I Became the Patron of Villains (Novel) - Chapter 73 - Rank (2)

Chapter 73 – Rank (2)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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“…Godhead, you say?”

[Yes, godhead. What else would it be?]

At the dragonkin’s words, Alon wore a look of incomprehension.

He too had once thought of godhead when he heard the words Wondrous Calamity had left behind, but he had denied that idea himself.

The reason was obvious.

There was no reason at all for him to possess godhead.

So after thinking for a moment, Alon soon opened his mouth and asked.

“Then why did you tell me to go deal with the Outer God?”

[I do not understand the point of your question.]

“Did you not say so yourself? That I would be able to hear the story if I dealt with that Outer God and returned. But as far as I know, godhead is not something one gains by killing a god, is it?”

According to the setting he knew, in Psychedelia, killing a god did not allow one to gain or absorb that rank.

In other words, even if he killed the Outer God in Lartania, it should have been impossible for his rank to rise.

[Well, your words are not wrong. Even if an ordinary human kills a god, that human cannot absorb godhead.]

The dragonkin answered while nodding briskly.

“Then why in the world-”

[However-]

Alon was about to speak in disbelief.

[-that is only the case when the one who kills the god is an ordinary human.]

“What…?”

When Alon asked again at the unexpected continuation, the dragonkin curled its tail into a question mark, seemed to think for a moment, then opened its mouth.

[Let me ask you instead. Why do you think humans do not gain rank even if they kill gods?]

“…That is-”

[Because humans do not possess such a thing as rank. To explain it in a way that is easier to understand, it is more correct to say that they have no vessel.]

The dragonkin continued.

[In other words, if there is a vessel, then a human too can hold rank.]

“And by vessel, you mean-”

[I called it a vessel, but it is not anything all that grand. It is simply belief.]

“Belief…?”

The dragonkin thought for a moment with a low hum, then spoke as though it had found the proper word.

[For mortals, faith would probably be easier to understand.]

“…So if there is faith, then even an ordinary human can obtain godhead.”

[Exactly. And you possess faith. That is why I told you to deal with that thing. You can contain, however slightly, rank itself.]

At the sight of the dragonkin resting its chin on its hand as if asking, Does that answer your question, Alon was still bewildered.

“I understand the words themselves, but why do I have faith?”

[Do you not think it strange to ask me that?]

“…That is true, but could you perhaps be mistaken?”

[There is no possibility of that. You certainly possess rank. If you had neither vessel nor rank, you would probably still be unable to face me properly even now.]

“…That is true as well.”

Alon nodded at the dragonkin’s words.

But his head was still tilted to one side.

…Is it because of fame?

By his own judgment, he could now say that he had become fairly well known in the Allied Kingdoms.

Not to the extent that people would recognize him on sight, but enough that if they heard the name, they would know who he was.

But that was only fame, not faith.

…That cannot be it. Why in the world do I have faith directed toward me?

Frowning as he thought, Alon soon stopped the train of thought.

Because he realized this was not the sort of problem he could solve right now.

So there is one more thing I need to find out.

For the moment, Alon focused on the fact that he had gained rank and asked.

“Then will I gain a divine ability as well?”

As far as he knew, once the gods of this world were recognized as gods, they first obtained what was called a divine ability.

And most divine abilities that one could gain through godhead were, in anyone’s eyes, completely broken powers.

So while running through the pleasant possibility of Then does that mean I too…? he looked at the dragonkin, but.

[Unfortunately, your godhead is not of that level.]

“…Are there ranks even among godheads?”

[Is that not obvious? If I had to put it in words, your godhead would be, at best, that of some local deity in a far-off backwater village with not even five hundred people.]

“Even though I have erased two Outer Gods…?”

[Even if you erased two, that does not mean you can absorb all of that rank. Besides- strictly speaking, you did not erase them permanently. You only removed them temporarily.]

“I see….”

Alon let out a brief sigh at the explanation.

The dragonkin continued in a slightly peculiar tone.

[Still, you are rather unusual. The reason you were able to capture Wondrous Calamity in the first place should also have been because you had rank. Did you truly not know at all that you possessed rank yourself?]

“Ah.”

Only then did Alon newly understand why he had been able to catch Wondrous Calamity when it had been on the verge of complete manifestation, and he answered in a low voice.

“…That is correct.”

[How strange. No, in the first place-]

-There should be more than one or two things that cannot even be established without rank. How could he not know that?

The dragonkin, looking at him as though he were curious, muttered so quietly that Alon could not hear.

“I cannot hear you very well.”

[Ah, it is nothing.]

As though it had realized something, the dragonkin said, Let us speak of that another time, and moved on.

[Well, in truth that is not the important part. What matters here is that you have obtained the minimum rank necessary to see the truth.]

It shrugged.

[For now, let us continue the questions and answers. What else are you curious about?]

And at that continued question, Alon voiced his next one.

####

Beginning with rank and moving on to faith, he asked the dragonkin one by one the questions he had previously organized.

Because there were truly many things he was curious about.

But unfortunately, out of all those many questions, there was only one thing for which Alon was able to hear a proper answer.

That the term referring to the beastfolk and mysteries of the forgotten great god meant mage.

That alone.

In truth, he gained virtually no other information.

“…If you can answer so little, was there any meaning at all in my obtaining rank?”

At that, Alon spoke in a tone that sounded incredulous beneath his blank expression, but the dragonkin only shrugged and answered.

[Do not think of it that way. It is not that I do not wish to answer.]

“…Then why will you not tell me? About true names, about those who inherit the will, even about why Wondrous Calamity sent me here.”

As Alon brought out, one by one, the things he had long meant to ask, the dragonkin answered.

[There are two reasons.]

“Let me hear them.”

[First, your questions are in truth one story that encompasses them all. In other words, even without my explaining them, they are doubts that will be resolved once you see it.]

“…Once I see it?”

[Now that you possess rank, you should be able to see it. If you go to the Deep Sea.]

“…So rather than answering here, you mean I must go to the Deep Sea?”

[Yes. Go there and look upon the truth. Then you will come to know everything about what you asked, and so what you have done is not meaningless.]

After all, if one does not obtain rank, one cannot gain the right to see the truth in the first place, it added.

Looking at the dragonkin, Alon answered.

“So that is your reason for refusing to answer? Because once I see it, I will understand everything anyway?”

[No. It is not as if I would refrain from speaking merely because it would be troublesome.]

“Then what is it?”

At Alon’s question, the dragonkin remained silent for a moment, then let out a small sigh.

[Because they will be watching.]

“They?”

[Yes. In darkness without a single point of light, devouring the roots of history and trying to push the past into the abyss. Those things that destroyed the age of the gods-]

The dragonkin clicked its tongue briefly and said.

[-will rise again.]

“…”

[That is why I cannot put the past into words myself.]

Alon stared directly at it.

The dragonkin’s face was only distinguished in black and white by its features and body, and yet even that was enough for him to know that it was not lying.

“…How do I get to this place called the Deep Sea?”

At that question, as though it had been waiting, the dragonkin gave Alon a necklace marked with a black tree.

“This is?”

[Take that to the last remaining mermaid on the eastern shore. Then she will naturally guide you there.]

At the dragonkin’s words, Alon looked at the necklace in silence, then nodded.

The eastern shore was where Laxas was located, which he had to stop by anyway once this meeting was over.

“Then I will go.”

[You have chosen well.]

As Alon turned to leave, something suddenly occurred to him, and he looked back at the dragonkin.

[What is it?]

“Come to think of it, there is still one question I did not ask.”

[Ask it. If it is something I can answer, I will.]

“…According to Wondrous Calamity, I was acknowledged by the black thing and the blue thing. Can you answer what that means?”

At Alon’s question, the dragonkin let out a low sound and looked at him.

Then, after a moment had passed.

[Ah- ahh, I see-]

As though it had realized something, it grinned and nodded.

[Just think of it as having been acknowledged by great gods.]

“…?”

And with that answer ended.

[Ah, and this is only if you are willing, but if you leave Sparrow’s Staff here, I will make it into something more useful. Though you would only get it back after about two years.]

“…Two years? Why?”

[If I am to improve that fellow and also gather enough strength myself to speak with you properly again, I will need about that long.]

“…I see.”

[That is right.]

Right after that.

[Ah, well, I am actually very comfortable by Alon’s side, but I feel I could still support him a little more if-]

Though no expression could be seen, Sparrow’s Staff muttered in an extremely plaintive voice, and Alon looked at it once.

“Then let it be so.”

[Eh? Wait a moment. Alon? No, Count? Hello????]

As he turned after leaving Sparrow’s Staff behind.

[Ah, wait. There is one more thing- there is something I should tell you.]

“Something you should tell me?”

[Yes, something about your magic. Hear just this before you go. It is not a long story.]

And the dragonkin resumed speaking.

####

Immediately after hearing all of the dragonkin’s story.

Alon rejoined Seollang, who had been waiting for quite a long time, returned to Colony, and the following day immediately began preparing to go to Laxas.

…In truth, there was not much to prepare.

Since he intended to move together with the merchant caravan leaving that day, all he needed to gather was food and a few items to prepare for any emergency.

And so, not long after he began preparing, he finished what needed to be done, and around that time Yutia, having heard that Alon was leaving Colony, came to see him.

But what could be called unexpected was.

“…?? What brings His Majesty here…?”

“I wished to see you off.”

That Karmakses III, the king of Colony, had personally come to the north gate with soldiers as well to send Alon off.

And not only that.

“…What is this?”

“I heard they are gifts His Majesty is bestowing upon Teacher.”

“…Gifts bestowed upon me?”

“Yes. Is that not so, Your Majesty?”

-With two wagons packed full of gold and treasures.

“That is correct. They are gifts I have bestowed.”

Alon looked at Karmakses as he answered Yutia.

For a moment he only felt that something was strange, because the hearty smile he wore was even broader than before and looked awkward to anyone who saw it.

Then Alon answered.

“…This seems somewhat excessive.”

Alon was not fundamentally the kind of person who turned down money.

In the first place, he was of the belief that the more money one had, the better, so the sight of the wagons heaped with gold and treasure was enough to make his mouth fall open just from looking at them.

But even so, those wagons were plainly too much for Alon to accept.

For something supposedly being given simply because the king favored him, they were excessive.

And considering that the one bestowing them was royalty, there was clearly some political intention hidden beneath this that Alon had not even thought of, so he gently declined the king’s gifts.

But.

“Haha, do not think so much of it. Accept them comfortably.”

“No, even so, this is-”

“Do not worry. There is no intention of any kind behind it. I am giving them to you purely because I like you. I really do hope you will accept them. Really. Truly.”

“…?”

Seeing Karmakses smiling and, somehow, speaking as though he were truly desperate, Alon soon had no choice but to nod awkwardly.

And so that day, Alon joined the crossing while leading two wagons loaded with gold and treasure.

A small smile hung on Yutia’s lips as she watched him leave.

And.

“I am pleased. It seems the negotiations will go well in a favorable direction.”

“I-is that so.”

Meeting Yutia’s crimson eyes, Karmakses once again reviewed the one fact he had realized yesterday.

…That Count Palladio was someone who must never be touched, no matter what happened.

How exhausting….

…Before Karmakses’s eyes flickered the image of the mana tobacco he had quit thirteen years ago.