[{"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-249":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},759739,1006,"Chapter 249","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-249",249,"\u003Cp>“…Phew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The space was completely severed by the golden crown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the magic circle drawn around her activated and darkness began to descend over the ashen sky, Rine suddenly recalled a memory from the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beginning of that memory was always a small cabin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she walked into that small cabin, there was a warm family.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mother cooking food.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A father sitting at the desk, chatting gently with the mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And three children chattering and running around nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though more than ten years had passed, that memory had not faded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, in fact, each time it surfaced, it only became more vivid in her mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What rose next was a clear voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mom! Dad! A big sister told me that there's a secret only I can know! Do you know what it is?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In front of Rine, a tiny girl who couldn’t even reach her waist laughed gleefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The little girl chattered happily, her small lips fluttering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—Rine in the past had delivered a strange woman’s words to her parents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, the memory once again displayed the scene Rine always saw in her dreams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corpse of a woman whose throat had been torn out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man murdered with his limbs twisted in every direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the grotesque sight of three children who had lost all life, blood gushing from every hole in their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sin she had committed herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The horrific scene created by her own ignorance became engraved before her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What rose next was the memory of “that time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she received powers from the godfather, and unknowingly became a little arrogant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That encounter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The encounter with Emil that made her lose something precious to herself—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Rine couldn’t do anything during that encounter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in that battle, she had only received help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A being who couldn’t protect anything and only received help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A being who could only lose everything if she failed to protect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A being utterly useless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worthless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the evaluation Rine gave herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, she was rather glad about this situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She, who had never once been able to protect someone, had finally protected something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one she cherished the most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who called her family, even though she had trampled on everything due to her ignorance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rine turned her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the opposite side, she saw the figure of Agu, sealed together with her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not even a drop of reason remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless of what anyone said, it possessed the clear power of greed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The power to make anything its own using hundreds of years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was right there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that wasn’t all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rine had gained something truly precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had gotten the chance to become “a precious existence” to someone she held dear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some might call her foolish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They might think she was just being used and discarded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But no matter what whispers came her way, the faint smile on Rine’s lips wouldn’t fade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she knew the godfather well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a gentle person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hated seeing others get hurt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even in situations where it would be natural to act selfishly, he simply couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might believe he was being selfish, but to anyone watching, he was someone who moved for others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he was such a person, Rine was certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That when she escaped this space, she would become someone precious to Alon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Seven hundred years.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truly, an incredibly long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, she was okay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because it was time to gain the strength to protect someone dear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time to take a place in the godfather’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It hadn’t been such a long time after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rine smiled and opened the books in her mental library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was still so much to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>####\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, to the elves, he was known as the “Primordial Elf” who revived the World Tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To other races, he was known as the “Celestial Being.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had been a month since he vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since he dealt with Baarma, which could be called the “Black Thing,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world had begun quickly returning to its original state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ashen sky that had stolen the sun from them was now bathed in warm sunlight, the darkened land now smelled fresh and earthy again, as if nothing had happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everything was gradually returning to how it once was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the center of the elven land of Greynifra, which regained its greenery fastest of all, at the World Tree—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Four men and women of different races knelt in silence before a tombstone under the tree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sniffle—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone was crying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone remained silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone else wore a pained expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they each showed different emotions, they shared one thing in common.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, the heterochromatic-eyed boy who had remained silent stood up and turned around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where are you going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The girl—no, the dragonkin—who had been sniffing asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The boy opened his mouth, with a maturity that didn’t match his age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To get stronger.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because I’ll take revenge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…On who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That white one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With eyes burning in deep fury, the boy said—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I know Brother could’ve survived back then. I saw it with my own eyes, at the bottom of that underground place. If that white one hadn’t suddenly appeared out of nowhere…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gritted his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why, I’ll find that bastard who disappeared to who-knows-where, and kill him with my sister. I’ll avenge Brother who saved me… no matter how long it takes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that resolve, Nangwon—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Even if I have to break the promise Brother made me keep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned and walked toward the place where his sister waited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Nangwon completely vanished from sight, the remaining ones began to rise, one by one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…The god said, if someone named Eliban ever asks for help, to be good to him. That means I need to get stronger. And when that time comes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ria muttered as she left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m uuh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The black dragon, who kept sobbing, had eyes filled with tears, but eventually walked away weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the last one left—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was Ryanga.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the now-silent place where everyone else had gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Ryanga did not move a single step from in front of the World Tree and simply stared at the tombstone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…I don’t believe it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Very quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So faintly that no one could hear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Chief isn’t dead.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a voice filled with certainty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if the others hadn’t seen it, she had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that final moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chief hadn’t been consumed by the abyss that devoured all of Baarma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Purple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With something purple, he hadn’t died but disappeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others hadn’t believed it, but Ryanga believed what she saw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga recalled the final words Alon had spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice that suddenly echoed in her mind as he fell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Live righteously.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga clenched her fists tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From now on, that would be the goal of her life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It would become her justification.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chief was alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would return to her someday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So for that time—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To be acknowledged by Chief, to be told she had lived righteously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…To see that face once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She would keep on living.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……The noble-kin who devoured her own kind left Greynifra in the late hours of dawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“………”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the kingdom of Greynifra.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the only remaining high elf, an elf untainted by any curse, Magrina stared blankly at the ring placed beneath her desk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A ring of such a simple design, without any special patterns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, the reason Magrina kept staring at it endlessly— was because she knew it was the ring worn by Alon—no, her older brother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Why is this…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magrina dazedly recalled what happened earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment the ring suddenly bounced into the carriage as she returned to the capital.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘A man with blue eyes.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she hurriedly looked outside the carriage, the crowd was so large it was overwhelming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, among the crowd, Magrina immediately recognized him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The one who placed the ring inside the carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……Who in the world was he?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his entire body was thoroughly concealed, she saw it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those vivid blue eyes stared straight at her before vanishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Who could it be?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much she thought, she couldn’t find an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she couldn’t recall anyone with such deep blue eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magrina quietly lifted the ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how many times she checked, it was indeed the ring her brother had worn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Could Brother still be alive…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hope that rose in her without her realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon, she buried that hope deep within her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because she had seen it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Primordial Elf— her older brother, deep within the underground, saving the allied forces and meeting his end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a somber expression, Magrina grasped the ring on her desk and recalled the last words her brother had spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[You’ll be able to lead the elves well.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Words meant for her, even in his final moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling that voice, Magrina made a quiet vow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To follow his words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To follow them and lead the elves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To become a queen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The resolve she had engraved in her heart countless times, she engraved once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that very moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beside the shattered World Tree where Baarma had met his end, a lone figure silently stared at the place where Baarma’s corpse had once been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With jet-black, pitch-dark eyes, the figure stared into the massive hole where Baarma had perished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who had once been a disciple of Baarma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grinned—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, he let out a chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though the god he had believed in, the one with overwhelming power, was now dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though countless believers had fallen into despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He did not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No—there was no need to despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because someone even more worthy of his faith than Baarma had appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man recalled— the god who had turned the world into ice and painted the Milky Way across the ashen sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The god who, for someone like him who worshipped strength— was worth devoting his faith to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The great god who had made him forsake his faith in Baarma— he slowly raised his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Worship.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He worshipped quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the half-remaining black horn faintly revealed its form against the night sky.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>####\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I think… it’s finally complete now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hoo…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Penia’s oddly hesitant voice, Alon, who had collapsed powerlessly, looked out at the violet world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That world was recreated exactly the same as it had been before Alon fell long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Should we go out right away?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, since it’s properly stabilized now, it won’t shake as long as we don’t interfere with it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Then let’s rest a little.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon let out a deep sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head grew complicated, and he roughly scratched at his scalp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because of Rine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon recalled what he had seen before in Greynifra.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he discovered the Mother of Greed, who should not have been there, and felt something was off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...So that was why.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking to take a short rest, Alon soon stood back up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he had to undo Rine’s seal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he suddenly made a strange face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Where did the ring go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The oath ring that should have been on his finger had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’m sure I never took it off…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But for now, getting out of here came first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon turned his gaze to Penia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s go for now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, yes!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps sensing Alon’s foul mood, Penia quickly responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Alon began moving with her out the door, he calmly recalled the final moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment when he blocked the children who tried to save him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And left his final words with magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I hope the message got through…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he remembered each of the children’s faces, he thought of Ria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t recognized her at first, but as they spent more time together, he came to know her name was Historia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, he realized her identity immediately,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And left a message for her too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling the final moment lasted only briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Alon turned to Penia and asked, “When we were flung away, did we return to that point in time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mm—if my calculations are correct, yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Eventually, as they stepped outside, what came into view was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Seriously, you didn’t say a single proper goodbye, and now you leave like this… What does that make me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Evan’s very familiar back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wearing black armor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing before a very antique coffin, radiating deep sorrow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surrounding him were many others, mourning silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Duke of Altia and Count Zenonia, along with other nobles, were lined up and quietly paying their respects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even right beside the coffin, Yuman was murmuring a prayer while radiating divine power in all directions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“……”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Somehow, it felt like an atmosphere too solemn to disturb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of that, Alon froze where he stood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia, who followed after, also quickly grasped the situation and merely rolled her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Still, I must live on. It was a pleasure, Marquis… The money you left me… I’ll use it well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Evan said that with a sorrowful smile, referring to money Alon never actually left to him, the moment he turned around— Alon met his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“???”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan’s pupils instantly dilated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But before he could react—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Penia. She was a rude bastard, but she was still a good friend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“She was really rude… but yeah, a good friend…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…A good… friend… me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they talked, looking at the other coffin placed next to Alon’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What the hell did you just say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia suddenly muttered as she rolled her eyes and let out a hard ‘crack’ sound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in an instant, all eyes turned in one direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>““???””\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The heavy, solemn, sorrowful atmosphere— was suddenly filled with—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?????”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Utter confusion and stunned silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, for the first time, truly felt what a suffocating atmosphere was.\u003C\u002Fp>",2321,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.413Z",1,"novelbin.me","e6e314ccd3a1886b8abcbc49fb5bb132e5d7fd93a0b00b7d3b94e196ac04596a","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-250","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-248",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]