Adopting the Male Protagonist Changed the Genre - Chapter 228

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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 228

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After returning from the dungeon, I spent every night imagining what it would be like to be Ophelia.

A modern person my age who, after facing death, awakens in the body of a stranger in 【Hirome】 due to the First King’s dark magic that summons souls from another world.

Just like the game’s introduction, she meets an orphan boy who bears the hero’s star.

Thanks to the system window arranged by the First King, she smoothly adapts to the new world and uses her nurturing ability to excellently raise the hero’s star.

Thus was born 【Hirome】 ending number 1: ‘The Crown Prince’s Loyal Knight of Oath’.

However, the hero’s star who became the royal knight commander could not prevent the disaster.

And so the world perished and the second life began.

In her second life, she raised the hero’s star to become the king of mercenaries. Even so, she failed to save the world against the Beast King.

Consecutive failures.

The third life repeated once again.

Though her understanding of the world had improved and experience had accumulated, all her efforts were futile before the predetermined disaster.

“No matter how hard I try, everything returns to square one, and I feel like I’ll go mad from the helplessness, yet I can’t even die properly.”

After failing like that, failing again, and continuing to fail, she suddenly encountered someone.

“Actually, I’ve been wandering from a very distant place for a long time and have only just arrived.”

Belinda, who appeared in this world like a bug, and the fellow countryman dwelling within her.

“You’re the only person who understands me that I’ve met in that hell.”

My understanding of Ophelia, which continued without any pity, sense of betrayal, or anger, always stopped around that point.

I asked the Ophelia in my head, who was no different from my delusion, countless times.

‘Why didn’t you tell me the truth?’

If I was really your only person who understood you, you could have told me the truth.

We could have held each other’s hands and envisioned a future preparing for disaster, Ophelia.

Though I poured out questions because she was pitiful and resentful, no answers came back.

Therefore, I retraced Ophelia’s life while suppressing all those doubts and emotions.

After I became the official caretaker of the hero’s star, Ophelia was freed from the caretaker’s duties.

She first uses the White-Robed Saint Quest to acquire divine power.

Afterwards, she travels around the kingdom, meeting dark mages and fulfilling their wishes to become an ascetic.

With information gained through thirty-seven lives, it wouldn’t have been difficult to figure out what the dark mages wanted.

Probably at least once among those thirty-seven lives, Ophelia herself had awakened to dark magic.

However, every time the world reset, the traces of her using dark magic disappeared cleanly.

While her vast knowledge of dark magic, enough to make even Chaser stick out his tongue, remained intact in her head.

‘But for what purpose?’

“I’m not trying to ruin this world. Rather, I’m trying to save it from destruction.”

Probably, to prevent the disaster.

However, she wouldn’t know the location of the beast that would become the Beast King. If she had, she would have put an end to this terrible destruction long ago.

Then how was she planning to prevent the destruction?

What exactly was her plan that even Giuseppe ended up joining her?

My chain of thoughts was broken when my gaze lingered on the garden trees that had become bare for winter.

Looking at those garden trees reminded me of Ophelia stroking the World Tree with an affectionate voice and touch.

“As I mentioned before, I have a talent for raising things.”

Whatever she raises with affection grows specially.

That was Ophelia’s ability.

“Even while I’m here, my plan is growing vigorously. ‘That thing’ has already been born.”

My gaze turned to the map marking Ophelia’s movements as she had busily traveled around the kingdom for the past five years.

No matter what happened, Ophelia always headed to the Barrier Forest once or twice every year without fail.

She led the way in helping the Northern Knights hunt beasts and traveled through the forest more diligently than anyone for forest maintenance, Penandel said.

But what if heading to the Barrier Forest itself was her purpose?

‘Perhaps…’

“We suspect that Ophelia is raising the Beast King in the Barrier Forest.”

To hide a tree, one must go to the forest.

There was no safer place than the Barrier Forest to raise a special beast.

The Northern Knights hunt beasts beyond the forest, but they don’t bother with beasts wandering within the forest.

Cardinal Lionel couldn’t say anything for a while after hearing my conclusion, which I had reached after agonizing for a very long time.

I don’t know how much she knows as a cardinal.

But at least she would know about Mikhail speaking of the prophecy of destruction and the Beast King at the five-nation conference. Even rumors had spread to the kingdom.

So it was fortunate that Cardinal Lionel didn’t immediately deny my words and lose her temper.

“If she can’t find the beast that will become the Beast King, she probably intended to create a Beast King to cut off the bud that would become the Beast King. The Beast King can control beasts of lower rank.”

“…Is there any basis for those words?”

That was what Lionel said after a very long while.

Unfortunately, I had no words to answer that question. What I held was speculation based on my understanding of the person called Ophelia.

Cardinal Lionel continued speaking toward me as I remained silent.

“Just as you cannot provide evidence, I also have no basis to judge your opinion as wrong, so I won’t unconditionally deny that prediction. However.”

Her eyes held firm resolve without even a trace of wavering.

At the root of that solid belief was…

“I absolutely cannot believe that Giuseppe would be deceived by such an absurd plan and betray us.”

Trust in Giuseppe.

Soon regaining her composure, she seemed to have decided on her policy as a cardinal.

“Regarding Giuseppe’s coming to the North, I will only accept the fact that his whereabouts became mysterious after he entered the forest for maintenance. Therefore, the Holy Light Knights will help His Grace the Duke search the forest with the purpose of capturing Ophelia and finding Giuseppe’s whereabouts.”

Pushing our opinion any further would only make us look unreasonable.

Moreover, we had received a promise to help with the forest search, so we had achieved our purpose to some extent.

We had to retreat at this point.

It was when Cheri and I were about to withdraw, leaving only Cardinal Lionel behind.

Cardinal Lionel, who had seemed lost in thought, called out to stop me.

“Marquess, would you entrust your hand to me for a moment?”

I extended my hand to her without suspicion.

She politely grasped my hand and closed her eyes, just like when Chaser had checked if I had magical power.

After a moment, when she opened her eyes, remnants of divine power shimmered like constellations in her pupils.

“May light like a lamp always illuminate your path ahead. Have you ever heard this prayer before?”

“Well, I don’t remember clearly. I’m not particularly devout, so I don’t memorize prayers one by one…”

I closed my mouth while answering because I suddenly realized where I had heard that prayer.

On the day I called Ophelia to the World Tree, I had heard that prayer.

From none other than Giuseppe’s lips.

“It seems you’ve remembered.”

Cardinal Lionel released my hand while withdrawing her divine power.

“It’s a prayer that high priests recite when bestowing the blessing of guidance upon someone. It’s a blessing that permanently consumes a considerable amount of divine power.”

I gave no answer, but Cardinal Lionel seemed to have guessed who had given me that blessing.

“When the Marquess feels he has lost his way, that blessing will help him find the right path.”

“….”

“So if, just if he is truly with Ophelia—no, the Seeker—please know that it would never be for personal gain. I believe that’s what Giuseppe meant when he left you with the guiding blessing.”

“…What’s your basis for that?”

“I have no basis. It’s simply my trust in him.”

I quietly met her direct gaze before answering with sincerity.

“Then I hope Your Eminence’s trust will be rewarded.”

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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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