I Became the Patron of Villains (Novel) - Chapter 79 - Merfolk (1)

Chapter 79 – Merfolk (1)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The day after Alon received the completed appraisals from Alexion.

He boarded a ship following Radan and headed for the last island, Sea Wolf’s stronghold.

“We are departing.”

Evan spoke while looking at the ship moving before long.

“You look comfortable.”

Unlike a few days ago, he was no longer suffering from seasickness, and his expression barely differed from when he was on land.

“Thanks to her.”

Evan glanced toward Penia.

A short distance away from them, Penia, who looked much better than before, was talking with Pellin.

“…Impressive. To think she made a potion that neutralizes seasickness in only three days.”

“From what I heard, it stimulates some part with mana so you temporarily stop feeling motion sickness, but honestly I had no idea what she meant.”

Listening to Evan, Alon admired Penia’s genius once again.

Because he knew very well that this was not the sort of magic or alchemy one could simply create just because it felt inconvenient.

So she has talent not only in magic, but in alchemy too.

Alon looked toward Penia with eyes tinged slightly with envy.

If only my body had even half of Penia’s talent… no, even if my mana hall were just half her size, I would have no complaints.

He watched her for a moment.

And the instant their eyes met while she was saying something to Pellin, she gave him an awkward smile and waved.

“Ah, come to think of it, why is the vice tower master coming along anyway? Now that I think about it, she really has no need to follow us, does she?”

At Evan’s continued question, Alon shifted his gaze.

“I asked her to come.”

“…You did, my lord?”

“Yes. I thought she might be of use in the battle ahead.”

I have already unsealed all the relics in preparation for any unexpected situation, but still.

Thinking that, Alon answered, and Evan, who had been nodding with a low hum, said.

“Still, it is strange.”

“What is?”

“The vice tower master. Does she not obey you far too well? Compared with the personality from the rumors, she even seems extremely kind.”

“…That is true.”

“Even this time. In truth, she has nothing to gain, so there was no reason for her to participate in this battle at all, was there?”

At Evan’s words, Alon nodded.

“That is not wrong.”

Certainly, under normal circumstances, there was no reason for her to participate here.

Of course, she had come to investigate merfolk, so there was some connection, but there was no need for her to involve herself in a dangerous war just for the sake of an investigation.

To tell the truth, I also thought the chances of her coming were slim… and yet, to accept so immediately….

Alon looked at Penia waving at him and recalled yesterday.

Vice tower master, would you come with us to the war tomorrow?

Go to war, together?

Yes. There is a difference in overall strength, so it should not be dangerous, but even so, I thought it would be better to have additional reserve strength. Did you not say you were investigating merfolk?

Yes, th-that is true?

Since Sea Wolf is tied to merfolk, there should be much to investigate if you go. What do you think? Of course, if you do not want to go, there is no need.

I-I will go.

…Will that really be all right?

Yes, yes, of course it will…!

Recalling Penia nodding vigorously, Alon.

“But really, what on earth happened for the vice tower master to listen so well like that?”

Made a strange face at Evan’s continuing words.

That, I do not really know either.

Come to think of it, even though his connection with her had already lasted several years, Alon still could not guess why Penia obeyed him to this extent.

But from Alon’s point of view, the relationship was not particularly disadvantageous.

And above all, because years had passed and the relationship had naturally settled into this shape, he had simply thought that asking directly now would look a little strange.

So he had not worried about it much.

…Still, should I lightly try asking around the edges once?

It was around the time Alon was thinking that, because he still did not understand why she followed him so thoroughly.

The pirate lords moving their ships beside the White Moon, the rulers under Radan who governed the remaining six isles besides the first.

“Tsk.”

Were clicking their tongues as they looked at Alon.

Luna Bloodsail, ruler of the second isle.

Sabina Ghostcrown, ruler of the third.

Tariq Thundercrush, ruler of the fourth.

Garrett Deathsea, ruler of the fifth.

Jackal Darksteel, ruler of the sixth.

All of them, who were loyal to Radan and led the forces of their own isles, looked at him with displeased expressions.

“Tsk. What exactly does the boss see in some noble brat like that that he keeps shielding him?”

At the words of Luna Bloodsail, ruler of the second isle, Tariq Thundercrush, the green-haired ruler of the fourth, who had been listening beside her, opened his mouth.

“I do not think it is good to speak carelessly, but on that point I agree. Honestly… I do not like it.”

“…”

“I agree too.”

“Same here.”

Sabina Ghostcrown remained silent, while Garrett Deathsea and Jackal Darksteel nodded in agreement.

They had not shown it while gathered to attack the final island, but here, where Radan was absent, their dissatisfaction had become very strong.

It was only natural, because the pirates disliked Count Palladio, who had suddenly entered the pirate crew and was receiving Radan’s favor.

Of course, even shut away in the isles, rumors still spread, so the pirates knew that Count Palladio might not be just some ordinary noble brat.

But that was only rumor.

“No matter how I look at it, does that not seem made up?”

Like the others Alon had faced so far, the pirates gathered here did not believe those stories.

Because they too each possessed ability above a certain level.

“Does he not look only third to fourth circle at best?”

When one of the pirate lords asked Sabina, the only one among them who wielded magic, she, who had remained silent until then, nodded.

“That is right. Even giving him the best possible reading, around that level. His mana quantity, even judged generously, is second to third circle.”

“…Tsk. Then I truly do not understand why the boss keeps shielding someone like that.”

At Bloodsail’s mutter of incomprehension, Tariq Thundercrush, who until then had only been watching Count Palladio, spoke.

“Do not judge only by outward appearance. If rumors that large have spread, he may well have a hidden trump card.”

“But even by the most generous estimate, he is only third or fourth circle.”

“There may be something more. If so many rumors gather around him in that way.”

At Tariq’s words, Bloodsail looked at him suspiciously and opened her mouth.

“Even you do not seem like you trust the count that much.”

“…”

At that, Tariq fell silent.

In truth, though he was speaking this way, he too was not entirely without doubts about Count Palladio.

Because Count Palladio, unlike the rumors… did not seem all that impressive.

Still, he knew that judging a person only by what appeared on the surface was an extremely foolish thing to do.

“…”

So Tariq did not answer Bloodsail and only looked again toward Count Palladio.

…Of course, in his own eyes as well, there lingered the same faint distrust the other pirates felt.

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There was another person who distrusted Count Palladio.

Or, to be more precise, one who was still filled with questions.

Pellin Kraisinne.

Even if he had grown up inside the Blue Tower studying only magic and was ignorant of rumors, he was not ignorant enough not to know Count Palladio’s rumors.

And on top of that, he had seen with his own eyes his one and only older sister, who could well be described as living as though she alone stood above heaven and earth, cowering before the man.

But even so, he still could not shake his doubts.

People tended to believe what they saw with their own eyes, and Count Palladio felt very weak.

Pellin could measure that much with his own senses.

And yet the reactions around him continued to differ from his thoughts.

His admired older sister Penia Kraisinne still cowered before him.

And the mages who had gone to the magic conference all praised Count Palladio as amazing.

A deeply contradictory situation, where what he saw with his own eyes and the reactions around him did not match.

What in the world is he…?

By the time Pellin had reached the point of genuine confusion while looking at Count Palladio.

“Sea Wolf!!”

A sudden shout rang out, and Pellin came back to himself and looked ahead.

And then he could see it.

Dozens upon dozens of pirate ships blocking the White Moon’s path toward the final island, silhouetted against the dusk.

“Prepare for battle!”

At that, Luna Bloodsail, who had looked relaxed only moments earlier, shouted.

“Prepare for battle!”

Like a voice carrying through a speaking tube, the order spread from pirate to pirate in an instant.

At this moment, something came into the sight of all, including Radan.

Tertogan standing on the central deck among all the ships.

And then, as if prepared, he soon snapped his fingers.

“A trap!?”

“Merfolk…!”

The moment they saw that, the other pirate lords frowned and immediately grew tense, wondering whether they had been led into a trap.

But strangely enough, even after Tertogan snapped his fingers, no change appeared.

And when the pirates began showing puzzled expressions.

“Aaaagh-!”

The sound came from the Blue Wolf.

A scream.

Not only one scream, but many.

Radan and the pirate lords all looked confused, but.

The next moment.

“!”

They were able to see it.

The slaughter unfolding across the many pirate ships of the Blue Wolf.

No.

“…”

Feasting.

Radan.

The pirate lords.

The pirates.

Count Palladio and Evan.

Even Penia and Pellin, all stared blankly at the scene.

On the ships of the Blue Wolf, countless pirates were being eaten by merfolk.

Heads bitten off amid screams.

Limbs torn apart while they struggled.

Some leaping into the sea only for bloody foam to rise.

A truly cruel massacre.

And to the White Moon, it looked like nothing less than a sudden internal collapse.

The sea turning into a blood sea amid that horrible scene of feeding.

The smile that had been on Tertogan’s face moments earlier twisted further the instant every pirate he had led died, as though he had been waiting for exactly this.

“At last-!!!”

With a voice steeped in madness, he raised the object high.

At that moment.

Crunch-crack-!

As a change began to overtake his body.

Crack-crack-!

“Th-the ships-!”

The merfolk that had just finished feasting on Sea Wolf’s pirates instantly began swarming toward the White Moon’s ships.

And.

Crack-crack-!!!

The ships began to sink.

####

“Aaaagh-!”

“Over here, over here, the ship is sinking!”

“Do something. Do something!”

Into Pellin’s eyes came a scene of utter chaos.

Ships that had begun to founder and sink, pirates running in panic.

And.

Crunch!

Violent fighting raging above and below the sea.

In a situation where merfolk teeth took pirates’ arms while countless blades stabbed in return and took merfolk lives, Pellin frowned.

Even though it was his first real battle and panic would have been natural, the cool-headed judgment trained into him as a mage allowed him to cling to one thread of reason.

But no matter how he thought about it, the state of the battle was bad.

Pellin’s gaze dropped beneath the water.

There, together with red blood, more than dozens of merfolk corpses rose from beneath the sea and fell back down.

That was because of the almost divine martial skill displayed by Radan, a skill Pellin too knew well.

The force to raise waterspouts with a single swing of his trident and to crush merfolk by hurling the weapon itself was marvelous beyond words.

Likewise, the pirate lords mercilessly slaughtering the merfolk crawling up onto the deck were, though not equal to Radan, still strong.

But even so, the state of battle remained poor.

There are too many…!

Pellin gritted his teeth.

Even though the man called Sea King was displaying impossible might, the ships kept sinking.

That meant so many merfolk had poured in that even Radan’s unbelievable power could not cover it all.

Of course, given enough time, Radan and the pirate lords were strong enough to slaughter every merfolk here.

But unfortunately, on the sea, they were not being given that much time.

And.

Not long afterward.

“It is sinking!”

As feared, whatever the merfolk had done below the hull, even Radan’s own ship began to tilt badly.

And the moment Pellin felt the ship about to overturn and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Extreme Cold.”

He heard a low voice.

Stop.

Everything stopped.

“…?”

And then.

It is cold?

Feeling the cold air filling his lungs.

Pellin, wearing a dazed expression, slowly opened the eyes he had tightly shut.

And.

Could see it.

Ice spread thick beneath the ship that had been collapsing.

“…”

Pellin stared blankly at the sight.

No, it was not only him.

The pirates who had been screaming moments before.

The pirate lords who had been killing merfolk.

All of them were watching that same scene.

The ice that had begun around the ship was spreading across the sea.

Merfolk leaping toward the ship froze.

The ship that had been sinking froze.

The blood sea itself froze.

And.

At the center of it, with dusk behind him, stood one man.

Wearing a dark coat.

Gray mana and black mana coiling around his left hand.

Looking with emotionless indifference toward the grotesquely transforming Tertogan as though he felt nothing at all about the situation.

Count Palladio.

“…”

Stood with lonely dignity atop the frozen blood sea.