I Became the Patron of Villains (Novel) - Chapter 137 - Border Zone (5)
Chapter 137 – Border Zone (5)
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Translated by Jinmu
Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net
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“…By Rikrakkamur, do you mean the monstrosity that exists to the north of the border zone?”
“I do.”
As he answered Yuman, Alon thought to himself,
That thing has to be dealt with.
In Psychedelia, the Forest Maw Rikrakkamur was a monstrosity the player also went to subjugate.
Ordinarily, if the Five Great Sins were not going to descend, there would have been no real reason to bother with it.
It stayed outside the border, and because of that, it did not normally cause direct damage.
Even so, there was one reason both the original protagonist and Alon would go to deal with Rikrakkamur.
The cast-off relic it possessed.
One of the cast-off relics of the Five Great Sins.
It was effectively one of the dedicated items of the Five Great Sins that would descend in the future, and if they obtained it, their power would multiply.
In other words, now that he knew the Five Great Sins really would descend, Alon had no choice but to kill Rikrakkamur.
Besides, there was also an item he himself could obtain from it.
“Then does that mean the destruction of the wall yesterday was also caused by one of Rikrakkamur’s abilities?”
While briefly thinking about the spoils, Alon nodded at Kiryana’s question.
“Yes.”
“…I was certain there had been no clues at all. How did you determine that?”
“There was black slime evaporating from the broken wall.”
“…Slime?”
“Yes. That black slime disrupts every magical arrangement it touches. The reason the wall collapsed was likely that Rikrakkamur’s slime nullified the structure of the magic circles embedded in it.”
“…I see.”
Kiryana nodded.
But soon a puzzled look appeared on her face.
“…Then by your reasoning, should we assume that Rikrakkamur deliberately coated monsters with slime and sent them to attack us with clear intent?”
“I cannot be certain, but it is not impossible. Rikrakkamur is a monstrosity with the authority to command monsters.”
“…Then the reason the monster waves have been attacking us was not that the gate that repels monsters was faulty, but because of Rikrakkamur…?”
That was Kiryana’s guess.
Yuman, who had been listening quietly, joined the conversation.
“I was just about to mention it. We spent about a day inspecting all five installed gates, and we found no signs that the gates themselves had been damaged.”
“…Then?”
“Then with high probability, the marquis is correct.”
“But why would Rikrakkamur do something like this?”
Her muttered question made it clear that she understood even less now than before.
“To be honest, I do not know why it attacked the wall either.”
Alon himself found it strange.
Even in the game, Rikrakkamur had never once attacked the wall this way.
I am fairly sure it was never the type of thing that moved around at a time like this.
He thought on it for a moment, then discarded the thought.
Whatever the reason, what he had to do right now was not ponder why the enemy had attacked the wall.
He had to deal with Rikrakkamur itself.
So…
“I am going to need some help killing it.”
He moved directly to action.
“Rather, that is exactly what I would ask of you. If that thing can keep sending monster waves, and if it can keep nullifying the wall, then it absolutely must die.”
Kiryana’s eyes burned with fighting spirit.
Alon smiled inwardly.
He would need Kiryana’s help, or more precisely, the help of the Allied Army, in order to deal with Rikrakkamur.
“Then let us depart at once.”
There was no reason to delay.
####
The expedition force was assembled.
They could not mobilize the entirety of the Allied Army.
More than half of the troops had to remain at the wall.
If they dragged every soldier out for the subjugation and monsters from the wasteland entered the wall and began rampaging inside, the situation would become catastrophic.
So Kiryana divided the Allied Army into seven parts and three parts.
Seventy percent remained behind as defenders of the wall.
Thirty percent became the expeditionary force.
Alon found that a little regrettable, but accepted it because, in truth, it would be enough.
Saint Yuman also remained at the border.
Someone needed to command the Allied Army while Kiryana was away.
Of course, Yuman was a cleric rather than a battlefield commander.
Even so, the title of Saint carried overwhelming weight.
It was more than enough for the Allied Army to accept his leadership.
“…A shame.”
Yuman looked faintly dissatisfied.
His gaze moved toward Yutia, who was smiling brightly.
“It seems Saint Yuman will do well to encourage the Allied Army here.”
“Would it not be better for the Cardinal to do that?”
“How could a saint and a cardinal be compared? I am sure those remaining here would greatly wish for Saint Yuman to stay.”
“…”
“It is truly a shame for me as well.”
For someone claiming regret, the corners of Yutia’s mouth were lifted about a centimeter higher than usual.
The saint frowned slightly.
But in the end…
“It cannot be helped.”
He sighed and then drew close to Alon and whispered,
“My lord, absolutely do not trust her. As I have told you many times, she is not someone who can be trusted.”
“…”
“I am serious.”
Alon felt oddly conflicted.
Not because of the content.
He had already heard that warning before, so it was not surprising.
The problem was the manner of it.
If that is what he wanted to say, then why whisper it like that?
His voice was so careless that everyone around them could hear it anyway.
No matter how Alon thought about it, it was unnatural.
He looked over at Yutia.
Fortunately, she seemed completely unaffected and wore nearly the same expression as before.
Her faintly raised red eyes were directed toward the saint, and they looked exactly like the gaze of a victor looking down at a defeated loser.
Why do those two hate each other that much?
Well, I do not need to know that right now.
Alon turned and gave Evan an order.
“Evan, you stay behind as well.”
“Yes.”
Evan answered energetically, as though he had been waiting to hear that.
“…You are not even going to ask why I am leaving you behind?”
“What is there to ask? If you say it, my lord, I will obey.”
“You did not answer so quickly because you did not want to go, did you?”
“Come on. What kind of man do you take me for?”
Evan let out a laugh.
“Then come with us.”
“Now that I think about it, my lord, after waiting so long for you yesterday, I feel as though I have heatstroke and a chill at the same time.”
“…”
A moment ago he had said he would obey no matter what.
Now he was changing his words immediately.
Alon laughed inwardly at the sheer shamelessness of it.
A few hours later…
“Let us depart.”
The expedition set out.
####
It would take about three days to reach the place where Rikrakkamur lay.
Recalling that, Alon thought of the item the monstrosity possessed.
It should be the cast-off relic of the Sin of Wrath.
He glanced sideways at Yutia, who was walking beside him.
Originally, in the future, this was supposed to be an item Yutia herself would obtain.
But in the original story, after awakening as the Sin of Wrath, she never got it.
That was because the original protagonist Elivan reached it before she did and destroyed it.
That was the greatest reason Elivan had been able to defeat the Sin of Wrath in the story and in the setting.
…Of course, there had been many other factors too.
Yutia had been under restrictions.
The mages of the towers had bombarded her with overwhelming magical firepower.
The Sword Masters of Caliburn had joined the extermination.
Even hidden powerhouses from across the continent had emerged to help.
The more I think about it, the more absurdly strong she sounds.
Yutia felt newly unfamiliar to him.
It had taken the entire world effectively going all out just to kill that sin.
At that moment…
“My lord.”
“What is it?”
Kiryana, who was walking with him, looked at him hesitantly.
“If it would not be too much trouble… may I pet that cat a little?”
“The cat? Ah, you mean Kkamangi?”
Kkamangi had its face poking out from Alon’s chest pocket and was looking around.
When Alon pointed to it…
“Its name is Kkamangi?”
“Yes.”
“That is an incredibly cute name.”
Kiryana fidgeted with her fingers as though she were a little excited.
At that, Alon unconsciously straightened his shoulders.
It was nothing major, but he had named Kkamangi himself.
Feeling oddly pleased, he took Kkamangi out.
“Would you like to try petting it?”
“Oh? Is that really all right?”
“It is fine.”
“Still, what if it dislikes being handled by people? What happened yesterday was a little…”
Alon made a puzzled expression for a moment, then gave a small exclamation.
To be fair, even Alon had felt a slight culture shock when Kkamangi opened red eyes all over its body yesterday.
Even so, outside the use of magic, it basically stayed in the shape of a cat.
“It should be all right.”
“I, is that so? Then I will try.”
Without much suspicion, Alon handed Kkamangi over to Kiryana.
Kiryana unconsciously smiled as she looked at the cat now sitting on her hands.
Then…
Bulge.
“Ah.”
The moment red eyes full of displeasure appeared across the cat’s whole body, she froze.
At the low growl, she hurriedly returned it to Alon.
The instant it returned to Alon’s arms, Kkamangi began rubbing against him and acting affectionate again.
At that sight, Kiryana made an awkward face.
“…It seems it only behaves that way with you, my lord.”
“My apologies. I did not expect it to react that way.”
Alon looked at Kkamangi with mixed feelings.
I did not know it would be this hostile to other people. Or is it only reacting this way to Kiryana?
Curious, and newly struck by how adorable Kkamangi looked as it gazed up at him now, Alon handed it to other soldiers and knights as well just in case.
But every time…
“Aaaah.”
“M, my lord? Could you please take it back?”
“Hrk.”
…Kkamangi opened its red eyes and growled without fail.
That was how Alon realized the creature truly hated being in other people’s hands.
After the small commotion died down…
Yutia called out to him.
“Teacher.”
“What is it?”
“Could you hand Kkamangi to me for a moment as well?”
“Kkamangi?”
“Yes. It looks adorable.”
“…It does not seem to like being touched by others.”
Had it not just devastated the surroundings moments ago?
But Yutia merely nodded as if that did not matter.
“Even so, it is just too cute. Would that not be possible?”
She asked again.
In the end, Alon handed Kkamangi over to Yutia while feeling a little worried beneath his calm expression.
Grrrr.
As expected, the instant it climbed into Yutia’s hands, Kkamangi began growling again and red eyes started appearing all over its body.
But Yutia simply looked down at it while maintaining the same smile.
“Then that will not do, will it?”
With that, she opened her crescent-shaped eyes just slightly and murmured in a low voice.
Immediately…
Kkamangi froze.
It stopped as if time itself had halted.
“?”
“?”
Alon and Kiryana both paused in confusion.
Kkamangi, which had just been the embodiment of ferocity, looked at Yutia, who was staring back with languid red eyes.
Then its own eyes widened.
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
Still held in Yutia’s arms, it began trembling violently.
Yutia slowly stroked its back.
“You should listen well to your master, should you not?”
Nod, nod.
Kkamangi nodded frantically.
“…”
“…”
The sight was so unfamiliar that Alon and Kiryana could only stare blankly.
Then Yutia, as if Kkamangi were simply cute, naturally lifted it up to face level.
And in a voice so low that no one else could hear, a voice meant only for Kkamangi…
“If you do not want to be crushed to pieces just like this, hmm?”
…she whispered.
Kkamangi began nodding even more wildly.
A short while later…
“Wow… It really became docile.”
Kiryana looked at Kkamangi, now resting quietly on her hands, in amazement.
Alon, meanwhile, noticed that Kkamangi’s gaze was fixed in one direction.
He followed it.
There was Yutia, smiling.
“My, what is it, Teacher?”
“…Nothing.”
Alon started to say something, then decided to keep his mouth shut.
It was a warm spring afternoon.