Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 310 : What Is This... (1)
Previously on Became the Patron of Villains...
In the northern reaches of the Ashtalon Kingdom.
Due to the relentless northern climate, the area remained biting cold regardless of the season.
Zukurak stood transfixed by the peculiar gate—
Or rather, his gaze was fixed on an object that had emerged from its depths.
It was a spear covered in rust.
The metal was so badly decayed that most would dismiss it as useless junk rather than a weapon.
However, Zukurak wasn't interested in its utility; it was the weapon's design that captivated him.
He turned the spear over in his grip, inspecting it from every angle.
Its form was too eroded to see clearly.
Nevertheless, he was certain of one thing.
This spear was a relic from a world entirely different from this one.
“Hmm~”
In truth, he didn't actually need to solve this mystery.
Hazad’s orders were simple: he wasn't sent to study the gate’s origins, but only to locate its power source and bring back the “origin stone.”
Yet, curiosity had taken hold of him.
It was the result of seeing those ever-shifting, alien landscapes every time he stepped through the threshold.
Zukurak sank deep into his thoughts.
Suddenly—
“Are you curious?”
A voice sliced through his concentration, causing Zukurak’s eyes to fly open as he whipped around.
A man was standing right behind him.
He was clad in black ceremonial robes, draped from head to toe in various chains.
“...!”
A shiver of cold sweat trickled down Zukurak’s spine.
His fear didn't stem from the stranger's appearance.
Neither before nor after being empowered by Hazad had he ever encountered a situation like this.
His hyper-evolved senses, sharpened through multiple stages of transcendence, had never failed to detect a living being.
Even Hazad, the source of his current strength, could not hide from his perception.
And yet—
This individual had bypassed Zukurak’s senses entirely.
It was so absolute that even now, with the man standing directly in his line of sight—
Zukurak still couldn't sense any presence from him at all.
Driven by pure instinct, he summoned his weapon.
Boom—
With a flicker of his wrist, a colossal hammer materialized.
The weapon was even larger than Zukurak’s own two-meter frame—so massive that its weight seemed impossible for any mortal to handle.
But Zukurak held the mountain of metal easily with one hand, glaring at the man in black with every nerve on edge.
“Hm~ I didn't think my entrance was that aggressive. Your welcome is quite hostile, isn't it?”
The robed man gave a relaxed laugh.
Then—tap—
He blurred across the distance instantly, his fingers lightly brushing Zukurak’s hand just as the warrior began his reflex strike.
The contact was incredibly gentle.
However, that was all it took.
“What~!”
Zukurak, who had been attempting to swing the hammer with explosive speed, felt his entire body lock up.
It was as if his ability to move had been erased from existence.
“Rrghhh~!”
With veins popping in his eyes, Zukurak’s body began to vent massive amounts of magic power.
His muscles expanded to a terrifying degree, displaying a raw strength capable of crushing the man instantly.
But—
“Don't bother struggling. You won't be able to move a muscle regardless.”
“What is this power—”
Ignoring Zukurak’s desperate resistance, the man in black calmly reached into his robes.
He placed an object upon Zukurak’s arm—
And then—
“!!”
Zukurak’s flesh began to turn pitch black.
As the corruption spread, the man reached down and picked up the rusted spear Zukurak had dropped.
“I’ve provided you with a fine vessel that seems to suit you, so I should probably give you a parting gift.”
He gave the spear a casual test swing while watching Zukurak, who was thrashing internally against the binding force as his body continued to darken.
“The gate is a fragment.”
The man spoke the words clearly.
But Zukurak was beyond hearing them.
He was incapable of listening.
“Rrgh~!”
His mind was consumed by the frantic need to break free.
Blood vessels ruptured in his eyes.
His overwhelming muscle mass began to tear itself apart from the strain.
“It is a fragment of a different world.”
The stranger continued his explanation with total indifference.
And then—
At the exact moment the black substance crawling up Zukurak’s arm reached his mind—
The final thing he heard was—
“The Eyes’—”
A hollow, dry voice, and then—
“Fragment.”
A flash of yellow eyes—dozens of concentric circles overlapping in a grotesque pattern.
***
Roughly one week later—
“Well, I’ll see you again.”
“I understand, Brother.”
Alon returned to the shore and bid farewell to Radan after they exchanged their goodbyes.
“You looked a bit troubled. Did you pick up on something?”
Evan’s voice drifted from behind as he watched the ship sail into the distance.
Alon gave a slight nod.
“I noticed.”
“Shouldn't you have asked him about it?”
Evan’s question was reasonable.
Alon had clearly seen the anxiety on Radan’s face, yet he had remained silent.
Alon shook his head slowly.
“If he didn't want to bring it up, there’s no point in prying.”
He thought back to Radan’s expression.
Radan’s smile had been forced enough for anyone to see through.
It was obvious he was hiding his troubles.
However, if Alon had pressed him, Radan would have felt obligated to answer, effectively forcing him to dump his burdens on someone else.
That was why Alon stayed quiet.
If Radan chose not to speak, he surely had his reasons.
After watching the ship for a few more moments—
“Let's get moving.”
Alon turned and headed toward the waiting carriage.
But as he reached the door—
“Hm?”
“What’s the matter?”
“It’s just... the carriage looks remarkably clean.”
“Is that an issue?”
“Well, it’s been sitting here for about a month, hasn't it?”
“That's true.”
“Usually, after that much time, you’d expect at least a thin layer of dust.”
Alon nodded, considering Evan’s point.
He wasn't usually one to care about such details, but the observation was sound.
Wuuuuum~!
Feeling a hint of suspicion, Alon used a pulse of magic to scan the vehicle.
Aside from the unexplained cleanliness, nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
“Let's just depart for now.”
“Yes, well...”
The two climbed inside, and the carriage began its journey.
Inside, for some reason, Blackie and Basiliora were engaged in a board game similar to chess, apparently having picked up the rules from somewhere.
[Kuhahaha!!]
[Meow.]
Watching Basiliora’s clumsy strategy and Blackie’s tiny paws calmly moving the pieces, Alon began to mentally organize his next steps.
The Mask of the One Who Walks Ahead.
The Crying Blessing.
The Jewel of the Closed-Eyed One.
Luckily, Alon was already aware of the locations for two of these three artifacts.
The process of acquiring them wasn't particularly daunting either.
However, the Jewel of the Closed-Eyed One had never appeared within the world of Psychedelia, leaving him without a single lead.
If anyone had information, it would likely be Nangwon, the head of the intelligence guild.
[I win, you mindless beast! This proves your intellect is lower than—gaaahh!]
[Meow-]
While he was deep in thought—
Blackie had pinned Basiliora’s head to the board with a paw, completely dominating the situation.
Even as Basiliora’s tail lashed out in frustration, Blackie held the tiny snake head down without budging.
Seeing this, Alon had a sudden thought—
It was physically impossible for Blackie to reach maturity in just a year or two.
But since the creature grew faster by absorbing things, the worry didn't last long.
“Marquis. There’s something I forgot to mention earlier that just crossed my mind.”
“Is it something important?”
“No, not really. It’s just... thanks to you, bandits are practically an endangered species now.”
“?”
“?”
“What are you talking about?”
Alon tilted his head, completely confused by the statement.
“To be honest, I don't quite get it myself—”
Evan wore a conflicted expression as he began to explain the situation in detail.
A short while later.
......
“So let me see if I have this right. If someone kills bandits and shows proof, they are granted entry into the Divine Land of the Palatio Marquisate?”
“?????”
A dozen questions swirled in Alon’s mind.
“Who started that rumor?”
“I'm not sure...”
“Just to be certain, we didn't actually issue an official notice like that, did we?”
“Of course not. The announcement we posted was vague, exactly as you ordered.”
“Then how did it turn into a recruitment drive for bandit hunters— No, wait.”
He massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
“More importantly, why are people so desperate to enter the Divine Land in the first place?”
“It seems another rumor is spreading.”
“A rumor?”
“Yes. Word is that if you train within the Divine Land, you can gain access to Kalannon’s power. Or something along those lines.”
“...I have to ask, just to be absolutely sure. We didn't start that rumor either, right?”
“Definitely not.”
Evan’s answer was firm, leaving Alon in a pensive silence.
No matter how hard he tried to wrap his head around it—
He couldn't comprehend how a simple request for “righteous people” had mutated into “bring proof of dead bandits to enter Shinto and train with the power of Kalannon!”
He was left with a lingering, uneasy feeling.
***
Several months had passed since Sin had laid waste to Fildagreen.
With the assistance of human mages, the city had been largely rebuilt and had finally returned to its former glory.
Inside one of the royal chambers—
Rine sat quietly.
With a calm expression, she took a sip of her black tea.
Creeaak—
When the door swung open, she looked up, her face showing a hint of surprise.
A person was standing there who definitely shouldn't have been in the palace.
“Oh my.”
That person was—
“Yutia, what brings you here?”
It was Yutia Bludia.
With the blue moonlight framing her and her iconic crimson eyes glowing, Yutia stood before Rine.
“Don't look so shocked, Rine. You must have heard from Hidan.”
“I just didn't expect you to arrive right at this moment.”
“If it’s you, I'm sure you sensed my approach.”
She gave a small smile as she spoke.
“Oh, you caught that?”
“Yep.”
After their brief, lighthearted exchange—
A freezing silence filled the room.
A heavy, suffocating stillness.