A Runaway Villainess, Now Healing In An Enemy Country - Chapter 33

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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 33】

 

“Don’t I seem a bit too excluded…?”

 

Whether it was some kind of stimulus from the incident at the border region, Winter Castle had become very busy as it entered a maintenance phase under Giselle’s leadership.

 

But!

 

While even the idiot trio were doing something called work, I was conversely very idle.

 

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that attending two hours of lessons with the Duke each day was my entire daily routine.

 

The cause of my involuntary unemployed life was precisely.

 

‘Davuer Winze Belmayer!’

 

…It was because of the magic prohibition order he issued, what else could it be.

 

Thanks to that, whenever I tried to step forward these days, I was told to go eat some refreshments.

 

Moreover.

 

When I tried to explain the embarrassing family quarrel from that time and predict and relay what actions Noaren would show.

 

“Belmayer is fine, so don’t worry, Irene.”

 

“It must be an unpleasant memory, so you don’t need to force yourself to recall it. Please rest well, Lady Irene.”

 

“Ah, well, I roughly understand he’s a bastard, so don’t bother rambling on about it.”

 

“Irene, don’t worry. I’ll handle it.”

 

They would give me strange looks as if they knew everything, saying I didn’t need any help and should just keep resting.

 

Really now. That was also subtly disappointing…

 

“Sigh.”

 

Of course, I was the one who had put the family proposal on hold from the beginning.

 

To feel disappointed about not being included when I was the first to advocate being a guest – there’s no contradiction more ridiculous than this.

 

“P-please cheer up.”

 

Coco, who appeared carrying a new refreshment table, spoke to me.

 

I felt completely ashamed in front of this excellent sugar supplier.

 

“Sorry, it looks like this month’s salary will be delayed.”

 

Because the gold coins used to employ Coco were ones I created through magic alchemy.

 

And my magic power was currently sealed, half voluntarily and half involuntarily.

 

“It’s okay! I-it’s fine if you don’t pay me at all anymore…”

 

“That won’t do. Promises must be kept.”

 

“You know well, Irene. It’s appointment time.”

 

…?

 

I heard the voice of someone who shouldn’t be here.

 

When I quickly looked up, the Duke, who had personally graced this place with his presence, was looking at me from two steps behind.

 

Coco beside me was so startled as if she’d seen a ghost that she began hiccuping with a ‘Hic!’

 

Though not to that extent, I was also a bit surprised.

 

I immediately checked the clock on the wall, and it was a full 15 minutes before our appointment time.

 

“You scared me… It’s not time yet.”

 

“It will be soon.”

 

His urging gaze was no joke.

 

In the end, I had to follow the Duke – no, Davuer – without taking even one bite of the warm refreshments.

 

It was now February.

 

Today, I was scheduled to briefly escape from being an idle unemployed person and go on an intimate… outing with him.

 

* * *

 

Belmayer also had its own annual events.

 

If I were to name it myself, World Tree Observation Day.

 

The Winter Castle faction had been checking the condition of that rotten World Tree at least once a year.

 

‘What kind of World Tree rots like that.’

 

The World Tree, which had been ailing ever since Magi appeared in the world, had turned completely black about a hundred years ago.

 

The tree of life that had lived longest in this land had failed to drive out the Magi and was instead consumed by it.

 

As Vermin rampaged anew each year, the condition of the tree tainted by Magi was also gradually worsening.

 

Until now, Giselle had checked it as a proxy, but this year, Davuer, who could go outside the castle due to my existence, said he would check it himself.

 

This meant, naturally, that I also had to follow him out. If he went without me, an accident of falling asleep could occur.

 

‘He said it was a place he’d like me to go with him…’

 

I was probably the fool for misunderstanding and jumping to conclusions.

 

But still, when he said that right after putting the ring on me, somehow, actually back then I secretly… oh forget it.

 

I thought it was some kind of date invitation.

 

‘I must have gone completely crazy because of that crazy dream.’

 

Last night when I learned the true nature of that outing promise, I had to kick the innocent blanket once again.

 

“You know.”

 

The most pleasant weather we’d had recently.

 

We borrowed Jepi’s ability, who had been wasting ten minutes at the knight’s order, and arrived directly at the Mamut Mountain Range.

 

‘To think I’d end up visiting the Abandoned Land in my lifetime.’

 

Of course, he said we wouldn’t go directly into the Contaminated Region but would only check the outline from a safe place.

 

‘It’ll be safe… right?’

 

According to novel clichés, usually at times like this you’d face unexpected crises…

 

I pushed away the ominous thoughts and asked the rest of my question.

 

“Why do we have to walk and move directly from here?”

 

“Is it difficult?”

 

Though not as much as the hills at the Drens border, this was roughly the eastern area nearby, so the slope was a bit gentler.

 

Compared to the west where I had initially walked trying to cross the mountain range border, this felt like flat ground.

 

“No. Rather than that… why don’t we move directly to the destination using abilities.”

 

“Abilities cannot be used in that vicinity.”

 

Davuer replied indifferently, then adjusted the hood of the cloak that was fluffy due to fur.

 

Right. As my appearance armed with thick clothes reminded me, I was still observing the magic prohibition order even at this very moment.

 

“If it’s going to be like this, just let me use magic.”

 

Forcibly, of course!

 

I hadn’t really noticed it in the castle where magical devices were installed.

 

But as soon as I came outside the main castle, bone-chilling cold greeted me, so I had no choice but to look at him pleadingly.

 

Then he said firmly, just like now.

 

“No.”

 

“Tch.”

 

He doesn’t even feel the cold, does he.

 

He seemed detached from the snow-buried mountain scenery, wearing light clothing of a shirt with a robe draped over it.

 

Perhaps finding my reddened nose tip pitiful, Davuer kindly offered me a carrot.

 

“If you get through today, I’ll acknowledge that you’ve completed your assignment.”

 

“Really? No changing your words or anything like that?”

 

“And the World Tree’s Magi is different from others. If you expose magic power, it could become a variable, so be careful.”

 

“What kind of variable?”

 

“Magi has the nature of coveting strong power. Usually it only exerts influence within the body of the host it’s parasitizing, but the World Tree’s…”

 

Grrr―

 

Just then, a wolf Vermin that slowly crawled out from behind a tree five steps ahead bared its teeth with a menacing attitude.

 

I wasn’t surprised since I had been aware of its presence.

 

When Davuer stared at it, the wolf soon collapsed on its own and quickly disappeared without a trace.

 

“…is different. It absorbs anything external as well. Its energy has been growing each year in that way.”

 

All the Vermin we had occasionally encountered so far had been dealt with by a single glance. My inner worry that he might use Magi again to absorb them became meaningless.

 

Anyway, this is a golden opportunity.

 

“Even if it’s not the same Magi? Perhaps like before when Da, Davuer… absorbed that Magi?”

 

I poured out everything I had been curious about.

 

In the original work, Magi was an ominous and corrupt power, a device to highlight Lishie’s divinity.

 

Since only the protagonist could purify Magi.

 

However, since the original work suddenly ended while hinting at destruction, the origins and secrets of this Magi were never properly revealed.

 

“What do you think Magi is?”

 

Davuer answered my question with a question.

 

Since the original work wasn’t helpful, my knowledge level about Magi was just what everyone else knew.

 

“Just some… evil power?”

 

Long, long ago, Magi didn’t exist, but at some point, beings tainted by Magi began to appear stealthily.

 

Those were Vermin. Monsters with no intelligence, only ferocity, bizarre powers, and killing instincts.

 

All living things could become Vermin. Animals, plants, and of course humans too.

 

And only divine power could purify Magi.

 

“What about holy power?”

 

“Well, it’s become a pretty meaningless power now.”

 

About a hundred years ago, holy power supposedly had quite remarkable healing abilities, but that was all in the past.

 

What the Temple, having lost the radiance of holy power, now promoted were blessings. Whether they actually worked hadn’t been properly proven.

 

However, since the Temple’s status had skyrocketed with the Countess’s appearance, that fraudulent blessing business was doing quite well.

 

“Holy power is said to be a force derived from divinity.”

 

“I know. Now it’s nothing special, yet they boast so much about it being power bestowed by God.”

 

My relationship with the Temple was quite bad.

 

Something about being wicked and tormenting the Countess.

 

Since they acted so arrogantly, I broke a priest’s nose, and was banned from entering the Grand Temple for a while. After causing more trouble, I’m now permanently banned.

 

“But what are you trying to say by beating around the bush like this?”

 

I thought I did well wearing pants as I irritably moved my ankles that kept sinking into the snow.

 

Then Davuer stopped.

 

“I’m saying Magi is similar.”

 

Then he grabbed my shoulder and pulled me forcefully.

 

Thunk!

 

A black, withered tree branch stuck like a dagger into the spot where I had been standing the very next moment.

 

‘…I didn’t sense anything?’

 

The tree branch, which immediately began crumbling like ash, had such vivid Magi that I wondered how I hadn’t noticed the threat.

 

Perhaps because I became aware of it, I could feel intense Magi energy from the distance like fog lifting.

 

It was like an aggregate of raw malice.

 

“…That thing.”

 

“Is the most fundamental Magi.”

 

I could see the World Tree, which I had only heard about in rumors.

 

Though the actual distance must be quite far, the World Tree we encountered on the snow-capped mountains was so massive it seemed right in front of us.

 

The blackened tree looked like a shadow.

 

And the dry branches without a single leaf attached were writhing like human blood vessels.

 

A chilling sensation ran down my spine.

 

Davuer said.

 

“Magi comes from corrupted divinity.”

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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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