Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 317 : Something Feels Off (4)

A full week had gone by since Alon first reached the Mage Tower.

[Preparation is complete.]

Heinkel informed Alon that the exhaustive decoding of the incantation was finally finished.

So much time had already slipped away.

“That was concluded more rapidly than I anticipated.”

Alon couldn't help but remark this to Heinkel.

[Is that so? I finished exactly when I planned to.]

Heinkel wore a puzzled expression, as if questioning his surprise.

“……I doubt I could have achieved it that quickly.”

“Nor could I……………”

Standing beside him, Penia let out a heavy sigh as she confessed her own limitations.

Her reaction stemmed from the fact that Heinkel had personally coached her on magic interpretation just a few days prior.

Both she and Alon had poured themselves into the study, yet their results were practically nonexistent.

Initially, Alon felt a surge of confidence.

With Penia’s natural magical talent by his side, they had always managed to overcome obstacles in their previous research sessions together.

However, extracting data from Tiered magic proved to be unimaginably grueling—nearly bordering on the impossible.

Heinkel had previously manifested an Ice Spear with ease, claiming it was merely a task of “removing unnecessary elements” from the formula, but Alon and Penia were unable to even distinguish those “unnecessary elements,” let alone excise them.

Only yesterday, they had spent over two hours debating whether the notion of Tiered magic containing hidden information was merely Heinkel’s private theory—a grand delusion they were chasing in vain.

Regardless, having tasted the difficulty herself, Alon offered Heinkel sincere admiration.

[Hmph, well, I was quite the figure back in my prime.]

Heinkel, perhaps feeling a bit flattered despite herself, shrugged her shoulders before getting down to business.

[Enough chatter. Let us begin.]

“Right here, at this moment?”

[Why not?]

“Shouldn't we go down to the practice hall on the first floor?”

Heinkel, however, didn't seem particularly interested.

[I don't see why doing it here would be an issue. It is only a simple light magic spell.]

“Y-Yeah, I suppose, but the first floor is equipped with an artifact that visualizes the flow of mana... I thought we might gain some deeper insights..!”

As Penia tentatively offered her reasoning, Heinkel paused for a moment of reflection.

[Well, if that is the case—]

She gave another shrug and reluctantly conceded.

To reach the first floor, Alon and Penia led the way, stepping onto a transport device that functioned much like an elevator.

“By the way, Marquis.”

The moment Alon boarded the device, Evan leaned over and whispered a question.

“What is it?”

“Um, the magic you're about to demonstrate... is it Light?”

“That is correct.”

“For such a thing…… is it truly necessary to analyze the mana signature?”

Alon paused briefly before giving Evan an answer.

“Well, it isn't strictly mandatory.”

Light.

It was a Tier 1 spell within the system of Tiered magic and, along with Magic Bolt, one of the foundational spells every mage mastered first.

Its structure, sequence, and mana consumption were naturally very basic.

Simply put, one didn't usually need a demonstration room to break down its mana type.

A mage can typically grasp the configuration just by observing it.

Alon himself had doubts about whether visiting the first floor for a Light spell was worth the effort.

But that was only true if the spell functioned as a standard Light spell.

“If it is invoked through the incantation, the situation changes. It will undoubtedly assist in future interpretations.”

“Hmm—I’ve heard rumors. It sounded a bit too majestic for a spell simply called Light.”

Evan gave a nod of understanding.

“Yes, something like that.”

Alon concurred.

The phrase Heinkel provided after translating the Light spell into an incantation certainly carried a profound, solemn weight.

How much time ticked by while Alon was lost in those reflections?

Upon reaching the first floor, they walked straight toward the demonstration room.

“……Huh?”

“Hm?”

They were met by an unexpectedly large gathering of mages.

“……There are so many people here.”

“Yeah……? This isn't even a scheduled conference day—it doesn't make sense……?”

Penia whispered, looking thoroughly confused.

“Sister?”

“Felin?”

Emerging from the crowd was Penia’s younger brother.

In the brief period they had been apart, the boy had matured into a young man.

Alon also realized it had been quite some time since he last encountered Felin.

“What brings you here? Last time, you mentioned you were returning to the marquis’ estate—”

Penia cut off his follow-up question with an answer.

“I told you I’d be returning shortly, didn't I?”

“You did. I just didn't expect you to mean it so literally.”

“What are you talking about? Regardless, why is there such a crowd?”

Penia signaled toward the demonstration hall, which was overflowing with mages.

“You likely weren't aware, but today is the presentation for the joint research project we did with the Green Mage Tower.”

“? Aren't those usually reserved for conferences?”

“This project is significant enough that we decided to bypass the normal schedule and hold a proper presentation.”

“Everyone gathered just for that?”

“Yeah, since the other mage towers showed great interest, it drew a large crowd. However—”

He let out a sigh, adding that the team preparing the demonstration was taking their time.

Then, looking at Alon, he inquired,

“Do you have a need for the demonstration room?”

“Yes, I do.”

“If you want it now, you can go ahead. We haven't finished the setup yet. But if this is a confidential matter…… it might be difficult to ask all these mages to leave again—”

As his voice trailed off, Alon glanced subtly toward Heinkel.

Though Alon was the one performing, Heinkel was the mind behind the Tiered magic interpretation.

But—

“?”

Heinkel, who had definitely been standing there seconds ago, had vanished, leaving Alon momentarily bewildered.

He scanned the area slowly.

Finally, he caught sight of her peering down from the ceiling of the Mage Tower.

Alon realized she was intentionally concealing her presence.

Reading the movement of Heinkel’s lips, Alon spoke up.

“That won't be necessary.”

He then addressed Felin.

“Very well, you can start immediately. But… might I ask which spell you intend to demonstrate?”

Felin finally allowed his curiosity to show.

After a short silence, Alon responded slowly.

“Light.”

“……Light?”

“Yes.”

“……That Light?”

“Alright, move aside!”

Perhaps because she was dealing with a family member, Penia’s natural feistiness suddenly flared up.

She shoved him aside with irritation, and Felin was pushed back without resistance.

Alon followed Penia as she marched boldly into the demonstration hall.

“Huh?”

“Is that—”

“Marquis Palatio?”

The mages began to whisper the moment the group appeared.

“I heard it from an apprentice at the door. Apparently, Marquis Palatio is going to give a spell demonstration.”

“The Marquis Palatio?”

“Yes.”

“Whoa~”

“But word is the spell he’s showing is Light.”

“What? Light? …… You mean the Tier-1 spell?”

“That’s the one.”

“And he came all the way to the demonstration hall for that?”

The news of Alon’s presence and his chosen spell rippled through the room instantly.

Trying to ignore the chatter, Alon let out a quiet, slightly embarrassed sigh.

Despite having the incantation and phrases from Heinkel, the magic Alon was about to cast was, at its core, still just Light.

The weight of the surrounding expectations was naturally starting to feel heavy.

However, he had already stepped onto the stage.

Retreating now would be even more humiliating, so he sighed internally and focused on Heinkel’s instructions.

‘The first step to extracting data from Tiered magic is to strip away the non-essential parts.’

He began to softly recite the necessary incantation.

‘Once you have purged the waste and manifested the core spell perfectly, that is when the analysis begins.’

‘That stage isn't difficult. From that point on, the remaining data becomes much more vivid. Those three incantation phrases you possess will suffice.’

And then—

‘What remains are the two sentences. Finding them is also simple. You take the information used for the incantations and re-examine it. But this time, don't look at the arrangement—observe the mana structure. Then…’

“Light (光明), Heat Source (熱源), Fixation (固定).”

‘Even without the divine beast, you can still access all the knowledge that Tiered magic provides.’

“Silence of the Dark Light.”

Having finally assembled the pieces in his mind, Alon formed the seal with calm focus.

***

At first, Felin assumed he had misunderstood his sister’s words.

But now, he saw the reality.

Alon was positioned in the center of the demonstration hall, which looked like a grand arena.

And the tiny orb of light floating before him—

Was incredibly faint.

It looked as though even a Tier-1 novice could have produced something brighter.

“What is this? Is that truly Light?”

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“No, I don't believe the Marquis is the type to play such pranks.”

“True, but it really is just that Light, isn't it?”

“Even this year’s new recruits could manage better than that.”

Behind Felin, the murmurs of the other mages grew louder.

The thrill caused by Marquis Palatio’s arrival was rapidly shifting into confusion and letdown.

Until—

A soft whisper left Alon’s lips.

And then—

“Huh?”

A strange sound escaped one of the mages.

After that, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.

The Light magic in front of the Marquis began to undergo a mutation.

That was the only way to describe it.

At the heart of the active spell, something transparent manifested.

‘It’ began to expand, devouring the light produced by the magic.

The flickering glow slowly started to consume its environment.

First the floor of the demonstration area,

Then the stands where the mages were seated,

Then their very vision,

And finally, the entire hall—swallowed voraciously.

Felin—and every other mage watching—had the same terrifying thought.

Yet none of them could deny the evidence before them.

They were witnessing it with their own eyes.

That this was Light—that it had originated from a simple Tier-1 spell.

Once ‘it’ had finished absorbing all the light to reveal its final form—

The mages’ breathing turned ragged, and the silence was shattered by waves of pure awe.

And for good reason.

“What in the—”

“No way—”

What had materialized before Alon once the light cleared was—

Crackle—!!

Something resembling the sun itself.

A miniature sun that scorched its surroundings as if ready to reduce everything to cinders.

“Eye of the Sun.”

With Alon’s quiet command, the sun soared from his hand.

BOOOOOOM—!!!

It tore through the numerous layers of protective magic circles surrounding the room with ease.

And soon, it even pulverized the outer walls.

Silence once again descended upon the demonstration hall.

But it was different from before.

It was a silence steeped in profound reverence.

And standing at the center of it all was Alon, the caster of the spell.

Naturally, he was thinking the exact same thing.