I Became the Patron of Villains

193. Clash (4)

“What- what did you say?”

Paloel’s face showed a bewildered expression at Lim’s reaction.

No, he couldn’t help but be bewildered.

No matter how much she belonged to the secret society Pagade, her status or power was not higher than the Council of Elders.

In other words, Lim speaking informally to Paloel now was.

A clear act of overstepping authority.

Paloel furrowed his brows tightly.

“`

“……”

He dared not utter the next words.

‘This guy, he’s serious.’

The murderous intent that overwhelmed the space.

That fierce momentum was telling him.

If he really opened his mouth any further-

‘Palloel, I will harm you.’

Palloel couldn’t easily speak.

He couldn’t understand Lim’s actions at all.

Just a few days ago, he didn’t like that human at all.

Why has his attitude changed so drastically?

Palloel, who was pondering, finally came to one conclusion.

He could only come to one conclusion.

That was,

‘No way, that human really became a god-‘

Unless the Marquis of Palatio, who visited Greynif, was really a god.

Lim’s sudden change in attitude was incomprehensible.

At that moment.

“Let me make it clear.”

“……”

“From now on, any attack on the Marquis of Palatio will be considered an attack on me.”

After leaving such a warning, Lim leisurely passed by him.

Palloel could only silently watch his back.

Meanwhile, at that moment.

“……This is the situation.”

“I see, indeed.”

A private audience with the Elf Queen, Magrina.

After explaining the whole story, Alon observed her reaction and brought up the next topic.

“Anyway, there are a few things I want to ask about him, may I?”

“Of course. I’ll answer anything I know.”

“`

With a friendly smile, Alon asked the first question.

“By any chance, when did the greed- no, the ash spreaders below come into being?”

“That part, I can’t tell you exactly. Even we elves don’t know the details.”

“……Is that so?”

“But if I were to roughly estimate the years… I think it was about 600 to 700 years ago.”

“600 to 700 years?”

“Yes. That’s when I heard the stories.”

Alon tilted his head unconsciously.

‘If it was 600 to 700 years ago, is it ambiguous to say it is related to greed?’

As far as Alon knew, the mother of greed appeared with the sin of greed.

Even after that, the sin of greed must be nearby to reveal itself.

The ‘sin of greed’ among the five great sins.

Once they are incarnated, they never stay still.

As if their purpose is to exterminate all the population of the continent.

They move to places where there are living beings to spread death everywhere.

In other words, if the sin of greed had really appeared, it would have already caused a commotion.

‘If we assume that the sin of greed appeared and died 600 to 700 years ago, and only the mother of greed survived- it is not entirely implausible.’

Alon, who was pondering, asked an additional question.

“……By any chance, did the sin of greed awaken around that time?”

“Um- I don’t know. I don’t think there was anything like that.”

An uncertain answer came back.

“Is that so?”

Alon decided to move on to the next question, putting the hypothesis aside.

He judged that there would be no more information to gain by asking further.

‘Since it’s an event from that long ago, it might be recorded in old books, so should I look it up?’

Then suddenly.

Alon looked at Queen Magrina’s face anew.

‘……How old is she?’

It wasn’t an important issue right now, but.

No matter how he looked at it, the years didn’t match her youthful beauty, so he was curious.

‘To casually mention 700 years means that this elf was alive back then too, so her age is at least-’

Alon, whose thoughts naturally continued, was interrupted.

“Oh- no, Marquis? Are you perhaps having some very disrespectful thoughts?”

He came to his senses at her words.

The queen was smiling.

However, unlike her raised lips, her eyes were not smiling at all.

“No, it’s not like that.”

He answered faster than usual.

“Then please continue with your questions.”

“Alright.”

Fortunately, the situation passed quietly.

“Do you know of the mirror beneath the roots?”

“Mirror?”

“Yes, a circular full-length mirror.”

Alon recounted the strange event he had experienced to her.

“Well, first of all, let me tell you that the item you saw is indeed an artifact. However-”

She paused for a moment and gently shook her head.

“I don’t know its effects properly either.”

“You don’t know its effects?”

“Yes, originally, nothing is reflected in that mirror. That’s why I thought it was an artifact.”

“…Since when has that mirror been there?”

Queen Magrina also pondered for a moment before answering.

“I don’t know since when. However, it was there when I first went to that place.”

“Then we can’t know who placed it there either.”

“Regrettably, that seems to be the case.”

This too was shrouded in mystery…

Alon made a short sound and moved on to the next question.

“Do you know what this is?”

What he held out was a golden fruit obtained from deep within the roots.

The queen, upon seeing it.

“…! This is… how did you obtain this?”

She asked, seemingly a bit surprised.

Alon briefly explained the situation.

After a moment.

“Indeed, so that’s how it happened.”

Magrina nodded.

As if she understood something.

She submerged herself in the sea of thoughts for a while.

Eventually, she resurfaced and answered Alon.

“What you are holding now is the fruit of the World Tree.”

“The fruit of the World Tree?”

“Yes.”

“…What effect does this fruit have if consumed?”

Magrina’s answer came immediately.

“Of course. It’s the fruit of the World Tree.”

“What is it?”

“You will probably gain unimaginable magical power.”

“…Unimaginable magical power?”

“Yes. The World Tree’s magic is contained within it. Just consuming it will make you overflow with magic.”

“Oh.”

A faint admiration appeared on Alon’s face.

According to Magrina.

This fruit is the key to solving Alon’s innate magic depletion.

However.

“However, you should be somewhat cautious before consuming it.”

Things in the world don’t always go smoothly.

“Is there any side effect?”

“Rather than a side effect… the problem is that the effect is too strong?”

The effect is too strong?

“Yes. If you eat it wrong, your body will explode.”

“…Really?”

“It only increases your magic power, it doesn’t improve your body to handle that enormous amount of magic.”

Alon remained silent.

Because he realized that the golden fruit in front of him was a ‘glittering apricot.’

However.

‘Improving constitution.’

He had no intention of giving up the opportunity he had once obtained.

Alon, who decided to gradually investigate the improvement of constitution, put the fruit back.

“Have you asked all your questions now?”

Just as the meeting was about to end.

Alon recalled one last question that lingered in his mind.

“May I ask one more thing, just one last question?”

“As much as you want.”

Despite having asked quite a few questions, Magrina smiled as if it was not bothersome at all.

Alon hesitated for a moment.

“…Can you tell me what you know about the primordial elves?”

In the end.

He asked such a question.

Since she was mistaking herself for a primordial elf.

This question would definitely sound very strange.

But having come this far.

Going back without hearing anything about the primordial elves?

He thought that was even more unacceptable.

He cautiously asked the question.

Despite his outwardly expressionless face.

Alon was inwardly quite nervous, waiting for Magrina’s answer.

“About the primordial elves… you mean?”

“Yes.”

Eventually, Magrina.

“Ah- yes, yes, I’ll tell you. It’s not difficult at all.”

“Hmm- I see, that’s the feeling, right?” he smiled.

…Just like the first time Alon denied being the ‘First Elf.’

“Hmm- where should I start?”

“I’d like you to tell me everything you know.”

After all, he needed to gather as much information as possible.

Alon demanded everything he could.

Then, Magrina began to recall, as if it were a fun game.

“First- he was a sorcerer.”

“I see.”

“He also had a daughter.”

“…He had a daughter?”

“Yes.”

That was unexpected information.

‘So he was married.’

Alon shrugged lightly.

“Anything else?”

“He was smart. And although he seemed stern on the outside, he was warm-hearted.”

From that point on,

Magrina brought out cherished memories for a while.

Listening quietly to her story, Alon said,

“I think that’s enough.”

“Is it?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Leaving the slightly disappointed Magrina behind, he returned to his lodging.

####

The second daughter of the Macalian family, Silly.

Recently, she has become quite a celebrity.

Of course, Silly was already a celebrity before.

Her brother was none other than Deus Macallian, the first sword of Caliban.

He was a self-proclaimed ‘sister fool’ who cherished his younger sister dearly.

However, the reason Silly had recently become famous was because of magic.

In Caliban, magicians were generally not given much regard.

Nevertheless.

The fact that she had reached the second rank in just under two years of learning magic was a testament to her genius.

She had become quite a celebrity in the capital on her own.

Today, she had something to say to Deus and visited his office.

“Brother?”

“What’s the matter?”

There, she encountered her sibling holding binoculars and doing something strange, or rather, observing something.

“……What are you doing, brother?”

“What do you mean what was I doing- Ah, you mean this?”

“Yes.”

When Silly nodded, Deus smiled confidently.

“Take a look.”

He handed the binoculars to his sister.

“……?”

Despite her puzzled expression, she accepted the binoculars.

Soon, she adjusted the focus of the binoculars to her eyes.

“This is-?”

She couldn’t help but exclaim at the vast view of the estate that came into sight.

Then, Deus’s bright voice came from beside her.

“It’s the Marquis’s estate.”

“……What? The Marquis’s? You mean Marquis Palatio’s?”

“Yes. Doesn’t it look great?”

“Well- it does, but…… how is this possible?”

When Silly asked with a face that showed she didn’t understand, Deus proudly straightened his shoulders.

“I asked the wizard to cast a sharing spell on the gem I brought from the labyrinth. Normally, it would be an impossible distance, but the artifacts from the labyrinth have quite good utility.”

Hahaha- Deus burst into laughter.

“…Uh, I get that, but why go to such lengths…?”

“Why, you ask? Of course, to protect the Marquis.”

“The Marquis, you say?”

“Yes. There might be some group targeting the Marquis, so we’ve been standing guard like this 24/7.”

Huhuhu.

Deus’s face was full of satisfaction, as if he was proud of himself.

But in reality…

…Guarding? This is…?

“So that if any illegal scoundrels target the Marquis, we can deal with them immediately.”

The more I listened…

‘Isn’t this more illegal…?’

I was getting lost in the labyrinth.

“No one would dare touch the Marquis, hahaha-!”

It was a strange evening…