I Became the Patron of Villains

105. Is it possible? (2)

Celaim Mikardo, the master of the Blue Tower and a wizard who could use Origin at the 8th rank, could not understand the current situation.

‘Opened? How on earth?’

He blinked his eyes.

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The situation before his eyes remained unchanged.

The Marquis of Palatio had opened the door, which had taken Celaim two years of hard work to open, in less than 30 seconds and was entering inside.

Celaim, who had been dazed, came to his senses and tried to call the Marquis of Palatio, but he was already beyond the first gate and out of sight.

Celaim hurriedly moved and checked the remaining first gate, and was once again astonished.

To others, it just looked like a wall, but Celaim, who had reached a high level, knew.

He knew how complex the method to open this gate, which looked like a wall, was.

It was a door that only a wizard of Celaim’s level, an 8th rank wizard, could open after investing time.

Moreover,

‘…The way to open the gate is exactly the same as mine.’

The method to open the gate was exactly the same as the one he had struggled to find over a year.

‘…What is this?’

Celaim Mikardo was left with even more questions.

He looked again at the inside of the gate where the Marquis of Palatio had entered.

He had been interested in the Marquis of Palatio.

Palatio was the man whom Celaim’s arrogant disciple, Fenia, admired, and he knew that Palatio used primitive magic that modern wizards no longer used.

However, actually meeting the Marquis of Palatio had somewhat diminished that interest.

Of course, just as there is no smoke without fire, the rumors surrounding the Marquis and Fenia’s actions clearly indicated that there was something about him.

But the Marquis of Palatio he had seen in person was not as magically accomplished as he had thought.

‘His magical power is low, and his magical achievements are at best at the beginning of the 4th rank. Moreover, he hasn’t even opened his eyes. Even if I give him high marks for using primitive magic, he’s below average.’

The numerous shortcomings visible to his eyes were enough to make him feel that Alon was a far inferior junior.

Honestly, he was even puzzled as to what Fenia saw in this man to feel fear.

For a moment, Selime followed Alon towards the second gate.

Not long after, Selime could see the Marquis standing in front of the second gate, which even he had not yet managed to open.

Standing in front of the second gate, Alon was deep in thought.

Selime considered speaking to him but decided to remain silent and observe what the Marquis would do.

“……”

The second gate was something even Selime had never opened.

No, to be honest, he wondered if it could even be opened.

Like the first gate, it appeared to be an ordinary door, but to Selime’s awakened eyes, it was a dizzying array of thousands of overlapping magic circles.

Thousands of magic circles, each so complex that it was difficult to grasp, were intertwined in a way that even Selime could not fully comprehend.

Yet, amidst this complexity, his brilliant mind had already deduced the ultimate method to open this door.

‘……Finding the key magic circle among the thousands of magic circles.’

The reason Selime had not yet moved on to the next gate was that he had not found the key magic circle.

To put it in terms of a real door, the second gate blocking him and the Marquis was like a locked door with tens of thousands of keyholes.

Even if he tried to activate each magic circle one by one, he would have to interpret and unravel the thousands of individually twisted magic circles, which was practically impossible.

No, even if it were possible, it would take decades.

Selime briefly wore a melancholic expression as he recalled this fact.

The Marquis of Palatio. No, Alon.

‘……Isn’t he paying too much attention?’

He was watching Selime’s every move.

Of course, Alon had no reason to be wary of Selime.

It wouldn’t hurt to build a rapport with the master of the Blue Tower, but it wasn’t something that would greatly benefit Alon’s life.

The reason Alon was currently wary was because of the strange anticipation in Selime Mikardo’s eyes.

Earlier, when he had thoughtlessly opened the first gate, Selime had been so astonished that his mouth had dropped open. He had since approached quite close.

And now, Selime was watching Alon with childlike eyes, wondering how he would open the door.

‘……Did he say it took him a year just to open the first gate?’

Alon did not think Selime Mikardo was a fool.

Rather, he thought he was a monster.

As far as Alon knew, the two gates guarding this hermit’s hideout were so complex that even twelve ordinary seventh-rank wizards couldn’t solve their secrets in half a year.

Even if he was an eighth-rank wizard, the fact that Selime had opened the first gate alone was enough to recognize how monstrously talented he was.

And, knowing this, Alon felt burdened by Selime Mikardo’s expectant gaze.

Alon was able to open the gate of the “Hermit’s Hideout” simply because he knew the correct answers.

“The key to the first gate is magical interference. Twist the magic maintained in a straight line into a half-ring shape, and it will open… The second gate’s key is the fifth magic circle from the top right corner, based on the top diagonal.”

Therefore, he could open the door just by channeling his magic, but he couldn’t move comfortably due to the blatant anticipation he felt behind him.

If Alon were to open the door very simply by just channeling his magic here, Selaim would realize one thing.

The sad fact that what he had been researching for over a year was all in vain.

“Hmm-“

Of course, from Alon’s perspective, there was no need to care about Selaim Mikardo’s feelings, but as someone who also studied magic, he knew that sense of futility well.

“…Should I use magic?”

Just when he was thinking of telling Selaim a benevolent lie.

“Is the second gate a bit difficult after all?”

Selaim tried to erase the anticipation that had unknowingly settled in his eyes as he glanced back at the Marquis of Palatio.

And at that moment.

“Hoo-“

The Marquis of Palatio, who had been silent until now, let out a small sigh and formed a seal.

Selaim looked at the Marquis with a curious expression.

He knew that the Marquis used primitive magic, but this was the first time he had seen its actual implementation.

So, as he watched Alon implement the magic with interest.

“-“

When Alon muttered something in a very small voice, he saw a small sphere form in his hand, where his thumb and index finger met.

And he felt it simultaneously.

That.

“?

Selaim Mikardo instinctively felt the threat and immediately frowned, channeling his magic to start implementing a spell.

A response so quick it could be called instinctive.

But then.

“!”

What entered Selaim Mikardo’s view as he was about to unleash the completed spell.

Were the two eyes behind Alon’s back.

Selaim’s thoughts came to a halt.

No, to be precise, he stopped his thoughts himself.

The moment he perceived it.

No, the moment he confirmed it with his own eyes, he realized.

The moment he understood it, the imminent future that would come.

Death.

However, the one thing he couldn’t cope with was his own eyes.

Having surpassed the 7th rank and reached the 8th, his eyes, which could now discern almost everything just by looking, began to instinctively perceive it, unlike Selime’s thoughts.

At that moment.

Selime noticed the surrounding earth darkening.

And then.

The moment he realized it, what his eyes saw was.

A round circle.

A circle like an abyss, as if it would suck him in.

Next, what he saw was a white pupil in the darkness.

And the last thing he saw was.

“-Kuh”

A gigantic eye.

An eye so enormous that he seemed like a mere insect in comparison.

It was.

Staring at Selime.

‘I’m going to die.’

The moment Selime realized that fact, as he blankly thought.

Rumble-!!!!

A massive sound echoed in his ears.

“!”

He suddenly came to his senses and looked ahead.

There, the second gate, which hadn’t opened no matter what he tried for a year, was opening with a heavy noise.

Behind the opening gate, Marquis Palatio was staring at him.

With an indifferent face devoid of any emotion.

“……Ha.”

The moment he confirmed that, Selime Mikardo couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.

‘So you were hiding your true power. That’s what it was……!’

In less than a second, just seeing it caused his magic to surge and the hand that had cast the spell to tremble violently.

Yet, he couldn’t stop laughing.

Even though death had approached him in that moment, he couldn’t stop laughing.

It was because his curiosity was stimulating him.

The curiosity that had elevated him to the master of the Blue Magic Tower and an 8th-tier mage.

Perhaps, the magical knowledge that Marquis Palatio, who was hiding even greater power, possessed.

That’s why Selaim laughed.

And Alon, who was watching him, thought.

‘……No, does he like it that much?’

While using magic, he had thought, ‘Even though he’s an 8th-tier mage, Selaim Mikardo wouldn’t be fooled by such a showy spell, would he?’

But contrary to his expectations, seeing Selaim laughing so brightly, he couldn’t help but be dumbfounded.

####

Having passed through the second gate, Alon finally entered the hermit’s hideout and was able to check the interior scenery.

There wasn’t much to see inside the hideout.

To put it simply, it was similar to the interior of an ordinary fantasy-style house set up inside a dark cave.

But since he hadn’t come just to see such scenery, Alon headed straight to the desk placed on one side of the hideout without hesitation.

There, he was able to obtain what he wanted.

‘Found it.’

Unlike the black bracelet he had obtained last time, this time he put the white-painted bracelet, ‘The White Hand of the Wanderer,’ into his bosom and smiled briefly.

“?”

Suddenly realizing that there was a parchment with ancient writing on the desk, he lowered his gaze and read the words.

‘To the half-baked mage who never compromised and never forgot the phrase, I leave my legacy……?’

Seeing the contents of the parchment, Alon paused for a moment.

It was because he had seen a similar phrase when he obtained the Dragon Egg.

‘Hmm…….’

After staring at the phrase for a while, Alon shrugged and put the parchment down.

Then, turning around,

There was still Selaim Mikardo, smiling brightly.

……Alon, who confirmed the somewhat burdensome smile, spoke.

“I’ve gathered everything I need, so if there’s anything you want, Master of the Tower, please take it.”

In truth, if there had been any books on magic, I would have taken them, but there wasn’t a single one in sight, so there was nothing else to take.

“Is that so? Then I’ll gratefully take what I need.”

“Yes.”

As Alon finished the conversation and looked around to see if there was anything else to take.

“…Hmm-“

Selaim headed to the desk where Alon had been a moment ago and picked up the parchment he had clearly been reading.

‘It’s in an ancient language.’

Realizing that the parchment was written in an ancient language he couldn’t read, he quietly took it.

Normally, he would have asked, but since the Marquis had shown it to him, Selaim could easily understand his intention.

‘He probably wants me to keep silent.’

In other words, Selaim thought that even if he asked the Marquis of Palatio, he wouldn’t get an answer, so he decided to take the parchment to the Red Tower Master.

Because he knew that he was skilled in interpreting such ancient languages.

“Hoo-“

However, aside from the contents of the parchment, Selaim wanted to discuss magic with the Marquis of Palatio.

His curiosity was not something that could be suppressed just because someone told him to.

Therefore.

‘…I need to get closer to him, even if just a little.’

As Selaim pondered how to do so.

‘Yes, there’s Fenia.’

He soon thought of Fenia.

It was only then that Selaim realized why the arrogant Fenia had fallen for the Marquis of Palatio, and he began to formulate a plan.

‘Rather than being complete strangers, it might be easier to get closer if I’m the husband of his disciple.’

With an intention that was unclear whether Fenia or his own curiosity was the priority.

‘I will definitely support you.’

Burning with determination, he looked at the Marquis of Palatio.

To that.

‘…Something feels off.’

Alon felt an inexplicable sense of unease as he watched Selaim’s smile turn strangely.

…It felt like something strange was about to happen.