I Became the Patron of Villains

Chapter 79

79. The Merman (1)

The day after Alon had his treasure appraised by Alexion.

He boarded a ship heading to the last archipelago, the stronghold of the Sea Wolves, following Radan.

“We’re departing.”

Evan spoke as he watched the moving ship.

“You seem comfortable.”

Unlike a few days ago, he didn’t seem to be suffering from seasickness, and his expression was no different from when he was on land.

“Thanks to them.”

Evan glanced sideways at Fenia.

A little distance away from them, Fenia, who looked quite different from before, was seen talking to Felin.

“…Amazing, to think she could make a potion to neutralize seasickness in just three days.”

“I heard it temporarily numbs the seasickness by stimulating some part of the magic, but honestly, I have no idea what that means.”

Listening to Evan’s words, Alon was once again impressed by Fenia’s genius.

He knew very well that such magic wasn’t something that could be created just because it was inconvenient.

‘Not only magic, but she also has talent in alchemy.’

Alon looked at Fenia with a slightly envious gaze.

‘If my body had even half of Fenia’s talent… No, even if my magic hole was just half as good, I wouldn’t have any complaints.’

For a moment, Alon watched her awkwardly wave her hand with a wry smile as she said something to Felin and their eyes met.

“Ah, come to think of it, why is the sub-tower master coming? If you think about it, there’s no need for her to follow us, right?”

Evan’s question shifted his gaze.

“I asked her to come.”

“…The Count did?”

“Yes, she might be helpful in the upcoming battle.”

‘Well, I’ve released all the relics just in case.’

As Alon answered with that thought, Evan nodded with a hum.

“But, it’s strange.”

“What is?”

“The sub-tower master. Doesn’t she follow the Count’s words too well? Compared to the personality I’ve heard in rumors, she’s incredibly good-natured.”

“…That’s true.”

“Even this time, it’s the same. There’s really nothing to gain, so there’s no need for her to participate in this battle, right?”

Alon nodded at Evan’s words.

“You’re not wrong.”

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Indeed, originally, there was no reason for her to be here.

Of course, there was some relevance since she came to investigate the merfolk, but there was no need to risk a dangerous war for that.

‘Honestly, I thought the chances of her following were slim… To think she would accept so readily…’

Alon recalled yesterday’s events as he watched Fenia waving her hand.

‘Sub-tower master, would you perhaps join the war tomorrow?’

‘War, together, you say?’

“Yes, of course, there’s a power difference, so it won’t be dangerous, but I thought it would be better to have additional backup power. Didn’t you say you were investigating the mermen?”

“Yes, th-that’s right?”

“They say the Blue Wolf is related to the mermen, so there will probably be a lot to investigate if you go. How about it? Of course, if you don’t want to go, you don’t have to-“

“I-I’ll go.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Yes, yes, absolutely…!”

Alon recalled Penia, who had nodded vigorously.

“But, what exactly happened for the sub-tower lord to follow you so well?”

Evan’s subsequent words made him wear a peculiar expression.

“That, I don’t know either.”

Thinking about it, their relationship had already lasted for several years, yet Alon still couldn’t guess why Penia followed his words so well.

However, from Alon’s perspective, this relationship wasn’t particularly disadvantageous.

Moreover, as time passed, this relationship naturally solidified, so he thought it would be a bit strange to ask now.

So he hadn’t been paying attention to it.

“…Still, should I subtly ask her once?”

As Alon was thinking about this, still not understanding why she followed him so much.

Right next to the white moon, the pirate lords who ruled the six archipelagos, excluding the one under Radan’s command, were moving their ships.

“Tsk.”

They clicked their tongues in displeasure as they looked at Alon.

Luna Bloodsail, the lord of the 2nd archipelago.

Sabina Ghostcrown, the lord of the 3rd archipelago.

Tarik Thundercrush, the lord of the 4th archipelago.

Garrett Deathsea, the lord of the 5th archipelago.

Jackal Darksteel, the lord of the 6th archipelago.

All of them, loyal to Radan and leading their respective archipelagos’ legions, looked at him with uncomfortable expressions.

“Tsk, what does the boss see in that noble brat to protect him so much?”

Luna Bloodsail, the red-haired lord of the 2nd archipelago, spoke, and Tarik Thundercrush, the green-haired lord of the 4th archipelago, who was listening beside her, opened his mouth.

“I don’t think it’s good to speak carelessly, but I agree with that. Honestly, I don’t like him.”

“……”

“I agree too-“

“The same.”

Sabina Ghost Crown, who remained silent, nodded in agreement with Garrett Deathsea and Jackal Darksteel.

When they gathered to attack the last archipelago, they didn’t show it, but their dissatisfaction had grown significantly in the absence of Radan.

It was because the pirates were displeased with Count Palatio, who had suddenly joined the pirate crew and was favored by Radan.

Of course, even though they were stuck in the archipelago, rumors spread, and the pirates knew that Count Palatio might not be just any noble.

But that was just a rumor.

“Isn’t that obviously fabricated?”

The pirates present, like others Alon had encountered, didn’t believe the words.

They all had a certain level of skill.

“Doesn’t that guy look like he’s only at the third or fourth rank?”

When one of the pirate lords, the only mage among them, Sabina, was asked, she nodded.

“Yes, at best, that’s his level. His mana capacity is at most between the second and third rank.”

“…Tsk, why does the boss protect such a guy?”

Bloodsail muttered, seemingly unable to understand.

Tariq Thundercrush, who had been silently watching Count Palatio, spoke up.

“Don’t judge by appearances. If rumors have spread that much, there might be a hidden card.”

“But even at best, he’s only at the third or fourth rank, right?”

“There might be more to it. If there are so many rumors following him, there must be something.”

Bloodsail looked at Tariq skeptically and spoke.

“You don’t seem to trust the Count that much either.”

“…”

Tariq remained silent.

In fact, even though he was saying this, he wasn’t without doubts about Count Palatio.

Count Palatio, contrary to the rumors, didn’t seem that impressive.

But he knew that judging people based on appearances was foolish.

“…”

Tariq didn’t respond to Bloodsail and looked at Count Palatio again.

…Of course, there was a faint distrust in his eyes, just like the other pirates.

There was another person who distrusted Count Palatio, or more precisely, was still filled with doubts.

It was none other than Pellin Crysinne.

Even if he had grown up in the Blue Tower, solely researching magic and ignorant of rumors, he couldn’t be unaware of the rumors about Count Palatio.

Moreover, he had seen with his own eyes how his only sister, who could be described as the epitome of arrogance, was flustered in front of him.

Yet, despite all this, he couldn’t erase his doubts.

People tend to believe what they see, and Count Palatio seemed incredibly weak. He could measure it with his own eyes. Yet, the reactions around him were always different from his thoughts.

His revered sister, Fenia Crysinne, was still flustered in front of him.

The wizards who returned from the Magic Society praised Count Palatio as being extraordinary.

A situation where what was visible and the reactions around him were different, extremely contradictory.

‘What on earth is this…?’

Thus, when Pellin reached the point of being confused while looking at Count Palatio.

“Sea wolves!!”

A sudden shout brought Pellin back to his senses, and he looked ahead.

And soon, he could see it.

Pirate ships, easily numbering in the dozens, blocking the path of the white moon heading towards the last archipelago, with the twilight at their backs.

“Prepare for battle-!”

The owner of the second archipelago, Luna Bloodsail, who had been wearing a relaxed expression until just a moment ago, shouted.

“Prepare for battle!”

The command, passed from mouth to mouth like a megaphone, quickly spread among the pirates.

At this moment, there was something that entered the sight of everyone, including Radan.

In the middle of every ship, standing on the deck, was Tertogan.

And, as if he had prepared for it, he snapped his fingers.

“A trap-!?”

“Is it a merman…!”

As soon as they saw it, the other lords frowned, thinking they had fallen into a trap, and their expressions became tense.

Curiously, even after Tertogan snapped his fingers, nothing unusual happened.

When the pirates began to express their doubts.

Screeech-!

The sound came from the Blue Wolf.

Someone’s scream.

Not just one, but multiple screams, causing the lords, including Radan, to express their doubts.

The next moment.

“!”

They could see it.

The massacre happening on the countless pirate ships of the Blue Wolf-

No,

““…….””

The feast.

Ladan.

The lords.

The pirates.

Count Palatio and Evan.

Even Penia and Pelin, all stared blankly at the scene.

On the ship of the Blue Wolf, countless pirates were being devoured by the mermen.

Screaming as their heads were bitten off.

Limbs dismembered in their struggle.

Blood bubbles rising after they jumped overboard.

A scene of sheer brutal slaughter.

And to the White Moon, it only appeared as a sudden internal conflict.

The sea turned into a blood ocean by the horrific feast.

Just moments ago, Tertogan, who had been smiling, as soon as his leading pirates were all dead, as if he had been waiting for it.

“Finally-!!!”

With a voice filled with madness, he twisted his mouth and lifted the object.

At that moment,

Crunch-!

As his body began to undergo a transformation.

Crack-!

“The ship, the ship-!”

The mermen who had devoured the pirates of the Sea Wolf began to swarm the ship of the White Moon in an instant.

And then.

Crack-!!!

The ships began to sink.

####

“Graaah-!”

“Here, here, the ship is sinking!”

“Do something- do something!”

A scene of chaos entered Felin’s eyes.

The sight of ships stranded and starting to sink, and the pirates moving frantically.

Crash-!

It was a fierce battle being fought above and below the sea.

In the midst of the chaos where a merman’s teeth took a pirate’s arm, and countless swords embedded in the merman took its life in return, Felin frowned.

Even though it was his first battle and panic was expected, his cold judgment, trained as a wizard, allowed him to grasp a thread of reason, but no matter how he thought about it, the current situation was not good.

Felin’s gaze turned below the surface.

There, along with red blood, dozens of merman corpses shot up out of the sea and fell back down.

It was because of the god-like martial arts that Radan, whom Felin knew well, was displaying.

With a single swing of his trident, he made water columns rise, and with a throw of his spear, he crushed the mermen. His prowess was nothing short of astonishing.

Likewise, the pirate lords mercilessly slaughtering the mermen climbing onto the deck were strong, if not as much as Radan.

However, despite this, the situation was still not good.

‘There are too many…!’

Felin gritted his teeth.

Even though the man called the Sea King was showing unbelievable divine power, the ships continued to sink.

It meant that an enormous number of mermen had swarmed in, to the extent that even Radan’s astonishing abilities couldn’t cover it.

Of course, given time, Radan and the lords were strong enough to slaughter all the mermen, but unfortunately, not much time was given on the sea.

And then.

Not long after.

“S-sinking!”

As feared, whatever the mermen had done under the ship, Radan’s hull soon tilted greatly.

The moment Felin felt the ship about to capsize and closed his eyes tightly.