I Became the Patron of Villains

209. Apostle (4)

‘Sharing a miracle.’

There were two main reasons why Alon chose Silly as the recipient.

The first was that she was the beloved younger sister of Deus.

Now that the Apostle of Sloth had been dealt with.

The immediate threat had disappeared.

However, should such a threat arise again, she needed the strength to resist on her own.

Deus cherished her so much that if Silly were to die, he would undoubtedly fall into sin and darkness.

The second reason was.

Silly seemed surprisingly capable of handling Alon’s power.

From this incident onward.

Silly’s gaze towards Alon had completely changed.

From the one who had made her brother Deus strange(?).

She had now become an object of reverence and worship for Silly herself.

Even without trying to feel it, that emotion was blatantly conveyed.

‘Moreover, since she is said to have outstanding magical talent, she might even gain faith when using magic later.’

In any case.

Faith was just a secondary factor.

Ultimately, the most important reason was.

To ease Deus’s worries.

‘After all, there’s no one else to share the power with right now.’

If he had heard from Kalanon while in the Principality of Luxible, he would have given the power to Sirkal and Jenira, but it was already too late to return to the Principality at this point.

Had he stayed in the Principality of Luxible.

He would have given the power to Sirkal and Jenira.

But it was too late to return to the Principality now.

Since it was certain that by the time they returned from the north, enough faith would have gathered to share miracles with one or two more people.

Alon made the proposal to Silly without difficulty.

Eventually.

“Th-Then, does that mean I become the Marquis’s apostle…!?”

With eyes sparkling brightly.

Silly asked in a voice filled with excitement, as if she couldn’t distinguish whether this was a dream or reality.

At her intense reaction, Alon nodded, secretly flustered.

“Well, strictly speaking, yes.”

“C-Can someone like me really do it?”

She began to belittle herself.

Now, even her hands started to tremble.

But apart from that, her eyes shone even brighter.

Alon cleared his throat with a slightly embarrassed expression.

‘No, well- you don’t have to take it that seriously…’

For Alon, it was because he wanted to give her, Deus’s Achilles’ heel, a bit more power to protect herself.

“…There’s no need to belittle yourself like that.”

“B-But how can I become the Marquis’s apostle-”

“If you don’t particularly want to, you can say so…”

“That’s absolutely not the case!!!”

Suddenly, an overwhelming force.

“R-Really?”

Alon stammered without realizing it.

Silly clenched her fists tightly, as if she had made a huge decision.

“I’ll really, really do my best!”

She shouted so loudly that her body shook.

Though taken aback by the unexpected intensity.

Well, isn’t it good to have good things- he thought.

Alon closed his eyes.

Now quite accustomed to it, it took only a few seconds for the divine presences to be felt.

Among them, unlike last time, he chose the greatly diminished divinity of Kalanon.

At that moment.

Crackle-!

With a flash of light, small static electricity began to form around Alon.

Unlike the overwhelming momentum of last time, this time the static electricity moved very subtly.

But even with just the static electricity sparking, the knights let out small exclamations of “Oh-“.

Saa-

Alon felt an inexplicable embarrassment.

He hurriedly moved his hand and transferred the divinity to Silly.

Soon, the blue current-like energy disappeared as if it was being sucked into her body.

‘Did it work?’

Alon, who had closed his eyes again, soon looked at the faintly remaining divinity of Kalanon.

The divinity of Kalanon, which had become clearly smaller than before.

It had a small star and a blue line drawn on it.

The moment he confirmed it.

Alon instinctively realized.

That the small star indicated the person who had received the power.

“With this, can I also use the power of the Marquis?”

“Yes.”

As he opened his eyes, Silly’s voice was heard.

When Alon nodded, she exclaimed in admiration, and soon her eyes were filled with firm determination.

“As the apostle of the Marquis, I will do my best to spread the majesty of the Marquis…!”

“…Please do.”

In fact, he did not expect such a thing from Silly.

But there was no need to dampen the spirit of someone who had made up their mind.

Alon nodded once more towards Silly, who was clenching her fist tightly.

A moment later.

As Alon, who had entered Deus’s mansion, was letting out a light sigh, Evan approached.

“Marquis.”

“What’s the matter, Evan?”

“I’m a bit disappointed.”

Evan suddenly expressed his disappointment.

Alon looked puzzled.

“Suddenly…?”

“Suddenly? Didn’t you share your power with Silly?”

“…Ah, that?”

“Yes, that. Well, it’s up to you who you choose, but I’m also here, right? Your guard… Wait.”

Am I… really a guard? Evan mumbled, his sense of identity wavering.

[Hmph-]

Basiliora, who had been quiet until now, interrupted.

[Even if it were me, I wouldn’t share my divinity with someone like you.]

“Snakehead starts again? You’ve been picking fights lately?”

[Fights? Do you even know what that word means? These days, even reasonable words are called fights?]

Alon suddenly realized something from Basiliora’s words.

“…Come to think of it, you were a god too.”

[Huh? Isn’t that obvious? I am the great Basiliora!]

“That’s funny, you’re just a snake tail.”

Evan, not missing the chance, mocked him with a sneer.

Basiliora roared in anger, but Evan didn’t even flinch and looked at Alon.

“Hmm- Thinking about it, it seems it would have been difficult for me to receive it.”

“It’s not that you were too weak to receive it.”

“Then is there a reason?”

The reason Evan couldn’t receive it was clear.

“The power I shared is only effective for those who truly believe in me as a god. Without faith, you can’t handle it.”

“Ah.”

“Can you worship me?”

Evan scratched his head, pondering Alon’s question.

“That would be a bit difficult.”

“Right?”

“Yes, I absolutely trust the Marquis, but if you ask if it’s ‘faith dedicated to a god,’ then that’s not it. If I had to say… well, it’s more like a feeling of a very close companion?”

“That’s why I didn’t share it. You wouldn’t be able to use it anyway.”

“I see.”

“Do you think I didn’t think of you first?”

Evan’s face was suddenly filled with emotion.

“As expected, there’s no one but the Marquis.”

“Right.”

The warm atmosphere heated the air.

“Then, perhaps, could you raise my salary a bit…?”

“…Didn’t I raise it last time?”

“Ah- well, you see, I’ve been spending a bit more money lately.”

[Hmph, it’s not that you’re spending more, it’s that you’re blowing it all on women.]

Basilio, as expected.

Didn’t miss the chance.

“What nonsense! This is all about preparing for my future plans!”

[Future plans, my foot-! That’s what you call throwing it all away! Hahaha-!]

Another round of bickering passed.

Evan cleared his throat and asked.

“So, Marquis, who do you plan to empower in the future?”

“Hmm?”

“Your power, I mean. You can keep giving it, can’t you?”

Alon pondered quietly.

“I plan to give it to those who are faithful to me.”

He answered.

At that moment.

“……”

To avoid being caught by Deus.

Draim, who was guarding Alon far from Caliban.

He stood there, mouth agape at what had just happened before his eyes.

It wasn’t just that.

All the black leaves saw it clearly.

The First Elf.

Sharing the power of Kalanon, the Lightning Bearer, with humans.

In fact, over the past month, there had been many surprising events from the elves’ perspective.

The one called the First Elf.

Learning that in other places, he was known as Kalanon, the Lightning Bearer.

Seeing him manifest in the form of another god, in addition to the elven power he possessed.

All of these events had occurred within the past month.

However, none of the elves harbored even a grain of doubt or confusion.

They had witnessed with their own eyes that the Marquis of Palatio was the First Elf.

Moreover,

They already knew that the First Elf was also called Taejon.

Although the elves were surprised, they thought of it as just another name for the god.

Instead, they revered him even more.

But today,

The elves discovered something even more astonishing than the fact that the First Elf was known by another name.

It was in the words of the Marquis of Palatio – no, the First Elf.

The words, “He shares his power with the faithful.”

Those present remembered.

The great Marquis of Palatio, the First Elf, who had single-handedly revived the withered roots.

But,

Could that power be bestowed upon them?

If they only faithfully believed in the First Elf?

Draim subtly turned his gaze to the side.

“…….”

“…….”

His eyes met those of his subordinates.

Each and every one of them, with eyes full of strange competitiveness and desire.

Of course, the elves belonging to the Black Leaf here do not move for mere personal gain.

Draim knew that fact clearly as well.

The Black Leaf is the queen’s sword, following only the queen’s orders.

But, even so.

“……Captain, it’s time for the shift change, so I’ll go in first.”

“I’ll go in too.”

Among the elves.

A silent war of nerves began to ignite.

####

That night.

Silly, who had received the power of Kalanon from Alon, stared blankly at her hand.

Crackle-!

A small lightning flickered under her hand.

If Silly clenched her fist right now, it would vanish so futilely.

But it was clearly lightning to anyone who saw it.

In fact, Silly could wield even more powerful electric magic than this.

She hadn’t risen very high as a mage yet.

But even so, she could manifest stronger magic than this.

In other words, what was before her was not such a great ability for Silly.

However, even so.

“……”

The reason she was staring blankly at the faint lightning that was about to disappear.

It was because it was not Silly’s magic-

But created by divine power.

Tsk-

The lightning went out.

A quiet darkness settled in Silly’s room.

Only the blue moon outside the window was shining down.

Silly’s two eyes, the only things glowing in the darkness.

But there was no particular regret in Silly’s eyes.

Rather, she clenched her hand tightly with a look of immense joy in her eyes.

Even when she received power from Him earlier today, she felt good but was secretly worried.

Worried about whether she could really use that great power.

However, she used it.

Even if it was just a tiny lightning bolt.

Even if it was small and insignificant compared to what He had shown.

She definitely created lightning with divine power.

She was so happy about it.

She finally realized that she had received the power of the one who saved her life.

Silly, she smiled without realizing it.

Then she made a resolution.

‘I must never disappoint Him.’

Silly knew well what she had to do.

She was an apostle of God.

An apostle must do what is beneficial to God.

And there was only one thing she had to do for Him.

‘To let the world know about Him.’

Silly smiled deeply under the moonlight.

In her brilliant mind, a plan began to take shape.

A plan to let the world know about the great Him.

While Alon, who had not yet fully recovered, groaned and sank into the bed, fast asleep.

“……Huh-“

Contrary to his intentions.

A strange plan began to take shape.

####

At that moment.

In the grand castle under the World Tree in the land of the elves, Greynif.

“The elves who were guarding our friend can now be withdrawn. They are too weak to guard properly anyway, aren’t they? It would be better for our lizardmen to guard.”

To the provocation of Hazard, the wise god of the lizardmen, who suddenly visited the queen.

“……Ha, what nonsense are you babbling now?”

The cold storm was raging…