Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 470: Astarotte (1)

Within the Eastern Empire, Imperial Princess Serdea Polanticia held a position so elevated that she was, in essence, treated as the Emperor himself.

This meant her life had been a constant stream of being looked up to, never down upon, by anyone except her father, the Emperor.

Consequently, the current situation was utterly foreign to Serdea.

No, more than that—

Hic—!

It was absolutely terrifying.

—Or at least, that's how Serdea felt it.

"W-What?"

Her expression was one of sheer bewilderment as she scanned her surroundings.

Just moments before, the sky had been a brilliant, cloudless blue, with sunlight bathing everything.

That light was now gone.

In its place, a crimson hue, like spilled blood, permeated the air.

And beneath this unsettling glow—

Yutia, whose eyes had held a cheerful smile mere moments ago, was now fixing Serdea with a stare from vivid, red eyes.

Confronted by this surreal spectacle, Serdea stood frozen, lost in confusion.

But the paralysis was brief.

She quickly recalled Yutia's words to her from just a little while ago.

'Do you want to die?'

Such insolent words were unprecedented in Serdea's life, an imperial princess, virtually the Emperor.

"J-Just now... what did you say to me?"

A surge of heat ignited within Serdea in that instant.

Despite the palpable fear constricting her entire body, she shot a defiant glare back, but—

"Hhk—!"

Her defiance evaporated as quickly as it appeared.

Her mouth snapped shut once more.

The chilling intensity in Yutia's eyes was far too overwhelming for Serdea to maintain her anger.

Yutia advanced a single step.

Quietly. Lightly.

As the girl nonchalantly approached the throne, Serdea found herself utterly speechless.

Finally, the girl's face loomed directly before Serdea's own.

"I asked if you wanted to die."

Upon hearing the soft, cold voice that enveloped her—

"N-No......"

Serdea averted her gaze.

Any semblance of imperial dignity she possessed was cast aside.

Strangely, Serdea's intuition, incredibly sharp as it was, had already grasped the truth.

The being before her was far from an ordinary individual.

Even if she unleashed her own powers or summoned the guards outside—

this human—no, this inhuman entity—was someone she could never possibly defeat.

The instant this stark realization settled in, the defiance in Serdea's eyes began to wane, replaced by a creeping dread.

"W-Why are you doing this to me?"

At last, a voice, trembling and small, escaped her lips.

Yutia's brow twitched slightly at the question.

"Don't tell me you're genuinely asking because you don't know?"

"...I haven't done anything......"

As Serdea timidly offered her defense, Yutia moved even closer.

"Really? That's strange—"

The girl's pale hand reached out, brushing against Serdea's hair.

Before Serdea could even react, Yutia's fingers were idly toying with her locks.

And then—

Boom—! Craaash—! KRAAAASH—!!!!

"!!"

Serdea witnessed it.

In the distance, the capital's walls crumbled and shattered as if they were made of paper.

"I seem to have heard quite a lot of rumors that you're going to marry Teacher."

Yutia's low voice followed, causing Serdea to stiffen instantly.

Her eyes darted back and forth, unable to focus.

...Indeed, the rumor had originated from Serdea herself.

To be sure, Airinna Polanticia had previously warned Serdea that Alon was a dangerous individual.

Nevertheless, Serdea had never harbored the slightest intention of relinquishing her pursuit of him.

On the contrary, her desire for him only intensified.

With the Western Empire already in ruins, Alon's influence would undoubtedly be crucial in maintaining the balance among the remaining empires—and ultimately, Airinna herself was someone Serdea planned to eliminate eventually.

But even so.

Above all else, her own life was the most precious commodity.

"...I-I apologize. I will take responsibility for that and—"

"You'll correct it, right?"

"Y-Yes, I will absolutely correct it."

Echoing Yutia's smiling words, Serdea nodded with frantic urgency.

Only then did Yutia tilt her head, a look of satisfaction gracing her features.

And in that precise moment—

Flash—!

"...Huh?"

Serdea stared around blankly.

Everything had reverted to its previous state.

The distant wall, which had moments ago collapsed, now stood intact, guarding the capital as if the destruction had never occurred.

The sky, formerly awash in crimson, now shone with a clear, vibrant blue.

It was as if to convey that everything she had just witnessed was merely an illusion.

The situation was so bizarre that Serdea could only stare in stunned disbelief, yet she knew.

What she had seen just prior was no mere figment of imagination.

Her bewilderment deepened further when—

"Now then, that matter is settled, so let's move on to the main point."

"The... main point?"

Indifferent to Serdea's lingering daze, Yutia simply smiled and nodded.

"Yes, the main point."

"...You mean about the temple?"

"No? Of course not. I told you earlier, didn't I? The temple has nothing to do with this."

"Then what is it?"

"Hm, if I had to sum it up—I'm thinking of telling you how all of you can survive. Using the method obtained from the Seeker."

And then she began speaking.

Without giving Serdea even a moment to ask what she meant.

Some time later—

"Is... is that really true?"

"I didn't come all the way here because I have so much free time that I'd make up lies like this."

Serdea's eyes widened in disbelief.

Yutia still wore that same smile at the corners of her lips.

"Well then, I'll be going now. Be sure to keep your promise."

As though she had said everything she needed to say, she turned without hesitation.

And while Serdea watched Yutia, who seemed ready to vanish like the wind—

"W-Wait."

Without meaning to, she stopped her.

"What is it?"

"...Why are you telling me something like this?"

She truly could not understand it.

At that question, Yutia thought for a moment.

"It's not for your sake."

"...What?"

"Nor for the Empire's. It's just—"

Then she turned her body back toward the door.

"It's for Teacher."

After leaving behind the words, 'Teacher wouldn't want to see it,' she walked out of the audience chamber.

"..."

Serdea only stared blankly at the place Yutia had left for a moment—

Bang—!

The door suddenly swung open again.

It was Yutia, who had just leisurely walked out.

"?"

Frowning in confusion, Serdea instinctively took a step back.

But—

"Ah, and just in case, let me say this ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ too. Make sure you really do correct it, okay? If I keep hearing things like that even after I leave—"

"..."

"—then I can't promise what'll happen next."

At that advice, the imperial princess turned pale and had no choice but to nod her head hard.

Click—

At last, silence fell over the audience chamber.

####

A month had passed since Alon crossed the Empire's border and finally arrived in the Eastern Empire.

Long, if you called it long. Short, if you called it short.

In the meantime, a few things had changed for Alon as well.

First, he had learned some information.

That the protagonist of Calypsophobia had already vanished before Divine blood ever appeared.

After that, even the information guild had been unable to find where Calypsophobia's protagonist was, so in the end, there was no choice but to leave that as an unresolved question.

The other change was that the preparations for the magic were almost complete.

More precisely, the preparations for the magic that would return Seollang to normal.

"..."

Alon naturally looked at Seollang, who was asleep beside him.

Even during the journey, she was of course still acting.

A smile stayed at her lips the entire time, as if she were happy no matter what, and her tail still swayed lightly.

As if this were what was right.

"Alon."

...He had only just begun to think that maybe he should finish the preparations a little faster, when Evan's voice broke through his thoughts.

"What is it?"

"I think we're almost there."

Alon naturally turned his gaze outside the carriage.

And there, far in the distance—

"That's......"

Along with countless Divine blood, he saw a single crack.

A crack large enough for Divine blood to enter.

"I suppose that's the place."

At Evan's words, Alon nodded.

It really was just as the Sculptor had told him.

If there was one difference from her explanation, it was that she'd clearly said there would be no one there, but in reality, there were quite a few Divine blood gathered around the crack.

After watching the situation for a moment, Alon said,

"From here on, I'll go alone."

As he spoke, he prepared to get out of the carriage.

"Alone, sir?"

"Yes."

"...Wouldn't that be a little dangerous?"

"I think so too."

Penia immediately agreed with Evan.

"Teacher, let's go together."

Even Seollang stepped in, but Alon firmly shook his head.

If nothing happened, then it wouldn't matter.

But he could not rule out the possibility that, by some chance, something might happen inside that crack.

'Of course, I could take Seollang with me, but—'

By the same token, if something did go wrong, someone would still be needed here to protect this place.

"Don't worry."

Reassuring the group, Alon stepped out of the carriage alone.

####

"...Do you think he'll be alright?"

A little ways from the crack.

Watching Alon walk through the Divine blood in the distance, Penia muttered under her breath.

Evan scratched his head with a somewhat complicated expression.

"Weeell— he'll be fine. It's Alon."

"I guess so......?"

Evan nodded for now, but he did not hide the heaviness in his mood.

"Every time something like this occurs, I find myself feeling rather complexly about it."

"Ah, I understand that sentiment as well."

"Exactly! Even if one desires to offer assistance... the sheer magnitude of the situation is on an entirely different level somewhere."

With a mumbled thought—'Wouldn't it be splendid if some sort of awakening event were to befall me too'—Evan maintained his focus on Alon, ensuring he wouldn't lose sight of him.

Then—

"...Hmm?"

He unexpectedly uttered a sound of puzzlement.

"What is it?"

Disregarding Penia’s inquiry, Evan’s gaze remained fixed for a moment on Alon's trajectory before he finally spoke.

"Uh—"

"Uh?"

"I cannot discern if my eyes are deceiving me or something of the sort, but......"

"If you intend to convey something, cease the prolonged hesitation and simply state it."

Under Penia’s persistent urging, Evan paused for a beat.

"...Why did wings manifest upon Alon?"

"What nonsensical statement is that you're making?"

Penia chastised him as if he had uttered preposterousness, yet the instant her attention returned to Alon—

"...Huh?"

A profound bewilderment dawned on her countenance as well.

For precisely as Evan had declared, colossal wings had sprouted behind Alon as he progressed towards the dimensional rift.

And these were no ordinary wings; rather, they were a pair, left and right, composed of innumerable strands of Divine blood, seemingly trailing in Alon's wake.

This was precisely why—

"...That isn't a mere coincidence, is it?"

"...Does that strike you as coincidental...?"

"I do not believe so, but......"

They could do naught but observe in stunned silence—

as the Divine blood in the vicinity of the rift coalesced as if by some unseen force, accompanied Alon, and vanished into the rift alongside him.

"???"

"???"

Still utterly failing to grasp the situation, they were left with no recourse but to stand and gaze, bewildered.