Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 349 : Voting (4)

An uneasy quiet filled the air.

Amid that quiet, Alon, lost in his thoughts, cleared his throat and spoke up.

“Anyway, I truly appreciate you all coming here.”

The princes and princesses stayed quiet.

“Everyone?”

As Alon glanced around at them again.

“Ah, yes.”

“Hahaha...”

“Al… right.”

“Yes...”

“Ahem, I understand.”

Finally, the royal siblings replied in awkward tones.

He pondered what they actually grasped, but for the moment, Alon felt a wave of relief within.

“Yes, I’m delighted to meet you all. I’ll ensure your stay is comfortable.”

“We’ll remember that.”

Maybe due to his stress on it, the strain lightened somewhat. Their expressions relaxed a bit.

Naturally, Alon realized that those present couldn’t relax fully so quickly.

Divine Land had expanded far beyond that possibility.

How could he earn their complete trust in Divine Land?

While thinking, Alon abruptly spoke, struck by an idea.

“Anyone outside?”

“Yes.”

At his call, a knight entered the tent.

Spotting him, Alon issued a clear directive.

“Show these guests around Divine Land.”

“As you command.”

“And also discuss Divine Land’s weaknesses openly.”

“I’ll follow that too. Now, please come with me.”

Following Alon’s instruction, Seamus bowed low.

He then guided the assembly out.

The instant they departed, Evan came back from outside and inquired.

“Did the talk go smoothly?”

“Well, sort of.”

“Then why are they heading out?”

“They’re touring Divine Land.”

“...A tour?”

“Yes.”

“Was that what they wanted?”

“No, I decided it.”

“...Was that necessary?”

Alon nodded firmly without pause.

Sure, there could be grumbles since he skipped their input.

Yet that decision was essential.

With them now in Divine Land, he aimed to dispel every hidden doubt surrounding him.

“Even if it causes them some discomfort, it can’t be helped. We must demonstrate our sincerity, right?”

“True, but—”

“I instructed him to highlight Divine Land’s flaws too, so after the tour, their suspicions should fade, if not vanish entirely.”

“Flaws?”

“Yes. If I planned war, wouldn’t I conceal them?”

“So you’re building trust by revealing vulnerabilities openly?”

“Precisely.”

Hearing that, Evan nodded at last.

Upon reflection, it was a solid strategy.

Evan remembered the guests’ faces as they exited the tent.

They appeared far less rigid.

Outwardly, Alon’s approach seemed effective.

Outwardly, yes.

In that short time, Evan had seen their expressions remain unchanged.

In essence, the looks were feigned.

Thus—

He mused silently while watching Alon nod contentedly.

***

The form clad in a black sacred robe lingered in the woods.

The very spot where the Sin of Sloth had emerged recently.

“Heh~”

With each head turn, the chain around its waist clinked loudly.

Detecting motion from behind, it shifted its attention.

Then it grinned and offered a warm welcome.

The boyish smile on its visage grew wider.

“It’s been some time. Have you been doing well?”

Before its eyes stood a man with blue gaze, or more precisely—

Eliban.

As ever, he sported a serene smile.

“Yeah.”

A brief response.

Yet that sufficed to bring joy to the robed one’s face.

As it pivoted fully, Eliban drew an item from his robes and threw it over.

Thud—

Grasping it smoothly, the figure examined the object in its grasp.

A Demonic Gate Stone.

It shimmered in various hues, as though luring humankind.

Gazing at Eliban, the figure voiced its pleasure.

“This is a piece, correct?”

“Indeed. It’s known as a Demonic Gate Stone.”

“Heh— Demonic Gate Stone... Quite the uninspired title. If named more aptly—”

With a gentle laugh, it tilted its head skyward.

“Wouldn’t ‘Shard of the Stars’ suit it better? What do you say?”

To that query, Eliban kept his steady smile and simply walked off.

As though his words were done.

The black-robed entity fixed its stare on Eliban’s retreating form.

“How much time remains, Eliban?”

He gestured with his hand while posing the question.

Without halting, Eliban answered.

“Roughly a month and a half.”

A straightforward reply.

And then, as if never present, Eliban disappeared.

The man in the black sacred robe fixed his eyes on the vanishing point, his gaze twisting into a cunning grin.

Afterward, he dropped his sight, toying with the Demonic Gate Stone in his hand.

“Whether he achieves it or not~”

He spun toward the direction opposite Eliban’s.

“This ought to be entertaining.”

He whispered.

Once the black-robed figure departed, the forest stood deserted, save for three Demonic Gate Stones strewn about, radiating brilliantly.

As if beckoning humanity.

***

‘It’s a funding issue. I planned to begin modestly, but unexpected troubles accumulated, drawing more folks. It’s turned into a real hassle.’

‘I’ve managed it independently without outside aid as much as possible.’

The instant Tolenis caught Marquis Palatio’s words, he comprehended the underlying message.

It was the sort of remark obvious to all but the dimmest.

The Marquis issued a subtly courteous warning.

Sure, the ensuing discussion flowed decently, but that was just politeness.

As the knight ahead led them through Divine Land, all those there clearly perceived the Marquis’s aim.

It had to be so.

“This area serves as barracks now, though a castle will rise here when feasible. The expense is steep, yet attainable~”

“This is temporary barracks too, but sufficient funds will make it a hall. It’s strained the budget, but we’re handling it~”

“Likewise, this spot is barracks currently, but with resources, it’ll become a magnificent plaza. The projected cost—”

If the Marquis’s statement lacked threat, the knight wouldn’t have uttered such casual remarks right before them.

Obviously, this deviated from Alon’s wishes.

He hadn’t directed Seamus on any of this.

In truth, since Seamus’s interview, Alon hadn’t held any substantial talk with him.

Still, Seamus viewed Alon’s order in that light.

It wasn’t wholly his error.

The true fault rested with Deus, the knights’ trainer.

Deus had instilled the same belief in each knight—

That Alon Palatio would rise as the supreme Heaven.

And these knights would safeguard that Heaven.

Alon had never envisioned such grandeur.

However, the knights, immersed in Deus’s doctrine, accepted it unquestioningly.

That Alon geared up to become Heaven incarnate.

Seamus shared that conviction.

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, what’s on your mind?”

“So Divine Land consists solely of barracks?”

“Correct. Only barracks.”

“Yes, merely barracks.”

“Nothing but, indeed.”

“...!”

“Truly, nothing more.”

Seamus followed “Heaven”’s directive with unwavering devotion.

His take on “share insights on Divine Land’s shortcomings” permitted no other view.

Had Alon, amid his magic practice, overheard, he’d have been stunned—“What? Me? Since when?”—but sadly, he remained oblivious to it all.

Regardless, once Seamus passionately presented his epic Divine Land “tour showcase,”

“Did you get a proper overview?”

Alon cocked his head, seeing the guests seem more displeased than earlier.

He shot Seamus a puzzled glance.

Nod!

Seamus’s resolute nod, eyes brimming with certainty, only deepened Alon’s confusion.

And then—

“We’ve viewed sufficient of Divine Land.”

Tolenis, quiet till now, at last voiced his thoughts.

“I see. It has plenty of flaws, but what did you think?”

Alon inquired with a gentle smile.

Thereupon, Tolenis’s brow furrowed slightly, nearly in annoyance.

It passed quickly.

Yet Alon noted the shift and sensed inner disquiet.

Then Tolenis continued.

“...I wish to fund Divine Land.”

“A sponsorship?”

“Yes, to this extent—”

Tolenis proposed an amount.

Alon found himself shocked anew.

Not just the abruptness, but the figure loomed huge in his eyes.

An amount too vast to label lightly as “sponsorship.”

Therefore—

“I appreciate the offer, but it’s not needed.”

Alon turned it down.

He couldn’t fathom Tolenis’s motive, but the scale evoked a burdensome obligation.

But next—

“Ghh~!”

As Alon rejected it, the room’s mood sank sharply.

All faces showed “this is trouble.”

Alon stared in bafflement when—

“One point five...”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll provide one and a half times that.”

Tolenis declared resolutely, like reaching a tough verdict.

His face set firm, as if that was his limit.

But naturally, oblivious Alon courteously refused once more.

“As I mentioned, no need to sponsor. It would only weigh you down.”

“Urghh~”

“No, why this sudden—”

“Two times. Twice the amount.”

Tolenis upped it with a sterner expression.

“No, please settle and hear me—”

“Two and a half—”

“...? No, truly, it’s not required—”

“Three! Three times! That’s my max!”

“???”

Thus unfolded the clash: one eager to fund at any cost, the other rejecting vehemently.