Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 300 : Divine Land (3)
Previously on Became the Patron of Villains...
Roughly two weeks had elapsed since Alon’s departure from Greynif.
“Marquis.”
“What is it?”
“Do you intend to take an extended leave of absence this time?”
They were currently traveling back toward the marquis' estate.
Alon, who had been absentmindedly soaking in the sunlight, blinked at Evan’s inquiry and cleared his throat.
“Well, I’m not entirely certain.”
Naturally, after journeying all the way to the East, the desire to rest was strong.
However, the reason for his hesitation was the Sin.
He had received reports regarding the emergence of the Sin.
He had even engaged it in direct combat.
With three more Sins remaining to be faced, he simply could not justify relaxing yet.
Alon fixed his gaze on the distant mountain range.
Reflecting on it, his only true ambition had been to enjoy the tranquil life of a nobleman.
“What prompted that sudden sigh?”
“It’s nothing; I was just reflecting on how I wanted to spend my days baking toast, yet somehow I ended up in this situation.”
“?”
Evan tilted his head, a literal question mark practically visible above him.
“?”
[?]
[?]
Similarly, Penia, Blackie, and Basiliora—who was currently perched atop Blackie—all stared at Alon with bewildered expressions.
“Why is everyone looking at me like that?”
Alon felt genuinely perplexed by their collective reaction.
“No, it’s just...”
[That is simply preposterous...]
“I have to agree...”
A brief, uncomfortable silence settled over the group.
Alon cleared his throat and spoke again.
“Regardless, I believe I am moving closer to that dream.”
“You are currently battling monsters capable of leveling half a territory in a single strike—how does that equate to a peaceful noble life?”
“Well—”
Alon started to explain that once the Sins were eradicated, he could finally live without constant threats, but he bit back the words.
Verbalizing it would only lead to a tedious amount of explanation.
Instead, he muttered, “Never mind.”
“What was that? You were right in the middle of saying something.”
Ignoring Evan’s protest, Alon thought back to a conversation he had with Rine.
“Half-finished, was it...?”
That was the terminology Rine had used.
She explained that divine powers and incantations functioned like pieces of a puzzle; while each could operate on its own, they formed a complete whole when combined.
To this point, Alon had utilized both magic and divine power.
However, he had never considered them to be alike.
Fundamentally, they were distinct energies.
Magic was fueled by mana, whereas divine power was drawn from divinity—their origins were entirely different.
Because these core energies were so divergent, he struggled to understand Rine’s meaning.
Strictly speaking, she had provided him with a starting point but hadn't detailed how divine power and magic would actually integrate.
It was a vague and somewhat confusing situation.
Nevertheless, Alon had two primary reasons for following Rine’s guidance.
First, he was certain that the library within Rine’s mind contained only absolute truth.
Second, Alon himself suspected that merging divine power into his arsenal would be immensely beneficial.
While contemplating the divine-magic puzzle that had eluded the likes of Kylrus and Sparrow, Alon began organizing his future objectives.
His primary mission was to establish the Divine Land, exactly as Rine had instructed.
There were other responsibilities, of course, such as protecting his followers and forming a knight order.
But the creation of the Divine Land took precedence.
His second goal was to locate the Observer, as he had been informed in the East.
Declaring a Divine Land wasn't exceptionally difficult in a technical sense.
He could even initiate it immediately.
The hurdle was the location.
Though Alon held a marquisate within the Kingdom of Asteria, designating a Divine Land on nearby territory required the Queen’s consent.
He could likely proceed without it without facing major repercussions, but formal authorization was preferable.
Alon finalized the mental map of his plan.
“But Marquis.”
“What is it?”
“Now that I’m looking at it—what is that?”
Following Evan’s eyes, Alon glanced down at his chest.
He was wearing a badge set with a vibrant green jewel.
“Oh, this. Rine gave it to me.”
“Is that so?”
“She mentioned it was a gift.”
Rine had insisted he wear it at all times before he departed from Fildagreen.
As Alon recalled that moment while looking at the green gem,
“Hmm, I see.”
Evan scrutinized the jewel for a moment, looking intrigued, before shrugging it off.
After traveling for several weeks, Alon finally arrived back at the Palatio estate after a long absence.
“M-Marquis~!”
“Alexion?”
The moment he entered his lands, he was greeted by a pale, out-of-breath Alexion.
“Her Majesty the Queen is inside waiting for you...!”
“What?”
Alexion delivered the startling news while still gasping for air.
***
“It has become quite difficult to catch even a glimpse of you lately.”
“I offer no excuses.”
Upon entering the office and seeing Siyan, Alon immediately bowed his head in a deep apology.
In truth, Alon should have reported to Teria immediately after his business in Rosario.
“Have you been preoccupied?”
Standing before the Queen, who had traveled here personally, Alon cleared his throat nervously.
“...Yes, somewhat—”
“Hmmm~”
Siyan scrutinized him with a sharp gaze.
However—
“Well, very well. It seems excessive to keep demanding a man as busy as you to always come to me.”
“I am grateful for your understanding.”
As Siyan relaxed back into her chair, Alon bowed once more and inquired,
“But, Your Majesty, what has brought you all the way to this distant region...?”
He maintained a calm exterior, but Alon was genuinely baffled.
A sovereign usually summons people; they do not travel to them.
Unless a meeting of extreme importance was taking place, she rarely moved in person.
Seeing his curiosity, Siyan gave a casual shrug.
“It’s a combination of things. You are aware that the Allied Kingdom has been in an uproar recently.”
“You are referring to the Abyssal Beings.”
Siyan nodded in affirmation.
“Exactly. We convened a meeting because of them. I’m not sure if you realize the scale of this, but the situation is extremely dire.”
Alon realized the true extent of the devastation caused by the Abyssal Beings.
If the monarchs of various nations were gathering in person, the crisis was indeed severe.
While Alon was deep in thought—
“So, when did you plan on sharing the details with me?”
Siyan redirected the conversation.
“I traveled all this way to hear the report on the Rosario incident. Were you going to leave me in the dark?”
She spoke with a light, teasing grin.
“I shall begin the report now.”
Alon cleared his throat and began detailing the events that occurred in Rosario.
After she listened in silence,
“I see.”
“Yes.”
“In truth, I had already received word of what happened in Rosario.”
She dropped this revelation suddenly.
“Oh, I see...”
To be honest, Alon had expected that Siyan might already know.
He simply nodded awkwardly, which caused Siyan’s playful expression to sour slightly.
“You are remarkably slow on the uptake.”
“Pardon me?”
“When a person says they already know the story, you are supposed to ask why they wanted to hear it again anyway.”
She let out a small grumble.
“If I had asked that, what would your response have been?”
Alon tried to salvage the conversation by playing along.
“I would have told you—it was merely an excuse to see you.”
Siyan twirled a finger and gave him a mischievous smile.
Alon’s mind stalled for a moment.
Usually, he would have ignored such a comment.
But having heard similar sentiments from Rine recently, he couldn't help but overanalyze the true meaning behind her words.
Seeing Alon standing there frozen, Siyan laughed with delight.
“What is the matter?”
“Pardon?”
“This conversation, I mean.”
Alon hesitated at her follow-up. He wasn't sure how to handle this.
“......”
“Don't be tense—just speak your mind.”
Finally, Alon decided to be honest.
“Forgive me, but... it felt as though you were hoping I would take that hint seriously, or... something to that effect.”
Siyan’s smile remained as she asked, “Did it?”
“Yes.”
“Well, let me remind you—those were your own words.”
She leaned forward, catching him off guard. “Pardon? Mine?”
“Yes.”
“There is no way—”
Alon’s jaw dropped in shock.
“Is this something I said in your memory?”
“Precisely. And I should add, you said it with a very mischievous grin.”
Alon felt his face flush with heat.
...He couldn't help but wonder what kind of nonsense his past self had been saying in Siyan’s memories.
“?”
He then noticed Siyan, who had been laughing just a moment ago, suddenly looking very serious.
She seemed to be lost in deep contemplation as if a specific thought had struck her.
Observing this, he asked, “Your Majesty?”
“!”
Alon’s soft call snapped her out of it, and she quickly cleared her throat.
“Ahem. At any rate, I came to see you for several reasons. To attend the summit, and to share some of these newly returned memories with you.”
She stood up from her chair.
“I’ll be going now. Truthfully, I’d love to stay and chat or see what kind of chaos is happening in your territory, but if I linger any longer, I’ll miss the meeting.”
However, Alon stopped her before she could leave.
“Your Majesty, if I may... could I borrow a moment more of your time?”
He then began to explain his request regarding the Divine Land.
***
Ultimately, Alon secured a grant of undeveloped land from Siyan to establish his Divine Land.
The location was roughly a day’s ride from the Palatio Marquisate.
“Whew—”
Back in his own office, Alon exhaled a long sigh.
The surprise visit and the impromptu royal meeting had been more mentally taxing than he had anticipated.
He sank into his chair to finally rest.
The following morning—
“Has Penia already departed for the academic society?”
“Yes.”
“I see.”
Alon sighed softly and took a bite of the toast Evan had prepared.
Finally, a moment of tranquility.
It felt like a luxury, but considering how much he had been running around, he felt he earned it.
He decided to take things slow—at least for today.
“...?”
Suddenly, he noticed a much louder commotion than usual and peered out the window.
“??”
An incredible sight met his eyes.
There was—
An enormous crowd that packed the inner walls of the Palatio estate and spilled out far beyond the outer gates.
More specifically, it wasn't just humans.
“Elves... and lizardmen...??”
A massive assembly of various races had converged upon the Marquisate.
“Evan?”
“Yes, Marquis?”
“What... is all of that?”
Evan looked down where Alon was pointing and was just as startled.
“Oh.”
He suddenly remembered a conversation he had with Alexion the day before.
“Ah... I believe they are all here for the Holy Knight Order entrance examination. That is scheduled for today.”
“Knight Order...?”
“Yes, don't you recall, Marquis? You instructed us to release the announcement early.”
“Well, yes, but—”
Alon stared at the overwhelming sea of people that looked like it was about to burst through the walls.
He couldn't find the words to finish his sentence.