Disqualified as a Villainess - Chapter 61

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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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#61.

According to the original story, approximately one week remained until the lower Chaos Realm opened.
In other words, the time left until the Chaos Gate activated.
The exact timing wasn’t specified in the source material, but the gate would manifest above us, in the Northern Direction where Chloe, Octavia, and the other squadrons were stationed.
Officially, our mission was to take turns guarding the precursor black spot, then destroy it once the Chaos Realm opened. On the surface, it seemed we merely had to wait for the gate to manifest—frankly, we could relax and enjoy ourselves until then without consequence.
I divided the personnel into three groups: standby, patrol, and reconnaissance.
The standby team would observe the black spot in two shifts, the patrol team would eliminate Chaos entities around the black spot and establish defensive barriers, while the reconnaissance team would focus on resource gathering.
The junior members assigned to reconnaissance wore expressions of annoyance at having to do such tedious work, but they complied without complaint, aware of the benefits they were enjoying.
“Looking at the defensive barrier’s range, it covers the entire precursor manifestation zone. Is there a reason the Northeast Squadron needs to handle all of this?”
“To prevent Chaos entities from escaping into residential areas when the Chaos Realm opens.”
At my brief answer, Julia, who had harbored momentary doubt, nodded in understanding.
Febrien, the highest authority among the adults regarding defensive barriers, was anxious about her identity being exposed, so she joined Ewain in the patrol team.
Since Febrien’s affection level posed a threat, I couldn’t travel alongside her.
Of course, the Saint Man simply followed out of personal curiosity and to keep watch over Chloe, so he wasn’t assigned any particular duty.
After everyone departed to their assigned tasks, I headed toward the Great Forest below with Logan.
Ding-dong, ding-dong-dong.
Logan watched me with peculiar eyes as I attached strange xylophone mallets and devices to mushrooms and trees, then listened to their performance.
“So you’re the mushroom conductor Prince Jeriel mentioned?”
“Yes. Mushrooms exchange information with each other through what’s called a mycelial network. Trees do the same—they connect through roots and communicate with mushrooms. A forest is essentially a massive information network.”
“You’re saying they form cartels and plot revenge operations against humans?”
Though I likely appeared to Logan as someone with severe delusions, I nodded absently while recording the ding-dong sounds in my notebook.
“If you cut down that tree right now, the entire forest would recognize you as a dangerous enemy.”
“I see. I should treat them well before I get a bad reputation.”
Logan, who had conversed with children many times before, responded with hollow enthusiasm.
No wonder Prince Jeriel spoke to mushrooms and trees so naturally.
It was fortunate he did so with a child; had he done it alone, he would have been mistaken for someone mentally unwell.
“The little prince appears to be a nature-type ability user who commands animals, but he’s actually a perpetual summoning ability user.”
At my sudden remark, Logan’s coral-colored eyes widened.
“Perpetual summoning? You mean he’s a special ability user like me?”
Beyond elemental abilities like fire or water, spirit-realm abilities or phase-series abilities like Logan’s belonged to extremely rare special ability users.
In other words, he was rank 1 like Logan, and could be considered to possess even more advanced power.
“He can manifest and summon not only living souls but also deceased ones. I learned this after entering the shadow within the prince’s darkness.”
Prince Jeriel understood what the mushroom was saying through its soul. He heard its final words even after it shattered into pieces.
However, it seemed human souls were excluded from this ability.
Though seeing him encounter the soul of his father, Former Duke Ortega, within the shadow suggested the possibility wasn’t entirely impossible.
“Unlike the general concept of summoning, it appears he tames through conversation, and if the conditions of friendship are met, he can call upon them or request their aid.”
When I asked Prince Jeriel to summon a passing cat, he answered, “I’ve never seen that kitty before. It’s not my friend, so I can’t.” That’s how it works.
Logan, completely unaware of this fact, blinked with a vacant expression.
“Does that mean Chaos entities are also targets for him?”
“If the Prince grows older and loses his innocence, learning domination instead of friendship.”
Octavia, holding her notebook, smiled knowingly.
“Then I could force his submission through commands rather than persuasion.”
Was I truly the only one who understood this? Such was Octavia’s thought.
A young ability user with dimensional-level powers who might even inherit the throne beyond the Crown Princess after the Regent’s reign ended would inevitably become a target for elimination by enemy nations and opposing forces.
“Does the Crown Princess know this fact?”
At Logan’s grave tone, Octavia nodded.
“She keeps silent because it’s dangerous if word spreads outside.”
“Why did you tell me this fact?”
Octavia rose from her seat and approached Logan.
Her pale, slender fingers brushed away a fallen leaf clinging to his shoulder.
“Because you’re someone I can trust. So protect Prince Jeriel, who will become the future king.”
‘You’re also destined to die because of the future Chaos Gate. Though I plan to save you.’
Octavia swallowed the words she couldn’t speak aloud, smiling bitterly.
After the catastrophe, the Kingdom would suffer from Chaos entities and psychic attacks piercing through the weakened sacred realm left by Saint Uriana’s absence.
In response, the Empire would step forward with the condition of taking over the Kingdom’s autonomy—barely avoiding annihilation—and cooperate with the remaining Five Kingdoms to resolve the disaster.
After the Regent, who bore all responsibility, was deposed, the one who ascended the throne instead of the Crown Princess was Prince Dominic.
Considering the original progression, if Prince Jeriel, Logan, and Saint Uriana had been present, these were matters the Kingdom could have resolved internally.
‘A case where talented individuals were forced to exit prematurely, creating a crisis that fell upon the Protagonist.’
“But why are you listening to the mushroom performance anyway?”
Logan, rubbing the back of his neck with a peculiar expression, asked as if trying to change the subject.
“I told you, didn’t I? A massive information network. They’ll detect ecological changes and tell me the time and exact coordinates when the gate opens.”
“Gate? What are you talking about? The Kingdom couldn’t possibly be unaware of something so enormous.”
Octavia’s violet eyes gradually deepened, narrowing delicately.
“In about a week, a colossal gate will open through a resonance formation disguised as a lower Chaos Realm. I’m estimating the price of equivalent exchange to be all life existing within it.”
While she often spouted mad things, what she was saying now was beyond standard measure.
“How do you… know that? If it were a natural disaster, perhaps, but mushrooms couldn’t possibly understand the concept of a Chaos Gate.”
At Logan’s words, Octavia spoke in a gentle tone.
“You’ve already noticed that I’m different from the person you knew before. As a phase ability user, you can sense the essence of existence.”
In the past, Logan had once asked Octavia, “Who are you?”
He’d always felt it—a sense of incongruity he had no words or basis to explain, so he’d simply let it pass.
Logan’s lips slowly parted from his silence.
“I don’t understand what you mean. Did you… bring me here to die together? Because I cursed at you before?”
Flustered, his thoughts had taken a strange turn.
Octavia snapped her notebook shut and sighed.
“I only learned that the condition for the gate opening is life after I just decoded the mushrooms’ conversation with each other.”
“We’re screwed? Why are you speaking so calmly about something we should pack up and flee from immediately?”
“Is life in this place only humans?”
Despite the gravity of the situation, Octavia laughed with ease.
“So let’s resolve this and get a real vacation reward. Lend me your power.”
“I’m first-class, but I don’t have the ability to overturn a Chaos Gate, you see?”
Unlike Chloe, who had evacuated people in the original story but ultimately couldn’t seal the Gate itself, Octavia—a researcher through and through—was contemplating a fundamental solution.
“If we utilize your positional ability, there’s a chance of success.”
“What’s the success rate?”
“15%. Remarkably high, isn’t it?”
Logan, unfamiliar with Octavia’s everything-will-work-out philosophy, wore an expression of considerable burden.

***

Kelsedny Admiral returned to the Kingdom ahead of schedule.
After parting from Octavia, this indescribable feeling bordered on anguish and unease.
Consumed by emotions that felt alien to him, he feared he might lose his body to another personality altogether.
He went directly to Ludovisi Mansion, where he encountered the Ludovisi Representative with a gaunt face.
Whether burdened by some grave worry, his usually immaculate pomaded brown hair lay disheveled, and the buttons of his formal vest hung undone.
The Ludovisi Representative grasped his bangs and exhaled a heavy sigh.
“Octavia, you ask? She’s currently at the Western Border.”
The Admiral’s pupils trembled faintly.
“The Western Border?”
“By that cursed Prince’s orders to take responsibility for the situation, she left without a word to us. She even left a letter saying absolutely not to follow. That if I came, she’d sever ties….”
Recalling Emperor Arseno’s words and the Imperial Intelligence Bureau’s report, the Admiral’s lips pressed into a thin line.

「Western Acedia Kingdom – Detection of possible massive Chaos Gate emergence.
Predicted disaster level – National annihilation class」

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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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