[{"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-370":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},759660,1006,"Chapter 370 : Consciousness Returned (2)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-370",370,"\u003Cp>During the night, while Yutia told her story, the unfortunate incident of Alon regaining control of his body did not occur.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he could have moved, he probably wouldn’t have.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least Yutia hadn’t spent the entire night just talking about herself—she had shared her memories with Alon, her voice calm and full of concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each time, she added little notes about how old she had been back then...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that wasn’t really a problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon simply realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That, deep down, Yutia was much more self-conscious about her age than she liked to admit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Wait, is that really how old she is?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon tried to estimate again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t thought much of it at first, but he’d always assumed Yutia was around twenty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, not much about her background was revealed in Psychedelia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only setting the game gave her was a bleak future, so Alon, who had pondered her age before, suddenly found himself wondering.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a major question, but…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she was really that old, then why—both in the game and in this world—did Yutia always appear as her younger self from ten years ago?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he pondered that in the dim haze of half-consciousness, a creaking sound came from the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Seolrang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her bright, cheerful voice was as lively as ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a single light step, she plopped herself down beside Alon’s bed and began rustling with something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was definitely up to something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm, kind of disappointing…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What was she doing?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, who could only move his thoughts but not his body, couldn’t tell for sure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the soft sliding sound near his arm made it clear she was fiddling with him somehow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a while—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Master, did you know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seolrang began to talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like Yutia, she spoke of old memories with Alon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The only difference was that, unlike Yutia, she didn’t bother mentioning her age.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time passed quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm-hmm~”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her voice, which had been animated just moments ago, grew softer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know what, Master? You liked me best.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She whispered into his ear like she was sharing a forbidden secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You did! You said I was the cutest! You hated that horned idiot kid, and the one who always did weird stuff with a straight face.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was slandering them now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Alon could move, he would’ve protested—What are you talking about?—but unfortunately, his body still refused to obey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They only act all clever around you to get attention! That horned brat? She waits for you to come out before pretending to bump into you by accident!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maybe she should stop with the false accusations…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Alon thought that, the image of Ryanga suddenly flashed through his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the vast marquis’ estate where paths rarely crossed, he somehow always ran into her whenever he left his office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that had been intentional…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ryanga…?’he thought blankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Seolrang had worked herself up, continuing her energetic campaign of slander about Ryanga and Historia’s “two-faced” personalities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway! That’s why you have to play with me the most, Master!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She laughed proudly, as if she had won something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So promise me, okay? When you wake up, you’ll play with me first.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her tone wavered slightly, her voice trembling to keep back a sob.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike before, there was a hint of heaviness in her words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon decided that when he woke up, he would give Seolrang the biggest head pat he could manage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence lingered for a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Okay, I’m going now~!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sitting quietly for a long time, Seolrang chirped brightly again and skipped out of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it didn’t stay quiet for long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmph—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, the one who entered was Ryanga.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What are you breathing so hard for?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Blue Ghost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga’s tone was cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I mean, why are you so tense when he’s unconscious?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up. He might be conscious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then doesn’t that mean you shouldn’t be saying that to me right now? He’s hearing everything, you kno~ow?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A loud whack! echoed through the room almost at the same time as Blue Ghost’s grumble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had turned up out of nowhere and started their usual skit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahem. Chief, they said it’s good to tell you memories, so I came. Honestly, ours aren’t exactly the happiest ones, though.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga let out an awkward laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon felt a heaviness settle over his chest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew Ryanga’s past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that their shared memories were born during her saddest days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… it’s been a while.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as if the sadness didn’t bother her anymore, Ryanga calmly began to speak about the day they first met.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Alon had saved her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she gathered allies to escape from Baarma.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When they fled desperately and finally shook off the enemy army to return to their village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When she cried and begged Alon to kill Baarma, and he, unsure of what to say, could only nod in silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you remember? You promised me back then… you said I looked pretty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Alon? Saying she looked pretty?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A question rose in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did that really happen?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you said we’d talk about it properly once everything was over, remember?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Ryanga went on, Alon’s confusion deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had never said that to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, he couldn’t have.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga might look like an adult now, but back then she was just a child—barely waist-high to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he really had said something like that then…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter how he looked at it, it spelled nothing but disaster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ryanga… what in the world are you talking about…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted desperately to protest, but his body still refused to move, leaving him dizzy with helplessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“D-Does it mean anything if you’re stuttering like that while talking?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-What?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue Ghost, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly threw out a remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga, startled, reacted in confusion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blue Ghost let out a long sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re going to make something up, at least make it bold. What is this, a children’s fairy tale?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, Blue Ghost could not finish his sentence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He clicked his tongue in disdain, and then—crash!—an earth-shaking sound erupted, followed by complete silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And thirty minutes after that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please… be a little more careful?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I-I’m sorry…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though her tone floated lightly, even Alon could feel the chilling murderous intent emanating from Yutia’s voice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ryanga offered his apology(?), and with that, the room returned to silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then another day passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Marquis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ones who entered the room were Deus and Radan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the previous visitors, Deus began to speak of memories with Alon in a slightly subdued tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan did the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worried they might start fabricating things like Ryanga had, Alon listened with unintentional tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, their stories were nothing more than pure memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time Alon let out a sigh of relief—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“While you have been bedridden, the situation has slowly begun to stabilize.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deus abruptly shifted from reminiscing to current affairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was exactly the kind of update Alon had been waiting for, and he focused his attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through Deus, Alon was quickly able to understand the present situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The fall of Ashtalon… and monsters…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The news Deus conveyed was not exactly pleasant from Alon’s perspective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he had already expected the fall of Ashtalon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since Eliban had killed several key nobles and the capital had been destroyed, it was clear the kingdom could not continue functioning as a proper kingdom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What he had not expected were the monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Ever since the Milky Way fell, the number of monsters has skyrocketed exponentially—huh.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what Deus described, it didn’t seem like a simple increase—it was likely far more serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon wanted to hear more about that, but unfortunately, there wasn’t much detailed information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, what he heard was—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Marquis, as soon as you awaken, we will prepare a new statue in honor of the man who saved the Allied Kingdoms. After all, you love statues.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what he said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Did I ever say I liked statues that much?’Alon thought, baffled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Deus was relentless, as if intent on brainwashing Alon into loving statues, and delivered a passionate speech for nearly thirty minutes before leaving.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few days after Deus and Radan left the room—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During that time, Alon received countless visitors while only his consciousness was awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And over those few days, Alon gradually began to understand what each person who visited him actually wanted from him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, the first to visit after they left was Sili.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She said, “I’ve completed all preparations for when you awaken,” and brought a new holy scripture titled The Great Divine Epic, which she proceeded to read aloud to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally, nearly everything in it was completely unfamiliar to Alon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It made him wonder whether she truly believed it, or simply wanted Alon to believe it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next was Penia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She came in and told Alon that he had always cherished and respected her deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for Evan, he said he had voluntarily cut his rightful salary in half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the moment Alon heard that, he decided he would cut Evan’s salary to one-fourth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others like Nangwon and Historia also came.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nangwon quietly shared memories and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Historia simply said, “Get well soon,” in a straightforward tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And today—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time Alon’s body had fully recovered, his ability to move slowly returning—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re awake.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing that voice, Alon naturally opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There, smiling against the darkened window backdrop, stood Rine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How did you know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t shown any signs at all, yet she noticed immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Alon asked in surprise, she let out a soft laugh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm—intuition?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Intuition?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that strange?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Coming from you, yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rine smiled gently and gave the real answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The truth is, I already knew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Knew… when I would wake up?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. With fairly accurate timing, too. That’s why I’ve been waiting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Why?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because I wanted to be the first face you saw.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her playful remark, delivered with a serene smile, Alon couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he tilted his head slightly in curiosity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because just a few days earlier, Rine had told others that it wasn’t certain when Alon would awaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Godfather. May I ask you something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Alon could ask his own question, Rine spoke first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon reflexively nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Between someone who acts with a clear conscience and someone who acts without one—who do you prefer more?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She asked calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon blinked, caught off guard by the sudden question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Rine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You didn’t only know when I’d wake up, did you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked into her eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who knows~?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her smile, which had never once faded, deepened even further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, there was a hint of mischief in it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In any case, welcome back, Godfather.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At her words of welcome—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon responded with a smile that rose naturally to his face.\u003C\u002Fp>",1826,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.413Z",1,"novelbin.me","f5f05b5f54626414996e9173ed27df3f909de17a129d66aff0bd3946b7e9aaf5","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-371","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-369",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]