Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 357 : The Ball (6)
Previously on Became the Patron of Villains...
Following Siyan's remarks, which carried an unsettling weight, Alon chose to remain silent and simply moved on.
The discussion eventually turned toward the topic of the eyes.
“On this occasion, I have chosen not to disclose anything to you.”
“...Beg your pardon?”
He could not suppress his surprise.
Alon peered at Siyan with a bewildered look, yet she merely maintained that serene, gentle expression.
“Fixing your gaze upon me will not change my mind. My resolution is final.”
“If... and I hope this is not too forward, may I inquire as to why?”
“You ask why?”
Siyan appeared to weigh his query carefully before supplying an answer.
“Because it was requested of me.”
“Requested, you say?”
“Indeed.”
“By whom...?”
“Even if I were to inform you, they are beyond your reach. They do not belong to this realm.”
At her cryptic remark, Alon went rigid for a split second, though he regained his composure quickly.
It dawned on him what she was implying.
“Are you speaking of a promise from days long past?”
“As expected, while you are usually quite oblivious, you possess a sharp insight when it comes to such matters.”
“...Am I meant to interpret that as a compliment?”
“Consider it a blend of praise and ridicule.”
Alon considered digging for more, yet he ultimately abandoned the idea.
Since she had firmly decided to withhold the truth, pressing further would be pointless.
“There is no reason to be so dejected.”
Siyan continued to shine with a bright smile.
Alon clicked his tongue and countered,
“Was it that obvious on my expression?”
“Not at all. Your face remains as unreadable as ever.”
“Then how could you discern my disappointment?”
Alon, grumbling under his breath, immediately realized the absurdity of his own question.
“Only because that would be your typical reaction,” Siyan finished.
***
Ultimatley, Alon emerged from his talk with Siyan with nothing but annoyance and her final, lingering words.
“When the moment arrives, I shall inform you naturally...”
Replaying the mischievous smirk she had worn, Alon tilted his head in frustration.
“Normally, indeed...”
He pondered the phrase throughout his walk back from her office.
Yet, he remained baffled by her cryptic tone.
“Hmm...”
Why had she suddenly ceased providing him with information? Why the specific word choice of “normally”?
As Alon walked while wearing a perplexed frown,
“My Lord.”
“Yutia.”
He bumped into Yutia, who had been waiting for him before they proceeded toward the ballroom.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“Mmm—what kind of answer would you prefer?”
“...What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Between ‘I have not been waiting’ and ‘I was waiting.’ Which would you like?”
As a graceful curve touched Yutia’s lips, Alon replied,
“Truthfully, I would prefer the honest answer.”
“Truly?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, that puts me in a difficult position.”
“...Difficult in what way?”
“The truth is, I was waiting. But waiting was no burden at all. The thing is—”
Yutia leaned in, lowering her voice to a whisper.
“If I admit to that, I shall have no excuse to drop by to see you later. That is why I am hesitant.”
Whether honesty was worth the cost of future access.
Observing her gentle expression, Alon replied,
“You require no excuses. You are always welcome to visit.”
“Truly?”
“As I have mentioned before, I do not believe us to be the types who need formal pretenses to hold a conversation.”
“Hmm~ even so, having a reason does make things much simpler, does it not?”
“...Would a wish coupon of some sort suffice?”
At his suggestion, Yutia walked beside him toward the ballroom and remarked,
“Then that makes two, does it not?”
“Two? Ah.”
He nodded in understanding.
He had previously granted her a favor similar to a wish coupon back in the north.
“You remembered?”
“I did, so yes, there are two now.”
“That is wonderful.”
Unlike her usual calm demeanor, Yutia chuckled with a hint of playfulness.
Watching her, Alon found his own mood lightening into a smile.
Finally, Alon crossed the threshold into the ballroom.
“...Quite an immense crowd today as well.”
The area was even more packed than it had been on the previous night, leaving him feeling slightly overwhelmed.
“Well, in reality, the ball only truly hits its stride starting today.”
“A fair point—”
Given the five-day duration of the event, the second day was essentially the true inauguration.
While Alon surveyed the room, his eyes fixed on one specific location.
Where a sea of nobles had once again converged.
Eliban stood there.
“It seems Eliban is once again surrounded by the crowd.”
“Indeed. Ah—it might be in honor of his upcoming birthday.”
“Birthday?”
“Yes, it is approaching soon. I have heard he is sending invitations to various nobles for a special celebration.”
Yutia touched her finger to her lips while providing her explanation.
Alon gave a slow nod.
“A birthday party, I see.”
Such practices were unheard of in Psychedelia.
“My Lord.”
“Yes?”
“Might I step away for a short while?”
As Yutia gestured toward one side of the hall, Alon naturally traced her line of sight.
There, representatives from the Rosario cardinals had appeared.
Flinch—
They had certainly spotted him.
The cardinals seemed to be making a calculated effort to avoid meeting his gaze.
Though it struck him as odd, Alon simply nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“I shall return shortly. I feel I ought to extend them a greeting.”
Watching Yutia walk off, Alon felt a pulse of confusion.
Just as these thoughts ran through his head,
“Ah, Marquis!”
A voice hailed him.
“Eliban?”
“Indeed! You decided to attend after all!”
Eliban had managed to extricate himself from the nobles and arrived before him, wearing that signature, refreshed smile.
“Well, you appear... quite occupied.”
Alon stole a glance behind him.
A queue of sycophants was still waiting for a moment with Eliban.
Suddenly, as if a thought had occurred to him, Eliban wore an awkward expression and asked—
“Ah. Might you happen to have a moment to spare, Marquis?”
“Spare time?”
“Indeed. If you are not otherwise engaged, I thought perhaps we could share a brief conversation!”
“...? I suppose that is fine.”
Taken aback by the sudden invitation, Alon responded with a nod.
***
The pair moved out to the terrace.
As the sun dipped low, Alon observed Eliban’s profile.
With a serene countenance, Eliban simply watched the fading light.
Perhaps he merely desired a moment of respite? That certainly seemed plausible to Alon.
Eliban had been swarmed by noble after noble since the previous day, having barely managed a single breath in this crowded ballroom.
Nevertheless, silence stretched on for a bit, and just as Alon was about to initiate a topic—
“Looking at this view, it has truly been a long time, Marquis.”
“...Hm?”
“Ever since that day you approached me out of the blue to hand me those specific items.”
Alon reached into his memories.
“That is correct. It has been quite a while.”
“Truly? Back then, when we crossed paths in that deserted forest and you shoved those items into my hands, I was at a complete loss.”
Eliban gave a light laugh, leaving Alon to fumble for a response.
At that time, his focus had been solely on placing the items, meaning he had given little thought to his own behavior.
But reflecting on it now, it indeed had been a rather singular interaction.
Just as he hesitated, a sense of discord flared within Alon.
An incredibly slight one, yet persistent nonetheless.
While continuing to stare at the sunset, the source of his unease became clear.
“A forest...?”
Eliban claimed they had met in a forest.
But the memory in Alon’s mind was not of a forest, but of a bustling, lively village—
“Marquis.”
Eliban’s voice broke through his internal meditation.
“Yes, what is it?”
“Do you happen to know what is essential when one ascends to become a god?”
“...All of a sudden?”
“Rather sudden, is it not?”
It was such a random, inexplicable inquiry.
Alon could not fathom what Eliban was driving at.
“Why do you ask me this?”
“Mmm—consider it a personality evaluation of sorts.”
Even if it was bizarre, Alon decided to engage.
“...Omniscience and omnipotence?”
“Those are traits inherent to a deity. I am inquiring about what is vital during the ‘ascent’ process.”
“Ascending, you say—”
As Alon thought intensely,
“Would you like to know?”
Eliban murmured softly.
“What is the answer?”
“Imprint.”
“...An imprint?”
“It concerns how one is perceived by the world, as a conscious entity.”
Eliban’s low-toned words caused Alon to narrow his eyes.
“Eliban.”
“Yes?”
“...You mentioned this was a personality test, yet you speak with such profound gravity that it sounds like anything but.”
“No, that is perfectly fine. I obtained the answer I was seeking.”
Eliban emitted a faint, dry laugh.
Alon found no logic in their exchange, yet he persisted with the conversation.
“Come to think of it, I heard you are hosting a birthday gala.”
“Oh? News travels fast.”
“It does.”
“Yes, I intend to invite a select number of nobles. It will be held in Terea.”
“Terea, you say—”
“The central city. Fortunately, the authorization to utilize the venue was granted.”
“If my schedule allows, I shall attend.”
Alon nodded while finalizing this promise.
However—
“No, there is really no reason for you to make the trip.”
“...Oh, is that so?”
“Indeed. You are far too busy a man, Marquis.”
With a pleasant smile, Eliban stood up from his chair.
“Ahem, well then, I shall excuse myself!”
He turned and departed the balcony with a brisk pace.
Left in solitude, Alon muttered to himself,
“What in the world... did I just get dismissed?”
He remained rooted to the spot, feeling utterly bewildered.
Certainly, attending a birthday banquet would haven been an arduous chore anyway.
It was objectively better that he was not going.
He had only extended the offer out of social etiquette.
Regardless, he could not shake the lingering sensation that he had just been brushed aside.
A strange, prickly sense of offense began to bubble up within him.
Shortly thereafter, as Alon exited the balcony, he noted that the surrounding nobles were all Fixating their collective attention elsewhere.
He assumed it was Eliban, but as he noticed even Eliban looking in that direction, Alon followed their collective gaze.
“...?”
He caught sight of a woman walking toward them.
Her regalia and bearing identified her as a person of extreme importance.
Alon stood motionless, his mind reeling as he realized that her face was strangely recognizable.
“It has been a significant amount of time.”
Upon hearing that familiar voice, the identity clicked in Alon’s mind.
“...Syrkal?”
“That is correct.”
Syrkal responded with a composed smile.
Immediately, the intensity of the onlookers’ stares doubled, bearing down on them both.
Feeling the stifling atmosphere, he managed to speak.
“I heard the rumors. They claim you have ascended the throne.”
“That is accurate. The former monarch encountered a series of... unforeseen difficulties.”
“Difficulties, you say?”
“Indeed, quite complex difficulties.”
“Was he wounded during these events?”
“Not physically, though something did occur. He is, however, still alive.”
“...He has not perished?”
“Correct, he is still breathing.”
A monarch replaced without the loss of a life...?
The thought raced through Alon’s head.
But as he gazed at Syrkal, who continued to smile while maintaining her posture,
He kept his confusion held silent behind closed lips.