Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 596: Peach Blossom Spring (3)

[You—]

The Wanderer’s gaze swept over Yutia as though she could not understand.

Yutia was still looking down at the Wanderer.

With a relaxed smile.

Loftily.

Looking at her like that.

[What on earth are you?]

The Wanderer asked again.

In truth, it was not that she could not understand Yutia’s actions.

Yutia favored the Star Eater.

In other words, the Wanderer, who had betrayed the Star Eater, was an enemy to her.

It was not that she failed to understand that.

What the Wanderer could not understand was Yutia “herself.”

She knew her purpose.

To follow the Star Eater.

But anything beyond that was completely incomprehensible.

“What are you asking?”

Watching Yutia speak as though nothing at all were wrong, the Wanderer felt a strange fear.

All living beings with will, unless they possess an unusually distinct personality, fundamentally try to grasp the other party’s intent.

Whether that being is something close to a mere insignificant creature, or a human capable of thinking more intelligently than that—

......or even a god that has reached far higher, that does not change.

Even if they cannot grasp the intent, they attempt to guess it.

Whether that is to curry favor.

Whether it is to create a brief scheme.

Even if it is to dominate, they try to understand the intent.

And most of the time, in that process, they can know the other party’s intent.

Even if not accurately, they can at least estimate it.

Even if it is imperfect, even if it is wrong.

But the Wanderer.

[What on earth are you thinking......?]

Could not grasp Monster blood’s intent at all.

It was not because the Wanderer was stupid.

Nor was it because she was dull-witted.

Purely and simply, the Wanderer could not understand Monster blood’s intent.

As far as she knew, Yutia could not have come here for at least the next few days.

Because she had headed to ■■■■.

But she was here.

That meant either the Wanderer had been mistaken, or Yutia had deceived her so that she had no choice but to perceive it that way.

And if that was the case,

[Why......?]

Monster blood—no, she could have stopped the Wanderer at any time.

Even if she could not have stopped the Star Eater from being sent to the Empire right away, she could have handled the other problems faster.

......No, perhaps she might even have been able to stop the Star Eater from being sent to the Empire. The Star Eater had noticed her betrayal, after all.

Then why had she not stopped her?

If she had stopped her early, the current situation would not have occurred.

Even if they had clearly stopped the Wanderer, the area around Rosario had already been devastated.

Perhaps to the point where no one could live there anymore.

Was that all?

Although Elivan had split the floating island, the Divine blood scattered from the floating island would still be rampaging through the Allied Kingdoms.

All of that had happened because the Wanderer had not been suppressed early.

Yet why had she merely watched all of it happen?

Why had she sent the Star Eater to the Empire, deliberately let the battle continue this far.

And only appeared like this at the very, very end?

She could not understand it.

Not a single thing.

[What the hell are you—!]

The Wanderer’s voice rang out.

Pitiful, as though she had given up on everything.

And at the same time, it was a voice shouting with rage that all of this desperate struggle had been stopped in an instant.

At that, Yutia, who had only been silently looking at her, said,

“Do you know of the Predestined Path?”

Abruptly, she put those words into her mouth.

[What......?]

The Wanderer frowned as though she could not understand at all.

But Yutia quietly continued.

“Ah, of course, it’s fine if you don’t know. In truth, I don’t know the term itself very well either.”

[What......?]

“Still, I know about what it means. Of course, I don’t plan to tell you. Well, if there is one thing I can tell you—”

With a calm smile.

“I am trying to twist it.”

[What does that—]

Along with the Wanderer’s mutter, the disintegration that had been stopped until just moments ago began to accelerate.

Her legs became powder.

Her body became powder.

Later, her entire upper body turned to powder.

And at the end.

[-]

After confirming that even those incomprehending eyes had become powder, Yutia suddenly recalled an old story.

A story from a very long time ago.

Though she had lost almost all of it.

A fragment of memory that still remained even now.

‘Listen, Yutia.’

‘Do you know what the Predestined Path is?’

‘It means a path decided by fate.’

‘It means that no matter what path you walked, you would eventually have arrived here in the end.’

‘So don’t cry.’

‘Because in the end, no matter how many times it happened, I would have chosen the same path.’

The fragment inside Yutia’s mind began to draw itself out.

‘Ah, I only told Yutia this, didn’t I?’

‘Then we can make this our secret.’

‘Right?’

His voice echoed.

Even as he let out pained groans, he was smiling to reassure her.

‘I’m glad. That we could...... make a secret.’

Alon’s voice.

“.......”

Yutia turned her gaze.

What she saw was the wretchedly shattered scenery of Rosario.

Perhaps it would be difficult to rebuild it anymore.

No, not difficult.

Impossible.

This land, which had been built beneath faith in Goddess Sironia, had been trampled and broken by the filth the Wanderer had spewed as she struggled desperately to win somehow.

Perhaps it might have been different if Yutia had intervened a little earlier.

But now it would be impossible.

Yet even while clearly recognizing that, she silently moved her feet.

Because that was not what mattered to her.

‘Then, goodbye. Yutia.’

She simply moved her feet.

Calmly.

####

The morning of the day when exactly three days had passed since Alon’s group entered Peach Blossom Spring.

“After investigating it, there is no toxicity or foreign substance present.”

Penia exhaled with a hoo and placed the peach-like fruit in front of Alon and Deus as she spoke.

“......Is that true?”

“Yes, I performed some simple experiments as well.”

“Experiments?”

“Yes.”

Penia smoothly showed Blackie, which she had borrowed yesterday.

“......Don’t tell me, with Blackie?”

“Of course not its main body. Blackie made a double for me. Blackie?”

Penia called Blackie.

At that, Blackie tilted its head with a kyuu? sound, then soon created a double identical to itself beside it.

“......You tested it with the double?”

“Yes. In truth, I do need to analyze it magically as well, but the most certain method is clinical testing.”

As Alon silently looked down at the fruit, Penia continued.

“Ah, and I also learned this fruit’s ability.”

“......Ability?”

“Yes. This fruit raises one’s ability every time it is eaten.”

“......It raises ability?”

“Yes. In Blackie’s case, its ability seemed to be amplified.”

As soon as she opened her mouth, Blackie seemed to have been waiting and went kyuu—! as it began floating in midair.

“?”

Deus looked bewildered for a moment at Blackie’s sudden levitation, but he soon spoke as though he had noticed something.

“The wave...... became a little stronger.”

“That’s right.”

Penia nodded.

At that, Alon also nodded in the same way.

Of course, the change that had occurred in Blackie was not tremendous.

However, it was certainly true that its wave had become stronger than before.

“......In other words, eating the fruit allows one to become even stronger than now.”

When Alon said that, Penia nodded.

“That’s right.”

“.......”

Deus silently looked at the fruit after hearing her words.

Alon likewise looked at the fruit and stroked his chin.

‘......Becoming stronger just by eating fruit, is it?’

It was certainly an attractive prospect.

But Alon knew.

There was no such thing as a reward without any price.

‘Is becoming stronger truly all there is?’

Alon recalled the Karma seat’s words.

From what they had investigated so far, most of what she had said—

No, at least everything the group could confirm had been true.

In the midst of that, there was only one thing they had not confirmed.

Immortal cultivation.

“Um, Lord Alon.”

As Alon was thinking, Penia, who had been looking at the fruit until just now, abruptly spoke to him.

“What is it?”

“You’re worried about eating the fruit after all, aren’t you, Lord Alon?”

“Yes. Even if we do become stronger, there is no telling what might happen.”

At that, Deus, who had been silent, opened his mouth.

“Lord Alon.”

“Hm?”

“In truth, I also have something to tell you.”

“New information?”

Alon spoke as he thought of Deus, who had only returned this morning as well.

“That’s right. More precisely, it is information that may be related to this fruit.”

“What information?”

“Do you perhaps remember what I said? That the monsters become stronger by devouring one another......”

At Deus’s words, Alon nodded.

“Yes, I remember.”

“In truth, on my way back today, I unavoidably encountered those beasts and fought them.”

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I am not. However—there was a difference.”

Alon looked puzzled for a moment at Deus’s words, then soon understood what he meant and spoke.

“......Don’t tell me, you became stronger?”

“Of course, it was not a noticeable change, but my overall mana control has certainly become very finely possible.”

Of course, because I have recently been up against a wall, it was a very slight difference that I could immediately feel—Deus muttered that, then soon said,

“It seems that just as the beasts grow stronger by devouring one another, we too can become stronger by fighting monsters.”

“......In other words, even without the process of devouring, one becomes stronger if one wins in battle?”

“Yes. It seems that such a rule is being applied.”

Deus affirmed it.

“.......”

Calmly speaking, it was not impossible.

The authority of a Karma seat could make such things possible.

However, was it truly fine to accept that so easily?

Perhaps it was a trap? That thought brushed through Alon’s mind.

And after a little time passed like that.

“......There is a high chance this is the ‘immortal cultivation’ the Karma seat mentioned.”

At Alon’s following words, Penia and Deus nodded.

“Good.”

Alon soon nodded.

Seeing Penia visibly brighten, then immediately manage her expression, Alon said,

“But even so, completely believing the Karma seat’s words and following them may be somewhat dangerous.”

“Then—”

“So, let us do this.”

He began explaining what he had in mind to Penia and Deus.

“......Certainly, if we do that, we should be able to respond even if something unexpected happens.”

“I agree as well.”

At the two’s subsequent agreement.

“Good, then—”

Alon nodded and said so.

“From now on, we begin immortal cultivation.”