Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 1
Within the Asteria Kingdom, situated to the east of the continent’s heart.
In a modest chamber on the second floor, tucked away on the right side of Count Palatio’s southern estate.
“……Did you complete the mission successfully?”
“Yes, I did.”
The knight remained standing, bowing his head toward the man resting on the bed.
“Following your orders, I liberated the orphans from that small village in the eastern kingdom… or rather, I should say the orphans held within the human experimentation facility.”
“And did you ensure the orphanage is under proper supervision?”
“Indeed. As you requested, I placed the management of the orphanage in the hands of a girl named Yutia.”
“…Is the matter with the baron’s family who oversees that village settled?”
“Yes. The moment they were confronted with the evidence of their human experiments, they conceded to every demand, even surrendering the entire castle.”
Having finished his report, the knight, Evan, retrieved a leather pouch from his tunic and set it upon Alon’s bedside table.
“Excellent.”
Alon peered into the pouch, a satisfied grin touching his lips at the sight of the gold coins.
“Young Master, may I ask a question…?”
Evan spoke up after a brief pause.
“Go ahead.”
“You claimed the motive for raiding Baron Alfon’s experimentation site was to rescue that girl, Yutia, correct?”
Alon gave a slight nod, prompting the knight to continue.
“…She was truly remarkable. I have spent many years as a mercenary, after all.”
Evan hesitated, organizing his thoughts before adding,
“It is difficult to grasp why a girl possessing such immense power was imprisoned in that place.”
“And your point?”
“…Why did you simply leave her at the orphanage instead of bringing her here?”
Alon met the question with silence. The knight’s confusion was palpable.
From Evan's perspective, the inquiry was perfectly logical. To save someone as powerful as Yutia and then fail to utilize her seemed like a wasted effort with no clear gain.
However, that was only because Evan lacked Alon’s unique insight.
Yutia.
Her true identity was Yutia Bludia.
In a decade’s time, she would arise as one of the Five Great Sins—specifically the “Sin of Wrath.” She was destined to slaughter hundreds of thousands and erase two of the five allied kingdoms from the face of the continent.
The reason Alon possessed knowledge of events ten years into the future was simple: he was a reincarnated soul. Furthermore, he knew this world was fated for total annihilation in ten years, serving as the setting for a dark fantasy RPG titled “Psychedelia.”
“Sigh.”
Alon let out a heavy breath, rubbing his aching temples as he recalled the moment his memories returned two months prior.
At first, when Alon realized he had been reborn into a fantasy realm, he spent three days in a state of despair. Yet, as he adjusted, he found the circumstances weren't entirely miserable.
As it turned out, life as a noble was quite agreeable.
The existence of an aristocrat was defined by comfort. He could rise or sleep at his leisure, indulge in whatever whims he pleased, and dine whenever hunger struck.
Though he was merely the third son of a count with zero political influence, he occupied a perfect niche where he could taste luxury without the burden of duty.
Initially, this brought him a sense of joy.
For a man who had once endured 78-hour work weeks for a pittance, this noble lifestyle felt like an impossible dream.
Granted, the absence of the internet—the crown jewel of modern society—was a painful loss. Nevertheless, the perks of nobility were enough to make him overlook it.
But that contentment was short-lived.
Alon’s outlook turned grim the moment he realized the continent was called Ampelan.
…And it grew even darker when he remembered that his new family was the House of Count Palatio.
Ampelan was the world of Psychedelia, a game he had played obsessively during the rare moments he wasn't slaving away at his job.
The Palatio family was a name briefly mentioned in one of the game's minor side quests.
The realization that he had arrived ten years before the start of the main story hit him with the same crushing weight as a three-month-delayed paycheck.
The world of Psychedelia was a place where every living soul, regardless of rank, would be ground into dust within a decade.
The Asteria Kingdom, where the Palatio family resided, was particularly cursed. In every single game path, the kingdom was decimated the moment the Five Great Sins emerged.
To put it bluntly, it was doomed.
The crown would fall. The nobles would perish. The cities would be burned to ash.
Essentially, Alon’s cozy life as the count’s third son was scheduled to end in ten years.
Therefore, if Alon wanted to preserve his peaceful existence, he had to neutralize the Five Great Sins before they could become the ultimate harbingers of death.
His current actions were the first steps of that grand strategy.
“Well… that’s just how it is.”
Naturally, there was no way to explain the truth to Evan.
“The timing isn't right yet.”
“…The timing?”
“Yes. Regardless, make sure this stays confidential and keep providing the orphanage with the support I requested. Oh, and one more thing.”
Alon pulled a folded parchment from his robe and held it out.
“Give this letter to her.”
“…This letter?”
Evan accepted it with a curious look, and Alon confirmed with a nod.
“Yes.”
In truth, that letter was of vital importance.
It contained a specific phrase that appeared during a mandatory cutscene whenever the player encountered the Sin of Wrath in Psychedelia.
In the game, these words were spoken by a dubious archbishop from a holy nation who accompanied the hero to pacify the Sin of Wrath. However, the moment the phrase was uttered, the archbishop would be reduced to a bloody mist, and the Sin of Wrath would coldly remark, “It’s too late,” before the boss fight began.
Alon was using the phrase now because this era was what the Sin of Wrath considered her “past.”
He had seen the line countless times across multiple playthroughs, described by the archbishop NPC as a “spell to win the heart of the Bloodline.”
It was impossible to fathom the logic of those whose minds were consumed by fanaticism.
As Alon watched the knight bow and depart, he gave a small shrug and kept his thoughts to himself.
***
Several days passed.
“I have a letter for you.”
Following Alon’s instructions, Evan returned to the orphanage. He couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as he handed the parchment to the girl.
His unease was justified; Yutia was anything but ordinary.
Her crimson eyes, which stood out sharply against her snowy hair, were completely devoid of feeling.
There wasn't even a flicker of human emotion within them.
Only a chilling, absolute indifference.
The girl looked upon the world as if everything in it were merely inanimate objects. She reached out and took the letter with the same blank stare she had worn when Evan first pulled her from the facility.
Rustle, rustle—
Yutia began to unfurl the letter in silence.
Evan watched, still baffled by how someone like her could have been a prisoner.
Though he wasn't a master, Evan could manipulate mana, which granted him the sensitivity to gauge the strength of others.
His talent for sensing mana was far beyond that of a typical knight, allowing him to perceive hidden depths of power with great precision.
That was why he knew.
The girl before him was far too dangerous to have ever been held captive in a place like that.
As Evan stood there, another thought crossed his mind.
He thought of the third son of Count Palatio, the man who had recruited him in a tavern months ago.
Rumors among mercenaries painted the third son as a useless shadow—a talentless, illegitimate-like child of a noble house.
Stories claimed he was a coward, constantly tormented by his cruel older brothers who were famous for their villainy.
How could such a pathetic noble know about a clandestine human experimentation lab hidden within a baron’s territory?
Evan’s train of thought was shattered, and his eyes widened in shock.
The reason was simple…
Yutia, who had been an emotionless statue just a moment ago, now wore a wide, beaming smile.
No, it was far more intense than a mere smile.
She was manifesting a level of control over her presence that only those at the pinnacle of mastery could achieve—and she was doing it without effort.
Then, she spoke.
“The one who sent this… was it Lord Alon?”
As Yutia asked the question, her pupils—slit vertically like a predator of the Bloodline—locked onto Evan.
That single look sent an instinctive alarm screaming through Evan’s mind. Despite being an Expert-ranked knight, he felt a surge of pure terror. He swallowed hard, forced himself to stay calm, and managed to answer.
“Yes.”
“Why did he not summon me to his side?”
Yutia’s voice was calm, but the weight behind it was heavy.
Evan thought about saying he didn't know, but he bit his tongue.
His survival instinct told him that was the wrong answer.
Instead, he repeated the offhand comment Alon had made.
“…He said the time wasn't right yet.”
“I see.”
Her response was brief.
But it was clearly what she wanted to hear, evidenced by the deepening, curved grin on her face.
She…
Yutia Bludia—no.
“…I understand now.”
The eldest daughter of the Bloodline, Yutia Bloody Queen, parted her beautiful red lips and whispered,
“I understand his will perfectly.”
Clutching the letter that held a secret only her master could know, her face twisted into a haunting, ecstatic smile.