[{"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-384":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},759674,1006,"Chapter 384 : Magic (4)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-384",384,"\u003Cp>“I think that’s about everything sorted out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia stared at the documents with tired eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon rolled his stiff neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had spent almost an entire week on this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, Penia, and Evan had devoted nearly all their time to establishing order in Divine Land.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew, that was exhausting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan sighed lightly as he spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia gave him a look of disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t really have a reason to be tired, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? I’ve been racking my brain beside you two all week!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What good is that if nothing you said was actually useful?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, just giving opinions helps more than you think!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How does that even help?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because someone would’ve said it anyway.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I doubt anyone would’ve said something like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tsk, tsk. This is why people without real-world experience—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Penia’s jab, Evan clicked his tongue and shook his head defiantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon leaned back in his chair, watching the two go at it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha? I’m pretty sure I know more about social life than you do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You? More than me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah! You seem to forget because I’m here, but I’m the Vice Tower Master of the Blue Tower, you know!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Being a Vice Tower Master doesn’t mean you’re good at socializing. Throwing your weight around from above doesn’t count as social skill. You don’t even have friends, do you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I do have friends!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia snapped a little too quickly, forcing an awkward smile as if scratched in pride.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ll be surprised! My friends are way more impressive than yours!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah? Like who?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The princess of Raksas!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The princess?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes! She was my fellow magic student.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan nodded with a mildly impressed “ho~.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia sniffed proudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Alon wondered why that was something to brag about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And, who else?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan’s next question—no, attack—made Penia’s confident smile freeze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh—well, that’s, um...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She mumbled, eyes darting everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan’s face slowly went blank in disbelief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia, however, still couldn’t find any words and kept glancing around helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Alon realized why Penia had been so proud of that single princess friend, and the room fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, anyway! That’s not the point—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t change the subject!!!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan raised a finger, and Penia instantly shouted back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the inevitable bickering resumed, a voice suddenly echoed from within Alon’s wineglass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmph. I can’t understand why you’d waste this much time just to manage believers.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then how would you manage them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Isn’t it obvious? Through fear.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Basiliora spoke as if it were the simplest thing in the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering that Basiliora was once the deity worshiped in place of Kalannon, the lightning-bearer, Alon shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, faith could be gathered through fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even knew beings in the past who had done exactly that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he had no intention of following that path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That method wasn’t what he wanted in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above all, unless he planned to conquer the entire continent, he understood that ruling through fear was ultimately the work of the unwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That doesn’t sound like a very good idea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He answered calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmph—only because your heart’s too soft for your own good.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Basiliora grumbled under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet even in his tone, there was a trace of trust toward Alon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching Penia and Evan continue their fiery argument—a sight that now almost felt endearing—Alon rose from his seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The affairs in Divine Land were finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time to head to Rosario.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Graaah! I’m going to rip all your hair out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’ve got the temper of a demon!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, though, he had to stop those two.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a faint sigh, Alon felt the peace of his everyday life—still intact, for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was winter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon moved exactly the next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm—there’s still a lot left to do.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the window, winter had stripped the trees bare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Penia’s comment, Alon glanced her way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Left to do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I only took care of the urgent matters since you said we needed to go to Rosario, but there’s still plenty remaining.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon nodded slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, as she said, while the Divine Land matters were mostly handled, there was still a great deal left to consider.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Declaring a kingdom, for instance, would require carefully wording the royal proclamation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even though Divine Land had plenty of knights, a kingdom wasn’t built on soldiers alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What truly made a kingdom was its people—its citizens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without citizens, there could be no kingdom at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Well, I did ask Sili to take care of that, but still…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Sili had managed to gather countless followers by herself so far, it was impossible to amass a population large enough to be called a nation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Impossible… right?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yeah, most likely impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon stopped his racing thoughts and spoke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s still a lot to handle outside of Divine Land.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, and on top of that—there’s magic, the Tower, Terea, and even Fildagreen you need to visit, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There were not only problems to solve but also many places to go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I’ll have to handle everything in one go soon.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached that conclusion in his mind, but then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and you remember, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Remember what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That person called ‘Footsteps of the Past’—Kylrus, wasn’t it? You still have to meet him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon let out a quiet hum.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d meant to visit Kylrus as soon as his memories returned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Divine Land workload had delayed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the saying went, strike while the iron is hot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He decided to act immediately—using Footsteps of the Past, he entered his inner world to meet Kylrus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s been a while.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He greeted Kylrus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alon couldn’t respond as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What… is this place?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The inner world he entered after so long looked completely different from before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No, calling it a “scenery” wasn’t even accurate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where he stood, there was nothing—just pitch-black emptiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it wasn’t the kind of darkness found in a lightless abyss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the surroundings were dark, Kylrus’s figure was clearly visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid that strange contradiction, Alon asked, and Kylrus replied in a casual tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re asking the obvious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This… is my inner world?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Can an inner world change like this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Normally, an inner world doesn’t change unless there’s a massive emotional shift or trauma.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“............Then the reason mine changed—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“—would be because you experienced some sort of emotional shock or trauma.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He added quietly, “Though I have no idea what kind of trauma it could be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gazing at the abyss-like surroundings, he asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, what happened?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon calmly recounted everything that had occurred so far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How Eliban became the Sin of Wrath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The burden he carried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words he had spoken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And finally, the meeting with Blue Eyes that followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening to Alon’s long, composed account,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus let out a dry chuckle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s wrong?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now that I’ve heard your whole story, I can’t help but feel ridiculous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At his reaction, Alon stayed silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t surprising that Kylrus would feel that way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was, after all, a sorcerer who had once tried to become a god—even if it meant turning into a goblin—to fight against sin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Alon’s story would have shaken anyone’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Alon quietly watched him, Kylrus exhaled and steadied his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t plan on being haunted by what’s already over. Though, I’ll admit—it’s a shame I never got my revenge myself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway,” Kylrus continued, “back to the main point. From what you’ve said, I can understand how your emotions might’ve shifted. But I still don’t understand why your inner world looks like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swept his gaze across the pitch-black void, then gave Alon a curious look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Judging by what you told me and what I see now, your thoughts don’t seem extreme or unstable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So in the end, you don’t know why my inner world changed like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right. If I had to guess, it’s probably because you became that ‘Divine Blood’ or whatever you called it. But I’m sure that’s something you’ve already considered yourself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus glanced away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In any case, training won’t be possible until this mental realm stabilizes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why not?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Isn’t it obvious? You can’t use power properly in a world that’s changed like this.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I can’t use it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon furrowed his brow and tried to channel magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Kylrus said, no magic formed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm. I thought you might still be able to, but I guess not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kylrus shrugged as Alon’s expression froze in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, until you find a way to restore this inner world—at least partially—to what it was, training is off the table.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, their conversation ended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While Alon was meeting with Kylrus and making his way toward Rosario, in Divine Land—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm… this might be a bit difficult, don’t you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three people sat in the office, discussing the issue with serious expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I agree,” Ryanga said first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deus nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Same here,” Historia added calmly from her seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reason for their meeting was simple—the latest directive from Marquis Palatio.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Or, more precisely, a “If possible, try to do this” kind of suggestion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, we can’t just sit around doing nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I agree. If it’s the Marquis’s words, we must act.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their faces were filled with determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To them, the Marquis’s orders were as good as law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were eager to fulfill them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, enthusiasm didn’t make the task any easier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So… how do we gather citizens?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For these three, coming up with a way to gather “citizens” was a nearly impossible problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if anyone else were here, they’d be just as speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Naturally so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>there was nothing to start with, yet they were expected to gather a population large enough to be called “citizens.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have an idea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“!? Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Disarm the soldiers and make them citizens.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Didn’t we already try that and fail?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So much for that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as they were tossing around ideas—if one could call them that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone’s here, I see.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sili entered the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had left Divine Land a few days ago to take care of some personal tasks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sili, you’re back. I trust there were no issues?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, brother. I just had some errands to run while preparing a little ‘gift.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it ready?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not yet. It’ll take some time to make, but it should be finished well before the proclamation day. Anyway, what are you all discussing?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deus naturally filled her in on Alon’s directive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After listening for a while, Sili tilted her head slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, that’s simple.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Simple?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. I don’t think it’ll be difficult.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gathering that many citizens?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sili smiled brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, Ryanga and Deus exchanged uneasy glances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They already knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sili had a tendency to do utterly insane things—with a cheerful smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Sili.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, brother?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not planning anything… coercive, are you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deus asked carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sili smiled even more sweetly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, of course not. He wouldn’t like any forceful methods, so why would I use them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm. I thought as much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. It won’t be forced.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not exactly forced.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Deus and Ryanga looked at each other, sensing an inexplicable dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only Historia watched their silent exchange with a puzzled expression.\u003C\u002Fp>",1880,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.413Z",1,"novelbin.me","21db38d4e1e646ad15b838d3787796c639aa34e256c31d1f7270082ebf3c9c96","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-385","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-383",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]