I Became the Patron of Villains

96. Union Conference (2)

The office of Duke Komalon, belonging to the Kingdom of Ashtalon.

“……Was the result successful?”

“Yes. According to the report, it was. However, it seems there were some shortcomings.”

He was receiving a report from a dark elf.

“Shortcomings? What are they?”

“To be precise, it was closer to an imperfect incarnation rather than the perfect incarnation you originally desired. The reason is – it is suspected to be due to the lack of abyssal entities.”

“Lack of abyssal entities?”

“Yes.”

At the dark elf’s report, Duke Ashtalon made a humming sound and fell into thought.

“And, there is one more thing to report.”

“What else?”

“……It is said that the one who dealt with the artificial outer god of the Holy Kingdom was Marquis Palatio.”

“Huh, Palatio again?”

“Yes.”

At the dark elf’s words, Duke Komalon let out a hollow laugh and then seemed to think of something.

“Understood for now.”

“Yes.”

“And, try to push a bit more abyssal entities into the experimental subject currently under experiment.”

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the dark elf.

Without paying attention to the dark elf who bowed slightly and then turned and disappeared, he was lost in deep thought.

“It’s been a while.”

He suddenly opened his mouth.

Despite the fact that there was clearly no one there, the voice of Duke Komalon greeted.

“Yes.”

With a low sigh, a figure emerged from the darkness.

It appeared as if it had been there all along, even though there had been nothing there just a moment ago, clad in a black shroud.

“It’s been a while.”

It naturally sat in front of the Duke.

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“What brings you here?”

In response to Duke Komalon’s question, it leaned back in the chair.

“The reason I’m here is something you already know. I came because I was curious about when you would start moving.”

“All preparations are complete. Once we obtain what is in the jungle, we will move soon.”

Duke Komalon answered dryly.

It made a humming sound and looked at Duke Komalon.

A lengthening silence.

As the tension naturally began to rise.

“Well, is that so.”

The figure in the black shroud shrugged, dispelling the rising tension.

“It’s truly fascinating. To see that you are still doing well as a human.”

It stood up and turned around.

“Then, I shall trust you. That you will soon bring about the cause you envision.”

The figure in the black shroud turned its gaze to Duke Komalon from the darkness in one corner of the office.

And then.

“I wish for the success of your cause. Oh, and-“

Just before walking into the darkness.

“Just in case, be wary of that man.”

“…That man?”

“You know who I mean.”

With a slightly amused tone.

“Earl Palatio—or should I say, now Marquis?”

Leaving those words behind, it completely disappeared into the darkness.

And Duke Komalon was left alone in the office.

“……Marquis Pallatio.”

He muttered the name softly.

####

After officially completing the conferment ceremony in the Holy Kingdom, Alon, who had become a marquis from Count Pallatio, leisurely moved to the territory of the Pallatio Count family – no, now the Marquis family.

Originally, he should have gone to Teria immediately after the ceremony, but he decided it was better to leave the gifts he received from the Holy Kingdom behind.

Alon turned his gaze and looked back.

There was a carriage loaded with something, just like the one he received when he left Colony.

‘I didn’t expect to receive something like this from the Holy Kingdom.’

Alon felt a sense of wonder as he looked at the carriage that Yutia had prepared as a reward.

As far as he knew, completing a quest in the Holy Kingdom in the game would give you a skill book or a holy relic instead of money, not a material reward like this.

‘Well, material rewards are much better.’

While Alon was unknowingly smiling at the wealth that would increase in the Marquis family’s warehouse.

“Marquis.”

He turned his head to respond to Evan’s voice, who now called him Marquis without any mistakes, as if the word had become quite familiar.

“What’s the matter?”

“I was just thinking, why does the Holy Kingdom hold conferment ceremonies?”

“……I don’t know?”

“Do you not know either, Marquis?”

“Well-“

Alon pondered for a moment but shrugged his shoulders.

“It feels like a tradition that has continued from the past. It probably doesn’t have any special meaning beyond that.”

“Is that so?”

“At least, that’s what I know.”

Of course, he didn’t know much himself, and he was only answering based on what Yutia had said in passing, ‘You came because of a meaningless tradition, but I’m glad to see you, teacher.’

“……Honestly, it’s a bit unnecessary.”

“I agree.”

Suddenly, he turned his gaze to the mercenary group ahead – more precisely, to Myon, who was leading at the front, and felt a strange curiosity.

Last time, she had come into the carriage and kept him company, making the journey quite enjoyable, but this time, she hadn’t come to the carriage at all.

Moreover.

Gasp-!

Whenever their eyes met, Alon would startle, nod awkwardly with a forced smile, and then quickly look away, repeating the process.

‘…What on earth did Yutia say to her?’

He had a vague idea of why she was acting that way.

A few days ago, he had seen Myon frozen in front of Yutia, like a mouse before a cat.

Even if he asked out of curiosity what Yutia had said.

Myon would grit her teeth and repeatedly say in an unaffected voice, ‘She really didn’t say anything at all?’ So by now, he had given up trying to find out what Yutia had said.

‘Well, since it’s only going to make things more difficult, I should stop asking.’

Alon sighed lightly and leaned back in the carriage.

It was a leisurely afternoon, with the blue sky in view.

####

About two weeks later, Alon arrived at the Marquisate of Palatio. After parting ways with Myon there, he rested for a day before heading straight to Teria.

Passing through the now-familiar scenery, he was able to have an audience with Crittenia Siyan within the royal castle.

However, he met her not in the audience chamber, but in Crittenia Siyan’s office.

“I greet Your Majesty.”

“Raise your head.”

As he bowed his head in greeting, a voice immediately responded.

Slowly raising his head, Alon took in the interior of Siyan’s office.

‘It’s quite modest.’

Her office was very modest.

The furniture in the office was clearly of high quality, but compared to the office of the King of Colony that he had seen, it was indeed modest, so he only glanced around briefly.

“I heard the story, you saved the Holy Kingdom.”

“…It’s greatly exaggerated.”

“Is that so? For something so exaggerated, there seems to be no noise about it. Ah, first, sit down. It must be uncomfortable to kneel.”

At those words, Alon cautiously stood up and sat in the chair placed in front of the office desk, looking at Siyan.

She opened her mouth, her golden eyes, characteristic of the Arterian royalty, shining.

“Well, continuing on, you don’t need to be overly humble. Humility is certainly a necessary virtue, but if it’s excessive, it becomes a poison.”

“Then, I will not be unnecessarily humble.”

“Do so.”

Siyan smiled satisfactorily, then rested her chin on her hand and stared intently at the marquis.

And then.

“Ah.”

As if something had come to mind, he took out something from one side of the desk and handed it to Alon.

“…This?”

“It’s a sweet potato. Don’t you like it?”

“Pardon?”

“Do you dislike it?”

“Uh… No. I do like it, but…”

“Take it.”

Alon accepted the sweet potato with a very bewildered expression.

For a moment, he wondered if he had ever mentioned to anyone that he liked sweet potatoes. Alon soon focused on what Siyan was saying next.

“Actually, normally, it would be customary to send you back after a proper reception in the audience chamber, but do you know why I called you here specially?”

“…As a servant, my insight is lacking-“

“Well, there’s no need to be so formal. In short, you don’t know, right?”

“…That’s correct.”

Siyan spoke in response to Alon’s answer.

“It’s nothing special, really. I called you to the office just to have a chat. The request will be simpler than you expect.”

“…May I ask what you wish to command?”

“A month from now, there will be a conference of the United Kingdom.”

“A conference?”

“Yes, it’s essentially a continuation of the previous meeting. I want you to accompany me as an aide. Is that possible?”

After a moment of silence, Alon nodded.

“…It’s possible.”

To be honest, participating in the conference wasn’t a bad thing for him either.

Except for when the central conference of the kingdom is held, ‘Tern’, the center of the United Nations, is a place only administrators can enter.

There, like in the Magic Society, he could obtain things.

However, he couldn’t understand why she specifically chose him as an aide, so he had a puzzled expression but didn’t ask.

Whatever the reason, he fully understood that in this world, if the king commands, one must obey.

“Your answer is refreshing.”

Siyan nodded in satisfaction and said.

“Now, eat.”

“Yes…?”

“That sweet potato. Are you not going to eat it?”

“No, I will… eat it. But here, you mean?”

“Yes, then where else would you eat it?”

“I will eat it here.”

Though he had no idea why she was acting this way, he nodded and ate the remaining sweet potato right in front of her.

…Of course, he couldn’t taste it.

####

A few days later.

When the news that Marquis Palatio would be attending as Siyan Crittenia’s aide began to spread.

There were two people who reacted more strongly to this rumor than anyone else.

One of them was.

“Guild Master.”

“Mm-? What is it?”

“I have good news.”

“What is it?”

“The joint meeting you were supposed to attend at the kingdom’s request?”

“Mm, did it get canceled?”

It was Seolang, who was slumped in the Guild Master’s office.

“No, it’s not that-“

“Then it’s not good news- I don’t want to go.”

“But we received a lot of support.”

“No means no.”

She sighed deeply, as if it was a bother, and her whole body expressed ‘I really don’t want to go.’

“Hmm, but there is really good news.”

“What is it?”

“Marquis Palatio will be attending the meeting.”

“…Really!?”

At the secretary’s words, her drooping tail began to wag.

The other person was.

“……Captain.”

“What’s the matter, Vice-Captain?”

“I just wanted to inform you, in case you didn’t know. Did you know that Marquis Palatio is coming to the meeting you declined?”

“……What?”

Deus had been focusing on his training, having declined the kingdom’s request for an audience.

“Is that true?”

“Yes, Marquis Palatio is said to be attending the meeting.”

“I’ll head to the kingdom immediately.”

“Then I’ll prepare- Ah- Wait, Captain! Please change your attire……!”

As soon as he heard the news, he started sprinting towards the royal castle in his training clothes.

……Determination gleamed in his purple eyes.