I Became the Patron of Villains

166. The Ball (1) (Including Illustration)

Two weeks after Alon headed to Teria to attend the ball.

“Finally, we’ve arrived-”

“Indeed.”

The distant scenery of the capital began to come into view.

Evan, who was beside him, exhaled as if he was hot.

“Are we going to Lartania after the ball again, and then straight to Colony?”

“It seems so.”

“I see.”

“……You look disappointed.”

When Alon looked puzzled at Evan’s face, Basiliora interrupted.

[Hmph, judging by the look on your face like a dog needing to pee, it must be a woman problem.]

“What nonsense is that?”

[It’s true. I saw you take out a letter from your pocket a few days ago and make a lewd face.]

“Ugh- When did you-!”

[Ah, the night when Evan’s eyes longed for-]

“Waaah!!”

As Basiliora raised his voice and began to recite the contents of the letter, Evan screamed.

As Alon looked at his flushed face with a strange expression, Evan caught his breath and soon gave an awkward smile.

“Haha- Well, when I went to the Duke of Zenonia’s house last time, I met a female knight, and we got along quite well.”

“It seems you’ve been exchanging letters.”

“Yes, yes, that’s right.”

Alon, who had been watching the embarrassed Evan, asked quietly.

“……You seem more embarrassed than I thought. Haven’t you already had a few relationships?”

“That’s true, but……”

Evan, who had been diligently following me around and chatting with all sorts of women with a smile, wasn’t he?

However, there was a hint of injustice in Evan’s voice.

“This and that feel a bit different.”

“In what way……?”

“That was just small talk, and this is a bit more than that……. A relationship that’s a bit more developed than a mere flirtation? Something like that.”

[Hmph, nonsense.]

“Don’t spoil the mood, you snake-headed b*stard! You were also flirting with our marquis’ maid!”

[What?! Flirting?! When did I ever do that! I just talked to her a few times because she was devotedly worshipping me!]

“That’s funny, you were showing off all sorts of tricks just because she brought you a snack or two?”

[Kraaa-!]

Basiliora, whose dark past was suddenly exposed, started writhing his whole body, and Evan, seizing the opportunity, began to attack.

[Kyuu……]

How long had it been since Kkamangi, startled by the noise, poked his head out from Alon’s chest to watch the two bickering and fighting?

The party had already arrived at the capital.

‘Teria is still the same as ever.’

The carriage they were riding in entered the inner city, crossing the well-maintained and prosperous streets of Teria.

When Alon got off the carriage in front of the ballroom,

“Marquis Palatio. Before you attend the ball, the king wishes to see you first.”

“……? Let’s go, then.”

A guard approached and delivered the news as if he had been waiting.

Alon tilted his head in confusion but soon followed behind him.

####

Having received the king’s invitation, Alon entered her private office after a long time.

“It’s been a while, Marquis Palatio.”

“Have you been well?”

He could see Siyan greeting him with the same ambiguous smile as ever.

“Sit down first.”

The queen pointed to the chair right in front of her.

As Alon took his seat, the queen once again took out a sweet potato and placed it in front of him.

“You may eat.”

“Ah… Yes. And the king…?”

“I will just watch.”

“…Yes.”

The sweet potato eating show began shortly after.

By now, he should be used to it, but he simply couldn’t get accustomed to it…

After a while, only the sound of chewing sweet potatoes echoed in the office.

“You still eat well.”

“I’m sorry.”

Alon cautiously lowered his head at Siyan’s words, which he couldn’t tell if they were a compliment or not.

“…Hmm?”

He stopped at the sight of a statue at the edge of his vision.

A statue placed in one corner of the office.

It was definitely the first time he had seen it, but somehow it felt very familiar.

“Ah, are you talking about this?”

Noticing his gaze, Siyan picked up the statue.

“It’s a statue brought from Luxible.”

“…Luxible, you say?”

“Yes, I heard that they worship the figure depicted in this statue as a god. So-“

Siyan paused for a moment before uttering a name.

“Was it ‘Kalanon, the Thunder Receiver’?”

“…I have heard that news as well.”

“Then have you seen this statue before?”

“No, this is my first time seeing it.”

Siyan, looking amused, gazed at the statue in his hand.

“This is also my first time seeing it. It was brought as a gift from the Principality of Luxible.”

“I see.”

“So, what do you think?”

“…What are you talking about?”

“This statue. To me, it looks like this god, Kalanon, resembles the Marquis. What do you think?”

He asked.

####

Sergius stared blankly ahead.

There, facing Cardinal Utia, was the Elivan party.

The group that had dealt with numerous strange phenomena outside the Vatican.

“You’ve done excellently this time as well.”

“Everything is thanks to the power bestowed by Him.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, without His power, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve this.”

Amidst the numerous priests, Cardinal Utia and Elivan exchanged compliments.

How much time had passed?

“Then, I’ll see you again, Cardinal Utia.”

“Yes, Elector, I will visit you again next time.”

Cardinal Utia handed over the reward for dealing with the recent strange phenomena to Elivan.

“Everything is for Him.”

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“Yes, everything is for Him.”

After exchanging such greetings, the Elector led the group out of the Vatican.

After all the events had ended and the priests had dispersed, Sergius, now accustomed to following Cardinal Utia, cautiously parted his lips.

“…Excuse me.”

“Hmm? What is it, Cardinal Sergius?”

Utia looked at him with a gentle smile, as always.

Sergius, who had been silent under the calm gaze, slowly began to speak.

“…Utia, may I ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.”

Utia’s permission.

However, Sergius hesitated.

Even though he had received permission, he wasn’t sure if it was right to ask this.

He knew better than anyone that questioning Cardinal Utia was the most foolish thing in the world – no, he had ‘experienced’ it.

But despite that, Sergius couldn’t suppress the curiosity and questions that constantly filled his mind.

“……About the Chosen One.”

“Yes.”

“……Isn’t he someone who didn’t receive power from Sironia?”

Sergius recalled the ‘Chosen One’ whom Cardinal Utia had acknowledged earlier as having been chosen by Sironia.

Indeed, his power clearly resembled the divine power bestowed by Sironia.

The divine power he exuded was also similar to the subtle radiance that a ‘saint’ would emit.

In fact, the priests who had been watching Elivan earlier seemed convinced that he was chosen by Sironia, seeing the radiance he scattered.

The other cardinals were the same.

However, Sergius alone-

‘It was definitely different.’

He noticed that the divine power Elivan was emitting was not Sironia’s divine power.

He vividly recalled the divine power Elivan had emitted.

It was a pure white silver, but it subtly contained a blue light in between.

It only looked similar to Sironia’s divine power, but it was a completely different divine power.

To that.

“……Hmm.”

Utia let out a low nasal sound as if he found it interesting.

Sergius was convinced that his thoughts were correct.

“You noticed it well. I was a bit worried because it’s still immature, but I thought I had fooled everyone except the saint.”

At Utia’s calm acknowledgment, Sergius remained silent.

Normally, Sergius should not have been able to notice the truth either.

The divine power that the ‘Chosen One’ used was almost identical to the divine power bestowed by Sironia.

In fact, the other cardinals, except for the saint who was out on relief work, did not notice any sense of difference.

However, there was only one reason Sergius could feel that sense of difference.

It was because of Cardinal Utia.

He had known, having been treated like a servant by Cardinal Utia for a long time.

He knew that Cardinal Utia used not only Sironia’s divine power but also other divine powers.

Of course, he had only seen Utia use another divine power a few times.

However, for Sergius, who had risen to the rank of cardinal, it was enough to recognize that Eliban’s divine power was similar to Utia’s ‘other’ divine power.

‘…The chosen one is not someone chosen by the goddess Sironia.’

He could reach that conclusion.

“How did you notice?”

At the cold question, Sergius calmed his unnecessarily pounding heart.

“…Utia’s divine power, which she shows for a very brief moment, is exactly the same as his.”

“Hmm- I see, so that’s how it is.”

Utia nodded as if she roughly understood the situation.

Her red eyes turned to Sergius again.

“But it seems you haven’t noticed everything yet.”

“Yes…?”

“No- more than that, you don’t need to worry too much about this part.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. Anyway-“

Utia’s eyes curved gently.

“-Soon, everything will ‘become the same’. To the point where even Cardinal Sergius won’t be able to tell the difference.”

“…Become…the same?”

“Yes. Everything will become the same. Divine power, this, that. Even if it looks a little different now, everything will be the same in the future.”

“….”

…Sergius couldn’t understand a single word.

What exactly would become the same soon?

What is ‘this’ and ‘that’?

What will happen in the future?

More than anything-

What is Cardinal Utia plotting right now?

The only thing he could infer from the information so far was one thing.

…Recently, the situation where the words of the goddess Sironia could not be heard, perhaps Cardinal Utia is related to it.

Surely, she is.

However, even if that were the case, there was nothing he could do.

“…Rather, it might get a little better. The current Rosario is corrupt. Maybe when that time comes, things will get better.”

No, he couldn’t.

“Corruption and injustice will disappear. All the holy knights will move for ‘Him’, all the believers will worship ‘Him’, and everyone will offer their faith to ‘Him’.”

He,

Sergius,

was already overwhelmed by the suffocatingly intense fanaticism swirling in Cardinal Utia’s pupils.

“But before that happens… if the story spreads, it could become a bit troublesome… a bit-“

Overwhelmed again and again-

In the end, he succumbed.

Therefore.

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“-Quietly. Please. Cardinal Sergius?”

In the Vatican, where shadows were cast by the setting sun, with the flickering red light behind him, Utia whispered with his index finger on his lips.

“Yes, I understand.”

That was the only answer Sergius could give.