I Became the Patron of Villains (Novel) - Chapter 118 - Why Are You Like This.. (5)

Chapter 118 – Why Are You Like This…? (5)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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…Though he did not know exactly how she had done it, thanks to Heinkel’s help, or perhaps help with a question mark attached, Alon succeeded in properly subduing Receiver Basiliora.

Then he received instruction in magic from Heinkel.

Five days.

It was a span of time that could be called long or short depending on how one looked at it, but for Alon it was of tremendous help.

Heinkel did not handle incantations or sentences herself, yet her magical knowledge elevated Alon’s magical ability, which had only just reached the fourth circle, to the level of a fully matured fourth-circle mage.

On top of that, he became able, at least to some degree, to use magic he had never even considered using before because of how poor the mana efficiency had been.

That was because he had learned methods for using his mana even a little more efficiently in the present.

Of course, Alon was not such a genius that he could immediately apply everything he learned perfectly, so it would still take time before he could operate it properly.

But even the small amount she had taught him had already reduced the consumption of his spells by a meaningful margin compared to before, which made it a major gain.

And above all, the thing that helped him the most was this.

“Hoo.”

A low hum.

Alon looked at the magic manifested before his eyes.

No, to be precise, what he was looking at was the visualization of a mana arrangement.

Like the DNA of genes, the spiraling arrangement of mana formed a geometric pattern that traced a pentagram.

It was not perfect yet, but it was unmistakably the thing he had wanted, so he smiled deeply inwardly.

Because this was precisely the reason he had wanted magical instruction from Heinkel, and it was also the result of that instruction.

I did not expect I would be able to realize it this quickly.

The arrangement broke apart into fine fragments the moment he let his concentration slip.

Even so, Alon let out a satisfied breath.

What he had created this time was one of the traits mages could use in Psychedelia.

Trait.

In the game, it was something unlocked when one entered certain labyrinths, and when a mage reached the fourth circle, the knowledge gained in the labyrinth allowed them to gain a unique trait for their magic.

Though it was called unique, inside the game it was ultimately only a matter of choosing from around ten fixed traits.

In any case, Alon had realized this trait without ever even entering a labyrinth.

It was not because he was special.

In truth, anyone could use it so long as they knew the mana arrangement, that is, the overall form, sequence, and position of mana, and how to incorporate that into magic.

Of course, until someone personally entered a labyrinth and discovered the trait directly, Alon would be the only user of this yet-undiscovered trait.

…To begin with, labyrinths have not even appeared yet at this point.

The labyrinths that granted traits only appeared through the cracks after one of the sins descended.

If I practice just a little more, I think I will be able to handle it perfectly.

Only after imagining that he would soon possess a unique trait unlike the other mages, and one that would be extremely helpful to him in his present state, did he finally feel satisfied.

At that moment,

“Marquis.”

Alon turned his gaze toward Evan’s voice.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, really. I was just wondering what you plan to do, now that the symposium is starting to wind down.”

“Hm. How many days are left now?”

“It looks like about three.”

Alon thought for a moment at Evan’s answer.

I heard that even after the symposium ends, staying another week or so would not be a problem. Still, from this point on, even if I keep receiving instruction, it may not mean much.

Heinkel’s teaching had unquestionably brought Alon an absurd gift.

But separate from that, Alon had already reached the point where he could not continue receiving her instruction in any practically useful way.

No, more precisely, it would be correct to say that even if he continued receiving it from now on, he would not be able to make any use of it.

The physical limitation of the mana sinkhole had begun turning Heinkel’s teaching into a glossy fruit that could not actually be eaten.

So then.

I have gotten what I can for now, so perhaps I should try raising my mana even a little more.

The moment Alon thought of an item that should by now have appeared near the Central Tower, something that could increase his mana even slightly,

“Ah, come to think of it, Marquis, did you know? They say things are in chaos outside right now.”

Evan abruptly changed the subject.

“Chaos outside? Has something happened?”

“Not exactly one single event. It is more that there seem to be many events.”

“…Meaning what exactly?”

Evan drew out the sound of his words for a moment, then continued.

“Lately, all across the United Kingdom side, strange things have been happening. Mountains are suddenly erupting and splitting apart, and in one duchy’s territory there have been what they call natural massacres.”

“…In mountains and in a duchy’s territory?”

“Yes. I heard there have already been more than eight incidents in just one week. In particular, Temax Mountain near the Kingdom of Rosaria has apparently become a complete wasteland.”

“And the cause?”

“No one really knows yet. At least, that is how the rumor seems to be spreading.”

“Do the places where it happened share any point in common?”

“From what I have heard, the locations are scattered.”

A quiet sense of crisis could be felt.

At the same time, a question arose.

…If this were the descent of an Outer God, it should not be erupting in a scattered pattern across so many places like this.

Alon tilted his head.

But only briefly.

Still, I should look into it first.

After telling Evan what he needed to do because he intended to move personally,

I will have to leave the symposium soon.

he resolved that it was about time to step away from the magic symposium.

####

That night.

As always, Alon received instruction and then trained in magic alone.

Heinkel, who was watching him, wore an odd expression.

At first, simply having him come had made her recoil.

Lately, however, Heinkel had grown rather interested in him.

Partly because he followed her instruction better than expected, but above all because the magic he used was extremely unusual.

Alon was using primitive magic, something that had nearly fallen into disuse even in the era when Heinkel herself had lived.

And the way he used it was also very natural, so it was only natural that she would become curious.

No, to be precise, it was curiosity about the magic he used.

…I want to ask him to explain it to me once.

Unfortunately, the relationship between her and Alon had already settled into that of teacher and disciple.

Given her personality, it was somewhat difficult for her to turn around and ask him to teach her something now.

But Heinkel’s magical curiosity easily surpassed her personality.

As someone once called the Primordial Chalice, her desire to explore was immense.

In fact, a few days earlier she had once brought up the topic of incantations to Alon.

…Though the moment she uttered the word incantation, she shut her own mouth again and the conversation did not continue.

It could not be helped.

Because of the being in the hidden plane behind Alon.

…Whenever I try to bring up anything related to incantations, it immediately looks this way, so I cannot ask in the first place.

By now, after teaching magic to Alon, Heinkel had already grasped several things about him and about that eye that should never be perceived.

Alon himself did not notice the existence of the eye behind him.

No, in truth, it would have been stranger if he had.

To begin with, that being could not be seen unless one had opened the eye.

And to see what was hidden within the inner plane at all, one would have to possess enlightenment and strength on a level similar to hers.

And above all,

that eye itself, which appeared whenever Alon made use of magic, was avoiding being perceived by Alon.

“…”

Even though she was a spirit body, Heinkel felt as if every hair on her body were standing on end.

She did not know why, but the eye that rejected Alon’s awareness also showed a clear reaction to the subject of incantations, even if not quite to the same extreme.

Of course, she could not definitively say that it was absolutely avoiding the subject.

Even so, her survival instinct warned her violently.

Do not carelessly bring up that topic.

“…I will be going now for today.”

“Ah, right. See you tomorrow.”

“Yes. Thank you, as always.”

She knew that prodding at it would not end well.

Even so, her curiosity stimulated her more wildly with each passing day.

…Is there not a better method?

After Alon left, she thought and thought, and before long an idea came to her.

Come to think of it, when he recites incantations, the eye does not react in any special way… If I do not directly ask him to explain them, and instead make it seem like the ‘eye’ side is offering the explanation first, perhaps he would listen, would he not?

Heinkel herself knew that the likelihood of such a scenario working was low.

But her brain, already swallowed by curiosity, began to think all the same.

…How do I get the subject to come up first?

Then suddenly,

“You damned old fossil!!! I know you are hiding in here, so come out!!!!”

A shout rang through the entire library.

Heinkel frowned.

Who dares be this insolent-

“…Hm?”

A moment later, however, she recognized the owner of the voice.

Penia Kraisinne.

For Heinkel, who wandered the Central Tower whenever she was bored, Penia was not someone she could fail to know.

Her name came up among mages endlessly.

And recently, she had even become involved in rumors with Marquis Palladio…

Hm? Wait.

It felt as if a path had just opened.

Penia. Penia- if she really is in that sort of relationship with Marquis Palladio…

A small plan began taking shape in Heinkel’s mind.

####

Penia Kraisinne was in a state of extreme anger.

And that was only natural, because originally she had never intended to participate in this magic symposium at all.

Only recently had magical supplies begun arriving properly again, so she had at last been able to resume the experiments that had been halted.

Yet the reason she had come to the Central Tower was precisely this.

“You damned old fossil-!!!!!!!!”

It was because of the rumor spread by the Blue Tower Master.

You were embarrassed? You should have just said so.

Wow, I had no idea you had already even finished the greetings.

Wow, the vice tower master getting married… You really never know with the world.

Grinding her teeth, Penia recalled the professors who had barged in while she was conducting magical experiments and said those kinds of things.

And she was even more enraged by the fact that the source of the rumor was none other than Selaim Mikardo, the man who usually dumped all the work onto her and wandered around acting as if the affairs of the world had nothing to do with him.

She could not leave it alone.

She needed to punish that old fossil immediately.

Penia had run straight to the symposium, and after searching everywhere in order to find the man who had already hidden himself away, she reached the library.

And here,

“Who are you?”

“…!?”

she encountered a young girl in spirit form.

No, more precisely,

“The Primordial Chalice… H-Heinkel?”

she encountered the Primordial Chalice, Heinkel.

“Ho. How interesting that you know my name.”

At that confirming voice, Penia froze in shock, completely forgetting the purpose for which she had come.

####

Penia had long known one of the rumors related to the Central Tower library, the one about the Primordial Chalice, Heinkel.

The content itself was simple.

If one visited the library at night, Heinkel would appear and teach magic.

Almost no mage believed it.

To begin with, it made no sense that Heinkel, who should have died several hundred years ago already, would suddenly appear in the library.

Even so, Penia had once visited the library at night after hearing that rumor.

Because one of her childhood dreams had been to become a great mage like Heinkel.

So it was only natural that Penia recognized Heinkel at once.

She had seen countless statues and portraits of Heinkel in books.

“State your name.”

Penia, who had been staring blankly at Heinkel, a figure she had admired since childhood, answered in a flustered rush.

“P-Penia Kraisinne…!”

Her heart pounded with excitement at the fact that she had met someone she had long admired.

However,

“Penia Kraisinne… I see. So you are the one said to be in that sort of relationship with Marquis Palladio?”

“Pardon…?”

strange words came from the mouth of her idol.

Because she had already been suffering under rumors for months on end, her threshold had dropped to the floor.

“That is a very serious misunder-”

She tried to deny it on reflex, but,

“I have one condition for you. If you agree to it, I will personally teach you magic.”

“Pardon?”

At that proposal, Penia fell silent.

“Just as I said. There is something I wish to ask in relation to Marquis Palladio. If you are in that sort of relationship with the marquis, it should not be difficult. What do you say?”

Even though she had clearly heard something strange,

“You will teach me… magic?”

“Yes.”

“The Primordial Chalice… will?”

“I do not repeat myself.”

She could not refute that.

Countless memories flashed through Penia’s mind.

Every one of them was a memory of suffering in relation to Marquis Palladio.

Starting with the memory of making potions for him and offering them up.

Being dragged along on a journey with the marquis and getting taken by pirates.

And day after day of stress because of rumors connected to the marquis.

All of those memories passed through her mind one after another.

To be honest, Penia wanted to cleanly erase every rumor connected to Marquis Palladio.

That feeling had not changed even now.

No matter that she might personally learn magic from the Primordial Chalice, Penia’s stress had already passed its limit long ago.

And so Penia was about to calmly speak the truth-

“Could it be that the rumor spread incorrectly or something of the sort?”

-the truth…

“No. Of course not.”

“Then?”

“M-Marquis Palladio and I-”

“-are in that sort of relationship. Yes. Of course we are.”

…did not leave her mouth.

Instead, Penia smiled brightly and briskly acknowledged Heinkel’s words.

…Even the stress that had spent months gnawing at her entire being could not defeat Penia’s magical curiosity.