A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 21

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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【Chapter 21】

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“My lord, this one’s completely useless.”

Nishe threw off his blood-stained gloves and roughly ran his hands through his hair. His long platinum hair became disheveled and tangled.

True to his words, Eshe Karte was indeed in a completely ‘useless’ state.

“Hic, de, demon Duke… I’ll kill you… For the Saint…”

The underground prison reeked of iron.

Eshe Karte, bound to a chair by his limbs, had what little intelligence he possessed rapidly approaching zero in real time.

His cognitive abilities had deteriorated long ago, and no matter what was asked, he only repeated the same words. His extremities had turned black.

It was only a matter of time before he became a complete demon.

“So in the end, that’s all he can say.”

The demon Duke showed not a crack in his expression despite hearing insulting words throughout the interrogation.

“Shall I dispose of him?”

“Yes. We’ve only wasted time.”

The interrogation led by Nishe wasn’t particularly cruel. Honestly, compared to Baltres’s dedicated torture specialist, it was like tickling.

There were still plenty of places left to tickle, but… further interrogation would be a waste of time, just as the Duke said.

‘In the end, we found out nothing. How frustrating.’

Seeing him ramble about the Saint, he does seem like a believer.

Our Saint’s reputation was so tremendous that there were followers who fanatically worshipped her.

It didn’t stop at simple fandom—there were often cases where Lishie herself became a religious faith, and then they would convert to become Temple believers.

Believers were the Temple’s pawns. Convenient ones who would follow blindly through fire and water when the Saint’s name was invoked and great causes were mentioned.

And the real power behind that Temple was the High Priest, a sub-male lead from the original… but he couldn’t be behind this incident.

“It’s probably not the Temple. Just acting alone?”

When I casually muttered this speculation with near certainty, both men’s gazes shot toward me intensely.

I kindly elaborated a bit.

“It’s my deduction, but the Temple probably isn’t behind this. Belmayer isn’t a hornet’s nest the Temple would want to stir up.”

“What do you mean?”

“Why else? Because Belmayer… has no money.”

The thoroughly corrupt Temple was greedy for money. So they wouldn’t go out of their way to do something unprofitable.

Throughout the original story, the Temple only moved for the purpose of money, and this kind of thing wasn’t the style of the High Priest, who was the Temple’s behind-the-scenes power.

In other words, both motive was lacking and method was sloppy.

Nishe snorted.

“Hah, what evidence. Pathetically weak.”

I was already irritated, and his skill at getting under my skin was impressive.

“Well, couldn’t it be that the Saint ordered it?”

“That’s definitely not it. You’re terrible at deduction.”

“That’s rich coming from me? He keeps rambling about the Saint!”

“Sigh, think a bit more sophisticatedly.”

While Nishe and I were having a childish deduction show, the Duke, who had been silently listening, took my side.

“Enough. I also suspected it couldn’t be the Temple.”

“See, my deduction was quite reasonable, wasn’t it?”

He stared at me quietly, then turned his head to his knight without affirming or denying.

“Let’s head back then. Handle it as you see fit.”

‘Tch. Would it kill him to give me an answer?’

Grumbling only internally, I followed the Duke who had walked out through the open iron bars without hesitation.

At that moment, the voice of the dazed Eshe Karte muttering continuously followed us with particular eeriness.

“Kill… I said to kill…”

Bang!

Something black shot past me and struck the wall like lightning.

It happened so quickly that I realized a bit slowly that the something was the Duke’s magic.

The Duke, with an unusually frozen expression, said:

“Over here.”

“Wh-what a shock. What is it?”

I did as told and stood close to his side while asking.

The taciturn man remained silent this time too, but instead I could hear the answer from Eshe Karte.

“Ki, kill… Aaaaaaaah!”

Eshe Karte, having completed his transformation into a demon faster than expected, tore through his restraints and howled.

His face had turned completely black, and from his eyes with no whites, only black pupils, something like mud flowed down.

Anyone could see he was a demon in human form.

“Damn, what the hell is this suddenly!”

Nishe, who quickly drew his sword, slashed the demon’s neck.

It wasn’t very effective. As if his whole body was made of mud, it scattered briefly then reformed.

Realizing physical attacks didn’t work, Nishe immediately manifested his sword aura.

Whoosh!

“Die die die! It hurts!”

The arm cut by the flame-like sword aura rolled away, leaving burn marks.

Soon, Belmayer’s finest knight struck a pose and swung his sword again for a spectacular finish, but.

“Ah, shit.”

He slashed empty air.

Because the demon had literally ‘dispersed.’

The thing that had torn its own body apart like jelly and scattered writhed and seemed to clump together in an instant…

Then flew toward me.

“…Huh? Me?”

The Duke who it had threatened to kill was right next to me, so why me?

Just as I was dumbfounded by that stupid targeting accuracy, the desperate attack was blocked by magic.

‘I was calculating defensive magic.’

I stopped the manifestation and looked at the magic’s owner.

The Duke’s gaze moved from the demon dangling in mid-air, strangled by magic, to Nishe.

“Stand back. Since it’s already made contact, I’ll handle it.”

“My lord.”

“Nishe.”

Some meaningful eye contact was exchanged between them.

Nishe bowed his head with an uncharacteristically serious attitude. He seemed to think it was his mistake.

“Guh, gack…”

As the Duke’s magic strangled the demon and absorbed its magic, the demon soon disappeared like smoke.

All that remained of the completely vanished demon were rags too filthy to even call clothes.

The Duke, having demonstrated his magical power, groaned lowly.

“Ugh.”

“Gasp! Aren’t you not supposed to make contact?”

He had just consumed magic.

I didn’t know exactly what that meant, but the fact that he had consumed it when he should be getting rid of it was certain.

‘Has this man gone crazy? Why would he do that?’

The Duke’s pale face looked quite pained, so I shouted like a scream.

“I told you I’d protect you!”

“…Right, you did.”

“It’s dangerous, isn’t it? Don’t do this anymore.”

I don’t want to do something like counting down to the world’s destruction.

“Absolutely not.”

Whether he knew my heart was pounding or not, the Duke who had been quietly watching me smiled faintly.

“Keep that in mind.”

So faintly that unless you were paying close attention, you’d be confused whether it was even a smile at all.

‘…That’s unfairly attacking with his face.’

I immediately clamped my mouth shut and escaped from the stench-filled underground with the Duke.

“Master.”

Instead of Nishe who remained to handle the cleanup, Jepi appeared from thin air to assist his master.

It was when we were about to return using his ability.

Whiiiii―

My senses detected a massive magical wave.

I realized it through instinct rather than reason. Someone’s teleportation magic had just manifested. Very close by.

“…”

When I reflexively looked at the Duke, he gave his consent with a glance. I shouted to Jepi, who was bewildered because he couldn’t read the magic.

“To the coordinates I tell you, quickly!”

In front of the border of Drens, where if you fell forward you’d be on Empire soil.

I could faintly see my maid holding swords in both hands, confronting an Empire scoundrel with the border stone between them.

The two seemed to be having some conversation, but due to the distance, the sound didn’t reach here properly.

Naturally, it was difficult to know the identity of that person. Based on the tall height and build, I could only guess it was a man.

‘Still on guard. They’re not fighting yet.’

“…!”

But what do you know. As soon as I made that judgment, the man’s aura became sharp.

Reading the flow of magic, I ran without thinking further and quickly calculated defensive magic.

Bang! Boom!

A bluish barrier blocked the red sphere that struck down like a meteor.

Standing immediately in front of Ally to shield her, I shouted angrily.

“Are you insane?!”

“Wait, Irene. It’s dangerous.”

Whether Ally could have dodged on her own, or that she was trying to stop me, wasn’t particularly important.

What was important was that it was a vicious attack magic that would melt skin even with a graze, and she could have been seriously injured.

That meant a full-scale clash between two nations could occur. It meant my peace would also disappear.

“That was dangerous right from the start! What if you had gotten hurt!”

“…Irene?”

“If war breaks out, will you take responsibility―…”

The words I couldn’t finish scattered in the wind.

At a distance where I could see his face. I recognized the man who seemed to know me, and I knew him too.

Straight black hair, murky red eyes.

A man with a pale and tired impression, who looked damnably similar to me due to sharing blood.

Perhaps the possibility I had tried hard to ignore.

I spat out his name as if vomiting.

“…Noah. Why are you here.”

The very person I had unconsciously pretended not to know despite seeing and feeling numerous clues.

Noaren Baltres appeared before me.

In the way I least wanted.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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