[{"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-84":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},759824,1006,"Chapter 84","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-84",84,"\u003Cp>In a dark room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Did you really say that?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one of the secret locations scattered throughout the kingdom created by the Blue Moon, Hidan was reporting the recent events.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It was a man with black hair and blue eyes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Is that so?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, although I remember his husky voice didn’t quite match his appearance.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Hmm-]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yutia furrowed his brow as if contemplating the detailed description.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But only briefly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Don’t worry about that.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a simple command, Hidan responded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Is that really okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Yes.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though reassured by Yutia’s affirmation, Hidan hesitated for a moment before lowering his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I will obey the command of the Red Moon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The command was absolute.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, that didn’t mean his curiosity faded, so after confirming the communication device was off, Hidan wondered:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…Who is that guy?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>####\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thank you for bringing me this far.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s nothing, brother. It’s my duty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon reaching the forest located on the right side of Kimin’s territory, Alon patted Radan’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I’ll see you next time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, brother.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, and please take care of things over there. They said they have business in Raksas.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then turned his gaze toward Penia and Felin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Penia wore an awkward smile, while Felin stared at her with a strange expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was where they were to part ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Alon, who no longer needed to stay in Raksas, the two had remaining matters to attend to there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, since you’ve requested it, I will certainly do so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, but brother, may I ask you something?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… I was just wondering if you needed anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Need anything?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Radan’s question, Alon tilted his head before responding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I don’t.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You don’t…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why, is there a problem?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, not exactly. It’s just that you’ve come all this way.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Radan’s words, Alon paused thoughtfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, there’s nothing I need. Seeing your face is enough. As I said, I wasn’t sure if we’d meet again.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, now I’ll be on my way. Take care.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, he disembarked from the ship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ship soon departed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He’s gone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, he has.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the ship grow smaller and smaller in the distance, Alon and Evan headed toward Kimin’s territory to find a carriage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was time to return to the Count of Palatio’s estate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Star Eater.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he watched the slowly changing scenery outside the carriage, Alon recalled the conversation he had with the Observer yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Star Eater?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Yes, do you know of it by any chance?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Honestly, I don’t, but it’s quite an unsettling term.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Is it? Why so?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Observer didn’t respond to Alon’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, too, didn’t press further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had already had enough discussions with her to understand that if she didn’t respond, it meant there was something unspeakable involved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘There’s so much obscure information, it’s ridiculous.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he wasn’t irritated by this fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, just recalling yesterday’s incident, when blood had flowed profusely from his nose, mouth, and eyes, reminded him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It’s better than dying.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon was someone who would rather live with lifelong curiosity than stick his neck out to uncover one truth of the world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Of course, that doesn’t mean I intend to do nothing… maybe it’s more accurate to say that I can’t do nothing.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then remembered the words spoken by the entity he encountered when looking at the mirror yesterday.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Execute the Deprived One… was it? It was definitely called an Outer God.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He heard it clearly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hiding… an Outer God, hiding…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To him, these words could never be ignored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that an Outer God was hiding implied a great deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, it meant that the Outer God was preparing something while remaining concealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Second, if the Outer God had managed to hide so successfully, it was almost as if it had fully manifested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, to Alon, it was like having a fully constructed bomb hidden somewhere, one that could explode at any moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have to handle this, no matter what.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The problem was that there was no way to locate the hidden Outer God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After pondering this for a while, Alon let out a long sigh and leaned back against the carriage seat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing that no immediate solution was forthcoming, he decided to rest for the moment and pause his thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How long had he been staring blankly out of the window?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Alon, who had been gazing into empty space, turned to Evan and asked,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Evan.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, Count?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m rather good-looking, aren’t I?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Pardon?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evan, who was startled by this topic—one that had never been broached before—quickly collected himself and, after some consideration, answered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, of course, you are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did something happen?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Evan’s question, Alon recalled Penia’s behavior from the previous day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Specifically, it was a voice he heard while on his way to greet Penia’s group, whom he had run into by chance on the roadside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well… something like that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Something like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon mumbled as he recalled the conversation he overheard when Penia had been hitting Felin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ow! Ow! Sister!? Why suddenly!?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Like? Do I like him? Is that even a question!? Why would I like Count Palatio?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, I just thought you always seem so reserved when you’re around him…!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You idiot, I’ve always been reserved!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, you weren’t always—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Stop spewing nonsense! Why on earth would I like him?! How did you even come to that conclusion?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, you don’t like him?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have no reason to like him in the first place! Why would I like Count Palatio—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The conversation was still vividly clear in his memory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Alon had never once thought that Penia had feelings for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, there had never been any indication of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, even if Penia were to reject him, it would only be slightly awkward, and he wouldn’t harbor any negative feelings toward her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was one reason that made him feel more uncomfortable about the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No matter how you look at it, she didn’t need to beat up her brother with such disgust.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon wasn’t sure how Penia felt, but from his perspective, it looked like she was utterly repulsed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that, while hitting her brother for making such a remark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, I don’t know what’s going on, but don’t worry about it, Count. For men, it’s more about capability than appearance, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…That’s true.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look at me. See how popular I am?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon, having seen enough evidence to suggest otherwise, wanted to point out, “You’re not popular,” but he restrained himself and simply nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, I suppose so.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So, don’t let it bother you too much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At Evan’s words, Alon nodded again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, despite his nodding, he still felt a sense of melancholy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was autumn, the season of turning leaves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>####\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan, who had unified all the Seven Archipelagos and essentially gained control of the eastern seas, sat in the office aboard his pirate ship, letting out a deep sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had become the ruler of all the Archipelagos and avenged his family’s death, but it wasn’t over yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He still had a mission left to complete.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to capture the “Black Fish.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lost in thought, Radan pulled out a small box from his coat pocket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a gift Alon had recently given him before departing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan, staring blankly at the box, soon opened it to check its contents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A monocle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The item inside was indeed a monocle, a single-lens eyeglass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t anything distinctive, just a common monocle one could find anywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still puzzled, Radan noticed a piece of paper inside the box and took it out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This will help reduce your perfectionism a bit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The note contained only a simple message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Radan couldn’t help but be surprised by its content.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was because, while people knew that Radan was somewhat meticulous, no one in the Blue Moon’s organization knew about his extreme perfectionism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan himself had never shown it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While one could guess it from the way he kept the territories under his control tidy, Alon couldn’t have prepared the gift with that in mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the moment Alon arrived on the islands, he had been by Radan’s side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Surprised, Radan put on the monocle, and for the first time, he felt his compulsive need to balance his field of vision decrease significantly, leaving him astonished once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How does Brother know me so well?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan couldn’t stop his growing curiosity as he thought of Alon, the one who had given him the gift.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Alon— the Great Moon—had always been this way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that the captains of the Seven Archipelagos were the ones who had killed Radan’s parents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He also knew a fact that Radan had never shared with anyone: his extreme perfectionism.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if, just like Yutia always said, “He knows everything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was what Radan found incredibly mysterious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that wasn’t all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…I was sure Brother needed power.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan was aware that this world was not so beautiful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world operates on give and take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where there is a departure, there is a return, and Radan understood this principle very well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, Radan felt trust and gratitude towards the Great Moon, but he also believed that Alon must want something in return.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because in this world, there is no such thing as a favor without compensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, no matter how he looked at Alon, Radan could not see any need for power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was true even when dealing with the Outer God.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when Alon leapt in without hesitation to rescue him from the Outer God’s grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unconsciously, Radan recalled that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the Great Moon tried to seal the pact, the greedy and indifferent eyes gazing at him from the depths of the sea suddenly became imprinted with fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The awe and chills he felt back then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Whew.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan let out a sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From that moment, and from their last conversation today, Radan realized two things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One was that Alon’s favor came without any demand for compensation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other was that he currently lacked the ability to repay that favor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I need more power. In my current state, I can’t even stay by Brother’s side to support him.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan made up his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He decided to become strong enough to protect the Great Moon from nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, as he reached that point in his thoughts, he muttered,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Hypnosis magic… huh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He laughed at the foolish thoughts he had entertained not long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He might not have known back then, but since meeting the Great Moon, he now realized just how foolish and naive his thinking had been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everything is for the Great Moon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Radan quietly murmured to himself,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘It seems it’s time to bring it out.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He remembered an item buried in the depths of the sea and put on a resolute expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>####\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After spending about three weeks in the carriage, Alon finally returned to the Palatio estate and took a very relaxed rest that night.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he had spent years traveling here and there by carriage and should have been used to it by now, sleeping in a carriage was still extremely exhausting for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, after arriving at the estate and indulging in a deep rest, the next day, Alon received a call from Duke Altia for the first time in a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…Impressive, as expected. We were preparing too, but we couldn’t find the right moment to make a move. But to deal with over eight nobles at once…]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[…?]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I thought you weren’t paying much attention to this matter, so I was really surprised.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, Alon was mistakenly being regarded as the mastermind who had killed eight nobles without batting an eye.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What is this about now…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alon muttered a low sigh.\u003C\u002Fp>",1980,"2026-06-02T12:43:45.412Z",1,"novelbin.me","0b938565f1acba8c3ad32d8c4fd7b7baa71cc2e885471d5f420a80f50c88b379","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-85","became-the-patron-of-villains-chapter-83",479,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fbecame-the-patron-of-villains-cover.jpg"]