Raising Villains the Right Way

The Palmarian king Alon had seen so far was, whether in a good sense or a bad one, close to the archetypal king of a single nation.

He had a strong pride as a king, so no matter who the other party was, he did not easily lower his dignity.

And yet, as a king, he was secretly sincere when it came to caring for his people.

It had been similar both in the game and during the time Alon had actually known him.

...............So was that why.

“Thank you so much.”

At the sight of him nodding vigorously and refusing to let go of the hand he had taken, Alon’s anguish only deepened.

‘Did Palmarian like things like that?’

A hypothesis surfaced in his mind, but within a few seconds, Alon resolutely discarded it.

No matter how much he retraced his memories.

He had never heard even the faintest rumor, let alone any information, that Palmarian had such… tastes.

Moreover, even if he did like statues.

If the form was ‘a statue like that, striking the pose of a North Korean Leader(?),’

wouldn’t anyone refuse it?

Thus, Alon immediately thought of another possibility.

What if he was being threatened.

Alon looked into Palmarian’s two eyes, brimming with goodwill.

Since he could not say, “If you’re being threatened by Deus, secretly wave a carrot,” he subtly turned his gaze to check on Deus, and when he saw Deus nodding repeatedly with an expression that seemed to say, “Yes, yes, this is right,” Alon realized that the second assumption was also wrong.

Or was he really under hypnosis?

With goodwill overflowing from his very eyes, it felt like a genuinely reasonable suspicion.

Besides, hadn’t it been said that it was a gift sent by Sili?

He began to worry that perhaps some sort of device had really been installed in the statue, but.

In the end, Alon denied that as well.

When they had passed by the statue earlier, he had not felt any special power such as mana.

Then what on earth was it?

The other members of the group, excluding Deus, also had faces full of bewilderment, and just as Alon posed the question once more in his mind.

“No, this isn’t the place to stay. You came to meet that person, didn’t you?”

The king continued the conversation.

“That’s true, but............... I didn’t see them when I came to Caliban.”

It was not difficult for Alon to guess who the king meant by ‘that person.’

“Could you wait here for a moment?”

Then Palmarian nodded as if to say not to worry, and.

“......? Yes, understood.”

The moment he heard Alon’s answer, he left the place together with Deus.

Thus, Alon and his companions were left alone in the audience chamber.

After a brief silence descended,

“Hm.......”

Evan, after confirming that there were no knights or guards separately stationed in the audience chamber, looked at Alon.

“Marquis.”

“What is it?”

“Even if you don’t want to apologize, isn’t casting hypnosis a bit much?”

“Are you saying that seriously?”

“Well, it does feel a bit strange for you to bow your head, Marquis, but—”

“I find it fascinating too. There’s no such magic.........? Ah, could it be divine power you awakened this time?”

Penia also joined Evan.

At that, Alon spoke while feeling a heaviness behind his blank expression.

“............If hypnosis is what I can use with divine power, isn’t that strange in its own way?”

“Then it’s not divine power?”

“So you developed such magic without telling us.”

“How about we first step away from the premise that I did something to the king?”

“You didn’t?”

“I didn’t.”

“Really didn’t?”

“I said I didn’t.......”

Alon let out a sigh at the indiscriminate questioning from Penia and Evan.

At that, Penia and Evan added as if they found it fascinating.

“......I was sure it was hypnosis.”

“I thought so too. Liking other statues would be one thing, but that kind of statue.............”

“Ah, I thought something similar too. Our thoughts finally aligned after ten million years.”

“Ten million years...?”

“That’s about the psychological distance between us.”

“You stab without hesitation.”

After listening blankly to Evan and Penia’s banter for a moment.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Then, would you follow me?”

Following Palmarian, who had returned to the audience chamber, Alon moved his feet, and the place they arrived at was beneath the royal family.

“This place is?”

“It’s an underground vault our royal family built a very long time ago. I don’t know what it was made for, though.”

Alon let out a small exclamation of admiration without realizing it.

That was because the underground of Caliban they reached through the passage was unbelievably vast.

It was so enormous that it could practically be called a giant underground city.

Thinking, How could Caliban be built atop such a massive underground vault?

Alon continued deeper inside, following Palmarian.

Soon, when they reached a certain point underground.

“From here on, could you go alone?”

“Is there a reason?”

“That person wishes to speak with you alone.”

Palmarian said so, and Alon nodded, though puzzled.

Thus, as Alon walked alone through the underground—somewhat dark, yet mysteriously bright enough to secure all the vision he needed—he unconsciously stopped at the sudden sensation of something majestic.

His previously calm heart began to pound, and a strange feeling of tension spread throughout his body.

Alon knew that sensation well.

Therefore, standing still and quietly lifting his gaze, he was soon able to see a giant.

A giant whose entire body was covered in blue light.

A giant of such overwhelming size that he had to crane his head far back just to see it.

Meeting its gaze, Alon reflexively made a tense expression, and then.

Gggrrk!

Seeing the giant rise to its feet, he secretly began to move his mana.

Even though he knew the other party was a divine-blood who had helped Caliban and had spoken favorably about him,

it was because he could not completely shake the sense of “just in case.”

Thud!

However, at the next action the giant took.

Alon had no choice but to scatter his mana unconsciously.

Because the giant had respectfully knelt on one knee before Alon and spoken thus.

[Greetings to the great divine-blood, friend of the One Who Gazes into the Abyss, the Star Eater.]

The giant’s rumbling voice.

For a moment, Alon could not open his mouth.

After the initial shock passed, it was because he could not grasp how he should respond.

If his heart had its way, now that he had met a friendly divine-blood, he wanted to ask all sorts of things.

The problem, however, was.

That Alon did not properly understand this relationship.

If he were to ask something without knowing anything, and it happened to conflict with what the divine-blood was thinking, causing trouble.

What if a fight were to break out here?

Considering that the capital of Caliban was directly above, it was something that absolutely could not happen.

So, just as Alon was wondering whether he should act.

The giant, who had been silent until a moment ago—

[As expected............!]

“?”

Suddenly spoke on its own.

Alon became even more bewildered.

However, because his face did not readily reveal emotions by nature, the giant, without noticing Alon’s confusion, shouted excitedly.

[You are incredible....!]

“......What?”

[Did you not kill two divine-bloods while wearing the flesh of a lowly creature for the sake of karmic deeds? Truly incredible!]

The giant suddenly began clapping fervently.

At the sight, Alon was flustered, but.

[However, since you descended after discarding all your former power for the sake of achievements, there must still be many dangers. Until you regain your strength, I shall diligently serve and protect you.]

As the giant nodded with a solemn expression, Alon was able to grasp things to some extent.

How the giant before him perceived him.

After pondering briefly, Alon said.

“I look forward to it.”

[Yes!]

For now, he decided to put on an act and try to extract information from the giant.

***

‘The divine-blood before me thinks of me as the friend of the One Who Gazes into the Abyss, and believes that I discarded my original power, donned human flesh, and descended to the human world for the sake of achievements….is that the misunderstanding(?)?’

After organizing his thoughts to that point, questions to ask surfaced in Alon’s mind.

Why the One Who Gazes into the Abyss called him a friend.

What the achievements of the Star Eater were.

Of course, the first question could be roughly resolved.

Back then, there were those who hurled curse-laden words at Alon, but there were also those who responded to him with familiarity.

Though he did not know why they spoke to him with such feelings.

Alon continued his thoughts.

About how he should ask what he was curious about without being found out that he was acting.

After ending that brief deliberation.

He decided to start with the question that would likely raise the least suspicion.

“......There is something I wish to ask.”

[Please speak, Star Eater.]

For some reason, the giant looked at Alon with sparkling eyes full of respect.

Receiving that burdensome gaze that felt like he had seen it somewhere before, Alon asked as calmly as he could.

“There should have been other countries. Why did you save Caliban?”

There were many countries within the Allied Kingdom Alliance.

Ashtalon had been destroyed, but even excluding that country, there were still more than ten large and small nations.

So he was curious how Caliban had been chosen, and to that question, the giant.

[Because this is, of course, the territory protected by the Star Eater.]

“......A territory I protected?”

[Yes. I realized it immediately upon seeing the statue here.]

It answered so.

And then.

“......Ah.”

Only then did it feel to Alon as if all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

Why Palmarian, who neither liked statues nor was anything other than a ‘king’ in both good and bad senses, had treated him so favorably.

[The others likely all acted in the same way.]

“I see.”

At the giant’s continued words, Alon barely managed to nod.

***

The world was currently in a state of great chaos due to the divine-bloods.

Nevertheless, Sili Macallian had continued to live diligently as ever even recently.

For example, gathering believers for the great One.

Or sending ‘gifts’ to each country through the great One’s command.

In the midst of that.

“Saintess!”

“Please, come in.”

Sili asked as she looked at Seamus, who had hurried into her office.

“What is the matter?”

“Th-that is............... I have something to report regarding the gifts................”

Seamus spoke cautiously.

At that, Sili nodded with an “Mm,” as if she had expected it.

Recently, in accordance with the great One’s will, Sili had been sending gifts starting from the largest countries in order.

And naturally.

Sili was also somewhat aware of what kind of reactions the kingdoms that received those gifts might show.

Because there was a chance that the gifts she sent would be perceived by them as provocation.

But even so, the reason she deliberately sent such gifts was.

Because it was something the great One needed.

The One needed to receive faith. The more faith received, the stronger the One became.

And Sili, as the Saintess of that One.

Held the purpose of converting as many ignorant people as possible in her role as Saintess.

Thus, even knowing there would be backlash, she had sent the gifts.

In truth, Sili did not care what choice each kingdom made.

If they did something strange to the statue of the One, she could make an example of them. And if they left the statue alone while watching the situation, she could gain faith that way as well.

Of course, she would earn the kingdoms’ hostility, but that was not a major problem.

All the hostility they sent would be dealt with at Sili’s level before it ever reached the One.

Therefore.

“What is it?”

Calmly reviewing her plans in her head, Sili asked, and.

Seamus—

“All the countries belonging to the Allied Kingdom Alliance are clamoring to ask for gifts.”

Delivered the latest report.

“Mm— is that so? All the countries belonging to the Allied Kingdom Alliance are dissatisfied with the gifts..No, wait?”

Sili, who had been responding naturally, paused mid-sentence and asked again.

“......Wait, what did you say?”

“Just as I said. Every country is demanding statues.”

“............Every country?”

“Yes. We told them that production would take time and that they would be sent sequentially, but............. they say they want to receive the statues first, even if they have to pay more money.......”

“......Pardon?”

“Even in the border nation of Kar, they sent envoys who are kneeling and begging.”

“??”

Just as Sili was failing to comprehend Seamus’s words.

Suddenly, a commotion began to be heard outside.

“Kuaaaargh! Let go of me! I said let go!”

“You can’t go in here!”

“Saintess! Please! Give us the statue of the great One first! Please~!!”

“Take them out, quickly!!”

“Please!!! Bestow the statue upon us first!! Pleeeaaase!!!”

However.

Before long, the desperate voices vanished along with some strange death screams.

At that.

“......No, um......”

What, is this?

Sili was truly dumbfounded.