[{"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-289":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},759579,1006,"Chapter 289 : Treatment (8)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-289",289,"\u003Cp>Birang stared blankly ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What filled his vision was the bloodfire, which continued to spread even at that very moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A monotonous sound echoed repeatedly in his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some soft.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But regardless, monsters and soldiers alike collapsed as they drew bloodfire with their lives as the price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid them, a woman came into view.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her blood-soaked white hair glowed in the setting sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next were her emotionless eyes entering his field of vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And finally—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The five severed heads clutched in her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>.....Ah.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A faint sigh escaped Birang’s lips.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was it because he felt cruelty in the five heads held in her hand, whose eyes hadn't even fully closed?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That couldn’t be—he had already sacrificed too many for this plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason for his sigh—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because the heads held in the hands of the Great Race included a face he recognized all too well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Among them, the one in the center was a face he could never forget.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Is it really possible?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Do not worry, Your Highness. Even if she is of the Great Race, she will not withstand our joint assault.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Aren’t you underestimating her too much? She’s of the Great Race. That monster can split a mountain with a single blow.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I am aware of that. But please don’t worry—if you knew how much we’ve prepared to deal with her, you’d be surprised. We've even prepared the Grand Sealing True Talisman.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The Grand Sealing True Talisman...? You mean that cursed object said to have sealed even the spiritual beasts of Mount Tai?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘That’s right. Even a member of the Great Race can’t do anything once sealed by the Sealing Talisman... I'm sure you know what that means.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang’s mind wandered back to the conversation he had with Cheonga a few days ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along with it came a memory from his childhood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first thing that came to mind—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was a massive spirit beast in the form of a serpent, large enough to coil around an entire mountain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And next—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Was the Grand Sealing True Talisman that effortlessly sealed such a colossal snake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Birang had felt assured after his talk with Cheonga.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how powerful the Great Race, if completely sealed, they would never be able to defeat Cheonga and the other generals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang stared blankly at Cheonga’s face—no, the severed head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dazed expression frozen on his face suggested he hadn’t even realized what had happened to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Could it be that the plan had gone awry, and that’s why things had ended like this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang soon shook off that thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The overwhelming wave of blue mana flowing from the Great Race clearly revealed what had transpired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheonga had succeeded in executing the plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, he definitely had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had used the Grand Sealing True Talisman capable of sealing even a mountain-sized spirit beast, and the traps they'd prepared had also triggered properly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet despite that, the Grand General had been defeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even then, he hadn’t realized how or by what he had lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This doesn’t make any sense…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang burst into a laugh filled with despair and began stumbling backward, his body shaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Slowly, fear began to consume his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Historia lifted her sword without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aaaaaagh!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at that moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait! Please wait a moment~!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang, who had been blankly watching until now, stepped forward to stop Historia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s attention turned to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still bound by the soldiers,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lady Historia, I beg of you. Please, I beg you to forgive my foolish son...!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He bowed low in desperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A plea unthinkable from a king who had just faced rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon and his group, watching the scene, wore expressions of disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historia stared at Urang with a blank face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And among them, the first to speak was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I—I was foolish! I'm truly sorry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just moments ago, consumed by ambition, Birang now prostrated himself on the ground, smashing his head into the floor in desperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As though there was no other chance to live, he slammed his forehead again and again onto the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The floor began to stain with blood, and grotesque scars formed on his forehead, but Birang didn’t stop pleading.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he knew—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the only way he might survive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why, as he desperately bowed over and over—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Raise your head.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Historia’s emotionless command, Birang let out an involuntary grin as he stared at the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The joy of survival burned hot through his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he couldn’t let that be seen—so as he tried to force out tears and lift his head—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Birang sensed something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was clearly looking at the face of the Great Race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, no matter how far back he tilted his head, he couldn’t see her face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, his gaze kept lowering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how high he craned his neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how much he tried to look up—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t see the face of the Great Race.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you keep your head bowed like that, it’s hard to swing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With those final words, Birang’s consciousness was swallowed by the abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The very next day, after Historia killed First Prince Birang without hesitation\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And, within less than a day, eliminated all major figures behind the rebellion—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid a very chaotic atmosphere, Alon began preparing to leave the Eastern Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Truthfully, he wanted to speak with Urang before departing, but unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had only been a day since the rebellion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The palace was in utter chaos, and Urang had failed to contain it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But seriously, why did he try to spare a guy like that? Is it that whole 'a father can’t abandon his son' thing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re so emotionally pure.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That was random.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not random—because of what you just said.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it true though?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You really think the king tried to stop her because he was worried about his son?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t he?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Alon was packing, he heard Evan and Penia talking nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course not. Isn’t it obvious? He needed a public example.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“An example?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah. If a rebellion happened and the king couldn’t deal with it himself, instead relying on outsiders, what kind of rumors would that spark?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if he hadn’t done that, wouldn’t he have just ended up getting killed by his own son?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the time Historia showed up, that possibility was already gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he'd spared Birang temporarily and later executed him publicly, it would’ve at least given the illusion that the king still held power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Penia finished explaining and shrugged her shoulders—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re... actually pretty smart, huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan murmured in mild amazement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not ‘actually.’ I’m always smart, okay!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia snapped back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their conversation echoed like background noise as Alon approached the palace gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sir.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Historia.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if she had been waiting, Alon encountered Historia standing in front of the palace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did everything go well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right after stopping the rebellion yesterday, she had disappeared for a bit saying she had something to take care of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Alon’s question, she nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, it’s done. And here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She handed Alon a small jewel box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A gift.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A gift?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a blank expression, she nodded once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why give this to me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because I got it to give to the Divine One.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, I can’t meet the Divine One empty-handed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that answer, Alon finally realized why Historia had come to the Eastern Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...So you came all this way just to get a gift?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of all the treasures I know, this is the most precious one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historia’s words were as pure as those of a child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To that, Alon responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you. Truly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He expressed his gratitude and tightly gripped the blue jewel box.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historia’s tail began to sway gently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not going to open it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The fact that I received a gift is more important than the contents.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Alon’s words, Historia’s tail wagged even faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike her blank face, the emotions revealed through her tail made Alon smile inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He asked her, “Historia, are you planning to leave the Eastern Kingdom now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s go together.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is something still left to be done?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historia nodded right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You go ahead. I’ll finish up what’s left and follow right after.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll wait at the same place as before.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to wait. I’ll be quick.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that promise, Alon left the Eastern Kingdom first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Alon left the palace, Historia entered and met with Urang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve arrived.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang bowed politely as Historia entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you want to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Historia, completely uninterested in his courtesy, showed no change in expression or tone as she flatly asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had only come because of Urang’s request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Normally, she would have ignored him completely, but since she had received a royal treasure of the Eastern Kingdom, she accepted the request.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Historia stood still, Urang bowed again and got to the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I called you to express my thanks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thanks for what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There were none beyond Cheonga and the martyrs included in our contract.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he said was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Historia arrived, Urang had only asked two things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was to kill General Cheonga.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was to kill the martyrs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anything beyond that was not Historia’s concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you so much for thinking of the Eastern Kingdom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang expressed his gratitude sincerely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as Historia stared at him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s not it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Excuse me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She replied bluntly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang’s face turned blank in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It wasn’t because I cared about the Eastern Kingdom.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her words echoed clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Urang could even ask further in confusion, Historia spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He pointed a sword at the Divine One.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the only reason, she muttered quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she asked Urang, “Is that all you wanted to say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah? Y-Yes, that’s it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snapping back to himself, Urang quickly answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he did, Historia turned and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang stared at the door for a while, then collapsed into his seat and recalled what had happened the day before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment when he had begged for Birang’s life to be spared, hoping to make the aftermath a little easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Historia had looked down at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Urang recalled, there had been no emotion in those eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only the sense that she was judging something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang had thought it was about the future of the Eastern Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it would be better for her to kill Birang now, or let him live and deal with him later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had been wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn’t care about that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the Eastern Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not Birang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, those eyes had been judging Urang himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging whether Urang was involved with Birang in targeting Marquis Palatio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And therefore—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether she would kill Urang along with Birang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang felt chills run from the top of his head to the tips of his toes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The realization that death had brushed past him without him knowing filled him with immeasurable dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang pulled himself together once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, Marquis Palatio had once been a benefactor of the old Eastern Kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But put another way, he was just someone from the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang would treat him with respect, but no deeper feelings were involved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in that moment, Urang was certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must never make an enemy of his former benefactor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because now he knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That the Marquis had someone by his side who could, without hesitation, turn an entire kingdom into an enemy just because someone dared oppose him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Urang let out a long sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...His head throbbed.\u003C\u002Fp>",1943,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","2ed2c6562872d2443fef53549aac155262871e93d5096919b6d73217bb9a1557","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-290","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-288",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]