lizardmen cooperated to swiftly dismantle the Black Hand.

But unfortunately, as the extermination progressed, their contributions remained equal.

This meant neither side could claim superiority.

Consequently, they didn’t stop there; they attempted to settle the score by hunting down the very last remnants of the Black Hand.

They were driven by a singular obsession to win this “battle.”

And the result— was exactly this scene.

Elf Rim and lizardman Kabu glared at one another with bloodshot eyes.

Their appearances were filthy, a testament to their relentless struggle to prove themselves more useful than their counterpart.

And it wasn’t limited to just the two of them.

The rest of the escort troops glaring at each other looked like homeless vagabonds.

If this scene were taking place in the middle of the capital city, any passerby would have assumed, “Oh, the beggars are fighting over turf again.”

But the major issue was— that the final remnant had been slain by both Rim and Kabu simultaneously.

In other words, they still could not determine who was superior.

So now, the two simply stared at each other in a state of existential defeat.

And after a while—

“…Let’s head back.”

“Yeah.”

Neither the elves nor the lizardmen hesitated to start walking.

They moved not out of rivalry or competitive spirit, but from a strange sense of shared kinship.

After more than half a year, when they finally crossed back over the border after thoroughly dismantling the Black Hand, they were greeted with a report.

“…The Primordial Elf died and returned to life, and was then crowned king of the elves?”

“A close friend died and came back to life, rising to the same level as the Great One?”

The report was so surreal that they couldn’t follow the narrative.

“????”

“????”

The elves and lizardmen, having spent nearly half a year isolated at the border, wore expressions filled with bizarre confusion.

A few weeks later.

Alon arrived at the Marquis’ estate for the first time in ages, pausing without realizing it.

During his absence, the Marquis’ territory had developed so significantly that it was almost unrecognizable.

‘…Isn’t this practically on the level of Terea?’

Observing the state of the territory, Alon couldn’t help but have that thought.

Of course, it was still lacking in many aspects compared to Terea, but that only made the rapid progress more impressive.

A faint, satisfied smile graced Alon’s lips.

“So, I am finally home.”

“Yes, it is home.”

Upon arriving at the Marquis’ mansion, Alon attended to only the most essential tasks before immediately taking a rest.

A mountain of paperwork, stacked absurdly high, awaited him in the office, along with Alexion, who looked as though he had much to discuss.

However, Alon decided to postpone dealing with those matters until the next day.

After enjoying a full day of rest for the first time in a long while, Alon spent the following day getting a rough grasp of the mansion’s current affairs.

First, he learned that Penia had departed for the Mage Tower and had not yet returned.

Just as Alon was considering delaying the paperwork until her return—

“…Um, Marquis.”

“Yes? What is the matter?”

“You have a guest.”

“A guest?”

“Yes.”

“They insisted on seeing you personally. I was instructed to inform you that they are someone from your past.”

“Someone from my past?”

“Yes.”

Evan informed him of the visitor.

Alon paused briefly in thought, then nodded in understanding.

Not long after, two people entered the study.

A handsome young man who appeared to be just twenty, possessing the features of both a boy and a young man,

And a mature-looking woman.

As Alon looked at the unfamiliar visitors in confusion,

The young man’s eyes welled up with tears as he approached Alon.

“Brother…! It has really been such a long time…!!”

He bowed deeply on the spot.

Momentarily dazed by the unexpected situation,

Alon soon recognized the familiar voice and,

“…Nangwon?”

He uttered the name.

“Yes, it is me…!”

Nangwon beamed with genuine joy,

While Alon— unlike the image he remembered from Psychedelia— looked at the now beautiful youth and thought, ‘What on earth…?’

A flurry of question marks swirled above his head.