Became the Patron of Villains Novel MTL - Chapter 288

C288. Deal (7)

Alon looked at the being in front of him.

Its form could not be clearly distinguished.

He didn’t know if it was a man or a woman.

Nor if it was an elder or a child.

To Alon’s eyes, it just looked like noise.

‘…When I saw the Dragon Scale (Yongrin) for the first time, it wasn’t this bad.’

The instant he thought that—

[Hmm~?]

An enigmatic voice sprang from the being before him.

When Alon raised the gaze he had cast downward—

[Curious.]

The being of noise expressed that impression while looking at Alon.

“…What does that mean?”

Alon asked, but instead of answering—

[You… know nothing.]

“Huh?”

[You know nothing, and yet the Rebellion blossomed where it shouldn’t exist… and you became the Devourer of Stars.]

It said things impossible to understand.

“What are you talking about?”

[Even if I explained it, it would be useless. Besides, to fully explain it I would need a tremendous amount of time, and your body wouldn’t withstand it.]

“What—?”

Just as his brow began to furrow at the incoherent conversation—

“…Ah?”

Feeling a wet sensation, Alon brought his hand to his face without realizing it.

“…!”

He perceived blood trickling from his nose.

Such a sudden occurrence.

The drops fell to the ground, and Alon tried to look up hurriedly, but—

[Don’t look into my eyes. That is the only way you and I can stay together a little longer.]

Following the advice, he immediately lowered his gaze.

Alon finally understood the strange sensation he had felt upon seeing that being.

‘This is… just like when I saw the Observer’s mirror that time.’

[What a pity. If you had arrived having understood a little more, I could have told you many things. But someone is twisting fate and closing ears, so it won’t be possible.]

“Huuk— huuk—!”

Alon couldn’t answer.

His heart was beating so fast it seemed to want to burst through his throat.

And just as blood began to pool in his eyes—

Something that felt like the being’s hand touched his shoulder.

And then—

“…Ah?”

The agitation in his heart began to calm down little by little.

Alon, surprised by the change in his body—

[Don’t lift your head. It will shorten the time we can converse. Listen like this.]

He nodded in silence.

[When I disappear, take the Magatama and go to the Observer of the East. She will teach you how to converse.]

“The Observer of the East—”

[We will continue the story there.]

“Can I… ask a question right now?”

[…If it is only a little, it is possible. But remember: even with my help, your body will only withstand about 3 minutes.]

Alon asked immediately:

“Do you know anything about the Sins?”

[Do you refer to the black things?]

Alon tried to explain from the beginning, but he didn’t have time.

So he shortened it:

“If the Apostles of Sin disappear… will the Sins still appear?”

The being responded with another question:

[Do you know the meaning of inevitability?]

“I know it.”

[The black things are that. It doesn’t matter if the Apostles exist or not. What is important is that their appearance in this world is inevitable. Nothing can change it—]

The being paused.

[Because it is an inevitability that we created.]

“!”

Alon opened his eyes wide, looking at the being.

But even so, he couldn’t see it.

It remained covered in noise.

[There is little time left. Do you have one last question?]

The being’s voice was calm, as if the end didn’t matter.

But Alon’s mind was not.

A single phrase had wreaked havoc on his thoughts.

What should he ask?

Are you the one who created the Sins?

Or should I ask for your identity?

Or why did you do something like that?

Thousands of questions battered him.

But, amidst the chaos, he chose:

“Why am I the only one who can use the Phrases?”

Alon stopped asking about the Sins.

He had already heard that they would appear no matter what.

And since he had to stop them, something else was more important: increasing his strength.

So he asked something that could give him an advantage.

[You—]

The being stopped its words for an instant.

[And you don’t even realize the restriction that you yourself placed under an ‘eye’.]

And then:

[Child of the Black Eyes■■.]

That was left as its last phrase.

---

After the conversation—

“Brother!?”

“Are you alright, Marquis!?”

As soon as he came out, Radan and Evan ran toward him, terrified.

Alon waved his hand, downplaying it.

“I’m fine.”

“…What happened in there?”

Penia asked.

Alon let out a small sigh.

“We’ll talk while we head back. I need to sort out my thoughts.”

Although everyone wanted to insist, they couldn’t.

---

On the way back, unlike before, a strange silence reigned.

Alon calmly reviewed what he had heard.

‘I got what I wanted.’

Yes, he had obtained the main answer: confirming whether the Sins would appear even without the Apostles.

And the answer was yes.

But now he had new doubts.

‘Those who created the Sins…’

The being said it clearly.

“We created the Sins.”

But it also showed goodwill to him, the one who wanted to stop them.

It was absurd.

The creators of the world’s disaster… helping the one trying to stop it.

To Alon, it made no sense.

It wasn’t the only strange thing.

The “Rebellion”, the “Devourer of Stars”, and the final phrase about a self-imposed restriction.

Nothing fit.

He then remembered his ring.

The one that had been the origin of his first pact.

He twisted it on his finger.

But he discarded the idea.

The two restrictions he had chosen that time had no relation.

Only the Phrases and the Hand Seal.

After thinking for a while—

“Th–that, what…?”

A trembling voice interrupted him.

Alon looked ahead—

And his hands clenched tightly.

“!”

What he saw was the same as the previous day: the capital bathed in the sunset sun, beautiful.

But there was a difference—

The capital was—

“Damn it…!”

Burning.

And the fire was born from the palace in the center.

“An attack!?”

The fox woman guiding them screamed in despair.

“Brother, will you go?”

Alon turned his body immediately.

“We will go.”

They soon arrived at the castle gate.

“Ugh—”

The fox woman shuddered, horrified.

The corpses of soldiers filled the view.

All brutally torn apart.

And not just there.

The entire path toward the palace was full of bodies.

It seemed like the work of monsters rather than humans.

Alon and the others ran to the center of the palace.

And there they saw:

Corpses horribly dismembered, creatures devouring bodies…

And a huge sea of soldiers filling the palace plaza.

“Ah, unwanted visitors.”

The 1st Prince of the East, Virang, the same one who looked at Alon with disdain yesterday.

In front of him—

“Kuuk—”

Urang, kneeling, broken.

“I didn’t expect this to happen.”

While Alon’s group stood paralyzed, Virang spoke in a relaxed voice, holding a blood-covered sword.

“Hey, are you fools?”

“What?”

“I asked if you are fools. Did you not foresee this before entering the capital? I don’t understand why you came if it was so obvious.”

He touched his temple, laughing mockingly.

“…How dare you rebel against Cheonga—!”

Urang growled with fury, but—

“How noisy, father.”

Virang clicked his tongue, not taking him seriously.

“If you had ceded the throne to me, none of this would have happened. You complicated things yourself, so I don’t understand why you’re complaining.”

And he added:

“Ah, and stop waiting for that oh-so-great old man. He fell into a trap and surely died last night.”

That announcement fell like lightning.

“He… died? Impossible—”

“If he hadn’t died, he would have arrived by now. He fell into the trap yesterday.”

Urang fell into shock.

Virang looked away without interest.

“Well, goodbye.”

With a signal of his sword—

CHAC!

The soldiers aimed at Alon.

The monsters devouring bodies also turned their heads toward them.

The fox woman screamed in horror.

Alon evaluated the situation calmly.

‘There are many. More soldiers than monsters. All using Abyssal Cores. Several monsters are strong.’

He now understood why Virang was so confident.

Soldiers with Abyssal Cores had increased strength and magic.

But…

To Alon, they were no real threat.

The problem was that there were civilians mixed in, and Urang, who was still alive.

He couldn’t freely destroy everything.

And just when the soldiers lunged—

Fshh!

Everyone froze.

Soldiers.

Monsters.

As if time had stopped.

And the next instant—

CRAAACK—

The bodies of the soldiers split in two.

SPLAAASH—!

An unreal spectacle.

But the smell of blood confirmed it: this was real.

Virang was left with his mouth open.

And then, in Alon’s view—

A girl appeared.

“…What… is this?”

The first thing seen was her silver hair dyed by the sunset sun.

In her hand, she carried five severed heads.

And between the mountains of corpses split in half, she descended.

And the last thing her eyes showed—

“I ask again.”

Cold. Empty. Unnatural.

“What is…”

They were eyes—

“What happened here?”

—totally white.