Became the Patron of Villains

About a week after he finished talking with the group.

“The preparations are complete.”

Contanias had finished the work even better than Alon had expected.

“That was faster than I thought.”

“It was not difficult.”

After answering Alon’s admiration that way, Contanias took a paper from inside the desk and held it out to him.

It was the name he would have to use while he was at the academy. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

“Alon Tellia?”

“Yes. It is the name of the third son of a peaceful baron family in the farthest outskirts of the north. There should be no cause for suspicion.”

“......The name being a little similar bothers me, though.”

However, Contanias let out a short sound, then opened his mouth while subtly watching Alon’s expression.

“Uh...... I do not think that will be the case.”

“Why?”

“Because the name Alon is common.”

“Hmm—”

It certainly was not a special name.

It was common enough to see from time to time.

If he had to convert it into a Korean name, would it feel about like “Kim Gyu-sik”? As Alon thought that—

Contanias continued speaking.

“And as I said, it is not an arbitrary creation. It is the name of an actual noble house and its third son.”

“There really is someone named Alon too?”

“Yes.”

Alon gave a small nod and turned the paper over.

Personal information on Alon Tellia.

After calmly reading through it, Alon soon muttered.

“There’s nothing special.”

Perhaps because he was the third son of a very peaceful baron family, there was no particular history visible for Alon Tellia.

After reading the documents that far, Alon put them into his coat.

“Are all the other disguises ready as well?”

“Huh? Did you not hear......?”

“Mm?”

“No, well—someone said Lord Alon had ordered it, and they already took all the information.”

Contanias scratched his head with a somewhat flustered expression.

Already? Alon thought for a moment, then nodded.

“We must have missed each other.”

“There is one month left until the entrance ceremony, so if you go to the Imperial Royal Academy of the Eastern Empire by then and participate in the ceremony, that should be enough.”

Contanias said that with a sigh of relief, and Alon went outside.

The first thing Alon immediately did was—

“Then I’ll be going.”

“Uu—”

—to say goodbye to Ar.

The moment Alon said he was leaving, Ar puffed out her cheeks to the limit, expressing “I am very dissatisfied” with her entire body.

Her tail instinctively wrapped around Alon’s waist.

“My dear, can you not simply stay here?”

“I would like to if I could, but I have something I must do.”

At that, Ar puffed her cheeks out a little more, but only for a moment.

As though she had resolved something on her own, she gave a small nod and spoke.

“I understand. If my husband says so, I know it would not be proper to stop him, so I shall send you off here.”

“.......”

For a split second, Alon wondered if he should correct the form of address one more time, but soon shook his head.

Because even though he had tried for the past week, it had not changed at all.

So instead of correcting the title, Alon—

“......Thanks.”

—let it pass for now and tried to rise from his seat—

Squeeze.

Tried to rise—

Squeeeeeze.

“......Ar?”

“What is it, my dear?”

“I cannot move if your tail is tied around me.”

At Alon’s words, the three layers of tail became two.

Alon rose aga—

“.......”

“.......”

“Ar......?”

“What is it, my dear......?”

“......It is the same even with two strands......”

At those words, Ar glanced at him, then loosened her tail.

......Two strands became one.

“.......”

Ar looked at Alon with an expression overflowing with lingering attachment.

Seeing that expression that seemed to ask, Are you really going? Alon’s heart weakened.

“......When I come back next time, I’ll grant you one wish.”

“A wish......?”

“Yes.”

“Really? Anything?”

“Yes. As long as it is something I can do.”

At his words, Ar soon seemed to think about something.

“Good, my dear—!”

For some reason, she became triumphant and released her tail.

......Of course, her face still looked full of lingering reluctance.

“Then I’ll be back.”

“My dear! You must keep your promise.”

“I will.”

Thinking it was fortunate that Ar looked somewhat excited now, Alon went outside, where the group was waiting.

“You’re here?”

Alon asked Penia, who greeted him.

“Are the preparations finished?”

“Yes. Now we only need to leave. Actually, if we traveled on Basiliora, one month would be more than enough, but this time, we can only ride it for about half the way.”

“Mm—”

It was exactly as Penia said.

They had been able to ride Basiliora when coming to the Northern Empire, but they could not do that all the way to the academy.

Because if they did, there was a chance the entire point of hiding his identity would vanish.

‘Even when leaving the Empire, we made it look as if we were heading toward the Allied Kingdoms.’

Recalling that he had even separately prepared an artifact that would arbitrarily restrict his abilities in order to hide his identity, Alon calmly organized his thoughts.

“I’m sure everyone knows already, but I’ll explain it once more. We will head toward the Allied Kingdoms, then move to the Eastern Empire, and after that, we will go toward the Kurn Mountain Range, a monster habitat where Imperial citizens do not go.”

“Yes.”

“And around the border where we cross from the Northern Empire into the Eastern Empire, we will pass through with at least several hours to a full day between us, then go near the capital.”

“And once we arrive near the capital, we will all scatter and participate in the entrance ceremony...... correct?”

“That’s right.”

Alon nodded at Rine’s continuation.

“Now then, let’s go.”

####

And set out on the road to enter the academy.

Three weeks after that.

Unlike the worries that some issue might arise, the journey to the academy was proceeding without any major problems.

To the point that they would be able to arrive at the Eastern Empire’s capital in time for the academy entrance ceremony after one more day.

“We’re almost there.”

“We are.”

Alon called to Evan, who nodded.

“But Evan.”

“Yes?”

“Are you really all right?”

“Which part?”

“......The disguise.”

At Alon’s words, Evan let out a short sigh.

“Lord Alon, I may not look it, but I’m pretty ‘baby-faced,’ you know? I’m telling you, if I put on an actual uniform, I’ll look like a student right away.”

“Hmm.......”

Alon looked at Evan.

......A face that certainly was closer to baby-faced.

Still, he felt like Evan suited a guard knight more than a student, but—

Alon soon shrugged.

At this point, when their identities had already all been made, worrying about it was meaningless anyway.

He soon turned his gaze and looked at Deus.

“Deus. You—”

“I am the eldest son of Viscount Tarvian. They say I am skilled with the sword. On top of that, there should be no great issue with me staying close to Lord Alon. As I told you last time, our houses are in the same region.”

Alon naturally nodded at that, then this time looked at Penia and Rine.

Beyond the campfire, with Blackie eating a sweet potato beside them, the two were conversing with serious expressions about something.

‘It was the Count Collina family and the Count Arcena family...... right?’

Recalling the two women’s cover identities, Alon made a hmm sound and stroked his chin.

First of all, since most of the group had received the names of houses clustered in the north, there did not seem to be any major problem with them going around together inside the capital as well.

But seen from the opposite angle, he also wondered if they had gathered too much in one direction.

‘Well, we’ve already come this far, so it can’t be helped.’

Alon thought that far.

“Let’s sleep here for today. We will probably have to move individually for a day starting tomorrow, so everyone should properly memorize their own setting at least once more.”

They began preparing to sleep.

And with that as the end, the group fell asleep before long.

####

Late at night.

“......?”

Deus suddenly opened his eyes.

It was not because any external issue had occurred.

Rather, the reason he woke was the opposite.

Because the surroundings were far quieter than usual.

Deus, who had instinctively woken from the stillness, had no difficulty finding the reason.

‘......Magic?’

It was magic.

Magic that blocked the sound around them.

It had been spread around the campsite.

“......Mm?”

Of course, casting magic to block sound was not dangerous in itself.

To begin with, outside the sound-blocking magic, several layers of detection magic had been set up, and the moment someone touched that detection magic, the sound-blocking magic would instinctively turn off.

However, the reason Deus found it strange was because Penia, who had not bothered doing this until now, had cast blocking magic.

So he naturally turned his gaze to one side.

“......Huh?”

And soon realized that Penia—no, Rine as well as Penia—was not there.

‘Where did they go?’

A puzzled Deus soon naturally turned his gaze toward the far side of the enormous tree where he could feel the two women’s magic.

The two women’s magic, very faint but perceptible.

Wondering what in the world they were doing behind that tree, Deus began walking with a question in mind.

And the moment he reached the back of the tree—

“......?”

Deus saw it.

A man in a black coat—

No.

Rine, standing while holding Alon in her arms.

Suuup— For some reason, Rine’s breathing, which sounded slightly loud, reached Deus’s ears.

‘......What the......???’

Along with that, question marks rose over Deus’s head.

But only for a moment.

“How is it......? It’s nice, isn’t it?”

At the voice from behind him, Deus turned his gaze.

And there, he discovered Penia.

As he looked at her eyes, which somehow seemed envious, yet at the same time radiated a truly remarkable sense of pride—

“......Yes, this is...... very nice...... Just stroking his head with my hand gives this kind of feeling.”

“I told you it was unbelievable, really......”

“If I subtly wrap my arm around his shoulders in this state, it would really—”

“Since today is the last day, try to enjoy it as much as possible—”

“???????”

At the content of the conversation that followed, Deus unconsciously stepped backward.

It was not that the words themselves were particularly shocking.

It was that, for some reason, the atmosphere overwhelmed his entire body.

But—

Crunch—

“Ah.”

Perhaps he had been flustered by the shock of the moment.

As Deus unconsciously stepped back, he stepped on a branch.

And the moment he turned his gaze forward—

He met them.

“.......”

“.......”

The two gazes aimed directly at him.

“Ah.”

A quiet exclamation.

And—

“You.”

“You saw......?”

At the words that followed—

“Hrk......”

Deus held his breath.