Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 317 : Something Feels Off (4)

A full week had elapsed since Alon first arrived at the Mage Tower.

[The preparations are complete.]

Heinkel informed Alon that the full interpretation of the incantation had finally been finished.

Considerable time had already slipped away.

“That was concluded much faster than I anticipated.”

Alon couldn’t help but remark this to Heinkel.

[Is that so? I finished exactly when I planned to.]

Heinkel wore a puzzled expression, as if wondering what the surprise was about.

“……I likely couldn’t have achieved it that quickly.”

“Neither could I……………”

Penia, standing beside him, let out a heavy sigh as she concurred.

Her reaction stemmed from the fact that just days prior, Heinkel had personally instructed her on the methods of interpreting magic.

Both she and Alon had poured their efforts into studying it, yet their advancement had been practically nonexistent.

Initially, Alon felt a surge of confidence.

With Penia’s natural magical talent by his side, they had always managed to overcome obstacles in their previous research, no matter the difficulty.

However, extracting information from Tiered magic proved to be unimaginably complex—bordering on the impossible.

Heinkel had casually manifested an Ice Spear, claiming it was merely a task of “stripping away redundant components” from the existing framework. Yet, Alon and Penia couldn't even distinguish what those “redundant components” were, let alone excise them.

Only yesterday, they had spent over two hours debating whether the notion of Tiered magic containing hidden data was merely Heinkel’s private theory—a grand delusion they were foolishly chasing.

Regardless, having faced the difficulty firsthand, Alon offered Heinkel genuine admiration.

[Hmph, well, I was quite the legend back in my day.]

Feeling uncharacteristically pleased, Heinkel puffed out her chest before shifting back to the matter at hand.

[Enough pleasantries. Let’s begin.]

“Right here, at this moment?”

[Why not?]

“Shouldn't we go down to the practice hall on the first floor?”

Heinkel, however, didn't seem particularly interested.

[I don’t see any issues with doing it here. It’s only a simple light magic spell.]

“Y-Yeah, I suppose, but the first floor is equipped with an artifact that visualizes the mana flow…….. I thought we might gain some additional insights..!”

As Penia tentatively offered her reasoning, Heinkel paused to consider it.

[Well, if that's the reason—]

She gave another shrug and reluctantly gave her consent.

To reach the ground floor, Alon and Penia led the group toward a transport device that functioned much like an elevator.

“By the way, Marquis.”

The moment Alon stepped onto the platform, Evan leaned closer and whispered.

“What is it?”

“Um, the spell you are about to demonstrate… is it truly Light?”

“That is correct.”

“For such a thing………… is it really necessary to analyze the mana type?”

Alon paused briefly before giving Evan an answer.

“Well, it isn’t strictly mandatory.”

Light.

It was a Tier 1 spell within the system of Tiered magic, one of the primary spells every mage mastered alongside Magic Bolt.

Its structure, sequence, and mana consumption were naturally very basic.

In other words, a demonstration room wasn't typically required to dissect its mana signature.

Any competent mage could decipher its configuration just by observing it.

Alon himself had doubts about whether visiting the first floor for a simple Light spell was worth the effort.

But that was only true if the spell functioned as a standard Light spell.

“If it is channeled through the incantation, things change. It will undoubtedly assist with future interpretations.”

“Hmm—I’ve heard rumors. It sounded rather grand for a spell simply called Light.”

Evan gave a nod of understanding.

“Yes, something like that.”

Alon agreed.

The phrases Heinkel had provided after translating the Light spell into an incantation certainly carried a profound weight.

As Alon remained lost in these reflections, time slipped by.

Upon reaching the first floor, they proceeded directly to the demonstration hall.

“……Huh?”

“Hm?”

They were greeted by an unexpectedly large gathering of mages.

“……There are so many people here.”

“Yeah……? It isn’t even a scheduled conference day—this makes no sense……?”

Penia whispered, her expression clouded with confusion.

“Sister?”

“Felin?”

Penia’s younger brother emerged from the throng of people.

In the short interval since they last met, he had transitioned from a boy into a young man.

Alon also realized it had been a significant amount of time since he last encountered Felin.

“What brings you here? Last time, you mentioned you were returning to the Marquis’ estate—”

Penia cut off his question with an answer.

“I told you I would return shortly, didn't I?”

“You did. I just didn't expect you to mean it so literally.”

“What are you rambling about? Regardless, why is there such a crowd?”

Penia pointed toward the demonstration hall, which was overflowing with mages.

“You likely weren't aware, but today is the presentation for the joint research project we conducted with the Green Mage Tower.”

“? Aren't those usually reserved for formal conferences?”

“This project is quite significant, so we decided to bypass the standard schedule and hold a proper presentation.”

“All these people gathered just for that?”

“Yes, since the other Mage Towers were also quite curious, it drew a massive audience. However—”

He let out a sigh, adding that those in charge of the demonstration were taking their time with the setup.

He then turned to Alon and inquired,

“Do you require the use of the demonstration room?”

“Yes, I do.”

“If it’s right now, you can go ahead. We haven't finished the preparations yet. But if this is a confidential matter…… it might be difficult to clear out all these mages again—”

As his voice trailed off, Alon glanced toward Heinkel.

While Alon was the one performing the demonstration, it was Heinkel who had decoded the Tiered magic.

But—

“?”

Heinkel, who had been standing there moments ago, had vanished, leaving Alon momentarily bewildered.

He carefully scanned the area.

Eventually, he spotted her peering down from the rafters of the Mage Tower ceiling.

Heinkel was intentionally concealing her presence, a fact Alon now understood.

Reading the movement of Heinkel’s lips, Alon spoke up.

“That won't be necessary.”

He then addressed Felin.

“Very well, you may start at once. But… might I ask which spell you intend to demonstrate?”

Felin finally allowed his curiosity to show.

After a slight hesitation, Alon answered slowly.

“Light.”

“……Light?”

“Yes.”

“……That Light?”

“Alright, move aside!”

Perhaps because she was dealing with a family member, Penia’s sharp temperament suddenly flared.

With an irritated shove, she pushed Felin back effortlessly.

Alon followed behind Penia as she strode into the demonstration hall with total confidence.

“Huh?”

“Is that—”

“Marquis Palatio?”

The mages began to whisper the moment the group appeared.

“I heard it from an apprentice at the door. Apparently, Marquis Palatio is going to perform a magic demonstration.”

“The Marquis Palatio?”

“Yes.”

“Whoa~”

“But the spell he’s demonstrating is apparently Light.”

“What? Light? …… You mean the Tier-1 spell?”

“That's right.”

“And he came to the demonstration hall just for that?”

The news of Alon’s arrival and his chosen spell rippled through the room instantly.

Ignoring the chatter, Alon exhaled a quiet sigh, feeling a touch of self-consciousness.

Even with the incantations and phrases provided by Heinkel, the spell Alon was about to cast was, at its core, still just Light.

The weight of the surrounding expectations was beginning to press down on him.

However, he had already stepped into the center of the room.

Retreating now would be far more embarrassing, so he sighed inwardly and recalled Heinkel’s instructions.

‘The first step to extracting data from Tiered magic is to discard what is unnecessary.’

He softly recited the incantation he was meant to use.

‘Once you have purged the dross and manifested the core spell perfectly, that is when the analysis begins.’

‘That part isn't difficult. From that point on, the remaining data becomes much more distinct. Those three incantation phrases will be sufficient.’

And then—

‘What remains are the two sentences. Locating them is simple. You take the information used to find the incantations and re-examine it. But this time, don't focus on the arrangement—look at the mana structure. Then…’

“Light (光明), Heat Source (熱源), Fixation (固定).”

‘Even without acquiring the divine beast, you can still obtain all the knowledge that Tiered magic provides.’

“Silence of the Dark Light.”

Finally assembling the memories in his mind, Alon formed the hand seal with calm focus.

***

At first, Felin assumed he had misunderstood his sister Penia.

But now, he realized he hadn't.

Alon stood at the heart of the demonstration hall, which was shaped like a combat arena.

And the tiny orb of light floating before him—

Was incredibly faint.

It looked as though even a novice Tier-1 mage could produce something brighter.

“What is this? Is that truly Light?”

“Is this some kind of prank?”

“No, I don't believe the Marquis is the type to play such jokes.”

“True, but it really is just that Light, isn't it?”

“Even this year’s new recruits could manage better than that.”

Behind Felin, the murmurs of the gathered mages grew louder.

The thrill sparked by Marquis Palatio’s appearance was rapidly turning into confusion and letdown.

Until—

A soft whisper left Alon’s lips.

And then—

“Huh?”

A strange sound escaped one of the mages.

After that, the entire room fell into absolute silence.

The Light magic in front of the Marquis began to undergo a transformation.

It was a literal mutation.

A transparent void appeared in the center of the manifested spell.

‘It’ began to expand, devouring the light produced by the magic.

The flickering radiance started to consume everything around it.

First the floor of the hall,

Then the seating where the mages watched,

Then their very vision,

And finally, the entire chamber—with a ravenous intensity.

Felin—and every other mage present—had the same thought racing through their heads.

But none could deny the reality before them.

They were seeing it with their own eyes.

That this was Light—that it had sprouted from a Tier-1 spell.

Once ‘it’ had finished absorbing all the light and revealed its final form—

The mages’ breathing became ragged, and the silence was shattered by waves of pure awe.

And for good reason.

“What in the—”

“Impossible—”

What had materialized before Alon once the light vanished was—

Crackle—!!

Something that looked exactly like the sun.

A miniature sun that scorched its surroundings as if it intended to reduce everything to cinders.

“Eye of the Sun.”

With Alon’s quiet command, the sun departed from his hand.

BOOOOOOM—!!!

It tore through the multiple layers of defensive magic circles protecting the demonstration room with ease.

It proceeded to obliterate even the outer walls.

Silence once again descended upon the hall.

But it was different this time.

It was a silence born of deep reverence.

And standing at the center of it all was Alon, the one who had cast the spell.

Naturally, he was thinking the exact same thing.