I Became the Patron of Villains

69. Is This Really Okay…? (2)

Milanon, a noble of the colony and a descendant of the Count of Filmaria, could not properly understand the current situation.

From one to ten, everything.

First of all, he couldn’t understand why Seolang, the first Baba Yaga of the colony, had destroyed all his private soldiers and grabbed his head as if to crush it, just because he had laughed at a noble walking around with a dumbfounded expression.

In such a situation, he couldn’t understand why Yutia Bludia, who suddenly opened the door of the carriage and came out, one of the cardinals of the Holy Kingdom of Rosario and the one with the strongest influence these days, was holding the hand of the noble he had laughed at.

It was just a situation full of questions.

However.

“…Isn’t that Count Palatio?”

“It seems so.”

“Seeing him walking with Baba Yaga, it seems to be true.”

At the murmuring voices of the citizens, Milanon finally realized why Seolang had grabbed his head.

It was a widely spread rumor since a year ago that Seolang followed Count Palatio, a noble of the Kingdom of Asteria, calling him a benefactor.

However, there was still something he couldn’t understand.

‘A teacher? Calling him a teacher…?’

He had heard the rumors about Count Palatio.

That he was called a benefactor by Seolang, the first Baba Yaga.

That he was called a benefactor by Deus Macalian, the first Master Knight of the Knight’s Country, Caliburn.

Even that he was very close to one of the top councilors of the labyrinth city.

But.

‘He was also close to a cardinal of the Holy Kingdom…?’

He looked at Alon and Yutia with a blank expression.

Unlike the expressionless Alon, Yutia, who was standing in front of him, exuded a feeling of great favor.

Even if this situation was indeed one where Milanon was being treated unfairly, the feeling of favor was so strong that she would never take his side.

‘What on earth is his identity…?’

At the moment when astonished curiosity settled in Milanon.

“Seolang, stop.”

At Alon’s voice that was soon heard, he was finally able to be released.

“Ugh-“

Milanon grabbed his head in pain that seemed like it would break.

Alon stepped forward.

“Are you alright? I apologize.”

A simple, straightforward apology.

Milanon instinctively opened his mouth to respond.

Of course, he knew that mocking Count Palatio was something a fellow noble should never do, but it was also true that the response had been excessively harsh.

There were even several witnesses around.

…Of course, since he had used his soldiers to set up a blockade just to watch comfortably by himself, no one looked favorably upon Milanon, and many even felt a sense of satisfaction at Seolang’s actions.

“No matter what-“

Anyway, just as Milanon, who had gained some justification from Alon’s apology, was about to say something, he had to close his mouth.

“……”

“……”

It was because Seolang and Yutia, standing behind Count Palatio, were staring at him intently.

Their red and golden eyes shining as if they wouldn’t miss a single action.

Intently.

Therefore.

“…No, it’s fine.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes. I’m, I’m fine… I’m really fine…!”

With that, Milanon fervently waved his hands and quickly disappeared from the scene as if fleeing.

####

Right after the noble, whose name Alon didn’t even know, disappeared as if fleeing.

After a brief moment of surprise at the sudden encounter, he moved to Seolang’s guild to avoid attention.

Only then could Alon comfortably talk with Yutia.

“You said you came here because you had some business in Colony?”

“Yes. So I won’t be staying long.”

At Yutia’s bright smile, Alon nodded while looking at her with a somewhat new expression.

A smile so kind that it was almost enough to call her a saint.

That appearance was strangely different from what he had imagined.

‘…Maybe it’s because I’ve only seen her sinful side in Psychedelia, but it feels very strange.’

Alon realized that although they had often exchanged letters, this was the first time he had seen her in person.

‘Still, you’ve grown well.’

Once again, a sense of pride welled up.

Especially with Yutia, perhaps because the destructive image of when she became one of the five great sins was vividly imprinted in his mind, the pride he felt was exceptional compared to the others.

Alon, who was looking around, soon spoke.

“But.”

“Yes, what is it, teacher?”

“…Are the two of you not on good terms?”

He soon asked such a question.

The reason was that Seolang, who was always smiling, had a very tense expression as soon as Yutia arrived.

However, Yutia answered without losing her smile.

“That can’t be. Seolang and I are on very good terms. Right?”

“Right.”

Seolang nodded.

However, their relationship seemed subtle to be considered close.

Alon, who tilted his head for a moment, soon shrugged his shoulders.

Since they said they were close, it would be strange to pry further.

At that moment.

“Teacher, will you think about it in two years?”

At the sudden question, Alon made a bewildered expression and soon realized it was related to the marriage registration form and mumbled.

“…Well, I’ll think about it when the time comes.”

“What will you think about?”

“Ah, that was just-”

As Yutia asked curiously, Alon pondered how to bring up the story.

“Teacher said he would seriously consider marrying me in two years!”

Before he could open his mouth, thanks to Seolang who shouted confidently, he inadvertently let out an exclamation.

“…What?”

In Yutia’s voice, filled with utmost surprise, Seolang became even more arrogant.

As if she had never been sullen.

Yutia, who was staring blankly at Seolang while chewing over those words, soon burst into laughter.

“Pfft-”

“?”

Suddenly, with a light chuckle, she looked at Alon with a completely relaxed expression.

“You don’t need to explain, teacher. I guess you had no choice but to answer that way because Serang made an unreasonable request, right?”

As if she had already matured, Alon couldn’t help but smile inwardly at how she grasped everything without needing any explanation.

To anyone watching, she seemed like the epitome of a wonderful big sister.

Just as Alon was about to nod in satisfaction.

“Yes, that’s probably it. Since Serang seems a bit childish, you had no choice but to soothe her by saying two years later, right? You had no choice but to reassure her for her sake, right? I know you did it for Serang’s sake. Lies aren’t good, but there are unavoidable lies in the world. Un.avoid.able.”

“……??”

With a smiling face, Yutia’s rapid, breathless words left Alon with a question mark floating above his head.

Soon, leaving the frozen Alon behind, Yutia’s gaze turned to Serang.

“Now, Serang, you understand? You shouldn’t trouble the teacher too much. And as I said before, it’s too early to get married, right?”

“I didn’t trouble him! Besides, the deputy guild leader said a five-year age difference is appropriate!”

“No, Serang. You shouldn’t trouble the teacher.”

Yutia spoke with a smile.

Serang, looking somewhat frustrated, shouted.

“It’s Yutia who can’t! You’re old!”

“……What do you mean, Serang? I’m only two years older than you.”

Yutia still didn’t lose her smile.

However.

“I heard from Rine. Yutia’s age is estimated to be thou-”

Before the next words could come out.

Bang! Crash-!

Serang disappeared through the floor to the lower level.

“?”

Alon, with a bewildered expression, looked at the spot where Serang had been.

Yutia, who had been looking somewhat sternly at the spot where Serang had been, noticed Alon’s presence and smiled kindly again.

“……The building is a bit weak, isn’t it?”

Yutia lied, knowing it wouldn’t be believed.

“The building is weak?”

“Yes.”

“…Really?”

“Really. It suddenly collapsed, didn’t it?”

However, as if she absolutely did not want to admit that she had shoved Seollang to the lower levels, she emphasized it several times.

“…I see.”

Alon nodded reluctantly, recalling anew that she was one of the five great sins.

‘As expected, a woman’s age is taboo… But a thousand… a thousand… I didn’t expect it to be that much.’

Alon stored the new information, which he didn’t particularly want to know, in his mind.

“I’ll go get Seollang first.”

A few minutes after that conversation ended, Seollang, who sat down creakingly as if being manipulated by a puppeteer, realized once again the absolute taboo word.

About 30 minutes later.

Alon, who was chatting with Yutia, who had brought Seollang.

“I think it’s about time I go, teacher.”

He nodded at Yutia’s words.

“Yes, you said you had work originally.”

“Yes, I think I’ll be here for about three weeks, so I’ll show my face often while I’m here.”

“Okay.”

Yutia, who had smiled slightly at Alon and was about to turn around, suddenly clapped her hands as if she had remembered something.

“Oh, and. You said you were going to participate in the Colosseum earlier, right?”

We certainly talked about that earlier during our chat.

“Well, yes. As I said, there’s something I need to get from the royal treasury.”

“Was it Sparrow’s staff?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm-”

Yutia nodded slightly as if she understood.

“Then, I’ll visit you again soon.”

She left with a smile.

Shortly after, Alon, who confirmed that the white carriage was heading towards the royal castle of the colony, finally sighed deeply, as if relieved, while looking at Seollang.

‘Then, shall I start preparing as well.’

####

The next day.

After spending a night at the Guild of the Snow Wolf, Alon went straight to the Colosseum to apply as a fighter. Thanks to the help of the Snow Wolf, he was able to process the application, which usually takes about a week, in just an hour.

‘F-rank fighter badge, this is just the beginning.’

Alon, holding the F-rank fighter badge that is given to everyone who applies as a fighter for the first time, steeled his resolve.

Two days later.

-Waaah-!!!!

Alon was about to have his first match in the Colosseum.

“……Hoo.”

He let out a shallow sigh and looked around.

The spectator seats visible above the arena were packed with so many people that there was no empty seat, and about 100 fighters were standing in the arena where he stood.

His first match was not a one-on-one but a battle royale, and the victory condition was simple.

Be the last fighter standing among those here.

Other than that, there were no conditions, focusing solely on survival.

In fact, Alon preferred one-on-one matches over such battles, but the reason he chose the battle royale was very simple: winning the battle royale would allow him to jump from an F-rank fighter to a D-rank fighter in one go.

From D-rank fighters, one has the right to challenge a higher-ranked fighter to exchange ranks, so his goal was to quickly skip the F-rank.

Alon slowly looked around and thought.

‘There is only one way to enter the royal treasury of Colony and take out a treasure, and that is to become an A-rank fighter.’

Of course, if he could become a Baba Yaga, he could enter the ‘Treasury’ where Colony’s national treasures are kept, but Alon didn’t need to go that far.

The item he originally aimed for, whether it was Sparrow’s staff or something else, was in the treasury that could be accessed by becoming an A-rank fighter.

‘……It won’t be easy.’

Alon looked around expressionlessly.

The numerous fighters in his sight were all holding their weapons and looking at him.

As if they had made a promise.

Some with tense expressions.

Some with serious or mocking expressions.

And some cautiously assessing the situation. Although their emotional states varied, everyone in the arena was ready to point their weapons at him.

“…….”

Of course, he had not failed to anticipate this situation.

The fighters here, even if they were F-rank, were not mere extras; they had all joined the battle royale for a chance at a dramatic reversal.

To trample on other fighters and grasp a D-rank fighter badge instead of an F-rank one.

For them, Alon was the one who had to be dealt with first, no matter who looked at it.

Alon had already blocked foreign news several times and was rumored to have been a great help in dealing with Baba Yaga.

In other words, it was natural for them to exclude Alon, as they had to win.

[Now, from now on, the match of the warriors will-]

At the commentator’s signal, most of the warriors-

[-begin!!!]]

-rushed at Alon as if they had been waiting.

A situation on the brink of explosion.

The frenzied cheers of the crowd echoed, and the warriors’ shouts of spirit disturbed Alon’s ears.

And, finally, at the moment when the axe of the first warrior to rush in was about to fall on Alon’s head-

With a small movement of Alon’s fingers, clad in dark-colored armor.

Crack-!

A severe cold descended upon the arena.

“!!!”

At the moment when the rushing warrior’s axe froze in place.

“Ice Crystal.”

Around Alon, who had formed a seal, ice walls began to rise.

From noble mtl dot com