Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 314 : Something Feels Off (1)

~8 minute read · 2,052 words
Previously on Became the Patron of Villains...
After a year of preparation, Kalannon reappears before Alon, revealing her ability to manifest as a blue, cat-like mascot to survive and gather divine power within his territory. While Alon notes that his accumulated divine power is lower than expected due to a lack of firm belief among the people, tensions rise as mercenaries and knights grow disillusioned by false rumors of easy power. Sensing an opportunity amidst this unrest, Silli Maccalian begins to distribute a new holy scripture dedicated to Alon. Positioning herself as a saintess, she approaches the skeptical newcomers to cultivate the very faith required to stabilize the divine land.
Two weeks had already slipped by since Alon’s return from Divine Land to the Marquisate. Whether that duration felt lengthy or brief, it had provided him with a much-needed period of recuperation. Under normal circumstances, Alon would have been buried in paperwork for days, as final approval for the territory’s affairs always rested with him despite Alexion managing the bulk of the labor. That fundamental responsibility remained, yet a significant shift had occurred regarding his schedule. The change was entirely due to Penia. Motivated by the desire to claim the mountain of artifacts left behind by Nangwon, she had been assisting with the administrative duties. Consequently, Alon was able to condense a week’s worth of labor into a mere two days. This efficiency granted him nearly two weeks of freedom to focus on magical research and personal leisure. While he had been contentedly balancing estate oversight with his magic training, a certain realization began to dawn on him. “Hmmm~” “Is something the matter, my lord?” Lately, an odd sensation had been nagging at him. “There is something that has been weighing on my mind.” “About what? Is it the magic? True, progress has been sluggish. It is proving more difficult than we anticipated.” Seeing Penia shake her head in frustration, Alon mirrored the gesture but clarified his point. “No, it concerns divine power.” “Divine power?” He nodded at her inquiry, prompting her to ask with visible curiosity, “What exactly is going on with your divine power?” Alon hesitated for a beat before speaking slowly. “It has increased.” “Your divine power has?” “Yes.” “Well… isn’t that a positive development?” “It is.” “Then why do you find it strange?” “Under normal conditions, it shouldn’t be growing like this.” While an expansion of divine power was undoubtedly beneficial, the issue lay in the specific source. The power currently surging belonged to Divine Land. Had it been the divinity associated with Kalannon or the ancient elf, he would have dismissed it as a natural occurrence. However, the divinity Alon himself had established upon declaring Divine Land was the one flourishing, which was frankly baffling. The last time he had checked before his departure, the area was filled mostly with people lured by distorted rumors rather than genuine believers. They had looked like a crowd ready to disperse at any moment. “Hmm, if that is the case, it truly is a bit peculiar,” Penia conceded, tapping her chin thoughtfully. Alon nodded quickly in agreement. “Right?” “But regardless of the cause, isn’t the growth a good thing?” “It would be, if only I understood the reason behind it.” “That's true. Unless those rumors somehow turned out to be reality… did your divine power actually increase by a significant margin?” “Hmm… not excessively.” Alon turned his focus inward to inspect his state. His divine power had definitely risen, but it was far from an overwhelming surge. “Perhaps it is just a temporary spike? Things were quite chaotic for a while, and the influx of people was substantial, wasn’t it?” “That is true.” Logically, once the rumors were proven false, the crowds should have thinned out—yet Alon remained skeptical. He shook his head, realizing there was little point in dwelling on it alone. He reached a swift conclusion and set the matter aside. “By the way, my lord, have you made any further progress regarding the magic?” As Penia shifted the subject, Alon gave a negative response. “I’ve considered it, but I still cannot figure out the method for storing it.” “I suspected as much.” Recently, the duo had been investigating the concept of "storing" magic. The problem was that Alon’s specific techniques often prevented him from utilizing his full magical repertoire. This remained true even when he briefly accessed Blackie’s powers through awakening. Even if he managed to manifest magic for a split second, it didn’t follow his standard formulas. The goal of their research was to overcome this bottleneck. They wanted to make magic accessible even when Alon reached his mental computation limits by pre-storing usable magical formulas. However… “……It is proving difficult.” “It is. Attempting to store them within artifacts was a failure as well.” “And the Magatama fails to maintain a connection even when we successfully input something.” Alon glanced at the Magatama. Penia had originally suggested using it as a reservoir for his spells, but the plan fell apart before testing truly began. Any magic placed inside the Magatama acted independently, leaving Alon with zero control over its activation. They had explored various methods over the last fortnight, yet none had borne fruit. After a moment of silence, Penia spoke up. “Since we are heading to see Heinkel soon, perhaps we could ask for his assistance?” Alon agreed with the idea. Just then, the door to the office swung open, and Evan stepped inside. “I found you.” “Was the mission successful?” “Yes. Regarding the locations of those items, I have the information you requested.” “What did you discover?” Evan took a moment to organize his thoughts before answering. “We have verified the positions of two relics. The ‘Mask of the One Who Walks Ahead’ is located in the Ronovelli Jungle, while the ‘Crying Blessing’ is held within the Caliban royal treasury.” Alon nodded, as these locations aligned with his expectations. “Is there any word on the ‘Jewel of the Closed-Eyed One’?” Evan shook his head. “No, nothing yet.” “I see……?” “The contacts mentioned they are still searching and requested more time.” Alon acknowledged this and then added, “On another note, have you heard any news from Divine Land lately?” “Divine Land?” “Yes.” “Hmm, nothing particularly noteworthy… wait, there is one thing.” “What is it?” “Sili mentioned she was heading there, and apparently she arrived shortly after we departed. Aside from that, I haven’t heard of any major events.” “Is that so……?” “Yes.” Alon nodded, but a faint suspicion crossed his mind: *Did Sili do something?* “Why do you ask?” Evan inquired immediately. Alon gave a brief summary of his earlier discussion with Penia. “Well, it might just be a passing phase, like Penia suggested,” Evan remarked. “You believe so?” “Sure. I mean, even Sili can’t perform the impossible, can she?” Alon conceded the point. With the conversation finished, a week passed by quickly. “It is time to leave.” “I will prepare myself.” Alon finally departed for the Magic Academy, still carrying the weight of that one lingering question. *** Deus Maccalian didn't hold the gathered knights and mercenaries in high regard. Certainly, such a force would be an asset to the Great Moon’s objectives. A foundation of that size was necessary to support the Great Moon’s ascent. However, Deus had zero expectations for these men because he understood their motivations for coming to Divine Land. It was all based on a lie—the distorted rumor that training here would grant them the power of Kalannon. If they were here for such a reason, no amount of training would ever yield results. Because of this, Deus ignored them—until Sili made her appearance. “R-Really…!” In the distance, Deus observed a massive crowd encircling a single figure. These were the same mercenaries and knights who had been grumbling just moments ago. Sili stood in their midst, her expression radiating a flawless, gentle smile. “I… I can feel the power—” A previously timid knight was staring at his blade in sheer shock. “I promised you, didn't I? I told you it was possible.” “Y-Yes…!” The knight whispered, his eyes locked onto his weapon as if he were under a spell cast by Sili’s voice. But the phenomenon was fleeting. **Zzap—!** The sparks of lightning dancing along the blade flickered out, leaving only a faint trace of heat. “Ah—” The knight let out a disappointed sigh. However, Sili was quick to intervene. “Do not be discouraged. The first step is always the most grueling. The strength within you will eventually answer your dedication.” Her comforting words brought a joyful nod from the knight, who pulled the book she had provided close to his chest. “Thank you…! Truly, I am so grateful…!” He bowed repeatedly in gratitude. Sili watched him with a motherly smile before shifting her attention. “L-Lady Saint, could I also receive your guidance?” “Me as well—” “Please, show me the way!” “I wish to learn too!” In an instant, she was swamped by desperate soldiers and knights, all wearing expressions of intense longing. With unwavering composure, Sili spoke. “Fear not. The power of the Divine is not a privilege for the few—” She opened the blue book in her hands. “—it is a gift for all who possess faith.” She offered a sweet, enchanting smile. Shortly thereafter, the men who had previously mocked the scriptures were fighting over the remaining blue books. Witnessing the scene, Deus exhaled. “Sigh.” “You have worked hard.” He spoke to Sili as she finally disentangled herself from the mob. “Oh, Brother.” Sili walked toward him, beaming. “Wouldn't it be more efficient to distribute more of the scriptures? We still have plenty in reserve.” The crates Sili had brought were indeed overflowing with the books. However— “No. We must not do that yet, Brother.” “Why?” “Because the timing isn't right.” “…The timing?” “Yes.” Sili’s refusal was followed by an explanation that seemed almost cryptic. “Brother, do you recall what I told you?” “…That everyone clings to even the tiniest shred of hope?” “Exactly.” When Deus nodded, Sili’s smile widened slightly. “The people gathered here have just witnessed that even a microscopic hope can manifest into reality.” “…………Is that not sufficient? They have seen that hope is real.” “No, it doesn't work that way. Even with my intervention, a tiny hope is as fragile as a candle’s flame.” She whispered that a single breath could extinguish it, then looked toward the edge of the camp. “To those watching from the outside, that candle doesn't shine very brightly at all.” Deus followed her gaze. Just as she noted, there were still many men standing apart from the crowd, their faces full of skepticism and gloom. “Should we not just abandon those skeptics?” “Certainly not. They will all become invaluable soldiers for the Divine.” “But they remain unchanged even after seeing what happened.” Sili’s smile remained fixed. “Brother, do you understand the distinction between these two groups?” “…The difference?” “Yes. Those who seek the Divine’s power immediately are the relatively weak. Those who continue to doubt are the ones with greater strength.” “…I see.” Deus nodded in understanding. It made sense. “Next, I will grant power to those skeptics. In private, of course.” “You are giving them power?” “No, it will be a solitary, one-time event.” “Then what is the point of it?” “Every action has a purpose.” Sili looked back and forth between the doubters and those clutching the scriptures. “One group will realize that the Divine’s power is not a flickering candle, but something truly magnificent. The other will believe that such power is the only thing that can save them in their weakness.” “…But the power you give is only temporary, isn't it?” Sili’s eyes settled on one specific individual. “It matters not if it is fleeting. As long as it blossoms into faith.” She was looking at the timid knight who had summoned the lightning earlier. He was now chanting the words of the scripture as if he were possessed by them. “…No way.” “Do not worry. The seeds of faith I have sown will be robust enough to draw a response from the Divine.” Sili smiled. “That is why… it is not yet time to hand out the scriptures to everyone.” “Then how will you determine the right moment?” “When they begin to spread faith among themselves—when the Divine becomes something sacred to these lowly wanderers, not through a book, but through their own conviction.” Her smile deepened significantly. “Then, every soul shall receive grace.” The grace of the Divine. Sili’s eyes glinted with a light that felt dangerously intense. Watching his sister, Deus couldn't help but wonder silently. *…Is this truly the same little sister I used to know?*