A World Where You All Are The Villains - Chapter 121

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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121.

***

The Duke’s Castle was ancient but elegant and sprawling.
After a brief tour of the castle, we unpacked our belongings and took time to rest separately.
I summoned the Physician first to have my palms treated.
Then I climbed the stairs to my assigned chamber—the very room Edith Blake had stayed in whenever she visited the Duke’s Castle as a child.
The room was as spacious as the Duke’s Residence, but decorated in soft pink tones.
On the display shelf sat toys that appeared to be ones Edith Blake had played with in her childhood.
In stark contrast to the dainty room, they were grotesque figurines—skulls and creatures that resembled demons.
‘She was certainly extraordinary even as a child….’
As I examined them, there came a knock, and someone entered.
“It has been quite some time, Miss. I am Margaret Grace, the head maid of the Duke’s Castle.”
A middle-aged woman of considerable years entered with several maids in tow.
“Ah, yes. Good to see you all.”
“The room remains exactly as it was when you stayed here as a child… Do you remember it?”
Margaret Grace asked me with hopeful eyes.
Of course I remembered nothing, so I shook my head.
She set down refreshments and tea on the table with a dejected expression.
“Should you need anything, please do not hesitate to call.”
“Of course.”
The moment our pleasantries concluded, I collapsed onto the bed adorned with cascading lace.
Having rushed here without a moment’s sleep all night, my mind was utterly clouded.
‘I already want to go home….’
With such vague thoughts, I drifted into slumber.
Whether the home I longed for was the Duke’s Residence in the Capital, or the Dormitory attached to the Research Institute in reality—
that remained unclear.

***

By noon, we had gathered once more to carry out our mission.
Ethan asked Walter a question.
“Where are the Erosion Infected?”
“We’ve confined them to the Village Outskirts Warehouse for now.”
Walter and the head maid decided to guide us directly to the warehouse.
However, something seemed slightly off.
Not only was The Purifier present, but Ethan—an S-Grade Awakener no less—was here, yet Walter had brought an excessive number of guards with him.
“Do we really need to make such a fuss just to visit a warehouse?”
“You stay quiet and put up a barrier, now.”
“Ugh, I’m exhausted from using my ability the whole way here.”
Tsk.
While Walter and his son Kalen bickered back and forth, I climbed into the carriage with the head maid.
‘Are there many Erosion Infected?’
There were as many as eight escort knights.
It was excessive, but if there were swarms of Erosion Infected, it was natural for ordinary people to be frightened, so I didn’t think much of it.
However, when we arrived at the Village Outskirts Warehouse, it seemed rather sparse.
The Gate that had opened half a year ago had opened in a direction facing away from the village, so the damage hadn’t been severe.
“Five children and two adults.”
Kalen, peering inside through a small window in the warehouse, reported to Ethan.
“There are quite a few children.”
“They were playing in the river that flows along the outskirts when they made contact with the Magic Barrier.”
“According to the report, there were supposed to be four adults who became Erosion Infected again. Where are the other two?”
Ethan turned to face Walter. Then he answered with a darkened expression.
“…Unfortunately, they died shortly after transforming into Erosion Infected.”
“What about my sister? Ayla is safe, right?”
At that moment, Kalen urgently asked his father.
“Yes. I’ve told you several times already—your sister is currently in quarantine because of the plague.”
Walter waved his hand dismissively, as if annoyed.
I had heard the gist of it from the head maid that morning.
Kalen had a twin sister.
She had been exposed to the Magic Barrier half a year ago, but fortunately, Ruellin had purified her and she recovered completely.
However, she had recently fallen ill with a terrible disease and was staying separately at a Forest Cottage.
Upon hearing this, I immediately verified it.

― Margaret, did I ever come here with The Purifier during the Gate incident half a year ago?
― Half a year ago? No. The entire area was restricted back then—why would you come here, miss? It was dangerous.

Margaret recoiled with a vehement denial.
To be safe, I even questioned the other servants, but received the same response.
‘Could she really manipulate the memories of so many people?’
In any case, in the original story, Ruellin was an S-Grade Awakener, so it might be possible.
However, I couldn’t dismiss one other possibility.
Specifically, the method of administering that strange liquid I witnessed at the Sephiroth Sect.
‘Serge definitely said it was the blood of an Awakener on the verge of rampage.’
And the dream I had on Equinox Island.
When I became Edith Blake and purified Vincent.
I distinctly remembered receiving a syringe from Ruellin and extracting his blood.
The black blood of an Awakener on the verge of rampage….
“Edith Blake.”
At that moment, hearing my name called, I snapped back to attention.
Turning with startled eyes, I found Ethan observing me with an uncertain gaze.
“…Can you purify them? If it seems too difficult, we can try again tomorrow.”
“No. I’m not sure I can do it all, but I can at least try. I just ask that they don’t attack me.”
Fortunately, I’d managed to sleep a little during the morning, so I wasn’t that exhausted.
Upon hearing my words, Ethan nodded and peered into the small window.
Whether he was using his ability, a glimmer of something shifted in his lake-blue pupils.
“Kalen, open the warehouse door.”
“Yes. I’ll deactivate the barrier.”
“W-wait, the barrier? Why, why are you deactivating it?”
Walter suddenly wedged himself between Ethan and Kalen.
Kalen answered irritably.
“We need to make contact with the Erosion Infected.”
“But that’s far too dangerous!”
“Then what, should I extend the barrier to include all the Erosion Infected too? Do you think I have that much ability to spare?”
Kalen, having delivered that sharp retort, simply ceased his ability.
The transparent barrier surrounding us dissolved like melting ice.
Walter’s face turned an eerie shade of pale.
‘What’s wrong with him?’
Kalen, tilting his head in confusion, opened the warehouse door.
Simultaneously, a horrific stench and grotesque sounds leaked from within.
“Grrrrgh….”
“Kyaaaah!”
“Kraaaaagh….”
Considerable time had passed since they became Erosion Infected—both children and adults were in terrible condition.
Bodies half-rotted and falling apart, skeletal arms flailing weakly.
Even with immediate purification, they would suffer from malnutrition for some time—their state was far from good.
Fortunately, Ethan had frozen their feet with his ability, preventing the Erosion Infected from lunging at me.
“Please freeze their arms and legs too.”
Even a feeble gesture was preferable to having people restrain them—contact with an Erosion Infected’s claws risked contamination.
Ethan nodded at my request.
Crackle—!
Moments later, all the Erosion Infected were immobilized, their feet and arms encased in thick ice.
I approached the Street Girl nearest to me first and placed my hand on her head.
“Krraaaagh!”
The child thrashed her face wildly, attempting to bite my hand, but I paid it no mind.
‘Purification.’
Whoooosh—!
Moments later, a brilliant emerald light erupted from my palm.
“Ohhh… Is that the light of purification?”
“We weren’t allowed to see the Purifier half a year ago, but thanks to our young lady, we get to witness something this precious.”
Walter’s escort knights whispered among themselves.
In the meantime, the child, who had been convulsing in final desperation, grew still.
Though the decayed portions remained unchanged, everything else had returned to normal.
Her blackened eyes regained their original color, and the black blood that had gushed from the countless holes across her body ceased.
‘Thank goodness.’
Confirming this, I proceeded to purify the remaining Erosion Infected one by one.
By the time all seven had ceased their violent thrashing and fallen into deep slumber, considerable time had passed.
“Haa… haa…”
This was my first time purifying so many at once.
By the time I finished my task, I was thoroughly exhausted.
My breath came in ragged gasps through my lips, and cold sweat dripped steadily down my jaw.
“Here.”
Ethan approached me and offered a fresh handkerchief.
Under normal circumstances, I would have declined, but my face was drenched in perspiration.
I accepted it without protest.
“Are they all completely recovered?”
“Yes.”
“And you.”
“…?”
“Are you alright?”
At his unexpected words, my eyes widened as I looked at Ethan.
Perhaps it was because we were in a foreign land, but his demeanor seemed unusually gentle.
‘Well. Or maybe he appeared in my dreams again.’
Suppressing an inward chuckle, I replied indifferently.
“Yes, well. For now, at least.”
My stomach felt somewhat unsettled, but I wasn’t dizzy enough to collapse immediately.
Certainly, the longer I could endure using my ability was increasing with each use.
That was when it happened.
“Aaaahhh!”
“W-where is… argh!”
Suddenly, screams erupted from outside.
While I purified seven Erosion Infected, everyone except Ethan and me had stepped outside, unable to bear the stench of decay.
Our eyes met, and Ethan and I immediately kicked open the warehouse door and rushed out.
What greeted us was Walter and his escort knights under attack.
Whoosh! Slash—!
With sharp cutting sounds, their flesh was sliced open and blood sprayed into the air.
But the problem was, I couldn’t tell what was attacking them.
And I couldn’t see who or what was doing the attacking at all.
‘What is this? An invisibility ability?’
As I looked around in confusion, Ethan suddenly shoved me back into the warehouse.
“Get inside. It’s too dangerous.”
“Deploy the barrier now, Kalen! Now!”
At that moment, Walter shouted desperately.
Kalen hastily raised both hands.
A round, transparent barrier instantly enveloped the warehouse.
The formless attacks that had been indiscriminately cutting people down abruptly ceased.
“Gasp… huff…”
Everyone breathed heavily with terror-stricken faces, when suddenly the fallen leaves outside the barrier swirled violently.
Only then did I faintly discern the ability attacking us.
‘Wind…?’
In the meantime, as if a typhoon had erupted, fallen leaves whirled ferociously around the transparent barrier.
No sound accompanied it, but the force was so vicious it seemed desperate to pierce through the barrier.
How much time had passed?
The leaves that had been spinning so menacingly gently fell to the ground as if nothing had happened.
And large letters, simple enough for a child to read, appeared.

Die

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