I Became the Patron of Villains

98. Union Conference (4)

Selime Mikardo, the master of the Blue Tower, returned to the tower for the first time in a long while – in fact, for the first time in two years if you count the years – but originally, he had planned to leave again on the same day he returned.

The reason being that three years ago, he had discovered a very interesting magical structure.

It seemed to be a mysterious magical structure that might have been used in the forgotten age of gods, and if he was lucky, it might elevate his rank, which was currently stuck at the 8th rank, to the next level.

Therefore, Mikardo, who had been busily traveling around the entire empire, except for the parts he couldn’t enter, intended to leave again after procuring only the necessary items this time as well.

“Master of the Tower, I have some interesting news.”

“What news could it be?”

“It seems that someone has fallen for the deputy master.”

“……Ho?”

If it weren’t for the news he heard from one of the professors of the Blue Tower, who was usually close to him.

“Tell me more.”

The professor then began to recount the events that had transpired.

“-That’s how it happened.”

“Ho-”

As soon as the professor finished all the stories, Selime Mikardo nodded several times with a deeply interested expression, then asked in a puzzled voice.

“But in the end, doesn’t that mean Fenia denied it to the end?”

“That’s true, but isn’t strong denial a strong affirmation?”

“Strong denial is a strong affirmation-”

Selime thought while stroking his beard.

‘If it’s Fenia, could that be the case?’

He unconsciously recalled Fenia’s appearance.

……Honestly, even Selime, who had to admit that she was a genius, was a cherished disciple, but considering her arrogant and fierce personality and the subtle sense of superiority underlying it-

Really, maybe, it could be possible, he thought.

If it were Fenia, she could easily dismiss such naturally arising emotions as ‘losing if you like first.’

“Certainly… if it’s Fenia, that could definitely be the case.”

“Right?”

“Yeah.”

Selime, recalling her attitude of not wanting to lose no matter what when it came to competition, nodded as if agreeing.

……If Fenia had heard this, she would have foamed at the mouth and unleashed magic all over the tower.

But Selime, who had no way of knowing this, soon pondered something and then spoke.

“Then, should I help with something?”

“Well- that might not be a bad idea.”

At the professor’s words, Selime began to ponder.

Even for someone who had never been interested in anything other than magic, the fact that a disciple with a personality like ‘supreme self’ had someone she admired was quite interesting.

‘The person Fenia admires… come to think of it, haven’t they been entangled for quite a while?’

Selime recalled a very old memory that he had forgotten while researching magic.

‘Come to think of it, I remember it was a noble who eliminated Simon… Fenia had a very sullen expression, didn’t she?’

Recalling the old memory that he had completely put away, Selime, as a middle-aged man in a third-party position, found the situation quite amusing.

“Then, shall I help in my own way? First- let’s meet and talk.”

He smiled as if he had made up his mind about something.

Meanwhile.

Fenia, unaware that the tower master had sneaked in.

“Again?!”

“Uh, yes.”

“Again!? Lost!? Again!?”

“No, it’s just- I checked everything, but it was fine until the departure.”

“I told you to check every day!?”

“Of course, I did every day! But today, the day we arrived at the tower, it suddenly disappeared…!”

“No, does that even make sense!!!”

Her mental state, which had been worn down by the loss of items for almost two months, now entering the third month, was utterly shattered.

“Eeeek-!”

A man’s face, expressionless for no reason, flashed over Penia’s head, who was furious to the tips of her hair.

“Ahhh!”

Penia let out her resentment.

…It was still sunny outside the window.

####

Alon was bewildered for a moment, seeing Seolang and Deus suddenly appear.

“Huh? Oh-!”

Philian Merkilian, who appeared behind Alon, was momentarily bewildered, then immediately shouted as if realizing who they were.

“Wow, could it be the first sword of Caliban and the first Baba Yaga of Colony?”

Philian, with shining eyes, spoke as if confirming, not noticing the terrifyingly hardened expressions of Deus and Seolang.

“I’ve always wanted to meet both of you, this is delightful!”

A cheerful smile spread across his face.

However, as Seolang and Deus’s expressions remained hardened, he looked bewildered.

“What’s wrong?”

Deus, who had been silent until now, opened his mouth.

“Didn’t you say that the benefactor, no- the Marquis of Palatio, was weak?”

“Uh, yes?”

“The Marquis of Palatio is not weak.”

“Is that so?”

Philian glanced at Alon and then turned his head back.

“He looks weak to me.”

“…Do you want to die?”

Deus’s aura suddenly turned murderous.

‘No, to this extent?’

It was not Philian who was taken aback by the intense reaction, but rather Alon.

Although the word ‘weak’ didn’t sound pleasant, it wasn’t enough to openly emit such an aura.

“No, to this extent-“

So he tried to calm the situation first.

“That can’t be. But I’d like to spar a bit with the first sword of Caliban, is that possible? If Deus wins, I’ll accept that the Marquis of Palatio is strong.”

“Fine.”

Before Alon could finish his sentence, the two of them, without any hesitation, moved towards the exit of the banquet hall.

“…….”

It all happened in an instant.

####

A duel was arranged to protect Alon’s honor, but ironically, his will was not involved at all.

From noble mtl dot com

As Alon walked towards the training ground, a swaying tail followed beside him.

“……As an aide?”

“Yeah! I wasn’t going to come originally, but I decided to because my mentor was coming!”

How is it? I did well, right! Selang smiled bashfully.

Alon nodded unconsciously as he heard the reasons why Selang and Deus were here.

It was understandable that the two of them were attending this meeting.

After all, Deus was the first sword of Caliburn.

And Selang was the first Baba Yaga of the desert city Colony.

However, there was a slight concern.

‘……Is it okay to cause such a commotion like this?’

He looked at Deus and Philian standing in front of him.

……Of course, there were no people around, and the banquet hall itself was deserted, so it wasn’t actually noisy.

Whether there were people or not, the fact that aides were dueling could cause some controversy, so he initially tried to stop it.

However, unfortunately, as he was listening to Selang’s story, he saw the two of them already prepared for the duel, with their swords drawn.

Regrettably, he missed the timing to stop it.

Therefore,

‘……Well, since it’s a pure duel, it shouldn’t cause much commotion.’

Alon decided to watch their fight moderately and suddenly thought.

‘Who will win?’

No, soon Alon changed the question.

‘How long will they last?’

Of course, he knew both of them were sword masters, but the outcome seemed certain.

Even among sword masters, there are different levels, and he couldn’t imagine Deus, who even defeated Reinhardt, losing to Philian, who had just become a sword master.

‘That side doesn’t really intend to win…… Ah- do they?’

Philian was staring at Deus with eyes full of competitive spirit and fighting will.

Alon unknowingly nodded at the sight.

Indeed, Philian was showing exactly what he had seen in Psychedelia.

Even with an overwhelming difference in skill, he never gave up and fought to the death, never surrendering until his last breath.

‘When playing games, I thought it was just his style, but seeing it in reality, his personality is truly unique.’

With that assessment, he looked at Philian, whose eyes were shining.

“The rule is until one side admits defeat. Now, when this dagger I throw hits the ground, the duel begins.”

With a smile, he threw the dagger from his waist.

The dagger soared high into the sky, catching the handle in the slowly setting sun, and then fell.

And then.

Thud-!

When the handle hit the ground.

Crack-!

The match was decided.

“Huh?”

Philian, with a bewildered expression, realized his situation.

When he came to his senses, he was lying disgracefully on the ground.

He didn’t even know what had happened.

And when he looked ahead after regaining his senses.

“…….”

There stood Deus Macallian, looking down at him with a sword in hand.

Philian, his eyes filled with confusion, soon realized one thing along with the pain in his cheek.

That he had been defeated.

Without even swinging his sword once.

Without even putting up a fight.

“Heh…….”

Realizing this, Philian let out a hollow laugh.

If it had been any other mediocre person, they would have either collapsed in despair or denied reality the moment they were defeated by Deus.

Those who collapsed would be powerless, realizing that the sword they had built up until now had been defeated so easily.

Those who denied it would deify Deus Macallian and rationalize their defeat, denying reality.

Because if they didn’t, they would collapse.

But.

“Ha… hahaha.”

Phillian chose neither to collapse nor to deny. He picked a third option.

That was.

“Wow, really… I’m at a loss for words?”

Determination.

Even though he realized that he couldn’t even be a match with a single strike, Phillian instead burned with determination and raised his sword.

As Phillian’s blood boiled,

‘…What?’

Alon looked at Deus with a very surprised expression.

He knew.

That Deus was strong, that he had defeated Reinhardt.

But even so, he couldn’t have imagined that Deus would handle Phillian, who was stronger than most sword masters, in just a single moment.

‘…Is this, talent?’

For a moment, he was speechless at how absurdly strong Deus had become in just a few years, to the point of surpassing superhumans, but soon he had a proud expression.

…Honestly, from Alon’s perspective, who struggled to cast even a single spell, he envied that overwhelming talent, but on the other hand, he felt as if his son had achieved greatness.

But that was only for a moment.

Alon soon felt admiration as he looked at Phillian.

“Ugh-!”

Even though he had fought and lost to a single strike more than five times, he got up again and again as if he didn’t know how to give up.

When he fought for the fifth time,

“Still more!”

Alon could see the determination burning in Phillian’s vivid eyes.

When he fought for the tenth time,

“Still-!”

When he fought for the fifteenth time,

“Wow, really strong-”

When he fought for the twentieth time,

“Hey, wait a minute?”

Philian raised his hand for the first time.

Deus, without a word, sent him flying.

“No-“

Crack!

“Wait-“

Thud!

“Please, let me-“

Crack!

Without giving Philian a chance to speak, about thirty more times, they fought.

“……Deus, it’s about time to stop.”

“Yes.”

……No, to be precise, when Philian’s fighting spirit lost its light and the duel with Deus turned into a one-sided beating, he hurriedly opened his mouth.

Alon saw it.

“……”

In the game settings, even if there is an overwhelming difference in skill, Philian, who is supposed to show his fighting spirit until the moment his life ends to somehow defeat his opponent.

“I’m sorry, I was too thoughtless. I will never do it again-“

He was broken.

And that night.

A meeting of the six kings representing the United Kingdom.

“……Where is that brilliant Swordmaster of yours? You boasted so much about him.”

“……Ahem.”

Alon witnessed King Stalion V of Ashtalon, with a very displeased expression, frowning behind Critenia Cyan.

“……”

The moment their eyes met, he had no choice but to subtly avert his gaze.