Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 302 : Knight Order... ? (2)
Previously on Became the Patron of Villains...
Alon released a heavy breath he hadn't realized he was holding after Filian departed.
Naturally, a title of nobility wasn't a burden one could simply discard at whim, regardless of their desires.
It was only at this moment that Alon grasped the sheer recklessness of his casual announcement regarding the Knight Order recruitment.
However, he had already crossed the point of no return; he couldn't possibly dismiss everyone and send them home now.
Massaging his aching temples, he sighed and signaled for the next candidate to enter.
"Greetings!"
To his relief, the person who walked in was an ordinary civilian he didn't recognize.
Observation of the man’s stiff, anxious posture allowed Alon to relax slightly.
The interviewing process proceeded in this manner for some time.
“The line is moving much swifter than I anticipated.”
“It truly is.”
Alon gave a nod of agreement to Evan’s observation following the departure of another applicant.
A task that had initially felt insurmountable was actually being completed at a surprising pace.
The crowd in the waiting area grew noticeably thinner every time he checked.
With that encouraging thought, Alon called for the next person in line.
“I am Deus.”
Alon found himself speechless once more as Deus strolled into the room with complete nonchalance.
“...Deus?”
“At your service, my lord.”
“W-What is the meaning of this? Why are you here?”
“I have come for the interview.”
Deus remained perfectly calm, a stark contrast to Alon’s visible bewilderment.
“Deus, do you not hold the position of Caliban’s First Sword?”
Deus answered Alon's query with unwavering confidence.
“It is no issue.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If your concern lies there, I have already settled the matter.”
“And... precisely how did you settle it?”
“...Deus?”
“I managed the situation appropriately.”
“...Managed what?”
“You didn't... surely you didn't, right?”
“What are you implying?”
Deus acted as though he had no idea what Alon was talking about, even as Alon pressed him with a growing sense of dread.
“Did you renounce your noble status or something similar?”
“No, I did not.”
“Then what did you do?”
“To ensure my enlistment in the Knight Order caused no friction, I sent a correspondence suggesting that certain unfortunate incidents might occur otherwise.”
That is nothing short of a threat...
Alon shifted his gaze toward Evan, thinking the same thing.
Evan’s expression mirrored his own; he looked completely stunned by the audacity.
A heavy, uncomfortable silence filled the room for a moment.
“...Leave.”
Alon eventually gave the order to depart. Deus gave a self-assured nod and exited the office.
The individual who entered next was—
“Hello, Master!”
“...Seolrang?”
It was indeed Seolrang.
She bounded into the room with a giggle and threw herself directly into Alon’s arms.
As she made herself comfortable on Alon’s lap, he sat there, paralyzed by the suddenness of her actions.
“...Are you here to apply for the Knight Order as well?”
“I sure am!”
“I thought you mentioned you were busy with work?”
“I took a break! I heard the news that you were forming a Knight Order!”
Her ears twitched with excitement, and her eyes seemed to beg for his approval and praise.
Alon found his hand moving instinctively to pat her head.
“...Are you not the Baba Yaga of the Colony?”
He felt as though he had repeated this same line of questioning multiple times throughout the day.
The faces of all those troublesome—rather, the "unique" applicants—paraded through Alon’s mind.
“That’s me!”
“In that case, wouldn't it be more beneficial for you to remain and protect your station?”
Seolrang tilted her head, pondering his words for a brief second.
“Hmm~ If that is your wish, Master, then I shall!”
She gave a bright smile and a vigorous nod.
“I apologize for making you travel all this way for nothing.”
“Don't worry about it, Master! This was basically a mission anyway!”
“A mission?”
“Yep! I came here on a protection detail!”
“...Did you have a companion?”
“Karsem!”
Seolrang’s reply was cheerful.
Alon thought of the prince—the one who was once a pig but had transformed into a striking young man, the heir of King Carmaxes. He asked with a sense of inevitability:
“Please don't tell me Karsem also—”
“He’s here to join the Knight Order too!”
Alon could only chuckle at the predictability of the situation.
“Unfortunately, I must ask you to tell him not to bother with the entrance exam.”
“Understood! I'll tell him!”
After nodding eagerly and trading a few more lighthearted words, Seolrang spoke up:
“Well, I’m heading out now, Master!”
“Is it truly alright for you to leave so abruptly?”
“Yes! I still have chores to finish!”
With that lively goodbye, she vanished as quickly as she had arrived.
Alon sat in silence, staring at the empty space left by the whirlwind that was Seolrang.
Evan spoke up from his side.
“My lord.”
“What is it?”
“I cannot quite put my finger on it, but your bond with Seolrang seems to have deepened.”
“What are you getting at?”
"It's just... the distance between you? It feels different."
"Does it?"
Muttering that things were the same as they had always been, Alon moved on to the next interview immediately.
"That concludes our work for today."
"I understand. I shall inform the remaining people that we will resume the interviews tomorrow."
With the sun dipping below the mountain ridge, they decided to stop.
Though he wished to finish everything, it was no longer a realistic goal for the day.
Alon thought back to Karsem, who had arrived with such bravado, and Lian, the daughter of the Red Tower Master.
When he had questioned Karsem, 'Are you not a member of the royal family?', the prince had boldly insisted he was prepared for the Knight Order.
When he questioned Lian, 'Aren't you a mage?', she had simply argued, 'But I am capable of wielding a magic sword...'
With a soft sigh, Alon stepped toward the window.
"......"
He had hoped the crowd was shrinking, but looking out, it seemed even larger than it had been in the morning.
A sense of bitterness washed over him.
***
The following day.
Deus observed the mass of people gathered at the Palatio Marquisate with a peculiar look on his face.
His confusion didn't stem from the sheer volume of applicants.
In reality, he was wondering, 'Is this not a small turnout for a recruitment held by the Great Moon?'
Naturally, that was merely Deus’s skewed perspective.
Regardless, the Great Moon's actions were what truly baffled him.
From where Deus stood, the Great Moon required no protection from such commoners.
Quite the opposite.
Deus knew many individuals, himself included, who were far more qualified to serve as the Great Moon's shield than this disorganized mob.
He had detected the presence of lizardmen and elves the moment he set foot on the grounds.
Under normal circumstances, he would have chased them away, but he stayed his hand since they were here for the Great Moon’s safety.
"...... He is already sufficiently protected."
Of course, Alon was completely oblivious to the fact that lizardmen and elves were following him in the shadows.
Unaware of Alon's ignorance, Deus continued his train of thought:
He began to speculate on Alon’s true goals.
While stroking his chin in contemplation—
He suddenly recalled a comment Evan had made the previous day.
"Why is the Marquis establishing a Knight Order? To be honest, I haven't been briefed on all the specifics, but I believe it is to gather forces for the defense of new territories?"
Evan had mentioned this in passing.
From that single piece of information, Deus arrived at a conclusion.
To anyone else, it might have sounded absurd.
But to Deus, the theory made perfect sense of everything.
It explained why Alon was conducting these soldier recruitment interviews personally.
It explained why Deus had been rejected from joining the Knight Order.
It even explained why Alon had stationed Deus and the others in various foreign nations.
Once those dots were connected—
Deus found the public Knight Order recruitment to be a masterstroke of logic and felt a shiver of excitement.
(In reality, Alon was only doing the interviews himself because he felt bad leaving the entire burden on Evan. And his reason for recruiting knights was simply that he’d listened to Rine and thought, ‘I suppose having some knights is a good idea.’)
Ignoring Alon’s actual motives, Deus—interpreting the events through his own lens—was awestruck by the supposed brilliance of the plan.
"…Eh? Deus?"
"Seolrang."
"What's up? I’ve got to get going."
"This is of grave importance."
He shared his deduction—or rather, his "discovery"—with Seolrang.
And then—
"...If that's the case, we need to start preparing."
"Indeed."
And so, a massive and bizarre misunderstanding began to take root.
***
A full week had passed since the start of the interviews.
Yet, Alon was still stuck in the interview chair.
He had never anticipated the number of candidates would be this vast.
Even with the high volume of applicants, he hadn't expected it to consume an entire week.
Despite the long process, Alon was in high spirits today.
The reason was simple: today would mark the end of the interviews.
Peering outside, he saw that only a few dozen remained.
Satisfied, Alon turned his attention back to the estate.
"……Greetings. I am Seamus."
For the first time in a while, a character from Psychedelia appeared before him.
Seamus the Mad Dog.
He was a companion one could recruit during the middle stage of the game.
He was a player favorite, not just for his high starting stats, but because his growth rate per level far outpaced most other characters.
However, he had his detractors—mostly due to his abrasive personality.
Because of his strength, Seamus was incredibly vain and constantly made patronizing remarks, which grated on many players.
Some players refused to use him entirely, despite his power.
That thought was fleeting.
Alon’s brow soon furrowed in bewilderment.
The face definitely belonged to Seamus.
The aura of strength he radiated confirmed his identity as well.
But—
He seemed beyond just being quiet.
Seamus spoke with a soft, almost defeated tone, as if he were being crushed by something.
Alon’s confusion deepened.
The Seamus he remembered was nothing like this.
Regardless—
He couldn't exactly ask, 'Hey, aren't you supposed to be a psychopath?'
Thus, after a brief interview, Alon dismissed Seamus.
Yet, a nagging sense of doubt remained in his mind.
***
In the meantime.
Deep within the heart of the Ronovelli Jungle.
Two women were conversing.
One was Historia.
The other—
"So you are claiming the Chief is truly the same Chief we once knew?"
"Correct."
"And you actually saw Chief?"
"I did."
"Does that mean Chief remembers me as well?"
"Yes."
This was the deadliest region of the Ronovelli Jungle, the domain of the entity known as the King of a Hundred Ghosts.
"...If he remembers me, then why hasn't he come to visit?"
Ryanga pouted her cheeks, looking thoroughly dejected.
#Rine illustration#