I Became the Patron of Villains

100. Mysterious Jungle Ronovelli (2)

[I’m sorry…!]

Alon couldn’t say anything as he watched Tobet bow his head in front of him, tears welling up.

Honestly, even he hadn’t expected this situation at all.

‘Is this… possible?’

Alon stared blankly at Seolang.

Unlike the terrifying golden eyes that had glowed earlier, Seolang now met his gaze with a bashful smile, as if to say, “I did well, didn’t I?”

‘…No, how did he catch him?’

Alon could only be amazed over and over again.

Catching Tobet was practically an impossible feat.

In game terms, he was a fairy who could move over 100 spaces in a single turn!

“How did you catch him?”

The question slipped out unconsciously.

Seolang made a puzzled expression and then.

“I just caught him?”

He answered so lightly.

“……Uh.”

‘Yeah, well, that’s true.’

Many things were left unsaid.

‘……No, seriously, what is this?’

Of course, Alon knew from previous experience that Seollang was fast, but he didn’t expect it to be this absurd.

‘At this rate…… wouldn’t it take less than two days to cross the desert? No, more than that…… it seems like she’s already far beyond the ordinary level, just like Deus.’

He was newly impressed by the talents of the Five Great Sins.

‘……Now that I think about it, it’s not that she’s strong because a god descended, but rather, she was inherently this capable from the start.’

As he thought about this, he couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for his own small body, even with the magic hole.

He felt a bit depressed for a moment, but he quickly shook it off and looked at Tobet. After all, the situation in front of him was still ongoing.

Tobet, who had been grabbed by the neck in an instant and threatened by Seollang, seemed to be in shock and fear.

Seeing his expression, Alon asked.

“……Is this capture acknowledged?”

[Acknowledged……]

“……”

[I will do it.]

Tobet glanced at the smiling Seollang and lowered his head.

“Then, we are now in a position where we have to run away. Right?”

[Yes? Yes.]

Tobet nodded hastily.

“Seollang. Is it possible?”

“Of course, it’s possible, Master! I’m fast!”

Seollang confidently placed her hands on her hips.

At her words, Alon looked at Tobet, who was watching nervously.

“Then let’s start right away.”

[Yes, when the hourglass above your head turns, we’ll start. The time to escape is one minute.]

Even as he watched Tobet’s slightly fearful and awkward demeanor, Alon was inwardly tense.

Tobet, who outwardly appeared to be an underdeveloped young boy, was actually a fairy who had lived for hundreds of years.

‘Also, due to the nature of fairies, even if they die, they come back to life, so they wouldn’t feel threatened by death.’

Knowing various pieces of information, Alon thought that Tobet was pretending to be scared to catch them off guard.

Soon, the hourglass summoned by Tobet placed in the center of the chamber began to slowly turn upside down.

‘As expected.’

And unlike his gloomy eyes, Tobet’s mouth twisted into a slanted smile.

It was an extremely, unmistakably sinister smile.

Seolang, who had been staring at Tobet for the duel, suddenly called out.

“Ah, Master.”

“Why?”

“If I get caught, can I try again?”

“Try again?”

Alon looked at the hourglass, which had turned about 90 degrees, and said.

“Hmm, probably.”

“Heh- so I can try again?”

“Yes.”

Alon nodded, recalling that fairies had to respond to human requests for trials without fail.

The moment the hourglass completely turned and the trial began.

“?”

Tobet did not move.

Seolang also did not move.

‘……Are they moving too fast for my eyes to follow?’

Alon thought so for a moment, but of course, that was not the case.

The two were really not moving.

“?”

Alon was filled with questions.

However, during that time, the sand in the hourglass was slowly falling.

After a minute had passed.

“Wow! I won!”

“…….”

Alon saw Seolang with a bright smile, raising both hands in a victory pose.

“…….”

And Tobet, who was looking at Seolang with a slightly terrified expression, his head deeply bowed.

And on that day.

Alon was able to obtain the ‘Hand of the Wandering One’.

“Thanks to you.”

“If it’s for you, Master, I can do at least this much!”

Feeling a strange warmth in his heart as he watched Seolang exude an air of grandeur, Alon said,

“If there’s something you want, I’ll grant it.”

“Really!?”

“Yes. Well, I might have to think about it if it’s something difficult.”

“Hmm- then can I think about it and tell you later?”

“Sure.”

Having such a trivial conversation, they stepped out of the cave.

As the entrance to the underground prison came into view, Alon suddenly became curious.

“By the way, why did both of you stop earlier?”

“Huh? Earlier?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm- I don’t know? I just stopped because he stopped. I was going to move when he moved.”

Alon looked at Seolang, who spoke nonchalantly.

“Huh? Why?”

Seeing her innocent expression, he shrugged and walked out of the cave.

It was the middle of the night, with not a single person in sight.

#####

The three days in Tern passed by in a flash.

From the fourth day, the conference was completely over, and the following days were essentially a period for socializing without any meetings.

Therefore,

‘If I’m going to move, I should move quickly.’

Alon decided to act without hesitation.

After all, he had already obtained everything he needed.

“Master, are you leaving already!?”

“I have things to do.”

“Eh-“

At the words of leaving first, Seollang blatantly dropped his tail.

It wasn’t to the extent that the world would collapse, but anyone could see the disappointment on his face, so Alon, feeling like he was seeing his daughter’s cute tantrum, spoke.

“Well, I’ll come visit next time.”

“Really!?”

“Yes.”

From noble mtl dot com

Though it was an empty promise, he had to move soon anyway to meet the Yongin tribe.

Having somewhat appeased Seollang, Alon immediately moved his body, leaving behind a short farewell.

A little later, Alon went to say goodbye to Deus.

“Are you talking about Ronovelli?”

“Yes.”

“Then, I’ll go with you.”

…He couldn’t say goodbye.

“Together, you say?”

“Yes, I also have business in Ronovelli.”

“…What kind of business?”

When Alon asked, Deus explained.

“Reinhardt, who entered Ronovelli a year ago, hasn’t returned at all.”

“…So, you’re going to find him?”

“Yes. There are clues, but the knights couldn’t bring him back.”

“There are clues, but the knights couldn’t bring him back?”

“I heard it’s presumed to be in the ‘Selvanus District’.”

“Ah.”

Until a moment ago, Alon couldn’t understand why the knights couldn’t bring back Reinhardt, but at Deus’s words, he nodded unconsciously.

‘…Indeed, if it’s the Selvanus District, it’s understandable that the knights couldn’t enter.’

The Selvanus District.

It was a vast, unexplored jungle, one of the three explored areas in Ronovelli, where monstrous creatures lived.

Ordinary knights had a high chance of not even being able to retrieve their bones once they entered.

Even in Psychedelia, the Selvanus District was a place that could only be visited in the mid to late stages.

‘You can use the blessing of the ruins, but of course, the knights wouldn’t know that.’

Recalling the game information, Alon nodded lightly.

“Then let’s go together.”

“Yes, I will accompany you.”

That day, Alon left for Ronoveli with Deus.

####

Alon, who had been heading to Ronoveli with Deus for a few days, found the journey to be quite enjoyable, more than he had expected.

When they first got into the carriage together, he worried about how awkward it would be if they moved in silence like before. Contrary to his concerns, Deus talked quite a lot this time.

Because of that.

“……Is it time?”

“It seems so.”

Feeling as if even his clothes were getting damp, Alon realized they were nearing the edge of the jungle and organized the tasks he needed to do while heading to Ronoveli.

‘The first task is to go to the ruins of Malaka, as the king mentioned.’

Alon nodded lightly.

Going to the ruins of Malaka was not a difficult task.

He knew where the ruins of Malaka were, as they appeared as a side quest in the game.

However, in the game, even if he found the ruins, the entrance was collapsed, so he had never actually been inside.

‘The second task is to find the other part of the ring.’

Alon reached into his bosom and took out a bracelet.

This was something he had obtained in Tern not long ago, but it was an item that did not function on its own.

‘……It was definitely the Hermit’s Hideout.’

However, if he obtained the remaining bracelet at the ‘Hermit’s Hideout,’ the moment he combined the two, it would become something extremely necessary for the current Alon.

The third and final task.

‘The Forgotten One.’

He planned to find an item here to prepare for the Forgotten One.

Unlike the foreign gods he had faced so far, he knew that the ‘Forgotten One’ had already fully manifested in this world.

“Whew.”

How long had it been since he finished his thoughts with a light sigh?

“We have arrived.”

Alon soon realized they had arrived at the small duchy of Luxible, adjacent to the jungle, and got off the carriage.

From now on, they had to walk directly into the jungle, specifically to the place where the camp set up by wizards and explorers was located.

The three who arrived at Caslot in Luxible immediately headed towards the south gate leading to the jungle.

As soon as they passed through the southern gate.

“Sir, it looks like it’s your first time here. Do you need a guide? Just tell me where you want to go, and I’ll take you there right away.”

As if they had been waiting, the touts began to swarm.

‘…I thought there would be many, but there are far more than I expected.’

Aside from the exploration camp, most of the places around here were ruins, making it a site where many relics were unearthed.

So, explorers and mercenaries filled with dreams often came here.

Alon took a step back from the touts.

“No need. I know my destination.”

“Ah, don’t say that. It’s easy to get lost in this jungle!”

“Still, no need.”

Alon refused.

Only then did the tout, as if he had no choice, turn away and disappear.

“There are a lot of touts.”

“Indeed.”

As Alon and Evan were talking.

“Marquis.”

“What’s the matter?”

“Shall I kill that guy from earlier?”

“…What?”

Alon was bewildered by Deus’s declaration of murder.

“Why?”

“He insulted you, Marquis.”

“…Did he?”

“Yes. I heard it clearly.”

“Oh…”

‘Hearing an insult is not a pleasant thing.’

But even so, killing someone just for insulting him seemed a bit much. Alon shook his head.

“No need for that.”

“Understood.”

Nodding, Deus nodded his head, and Alon added a few words.

“Still, I appreciate you thinking of me.”

He nodded pleasantly, thinking that the words were meant to consider his feelings after being cursed at.

Exactly five minutes later.

“Marquis.”

“……What is it?”

“Shall I kill the tout from earlier?”

“……Reason?”

“He cursed and disappeared when you refused him.”

“……Don’t do it.”

“Understood.”

Deus declared his intent to kill exactly eight times until they reached the south gate connected to the jungle.

As he looked at the spot where the tout had disappeared, fiddling with the hilt of his sword as if regretful.

‘No way, he hasn’t awakened, has he???’

……Alon began to feel a strange sense of unease.