[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-became-the-patron-of-villains":3,"chapter-became-the-patron-of-villains-became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-141":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Became the Patron of Villains",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},759631,1006,"Chapter 141","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-141",141,"\u003Cp>Right after Yuman warned and left, Alon returned to his room for a brief rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, that Rikrakamur, or whatever it’s called, was it big?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…All of a sudden?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The soldiers back from the expedition have been making a huge fuss. I keep hearing them talk about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmph, it was just a giant-sized weakling.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the one who responded wasn’t Alon—it was Basiliora.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? How is it out here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Don’t point at me! You lowly human!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Basiliora snapped at the finger pointed toward it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It complained about being too bored, stuck inside the ring. So I made it so it can come out freely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That was possible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you connect a trace of magic to the ring’s slot as it said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it can come and go as it pleases.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ha-ha-ha-ha! That’s right! Now I am a free spirit!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Basiliora curled its body and opened its mouth wide.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As always, it was no larger than 30 cm and just looked cute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, Rikrakamur was bigger than Basiliora.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then this snake-head could’ve been killed in one hit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan smirked as if teasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The small snake became enraged at his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[What nonsense! If I had manifested fully, I could have shredded that thing into pieces!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, yeah, sure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Don’t underestimate me, human! You even lost to me in a card game!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You barely won one out of thirty rounds, and now you’re talking big!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmph! The final victor is the true winner!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two started bickering again as soon as they met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Are they getting along, or not?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the small creature on Alon’s chest—Blackie—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>emerged from his coat and curiously stared at Basiliora.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Huh?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing the gaze, Basiliora sneered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmph! A little brat like you, still reeking of milk, dares to look up at me!!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a growling sound, Basiliora roared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Blackie simply tilted its head once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Meow?!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It struck the spectral form of Basiliora, sending it flying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Basiliora crashed to the ground like a toy, rolling about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh. Ohhh! Finally, I have an attack option!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan lifted Blackie as if he had found a great weapon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Screeeeeech!!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little kitten suddenly revealed glowing red eyes,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>letting out a terrifying screech.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan, who had been grinning, immediately put Blackie down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Witnessing all this, Alon muttered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What a mess.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He summed up the triangular relationship simply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Alon’s party was spending their peculiar but cozy time together, in a guest room near the border, two individuals were facing each other.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On one side was Cardinal Yutia of the Holy Kingdom, and on the other was Yuman, the Saint of the Holy Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Holiness, you said you had business with me. What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia smiled lightly, while Yuman, with a hardened expression, got straight to the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cardinal Yutia, did you visit the border a month ago?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The question was dry and interrogative, devoid of any pleasantries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Yutia’s smile did not waver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why are you suddenly asking me that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard rumors of you being seen in the northern canyon region a month ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just a rumor, but Yuman hadn’t come to Yutia based on mere hearsay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Cardinal Yutia, you were in Caliban about a month ago, weren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, that’s correct. I was scheduled to attend the kingdom banquet.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, that’s incorrect. The banquet was originally meant for Cardinal Sergius, but you suddenly altered the schedule to attend, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia did not respond. She simply gazed at Yuman with a faint smile, as if inviting him to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuman calmly pressed on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard that after arriving in Caliban, you disappeared for about three days.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I did inform the priests that I was going to spread Sironia’s teachings in another village.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know. And the village you visited, ‘Pigani,’ is about a day’s journey from Caliban. It’s known for its cheese—a specialty that visitors are always encouraged to try. A very hospitable place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you have some cheese?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia answered immediately with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Yuman’s expression grew colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s unfortunate. Because what I just said was a lie.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pigani’s specialty is indeed cheese, but unfortunately,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>no cheese was made this year.  And there’s none left in storage either, because Pigani’s food warehouse burned down in an accident months ago.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In short, Cardinal Yutia, you couldn’t have eaten any cheese.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuman stared intently at Yutia and bluntly declared,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Cardinal Yutia, you were in the canyon, weren’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when Yuman struck the nail on the head,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia continued to smile without the slightest sign of fluster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, she seemed to find the situation amusing, her smile deepening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the point where Yuman felt disconcerted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice grew colder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you don’t intend to answer, then I’ll change the question. What are you planning to do with Marquis Palatio? What scheme are you working on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that what you want to know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Because he is already a man who has endured many trials. You cannot treat him recklessly or thoughtlessly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the first time, a faint curiosity flashed in Yutia’s eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was fleeting, so brief that even Yuman failed to notice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon after, she quickly masked it, gently brushing her lips with her fingertips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Perhaps you and I are looking at the same thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What did you just say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You said you wanted to know what I’m planning for my lord, didn’t you? It’s simple. I want to make him into something greater. Yes, just that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Something greater?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, something greater.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He is already great.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, is he really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her melodious laughter echoed in the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I agree with you. But it’s not enough. He will become even greater. No, he must become greater. More, much more.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuman involuntarily shuddered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was sure the person before him was Cardinal Yutia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no surge of magic or divine power, no visible change.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing had changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his entire body trembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in Yutia’s eyes, madness gleamed vividly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring into her eyes, Yuman was certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t possibly be looking at the same thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fleeting thoughts raced through Yuman’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he separate her from the Marquis?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much he thought, he couldn’t come up with a way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or rather, he thought of a few methods, but couldn’t predict how Cardinal Yutia would respond if it came to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I won’t let you manipulate Marquis Palatio as you please.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuman declared firmly to Yutia, but even that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please do so, Your Holiness. The more you do, the more it will benefit my lord as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia responded softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, their gazes locked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mixture of unreadable emotions and determination filled the air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, back with Alon—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tap, tap~!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Ack… Please, please stop. Have mercy…!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s it, Blackie! Crush that stupid snake-head!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon stared blankly at the one-sided sparring between Basiliora and Blackie, thinking to himself—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Should I eat some sweet potatoes?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>About a day later, as Alon debated whether to head to Lartania or return to the Marquis’ estate, at an auction house in Marquis Palatio’s estate—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha-ha-ha-ha~!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexion, once the famed appraiser, now the owner of the auction house, let out a boisterous laugh in his office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite sleeping barely four hours a day, he couldn’t help but revel in his current life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason? Money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexion was earning so much that it felt like he was reliving his golden days in the backstreets of Raksas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it in perspective: he had already recouped every penny he had grudgingly invested thanks to Satan’s menacing glare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that wasn’t all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Running the auction house under Marquis Palatio’s name had brought him a slew of goodwill and connections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All without lifting a finger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply opening the auction house in the Marquis’ estate was enough for people to assume he had ties to the Marquis, earning him not goodwill—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha-ha-ha—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was being bribed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clink, clink!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexion repeatedly dipped his hands into the two boxes on his desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boxes brimmed with valuable items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lifted them up and let them fall back with a soft clatter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just looking at it filled him with joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t help but smile, feeling that the grueling months of hard work were finally paying off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that this wealth came from someone else’s status made it all the sweeter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was free money, unearned, like stumbling upon a fortune.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While he was basking in this euphoria—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Knock, knock~!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A knock sounded at his office door, and he responded cheerfully,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment he saw who walked in, he froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh my—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man stepped in leisurely,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve certainly been enjoying the fruits of your labor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was someone who should not have been here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Radan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, that’s me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pirate King of Raksas, Radan, greeted him with a sly smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a brief moment, Alexion gaped in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could even ask how Radan got here,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, you’ve been enjoying a lot of bribes, haven’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan’s words cut through the silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexion stammered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, well… you see… this was all meant for you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha-ha-ha, of course! Since these goods came through the Marquis’ status, it’s only natural to share some of it with you…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexion tried to slyly create an opening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some of it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah—ha-ha-ha, no, no, more than half! I mean, I did put in some effort too, so…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You think you need the rest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Radan’s next words—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I’ll give it all to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexion nodded obediently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s the right choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan nodded along with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Radan, Alexion cursed inwardly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This damn sea bass…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But outwardly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could I get a cup of coffee?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course, I’ll get it right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hurriedly bowed his head and forced a grin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A grin full of desperation to survive.\u003C\u002Fp>",1654,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","d36a1a9abe5f0109b37d208e1aed19428e5a4395f8849ce00b87de10e5cc0e84","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-142","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-140",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]