[{"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-165":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},759455,1006,"Chapter 165","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-165",165,"\u003Cp>After a brief discussion about what gift to present to the Great Moon, the meeting resumed as normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there were moments when Deus abruptly brought up the Great Moon or Seolrang exclaimed, “I’ll be the gift!” disrupting the flow temporarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nonetheless, the meeting, which proceeded a bit more smoothly than usual, began to draw to a close just before dawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As everyone prepared to say their closing remarks,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Seolrang]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Huh?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deus suddenly called out to Seolrang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[By the way, what’s with your ears?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seolrang had been pressing her ears shut with her hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And not just once or twice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the meeting, she would press her ears intermittently whenever she found a chance. Deus had found this peculiar habit rather baffling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As everyone’s gaze turned toward her, Seolrang let out an “Ah!” and broke into a bright smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It’s what the Great Moon did for me!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[… The Great Moon did that for you?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes! Like this, like this!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although no one had asked, Seolrang began recounting the events of the recent colony one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[That’s how it happened!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As her story ended, the others each expressed their reactions in their own way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[… To think the Great Moon showed such a genuinely concerned expression…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[That’s remarkable.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deus and Radan looked envious, perhaps because they were used to Alon’s usual expressionlessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that the Great Moon had shown even a fleeting emotion toward Seolrang held great significance for them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Rine, who had spent several days in the colony, gazed at Seolrang with a subtly envious and sulky expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Of course, Seolrang. The Great Moon cares for ‘us.’ It’s only natural to be concerned when one of us, like you, is in danger, right?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Yutia retained her usual serene smile. A calm smile with no hint of emotional fluctuation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seolrang stared at Yutia for a moment, then suddenly shrugged her shoulders triumphantly, as if she had realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[But I’ve seen the Great Moon smile!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[… The Great Moon smiled?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Deus hesitantly asked, Seolrang nodded vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Yutia’s lips twitched slightly at this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[… That must’ve been because the Great Moon was worried about you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Yutia didn’t lose her smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Nope! The Great Moon just smiled while we were chatting!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden shift in the atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia’s mouth closed tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seolrang, now even more triumphant, shrugged her shoulders once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You haven’t seen the Great Moon smile, have you, Yutia?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Declaring victory, Seolrang made a V-sign with her fingers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The expression of Hidan, who had been silently observing the situation, grew peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While it was true that the Moons often reacted like children whenever the Great Moon was mentioned, even considering that, Seolrang’s taunt was… quite juvenile, to say the least.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…There’s no way the Red Moon would lose composure over something so trivial—’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidan turned his gaze to Yutia with confidence but soon found his mouth agape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The unchanged smile Yutia had been wearing until moments ago\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>was now visibly twisted for anyone to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, it was undeniable that Seolrang’s words had scratched her pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidan cautiously averted his gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Right!? So I’m the first to see the Great Moon’s smile, huh?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seolrang, seemingly intoxicated by her “victory,” continued speaking gleefully, completely oblivious to the mood shift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmm! When the Great Moon pressed my ears like this…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a few minutes of boastful chatter, even Seolrang began to trail off and glance around nervously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Yutia was no longer smiling at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment Seolrang realized she had been far too caught up in her sense of triumph,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmm, I have some urgent matters to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave now. The meeting seems to be over anyway, so I’ll step out first.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan, who had a knack for reading the room, brought up some improbable midnight errand and disappeared from the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…I have the same. I have a knightly meeting scheduled next…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Likewise, Deus immediately escaped the meeting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Hidan pondered whether a better excuse than a pre-dawn meeting might exist,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[… I’ll be going too. I’ve got work to do.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[… Huh?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rine, who had been glaring at Seolrang with slight dissatisfaction, also left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Seolrang realize something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And soon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Eek…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Noticing the sneer forming at the corner of Yutia’s lips, Seolrang unconsciously released her grip on her ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her freed ears instinctively folded back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seolrang, who began glancing around nervously, slowly started retreating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I-I should get going now too!]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She fled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, the last two people remaining in the meeting were Hidan and… an extremely upset Yutia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Hidan cautiously raised his head, he realized he had missed his chance to leave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What should I do?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidan began to feel suffocated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surely, the other Moons had fled because they understood. They all knew how terrifying the Red Moon could be when even slightly angered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, she wouldn’t mercilessly harm her allies, but her mere anger was enough to instill fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worried that her displaced wrath might turn toward him, Hidan nervously edged out of the screen and held his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hah…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What reached his ears wasn’t an angry voice but a small sigh from Yutia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidan, now successfully out of the frame, cautiously glanced at the still-lit screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On it was Yutia, her cheeks slightly puffed out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Puffed cheeks…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her slightly sulky expression, tinged with a faint blush,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>seemed out of character for her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I’m the one who thinks about him the most…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She murmured softly, almost like a complaint, before ending the communication.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidan was left dumbfounded by the fresh, unfamiliar side of the Red Moon he had just witnessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he realized.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had let her guard down, thinking all communication had ended because he had stepped out of the screen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though it didn’t suit the Red Moon’s image, paradoxically, it was the first time she felt like a unique, individual “her.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if witnessing a mirage, Hidan stared into the air for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I should forget this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quickly assessing the situation, he broke into a cold sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If, by any chance, the Red Moon found out about this…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would be the end of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I need to erase this completely from my memory.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He made a firm resolve within himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been about two months since Alon met with the Greenwood Trading company.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the ball approached, Alon began to hear developments aligning with the storylines he was familiar with from the original work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“… With this, it’s essentially complete.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing Penia, Alon dispelled the newly perfected magic they had just fine-tuned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks. If it weren’t for your help, it would’ve taken much longer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, no need to mention it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite her humble words, Penia’s shoulders rose slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her body language shouted, “Did you see that? That’s how amazing I am!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, hiding a faint smirk behind his neutral expression, asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When is the next conference?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, well… It’s about three months from now, I think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s go together to that conference. Since you kept your promise, I’ll keep mine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you so much!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia, as if she had just received a priceless treasure, bowed deeply in gratitude.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After gazing at his hands briefly, Alon took a seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the way, is there any point in further combinations now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm~ Based on our research so far, it seems like creating a better formula would require a bit more experimentation…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia’s face grew noticeably tense, as if she feared Alon might actually want to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing through her, Alon lightly shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, don’t worry. I’m not so shameless as to keep everything to myself,” Alon remarked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, yes…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Doesn’t he lack shame already?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia kept the thought to herself, deciding not to say it aloud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, your magic is quite unusual, Marquis,” she said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In what way?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Its potency. The magic’s foundational structure and molecular arrangement are the same, but somehow its power keeps increasing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…You can sense that clearly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia hesitated before responding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, it’s negligible if you look at it day by day, but if you compare it to two months ago, there’s a noticeable difference.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon nodded unconsciously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Alon hadn’t been secretly training at night or testing out new arrangements. His painfully small mana reserves didn’t allow for such indulgences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, the reason his power seemed to be increasing was likely related to his divinity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Though he had no idea where exactly this increase was coming from.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Alon mused over this, Penia spoke up again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Um…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes? What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it’s alright, could you give me a hint about the reason behind this phenomenon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her eyes darted nervously, but her curiosity seemed to overcome her fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, realizing he couldn’t disclose the connection to divinity, deliberated for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some thought, he replied, “…I’ll let you know next time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really? Thank you so much!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brushing off her question, Alon left the office—now essentially Penia’s research lab.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, now that my mana is replenished, it’s time to move on.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon pulled out the artifact, ‘Footsteps of the Past,’ from his inner pocket to check its condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once a jet-black hue, it had now turned blue, indicating it was finally ready to be used.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…It took a lot of effort to fill it with mana. Not that I’ll be using it just yet.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even while conducting magic experiments, Alon had diligently infused the artifact with mana, making it functional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the effort it took, he mentally reviewed his schedule.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…First, attend the ball, then head to Lartania to use ‘Footsteps of the Past’ to meet Kylrus, and afterward, retrieve the artifact from the ruins.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without taking much of a break, Alon left the Marquis’ estate as planned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few weeks later, as Alon and his group arrived at Terea, where the ball was to be held, in the Holy Kingdom of Rosario,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Greetings, Cardinal Yutia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, it’s been a while, Chosen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cardinal Yutia and Chosen Eliban exchanged greetings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hidden, profound smile lingered on their faces.\u003C\u002Fp>",1695,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","929877e4469b1ec8157c904a347fe4f3acabeb9c0477a411d2a532496a7fccec","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-166","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-164",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]