[{"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-157":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},759447,1006,"Chapter 157","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-157",157,"\u003Cp>Among the elves of Greynifra, Philde was the greatest magician, and she possessed a natural gift—Soul Eyes (영안)—which allowed her to see the souls of all beings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the smallest of creatures to the most powerful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as something was alive, it would naturally have a soul, and she could see them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, she never paid much attention to this so-called “blessing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, because she wasn’t a necromancer who dealt with souls or dark magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, because she had never found souls particularly interesting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While every individual’s soul was slightly different, it wasn’t usually distinct enough to be fascinating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soul was just a soul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, when she was very young, she had seen gods and foreign deities with unique souls, but that was only because they were gods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For ordinary living beings, souls were all more or less the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Philde had been completely shocked when she saw the soul of Marquis Palatio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His soul resembled the souls of gods she had seen in the distant past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike a typical soul, which appeared as a blue sphere, his was faint but tinged with radiant gold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was something no ordinary human could ever possess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A golden soul meant one of two things—it was either a being close to divinity or a god itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And there was one more thing that stunned her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…The soul doesn’t match.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marquis Palatio’s soul did not belong to his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philde had never seen anything like this before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she had told Perion, every soul is meant to fit its body perfectly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the marquis’s soul, while appearing to belong, actually did not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, the soul inside this body was not originally his.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as she realized this, countless questions flooded Philde’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first voice that came to her thoughts was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perion’s voice, suggesting that Marquis Palatio might be the Primordial Elf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Could it really be?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until now, Philde hadn’t taken Perion’s words seriously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had come here more for an excuse to escape the boredom of Greynifra than because she actually believed the marquis might be the Primordial Elf.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But now, she wasn’t so sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The soul she saw within the marquis shone brighter than anyone’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the legendary Primordial Elf, who had been worshipped as a god.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A soul that did not match its body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if it were telling her that someone else had taken over that body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philde stared at him blankly, her mind spiraling with even more questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…But if he really is the Primordial Elf, why is he hiding his identity?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From Philde’s perspective, if Marquis Palatio was truly the Primordial Elf, there was no reason for him to conceal it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he had possessed a human body, proving his true identity shouldn’t have been difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as her confusion deepened—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She noticed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something writhing behind Marquis Palatio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instinctively, her gaze shifted toward the movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if it had never existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Philde had caught the brief distortion in space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Determined to confirm what lurked behind the marquis, she activated her Soul Eyes once more, drawing upon her mastery as a high-ranked mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And what she saw—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A black abyss?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…No.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t an abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pupil so vast it swallowed her entire vision—an abyssal eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Be silent.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A voice ripped through her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uuweeeek—!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philde vomited blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!? Lady Philde!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perion, utterly shocked, rushed to support her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the blood wouldn’t stop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It gushed not only from her mouth but also from her eyes, nose, and ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The price for seeing something she should never have seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“L-Lady Philde, stay with me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perion desperately tried to rouse her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Philde, still choking on her own blood, collapsed into the crimson pool she had created.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she teetered on the brink of unconsciousness—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason the Primordial Elf never returned to Greynifra.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘If… that thing… were to reach the World Tree…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philde recalled the thing she had glimpsed for only a fleeting moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t know what it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a fragment of its true nature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And she knew—she should not try to find out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was one absolute truth she had understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Under no circumstances… must that thing go near the World Tree…!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her instincts screamed louder than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more than the beings sealed beneath the roots of Paggade, this thing was far, far worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the same time, another realization struck her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Primordial Elf had died fighting the black entities.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As pieces of memory resurfaced, her mind began assembling the true picture of what had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pe… Perion.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It seems… your words…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philde swallowed, still struggling to speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…They might be true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You mean—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That man…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Philde confirmed it to Perion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He might really be the Primordial Elf.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perion’s eyes widened to their limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should I hit left? Or right? Here? Here! Shoo! Shoo!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Just hit already, damn it!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Left? Right? Here it goes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Gyaaaaah!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahaha! That was perfect!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Again! Do it again!!!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon stared at Evan, who was cackling madly as he swung his hand—coated with his black companion—at Basiliora’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Basiliora, who had taken it personally, was furiously demanding another round of the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I can’t believe they’re having this much fun with just a simple game of “Chop-Chop-Chop”…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shaking his head, Alon was yet again baffled by their boundless energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two weeks later, exactly one month after Alon’s return to the marquisate—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve worked hard, Marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Alon dissolved the magic formula, Penia spoke beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How was it this time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… I think I’ve reached about the fourth stage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s promising.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But from the fifth stage onward, the density becomes too high, and the molecular structure collapses. At this rate, your original plan might be difficult to achieve.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there no solution?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I think either we need to pour in a lot more mana, or we need to adjust the density accordingly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s try again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After taking a brief breath, Alon straightened his posture once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the past month, he had been delving into the study of seals alongside Penia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their main focus was on the structural changes and molecular combinations caused by the overlapping of seals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more precisely the seals were layered, the more complex and novel structures emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he hadn’t succeeded yet, he had even discovered a method to manipulate a spell’s molecular structure to resemble another, drastically amplifying its power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His research into magic was progressing quite successfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, that was close this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Was it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, the structure was just slightly misaligned, so it failed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s stop here for today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With today’s training session over, Alon immediately reached for a sweet potato and took a bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you really like sweet potatoes, Marquis?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia asked cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, I suppose I do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you get tired of them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I don’t think so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be honest, even Alon himself didn’t quite understand why he never seemed to tire of eating sweet potatoes, no matter how many he consumed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, I’d be sick of something after eating this much…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He examined the sweet potato in his hand with a curious expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Maybe it’s just because Yutia brought them. They do taste better somehow.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered how Yutia had visited Penia while he was away a month ago and left these sweet potatoes behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of that gesture, he finished his bite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon returning to his office, Alon patted Blackie, who was sprawled out asleep on his desk, before taking his seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan followed him inside almost immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Kingdom’s Grand Ball is in two months. Will you be attending?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s already that time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of consideration, Alon nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I suppose it wouldn’t do to keep skipping it. I’ll attend this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll make the necessary arrangements, then. Ah, right—weren’t you planning to go somewhere soon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, I’ll be moving out soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The time had finally come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By now, the tutorial phase should be wrapping up, and all of the main party members should have gathered. This is the perfect time to join Eliban naturally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon glanced outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weather was gradually shifting from the warmth of spring to the heat of summer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Using the changing seasons as a rough estimate of where the protagonist should be in the story, Alon calculated his next move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Alright. Time to go get that thing.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having made up his mind, exactly one day later—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis, you have a visitor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A noble?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, he introduced himself as Eliban.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Eliban?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. He specifically requested to meet you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“??”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eliban, the protagonist of Psychedelia—had come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beyond the Raksas Sea, on the peninsula.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That concludes my report.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see. So that’s all I need to know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Yuna finished her report, Radan was about to rise from his seat when—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, there’s one more thing I need to tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words made him pause in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something you forgot to report?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, not quite… It’s more of a personal matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s about the Great Moon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is someone speaking ill of the Great Moon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the mere mention of that name, Radan reflexively grabbed the trident beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His body leaned forward as if ready to charge out at any moment, but Yuna quickly calmed him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, nothing like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that she actually had to say it, Yuna found it difficult to phrase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Great Moon was… pouting—no, feeling left out?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She couldn’t find the right words, but since she had already brought it up, she decided to just be direct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, she explained about the Great Moon’s birthday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…His birthday?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. While the Great Moon showed no outward reaction, so he may not have cared… Evan brought it up, so I thought—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan tapped his fingers on his desk in thought before grinning widely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright. When’s the date?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“September 20th… That’s what I was told.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Four months from now, huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan stood up immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“? Where are you going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pausing for a moment, he replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you think? I need to go find a gift worthy of the Great Moon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A gift… worthy of the Great Moon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah. And I know just the thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With excited strides, he left the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, after hearing about this from Yuna, Hidan passed the information to Deus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Alright, I’ve made my decision.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You mean the gift?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I’ll gift the Great Moon a grand statue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That’s going to be expensive.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll just take the funds from the Second Prince.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deus, with a completely serious expression, began spouting nonsense of unimaginable proportions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And very obvious nonsense at that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t just personally want the statue, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From the start, it was you who told Yutia about my previous statue, which then— No, never mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the middle of his sentence, Deus suddenly averted his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following his line of sight, Hidan turned as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was looking at the spot where his old statue used to stand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidan was stunned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just how obsessed is he with statues…?\u003C\u002Fp>",1889,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","7651c9d10862647c0c52958583b33e5f19a65bd22bf73a4b34e390ba01ecb325","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-158","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-156",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]