[{"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-420":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},759510,1006,"Chapter 420: This Is... a Castle? (1)","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-420",420,"\u003Cp>Before he knew it, a full month had passed since Alon began staying at the Central Mage Tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll be on my way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Well— honestly, if it were up to me, I’d want to shore up your fundamentals a little more— but that would take far too long, so I guess we can’t.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll stop by again soon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[All right. The third-tier analysis is going to take a long time anyway. Still, by the time you come back, I should be able to decipher one or two of them.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After saying goodbye to Heinkel, Alon left the Central Mage Tower and set out for the marquisate— no, for Palantia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, two weeks passed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The carriage was passing through a village, as usual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon looked out the window with an odd expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the sight of that, Evan spoke up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon rubbed his chin as if troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lately... is it fashionable to wear your hair in a lot of different styles?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a completely unexpected question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hair?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan asked back in confusion, then looked outside as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Huh?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment later, he let out a sound as if he had just realized something.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“People’s styles really have gotten more varied, haven’t they?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hm...? Oh, yeah, they have?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia also pressed up against the window, darting her eyes around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From little children to adults, people with all kinds of different styles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, the sight gave Alon a strange feeling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'...Don’t people usually all wear it more or less the same way?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the place they were passing through now had been a city or a territory rather than a small village, it would not have felt out of place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since more wealthy people lived in such places, even those who were not nobles sometimes pursued a variety of styles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But a small village like this usually was not like that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most people worked in farming or logging, and those with jobs like herb gatherers or hunters did not care ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ that much about their hairstyles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Getting through the day’s work mattered more than appearance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when there was an unusual style here or there, it was usually limited to one or two people, so the sight before his eyes now felt extremely unfamiliar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evan, judging by the fact that even you don’t know, I guess it isn’t some trend.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Right? Why would everyone in a tiny village like this go out of their way to care about style?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mmm— and it’s not like doing hair like that usually takes all that long.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan and Penia both wore expressions that said they had no idea what was going on either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Still, it is interesting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Staring blankly outside, Evan suddenly tilted his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Hm? But I’m pretty sure it wasn’t like this when we arrived yesterday—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, no, it’s nothing. It just feels like there’s some kind of odd sense of incongruity. It’s probably nothing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scratching his head, Evan changed the subject.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, what do we do after this?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What do you mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I mean where we’ll stop, of course. If we go about three more days, we’ll reach the Tuvasta territory. Shall we head there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there a village nearby?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s go there.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Alon’s unhesitating answer, Evan let out a little exclamation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s what I mean, it’s amazing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...All of a sudden?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I mean, isn’t the reason you’re not going into the territory this time because it’s too burdensome?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon did not answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as Evan said, that really was the reason he was not deliberately stopping in the territories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'...No matter how I think about it, that’s a bit...'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, Alon had visited the territories at first, just as he always had.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was, after all, a difference between an inn in an ordinary village and an inn in a territory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But after founding Palantia, every time he so much as stopped by a territory, the lords would make a huge fuss and welcome Alon extravagantly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would even hand over their own bedchambers without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Usually people are desperate because they don’t get treated well...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“......”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan was not wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, too, liked being treated well to some extent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when they acted like they were ready to hand over absolutely everything they had, it only became burdensome instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after stopping by two territories, Alon had stopped doing that and was now only traveling through small villages.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahem— anyway, is there any new news?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trying to change the subject, Alon asked the question, and Evan obediently brought up different information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“As a matter of fact, there is something I need to tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“About Divine blood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lately, there had been a lot of news about Divine blood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon’s guess was correct.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Though as I always tell you, it isn’t a serious rumor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then this time too...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon asked just in case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. Just like last time, they say it praised Lord Alon’s greatness to an absurd degree and beat down the Divine blood that invaded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was the report he gave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Another different Divine blood again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. In just a few weeks, it seems the number of Divine blood following Lord Alon has already gone past ten. Congratulations.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Alon could not accept those congratulations with a pure heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the Divine blood taking care of other Divine blood was truly a good thing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thanks to that, the Allied Kingdoms had not fallen and were still maintaining their power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as far as Alon personally was concerned, he could not understand this situation at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'...What in the world is going on?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From what he had heard, the Divine blood helping him, like the One Who Soars High, numbered three including that one itself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, for some reason, the number of Divine blood that seemed to be following Alon kept increasing, and now it had exceeded ten.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'What is happening...?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right as he was sinking into distress because matters kept growing bigger without him even knowing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, come to think of it, this Divine blood seems to worship Lord Alon almost fanatically.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They say that while fighting another Divine blood, it shouted things like, ‘He and I are a single body, one unified whole! An attack against Him will be regarded as an attack against me!’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan piled on even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...What the hell is going on?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon’s face filled with even more confusion and bewilderment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>####\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Alon’s carriage passed through the village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the time the carriage had completely disappeared from sight—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everyone, stop.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman who had just been laughing and chatting with the village wives—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No. Yuna, one of the two executives who, aside from the missing five months, effectively managed Blue Moon, raised her hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that, the people around them, all wearing different styles, vanished all at once as if they had been waiting for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What remained in their place were the original villagers, now wearing bewildered expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Yuna paid no attention to the people around her and leaped straight through the open second-floor window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There sat Hidan, silently lost in thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dark circles under his eyes hung all the way down to his jaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did you find it this time?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Not yet. I’m not certain.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidan’s voice was steeped in exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuna truly could not understand the situation as it was now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I mean, I’m doing it because you told me to, but... why exactly do we need to know what hairstyle the Great Moon likes?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yuna’s question struck directly at the heart of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Hidan did not answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No— he could not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could he possibly reveal that all of this—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Th-that is! I will find out what hairstyle the Great Moon likes!'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'Well— you really don’t have to go that far?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'I absolutely want to find out.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'If you insist that strongly, then all right.'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—had started as desperate flailing to survive Red Moon, who had one side of her hair tied in twin tails...?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is a far more important matter than you think.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I-is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidan had no choice but to mumble evasively with firm conviction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Yuna—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you’re serious enough to say it like that, then I guess it really must be important, so I won’t argue...”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—as if she had no choice, reported the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For now, this time the Great Moon seemed to look at twin tails and ponytails together?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Same as last time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It did seem like the gaze stayed a little longer on the twin tails.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Twin tails... Could it really be that the Great Moon likes twin tails?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mmm, probably? Usually, if someone likes something, their eyes go to that side... though of course, the Great Moon is no mere human.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In reality, it was only that—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon had looked a little longer because it was strange seeing an adult wearing that hairstyle,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>but unfortunately, they had no way of knowing that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Then one last experiment should do it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hidan’s flailing once again promised more to come.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>####\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few weeks passed after that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finding it curious each time he passed through a village and saw people with different hairstyles, Alon arrived within sight of Palantia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, it looks like the territorial expansion has started.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So it has.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before he knew it, the countless shacks had been cleared away, and in their place, the foundations of walls, all kinds of buildings, and new roads were being laid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far beyond the area where the territorial expansion was taking place, in an empty stretch of land where nothing else stood, he could see pillars planted in various ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...I suppose that must be the new castle they’re building.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, I think so? The mages are working there too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wow, it’s huge.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, Evan, and Penia each offered a comment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The area marked out by the pillars planted in the empty field was certainly no ordinary size.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even from a distance, it was hard to estimate how large it really was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'...Isn’t it too big?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But even so, he could hardly tell them to reduce the size of the castle when they had already finished the foundation work.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, he had heard it was effectively free, so he figured it was not all that bad.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It is bigger than I expected, but I guess that’s fine. It’s a kingdom— if the castle is too small, that would lack dignity in its own way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, I agree with that too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmph— a royal court is supposed to be grand.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan, Penia, and even Basiliora, who normally would not have cared about a castle, nodded in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, after entering Palantia, Alon found himself facing Alexion, who lowered his head as if ashamed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“M-my apologies, Your Majesty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s all right. I’m the one who left the castle construction in your hands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you very much for your understanding.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexion bowed even deeper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, still, looking at it from over there, it didn’t seem all that bad. A castle is supposed to be large if it’s going to have any dignity.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Evan added with a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, so you saw Castle Number Four being built.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexion replied brightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Hm?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, silence fell over the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh... Castle Number Four?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recovering first, Evan asked back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes. That is the outermost Castle Number Four.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“...Uh... if that’s Castle Number Four... then that means there’s also a Castle Number Three...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course. There are Castles Three through One.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So... right now... the one being built out there, the one that looks like it’s about the size of five of our auction houses put together, that’s Castle Number Four...?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Please don’t worry. Thanks to the mages, construction on the other castles will begin soon as well.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alexion confirmed it with a crisp smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a situation where only Alexion was smiling, Alon turned his gaze out the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>a “Number Four” castle so large it could not even be compared to the one Alon was staying in was being built.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>'...What exactly am I looking at?'\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His head really started to spin....\u003C\u002Fp>",2036,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.413Z",1,"novelbin.me","77ea89e089d85aa7f310ea512aa3989c2d4ad45356699bb8f2bc65fdb91b9445","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-421","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-419",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]