Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 281 : The East (3)
Alon didn't actually possess deep knowledge regarding those sea monsters, despite the certainty in his voice.
His poise came from the fact that he had an ally capable of assisting his maritime crossing in various ways.
Regardless, he needed to make contact to confirm the possibility.
Retrieving the communication orb Alexion had given him to reach Radan, Alon funneled his mana into the device.
The sphere soon began to vibrate, emitting a low hum.
Alon stroked his chin while staring down at the object.
If this failed, he would likely have to settle for waiting and resting, no matter how much time it cost.
Just as those thoughts crossed his mind—
[Brother!]
It didn't take long for Radan's face to manifest.
“It has been a while. How have you been?”
[I’ve been fantastic, brother! And what about you?]
“I have been doing well myself.”
Following a brief exchange of pleasantries, the ever-energetic Radan and Alon moved straight to the heart of the matter.
“I am sorry to trouble you, but I was wondering if you could provide some assistance?”
[Of course, brother! Anything!]
Alon felt a flicker of pride seeing how Radan agreed instantly without even asking for details.
After Alon laid out the entire situation, Radan gave his answer—
[I understand, brother! I am leaving right now!]
He looked as though he was ready to bolt out of the frame immediately.
Alon asked in a measured tone.
“I appreciate the help. Just out of curiosity, though—how long will it take for you to reach this location?”
[To your current position, brother?]
This was a critical detail.
Estimates suggested the sea would settle in roughly four months.
If Radan required more than two months just to arrive, the effort would be pointless.
“If the journey takes too long, you do not need to come, given the circumstances.”
Alon provided further context regarding their current predicament.
Radan hesitated momentarily before nodding.
[Do not worry, brother. I’m starting the journey now! It won’t take long at all! Just—]
He held up two fingers with great energy.
[Two days is all I need, brother.]
Confidence dripped from his voice.
Conversely, Alon was stunned.
“Two days?”
[Yes.]
“Wait, did you fully comprehend what I just said?”
It seemed physically impossible.
The distance between Raksas and his current location was immense.
However—
[It can be done, brother. Just wait for me!]
A grin spread across Radan's face.
[I will see you shortly.]
The orb went dark as he cut the connection.
Alon stood there, staring blankly at the mana orb.
“Marquis, what was Radan’s response?”
“He said he is on his way.”
“That is excellent news... but why do you look so skeptical?”
Even without Alon showing much expression, Evan had become skilled at reading the Marquis's mood.
“...He claimed he would arrive in two days.”
“What? Two days? Surely he meant two months?”
Evan looked completely flummoxed.
“Perhaps he is mistaken about our actual location?”
“To be honest, I suspect that might be the case.”
“Two days… is that even feasible?”
Evan tilted his head, genuinely confused—until a thought struck him.
“Oh! Wait, maybe it is possible!”
“How so?”
“That sky-ship of his… Ah, but wait, it didn't seem that fast when we saw it last.”
Evan mumbled to himself for a moment.
“Well, if he insists on two days, I suppose we should just wait and see.”
Alon decided to place his confidence in Radan.
“Please, let him arrive quickly. Please.”
“...Do you truly wish to go East that badly?”
Penia was pacing nearby, her restlessness making it clear she wanted the journey to start immediately.
She paused and gave a radiant smile.
“Of course I do. It is the destination you have always wanted to see, isn't it, Marquis?”
“Is that your only motivation?”
“Naturally.”
Penia spoke with total conviction, prompting Basiliora, who had been observing, to snort.
[Hmph, that’s a lie. She read in a book that the East houses an ancient library filled with rare magical lore—kuack!]
Penia instantly flooded her book with mana, using it to pin Basiliora down.
[S-Stop! Why am I being punished for speaking the truth~!!]
Basiliora refused to stay silent and kept yelling.
Eventually, Penia just sat on the book.
[Kraaaagh~! You're too heavy!! I’m being flattened!!!]
“Stop calling me heavy!!”
While she bickered with Basiliora over her weight, Penia caught Alon’s look and quickly averted her eyes.
Then—
“Well, regardless of what others think, I sincerely hope the Marquis finds the secret he seeks.”
Evan spoke up, seizing his moment.
But—
“Hmph, you’re just daydreaming about the beautiful beast-women in the East.”
Evan flinched at Penia’s sharp remark.
“Th-That isn't true at all.”
“Isn't it? Your eyes completely changed the moment I mentioned that Easterners are beautiful and resemble humans.”
“No, that was just curiosity—I never had such thoughts!”
Evan denied it with a straight face.
However—
“That was actually a lie.”
“What?”
“I made it up. You looked bored, so I wanted to give you something pleasant to imagine.”
“Wait, it was a li— Gah.”
Evan’s face fell in disappointment before he quickly caught himself.
Following Penia's lead, he stole a cautious glance at Alon.
Between a smirking Penia, a screaming Basiliora, and a wary Evan—
Alon thought to himself, ‘There is truly no one in this world I can trust.’
[Meow?]
Only the small black creature tilted its head with an innocent look amidst the lunacy.
It was late in the afternoon.
***
Two days later.
“Brother!”
“Radan...??”
Against all odds, Radan had actually arrived in exactly two days.
Even Alon, who usually remained stoic, allowed his eyes to widen slightly.
“It has been a while, brother!”
Radan was panting heavily, looking utterly drained.
Noticing his ghostly pale complexion, Alon suppressed his curiosity about the journey and spoke with concern.
“Did you push yourself too hard to get here?”
“No, brother! If you call, I must come running.”
He offered a bright grin, showing off his teeth, but the exhaustion was undeniable.
Alon led him inside.
Once Radan had a chance to recover his breath—
Alon discovered the secret behind his rapid arrival.
“You utilized this for travel?”
“Yes, brother.”
Alon inspected the object Radan had placed before him.
It was a familiar wing-shaped ornament meant for the ankle.
In the game, this was a relic obtained through a specific mini-game in Raksas.
Though it drained a fixed amount of mana, it doubled the distance a player could travel in a single turn, making it an essential item for those pursuing thief builds.
Since thieves relied on backstab criticals, the ability to cover vast distances was invaluable.
Alon looked at the Rune of Relentlessness with a new sense of respect.
“What is the meaning of all this?”
“Oh, I exhausted my reserves using those to get here, Uncle Evan. That artifact is a mana glutton.”
Seeing Evan’s curiosity and Penia’s mesmerized stare at the artifacts, Alon intervened.
“You should rest for a day. You must be exhausted.”
“I can depart immediately, brother.”
“There is no need for such haste. I am already grateful you arrived so quickly.”
“Brother...”
Radan looked touched by Alon's consideration.
‘He really is a simple one,’ Alon thought, but he wasn't so heartless as to ruin the mood.
He simply gave Radan a pat on the shoulder.
The following day, once Radan was fully recovered—
“Are we ready to leave?”
“Yes.”
“I will get the vessel, provisions, and charts ready. I had some experts assemble them, so they should withstand an attack or two easily.”
Alon visited Hazad before departing for the East.
He was there to pick up the supplies Hazad had promised.
“Just provide the supplies and the charts.”
“Eh? You don't require the ship?”
“No, I already have transportation.”
“...You do?”
Hazad looked confused, but he quickly shrugged it off.
Then, Alon spoke up.
“By the way, you seemed a bit troubled earlier—has something happened?”
“Oh, it’s nothing on our end.
I just picked up some strange rumors from the elves.”
“Strange rumors?”
“Supposedly, several elves have been passing away lately.”
“Suddenly?”
Hazad nodded.
“They weren't killed in battle.
Most claim it’s just age—elves reaching the natural end of their lives.
But the odd part is how they are all dying at the exact same time.”
Hazad dismissed the concern and said his farewells, and Alon departed shortly after.
“We have everything we need now.”
“Then let us set sail for the East.”
With preparations complete, the group made their way to the eastern shoreline.
They reached the coast before long.
“Everyone, please take a few steps back.”
Once the group complied, Radan fished a small key out of his pocket.
Then—
Whispering under his breath, he jabbed the key into the empty air.
Wuuung~!
A heavy ripple distorted the space where nothing had stood.
Thud! Kagagagagak~!!!
A massive vessel began to pull itself into reality.
BOOM~!!!
With a deafening roar, a giant, dark ship fully materialized.
As the companions stared in shock, Radan called out—
“Brother, please come aboard!”
The ship began to glide forward once everyone was on deck.
“Wait? There is no one at the helm?”
“Whoa...!”
While Alon was confused by the lack of a crew, Penia realized the mechanism and let out a gasp of wonder.
“Is it mana-powered?”
When Alon voiced his suspicion, Radan nodded with a smile.
“Yes, brother. This vessel, ‘Zaebo,’ is fueled by my mana.”
“Zaebo?”
“Yes, that is its name.”
“Another Raksas relic?”
“Precisely. It is one of my most prized possessions.”
Alon nodded in understanding.
It was certainly a magnificent sight.
However, another question came to mind.
“What happened to the flying ship? Why aren't we using that?”
“Ah, that one isn't built for long-distance travel.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it devours mana stones at an insane rate.”
Alon found Radan's explanation logical.
Poor fuel efficiency would make it useless for a journey lasting a week or more.
“If you'd prefer, we could switch to it?”
Radan asked, eager to please.
Alon shook his head.
“No, that won't be necessary. I am just concerned. Many strange beasts are active during this season—”
He didn't even have the chance to finish his sentence.
SKREEEEEEEE!!!
A blood-curdling shriek pierced the air shortly after they left the shore.
Alon immediately looked toward the source of the noise.
“What in the world!?”
He heard Evan swearing as his own eyes widened in alarm.
A swarm of countless monsters was descending upon the ship as if they had been waiting in ambush.
The sheer number was impossible to calculate.
The sea, which had been serene and blue just moments ago, was now crawling with beasts.
They varied in form, but all were gargantuan—large enough to carpet the ocean and hide the sky.
“Heh...”
The sheer scale of the threat was almost comical.
There was no room to maneuver away.
Should he use Reverse Heaven to freeze them?
Could his power even cover a swarm this size?
Perhaps a Meteor strike would be more efficient—
As Alon considered ways to wipe them out,
Penia took a serious stance and began her incantation.
“Don’t worry, brother. I will handle this.”
“...Huh?”
Radan gave a confident nod, then slammed his spear into the deck of Zaebo, turning it like a key in a lock.
“Unlock.”
At his command—
WUUUUUUUUNG~!!!
Streams of blue light began to erupt from the dark vessel.
Intricate mana circuits began to etch themselves across the sky like glowing blueprints.
A massive shockwave of mana surged outward.
Then—
CRACK!
The glowing lines tore through the fabric of the sky, revealing—
“Weapons?”
Indeed.
Armaments.
Swords, spears, axes, hammers, and blades—along with strange tools of war—began to rain out of the blue fractures.
These were no ordinary tools.
Some Alon recognized, while others were unknown to him.
But every single one was a relic.
Treasures from the Raksas coasts, each imbued with unique power.
Dozens?
No—
Hundreds?
No.
Thousands.
Much like Alon’s own meteor storms, the sky was now filled with a rain of weapons that swallowed the horizon.
And then—
“Fire.”
Following Radan’s whisper—
A torrent of light plummeted toward the sea.
And in its wake—
A sea of blood was born.