Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 312 : What Is This............. (3)

Witnessing the scene before them, even Penia let out a stunned "Wow, what the—" while her jaw dropped in surprise.

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, if only for a brief second.

Alon and his companions proceeded toward what appeared to be the makeshift main entrance of Divine Land.

"......Is this the queue?"

"It seems so."

Regrettably, they were unable to pass through the gate immediately.

An interminable line of people stretched out far into the distance ahead of them.

"There is no way this entire line is for—"

"It looks like... the rumors really did draw everyone here?"

Following Evan's observation, Alon’s expression shifted as he gazed at the sight in utter disbelief.

"I mean, even considering that, how are there this many people?"

"Right?"

Standing beside the skeptical Alon, Evan clicked his tongue in disapproval.

However—

"Really? I don't find it that shocking."

Penia tilted her head to the side as she observed Evan and Alon.

"Why is that?"

"Isn’t it obvious? You are aware that the Allied Kingdom is in complete turmoil because of the bandits, right?"

"Well, yes, that is true."

"I’m telling you, the situation is incredibly dire right now."

She mentioned that entire villages they had traveled through previously had vanished by the time they returned.

"So it's only natural that people are desperate for a means of survival and are looking toward Kalannon’s power."

"......So what they seek is strength."

"That as well, but more importantly, it’s, um... how should I phrase it... a sense of legitimacy?"

"Legitimacy?"

"I mean~"

Alon wondered to himself, "What even qualifies as legitimate power in this world?" yet he continued to listen to Penia’s reasoning.

"Look. Those Abyssal Cores? They are utilized by underworld types, right? And if you absorb one, your mana leaks out pitch-black just like those sorcerers from the Black Tower."

"True."

"So even if it provides rapid Cultivation, anyone who cares about their reputation wouldn’t touch that method. Even in Rosario, the penalty for using an Abyssal Core is brutal. Do you recall that artificial Outer God incident?"

As Alon nodded to indicate he was following, Penia went on with her explanation.

"That’s why mercenaries and knights—who live and die by their honor—couldn’t even consider that stuff. But now, Kalannon’s power is revealed, and all it takes is some training? Bam!"

"......Even if it is just a rumor."

"Yeah. But the outcome is—"

She pointed toward the massive crowd as if to say, "This is the result," and Alon nodded instinctively.

When she explained it that way, it did make a certain amount of sense.

Still—

Even so, this is a bit excessive—

Regardless of the logic, the current circumstances felt undeniably overwhelming to him.

Ever since they arrived, the surrounding chatter seemed to have died down, replaced by the silent, heavy stares of the multitude directed his way.

"Hey, look, that is the carriage of Marquis Palatio."

"You are right."

"That must be the person from Kalannon..."

Because the crowd had grown quiet, he could even overhear their hushed conversations.

Just as Alon attempted to focus on Penia’s words and disregard the scrutiny—

"Everyone, halt!!!"

A booming voice echoed from afar, and knights began rushing toward them.

"Welcome, my lord!"

They gathered directly in front of Alon’s carriage window and bellowed in unison.

Due to that—

The attention already fixed on him now fully intensified upon the Palatio Marquis’s carriage.

Alon—

"...Yeah."

Feeling both the suffocating loyalty of the knights and the sharp gazes of the public, he managed a small nod.

"We shall escort you immediately!"

The knight in the lead responded firmly and began pushing the long line aside.

Not that it was strictly necessary, as the crowd was already parting of its own accord.

Regardless, Alon’s carriage moved into the Divine Land territory along the opened path.

"We have arrived!"

Stepping down from the vehicle, Alon was greeted by quiet whispers and a thousand eyes.

"Salute!!!"

Knights and soldiers snapped to attention as if they had been anticipating this very moment.

From its inception, Divine Land had been constructed with rigorous discipline as a priority.

That was certainly true—

But it was now evident that these knights and soldiers would execute any command without the slightest hesitation.

Alon then noticed Deus in the distance, observing his troops with an expression of pride.

Suddenly, another thought occurred to him.

"Wait, when did they even manage to coordinate their uniforms?"

When they were initially recruited, the knights lacked matching gear, save perhaps for their pauldrons.

It made sense at the time.

There hadn't been an opportunity to decide on a uniform style or manufacture new armor.

But now—

Even a cursory glance showed that their polished, uniform armor looked custom-crafted and grand.

"When did this happen... and where did the funds for that come from?"

Puzzling questions began to mount in his mind, and he shifted his gaze.

Then he recognized a somewhat familiar face among the knights standing before him.

"...?"

A man with distinct blue skin.

Alon shook his head in wonder.

That unique blue complexion was impossible to mistake.

His first encounter with the man had been so striking that there was no way he would forget him.

So Alon inquired—

"Hey, what are you doing there?"

He spoke to Blue Ghost, who was standing in the front row of the knight formation.

Blue Ghost stared up at the far-off sky and whispered—

"......Yeah, seriously, why am I even here...?"

He spoke with the tone of a man who had attained a weary enlightenment and abandoned all hope of understanding his situation.

***

Blue Ghost reflected on the events of a little over a month ago.

Those were the days when the White Ghost Ryanga would frequently claim to be depressed, venting her frustrations by thrashing her subordinates under the pretext of "training."

Back then, he had traveled to the Marquis’s estate in hopes of bringing Alon to her to end her violent outbursts.

Up to that point, everything had been normal.

Upon his arrival, he was informed that Alon was not at the manor but was instead at Divine Land, a day's journey away.

So he traveled to Divine Land.

And that was when things became bizarre.

"Pardon me, I am looking for Marquis Palatio—"

"Oh, hey, a recruit? What are you doing? Don’t wear those rags—put this on!"

"No, that is not—"

"Shhh! No excuses! Move it! Drills start soon and things are more difficult here than they look!"

"Wait, hold on, I am not a soldier here or anything—"

"Stop whining! Just change your clothes!"

That was the initial oddity.

It began the moment Blue Ghost stepped into Divine Land and asked a soldier for the Marquis’s location.

Before he could react, he had been forced into training attire.

Then, the next person he ran into was—

"...You."

"Right, exactly the person I needed. You've seen me before, haven't you?"

"Yes."

It was Deus.

The moment Blue Ghost spotted Deus, he went to him to clarify the misunderstanding.

"Did you sign up as a soldier?"

"Not at all. I am here to find Marquis Palatio—"

"I see."

"No, seriously, I am not a soldier! I am just here to see the Marquis—"

"A man with your skills would be wasted as a common soldier. I shall promote you to a knight."

"Take command of the First Squad."

"No, wait!"

Just like that, he was transformed into a knight in an instant.

To be perfectly honest, Blue Ghost felt a surge of irritation at that moment.

And who could blame him? Nobody was actually listening to a word he said.

Because of that, for a split second, he seriously contemplated tearing the whole place down.

Unfortunately, he couldn't follow through with that.

There were two reasons for his restraint.

First, this location had been founded by Marquis Palatio.

Now, whether it was built by Palatio or a whole kingdom didn't usually matter to Blue Ghost.

However, his leader, Ryanga, held Palatio in high regard.

Blue Ghost was well aware of that fact.

If word ever reached her that he had caused a scene here...

He knew Ryanga would never let him hear the end of it.

The second reason—

"Being a knight is incredible."

"You are certainly powerful."

"Whoa—how did you even do that...?"

It was because the knights and soldiers around him were offering him sincere recognition and awe.

Of course, it wasn't as if Blue Ghost had never been acknowledged for his strength before.

Even if Ryanga pummeled him occasionally, Blue Ghost was still the second-in-command of the Hundred Ghosts, surpassed only by Ryanga herself.

In other words, respect had always followed him as a matter of course.

But this was different.

Blue Ghost had never known this specific kind of admiration—pure and devoid of prejudice.

Because of his naturally blue skin, he had suffered immense contempt from humans throughout his life.

Even within the Hundred Ghosts, while his power was respected, some still dismissed it as nothing more than an inherited trait of his lineage.

Naturally, no one was brave enough to say that to his face.

But it was certainly whispered behind his back, and he was aware of it.

So this type of genuine respect felt remarkably new.

Furthermore, while the knight training wasn't overly taxing, it was vastly different from the crude and violent style of the Hundred Ghosts.

Unlike the Hundred Ghosts, who would slack off the moment they were given a task—

The knights under his leadership put genuine effort into even the smallest duties.

And while many in the Hundred Ghosts were weak yet arrogant enough to challenge him—

There was no such stupidity among these knights.

He didn't feel any of the stress of leadership that had constantly burdened him back with the Ghosts.

So, naturally—

Blue Ghost had spent the past month becoming attached to this place without even realizing it.

Of course, he didn't tell the whole story, thinking it would sound too strange, so he simply said, "It just kind of turned out this way."

"So yeah, that is how it happened."

He finished his explanation briefly.

Inside the temporary command tent of Marquis Palatio—

Alon, who had been listening to Blue Ghost with a slightly distant look in his eyes, reached a conclusion.

"So in the end, you came here because of Ryanga."

"That is correct. I came to bring you back."

As Blue Ghost nodded, Alon looked a bit embarrassed.

"I did intend to visit eventually."

But somehow, he hadn't managed to go until now.

Scratching his head, Alon remarked,

"Well, I was planning to head out regardless. I will stop by soon."

"Understood."

Then Alon added one more thing.

"Oh, and I know you sort of got caught up in all this, but... thank you for your hard work. If you wish to quit, you are free to do so."

Based on what Blue Ghost had shared—

He had simply come looking for Alon and ended up working for nothing.

Alon meant it as a kind offer, but—

"No, it is fine."

"Huh?"

"I mean, I have already secured a position in the knight order now. Wouldn't it be strange to just pack up and leave?"

Blue Ghost’s eyes began to dart around, looking uncertain.

"Well, I suppose that is true... but shouldn't you be returning to Ryanga?"

"Ah, right…"

After Alon’s response, Blue Ghost let out a quiet sigh.

For a moment, Alon thought, "What is even going on here?"

"Marquis."

"What?"

"Anyone can see he still has feelings about the situation, right?"

"Yeah, it looks that way."

"What kind of organization is this Hundred Ghosts group, anyway…"

As Evan whispered beside him, Alon silently nodded in agreement.

"By the way, Marquis! Since things are going so well… your divine power must have increased significantly too, right?"

"Oh, that is true!"

Penia clapped her hands and asked, and Evan nodded along with her.

"Is that so…"

At that, Alon closed his eyes to check his internal state.

And the moment he did—

"…?"

He found himself pulled into a very familiar realm.

A space filled with a glowing blue galaxy.

"This is—"

It didn't take Alon long to recognize his surroundings.

And soon—

"It has been a long time."

He was finally able to encounter Kalannon, the lightning receiver, once again.

But—

"Yes, it is me."

She was no longer a young girl, but a fully matured woman.