Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 305 : Raksas (1)

A full day had passed.

"Is this the location?"

"Yes, this should be the place."

Following Evan’s confirmation, Alon halted his ascent up the mountainside to survey the territory bestowed upon him by Siyan.

"It’s quite impressive."

The region she had granted him was remarkably well-situated.

With a mountain range at its back and a vast plain unfolding in front, the area represented a classic example of perfect topography—mountains behind and water flowing before.

For a fleeting second, Alon’s brow creased in confusion.

Evan quickly stepped in to clarify the situation.

"Indeed. However, the surrounding area is crawling with monster nests. There are dozens of goblin encampments, several orc settlements, and ogres have been spotted further out. For some reason, monsters seem to materialize here out of thin air."

"So, it’s a haven for monsters?"

"Exactly. You could call it a tainted asset, I suppose?"

Alon sighed softly, though he came to terms with the news rapidly.

He had anticipated a catch.

There had to be a catch for such a geographically perfect piece of land to remain unclaimed. In Korea, people always assumed a cheap apartment near a subway station was haunted.

Accepting the reality, Alon continued his walk.

Upon reaching the heart of the territory, he inhaled deeply and shut his eyes.

“Whew~”

He let out a gentle breath.

By now, entering his inner world had become second nature. Alon focused on the six divine essences manifesting before his mind's eye.

The essences shimmered in distinct hues—blue, green, red, and white—matching what he had seen initially. Beside them was the gray essence that had appeared later, and finally, a black divine essence.

The black one was almost lost in the surrounding void, yet its presence was undeniable.

To date, Alon had tapped into two of them.

The divine essence of Kalannon, the lightning receiver, and the divine essence of the Primordial Elf.

While contemplating these glowing orbs, Alon steadied his breathing and recalled Rine’s instructions.

A slender thread extended from Alon’s palm, weaving through his fingers to pierce Kalannon’s divine essence. It then moved to thread through the Primordial Elf’s essence, followed by the red, white, and gray ones in succession.

Finally, he reached for the black essence.

As he had feared, the thread failed to penetrate the dark core. It stood defiant and isolated, vibrating with a jagged, crackling energy that refused to merge.

Observing this, Alon pulled the thread—now carrying the power of the other five essences—back toward his fingertip.

As a faint, luminous sphere began to take shape in front of him, he remembered the final step Rine had mentioned.

“Declare it.”

He spoke the words in a low murmur.

Instantly—

Fwoooosh—!

A blinding explosion of white light erupted from Alon, accompanied by ripples of crimson and azure radiating outward.

"Whoa—"

[This is truly—]

Evan’s voice echoed with amazement from the distance, while Basiliora whispered as if witnessing a miracle.

When the ritual concluded and Alon opened his eyes, he immediately felt an anomaly.

Everything was motionless.

Evan was frozen in mid-admiration; Basiliora was stuck in her state of wonder. Even Deus’s calm gaze and Filian’s curious eyes were locked in place.

The world had stopped.

More accurately, a single second had been stretched into an age. Everything had slowed to such a degree that it appeared frozen in time.

Alon recognized this sensation from a previous encounter.

[A fragment that carries the great will —]

As the thought crossed his mind, he looked toward the heavens.

He saw it clearly now—something that had been hidden during the first restriction.

[-No,]

A colossal eye, spanning the entire horizon, was focused solely on him.

[Star Eater.]

The eye, curved like a twisted crescent, seemed to overflow with dark amusement. It grinned visibly, vibrating with strange, incomprehensible speech.

[I offer a sincere welcome upon your return.]

The entity stared directly into Alon’s soul. Just as he parted his lips to answer—

Bzzzzzt~!

The world flickered like a broken broadcast before snapping back into focus.

The monochrome tint vanished as color flooded back into the landscape. The voices of Evan and Basiliora resumed their normal tempo.

In the restored flow of time, Alon stood dazed.

“…What… was that?”

He whispered to himself, staring blankly at the empty sky. After a moment, he shook off the shock to finish his task.

He looked toward the knights and soldiers watching from the sidelines.

“Ooh—”

Unlike ordinary earth, shimmering specks of light danced in the air here. The men looked at Alon with profound reverence.

Alon thought back to Rine’s advice.

‘Once the territory is declared, claim the knights as your own.’

‘I gave power to Sili before… should I repeat that process?’

‘No, that isn’t necessary. Simply broadcast it like sowing seeds; they will nurture it themselves.’

Acting on her words, he distributed his power to everyone present.

The divine essence within him began to drain. The sphere, which had swelled to the size of his torso by consuming the other essences, shrank until it was no larger than his palm.

Then, the change hit.

“What is this feeling—”

The soldiers and knights gasped as divine energy flooded their systems. Alon tried to finish the process without fanfare, but when he realized everyone was staring at him in expectation, he felt a wave of awkwardness.

He wasn't a public speaker, but the gravity of the moment demanded a statement.

“...Let everyone carry out their duties.”

He managed to offer those few words.

“Yes, My Lord!!!”

The men responded with a thunderous shout.

Immediately after the empowerment—

“That was incredible, Marquis.”

“What specifically?”

“This territory, sir.”

“...The land?”

“Yes. Even a novice can tell that the mana saturation here has skyrocketed compared to before.”

Only after Evan pointed it out did Alon notice the transformation of the Divine Land.

“This isn't just a cosmetic change.”

He could feel the atmosphere itself becoming dense with mana. Seeing Alon’s genuine surprise, Evan asked, “...You weren't aware?”

“I knew there would be benefits, but this exceeds my expectations.”

Rine had mentioned blessings based on the territory's tier, but Alon assumed such effects required a high level of prestige first.

As he examined the surroundings—

“...?”

He noticed Seamus. The man who had been relaxed yesterday now looked like a soldier possessed by grim determination. Alon remembered Evan’s mention of him.

Curious, Alon asked, “Did you have a discussion with Deus?”

“Yes! I did, my Lord!”

The arrogance Seamus had displayed in Psychedelia was gone, replaced by rigid discipline.

“What was the nature of your talk?”

“He instructed me on the heavy responsibilities I must uphold!”

“I see.”

“Yes! I will give my life to ensure the name of Palatio reaches the heavens!”

“...Right. Carry on then.”

Seamus’s response was a scream of loyalty, his body stiff as a board. Alon turned back to Evan.

“What is our next move?” Evan inquired.

After considering it, Alon replied, “The next priority is attracting settlers.”

“Will there be entry requirements?”

“Requirements?”

“Yes, similar to how Sironia mandates specific criteria for its residents.”

“...Sironia has restrictions?” Alon asked, surprised.

“You didn't know?”

“I assumed it was open to anyone.”

Evan shook his head.

“No. Most Sironian citizens are those who have successfully finished the goddess’s pilgrimage.”

“A pilgrimage?”

“Essentially, a ritualistic journey on foot to a specific holy site that takes months.”

Alon surveyed his Divine Land. Aside from the high mana, it was empty. The geography was great, but the mountains were infested with monsters rather than gold. There was no infrastructure to justify being picky with applicants.

“Nonetheless, a proper screening process could serve as excellent PR,” Evan noted.

Alon thought about it. “How about... we only accept those with no criminal record who have performed at least one small act of justice?”

“...That’s a bit ambiguous, isn't it?”

“It’s just a baseline for now.”

“Well... we can refine it over time. Since you're heading to Raksas, should I start drafting recruitment letters?”

“But we have no facilities ready.”

“Early marketing is never a bad idea.”

Recalling how they had gathered the Holy Knights, Alon nodded. Soon, Deus approached, his expression also hardened with resolve.

“Marquis.”

“Yes?”

“The environment here is perfect for growth. I wish to remain here and focus on training the men.”

“...In this wilderness?”

“It is ideal.”

“I appreciate your dedication, Deus.”

“It is merely my duty.”

Grateful for Deus's commitment to the knights, Alon said his goodbyes and left the Divine Land.

***

“Huh?”

Beran, a mercenary who had seen his fair share of success but failed the Palatio entrance exam, had returned to the ranks in Lartania. He found a letter in his coat pocket.

It was from Karam, his rival who had managed to pass the exam as a common soldier in Palatio’s service.

“Tch.”

Beran scoffed. They weren't close enough for casual correspondence, which meant this was likely a letter meant to provoke him. Still, he couldn't resist opening it.

He clicked his tongue again as he read. The letter was stained with dirt but filled with boasts about the training Karam was undergoing.

“Training on land sanctified by Marquis Palatio and receiving divine power... what a joke...”

The letter went into detail about how the Divine Land allowed soldiers to tap into Palatio’s divine essence. Beran scowled, feeling a pang of annoyance.

“Something bothering you?”

His companion, Cop, asked while nursing a beer at their local tavern.

“Nothing much. Just Karam bragging about his new job at Palatio’s house.”

“The guy who actually made the cut?”

“Yeah.”

“He’s doing well for himself. What’s he saying?”

“He claims he’s training on some blessed land and that everyone there can use the Marquis’s divine power.”

“...Wait, for real?”

“That’s what he wrote. Why the face?”

Cop looked serious. “I’ve actually heard rumors about that recently.”

“What rumors?”

“About the Marquis Palatio’s Divine Land. I heard they’re accepting citizens, provided they haven't committed crimes and have done some good deeds.”

“Is that true?”

“It’s an official notice from the Palatio household. And if what your friend wrote is true—that training there gives you power—”

Both men immediately envisioned the Marquis Palatio. Specifically, they remembered the knights in the Lartania dungeon who wielded the power of Kalannon.

They recalled the arcs of lightning and how effortlessly the monsters were butchered. In the Allied Kingdoms, many believed the Marquis was the chosen Apostle of Kalannon—or perhaps the god himself in human form.

“But there’s no way it’s that simple, right?”

“Yeah, sounds too good to be true.”

“Exactly. You’d need to be a high-ranking priest of Kalannon to use that kind of power. Gaining it just by training in a specific field sounds insane.”

“I agree. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it.”

They laughed it off and clinked their mugs. Just then, Mai, a cat-girl mercenary, sat down with them.

“Cop? Beran? What’s the gossip?”

“Just talking about Marquis Palatio.”

Beran, slightly tipsy, repeated the story to Mai. She listened with wide eyes.

“So that’s the story?”

“Karam is probably just exaggerating—”

Before he could finish, Mai stood up. “Oh! My party is here. See ya!”

She hurried over to her teammates.

“Mai, where were you?”

“Talking to Beran. I heard something crazy. Apparently, if you train in Marquis Palatio’s Divine Land, you get the power of Kalannon.”

“The Divine Land? The one looking for settlers?”

“That’s the one. Beran’s friend is already using the power, according to his letter.”

And so, within that small tavern in Lartania, a spark was lit.

“You can use Kalannon’s lightning just by living there?”

The rumor began to mutate as it traveled.

“Did you hear? If you become a citizen of the Palatio land, you get divine powers!”

“How do you get in? Do you have to worship the Marquis?”

“That, and you have to do good deeds. I heard you have to bring the heads of bandits to prove you're worthy.”

The story grew more fantastic with every retelling.

“So... if I kill some bandits and show proof, I get to be a citizen and gain divine power?”

“That’s the word on the street.”

It wasn't long before these distorted rumors reached the ears of every mercenary who had ever regretted missing the chance to serve the Marquis.