Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 350 : Voting (5)

“It’s really fine.”

Ultimately, the bizarre conflict wrapped up as Alon frantically warded off the sponsorship bids from the eager princes, sealing their purses tight.

Still, Alon's emotions after repelling their aid left him utterly baffled.

He had poured all his efforts into halting the funding from the royal siblings.

And finally, he succeeded in stopping it.

From Alon's viewpoint, accepting sponsorship wasn't precisely harmful.

However, it wasn't anything he'd eagerly grasp for either.

Besides, what if taking their money later compelled him to dole out endless favors under false pretenses?

That alone would spell major trouble.

With such logic in mind, he turned down their backing.

Yet, in simpler terms—Alon stood to gain from it.

And on their side, they'd lose out by offering it.

After all, handing out funds in a spot devoid of any business potential?

That kind of support barely carried weight.

Indeed, that had to be it.

“…”

Alon remembered the looks from the nobles observing him before.

All those visages brimmed with antagonism.

Just then, Evan's words drifted to his ears.

“So the marquis was the one trying to draw in sponsorship, and they were the ones refusing, right?”

Alon replied instantly.

“The opposite, Evan. I was the one trying to block it, and they were the ones insisting on sponsoring.”

“Ah, so I wasn’t mistaken after all.”

“That’s right.”

“But why on earth would they want to sponsor you?”

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be so troubled.”

Alon mulled it over.

Why had the princes and princesses gazed at him with faces twisted in betrayal?

“Well, roughly speaking, maybe they thought by pouring in money they could use this place like a mercenary company or something?”

“Is that… possible?”

“Hmm, I only said it in passing. This place isn’t a mercenary band, so it doesn’t really fit. Which means there’s only one other explanation left.”

“And what would that be?”

“That the knight who introduced this place talked it up so well, he managed to charm them.”

Alon rubbed his chin thoughtfully with a soft hum.

“Evan.”

“Yes?”

“What do we have here in Divine Land?”

“Hmm… let’s see. A barracks, maybe?”

“And?”

“Another barracks, perhaps?”

“And?”

“A rather large barracks?”

“Besides barracks.”

“Right, just being persuasive doesn’t explain much after all.”

Evan nodded as though he got it.

Alon gave a casual shrug.

No matter what their faces signified—

The key point remained that he reached his objective.

Even if events twisted far from his plans—

Oblivious to that twist, Alon sensed contentment and told Evan,

“Evan, later, see that Seamus gets some personal reward.”

“Seamus—?”

“The knight who introduced Divine Land this time.”

“Ah, understood. I’ll make sure it’s taken care of before we leave. By the way, once we head back, the day isn’t far off, is it?”

“The day?”

“Yes. After we return, there’ll only be about a week left, won’t there?”

Only then did Alon nod, as if it just dawned on him.

“Now that you mention it… how is the voting going?”

“The voting, you mean?”

“Yes. Didn’t you say there were all sorts of things happening?”

At that, Evan lapsed into contemplation.

“What are you thinking so hard about? Choosing your words?”

“No, not choosing—just that there’s so much to explain, I don’t know where to start. That’s how it feels.”

“I’ve been here a little over two weeks… but really, just two weeks.”

“Exactly.”

“And you’re saying in just two weeks, that much has piled up?”

“More than you’d expect.”

“Now you’ve got me even more curious. Just give me the short version, whatever comes to mind first.”

Evan sorted his ideas briefly before answering.

“First, Yutia and Rine formed a union.”

“…What?”

“Then Seolrang and Magrina united. After that, Ryanga joined Yutia, only to declare independence and pull out.”

“Wait.”

“Then Historia teamed up with Magrina, who had stabbed Seolrang in the back, and with Rine, who had betrayed Yutia. But that union dissolved too. And then—”

“Wait.”

Listening in silence, Alon felt dizziness swirl in his mind.

He pressed his palm over his eyes and emitted a quiet moan.

“…Am I hearing about a partner vote right now?”

“Yes.”

“Then why does it sound like political alliances instead?”

“Well, my lord, I only pass along the information I hear. How should I know?”

“…Fair enough.”

Naturally, Evan lacked the full details.

But why were phrases like “unification” emerging in a mere partner vote—terms Alon linked to his original world?

As Alon wrestled with the mystery, Evan, quiet for a spell, spoke up once more.

“But there’s one thing I know for certain.”

“And what’s that?”

“My lord has no intention of returning right away.”

“You know me well.”

“Shall we slow down a little?”

Alon nodded right away.

It was autumn.

***

Duchess Altia consistently funneled a hefty sum to the Information Guild, gathering reports at fixed times.

Sure, occasionally the intel's caliber fell short of her investment.

All the same, Altia never deemed the cost pointless.

For her, knowledge was—

‘Like concealed treasure that, with clever application, could yield immense worth.’

And right now—

She possessed a vast hoard of usable data.

The issue lay in—

Despite clearly building it up, she couldn't deploy it herself.

No, more precisely—

The data got utilized before she had a chance to wield it.

“Duchess, here.”

Altia gazed vacantly at the stack of documents her secretary offered.

At first sight, it stacked up to dozens of sheets.

She wordlessly scanned the headline at the top.

[Yutia Bloodia at least 2,800 years old, territory residents ‘shocked’]

Not merely the message, but the script blazed in bold red for emphasis.

It screamed of a pamphlet aimed to dismantle Yutia Bloodia's reputation.

Altia flipped to the following sheet naturally.

[Yutia issues statement calling it “utter nonsense,” territory residents ‘relieved’]

[Babayaga Seolrang once endangered Marquis Palatio, residents ‘aghast’]

[Leader of the Four Great Powers’ Hundred Ghosts declares, “Marquis Palatio is our Chief,” residents ‘scandalized’]

[Magrina, when asked about being over 600 years old, counters, “In human years, I’d be about twenty,” residents ‘puzzled’]

[Residents vanish—is this the petty work of a jealous elf? Public ‘horrified’]

Every flip unveiled another staggering claim.

This marked the flood of pamphlets across the domain in a mere four days.

Moreover, each wasn't solitary but hundreds blanketing the area.

The land overflowed with them, truly.

“Why do all these end with words like ‘relieved’ or ‘aghast’…?”

“I’m sorry, Duchess. That part I don’t know.”

“No need to apologize. I didn’t ask expecting an answer.”

Altia sighed deeply.

“…This is only three days’ worth, isn’t it?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

In just three days, scores of varied pamphlets circulated.

Meanwhile, the partner hopefuls allied, double-crossed, and looped the frenzy nonstop.

As thoughts of this wild turmoil hit her, Altia sensed something on instinct.

Of course, Altia took it seriously.

From getting the letter and opting for the marquisate trip, she committed fully to this fight.

But she missed one aspect.

The contenders proved far more devoted than she'd pictured.

No, beyond devoted—they were ruthlessly intent.

Altia peered silently from her lodging's window.

The time had dipped into night.

Obviously, the outer view ought to be shadowy.

Yes, obscurity awaited her gaze.

Yet—

Altia spotted vivid blue-golden streaks slicing the far-off sky, with golden rings bursting everywhere.

Beyond that—

Holy glows from the Rosario Martyrs unmistakably lit her sight.

Explosions boomed from every corner of the domain, big and small.

Above everything—

“Historia? Didn’t I tell you? In human years, I’m only twenty.”

“Yeah, except you’re still over six hundred.”

“And older than me, too.”

“So what you’re saying is… let’s settle this?”

Magrina breathed out scarlet magic so intense it prickled Altia's flesh.

“If you can.”

Historia shot back nonchalantly, yanking a sword bigger than herself effortlessly.

Before Altia could react, they both erupted away in a massive blast.

This chaos was routine.

Night after night, the marquis’ grounds descended into mayhem like this.

Altia stared dazedly at the frenzy outside the pane and pondered.

But merely briefly.

She gripped her waning determination firmly.

She anticipated the trial.

Sure, not this intense—but she wouldn't back down without effort.

And thus—

As Altia sought to rally her spirit once more—

BOOOOM!!

The room's window exploded inward as a figure slammed into the wall.

“!?”

Altia gaped in astonishment at the debris-trapped invader.

Through the settling dust, Seolrang gritted her teeth, hauling herself up.

“Rine, you’re old too!!”

She yelled fiercely, then morphed into dazzling golden radiance and vanished anew.

Altia could only watch her departure in a stupor before eyeing the devastated chamber.

For a time—

She remained still, absorbing the echoes of myriad clashes thundering the domain, amid her ruined space.

Finally, her determination shattered.

***

And after a while—

“Marquis, isn’t arriving the night before the vote a bit too late?”

“There were… matters to attend to.”

“…Matters, you say?”

“Magical research is a matter of great importance.”

The voting to select Alon’s partner had begun.