Became the Patron of Villains Chapter 4
Previously on Became the Patron of Villains...
Time had slipped away, and two years had passed since Alon first saved Yutia and established a steady correspondence with her.
“I have successfully completed another rescue mission.”
“Is that so?”
Alon accepted the update from Evan.
“Were they sent to the orphanage as planned?”
“Yes, that brings the total to five now.”
Alon gave a short nod in response to Evan’s confirmation.
Throughout the previous year, Alon had managed to secure the three Sins he had originally targeted for salvation.
Locating the third Sin, currently known as Rine Groff, proved to be a challenge, yet the actual rescue was relatively straightforward. The same could be said for the others.
While tracking each person down required several months, they were all eventually discovered by Evan, who followed Alon’s precise instructions derived from his knowledge of the game.
Observing Evan, who had spent the last twelve months tirelessly gathering the Five Great Sins, Alon spoke up.
“You are free to rest for a while.”
“Is the task finished?”
“It is over.”
“That is a relief.”
Evan exhaled a breath of pure exhaustion and shifted his gaze toward Alon.
“However, Young Master, are you not pleased?”
“Naturally, I am happy.”
“Your expression suggests otherwise.”
“Does it?”
Prompted by Evan’s observation, Alon turned his attention to a nearby mirror.
The reflection staring back was the face of Alon, a visage he had finally become familiar with.
The man in the glass wore a void of expression.
Upon closer inspection, the edges of his lips were turned upward ever so slightly, but the shift was so minute that it was nearly imperceptible to the casual observer.
Alon attempted to stretch his features into a forced grin, but he quickly stopped. His otherwise handsome face had taken on the look of a suspicious stranger.
In contrast to his past self, whose feelings were written plainly on his face, Alon now rarely showed any emotion. Even when he did, the physical change was incredibly faint.
Alon didn't find this particularly concerning. This lack of emotional transparency wasn't his problem; it was a hurdle for those trying to read him. He remained unbothered by it.
A small smile touched Alon’s thoughts as he considered the five potential Sins he had successfully gathered at the orphanage.
To be honest, Alon hadn't anticipated such a smooth start.
The Five Great Sins possessed every justification to transform into the catastrophic monsters they were fated to become. Even with his interference, it was impossible to shield them from every single misfortune.
His primary fear had been that he wouldn't reach them until they had already crossed the point of no return. Yet, despite those anxieties, all five Sins were developing like normal children.
“Evan.”
“Yes.”
“During your last visit to the orphanage, you mentioned there were no signs of trouble, correct?”
“When I checked, even Rine and Seolrang—who were in terrible condition before their rescue—had returned to a stable state of mind.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. When Seolrang was first found, she resembled a shattered doll, motionless and unresponsive. Now, she socializes well at the orphanage. Similarly, Rine used to keep her eyes clamped shut as if rejecting the world, but lately, I saw her engrossed in a book.”
Alon nodded as he listened to Evan's report.
The details aligned perfectly with the accounts Yutia provided in her letters.
Originally, Alon had placed Yutia in the orphanage not only to maintain a distance between them but also because the game lore suggested she had a pre-existing attachment to the facility.
He hadn't been entirely certain she would look after the others, so he had planned to have Evan monitor the situation and hire professionals if things went south.
Alon allowed himself a smile.
The situation had exceeded his expectations. Thanks to Yutia’s management, Alon had only one remaining objective.
As the third son of the House of Count Palatio, his life was generally secure as long as he stayed idle.
Having Evan as a bodyguard further ensured his safety.
However, since this world operated on the logic of a dark fantasy, possessing personal power was a necessity. He began to consider the study of magic.
“Oh, by the way, have you heard any rumors regarding the ‘Blue Moon,’ Young Master?”
Evan’s inquiry pulled Alon out of his contemplations.
“The Blue Moon?”
“Indeed. They are an organization that has recently gained notoriety in the eastern territories. Word is they are actively hunting down other factions.”
“An organization that preys on its own kind?”
“Yes.”
“Then they are performing a public service.”
Alon’s reply was flat, showing how much he had adjusted to this harsh world.
It would be a problem if the Blue Moon were slaughtering innocents. However, if they were merely dismantling other underground groups, that was a different matter entirely.
In his experience on this continent, Alon had never encountered an organization that wasn't drenched in blood.
If they were eliminating those who exploited human lives, Alon saw no reason to view them with hostility, and he said as much.
“The issue, however, is that they are also assassinating nobles.”
“Evan.”
“Yes, Young Master?”
“From this day forward, you will occupy the bedchamber adjacent to mine.”
Alon spoke with immediate authority upon hearing Evan’s clarification.
After reflecting on the news, Alon shrugged and began penning a reply to the letter Yutia had sent the previous day.
“Hmm…”
Yutia’s correspondence was consistent—standard greetings, updates on the children Alon had entrusted to her, and a roster of their benefactors.
After reviewing the details, Alon briefly thought about mentioning the ‘Blue Moon’ but decided against it.
While the Blue Moon targeted organizations and the nobility, they had no reason to strike an orphanage filled with orphans.
As was his custom, Alon finished the letter and dispatched it through the mercenary guild.
It was a peaceful day.
***
Several weeks later, at the orphanage in the east.
During a weekly meeting that had become standard since their operations began, Yutia sat reading Alon's latest letter.
“Is that from him? I want to see! Let me read!”
“I also wish to read it.”
One girl waved her hands frantically while another, sitting across from her, raised her hand with quiet intent as Yutia finished the text.
Even in the shadows of their hideout, their golden and green eyes shone brightly—these were Seolrang and Rine, the future Sins of Pride and Greed.
“Here.”
“Really? You're actually letting me? You wouldn't let me see the last one!”
“It is time you did.”
Yutia offered a smile as she passed the paper. Seolrang, Rine, and Deus—who had been watching from the sidelines—all crowded around the letter with intense curiosity.
A moment passed in silence.
“…Is this… meant to be a manual?”
“It reads like a perfectly normal conversation…”
Confusion broke out as they scanned the words again and again.
The letter appeared to contain nothing but trivial, everyday chatter.
Deus turned to Yutia, his face a silent question. She smiled and provided an explanation.
“That is the intended appearance. From the start, he commanded me to write as if we were merely having a mundane exchange.”
Yutia then pulled a well-worn letter from her bodice to show them.
The message was simple. It began with casual pleasantries and transitioned naturally into a suggestion that they keep in touch regarding the orphanage's affairs.
“…?”
“…?”
Seolrang and Rine knit their brows, completely lost.
But Deus, sensing a deeper strategy, spoke up.
“Is this method used to ensure no secrets are compromised during the exchange?”
“Precisely.”
“I understand.”
Deus nodded, though he noticed Seolrang and Rine were still fixated on the paper.
“If he fears information leaks, wouldn't magical communication or face-to-face reports be more secure?”
“True.”
“Then why stick to letters?”
“Because that is his desire.”
Yutia’s smile widened as she continued,
“Since he has decreed this path, we follow it. There is no cause to doubt or overthink.”
Hearing her, Deus felt his throat go dry.
Yutia was usually composed, but whenever the topic turned to 'him,' she radiated a conviction so intense it made his skin crawl.
“…Understood.”
Deus gave a quiet nod, staring into her crimson eyes, which now burned with the fervor of a true believer.
With the 'meeting' concluded, Yutia retrieved the letter and tucked it away carefully against her chest.
“Seolrang, what is the status of the north?”
“You mean the slave traders?”
“Yes.”
Seolrang beamed a radiant smile at the question.
“I handled every single one of them.”
“Was your identity protected?”
“I wasn't caught! The outfit Rine crafted worked perfectly. I even gave them a test—I told them I’d let them live if they could describe my face, but not one of them could.”
“And the result?”
“I plucked them. Their heads, I mean.”
The brutality of her words stood in stark contrast to her cheerful giggle. Yutia, unfazed, turned her attention to Deus.
“And the south?”
“The Avalon group was causing a disturbance, so I purged them. While I was there, I uncovered something that requires our attention.”
“What did you find?”
“The leader of Avalon is the firstborn son of the Count’s house where he lives, is that not right?”
Yutia nodded in silence.
However…
“…It appears the eldest son is plotting to poison him.”
The moment the words left his mouth,
“What?”
The room turned ice-cold.
Seolrang’s bright smile vanished instantly as she flattened her ears and looked around with predatory sharp eyes. Rine, usually a quiet observer, stared straight ahead with a terrifying intensity.
Deus was the only one capable of maintaining eye contact with Yutia, having braced himself for this reaction.
Even so, he felt a cold sweat drenching his back as he felt a wave of murderous intent far more potent than he had imagined.
After a heavy silence,
“…Are you certain of this?”
“I found a written order.”
“Did you bring it with you?”
“I did.”
Deus produced the document from his vest as if he had been waiting for the signal.
Yutia read the paper without blinking.
[Once the Count, whose days are numbered, passes away, proceed to poison him quietly and dispose of the body.]
Upon reaching the final sentence,
“I see.”
She crushed the paper in her grip.
“So, it is the truth.”
Her voice was a low, chilling whisper, and her eyes were filled with a freezing light.