Raising Villains the Right Way

Of course, Alon had been planning how to deal with Father of Maggots.

He ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍was not strong enough to eliminate a divine-blood without any plan at all.

The plan he had devised had also been reviewed countless times.

Until just a moment ago.

He stared blankly into the distance.

There, a battle was unfolding between gigantic monsters that looked as though they had stepped straight out of mythology.

A divine-blood draped in something like a black robe, grotesque masks hanging all over its body.

That being swung a chilling sword at Father of Maggots who was gliding through the sky.

The dragon flying through the air barely dodged the blade while the countless mouths attached to its body continuously spewed something down toward the ground.

KWA-GAGAGAGAK—!!!

The ground exploded, and massive tremors reached even the place where Alon stood.

Unfortunately for Father of Maggots, however, his attacks did not continue for long.

Another divine-blood, whose entire body was covered with horrifying arms, dragged him down from the sky.

With an enormous crash, Father of Maggots slammed into the ground and was once again subjected to one-sided beating.

Watching the scene, Alon finally spoke.

“......What is going on there?”

“It seems they’re fighting each other from all sides.”

“Yes, it looks that way.”

Evan and Penia answered blankly.

“I think so too……?”

Yutia also expressed confusion, as if she could not understand the situation either.

Alon thought to himself.

‘Am I just lucky?’

Of course, it was luck.

If the divine-bloods killed Father of Maggots, Alon could simply take the benefits without shedding any blood.

However, at the same time, he felt a strange uneasiness.

Even if it was purely a good thing, his life experience told him that his luck had never been this good.

Just as his internal conflict deepened—

“Ah......!”

“Damn—”

Alon, Evan, and Penia all let out exclamations at once.

One of the divine-bloods beating Father of Maggots in the distance had discovered them.

Although it was far away, the unmistakable gaze directed toward them made Alon frown behind his expressionless face.

‘As expected, things can’t possibly go this simply……!?‘

With that thought, he subtly formed a hand seal behind his pocket.

Yutia also seemed to ponder something before quietly gathering holy power.

However, the divine-blood that had clearly met their eyes—

KWAAAAAA!!

Turned its head away as if it had never seen them and began beating Father of Maggots even more violently than before.

“…?”

Alon’s group was bewildered.

Meanwhile, as if putting on a performance, the divine-bloods began beating Father of Maggots in even more brutal and varied ways.

A gigantic hand forcibly lifted Father of Maggots—who had been pinned to the ground—back into the air, only to smash him down again.

And the skull-eyed being that had been fighting with only a single sword until now suddenly drew another blade, releasing pitch-black divine power in every direction.

Techniques that looked like ultimate moves one would only reveal when losing a battle

were suddenly being unleashed despite the fact that the divine-bloods had clearly already won.

“Woah......”

As dazzling explosions filled his vision, Evan unconsciously let out an exclamation.

Until now, judging by the flow of battle, it had looked like a genuine fight—

‘……WWE……?’

—but now they were unleashing all sorts of flashy, unnecessary-looking techniques as if putting on a show.

Alon and the others, thinking similar thoughts,

“......Oh.”

continued letting out blank exclamations while watching the divine-bloods mercilessly beat Father of Maggots.

And finally—

—!!!

Father of Maggots let out a horrific scream as his neck was severed and he died.

Soon after.

Alon realized once again that the divine-bloods were looking at them.

Staring straight at them, as if clearly aware of their presence.

For a moment, Alon wondered whether it would be better to run away, but he soon shook his head.

If they truly wished, they could easily catch them anyway.

‘…Five.’

Instead, avoiding their eyes, Alon quietly prepared the magic he had ready to activate at any moment.

If they attacked all at once, would there be any chance of victory?

While estimating that—

And then.

Just as Yutia raised her index finger as if she had no other choice—

Thud—

The divine-bloods who had been watching Alon’s group all turned their bodies at once and began heading elsewhere.

“…?”

Alon, who had expected a clash after Father of Maggots died, was utterly confused.

“??”

Yutia also looked stunned, but the divine-bloods who had already turned away did not look back toward Alon at all and continued moving away.

Before long, they completely disappeared.

After the divine-bloods vanished.

Just in case—just in case—it might somehow be a trap, Alon’s group waited for quite a long time before finally heading toward where Father of Maggots lay.

“They really left.”

“Indeed.”

They realized the other divine-bloods had truly departed.

All of their expressions became strange.

Of course, it was a good thing.

They had avoided battle with divine-bloods and gained benefits instead.

Yet it did not feel real.

That things had been resolved in such a way.

They stood there dazed for a moment before—

“Lord Alon, so what exactly are we supposed to find here?”

Penia broke the silence.

Coming back to his senses, Alon recalled what Seeker had told him, but soon tilted his head.

Now that he thought about it, Seeker had said there would be something useful here, but he had never specified what they needed to find.

“What exactly are we supposed to look for?”

“Huh? Didn’t we come here to find something?”

“That’s true, but—”

What are we looking for?

He repeated the question in his mind briefly.

Rustle—!

Since the journey began, except during meals, Blackie—who had not left Alon’s chest for an entire month—quietly crawled out.

Upon noticing Yutia standing naturally beside Alon, Blackie froze slightly.

But soon, as if making up its mind, it dropped to the ground and toddled toward where Father of Maggots lay.

And then—

—!!

With a strange sound, the body of Father of Maggots began being absorbed into Blackie’s body.

It looked similar to when it had absorbed Rakrakkamur before.

Putting aside his curiosity for the moment, Alon began to act.

“Let’s split up and search first.”

Perhaps there might be something within the territory of Father of Maggots.

“Alright.”

“I’ll search as well……though I don’t know if we’ll find anything here.”

Alon looked around.

Evan was certainly right.

It seemed impossible to find anything in this area.

No—more precisely, nothing here looked intact.

The place where he stood—probably once a territory before Father of Maggots settled here—had become nothing more than ruined remains.

“Let’s go for now.”

They could not simply stand there, so the group spread out to search the ruins individually.

Alon also stepped among the debris of the ruins and began examining things just in case.

After some time passed—

“Hoo—”

Alon let out a small sigh.

As he had expected, there was truly nothing to find here.

Could it have disappeared during the battle with the divine-bloods?

He briefly entertained the worst assumption.

“Hmm?”

Through a gap in the ruins, he saw a strange sight on the distant grassland.

More precisely, divine-bloods standing far away—

“My Lord?”

While he was staring at the strange afterimage, Yutia’s voice broke his thoughts.

At some point she had arrived, looking at him with a smile.

“......Yutia?”

“What were you looking at?”

At her question, Alon recalled what he had just seen and turned his gaze again—

“Huh?”

The afterimage had already vanished.

There was only the vast grassland.

After looking confused for a moment, Alon realized Yutia was beside him and answered.

“No, I must have been seeing things.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. More importantly, what brings you here?”

Yutia stepped closer.

“Well, I think I may have found something.”

She handed Alon an item she had discovered in the ruins.

“This is—?”

A faint glint appeared in Alon’s eyes.

***

Around the time Alon received something from Yutia—

The divine-bloods who had left without a word after killing Father of Maggots walked across the grassland in silence for quite some time.

Until they had completely exited the territory of Father of Maggots they had dealt with.

And finally, when they had left the territory—

[............Did everyone confirm it?]

One of the divine-bloods spoke first.

[Yes.]

[I saw it as well.]

[Confirmed.]

[That person was definitely the Star Eater.]

All the divine-bloods nodded.

And then—

[Did you see it? Did you see it!? He saw me grab Father of Maggots and slam him into the ground!]

[Hmph. Wasn’t that just a simple slam? He saw me pin that bastard down and stomp him into the ground!]

[No! What he saw wasn’t you lot, it was me—he clearly saw the Star Eater watching my black flames burn him!]

[Ha, it was me!]

[No, me!]

[I said it was me!!]

In an instant, a heated argument erupted among the divine-bloods.

But only for a moment.

[Everyone, stop!]

At the shout of the Darkness-Devouring Sword, all eyes turned toward him.

Silencing the argument, he looked around at them quietly.

[The Star Eater saw ‘me,’ the one who dealt with Father of Maggots.]

With a faint smirk, recalling how he had killed Father of Maggots earlier—

[Ripped him apart.]

He left only that short remark.