Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 304 : Knights’ Order……? (4)

Alon, strolling toward the garden alongside Yutia—who appeared to be in a remarkably cheerful mood—soon learned the reason for her visit to the Marquis’ estate.

“A meeting?”

“Yes. As you are aware, there has been a recent spike in banditry and rioting,” she explained.

Alon gave a nod, recalling the reports Siyan had shared a few days prior.

“…… It seems the situation is more grave than I anticipated.”

“Were you unaware, My Lord?”

“No. I had some knowledge of it.”

The recent disturbances were not something Alon could have completely missed.

In contrast to other regions currently plagued by chaos, the Palatio territory had remained strangely untouched by bandit raids. This anomaly had actually led to an influx of merchants seeking safety within its borders.

“So, you are stopping by while traveling to that gathering?”

“Indeed. Furthermore, I have heard rumors of internal strife within the Empire.”

“The Empire?”

“Yes. Word is that a civil war has erupted there.”

……

The Empire.

It was a nation that had maintained a long-standing hostility toward the Allied Kingdom. It also served as the primary setting for Calypsophobia, a different game developed by the same studio behind Psychedelia.

Alon searched his memory. Was there supposed to be a war within the Empire at this point in the timeline?

He pondered for a moment before simply shrugging it off.

In reality, the internal conflicts of Calypsophobia weren't his concern. From what he remembered, the Empire would never initiate a war against the Allied Kingdom unless the latter was already on the verge of total collapse.

Besides, Calypsophobia had its own hero.

If he recalled correctly... was the name Ner?

Ner.

Just like in Psychedelia, the protagonist of Calypsophobia—who could be either male or female—was destined to save the crumbling Empire from ruin.

Essentially, Alon didn't need to stress over the Empire's problems for now. The protagonist of that story would handle it eventually.

That thought passed through his mind briefly.

“Additionally, I have a proposal for you, My Lord.”

Yutia’s voice brought Alon back to the present, and he shifted his focus to her.

“A proposal?”

“Yes. I was wondering—would you consider allowing a church to be built on the Marquis’ estate?”

“A church?”

“Yes, but only if it meets with your approval.”

“Hmm—”

Alon paused to consider. Since he intended to establish a new Divine Land shortly, placing a church on the Palatio grounds might lead to some complications. However, he didn't feel a strong urge to decline, so he eventually nodded.

“If that is what you wish, you may proceed.”

“I am grateful for your permission, My Lord.”

“But why the sudden desire to build a church here?”

“The reason?”

Yutia tapped her cheek thoughtfully, then offered a playful smile as she countered with a question:

“Well, would you care to take a guess, My Lord?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Yutia beamed at him.

After a moment of reflection, Alon suggested, “Expansion?”

“Nope.”

“Then……?”

He was at a loss.

When Alon looked to her for the answer, Yutia held up two fingers.

“There are two primary reasons. First, there are far more cats in this area than we anticipated.”

“Cats?”

Alon’s gaze instinctively shifted toward Blackie.

The small black cat, who had been napping peacefully on the Sea King’s back just moments ago, now had trembling pupils. It looked as if it were thinking, ‘Me…? Are you talking about me?’

“And the second reason is—”

Ignoring Blackie, Yutia stepped closer to Alon’s side with caution.

“I felt it was time for me to become a bit more proactive,” she whispered softly into his ear.

“Proactive?”

“Of course. I am referring to missionary work.”

Yutia smiled.

To that—

……

“I see.”

Though Alon didn't fully grasp her meaning, he gave a quiet nod for the time being.

After inviting Alon to visit Rosario whenever he was free, Yutia departed from the estate.

A few days passed.

Feeling a lingering sense of unease, Alon spoke to Evan, who was walking ahead of him.

“Is everything in order for our journey to the Divine Land?”

“Yes, all preparations are finished. We are ready to leave immediately.”

“How long is the travel time?”

“Hmm—based on my previous checks, it should take roughly one day.”

The two continued their casual conversation as they moved.

Before long, Alon reached the outer walls of the estate.

“What is your assessment?”

……

“…… It is more impressive than I expected.”

Alon couldn't hide his surprise at the sight of the soldiers and knights gathered in front of the castle gates. Fifty knights and six hundred soldiers stood ready to march toward the Divine Land. Seeing the sheer mass of people made the numbers feel far more significant than they had on paper.

‘And… their discipline seems remarkably sharp for only a few days of training…?’

The troops were lined up in perfect formation while Deus observed them with a look of satisfaction.

Alon scanned the faces of the assembled knights. While there were too many to recognize everyone, he did see familiar faces from the recruitment interviews, Seamus among them.

However, after a quick look, Alon felt a sense of confusion. The expressions on the knights' faces were strangely intense.

While it made sense for Seamus to look happy, and for the men to be alert in the presence of their commander, the others looked far more grimly determined than necessary.

Just then—

“Marquis, shall we begin the march?”

“Yes.”

Following Evan’s prompt, Alon walked toward his carriage.

“What do you think of them?”

“They seem very resolute,” Alon replied to Evan’s question.

“Isn’t that a positive sign? It appears Deus is an excellent instructor.”

Evan nodded, clearly pleased.

“It just feels more like an army preparing for a campaign than a simple security force for the Divine Land.”

“Well, high levels of training are always beneficial, aren't they?”

“That is true, but…”

It felt as though he were watching an order of knights preparing for an actual war, which made him feel slightly anxious.

Evan then spoke up as if recalling a detail.

“Now that I think of it, Deus has been conducting individual interviews with the knights during their training. Their demeanor becomes significantly more serious after those sessions.”

“Interviews?”

“Yes.”

Alon wondered what Deus could possibly be telling them, but he quickly dismissed the thought. As Evan noted, having a disciplined force was hardly a disadvantage.

Once inside the carriage, Alon began to quietly organize his objectives. Remembering Rine’s advice, he finished planning his next steps for the Divine Land.

His mind then drifted back to the recent occurrences in the East. He reached into his robe and absentmindedly rubbed the magatama, thinking of the entity he had encountered.

It was a being so powerful that its mere presence caused his eyes to bleed because he couldn't endure its gaze—an enigmatic entity that seemed to hold the answers to everything he didn't understand.

With those heavy thoughts lingering, Alon gazed out the window. It was a typical afternoon.

***

When Seamus first arrived at the Marquis Palatio’s estate, his self-esteem had been in tatters. Recently, however, he had begun to find his footing again.

Contrary to what his former master had claimed, the Marquis’ estate was home to numerous Master Knights. Each of the five squad leaders held that rank, and Seamus himself had been appointed vice-captain of the Fifth Order.

Seamus was able to regain his confidence because these other Master Knights—the squad leaders and vice-captains—actually respected his skill. It proved that Seamus hadn't been delusional about his talent; rather, the Marquis’ forces were just abnormally powerful.

Furthermore, Deus, the man overseeing their training, had personally praised Seamus’ potential. This acknowledgment helped his confidence recover steadily.

Yet, the arrogance that once defined Seamus had vanished. A week of intense sparring—especially his bouts with Deus—had taught him a harsh lesson in humility. Or, more accurately, humility had been beaten into him.

Regardless of Seamus’ talent, everyone could see that Deus operated on a completely different level of power. The gap was so immense that it was impossible to even feel jealous.

Through this, Seamus was learning to be humble while his skills continued to sharpen. He felt he was finally getting closer to his dream of becoming a legendary knight and returning home in glory.

At least, that had been his perspective until a moment ago.

Now, Seamus stared at Deus with a look of pure shock. Deus, however, remained perfectly composed, his face a mask of absolute seriousness.

“Wha—?”

Seamus’ voice trailed off as he tried to process the situation.

They had set out for the Divine Land with the Marquis that morning. After stopping early to camp, they had immediately transitioned into training. It was then that Instructor Deus announced he would be holding private interviews.

Seeing the other knights emerge from these talks looking deathly serious, Seamus had gone to see him after the drills concluded. And that was when he heard it.

Deus’ declaration.

“You shall become the King’s Sword. A blade capable of shattering anyone.”

“Does that mean—?”

“You understand without me needing to spell it out, don't you?”

Seamus looked into Deus’ eyes. There was no deception there—only a terrifying, cold sincerity. Seamus realized the man meant every word.

Involuntarily, Seamus thought of his original goal: to be a knight so beloved that his homecoming would be a triumph. It had been a simple, noble dream.

So why…?

Before he even realized it, he had stepped onto a ship where the only two outcomes were treason or revolution. There was no way to get off now.

“I will forge you into someone who will never taste defeat,” Deus promised.

Seamus felt himself becoming trapped by that promise. His wandering thoughts slowly vanished into the air.