Became the Patron of Villains

Through his conversation with the giant, Alon was able to learn three additional facts.

One was that, on the side of the Allied Kingdom Alliance, aside from this giant, there were about two other divine-bloods of the One Who Gazes into the Abyss who had descended with the same purpose as this giant.

Another was that the one who had stopped the divine-blood that invaded Raksas was also a divine-blood affiliated with the One Who Gazes into the Abyss.

And the last one was,

[Even so, you truly are amazing. To think you could kill a divine-blood even after discarding all the power you once possessed and wearing the shell of a lowly creature… No matter how much you say you have the ability to absorb the power of slain divine-bloods, you are truly astounding.]

—about a hidden ability that even he himself had not known about.

‘Is it that divine-bloods cannot absorb abilities even if they kill each other?’

No, to be precise.

Alon was aware that he himself absorbed the power of divine-bloods.

After he won the battle against the Poison Swallower and the Devourer, divine power had been born within the empty interior.

However, judging from the giant’s words, it seemed that even if divine-bloods killed each other, they could not absorb power. In other words, the ability to absorb power like this was Alon’s alone.

That made Alon feel something was off.

Judging from the words of the blue-eyed one, such a peculiar ability should have been one created through ‘Heavenly Law Creation.’

However, he had not yet gathered enough divine power to reach Heavenly Law Creation.

The contradiction that arose there.

‘………Then does that mean I can use three abilities?’

After pondering only briefly.

He soon recalled that he had not yet answered the giant’s words.

‘How should I respond?’

In truth, the answer he needed to give here was already decided.

Because if he had chosen to act as the friend of the One Who Gazes into the Abyss, there was only one thing he should say.

Alon lightly cleared his throat.

“There’s no need to praise me that much.”

[Were you uncomfortable? I apologize.]

“That’s not what I meant.”

[As expected! Such boundless generosity, vast as the sea! Thank you very much!]

Looking at the giant, who seemed ready to clap his hands and shout, ‘Wow! To notice even that—amazing!!’ just from staring into empty space, Alon added,

“Still, don’t go around telling others about my identity.”

[Understood.]

The giant nodded as if no further questions were necessary.

Alon let out an inward sigh.

If he had been asked, ‘Why must that be so,’ it would have been troublesome to come up with a rational reason again.

“So then, what do you plan to do from now on.”

[Since that One has told me to follow you, I intend to obey those words.]

“I see……………”

Alon nodded while his curiosity about the One Who Gazes into the Abyss continued to grow.

He wondered just who that being was to offer him such help.

However, he could not ask outright.

“For now, I’d like you to continue protecting Caliban.”

[Of course.]

Alon tried to conclude the conversation with the giant—or rather, the one who introduced himself as the ‘One Who Stands Tall’—but.

[Ah, but perhaps……………]

“What is it?”

[If you do not mind, could you show me your divine power once?]

“……Divine power?”

[Yes.]

At the words of the One Who Stands Tall, whose expression was brimming with curiosity, Alon hesitated slightly.

‘He knows my divine power is small anyway. It should be fine.’

Since it did not seem like it would be a major problem, he drew out a small amount of the newly formed divine power.

[Wah….]

The One Who Stands Tall let out an exclamation of admiration at the sight of the tiny divine power, then quickly came to his senses.

[Thank you for showing me!]

“Was that all you wanted?”

[Yes!]

The giant’s attitude seemed strangely lively.

Though he did not understand why, Alon soon turned his body around.

After obtaining as much information as he could from the other party, he returned and encountered those who were waiting for him in the distance.

“Marquis, did your conversation end well?”

Penia approached as soon as she saw Alon.

Alon nodded.

“Yes.”

“How was it?”

“……I gained a lot, in many ways.”

“Really? I was even thinking the cave might collapse.”

At Evan’s words, Alon tilted his head.

“Why?”

“They’re a divine-blood, you know? I thought a fight might break out.”

“I don’t think you need to worry about that.”

“That’s good, then. Anyway, let’s head back up.”

After that, Alon approached Deus and Palmarian, who seemed to be waiting their turn, and discovered Palmarian wearing a blank expression.

Though he was clearly looking ahead, his eyes were unfocused, as if he were lost in deep thought.

“Your Majesty?”

“!? Ah~ um…… ahem.”

Snapping back to his senses at Alon’s call, he said,

“Ah, pardon—no, my apologies. I had something to think about for a moment.”

He then spoke as if brushing it off and turned to move, and though Alon tilted his head at the reaction, he soon followed him out of the underground vault.

***

A day had passed since Alon spoke with the One Who Stands Tall underground.

Though it had been only a single day, Alon decided to move immediately to the marquisate.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Understood, Marquis. If you need anything at all, please call for me immediately.”

“I will.”

After finishing a brief farewell with Deus, Alon climbed into the carriage.

Caliban gradually became a distant landscape.

Only then did Alon let out a sigh.

“Ugh~ looks like another full month of being stuck in carriage life.”

“There’s no helping it.”

“Well~ still, it seems better than back in Colony. Back then, I was afraid I might just die.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Evan nodded, then suddenly spoke as if something had occurred to him.

“Ah. Also, how about you start considering declaring a kingdom soon? You might as well do it at this opportunity.”

“……At this opportunity?”

“Yes. It’s not something you can avoid forever anyway. And considering your current situation, Marquis, wouldn’t declaring a kingdom be better in many ways?”

“Hm.”

Evan’s words were not wrong.

Alon needed to gather faith.

‘Though for that, it doesn’t seem to be accumulating much.’

Alon briefly observed his inner self.

The divine power visible within was still as small as a bead.

Unlike before, when it had noticeably increased every time he checked.

‘Still, the fact that faith is needed remains.’

However, since he knew that divine-bloods were also gathering faith from humans.

After pondering for a while, Alon eventually nodded.

“Let’s proceed with it while we’re returning to the marquisate.”

“Understood. Then I’ll start preparing in advance so that once we arrive at the marquisate, you’ll be able to do it properly in about two weeks.”

Alon nodded and absentmindedly stroked his chin.

But then, would there even be land to declare a kingdom on……………

As he thought of the Divine Land, he recalled that the Duchy of Luxibl was also quite small in terms of territory.

‘Wait, come to think of it, I need to stop by Luxibl too.’

Without realizing it, he scratched his head.

It felt like the list of things he had to do just kept growing.

After organizing his plans, he stared blankly at the ceiling of the carriage.

Then Penia, who had been playing with Blackie until just a moment ago, suddenly called out to him.

“By the way, Marquis.”

“What is it?”

“Well… it’s nothing serious, but the king of Caliban…………. didn’t he seem a bit strange?”

“The king of Caliban?”

“Yes. Ever since after you met the divine-blood.”

“Hm.”

At Penia’s words, Alon tilted his head, then gave a small nod.

‘Now that you mention it, maybe a little……?’

Alon recalled Palmarian.

At first, he had only shown eyes full of goodwill, but from the moment Alon returned from meeting the divine-blood, he had seemed oddly dazed.

Of course, since the underlying goodwill remained unchanged, Alon had not paid it much mind.

‘Come to think of it, it also felt like his wording changed little by little……………’

Continuing his thoughts, Alon soon replied.

“I suppose he did.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“Well, maybe he was thinking about how to curry favor with you?”

Evan joked with a chuckle, and Alon shrugged as well.

***

Meanwhile, shortly after Alon and his group departed.

“Hoo……”

Palmarian sat down and let out a deep sigh.

A breath filled with great worry.

The cause of it was Alon Palatio.

…In truth, Alon himself had not directly given Palmarian something to worry about.

Rather, it could be said that Palmarian himself was the one who had created this situation.

He recalled the previous day.

The moment when Marquis Palatio had met the divine-blood.

And when Palmarian had secretly eavesdropped on their conversation through an artifact.

It had not been difficult to listen in on their conversation.

The underground space where the divine-blood resided was a ritual site passed down through generations of Caliban’s kings. From the beginning, artifacts that could hear sounds throughout the vault had been embedded everywhere.

Thus, secretly—perhaps thinking it might help—he had listened to the conversation between the divine-blood and the marquis.

And Palmarian had no choice but to be shocked.

For the content he overheard through their conversation was,

‘Could it be that, truly, Marquis Palatio is—’

—about divine-bloods.

‘Even so, you truly are amazing. To think you could kill a divine-blood even after discarding all the power you once possessed and wearing the shell of a lowly creature…… No matter how much you say you have the ability to absorb the power of slain divine-bloods, you are truly astounding.’

‘There’s no need to praise me that much.’

‘Were you uncomfortable? I apologize.’

‘That’s not what I meant.’

‘As expected! Such boundless generosity, vast as the sea! Thank you very much!’

Recalling that moment, Palmarian shuddered without realizing it.

The divine-blood that had approached the capital of Caliban, a being that made knights’ hearts stop just by looking at it, had been casually killed by that very giant.

But what about Marquis Palatio?

He treated that monstrous existence as if it were nothing.

Moreover, the One Who Stands Tall had shown Marquis Palatio the utmost courtesy.

As if he could never defy the marquis.

Of course, this scene was merely something staged with Alon’s acting mixed in.

But the king, who had no way of knowing that,

‘If the marquis were not higher than the One Who Stands Tall, such a conversation would be impossible.’

Had already concluded that Alon was a divine-blood who had descended wearing human flesh.

“Did you call for me, Your Majesty.”

“You’ve come.”

At that moment, Palmarian spoke to his First Prince, Tolenis, who entered the audience chamber at just the right timing.

“Listen carefully from now on.”

“….”

“Marquis Palatio…… no, that One, is a ‘divine-blood.’”

“What?”

Pressing each word down deliberately.

“What do you mean by that……?”

Tolenis was bewildered by the sudden information.

However, Palmarian did not relax his stiff expression as he drove the point home.

“It may surprise you, but it is the truth.”

“……Is that really true?”

“Yes. I finished confirming it yesterday.”

“How……?”

“The giant underground knelt before Him.”

“!!”

Tolenis’s eyes widened.

He knew how mighty the giant beneath the royal family was.

No, it would have been strange not to know.

That great giant.

He had clearly seen with his own two eyes how it had brutally torn apart the monster that could kill a person just by being looked at.

And yet.

‘That great being knelt before Marquis Palatio……………?’

Tolenis recalled Marquis Palatio, and soon reached a conclusion.

‘……Yes, it’s not strange……………!’

Marquis Palatio was clearly different from ordinary humans.

His face that revealed no particular emotion, the fact that he was called a god despite being human, and that absurd power as well.

Of course, the reason his emotions were hard to read was something even Alon did not know, and being called a god was simply a misunderstanding that snowballed because of Sili and others……………

In any case, Tolenis, who knew none of the detailed circumstances, also found himself unconsciously opening his mouth at the conclusion he had reached.

Starting from the misunderstandings of these two people,

“Etch this into your mind……………. In the coming phase, the one most important for our survival is none other than Him.”

“I understand.”

A story where lies and truth were appropriately mixed.

….No, in truth, perhaps a story mostly created by misunderstandings began to spread in secret.