I Became the Patron of Villains

163. …Huh? (2)

The desert city of Colony had been very noisy lately.

Because of the capital reconstruction project.

The capital had suffered great damage from the attacks of the Scorpion and the Snow Horn.

The entire capital had not been blown away, but a part of the city wall had completely collapsed, and the palace was destroyed.

The northern and eastern districts of the capital were heavily damaged.

In such a situation, Carmaxes III made a big decision.

To use the national treasury to restore the capital.

Of course, it was obvious that this would have a negative impact on the administration of the country afterward, but thanks to that decision, the capital was being rebuilt at a very fast pace.

But there was one more significant concern for Karmakses III.

“…The damage caused by the Si-moon—no, the Gwi-moon is increasing?”

“Yes.”

“Hoo—it’s one thing after another—”

He let out a deep sigh and pondered for a moment before asking.

“What about the reported damage within the colony?”

“Currently, there isn’t much, but it seems like we’ll soon hear reports of damage from various places.”

“And the Babayagas?”

“…Except for the Golden Flash, they are all moving as we desire, but at this rate, it will be too much for them.”

The king fell into thought again at the secretary’s report.

As he said, at this point, the Babayagas were dealing with the Gwi-moons according to the kingdom’s wishes, but it wouldn’t last long.

The five Babayagas were the colony’s top power, but they weren’t part of the nation.

They were just gladiators in the Colosseum, meaning they could freely come and go from the colony without being bound to it.

He sighed again, scratching his head, not knowing how many times he had done so already.

‘It was good until now.’

Of course, there were continuous suggestions to make them part of the nation.

From noble mtl dot com

However, Karmakses III—or rather, even the first king—had a reason for not incorporating the five Babayagas into the nation, despite spending a lot of money to take care of them.

It was convenience.

The reason the colony, situated in the desert, could prosper to this extent was none other than the Colosseum.

However, the first king, who first devised the Colosseum and the Babayagas, initially created the Colosseum not for ‘prosperity’ but more for power supply.

The colony had many undeveloped gold mines that other countries didn’t have.

As a result, before becoming a united kingdom, the colony had to endure the threat of invasion from other countries while lacking everything.

Thus, the first king devised a method.

He built the Colosseum and began gathering the strongest warriors from across the country who were not affiliated with any specific nation.

Among them, the top five were treated better than nobles, even if they weren’t part of the colony.

He even created the title of Babayaga to ignite the hearts of the strong.

In fact, the first king’s intention was effective.

At that time, strong warriors who were not yet affiliated with any country flocked to the colony in pursuit of money, honor, and titles.

The colony reinforced its power, which had been lagging behind other countries, with the gladiators of the Colosseum.

Strictly speaking, it was more of a show, but that alone was enough.

After all, it was not a system for invading other countries, but a system to prevent the invasion of their own country.

The warriors and the Baba Yaga lived up to their names.

Besides, this system was actually quite useful for the colony—no, for the king in many ways.

Although they were not part of the kingdom, and complete control was impossible, as long as they received benefits from the kingdom, minimal control was possible.

Even if they caused problems, the kingdom was not obliged to take responsibility for those problems.

In other words, they could extract what they wanted without politically involving the strong ones and weakening the royal authority.

But that was just the story until now.

With the appearance of the strange gate, the situation has changed.

‘I need to bring the Baba Yaga under control—’

Of course, it wasn’t urgent enough to be a matter of life and death.

The current strange gate was annoying the kingdom, but it wasn’t causing massive damage immediately.

But just like him, other kings would also be worrying about the future troubles they would face.

‘The strange gate is evolving.’

Hadn’t it already worsened due to the strange gate?

But what if—what if a more advanced form emerged from the strange gate?

Even if not, what if the strange gate brought more massive damage instead of the small damage it was causing now?

‘It will be too late to respond then.’

Even if other countries didn’t, the colony did.

Therefore, for Karmakses III, nationalizing the Baba Yaga was a matter that had to be achieved in the long run.

Among them, the person he was most interested in was.

‘…Seollang, I want to incorporate Seollang here somehow.’

The golden flash.

Seollang had already become a qualitatively different existence from other Baba Yagas.

In other words, she had become an existence that must be captured by any means.

However, it was never an easy task.

From the beginning, she did not move for money or honor.

The only one who could move Seollang was…

‘Only Marquis Palatio.’

In other words, unless Marquis Palatio was first recruited, Seollang could not be brought in, so Karmakses III, who was pondering in many ways, said.

“Is that the only way?”

In the end, as if having made a decision, he opened his mouth.

“……How long until the ball in Lartania this time?”

“Two months left.”

The secretary’s reply.

To that, Carmaxes III.

‘……I’ll settle it there.’

His eyes shone resolutely.

####

At that moment.

Sulrang’s secretary, Lime, was already at the top of a building that had been somewhat rebuilt in less than two months.

“Hmm- It’s done now.”

“……Isn’t this it?”

He asked, removing the hand that was covering Sulrang’s ears.

“Yes.”

“……I thought it was very similar to what he did.”

“No- It’s different from what the master does.”

“……Which part?”

“Hmm- What the master does, how should I say-“

Sulrang, furrowing her soft brow as if searching her memory,

“It feels like a squeeze-“

She lay down in her place, pressing her ears tightly, and muttered in a strangely dejected voice.

“I miss the master……”

Lime, who was holding his hand awkwardly, scratched his head.

‘……It seems like her condition has worsened compared to last time……. Or should I say it’s improved in this situation?’

Lime recalled Sulrang before the incident.

In the past, unless there was something special, she would lie down all day with a bored expression, except for exercising or doing handstands.

But now?

After personally digging and burying the graves of the guild members who were inside the guild at the time of the incident, Sulrang’s life was similar to before, except for honing her newly acquired abilities.

However, two things were definitely different.

“I want to receive ear squeezes……”

– As often said.

And unlike before, there was a smile on his lips instead of a bored expression.

Lime bent down to follow Seolang, who was lying alone with his ears covered.

“Shall I do it again for you?”

“Hmm- it’s not quite the same……”

“……How different is it?”

“If Eun-sa’s earworm is 1, Lime is 0.3 earworm?”

“……There is a difference.”

Lime unknowingly made a subtly sulky face.

Wondering what exactly was so different.

And then.

“……Should I sneak over?”

Seolang, who no longer had Lime in his sight, murmured quietly.

####

The road back to the Marquis of Palatio was smooth.

“Stable.”

[Officer.]

“Lieutenant.”

[Night watch.]

“Snakehead b*stard.”

[? Why are you picking a fight after suggesting it?]

“……Just because?”

Sometimes Evan and Basilio would bicker, but other than that, there was plenty of time to quietly enjoy the sunlight filtering through the leaves in the forest.

Thanks to that, Alon had time to leisurely organize his thoughts.

‘……First, since I have obtained the Feet Running Through the Past, I should go to Lartania soon to use it.’

Recalling the conditions for using the ‘Feet Running Through the Past,’ he took out the Holy One’s Staff from his bosom.

Though called a staff, it was in the form of a glove.

It was an item he desperately needed.

‘……So the abilities are, array stabilization and magic power enhancement?’

Simple abilities, but precisely because of that, it easily surpassed the performance of other staffs.

‘Originally, it was something I wanted to obtain from the beginning.’

To acquire this relic, he first needed the ‘Oath of Lumiel’ that Perion possessed, and only now did he finally obtain it.

‘I don’t know what structure made it a key item.’

Alon, who concluded that it must be somehow related to the primordial elves, absentmindedly put the glove on his right hand.

At first, it was loose, but over time it naturally contracted to fit Alon’s hand perfectly.

“Hmm-”

He smiled satisfactorily, looking at the glove adorned with golden embroidery on a black background.

“Huh?”

Suddenly, he remembered one thing.

‘…Isn’t this originally restricted by race?’

Even though he had obtained the ‘Staff of the Holy One,’ he had kept the glove in his possession without wearing it until now.

The reason was that this artifact could only be worn by elves.

In the game, players who obtained the Staff of the Holy One had to complete another quest related to this artifact in Lartania to remove the race restriction.

So, he hadn’t worn it, but absentmindedly put the glove on his hand.

Alon, bewildered, tried using magic just in case.

‘…It’s true. The arrangement is more stable than before, and the magic is significantly stronger even with less mana.’

The effect was clear.

“??”

After briefly examining the glove in confusion, he soon became satisfied.

‘…This is good.’

In fact, as long as the result was good, that was all that mattered. Although it was sudden, being able to wear the item despite the race restriction was not a bad situation.

Just as a smile was about to form on his lips.

‘Still, I should investigate it just in case.’

After organizing his thoughts once more, Alon absentmindedly gazed out at the forest through the window.

It was an afternoon where the leaves shone like jewels.

About a week later, Alon arrived at the Marquis of Palatio’s estate and had to greet a guest before he could rest comfortably.

“…”

“…”

In front of the office, a beautiful woman stared at him intently, with a man standing behind her.

Alon, who was staring blankly at the couple so beautiful that anyone would be left speechless, suddenly recalled what the servant had said.

‘There is a place called Cheongrok Forest Trading Company that wants to discuss the exclusive distribution rights of gold crafts with the Marquis. What should we do?’

‘If it’s about gold crafts-’

Gold crafts have been sold at very high prices both in the previous world and in the current one.

Even though the estate itself is generating stable income now, it is necessary to listen to the details first.

However.

‘…These two people don’t look like merchants.’

As Alon was unconsciously staring at the woman opposite him, who had an appearance that everyone would unanimously praise.

Drip-!

“?”

He saw it.

A tear suddenly fell from the woman’s eye, rolling down her cheek.

And then.

“Sniff-”

“???”

The beauty, who had been staring at him with a stern face until now, suddenly burst into tears.