Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 276

C276. Something is strange. (1)

Only about a month later, Alon Palatio returned to the Marquis’s house.

“……Hm?”

He sensed a slightly strange atmosphere.

It wasn’t that anything specific had happened.

The statue erected by Deus in the north, which commemorated the territory’s leader, and the auction house that enriched the Marquis’s family…

Everything was still in place.

At least in appearance, it seemed so.

So, what exactly was this subtle feeling?

Alon, intrigued, was only able to solve the mystery when he saw the documents piled up in the office and Alexion.

“Are the bandits running rampant?”

“Yes, because of that things haven’t been easy lately.”

Following that, Alexion began to explain what was happening around the Marquis’s house at the moment.

“From what I’ve heard, it’s not just in Asteria. It seems that bandits are infesting the entire United Kingdom.”

Hoo— Alexion sighed briefly, saying the old days were better.

Alon fell silent for a moment and asked:

“Is it because of the Abyssal Cores?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“It seems the situation is more serious than I thought.”

“It is. Unlike last time, this time they have been released in large quantities, and since even useless people can gain strength from them, the situation is even more disastrous.”

Alexion sighed and then clapped his hands, as if remembering something.

“Now that I think about it, didn’t you run into any, Lord Marquis?”

“I didn’t run into any.”

“Really?”

…Is it that now it’s almost impossible to walk without running into one?

“If I’m honest, it is.”

The situation seemed much more serious than Alon had originally known.

‘This is almost like half of Psychedelia.’

In the middle of Psychedelia, just when one or more Sins appear…

Due to the bandits who sharply increase because of the Abyssal Cores, the general level of enemies rises, and the world slowly begins to enter a path of decay.

“I understand. I will try to find a solution.”

“Yes, sir.”

Alexion politely said goodbye and left the office.

“……It seems it’s really serious.”

“It seems so.”

“But if it’s so serious… we didn’t see a single bandit, did we?”

Evan was right.

Throughout the long journey back to the Marquis’s house, they didn’t run into bandits even once.

‘With a single carriage, we would have easily been a target…… Was it just luck?’

His doubt lasted only an instant.

“……First, I must take care of the work.”

Seeing another mountain of documents, he felt as if he had truly encountered bandits.

Alon sighed and took the pen with resignation.

A week later—

“Hoo—”

Alon had solved almost all the accumulated work.

Even the tasks that required personal inspection, which had been left for the end, managed to be completed by spending a few more days.

‘Good, now I can finally start what I have to do. The deadline… Magrina told me to come with enough time last time, so I can assume two months… no, three months to go calmly.’

Just as Alon was beginning to organize his plans—

“Lord Marquis.”

“Alexion?”

Unlike before, Alexion arrived with a radiant, worry-free expression.

He quickly approached Alon and smiled widely.

“I was surprised, sir. I didn’t expect you to solve them so quickly…”

“…Solve?”

“Yes! Thanks to you taking care of the bandits, all the merchants say the surroundings of the Marquis’s house are safe! Everyone is praising you!”

It was something that made no sense.

Alon could only swallow another question within himself.

At that very instant—

On the outskirts of Marquis Palatio‘s house…

“P- pard— cough!”

A unilateral massacre was taking place.

“G- get out—”

Slash!

An elf cut the neck of the terrified bandit looking at her without hesitation.

Rim shook her hands and observed the surroundings.

At a glance, dozens of bandits lay on the ground, dying while expelling an unsettling black smoke.

“Hoo—”

While Rim caught her breath—

“Captain.”

“Situation?”

As if they had been waiting for her, another elf appeared behind her and bowed his head.

“First, we eliminated all the bandits around the Marquis’s house.”

“What about the south and the east?”

“The Lizardmen took care of those areas. Well, to be exact, some areas were already cleared.”

“Already?”

“Yes. We assume it was the Therianthropes and semi-demons who are on good terms with that person.”

“I see.”

Rim murmured softly, looking at the bandits.

“Even so, check the surroundings again. They may not mean anything to him… but they could be a nuisance if he finds them.”

Her gaze became cold and piercing.

“Understood.”

The elf disappeared, and Rim also silently vanished.

After Alexion’s sudden celebration, Alon could only be stunned, but he decided to set his plan anyway and continue with his agenda.

The first objective could be divided into two major parts.

The first was to correctly establish his magic system.

It wasn’t that Alon was using magic incorrectly, but his style was very unbalanced.

For example, there were times when he focused too much on the phrases, and others when all his effort was placed only on the hand seal.

That’s why Alon felt it was time to properly organize and define his magic.

Partly because he wanted to delve deeper into the magic of the True Mages… but also because of what Sparrow had told him.

Before learning techniques, it was crucial to properly understand the phrases and hand seals.

The second part was his training with Kylus.

“Now you resist at least one minute.”

“Hah… hah—”

In a completely destroyed world…

While Kylus spoke calmly with a spiritual dracon behind him, Alon gasped, exhausted.

He had barely fought for a minute, but the fatigue made him fall to his knees right there.

Kylus observed him and murmured coldly:

“You’re still soft.”

Alon glanced at him discreetly.

Maybe he was also tired, but he was only maintaining his posture to pretend.

But…

“7.”

Kylus looked so normal that Alon could only sigh.

Although he wasn’t using Reverse Heaven, even considering that, Kylus was incredibly strong.

[Nyaa?]

While Alon caught his breath, Blackie tilted his head next to his shoulder.

Stroking Blackie‘s head, Alon said:

“I remembered what you asked me the other day.”

“…The other day?”

“You asked about the origin of magic.”

“Ah.”

Kylus let out a slight exclamation.

A few days ago, while organizing his magical theories, Alon had been curious and asked.

“You told me the only thing you knew was that the Primordial Mage spread magic, right?”

Kylus nodded.

“That’s right. But checking my memories, I remembered some theories that circulated at that time.”

“Theories?”

“Yes. Theories that arose after the Primordial Mage spread the phrases and the hand seal.”

Kylus ran his hand over his chin.

“First, most concluded that the Primordial Mage was the one who first created the phrases, the hand seal, and the techniques.”

“…Really?”

“Of course. Back then, neither the phrases, the hand seals, nor the techniques existed, so no one questioned their origin. But there was another opinion.”

Kylus thought for a moment and continued:

“That the magic the Primordial Mage taught… belonged to a previous era.”

“…A previous era?”

Kylus nodded.

“You know that our time was called the ‘Era of the Forgotten God’ here. But there was an era before that.”

Alon remembered hearing something similar somewhere.

After thinking for a few seconds, finally—

“Ah.”

He remembered that he had heard it from the Observer he met in the sea of Laksas.

“I heard about that era. Not in detail, but I did.”

“I don’t know much more either. Perhaps only that the phrases and hand seals we use come from that era.”

“They come from that era?”

“Yes. Although the Primordial Mage molded them into the form of magic, the phrases and hand seals as concepts pre-existed from much earlier. That’s what I know.”

Kylus softly shrugged his shoulders.

Alon mentally organized the information.

“I understand. Thank you for telling me.”

Kylus stared at him and replied:

“You told me you’re establishing your magic, right?”

“That’s right.”

“When you think you have a solid structure, let me know. I will teach you something you can use at that point. Probably—”

Immediately, the spiritual dragon’s tail moved and whipped Alon.

“—it will be quite useful to you in your current state.”

With a resounding kraack—!…

“Wow, this time he took longer to wake up. A new record!”

Alon woke up, as usual, in the second office, where Penia was.

While Alon continued fulfilling his tasks…

In the Kingdom of Ashtalon, a strange rumor began to circulate.

“Hey, why is His Majesty preparing so many gifts? There’s no special event, right?”

“Didn’t you hear?”

“What?”

“They say Marquis Palatio is getting married. And to none other than the Elven Queen.”

…A totally absurd rumor that did not reflect the will of the person involved at all.

“What!? Seriously?”

“Lower your voice, idiot!”

“…Ahem. But, is it true?”

“I heard it from a royal guard. They say His Majesty said it clearly.”

“Wow…! Is that why he’s preparing everything?”

The knight Jack opened his eyes in surprise, and the other knight nodded secretly.

“Yes. I think he wants to compensate for what the prince did last time. Anyway, he told us to prepare it in secret. So keep your mouth shut, alright?”

“Of course. You know I’m tight-lipped.”

“I know.”

Both sealed their “secret” pact.

But…

“Do you know something?”

That oath was worthless.

In a kingdom where daily work was monotonous and boring, such a juicy rumor was too interesting.

Even the tightest mouth of a knight turned out to be more volatile than a leaf carried by the wind.

Thus, the “secret” report—

“Oh, Sir Jack! Good morning!”

“Oh, Hanson. And all this?”

“Gifts for you, of course!”

“Haha, very well. I’ll give you something in return: important information. It might be useful to you.”

“Information? What information?”

Like a rumor without feet that travels a thousand leagues, it spread outside the kingdom in a matter of hours.

“Seriously?!”

“Yes. But only you should know it.”

“Of course! How could I divulge something like that? My nickname was ‘The Anvil of Marlot’!”

The rumor even reached the famous Anvil of Marlot, and then—

“Hm? Hanson, what’s wrong?”

“Patrick, come. You won’t believe what I heard.”

In less than five hours, it had already reached the ears of merchants traveling with their caravans.

And then…

“…What did you say?”

“They say the Great Moon is getting married.”

“Is it true?”

“…Maybe.”

The rumor finally reached the ears of Hidan, who was heading to Rosario to deliver a report to Yutia Bloodia.

“…Yuna.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Can you go to Rosario for—”

“Ah, I’m sorry, they’re calling me. I’m leaving!”

Yuna cut off the communication in an exaggeratedly obvious way.

Alone, in the hideout, Hidan brought his hands to his face.

“…Ah.”

He hadn’t done anything wrong, but…

Cold sweat ran down his back, and he closed his eyes tightly.

“I want to go home…….” (Cale, is that you?)

His lament echoed in the hideout.

---