Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 313 : What Is This… (4)
Previously on Became the Patron of Villains...
Alon was momentarily stunned by Kalannon’s sudden mature appearance, but his surprise quickly turned into confusion.
“?”
Kalannon’s form, which had visibly expanded and aged, began to contract and shrink back down.
“Ah…”
The transformation was short-lived, as she reverted to the shape of a young girl once more.
“…What was that just now?”
“That was my original form…”
The moment she returned to her youthful state, Kalannon resumed her previous formal manner of speaking.
“Eugh~ It seems that maintaining my true form is still beyond my current limits.”
She stretched her limbs while glancing toward Alon.
“In any case, have you been faring well?”
“I have.”
“Did you worry about me at all?”
“Well… I did… worry, I guess.”
To be more accurate, Alon felt more curiosity than genuine concern.
It had been more than a year since Kalannon had last manifested before him.
Upon hearing his affirmative reply, Kalannon hummed contentedly and gave a deep, satisfied nod.
“You don’t have to fret too much. I’ve been making my own preparations!”
“Preparing for what?”
“For survival, of course!”
“Survival?”
“Yes, I told you before, remember? I’ve been working on a way to survive on my own.”
“That’s right…”
Alon remembered Kalannon mentioning her efforts to adapt, especially since divine power was being heavily concentrated on him.
It appeared she had achieved significant results.
As Alon nodded in understanding, Kalannon cried out,
“I finally finished it!”
“…What is it?”
“This right here!”
Kalannon flashed a confident grin and then—
“?”
[Woomnya~!]
—shifted into the form of a blue cat.
However, she wasn't just any ordinary blue cat.
“…Is that Blackie?”
She bore a resemblance to Blackie.
The distinction was that, unlike Blackie, her physical body was clearly defined.
Moreover, she wore the same crown on her head that she donned when manifesting before Alon.
Her fur appeared fluffier, and her tail was noticeably longer.
[Nya!]
While Alon was preoccupied with studying her sudden change, a voice—or rather, a meow—struck his ears.
“…I don’t speak cat, though.”
[Nyaa!]
When Alon did nothing but stare, Kalannon swiftly shifted back into her girl form.
“Sorry. I can’t talk when I transform like that.”
“That’s your way of surviving?”
“Yes, it is.”
“I mean, I don’t see how that connects.”
“Oh, really?”
“…What does turning into a cat have to do with surviving as a god?”
“You really don’t get it.”
At Alon’s remark, Kalannon shook her head with an expression that suggested he still had much to learn.
“If I’m like this, I can survive as a mascot!”
She made this declaration with great pride.
“A mascot, huh—”
“Remember last time I transformed, I had horns?”
“Yeah.”
“It’s kind of the same concept.”
“So basically, you're saying you’ll stick around me as a mascot. Is that it?”
“Exactly! And that way, my personal recognition will naturally go up too!”
She giggled smugly and muttered, “How about it? Isn’t it a perfect plan?” clearly feeling very self-assured.
Alon still had one lingering doubt.
Was transforming into an animal truly the most effective method?
Regardless, Alon felt a sense of responsibility for Kalannon ending up in this situation.
“So are you going to walk around in that form from now on?”
Instead of arguing, he simply asked for clarification.
Kalannon nodded.
“That’s right! The only reason I hadn’t gone outside until now was because I needed to gather enough divine power to exist in the outside world. Of course, even when I incarnate, I’ll still remain here.”
“Here, meaning?”
“Inside the divine land you created.”
Because that’s the only way I can safely gather divine power! she added.
“Thank you for creating it! You saved me!”
“…Well, sure.”
“Then I’ll see you in a bit!”
With those parting words, she shattered the reality of the blue galaxy.
The moment Alon opened his eyes again,
A blue orb had materialized right in front of him.
“Huh?”
“Hmm?”
[Hmm?]
“Oh.”
Everyone gasped in astonishment at the sight of the blue sphere.
But the orb soon began to warp and rapidly contract—
[Nyaa~!]
—transforming into the identical blue cat Alon had just encountered in the galaxy.
“…What the heck is this?”
“Seriously…?”
Evan and Penia asked, completely baffled by the cat's sudden arrival.
Alon explained to them that the cat was, in fact, Kalannon.
“Ohh~ Now that you mention it, it does have horns like a cat.”
“True.”
[Hmm~]
As Evan, Penia, and Basiliora inspected the cat with curiosity,
[Meow?]
Blackie, who had been dozing in Alon’s chest pouch, suddenly snapped his eyes open and leaped onto the desk to confront Kalannon.
Blackie tilted his head from side to side.
His head rotated as if it could spin 360 degrees, showing just how shocked he was.
Then, with a haughty look, he peered down at Kalannon one more time.
[Meow-]
And he immediately retreated back into the pouch he had emerged from.
“…What was that just now?”
“Seriously.”
[Pfft, was that a clumsy display of jealousy?]
The interaction was fleeting.
While Alon watched Kalannon explore the room with interest,
“So, Marquis, did you check it?”
“Ah.”
Responding to Evan’s prompt, Alon closed his eyes and focused on his internal state.
“It hasn’t grown as much as I expected.”
He spoke after assessing the amount of divine power that had accumulated.
“Huh? Really? That’s strange. I thought it would be overflowing by now.”
Evan tilted his head, visibly confused.
After a brief silence, Alon spoke again.
“It’s not completely inexplicable.”
“Is that so?”
“All the ones who’ve gathered here came because of a ‘rumor’ in the first place.”
“Ah—”
Evan nodded as he processed the explanation.
“You said before, divine power won’t accumulate without firm belief, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Hmm~ In that case, I think things will stabilize here soon.”
“Actually, I just confirmed the divine power and felt a bit relieved myself.”
Alongside Evan, Alon looked out at the busy barracks, masking his relief behind an indifferent expression.
***
Following their talks with the Blue Ghost, the party remained in the Divine Land for nearly a month. Once Alon decided it was time to meet the White Ghost, they traveled back to the House of Palatio.
A few days later—
Chaos began to brew within the Divine Land.
To be more specific—
While the original group of soldiers and knights remained steady, tension was mounting among the newly arrived mercenaries and knights who had joined as citizens.
The issue revolved around Kalannon’s power.
“They said we’d gain power by training in the Divine Land. But I haven’t felt a single thing.”
“Right? I’ve been here almost a month too.”
“Ugh, so it was all just lies after all?”
“When you think about it, getting powers just by training in the Divine Land doesn’t even make sense.”
“Exactly. Only Kalannon’s followers are supposed to be able to use that power.”
Even though Alon had made no such promises, the mercenaries and knights who had been lured by distorted rumors were now facing a disappointing reality.
“Hmm—so what should we do now?”
“What else? Just leave. No point staying if we can’t even use power.”
“True. Better to return to Lartania than keep training here.”
Just as these conversations began to circulate—
“It’s been a while, Silli.”
“It has indeed, brother.”
Silli Maccalian arrived at the Divine Land and crossed paths with Deus.
“How’s the training going?”
“Fine. But—”
“Oh, you mean the mercenaries and knights who came after hearing the rumors, right?”
“You knew?”
“Yes, I asked around a bit before coming to see you.”
“I see…”
Deus gave a short nod.
“But you don’t need to worry too much. Those who don’t believe in the Marquis were never intended to stay here anyway. They would likely become obstacles to the Marquis’s grand plan.”
Despite his comforting words, Silli looked slightly puzzled.
“Huh? What do you mean, brother?”
She countered with a question of her own.
“Hmm? I just mean the knights and mercenaries will leave. I didn’t want you to worry unnecessarily. Even if they do, we already have enough people.”
Deus tried to clarify his point, looking perplexed.
But Silli tilted her head once more.
“That’s what’s strange though.”
“How so?”
“Well, no one’s actually left yet, right? And I don’t think anyone will, either.”
She smiled.
There was something in that smile that sent a shiver down Deus’s spine.
“…Is that so?”
“Isn’t it?”
“But they realized the rumors were distorted, didn’t they?”
At that, Silli hummed softly and shook her head.
“Brother.”
“Yes?”
“To be honest, the rumors that spread were kind of ridiculous, weren’t they?”
“Rationally speaking, yes.”
“Then why did people come after hearing them?”
“Well~”
Deus paused to consider before offering his view.
“They might’ve gotten swept up in the hype. Or maybe they thought, ‘What if it’s true?’”
“That’s correct. But the important part is the latter.”
“The latter being—?”
“The part where they thought, ‘What if it’s real?’”
Silli shifted her gaze from Deus and pointed toward the barracks outside, where rows of soldiers and knights still stretched on.
“Brother. Do you see those people inside the Divine Land who are voicing complaints?”
“I do.”
“They already know the rumors were false. So why aren’t they leaving?”
When Deus failed to answer immediately, Silli spoke for him.
“Hope.”
“…Hope?”
“Yes. Everyone here is clinging to just the tiniest hope. Even if the rumors were false, they’re still thinking, ‘Maybe…?’ That’s enough.”
“Enough for what?”
This time, Silli offered no reply.
She simply stared into the distance with her violet eyes and remarked,
“That person will do nicely.”
She smiled and pulled two books from the folds of her robe.
They were bound in blue leather.
“Take this, brother.”
“…?”
“Please read it.”
Deus silently opened the book.
And then—
“This is…”
He recognized immediately that the blue book was a holy scripture.
It wasn't just any text—it was a scripture Silli had personally written for Marquis Palatio.
Realizing this, he looked up—
Only to see that Silli had already walked away toward a timid-looking knight in the distance.
When she reached him, she said,
“Hello, sir knight.”
“You are—?”
“I’m Silli Maccalian, Saintess of Lady Kalannon.”
“…You’re her?”
“Yes. Actually~”
She smiled warmly.
“I think you’ll be able to use Kalannon’s power very soon.”
“R-Really?”
“Yes. So, with your permission—”
She gently offered him the blue-covered book.
“Would you like a little help?”
Her deep, mesmerizing violet eyes sparkled as she spoke.