Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 360 : What Must Be Done (3)

He served as a knight from Caliban, belonging to one of the elite Master Knights' orders.

Standing there in a daze, Leo reflected on everything that had transpired up to this point.

Nothing out of the ordinary had happened until yesterday morning.

As usual, he kicked off his day with training alongside the order.

Trouble started in the afternoon.

A shocking telegram arrived—a Caliban noble had been slain at the birthday celebration of the so-called Hero, the Chosen One.

That's when they sent him out.

Honestly, he didn't need to get involved personally.

After all, he was part of the Master Knights.

Yet one factor made him decide to go anyway.

The aristocrat murdered at the Chosen One's birthday bash was the father of the Master Knight.

Without waiting for all the details, he rushed off.

And arrived in Tern.

And witnessed it there.

That was it.

Nothing more.

Or so he believed.

「……Ah.」

A stunned murmur slipped from Leo's mouth.

A lone knight stood before him.

Just gazing at the figure sent chills racing across Leo's skin.

The warrior gripped a sword, his armor resembling twisted veins of blood intertwined.

But despite the hideous look—

Leo sensed absolutely nothing from him.

Zero at all.

No crushing aura from a superior foe.

No contempt for an inferior.

Not even the strain of facing a peer.

He detected nothing whatsoever.

Leo eyed the blade in the knight's grasp.

It appeared battered and ancient, too dull for slicing—tearing would fit better.

No threat emanated from it.

Not even a whisper of peril.

Then why?

Why were the Master Knight and the knights who preceded him—

—lying lifeless?

Bodies littered the ground in a grim ring.

No cries echoed, no traces of resistance.

Like overripe fruit dropping silently from the tree, their lives ended all too effortlessly.

The simplicity of the carnage made it all the more terrifying.

And that wasn't the extent of it.

Beyond lay heaps of soldiers and knights forming corpse mountains.

Leo forced his mind to work.

He hadn't witnessed the knight before him wield his sword.

All he'd observed were the advancing knights, the Master Knight—

—and their wretched corpses.

Terror should have gripped him in this scenario.

Fearing the presence ahead would be expected.

A Master Knight superior to him lay dead.

His fellow knights were gone.

A mound of bodies towered behind.

Fear was the natural response.

Yet—

Oddly, Leo felt no emotion toward the knight.

As if fear itself had been erased from his being.

It was bizarre.

Completely bizarre.

Still, Leo unsheathed his sword.

Sensing the inner conflict, he lunged at the knight—toward raw, unyielding devastation.

He dashed ahead.

Like a moth drawn to fire.

Serenely.

Until the final moment.

***

The following day, after getting multiple updates from Evan,

Alon headed directly to Divine Land from the Marquis’s estate, skipping any rest.

He'd intended to take a brief break, but an urgent question arose.

Lacking a mana orb, he had to go there himself.

「I should've grabbed one beforehand.」

「You mean the communication orb?」

「Yeah.」

「Well, it's strange you didn't, given the distance we've traveled. I'll arrange it for next time.」

Chatting with Evan, Alon's gaze drifted across.

Ryanga and Historia leaned together, fast asleep.

And below them—

[Graaaah! That's impossible! That's cheating!]

[Meow–!]

Basiliora and Blackie engaged in a board game picked up from the group.

Basiliora yelled in absurd denial, while Blackie merely shook his head pityingly.

Seeing the pair revel in their liberty, Alon abruptly thought of Seolrang.

「She said she had business, right?」

Just yesterday, after her odd bout with Ryanga, Seolrang informed Alon she had matters to handle and would return soon.

Because of that, Basiliora and Blackie, hidden away for ages, finally emerged.

[Wait! Let's replay that round! I got the rules wrong from the beginning!]

[Meow]

As the duo squabbled behind, Alon pondered silently, and Evan whispered,

「Are you thinking of Seolrang?」

「……How did you know?」

Evan shrugged.

「Your face gave it away.」

「My face?」

「Yes. Others might miss it, but when you're mulling over the kids, it shows faintly.」

「……Me?」

「Yes. Subtle, but noticeable. I caught the shift and figured it was about Seolrang vanishing yesterday.」

「Well... you're spot on.」

As Alon rubbed his face, Evan cocked his head.

「But, my lord,」

「Yeah?」

「Come to think of it, shouldn't Seolrang be departing, not coming back?」

Evan had a point.

「That's right.」

Unlike Ryanga or Historia,

Seolrang was officially part of the Colony.

And not just any member—they depended on her greatly.

The longer she lingered away, the more uneasy the Colony grew. Evan's logic held.

「Well, she's on leave, so she'll head back when done.」

「True. She might act playful at times, but she's no child.」

After casual talk, the party pressed on.

The next day, per routine, Alon reached the cliff above Divine Land.

Sight of the scene hit him with endless question marks overhead.

「……Evan.」

「Yes, my lord.」

「You called this small-scale, right?」

「……Pardon?」

「It sure doesn't look small-scale.」

East of Divine Land, endless rows of homes rose—packed tight, vanishing into the horizon.

「……You're correct. It doesn't.」

「That's your response?」

「Wow, Chief nailed it. My whole crew could fit at this pace.」

「Yeah.」

As Alon and Evan gawked, Ryanga and Ria approached.

Alon lifted his hand.

He attempted to tally the houses like scanning a battle map—

—but quit midway.

Far too numerous for manual count.

Even a quick guess revealed a scale beyond imagination.

No regular sponsorship could support such expanse.

Alon stared at the vast building site blankly for moments.

Snapping back, he moved toward Divine Land.

「Ah, my lord!」

Sili's radiant smile welcomed him.

***

Alon brought Sili to the makeshift office.

He pondered the starting question but dove into the reason for his rushed visit.

「I heard. You're constructing homes?」

「Yes, but small-scale.」

「……Small scale?」

「Yes, right?」

Sili tilted her head adorably, puzzled by the issue.

Alon wanted to clutch his forehead.

「Seemed like dozens upon dozens of houses...」

「Well—Divine Land has a hefty population.」

「So small compared to the populace?」

「Exactly.」

Scale didn't work that way, but—

He let it pass and kept talking.

「……Alright, but the funds?」

「The funds?」

「Yes. This size project demands massive coin.」

When Alon reached the core, Sili nodded as if it clicked.

「Oh, no worries there! Thanks to you, my lord, sponsorship covers it all with plenty left!」

「……What?」

She replied brightly.

Alon blinked in shock before probing further.

「What do you mean?」

「Hm?」

「……You said thanks to me?」

「Yes! It's the gold you wrung from those haughty kingdom fools!」

「……What?」

Alon gazed at her in bewilderment.

Sili blinked innocently back.

But briefly.

「Ah.」

Grasping the twist, Alon sighed.

「Sili.」

「Yes, my lord?」

「Got a sponsorship record book?」

「Of course! Fetching it now.」

He scanned the ledger right away—

—and stiffened, face impassive.

Barring Asteria, every kingdom poured insane sums into Divine Land.

Realizing this, Alon tallied the figures.

This wasn't mere housing—it could forge a whole minor domain.

He double-checked repeatedly.

Each verification—

—yielded identical results.

His hands shook confirming the accuracy.

Even Palatio Marquisate, now a trade powerhouse, never handled such wealth.

All pure sponsorship.

In stunned silence, he eyed Sili.

「……Sili?」

「Yes, my lord?」

「This... recorded right?」

「Uh... yes?」

Sili faltered, then gasped suddenly.

Alon briefly hoped for errors and exhaled deeply—only for Sili to cough and indicate the book.

「So, double the sponsorship from each kingdom now?」

「……What?」

Straight-faced, she proposed.

「Sili... what on earth...」

「Oh, triple then?」

Sili beamed purely while upping the ante.

Was handing Divine Land to her wise?

Or needed finance basics first?

Both thoughts swirled when—

「My lord.」

Deus stepped into the tent.

「Deus.」

Alon faced him—and paused.

Deus looked graver than ever.

Thus—

「What happened?」

Deus replied softly.

「Eliban... has turned into a Sin.」

「……What?」

The revelation blindsided him.