Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 299 : Divine Land (2)

To be perfectly honest.

Hidan had not foreseen this kind of tension at today’s gathering.

This marked the first assembly since Green Moon, who had been missing for some time, finally made her return.

Consequently, he had anticipated that the proceedings would take on a gentler tone than usual—

[It has been quite a while, Rine. I am pleased you have come back without any significant trouble.]

[Indeed. It has been some time, Yutia.]

However, the mood of the meeting was freezing.

It was so biting, in fact, that Hidan felt he might turn to ice if the eyes of either Red Moon or Green Moon shifted toward him.

Hidan sat in the middle of that frigid air, wondering what was happening.

But his confusion was short-lived.

[So, Rine, what was the reason for your actions?]

[To which part are you referring?]

[I am speaking about the brooch.]

[The brooch? Ah, do you mean the one pinned to the Marquis’s chest?]

[Yes, that one. You purposely unfastened it and tucked it into your own pocket, did you not?]

Yutia’s lips were curved in a smile, yet her voice was completely devoid of warmth.

In contrast, Rine, who had maintained a polite tone until now, let out a soft exclamation.

[That? Well—]

She flashed a sugary smile.

[I was worried it might poke my head when I embraced my godfather.]

It was a blatant provocation.

[Wait—what? Rine! You hugged the Great Moon and then swiped the brooch?!]

The one who shouted in shock was Seolrang, not Yutia.

Seolrang stared at Rine with a face full of hurt and betrayal, but Rine ignored her entirely, keeping her gaze locked on Yutia.

Yutia’s smile widened as she spoke.

[Rine, you must not remove that without permission. It exists to safeguard the Great Moon.]

[Oh, that brooch? Did it actually possess some kind of power?]

Rine acted startled, daintily covering her mouth with her hand.

[…You were already aware of that, weren’t you?]

[I had no idea.]

She added, “None at all,” while gently shaking her head.

At that sight, Seolrang, who had just been glaring as if at a traitor, began to blink in confusion.

And she wasn't the only one.

Everyone in the room started shifting their eyes uncomfortably.

They all understood the truth.

The situation had clearly grown far more volatile than before.

Attempting to diffuse the tension, Radan finally spoke up.

[Ahem, uh, Deus?]

[What is it?]

[Weren’t you spending time with Brother recently? Did anything interesting happen?]

He was deliberately trying to shift the focus to Deus.

Immediately, Seolrang’s eyes sparkled with respect as she looked at Radan.

She grasped his intent instantly—to use Deus’s mindless adoration of Alon to break the icy atmosphere.

[Yeah, I was curious about that too!]

Seolrang jumped in to assist.

To support Radan’s play, she asked a question she would normally find beneath her.

Then—

[Ah—now that you mention it, I haven’t shared that story yet—]

Deus, biting the bait immediately, began to reminisce with a fond look on his face.

Even Hidan felt a sense of admiration for the tactic.

[Deus.]

[Can you not see that we are in the middle of a conversation?]

However, the freezing voices of Rine and Yutia cut him off mid-sentence.

Just as Deus was about to recount his tale, he went stiff.

[Ahem, well, I am terribly sorry, but a very urgent matter has just come up.]

He blurted out the excuse suddenly.

Of course, claiming a sudden errand was hardly a valid reason to depart from a Blue Moon meeting.

Everyone was aware of this, and no one had ever been bold enough to try such an excuse before.

[B-But I really must be going.]

Deus felt that the glares from Rine and Yutia were a hundred times more terrifying than when his own sister, Silly, lost her temper—and he promptly deactivated his communication orb.

[Now that I think about it, I need to return to my Cultivation—]

[Since we are all gathering again soon anyway… perhaps we should just talk then?]

As if triggered by Deus’s escape, the other Moons began to leave with similar flimsy excuses.

Consequently, the only ones left were Rine, Yutia—and Hidan.

While the others could flee, Hidan knew he was stuck.

He had no choice but to remain in that suffocating environment alone.

As he tried to steady his breathing just to endure the pressure—

[Rine.]

Yutia finally spoke.

[Would it not be for the best if you remained satisfied with the rank you currently hold?]

She smirked as she posed the question.

But her eyes remained cold.

In fact, they looked more than just cold; they were almost threatening.

By this point, the conflict should have been winding down.

Hidan had always believed that even if Green Moon occasionally clashed with Red Moon, she ultimately deferred to Red Moon’s authority.

But—

[Mmm— I never truly desired anything more, you know?]

[…Are you being honest?]

[Yes. Because Godfather is my Godfather. However—]

The Green Moon who had returned was different.

[If Godfather views things differently, then that is a separate matter.]

She directed those words toward the menacing figure with a chilling grin.

At that, Red Moon’s smile faltered for a second.

However—

[There is no chance he would think of you differently. You are his cherished daughter.]

Red Moon’s smile quickly returned.

This time, it was Green Moon’s expression that briefly hardened.

[Even so, I am closer to him than you are.]

She replied flatly, as if stating a simple fact.

A crack appeared in Red Moon’s composure once again.

But Green Moon didn't seem to care—

[Well then, I shall see you later.]

She departed with a radiant smile.

Hidan instinctively looked toward Yutia.

Surprisingly, the rage that had filled her face just moments ago—

“…?”

Had been replaced by a relaxed expression.

As Hidan wondered about the sudden change—

[…Hidan.]

“Yes!”

[Let us adjourn this meeting.]

“…? Oh, understood.”

Yutia exited the meeting as though nothing had happened.

Still bewildered, Hidan also cut his orb connection.

The following day.

“Is that actually true?”

“Yes, I heard that the entire temple where Red Moon was residing suddenly collapsed into ruins.”

Hidan received this news from Yuna, whom he had met to trade intelligence.

Hidan began to feel a sense of dread regarding the meeting set for that night.

***

Several days later.

Just as Alon was preparing to depart from Fildagreen and head back to the Marquis’ estate—

“I will assist you with your garments.”

“…As I mentioned before, I can manage on my own.”

Lately, the overwhelming hospitality of the elves had been making him feel quite awkward.

Their intense service had begun when he attained royal status, but it hadn't truly bothered him until recently.

Usually, when Alon politely declined, they would step back without further insistence.

But ever since the incident with Sin—

“I truly wish to do this for you, if I may?”

“…If you are that determined, then go ahead.”

Even when he turned them down, more and more elves were becoming persistent in their "kindness."

As a result, his discomfort had only intensified lately.

And that wasn't the only change.

“I offer my greetings to the Primordial Elf.”

Now, every time he crossed paths with someone, they would immediately drop to their knees before him.

Of course, Alon was still human, so he didn't entirely dislike being respected.

Nevertheless, it all felt a bit excessive.

“Godfather.”

“Rine.”

On his way to meet Rine, Alon had already been greeted with deep reverence by elves more than five times.

He sighed and took a seat across from her.

“Did you have a restful sleep?”

When Alon asked, Rine paused for a moment before shaking her head.

“No.”

“…Is something the matter?”

“Hmm— I am simply struggling to adjust to a strange bed. I think I might sleep better if you assisted me a little, godfather…”

As Rine’s voice trailed off, Alon answered readily.

“I will help.”

“Truly?”

“Yes.”

When Alon confirmed his intent, Rine offered a small smile.

“In that case, could you perhaps stay by my side until I fall asleep?”

She leaned in slightly toward him.

“…What?”

Alon was taken aback.

But Rine just gave him a playful look.

“I am only joking, godfather. I have been sleeping perfectly fine.”

She giggled as if she had won a game.

“…So, didn’t you say you had something to discuss with me today?”

Watching her mischievous face, Alon cleared his throat and pivoted the conversation.

The reason he had visited Rine was because she claimed to have an important matter to share.

At that, Rine stopped her giggling and said, “The reason I requested this meeting today concerns your power, godfather.”

She moved straight to the point.

“…My power?”

“Yes. It is about truly making your divinity your own.”

“Making my divinity fully mine?”

“I am aware that you wield your divine power effectively. However, currently, it is as if you are merely borrowing the divinity of another god, is it not?”

“Borrowing another’s divinity…”

“To be more specific, even if you are the essence of that god’s being, you are still operating under a name that does not belong to you.”

“…Is that a problem?”

“It isn't inherently wrong. However, it does come with distinct limitations. A divinity that you did not forge yourself will never truly fit you perfectly.”

After considering her words for a moment, Alon asked, “So you are saying—I need to develop a divinity that is tailored to me. Is that correct?”

“Precisely. More specifically, it is a task of consolidating the fragmented aspects of your divinity.”

“A process of consolidating fragmented divinity?”

Rine nodded her head.

“Yes, if you permit it, I would like to show you how.

Based on what I have learned, if you establish and utilize a divinity that is purely your own, it will be far more advantageous than your current state. For instance—”

She added, “Regarding your current spells, godfather.”

“…My spells?”

“Yes. From what I have ‘read,’ spells and divinity function like pieces of a puzzle.”

“Puzzle pieces, I see.”

“Each piece can work independently, but together they manifest a much greater strength.”

“You obtained this information from the forbidden section of the library, didn’t you?”

“Yes. Though I did not uncover everything. The cost for entering the forbidden section last time was paid entirely by Agui’s body, after all.”

Alon nodded.

That matched the explanation she had given previously regarding the forbidden knowledge she had gained.

After rubbing his chin thoughtfully, Alon looked Rine directly in the eye.

“Then what must I do to truly claim my own divinity? Must I gather faith during a crisis like last time?”

“No, that won't be necessary. You already possess more than enough faith. What you require now is something else.”

Something else.

As Alon watched her, Rine held up three fingers.

“You will need three components: divine land, divine people, and a knight order.”

Alon’s eyes widened at the unexpected requirement.

“To put it simply, think of it as the foundation for a Rosario.”

“…That sounds like a very large undertaking.”

“There is no need to overcomplicate it. If you simply follow my lead, it will not be that difficult to establish.”

Reassured by her confidence, Alon nodded and listened to her instructions carefully.

A short while later—

“Evan.”

“Yes, Marquis?”

“Send a message to the estate.”

“So suddenly…? Aren’t you returning to the territory shortly anyway?”

“I am, but there is information I need to send ahead of my arrival.”

Though caught off guard by the order, Evan quickly produced a pen.

“What should the message say?”

“Write that we are beginning recruitment for a Holy Knight Order.”

“A Holy Knight Order?”

“Yes.”

“…Hmm, very well. Understood.”

Evan nodded without asking further questions.

Noticing this, Alon gave him a hesitant glance and asked, “Does that… sound strange to you?”

“Pardon? What does?”

“The idea of recruiting a Holy Knight Order.”

“Oh—well—Given that you are already wielding divine power and elves prostrate themselves at the sight of you, this isn’t particularly shocking.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. In any case, Penia is currently in contact with the Magic Tower, so I will include this notice with that dispatch.

Are there any specific requirements you wish to include?”

Alon shook his head at Evan’s question.

“No, there is no need for detail yet. Even though it is a knight order, we are just collecting applicants on a trial basis for now.”

“Understood.”

Surprisingly, the letter was dispatched to the estate without any complications.

Ten days later—

“Hm? Recruiting a Holy Knight Order?”

The letter penned by Evan was now in Alexion’s hands.

He stared at the parchment with a look of pure confusion.

The content was just a single line.

It stated that Marquis Palatio was forming a Holy Knight Order.

“…What is this even supposed to imply?”

Alexion’s face twisted slightly.

It was only natural.

The letter offered no information beyond that one statement.

There was no mention of the number of recruits needed, the selection criteria, or what the purpose of the order was.

There were absolutely no specifics.

Still, since he had received the order, he couldn't simply disregard it.

“…Well, I suppose I’ll just put up a notice?”

Acting on Alon’s letter, Alexion decided to post a recruitment announcement for the Holy Knight Order, allowing for a two-month application period.

He had no inkling that this minor task—

Would snowball into something far more significant.

And exactly ten days later—

“…Now this is quite intriguing.”

“We must depart at once.”

“The Master’s own knight order!?”

“The Marquis is establishing a knight order—”

A single rumor began to race across the entirety of the Allied Kingdoms.

Marquis Palatio—

Was forming a Holy Knight Order.