[{"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-350":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},759790,1006,"Chapter 350 : Voting (5)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-350",350,"\u003Cp>“It’s really fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, this strange dispute was settled with Alon desperately blocking the wallets of the princes who wanted to sponsor him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Alon’s feelings after fending off their support were nothing short of perplexing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…No, something’s off here.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon had done everything he could to stop the sponsorship from the princes and princesses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the end, he managed to block it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, from Alon’s perspective, being sponsored wasn’t exactly a bad thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t something worth reaching out his hand for either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On top of that—what if he accepted their sponsorship, only to be forced later to grant all sorts of favors under that pretext?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That would be a headache in its own right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, with that reasoning, he refused their support.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, looking at it more simply—Alon would have benefitted from receiving it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And conversely, they would’ve profited by not giving it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, providing sponsorship in a place with no commercial value whatsoever?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such sponsorship could hardly hold any meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, that must be the case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon recalled the expressions of the nobles who had been watching him earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every one of those faces had been filled with hostility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Evan’s voice reached his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So the marquis was the one trying to draw in sponsorship, and they were the ones refusing, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon answered without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The opposite, Evan. I was the one trying to block it, and they were the ones insisting on sponsoring.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, so I wasn’t mistaken after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But why on earth would they want to sponsor you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be so troubled.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon pondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Why had the princes and princesses looked at him with such betrayed expressions?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, roughly speaking, maybe they thought by pouring in money they could use this place like a mercenary company or something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that… possible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, I only said it in passing. This place isn’t a mercenary band, so it doesn’t really fit. Which means there’s only one other explanation left.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And what would that be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That the knight who introduced this place talked it up so well, he managed to charm them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon stroked his chin with a thoughtful hum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do we have here in Divine Land?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… let’s see. A barracks, maybe?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Another barracks, perhaps?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A rather large barracks?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides barracks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right, just being persuasive doesn’t explain much after all.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan nodded as if he understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon shrugged lightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever their expressions had meant—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bottom line was that he had achieved his goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I openly revealed all our shortcomings, so suspicion of us starting a war should be cleared away.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the situation was unfolding completely differently from what he intended—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unaware of that, Alon felt satisfied and said to Evan,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evan, later, see that Seamus gets some personal reward.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Seamus—?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The knight who introduced Divine Land this time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, understood. I’ll make sure it’s taken care of before we leave. By the way, once we head back, the day isn’t far off, is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The day?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. After we return, there’ll only be about a week left, won’t there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Alon nod, as if just realizing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now that you mention it… how is the voting going?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The voting, you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Didn’t you say there were all sorts of things happening?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Evan fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you thinking so hard about? Choosing your words?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, not choosing—just that there’s so much to explain, I don’t know where to start. That’s how it feels.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve been here a little over two weeks… but really, just two weeks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And you’re saying in just two weeks, that much has piled up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More than you’d expect.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now you’ve got me even more curious. Just give me the short version, whatever comes to mind first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan organized his thoughts for a moment before speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, Yutia and Rine formed a union.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then Seolrang and Magrina united. After that, Ryanga joined Yutia, only to declare independence and pull out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then Historia teamed up with Magrina, who had stabbed Seolrang in the back, and with Rine, who had betrayed Yutia. But that union dissolved too. And then—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening quietly, Alon felt his head spin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He covered his eyes with his palm and let out a low groan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Am I hearing about a partner vote right now?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then why does it sound like political alliances instead?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, my lord, I only pass along the information I hear. How should I know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Fair enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was natural Evan didn’t know the details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But why in the world were terms like “unification” popping up in what was supposed to be a partner vote—words Alon associated with the world he came from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Alon puzzled over it, Evan, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But there’s one thing I know for certain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And what’s that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My lord has no intention of returning right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know me well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shall we slow down a little?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon immediately nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was autumn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Duchess Altia regularly paid a significant amount of money to the Information Guild and received intelligence at set intervals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there were times when the quality of information didn’t measure up to the money she paid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even so, Altia had never once thought the expense was a waste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To her, information was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Like hidden gold that, depending on how you used it, could create overwhelming value.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at present—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had gathered an immense stockpile of information she could use.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though she was clearly accumulating it, she found herself unable to use it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, to be exact—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was more accurate to say the information was being used before she herself could make use of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Duchess, here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altia blankly stared at the bundle of papers her secretary handed her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At a glance, it was easily dozens of pages thick.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She silently read the phrase written at the very top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yutia Bloodia at least 2,800 years old, territory residents ‘shocked’]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just the content, but the words were painted in striking red to catch the eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a flyer clearly distributed with the intent to tear down Yutia Bloodia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altia naturally turned to the next page.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yutia issues statement calling it “utter nonsense,” territory residents ‘relieved’]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Babayaga Seolrang once endangered Marquis Palatio, residents ‘aghast’]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Leader of the Four Great Powers’ Hundred Ghosts declares, “Marquis Palatio is our Chief,” residents ‘scandalized’]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Magrina, when asked about being over 600 years old, counters, “In human years, I’d be about twenty,” residents ‘puzzled’]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Residents vanish—is this the petty work of a jealous elf? Public ‘horrified’]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each page she turned revealed another dizzying remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the volume of flyers spread throughout the territory in just four days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s more, each flyer wasn’t a single sheet but nearly hundreds of copies flooding the land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The territory was, quite literally, saturated with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why do all these end with words like ‘relieved’ or ‘aghast’…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry, Duchess. That part I don’t know.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to apologize. I didn’t ask expecting an answer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altia let out a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…This is only three days’ worth, isn’t it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, that’s correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In only three days, dozens of different flyers circulated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, the partner candidates formed alliances, betrayed each other, and repeated the cycle endlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As she thought about this utter chaos, Altia began to feel something instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Should I really be part of this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it wasn’t that Altia wasn’t serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment she received the letter and decided to come to the marquisate, she had prepared herself wholeheartedly for this battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was one thing she had overlooked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The partners were far more earnest than she had imagined.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, not just earnest—they were deadly serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altia quietly looked out the window of her residence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The hour had already fallen into darkness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, the scenery outside should have been nothing but dim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yes, darkness was what she should have seen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altia’s eyes caught deep blue-golden flashes streaking across the distance, golden halos scattering in every direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sacred light unmistakably radiated from the Rosario Martyrs, filling her vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From all over the territory came the sounds of explosions, large and small.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above all—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Historia? Didn’t I tell you? In human years, I’m only twenty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, except you’re still over six hundred.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And older than me, too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So what you’re saying is… let’s settle this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Magrina exhaled crimson magic so fierce it made Altia’s skin crawl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you can.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historia replied casually, drawing a blade taller than herself with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Altia even realized it, both had vanished with a tremendous boom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was nothing new.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every night, without fail, the marquis’ estate was plunged into chaos like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altia gazed blankly out at the madness beyond the window and wondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Am I really supposed to be part of something this inhuman?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She forcibly clutched at her fading confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Yes, I knew from the beginning this would be difficult.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had expected the challenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, not to this extreme—but she refused to quit without trying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Now that I’ve grasped the general situation, from here—’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Altia tried to steel herself again—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BOOOOM!!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The window of her room shattered as someone crashed into the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altia stared in shock at the intruder lodged in the rubble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the cloud of dust, she saw Seolrang clenching her teeth as she forced herself upright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rine, you’re old too!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She shouted indignantly, then transformed into radiant golden light and disappeared once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Altia could only stare blankly at her retreating figure before surveying the wrecked room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a while—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She sat in silence, listening to the sounds of countless battles raging across the territory, her room a shambles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Enough.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, her resolve broke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And some time later—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis, isn’t arriving the night before the vote a bit too late?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There were… matters to attend to.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Matters, you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Magical research is a matter of great importance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voting to select Alon’s partner had begun.\u003C\u002Fp>",1700,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","2c9a2f838bccc6321ea799e10ff924c30a084e5a5fc55171c2c2a455f65c2392","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-51","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-349",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]