I Became the Patron of Villains (Novel) - Chapter 117 - Why Are You Like This.. (4)

Chapter 117 – Why Are You Like This…? (4)

===================

Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

Melat, a sixth-circle mage and also a professor of the Red Tower, unconsciously let his mouth fall open at what was happening before his eyes.

It was because of what Selaim Mikardo, the Blue Tower Master, had just said.

An honor?

He had definitely heard it with his own ears, yet Melat still could not believe it.

Selaim Mikardo of the Blue Tower was, compared with the other tower masters and even with Penia, who would inherit his will and someday become tower master in the future, an extraordinarily gentle and good-natured person.

For that reason, he was popular even among the mages of the other towers.

He was someone who freely offered advice and never hesitated to teach.

But even that kind-hearted Selaim held a tremendous sense of authority and pride when it came to magic.

There was not a mage alive who did not know the incident where the former Violet Tower Master belittled the Blue Tower Master’s magic at a meeting in the Central Tower and was thoroughly humiliated by Selaim in front of every mage present.

And that was not all.

There had also been the case where the Green Tower Master raised a single objection while listening to the Blue Tower Master’s lecture, and Selaim forced him into a debate for three days and three nights until the Green Tower Master declared defeat.

In this way, Selaim Mikardo was kind, yes, but he also possessed such pride in his own magic that he did not bow his head easily to anyone on that subject.

So the situation in front of him could only seem bizarre.

When Melat turned his gaze,

“…”

he saw that the reactions of the other mages were no different from his own.

Convinced now that he had neither seen nor heard wrong, he examined Marquis Palladio.

His circle was the fourth.

Of course, for a mage he was unusual in that he was known to use ancient magic, or rather primitive magic, but beyond that there seemed to be no obvious special point.

What in the world is it…? What is he, for the Blue Tower Master to make such a fuss…?

His mind filled with questions.

And yet Marquis Palladio himself, upon whom all eyes were gathered,

…What is this, really?

was also flustered behind his expressionless face.

He, too, could not guess at all why Selaim had suddenly shifted his entire attitude like a character from some completely different game.

Did he not completely avoid honorifics the last time we met?

While Alon was wondering whether he should ask or not,

“Ah, please come in first.”

“…Would that really be all right?”

“Of course. If the Marquis wishes to listen, how could I fail to make room for a single seat?”

Before he could even finish sorting out that hesitation, he was swept into the lecture hall at once.

“Please sit here.”

“…I do not mind standing in the back and listening.”

“That will not do. It is fine. This was originally my seat anyway.”

Thanks to Selaim’s excessive consideration, Alon ended up listening to the lecture from the front row.

…While feeling everyone’s stares driving into the back of his head.

####

The lecture ended.

In conclusion, listening to Selaim’s lecture had been the right choice.

He had gained quite a lot in magical terms.

But if someone asked him separately whether he wanted to listen to Selaim’s lecture again,

that would be difficult.

The lecture itself had been good, but Alon had also needed to endure the gazes of all the other mages boring into his back.

Even if I generously overlook the stares, what exactly was that smile…?

Alon recalled a little while earlier.

More precisely, the smile Selaim had worn while looking at him in a frankly burdensome way.

…Anyone could see that he was plotting something, so by the time Alon stepped out of the lecture hall, he was wearing a deeply uncomfortable expression.

“How was the lecture?”

The cause of that discomfort suddenly appeared.

Alon was startled, but quickly regained his composure.

“It was beneficial.”

“I am truly relieved to hear that it suited your taste.”

Selaim nodded as if he were genuinely satisfied, and Alon asked,

“However, may I ask you one thing?”

“Yes, please speak.”

“…If I recall correctly, you were not like this before, so why are you suddenly speaking with honorifics…?”

He found it strange, but also uncomfortable.

Selaim broke into a genial smile.

“I simply found myself suddenly feeling respect.”

“…Respect?”

“Yes.”

“…Why all of a sudden?”

Alon lost the thread again.

Just as Selaim was about to open his mouth in answer,

“Selaim, what in the world did you do that the children are all acting like their screws came loose?”

A voice came from behind them.

When Alon turned, he saw someone he had never met in person until now, but whom he knew very well.

Parkline Kesis stood there.

“Come on, hurry. You said you would help with this magic support work, did you not? I am already busy enough, so what are you doing here- hm?”

Parkline had been approaching irritably when he spotted Alon.

“…You are definitely-”

“It is my first time meeting you, Red Tower Master. I am Marquis Palladio.”

Alon lowered his head slightly in greeting.

Parkline let out an ah of recognition, then said with a somewhat displeased face,

“…I have heard a lot about you. You use primitive magic?”

“…? Yes, that is correct.”

Why is this one acting like this too?

Alon found himself puzzled.

But then,

“I have heard the stories well enough. I hear you saved my daughter in the jungle this time as well?”

“That is true, but-”

“You have my thanks. My daughter praised you quite a lot. Quite a lot, indeed. She talked about you for over a week the moment she came back.”

At those continuing words, Alon was finally able to understand why Parkline was acting that way.

…This man really is a doting fool where his daughter is concerned.

Just as that father-obsessed Parkline was about to add a few more words,

“Enough!”

“Ah, damn- you startled me!”

Selaim suddenly shouted from beside them.

“How dare you speak like that to Marquis Palladio! Apologize!”

“…???”

Parkline was left speechless by what followed.

With the face of someone thinking, Has this bastard finally gone mad?

he opened his mouth and said,

“…You wandered all over the country because of your obsession with finding a magus, and now you have finally lost your mind?”

But then,

“Tower Master? How much longer should we be waiting, by any chance?”

A mage slid the lecture hall door open and asked timidly.

At that, Parkline let out a long sigh.

“Stop talking nonsense and hurry up and follow me. Keep your promise.”

He turned to leave.

“Wait. Should you not finish the conversation before you go? Marquis, is there perhaps something else you wanted to ask?”

As it happened, there was something Alon wanted to ask.

“Come to think of it, there is a rumor going around the tower lately. May I ask you about it?”

“What rumor?”

“…I heard there is a rumor that you approved a relationship between Lady Penia and me. But-”

“I approve.”

“…Pardon?”

“I fully intend to support the relationship between the two of you with all my heart and strength.”

This time Alon himself lost the ability to respond when he saw Selaim nodding with a very refreshing smile on his face.

Could it be that he is trying to dump a bomb on me…?

He was just about to explain himself, thinking that perhaps the reason Selaim’s manner of speaking had suddenly changed was because of this rumor,

when Parkline shouted,

“Come on already! We are starting now!”

Before Alon could say anything, Selaim began getting dragged away by Parkline.

“Until next time, Marquis!”

Now that Alon understood the truth, he could only watch Selaim being dragged off while smiling even more brightly than usual.

####

The regular gathering of the Blue Moon.

The Moons, who had been chattering until just moments before, quickly fell silent.

The reason was that the face of Yutia projected into the image looked more serious than usual.

“We found the ones who tried to smear the Great Moon.”

The air stirred at once.

Taking advantage of the fact that everyone had gone quiet, Hidan began his report.

“I will speak from here. As a result of our continued tracking and observation of the organizations that remained on our side, we identified the places sending orders to the lower groups.”

“How many places?”

“A total of twenty-one. We confirmed that all of them are connected to the real heads who tried to smear the Great Moon. However… we still have not identified the true identity of that ‘head.'”

A short silence followed.

“Then we just tear those organizations apart and find the bastard who tried to smear the Great Moon, right?”

Seollang, who had been smiling innocently just moments before, now wore a savage smile as her golden eyes gleamed.

“And the locations?”

At Rine’s question,

Hidan finished his report.

“They are spread out. Based on the areas where the Moons currently reside, there are five near Caliburn, five near Laxas, three in Ashtalon, three near Lartania, and five in Rosaria.”

At the same moment Hidan finished speaking,

“You all heard that, yes?”

Yutia’s voice rang out.

“Once the information is distributed, we move at once.”

“Same here.”

“I will do the same.”

“There do not seem to be any in Colony, so I will go to Ashtalon. I just have to kill them all, right?”

“Make sure you get the information before you kill them.”

Yutia gave that reminder to the Moons, each of whom was speaking with eyes alight, then let out a soft breath and eased the heavy mood a little.

“And there is another item to discuss.”

“Another item?”

“What is it-?”

Radan and Seollang reacted at once.

“It seems the Great Moon may need a specialty product for his territory. So, does anyone have a good suggestion?”

“If it is a specialty product, does that mean he wants something that really fits the territory’s character?”

“It seems so.”

“Me! Me, me, me!!”

Seollang threw one hand high into the air noisily.

“Go ahead.”

“Build a coliseum in the Great Moon’s territory, and I will be the specialty product!”

“Rejected.”

“Why-”

Seollang puffed out her cheeks, but Yutia did not even bother answering.

It was the sort of suggestion where she had no idea where to begin correcting it.

“You cannot come in person. We have all been given separate assignments.”

“Ugh.”

At that moment,

“A specialty product? Is it not already decided?”

Deus’s confident voice cut in.

“What is it?”

“If the Marquis writes an autobiography, everything is solved.”

Another questionable suggestion flew out.

“…”

The other sins all wore expressions that plainly said, Even so, that is a bit much.

But Deus paid them no mind.

“Hah… an autobiography written directly by him. That would be something to look forward to. Perhaps the first edition could have his signature like a classic novel- no, perhaps I should assist him in writing it myself-”

He was already sunk into his own thoughts.

By now the other Moons were used to such a sight, so they left him alone and moved on with the discussion.

“…A specialty product.”

Ignoring Seollang’s dissatisfied muttering, Radan, who had been stroking his chin and thinking, also opened his mouth.

“I have one idea that is not bad in relation to that. Leave it to me and I will move it forward.”

“What is it?”

“Since none of us have the talent for that sort of thing anyway, how about bringing in someone who is very good at exactly that?”

“There is someone like that?”

“Yes. I recently came to know one such person.”

Radan grinned.

Meanwhile, in the red-light district of Laxas,

“!?”

“Boss? Why are you suddenly shaking like that?”

“No, I just got hit with some kind of chill out of nowhere.”

Ever since surviving being dragged around by Radan and nearly dying before returning, Appraiser Alexion had been savoring life at double the level of happiness he had before.

Now, struck by an unknown chill,

“…What is this?”

he looked out the window with a face full of anxiety.

…The blue moon was shining there.

####

At that same time, once Alon confirmed that the moon had risen, he immediately set out to learn magic.

“Good evening.”

“Welcome back.”

He met Heinkel in the library bathed in blue moonlight.

“Here. The thing you asked for.”

Unlike when he had met her yesterday, she looked remarkably refreshed.

That sight gave Alon a faint sense of strangeness, but then she said,

“Try summoning it once.”

“Then excuse me.”

Following her words, Alon poured mana only into the pattern just as before and summoned Basiliora.

And then he saw him.

“I will never act out again I am sorry so please at least spare me from the fist-belt thing aaaaaaah!”

“…”

Basiliora seemed,

a little broken.

“Ah, ahhh- I lived. I lived, I lived, I lived, I lived, I lived, I lived, I lived!! I will do as you say! Whether it is submission or anything else, I will do whatever you want, so please spare me-!”

Alon was left speechless for a moment by the tiny snake’s desperate cries.

“How is it? It turned out well, did it not?”

“…Yes, I suppose it did.”

Looking at Heinkel as she smiled sweetly and spoke, Alon broke into a cold sweat.

For some reason,

he was a little afraid.