[{"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-285":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},759575,1006,"Chapter 285 : Treatment (4)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-285",285,"\u003Cp>With a tremendous roar, the mountain collapsed, reverting everything to a state as if nothing had ever existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It happened so quickly that not even a scream could escape.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Unbelievable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the silence that followed, Evan’s mutter echoed in everyone’s ears like a thunderclap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet no one present could easily deny Evan’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were several reasons for that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some, like Evan, were awestruck by the phenomenon Ria had caused, but Alon was shocked for a completely different reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The mana… I didn’t see it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon was a mage, and also a fifth-tier mage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That meant ever since his first battle with the Apostles, he had been able to visually trace the remnants of mana.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, even so, he couldn’t see a trace of mana in Historia’s sword strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if she hadn’t used mana at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he turned to look at Penia, she wore the same expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A look that said, “How did she do that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even for a swordsman, using mana was a given.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Alon stood there confused by the unanswered question, he suddenly felt a soft touch around his waist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Historia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s over. Let’s go.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historia showed no sign of exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at her, Alon found himself falling into yet another question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘She’s stronger than I thought...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon had known that Historia was strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, she was one of the seven strongest in Psychedelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the strength she had just shown was far beyond what he had expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Alon stared at her, Historia tilted her head slightly, twitched her ears, and gently unwrapped her tail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll be right back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where to?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s still someone left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...In there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon glanced at the valley where the dust was beginning to settle—though now, it was so shattered that it could hardly be called a valley anymore—and followed Historia down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, they found a man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A man whose mangled body was pinned beneath a massive pile of rocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Alon was horrified by the sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s lower body had been completely crushed under a boulder many times the size of a grown man and was completely gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t what shocked Alon the most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Martyr of All Things?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Martyr of All Things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was the leader of the Martyrs—those who willingly sacrificed themselves—and if left unchecked in Psychedelia, he would eventually awaken as a bizarre entity known as the “Starvation of All Things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was who this man truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gahk—!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick, dark red blood burst from the martyr’s mouth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was on the very brink of death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no pity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Martyrs were a fanatical, cruel group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would commit mass murder without hesitation if necessary, offering up victims in sacrifice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would even burn newborns alive if they saw it as necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, separate from that revulsion, a question filled Alon’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It wouldn’t be strange for a Martyr to be here, but the Martyr of All Things... that’s odd.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was fully aware that the original storyline had been twisted more than once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he also knew that the future he once knew was now completely different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, even taking all that into account, it made no sense for the Martyr of All Things—who should have been in the Allied Kingdom—to be here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he tilted his head in confusion—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Damn it—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man who had been spitting up black blood now looked up with resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it weren’t for those blue eyes...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint voice, full of hatred and grief, trailed off into an ashen tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s still hope—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with that, his last words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he could finish his resentful muttering, the Martyr of All Things died completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, who had been blankly staring down at him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Blue… eyes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quietly repeated the words he had heard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dispatching the Martyrs so swiftly, Historia and the others moved straight toward the High Lord.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it’s not that she didn’t use mana, but that she condensed it to the extreme? And managed to control that purely through technique...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Amazing...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon quietly watched Historia explaining her sword techniques to Penia at her request (or rather, insistence).\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That beastkin named Historia—she’s someone you said you met in the past, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan, sitting beside him, asked in a low voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well... yeah. Why do you ask?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan gave a strange look and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s just that I’ve seen some of the people you said you met in the past a few times now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But doesn’t she feel… not as dramatic as the others?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I get what you mean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people Alon had reunited with so far may not have all been melodramatic, but there was usually some emotional depth to their encounters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But still, isn’t this about the level you’d expect from seeing someone after a long time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I mean... it’s been 700 years. Shouldn’t there be something more? I mean, I did see her wrap you with her tail, but still.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Yeah?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Evan’s words, Alon simply shrugged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, Historia’s always been like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon recalled the Historia of the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had never been very talkative to begin with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when he saved her, aside from a fleeting smile, she was mostly expressionless, and even when she was with others, it was hard to tell what she was thinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Hmm... Still, meeting again after 700 years and brushing past it like that feels a bit shallow.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, unlike with Magrina or Nangwon, he hadn’t had much of a conversation with Historia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...No, maybe it’s more accurate to say he couldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Historia has always been a one-word answer kind of person.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when spoken to, it was rare for her to respond with more than three sentences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So maybe that’s why it felt like they hadn’t had a real conversation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon didn’t particularly try to have a long conversation with Historia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he knew that, even without doing so, there was no awkwardness between them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Time to get some sleep.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After watching Penia and Historia for a while, Alon said this and lay down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before they knew it, it was the middle of the night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia, who had been lying with a visibly uncomfortable expression, let out a soft groan and held her lower back as she sat up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This sleeping arrangement is awful.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Penia had traveled to many places as the vice-tower master of the Blue Mage Tower, sleeping outdoors like this was rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it wasn’t as if she had no experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During wartime travels... it had been inevitable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That time, when she had crossed into the past with Alon, even a carriage was a luxury—they had to sleep on the bare ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, it didn’t make it any easier to get used to.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While looking around at the peacefully sleeping party with a face full of discomfort,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She soon realized that Radan and Historia were not in their spots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia felt a moment of curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She instinctively scattered a small amount of mana to catch the faint voices from beyond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she carefully walked in that direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a short walk, she found Radan and Historia, who should’ve been asleep, standing there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let me give you a bit of advice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t get too close to the marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia felt a strange sense of déjà vu from the way Radan was issuing such a serious warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Where have I seen this before?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia struggled to recall the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I said don’t. Just don’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......Because you’re not right for him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she stared blankly at Radan, who suddenly clammed up as if he couldn’t reason with her anymore, Penia finally realized where she had seen this before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This is exactly like that scene... isn’t it?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A romance novel she had once read out of curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a classic commoner-meets-noble story, which was precisely why it had been so popular.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that novel, a noblewoman—having realized her son was in love—threatened the commoner heroine by saying, “My son isn’t meant for someone like you, so disappear!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This moment was extremely similar to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference was that Radan was now in the noblewoman’s role.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘He’s... kind of serious about this.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia found herself wondering why Radan was giving such a “warning” to Historia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how deeply he cared for Alon, this seemed overboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deep in thought over this bizarre situation, Penia considered a possibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Could it be?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She thought of a plausible reason why Radan had called Historia out just to give this advice-disguised-as-a-warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Does he like Historia?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia recalled something from not long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since Historia showed up in front of Alon, Radan had become unusually quiet and kept following her with his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Come to think of it, Radan had changed a bit since then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘When it was just us, he was really cheerful, but after Historia joined us, he became oddly quiet. He even had that uneasy look whenever she was near the marquis.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her theory, which had started with an “I wonder,” now seemed to make more and more sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, Penia’s mouth fell open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, it wasn’t Historia’s proximity to Alon that unsettled Radan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the ominously glowing brooch on Alon’s chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no way Penia could have known that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Listen to me. If you stay near him, nothing good will come of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t want to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she eavesdropped on Radan and Historia’s conversation, Penia naturally began forming a plan in her head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A plan to help Radan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...More specifically, A perfect plan to help Radan and, in return, gain full access to study the relic he possessed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Radan could say anything more, Historia turned her body and disappeared without a word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is bad....”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan groaned and clutched his head like it was pounding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia held back a wicked smile from leaking out and tiptoed away like a sneaky little cat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the next day—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just trust me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t need to look at me like that. I know everything. Hehehe~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly rushing up to Radan’s side, Penia made a dramatic entrance with a mysterious smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘...Did she eat something weird yesterday?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan was bewildered inside but subtly turned away from Penia’s unnerving gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then, after about two weeks had passed—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’re here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ooh~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon and his party had finally arrived at Sunju, the capital of the Eastern Nation.\u003C\u002Fp>",1759,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","8f044460a2ba1bf7135cfd901af22191ab59b980ebf0f552e67907c3e7527013","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-286","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-284",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]