I Became the Patron of Villains (Novel) - Chapter 101 - Malaka Ruins (1)

Chapter 101 – Malaka Ruins (1)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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For a while, Alon’s head spun from the fact that Deus had offered to kill someone no fewer than eight times.

Then, just as Alon reached the entrance to the jungle after passing through crowds of mercenaries and explorers.

“Oh?”

He heard a very familiar voice and turned.

“…Count Palladio. No, Marquis Palladio?”

“Riyan Agulers?”

There stood Riyan Agulers, the daughter of the Red Tower Master.

“It really has been a long time. Marquis, and congratulations as well.”

“It has been a while. And I will gladly accept the congratulations.”

She was smiling warmly.

Then she turned her eyes slightly and her own eyes widened.

“…Surely, the person behind you is?”

“Deus Makalian.”

Perhaps because she had already grasped that he and Alon knew each other to some degree, Deus gave only a short introduction.

At that, Riyan Agulers let out a small sound of admiration, stared at Deus with a rather strange expression, then belatedly gathered herself.

“Ah. Ahem.”

Composing herself at last, she rolled her eyes curiously and asked.

“Then may I ask what brings the two of you here…?”

Alon immediately noticed that there were two questions mixed into that one.

‘Well, from her point of view, it would be strange to see people from different kingdoms together like this.’

And besides, was Deus not fairly famous?

“Our destinations differ, but we both have business in the jungle, so we are traveling together.”

“I see. Then are the three of you traveling alone?”

“That is right.”

At Alon’s nod, Riyan made a suggestion.

“Then would you perhaps like to move with us? We are heading to the camp as well.”

“Hm.”

In truth, with Deus present, it did not seem likely that there would be much danger whether they traveled as three or with a larger group.

Still, there was always the possibility of getting lost or running into some other inconvenience.

“That is not a bad idea.”

So he accepted the offer.

Not long after, Alon was introduced to the members of Riyan’s party.

The group consisted of fifteen mages, five mercenaries, and one guide.

There was, however, one unusual point.

“…These are not all members of the Red Tower?”

“Strictly speaking, there are members of the Green Tower here alongside members of the Red Tower. This expedition is a joint operation between the two.”

A collaboration between two towers.

Just as Alon confirmed that and nodded.

“What now?”

A somewhat ill-mannered voice sounded from the side.

There stood a man who looked like what Alon thought of as the classic image of a mage, holding a wooden staff as tall as himself.

“Theon. Come over here and introduce yourself.”

At Riyan’s words, the man furrowed his brow but still came closer.

Then he swept a glance over Alon, Evan, and Deus.

“Say hello. They will be accompanying us to the camp. This is Marquis Palladio, and this is Deus Makalian.”

“What?”

Theon looked startled at Riyan’s words.

But only for a moment.

“How do you do. I am Theon, one of the professors of the Green Tower. This would be Caliburn’s First Sword, and this would be Marquis Palladio, correct?”

He managed his expression quickly, bowed to Deus and Alon, and then said.

“…Please take care of me.”

“…Likewise.”

After staring at Alon for a moment too long, he abruptly turned and walked away.

“He looks young, but he is a professor? That is impressive.”

As if he knew when mages typically started carrying the title of professor, Evan sounded newly impressed.

Riyan nodded.

“He is. The Green Tower considers him an exceptional talent. He has not even passed twenty-five yet, and he has already reached the threshold of the fifth circle.”

“Wow. The fifth circle?”

“Yes.”

Evan sounded even more impressed at that.

Alon, however, fell silent for a moment behind an expressionless face and then muttered quietly.

“…He seems especially cold toward me alone.”

He was not the sort to care much if someone was cold to him.

Still, it felt odd.

The moment his name had been revealed, Theon had become noticeably chilly.

“Ah…”

Riyan smiled awkwardly, as if she had roughly figured out the situation.

“Well, um… it is not really anything serious.”

“Not serious?”

“Well, um…”

After hesitating briefly, Riyan checked that Theon had already moved far away, then whispered.

“You know… the rumors about you?”

“Rumors?”

“About Penia.”

“Ah.”

“Actually, Theon likes Penia.”

“What?”

He turned to look at Theon with genuine surprise.

Penia was beautiful.

That much could not be denied at all.

But the problem was her personality.

Since he knew that catastrophic disposition well enough to realize it completely destroyed her outward advantages.

‘That Penia Kraisinne? He likes that overbearing woman?’

With a deeply baffled expression, he asked again.

“…So that man likes Penia?”

“Yes.”

“Why in the world…? No, is that too rude a thing to say?”

“No, honestly, I do not really understand it either. Especially since Theon has already been thoroughly torn apart by Penia before.”

Riyan, who likewise seemed unable to understand it, looked toward where Theon had gone.

Then, after a moment.

“In any case, that is why he seems to be acting like a child about it.”

“…Very well. I understand.”

Alon nodded without asking further.

Under normal circumstances, he might have spent some time considering why a grown man would display jealousy like that.

But regrettably, what he felt about Theon was less irritation than curiosity.

‘…Is he a masochist?’

Just as he arrived at that conclusion.

“Marquis…”

“There is no need.”

The moment Deus opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for it, Alon answered firmly.

As if he already knew exactly what would come next without hearing the rest.

“…Understood.”

Deus took his hand off the sword hilt he had been touching and looked disappointed.

“Deus.”

“Yes, Marquis.”

“Lately, have you been hearing voices, or having disturbing thoughts, or anything of that sort?”

“…? No, nothing of the kind at all.”

Deus denied it.

…But Alon’s unease only rose a little further.

After that, taking their time, Alon moved to the exploration camp together with Riyan’s group, and because they kept moving diligently before noon, they were able to reach the camp before sunset.

“…This feels strange.”

“Does it?”

“Yes. Honestly, I expected something much more run-down, but this is basically just a small town.”

At Evan’s impression, Alon nodded as well.

“Well, that is true. Mages and explorers have been stationed here steadily for a long time.”

“Do monsters not show up here?”

“It is not that they never do, but monsters rarely appear in the sector where the camp is located.”

After telling Evan the setting information he had seen in the game, and leaving Evan once again impressed, Alon also took in the scene of the camp.

‘It feels different from how it looked in the illustrations.’

His memory was faint, but when he had seen this place depicted in Psychedelia, it had felt almost exactly like an ordinary village.

But seeing it in reality, it felt less like a village and more like a vast, well-organized camp.

‘It probably feels that way because there are wooden houses and tents all mixed together. Still, it has everything it needs.’

As Alon was thinking that while looking at the shops and inns scattered through the settlement.

“Marquis. Then I will see you again tomorrow.”

“Very well.”

Riyan left, having already told him during the trip to the camp that her destination tomorrow was also the Malaka Ruins, and the two had agreed to travel together again.

“We should rest for today as well.”

“Let us do that.”

“Understood.”

Alon’s party also entered an inn to rest.

####

The next day.

Because the jungle’s humidity was so high to begin with, Alon had slept rather poorly.

“I will go search for Reinhardt for a while.”

“Very well. Let us meet again tonight.”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember what I told you?”

“If you mean the blessing, I remember.”

“Good. If at all possible, be sure to receive it before going. It is better to have the blessing if you intend to move on that side.”

“I will keep it in mind.”

Alon and Deus agreed to separate for a while, accomplish their respective goals, and then meet again.

‘If it were up to me, I would rather keep him with me.’

But Alon knew that Deus also had his own work to do, so he sent him off without lingering.

As long as Deus did not enter the Selvanus sector or one of the unidentified regions, there was essentially nothing there that could truly endanger him.

A little later, after joining Riyan’s party without Deus, Alon heard.

“…Lord Deus Makalian will not be coming with us?”

“As I said, our objectives differ.”

“I see.”

Together with Riyan, who seemed oddly disappointed, Alon headed toward the Malaka Ruins.

‘…I should finish what I need to do in this jungle and leave as quickly as possible.’

Thinking that.

####

Meanwhile, at that same time.

In the deep prison of the Holy Kingdom of Rosaria, the place where only those guilty of truly heinous crimes were said to be confined.

There.

“Kh…”

A man with no legs.

Anderde.

Was alive.

Or rather, Anderde was alive in a different face.

The unfamiliar-faced man writhed in the terrible pain coursing through his entire body.

Yet hope still lingered at the corners of his mouth.

‘I cannot die yet.’

The reason he had been able to survive like this.

No, to be precise, the reason he had been able to take over this man’s body.

Was that the man rotting in this deep prison had been one of the components powering the Machina he created.

Anderde had implanted red tree-vines into those who became parts of Machina.

And at the instant he had been attacked by the marquis, he had reacted swiftly, discarded his own body, and transferred his consciousness into this man’s body.

His original body had been too completely destroyed to escape at once.

But that too had been part of his arrangement.

In the deep prison, where no one came except when tossing in rotten bread, he slowly recovered his strength and completely seized the man’s body.

Soon, the face of the man covered in red tree-vines changed into Anderde’s own.

And then even two legs slowly began to regenerate.

After confirming all of these changes, he.

“I cannot let it end like this. I will prepare again, no matter what, and create a world where everyone can be equal…!”

Ground his teeth with ambition burning in his eyes.

The benevolent smile and faith that had once lingered at his lips were gone.

But the mad obstinacy coiled within his heart granted him a new hope.

And then.

“…Ah?”

Anderde saw it.

In the deep prison where no one should have been.

Inside the cell where no one should have been able to enter because of the thick iron door.

There stood a black-haired, blue-eyed man, smiling innocently at him.

“Hello.”

At the sight of the man greeting him with a bright smile, Anderde did not answer.

No.

He could not.

Because he could not understand this situation.

Yet whether Anderde answered or not.

“Well, to be honest, I do not particularly care what kind of world you dream of making, or what exactly you are trying to do, and I am not especially angry either.”

The man muttered in that distinctive husky tone.

“But touching His Holiness is a different matter. Even for me, that is a bit much.”

He raised a hand.

Crack.

Anderde realized, too late, that his neck had been twisted regardless of his own will.

“Wait, no. No! No! No no no no no no no no!!!!!!”

Only then did he begin to struggle desperately, twisting his body.

But.

Crunch.

In the end, his neck twisted two full rotations and he died exactly like that.

“So why did you touch him?”

The man, who had broken the maddened obsession that was all Anderde had left, walked quietly back into the darkness and vanished.

And in that place, only Anderde’s corpse remained, staring wide-eyed in utter disbelief.