I Became the Patron of Villains (Novel) - Chapter 84 - Nod (4)

Chapter 84 – Nod (4)

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Translated by Jinmu

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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In the dark room.

You heard words like that?

“Yes.”

In one of Blue Moon’s secret sites scattered across the kingdoms, Hidan was making his report about what had happened previously.

“…He was a man with black hair and blue eyes.”

I see?

“Yes. I remember that his voice was husky, a little at odds with his appearance.”

Hmm-

At the detailed explanation, Yutia frowned as though thinking about something.

But only for a moment.

Do not worry about that side.

The simple words fell, and Hidan answered.

“…Is that truly acceptable?”

Yes.

At Yutia’s affirmation, Hidan remained uncertain for a moment, but soon lowered his head.

“I obey the Red Moon’s command.”

Because that command was absolute.

Even so, the curiosity itself did not disappear.

So once he confirmed that the communication orb had shut off.

What in the world was that man?

Hidan fell into thought for a long while.

####

The next day.

“Yes. Thank you for bringing me this far.”

“It is nothing, big brother. It is what I ought to do.”

After arriving at the forest on the right side of Kimin territory, Alon patted Radan on the shoulder.

“Then let us meet again next time.”

“Yes, big brother.”

“Ah, and please look after those two over there. They say they still have business in Laxas.”

Then he turned his gaze toward Penia and Pellin.

Penia wore an awkward smile, and Pellin looked at her with a strange expression.

He had decided to part with them here.

Because unlike Alon, who no longer had any reason to remain in Laxas, the two of them still had work to do there.

“Yes. Since big brother said so, I will definitely do that.”

“Good.”

“Ah, but big brother. May I ask just one thing?”

“What is it?”

“Hmm… I am asking just in case, but is there anything you need?”

“Something I need?”

“Yes.”

At Radan’s question, Alon tilted his head and answered.

“There is nothing.”

“Nothing…?”

“What, is there some problem?”

“No, it is not that. It is just, since you came all this way.”

At Radan’s words, Alon gave a small hum of thought.

“Well, no, I need nothing. Seeing your face was enough. As I said, I thought there was a chance I might not get to meet you.”

“Is that… so?”

“Yes. Then I will go now. Take care of yourself.”

With that, he got off the ship.

Right afterward, the ship set sail again.

“He is gone.”

“He is.”

Watching the ship grow smaller and smaller in their sight, Alon and Evan soon headed toward Kimin territory to find their carriage.

It was time to return once more to House Palladio.

Star-Devourer, was it.

Looking at the scenery outside the carriage as it began to slide by, Alon suddenly recalled the conversation he had had with the Observer yesterday.

Star-Devourer?

Yes. Do you know it?

…To be honest, I do not. But it is a very unpleasant term.

Is that so? Why?

At Alon’s question, the Observer had not answered.

And Alon had not pressed her further either.

Because while talking with her, he had already realized that if she refused to answer, it meant the subject contained something that must not be spoken aloud.

There is an absurd amount of information I do not understand.

Alon let out a sigh.

But that fact itself did not irritate him.

Just recalling the way blood had streamed from his eyes, nose, and mouth yesterday was enough.

…Better than dying.

Alon was the sort of man who would rather live peacefully with unanswered questions for the rest of his life than stick his face into the truth of the world and die in order to satisfy curiosity.

Of course, that does not mean I intend to leave it alone… or rather, I am in a situation where I cannot leave it alone.

He recalled the words spoken by that thing he had encountered while looking into the Bronze Mirror yesterday.

Destroy the stolen one, was it. The Observer definitely said that meant an Outer God.

He had heard it clearly.

Hidden… an Outer God is hidden….

To him, those were words that absolutely could not be ignored.

If an Outer God was in hiding, it implied too many things.

First, that there was no telling what that hidden Outer God was preparing.

Second, that if it was hiding itself this successfully, it was all but certain that it had already fully manifested.

In other words, for Alon, it was the same as saying there was a completed bomb hidden somewhere, one that could explode at any time.

I have to deal with it somehow.

The problem was that he had no way of finding where the hidden Outer God was.

So after pondering for a while, Alon.

“Hoo-”

Let out a long sigh and leaned back against the carriage seat.

At present, it did not seem there was any suitable answer no matter how much he thought, so he stopped thinking for the moment and tried to rest.

“…”

How long had he been staring blankly at the empty air.

Then suddenly, Alon, who had been staring into space, asked Evan.

“Evan.”

“What is it, my lord?”

“I am fairly normal-looking, am I not?”

“…Pardon?”

The topic had never once come up before, and Evan looked somewhat startled, but he soon thought seriously and answered.

“Why, of course.”

“That is what I thought too, right?”

“Did something happen?”

At Evan’s words, Alon recalled Penia from yesterday.

More precisely, the voice he had heard while going over to greet Penia’s group after running into them by chance on the road.

“No, well… there was a reason for it.”

“A reason?”

“Yes.”

Murmuring that, Alon recalled the conversation from yesterday in which Penia beat Pellin while talking.

Ow! Ow! Sister, why all of a sudden!

Like? Do you think that makes any sense? Why in the world would I like Count Palladio!?

No, I just thought so because you only act proper around Count Palladio!

You bastard, I was always proper!

No, you were not-

Bullshit. Why in the world would I like that man? How do you even reach that conclusion?

Then you do not?

There is no reason to like him in the first place, so what do you mean like? I Count Palladio-

A conversation still vivid in his memory.

Of course, Alon himself had never once thought from the beginning that Penia liked him.

In the first place, the two of them had never been tied together in that sort of way.

So even if he rejected Penia, at worst it would only become somewhat awkward. He did not hold any especially bad feelings about it.

But there was one reason why he still felt somewhat sour about the situation itself.

Even so, is it not a bit much to beat up the younger brother who said it and recoil in disgust like that?

Whether Penia meant it or not, from Alon’s point of view she had clearly seemed horrified.

So much so that she beat the sibling who said it.

“Well, I do not know what happened, but do not worry about it, my lord. In the end, is not a man judged by ability rather than looks?”

“…That is true.”

“Look at me. See how popular I am.”

“…”

Alon wanted to say, Based on what I have seen, you are not popular at all, but he held it in and simply nodded.

“Yes, well. That is true.”

“So do not worry too much.”

At Evan’s words, Alon nodded once more.

But contrary to the nodding of his head, he felt somewhat dejected.

…It was autumn, when the leaves were turning red.

####

Radan, having unified all the Seven Isles and effectively come to dominate the eastern sea completely, sat in the office inside his pirate ship and let out a long breath.

He had avenged those who killed his family and become ruler of all the isles, but it was not over yet.

Because he still had a task left to him.

The task of capturing the black fish.

“…”

After sitting blankly in thought for a while, Radan soon took a small box from his chest.

It was the very box Alon had given him as a gift before leaving.

He stared blankly at it for a while, then opened it and checked what was inside.

“…A monocle?”

Inside the box was a monocle.

Not one with any notable outward feature, just a monocle that could be found almost anywhere.

So Radan looked at it in puzzlement, but soon noticed there was also a sheet of paper inside and pulled it out.

It had only a very brief message written on it.

It will lessen your fastidiousness a little.

But Radan could not help being surprised when he saw it.

Because even among Blue Moon’s operatives, no one knew that Radan suffered from an extreme level of fastidiousness.

Radan himself had never made it obvious.

Of course, someone might be able to guess something from how neatly he had arranged the isles he ruled, but Alon could not have prepared a gift in response to that timing.

From the moment he entered the isles, he had been with Radan the whole time.

And so, surprised, Radan soon put on the monocle.

“!”

For a brief moment he was even more startled when he felt the sensitivity that had always greatly bothered him, the need for balance in everything seen by his eyes, lessen.

How in the world does big brother know so much?

Thinking of Alon who had given him the gift, Radan could not help but feel his curiosity rise anew.

Because Alon, the Great Moon, had always been like that.

He had known that the captains of the Seven Isles were the ones who killed Radan’s parents.

And he had even known that Radan suffered from severe fastidiousness, something Radan had never told anyone.

Just like what Yutia was always saying, that he knows everything.

That.

Radan found unbearably mysterious.

And that was not all.

I thought what big brother needed was military strength.

Radan knew this world was not especially beautiful.

This world was, fundamentally, give and take.

One gives and one receives, and Radan understood that rule very well.

So though he trusted the Great Moon and felt grateful to him, he also believed Alon surely wanted something.

Because in this world, there was no such thing as favor without a price.

“…”

But no matter how Radan looked at the Alon he had seen, he did not seem like a man who needed military force.

That had been true even when facing the Outer God.

And it had been true even when he watched Alon leap in without hesitation to save him after he was dragged away.

“…”

Without realizing it, Radan recalled that moment.

The vivid fear that had appeared in the greedy yet indifferent eye that had been watching him in the Deep Sea the instant the Great Moon began forming seals.

The reverence and thrill he had felt then.

“…Hoo.”

Radan let out a breath.

After witnessing that scene, and after their final conversation today, Radan had realized two things.

One was that Alon’s kindness had no price attached.

And the other was that he did not yet possess the power to repay, right now, the kindness he had received for no price at all.

Therefore.

I need more power. As I am now, I cannot even stand at big brother’s side and serve him properly.

Radan resolved.

To gain enough power to stand at the Great Moon’s side and guard him.

And when he had suddenly thought that far.

“…Hypnosis magic, huh.”

He laughed at the foolish thought he had entertained before.

Perhaps he had not understood then, but now that he had met the Great Moon, he fully realized how stupid and ignorant that thought had been.

So.

“All for the Great Moon.”

Radan muttered quietly.

It seems it is finally time to bring that out.

And as he thought of one object buried in the Deep Sea, his face filled with determination.

####

After spending about three weeks in the carriage and returning to House Palladio, Alon took an extremely leisurely rest that night.

Though he had spent years riding from place to place in carriages and might have been expected to grow used to it by now, sleeping in a carriage was still very tiring for him.

So on the next day, after arriving at the count’s estate and taking a long rest, Alon.

Received contact from Duke Altia for the first time in a while.

As expected, you are amazing. We too had been making preparations, but we could not find the right timing to move. And yet you eliminated more than eight nobles at once.

…?

I thought perhaps you were not paying them any attention, but I was truly surprised.

For some reason, he was being mistaken as the one behind the killing of eight nobles without even blinking.

What kind of situation is this now…?

Alon let out a low sigh.