Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 327 : Dog (4)
Previously on Became the Patron of Villains...
A stretch of time had gone by since then.
Once they stepped out of the demonstration chamber, Alon at last got the chance for a real talk with Sharan, the woman who'd gone utterly mad with her barking just moments ago.
"So, you're telling me you want to pick up primitive magic?"
"Exactly."
Sharan eyed Alon's response with careful attention.
She appeared far too ragged to pass as the head of the Green Magic Tower.
"Wow."
Catching a genuine burst of surprise from nearby, Alon glanced over to find Penia staring in real shock.
"Why?"
"N-Nothing—"
Late to the realization that she'd let out a noise, Penia rushed to cover her lips.
Yet, as though surrendering after getting spotted, she let out a sigh and leaned close to murmur into Alon's ear.
"Recall what I mentioned before? About her being super arrogant."
"Sure."
"You see my point now, don't you? That's what makes this so intriguing."
Penia kept her voice low enough that the Tower Master couldn't catch it, then pretended like all was normal.
How bold must her usual antics be to draw such a reaction from Penia?
Curiosity hit Alon out of nowhere, and he fixed his gaze on Sharan.
She hadn't acted this way back in the game.
Still.
"...Want me to bark some more?"
"No need for that."
"I can make it even better this round."
Alon fought down his astonishment and shot another look at Sharan, suddenly grasping Penia's words.
While Alon adjusted his view of Sharan, Celaime, who'd stayed silent till now, turned to Penia.
"On the personality front, aren't you the one with more notoriety than the Green Tower Master?"
Alon whipped his head toward Penia right away.
Penia clenched her teeth and shot Celaime a sharp glare.
"...Master, please be quiet."
"Last time, you just told me to stay silent. You've gotten bolder since then."
"You're the one shaping me that way, Master."
"I merely stated facts."
"Pardon me, Master, but is now the moment to swap 'facts'? If it is, mind if I toss in a few 'facts' of my own?"
"...Fine, you win."
Though Celaime wore a grin, his eyes didn't match, and he averted them from Penia's intense stare.
Alon abruptly recalled Penia's "history" that he'd nearly overlooked.
"Well—"
She'd truly been a force.
He mumbled it unwittingly, only to spot Penia shooting him an eye-roll.
With a throat-clear, he swiftly shifted his focus back to Sharan.
Sharan somehow radiated an air of "I'm set to bark whenever."
Truth be told, taking Sharan as a student offered Alon zero real gains.
The "primitive magic" she craved wasn't in his power to instruct anyway.
Thus, he paused briefly on her plea.
"Hmm."
Wrapping up his deliberations, he addressed Sharan at last.
"For starters, I doubt I can pass on the magic you're after."
"Should I bark louder?"
How on earth did she reach that idea?
Sharan struck him as even more unhinged than he'd figured.
"Not that—it's simply that the magic I performed is tough to describe."
"Ah—"
"Got it?"
"More barking?"
"Master—"
"Yes?"
"...The Green Tower Master comes off a tad short on smarts."
"It happens often. She's sharp as a tack normally, but when she latches onto something, she turns like this…"
At that, Celaime circled a finger by his temple, and Penia nodded like it all clicked.
Alon coughed uneasily and pressed on with the chat.
"That's not the issue. I can't teach it, but if you're keen on just studying the magic, I could assist there."
"Study…?"
"Right. Though we'll chat more first. If studying suits you—"
"Let me join in, please."
Sharan answered without the slightest delay.
Alon gave a nod and promptly activated the floor-shifting tool to reach Heinkel.
[You made it?]
"Yep."
[I caught the demo. Never dreamed beastmen could sway it like that. Grasp the core idea?]
"Not quite~"
[So how'd you nail the seal?]
"I'd prepped a bunch of seals ahead, so I tested them out one after another."
Hmm— Heinkel started to muse, nearly diving into reflection, but Alon cut in fast.
"Heinkel, I've got a proposal."
[...? Proposal?]
"Indeed. Concerning the Green Tower Master."
He laid out his notion to Heinkel next.
[You aim to pull the Green Tower Master into the studies?]
"That's it. I hear it involves tons of basic math. More hands would speed things up, no?"
That explained Alon's push to include the Green Tower Master in the work.
Pulling data from hierarchy magic mostly meant endless routine computations.
Extra folks meant quicker handling of the details.
[Hmm—]
After pondering, Heinkel agreed.
[Sure— I don't object to her aiding the studies, so why not just fetch her?]
"…Isn't it your aversion to other mages spotting you?"
Alon was aware Heinkel operated in secrecy to dodge fellow mages' notice.
Yet she merely shrugged it off.
[True enough, but she's no ordinary sort, so I'm not too concerned.]
Above all, she nearly said "valuable slave" but switched to "research helper mage" at the close, and Alon feigned ignorance while nodding.
***
Directly after securing Heinkel's okay.
Eager not to lose the opening, Alon hurried back with Celaime, who'd also voiced interest in the studies.
"......"
"This is truly the Primordial Chalice…?"
"Rumors placed her in the tower, but seeing her up close~!"
Their gazes brimmed with sheer awe.
Forgetting their own status as tower heads, they gazed at Heinkel like kids encountering a long-admired idol.
[Hohoho~]
As Heinkel posed boldly, like declaring "Behold my glory," Alon stole a peek at Penia.
In the midst of that thought, the mages launched into talk with Heinkel.
"Heinkel, if it's not impolite, could I inquire about your history?"
[Shoot—what's on your mind?]
"Wasn't it you who devised the mana condensation method?"
[Oh, you're up on that?]
"Naturally. Your work lets today's mages shorten chants and truly bring spells to life."
[Oh— You trace it back that deep?]
"Haha— As tower heads of this era, we should."
Sharan went on a bit clumsily, with Celaime bobbing his head beside her.
Observing the scene, Alon summoned Penia.
"Penia."
"Yes, Marquis?"
"Were you aware of that?"
"You mean the 'mana condensation method'?"
"Right."
The mana condensation method.
Spelled out fully, it was a wildly complex concept.
Put simply, it meant crafting a mana pattern on parchment instead of mid-air, and Alon was familiar with it too.
He wouldn't have grasped magic properly without it.
"I'd never linked it to chant speed before."
"Well~ It started as a way to ease spell summoning, but tweaking the pattern for the spell's shape cuts the time. You use it yourself, Marquis."
"...I do?"
"Yep. That starter framework for light spells? It didn't exist originally."
"...No kidding?"
"True, so simplifying light magic drops that step."
"...Huh."
Alon eyed Heinkel anew with fresh respect.
"She's even greater than I'd pictured."
"...Greater than your picture?"
"Yeah."
"What sort of image did you have of Heinkel, Marquis…?"
After a quick think, Alon whispered his reply.
"A spectral magic whiz, drifting about to seem loftier…?"
Penia's expression chilled in no time.
Soon enough.
The trio of mages dove into intricate theories beyond Alon's full grasp, chattering nonstop for nearly hours on end.
As Alon observed, musing 'Their help will surely accelerate the spell breakdown,'
Heinkel drew near him suddenly.
[How long you planning to stick around?]
"A week, like usual."
[Hmm, this go, I could share more details. Probing the second layer uncovered something intriguing.]
"Great to hear. Also, I've got thoughts on that demo spell to run by you."
[The demo spell?]
Noting her curiosity, Alon detailed the uncertainties from casting the fresh magic.
[...You pulled it off, yet sense another application?]
"Precisely."
Hmm, Heinkel pondered aloud, lost in concentration.
A brief quiet.
Then.
"!"
Like a spark igniting, she beamed and spoke up.
[Just a theory, but care to listen?]
Not much later.
[...So, your take on that?]
Upon hearing it.
"I'll need to test it out."
Alon nodded repeatedly.
***
Kalannon, the Lightning Receiver.
Or rather, now serving as the sort-of mascot of the Church of the Lightning Receiver Kalannon, had savored some joyful times lately.
Two main factors fueled that.
For one, owing to Alon's "clue," she enjoyed limited worship from Divine Land's folk.
The other? Her belief was rebounding swiftly of late.
Sure, against her days as the true Lightning Receiver, the faith remained pathetically tiny, yet she felt content regardless.
Small as it was, it beat scraping it together bit by bit within Alon.
...Sure, she occasionally yearned for her peak-era devotion.
But reflecting on those fearful times when oblivion loomed, her present struck as lavish.
Dwelling in Divine Land, basking in acclaim from knights and sellswords, Kalannon felt fulfilled.
"...You aim to extend the faith to common villagers as well?"
"Yes, brother. We require everyday folk devoted to him too."
"…I get that, but the Marquis didn't command us specifically on this."
She eavesdropped on Sili and Deus's exchange.
"Still, I bet the Marquis would approve."
"Hmm, without his directive, we shouldn't move solo."
Deus replied like a devoted follower.
Yet Kalannon knew he'd already launched unbidden efforts, drumming up support.
She grasped, more or less, why Alon had founded Divine Land.
Until recently, she'd stuck to mascot duties, but fresh faith buildup let her send "mascot(?)" messages.
Aware of the Marquis's nature, Kalannon nearly halted the sibling duo, barreling ahead unchecked.
"But it's a waste, right? Involving nearby villagers could boost his faith higher."
"...You mean it'd aid the Marquis hugely?"
"Yes, absolutely."
Freeze—
She halted the faith she'd geared to spend.
"But the villages here are tiny, Sili. That few people won't yield much faith."
"If eyeing just the close ones, sure."
"...What's your angle?"
"That's merely the base, brother."
Kalannon's ears twitched alertly.
"Pair a touch of aid with our doctrine, and faith in him spreads on its own."
"From that alone?"
"Yes."
Deus stared at her, skeptical.
But Sili beamed and answered innocently.
"It seems minor to us, but not 'minor' to them."
Listening in silence, Kalannon couldn't avoid reminiscing.
Back to her tenure as the Lightning Receiver proper.
Regaining her former might was out of reach now.
But if faith piled up quicker here?
...If, like Sili suggested, they kicked off true human faith-gathering?
Thump thump—
Kalannon's pulse quickened.
Ere she knew, visions of her 600-year-prior self, ruling all under her sway, filled her mind.
Gathering faith steadily beyond the current rate.
Even as a "mascot(?)," reclaiming peak strength might happen.
Hence.
"But brother's got a point. Acting sans his command might not fit~"
As Sili sighed in disappointment.
[No.]
She channeled her divine force.
"!"
"!"
Sili and Deus turned to Kalannon, startled.
[Stay calm. I'm his protector.]
Easing their nerves, Kalannon wavered briefly.
With her insight into the Marquis's real aims, was voicing this proper?
That ethical doubt held her back a beat.
But then.
Evoking her former glory—
[—He desires ever more faith to amass.]
Rather than brake the wild ride, she hopped aboard.
"Really?"
[Indeed.]
"If that's his will…!"
And so, the ride surged forward for real.
['I—I can’t halt this anymore…!!']
With controls and stops in ruins, it raced beyond anyone's ability to disembark.