Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 157

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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 157

[Gasp!]

Mori, who naturally thought he was alone in the room, startled and lifted his head.

Someone was standing at the doorway that Minte had left open when entering, leaning against it with arms crossed.

“What do the other knights need to remember?”

It was Anelli.

[C-Captain.]

Meeting Anelli’s cold gaze, Mori instinctively felt his body shrink, curling himself up even tighter.

Anelli, who had been quietly looking down at Mori, slowly entered the room.

The two escort knights who usually followed her whenever she moved were nowhere to be seen.

After closing the door, she brought over a chair and sat in front of Mori.

“If you’re not going to follow me, you’re free to leave anytime. But if you influence my knights in any way, I won’t look kindly upon you.”

[I, I am…]

Flustered, Mori stammered.

“If you have complaints about me, tell me directly. Don’t go stirring up my knights for no reason.”

She was clearly drawing a line between the other Dura’han and Mori.

Originally, it was Mori who had treated her like a stranger from the moment he first saw her. But now that he was actually being treated this way, sadness washed over him, and Mori answered with a choked voice.

[I am a Knight of the Round Table. Following the Captain is my duty.]

“What you serve is the ‘Captain of the past,’ not me. So you don’t need to fulfill that duty to me.”

[But Captain, you are still the Captain.]

“You think of her and me as different people, don’t you?”

At those words, Mori’s eyes widened slightly.

Anelli’s words were accurate. Mori didn’t think the person in front of him was the captain he had followed.

She was a completely different person. Because his captain… had lost her divine power and become human.

[…You are different.]

At Mori’s weak retort, Anelli smiled, showing her teeth.

“You know what? That doesn’t bother me.”

Using the armrest as support, she rested her chin on it and spoke in a gentle tone with narrowed eyes.

“Rather, I’m glad to hear it.”

[As, as expected.]

“As expected?”

[Captain, you never really wanted divine power and such things. That’s why you forgot everything and became a different person.]

At Mori’s words, Anelli’s smile faded slightly.

Quietly staring at Mori, Anelli asked in a lowered voice.

“Did she tell you that?”

[C-Captain was…]

Mori couldn’t continue his words. Emotions surged up instantly, and if he continued speaking, it felt like he would burst into tears at any moment.

Why don’t the other knights remember?

Why does he remember everything?

This was the question that had been tormenting Mori ever since he opened his eyes. Why must he remember everything?

All those blood-splattered moments from that day, the screams, the betrayal and despair.

[Captain… wanted to be liberated.]

“Liberation?”

[After performing the final divine power, to be free…]

Mori envied the other Dura’han.

The other Dura’han who were simply and purely immersed in the joy of meeting their captain again.

Would it have been better if he had lost his memories too? If he couldn’t remember their final moments, could he have smiled during this reunion?

If he didn’t remember how Jigol died… If he didn’t remember how Jigol died fighting to protect the Captain.

Then he wouldn’t have gotten angry at Jigol, who now blindly defended the current Captain.

[Now that you’ve lost your divine power, you’ve found the freedom you wanted. So now you don’t want to care about anything anymore, do you? It doesn’t matter to you anymore.]

Anelli stared at Mori quietly without answering.

Mori continued with a tearful voice.

[That’s why you keep that betrayer by your side so casually.]

A strange light flickered in Anelli’s eyes.

“…You recognized Samuel?”

[I remember everything.]

The first knight who secretly admired the Captain. Only the person himself was unaware of his own feelings.

The knights supported and encouraged his tender affection. They encouraged him that someday his feelings would be reciprocated.

But what returned was a cold blade and chilling betrayal. With such vivid memories of that time, the knights were now facing that betrayer as if nothing had happened.

Shocked, Mori told Jigol the truth. Did he know who that person was? Did he know who the Captain was keeping by her side?

What did Jigol say then?

“If it’s the Captain’s will, it’s fine. She must have her reasons.”

Jigol said such things because he didn’t remember. Because he didn’t know how he died by that man’s blade.

[It would have been better if I had never awakened.]

Rather than seeing the Captain who lost her divine power and became a completely different person, and comrades who lost their memories and acted carefree, it would have been better if he had never awakened.

Depressing emotions rushed in like a tidal wave. Mori buried his head again, which he had briefly lifted.

He didn’t want to do anything, and had no motivation whatsoever. When he first opened his eyes, he thought he should at least perform the incomplete divine power himself, but after being severely beaten by some monster, even that no longer appealed to him.

Rather, just like this…

[Aaah!]

Mori’s curled-up body suddenly floated into the air.

Anelli had grabbed Mori’s head and lifted him up in one motion.

Holding Mori up to eye level, Anelli spoke clearly.

“As you said, I don’t want to care about anything. Whether the world perishes or not has nothing to do with me and I have no interest in it.”

Shocked by her rather aggressive action, Mori didn’t dare resist. He dangled in the air, held by his head, facing Anelli.

“But despite that, I will complete the final divine power. If I need the betrayer’s help to do so, I’ll accept it without hesitation.”

At those words, Mori spoke in a bewildered tone.

[W-why?]

“Because I want to give my knights back their heads.”

Her purple eyes were cold and unfamiliar, just as they had been for the past few days.

“Because I want to see their faces directly as they cry and laugh while looking at me.”

Yet somehow, Mori was reminded of his past captain in that cold gaze.

His always-respected, kind captain who used to look straight ahead without wavering to fulfill her duty.

“And I don’t leave unfinished business for others to handle. I take responsibility for my own choices. I don’t know what your captain left you to deal with, but you don’t have to do it.”

Anelli, who spoke firmly, frowned and added.

“So go make up with Jigol. They say kids become friends through fighting, but you two are too old to be called kids, aren’t you?”

Mori couldn’t say anything and just froze.

Seeing Mori like this, Anelli clicked her tongue softly and put him back down on the floor. Unlike when she had lifted him up without hesitation, her touch was now careful.

Even after being put down, Mori was still dazed.

“Samuel will guide me to Beladia Valley. The Goddess gave him an opportunity. It’s a partnership out of necessity, not accepting him as my knight. Even if you want to kill him, I can’t allow it. So if you want to leave, leave.”

Returning to her original posture with her chin resting, Anelli caught her breath for a moment, then added briefly.

“Make up with Jigol before you leave.”

[…Why?]

“You were close with Jigol, weren’t you? It would be troublesome if he blames himself after you leave.”

Mori couldn’t say anything.

Certainly, this woman before him was different from the captain he knew. The Captain wasn’t this aggressive or cold.

But…

“What? Don’t you want to make up either?”

When Mori didn’t readily answer, Anelli asked with a displeased expression. Even as Mori continued to remain silent, she looked him over with a somewhat anxious expression.

“Don’t tell me you’re hurt somewhere? Did I grab you too hard?”

[I, I was the Captain’s successor.]

Anelli hesitated at Mori’s sudden confession. Complex emotions flashed through her eyes for a moment, but it was only an instant.

“Forget whatever she dumped on you.”

[But she taught me how to, how to handle divine power.]

At those words, Anelli snorted and crossed her arms.

“If you could have played the role of the Avatar of the Goddess, I wouldn’t have been resurrected in the first place. I’m going through all this trouble now because no one can replace me, right?”

Anelli muttered curses toward who knows whom, complaining about playing a caretaker role that wasn’t in her fate, then spoke in a listless tone.

“Just do whatever you want. Don’t worry about duty or anything like that.”

Mori unconsciously opened his mouth.

He had been the successor chosen by the Captain, and he had always been proud of that fact. Being chosen by the Captain was both his pride and honor.

He had never once thought there was any choice in that position.

It was such an honorable mission that he was busy just gratefully accepting it.

“Did I speak in riddles? You don’t have to love all creation so earnestly. If there’s something you want to hate, then hate it. For example, that con artist monster who stabbed you in the back this time. Or me. Hate to your heart’s content, then leave and live doing what you want.”

At the word “leave,” his heart felt like it was sinking.

Mori unconsciously blurted out in an urgent voice.

[Th-then I’ll continue being the successor.]

Perhaps because Mori’s answer was unexpected, Anelli frowned and fell silent for a moment.

“…Where did my words go when you heard them?”

[Do you, do you hate looking at my face?]

At Mori’s question, Anelli hesitated. As if remembering something she had overlooked, she pressed her temple and muttered quickly.

“Ah, do I need to find your head too for the final divine power to manifest? Then I’ll call you when I find your head, so go play somewhere suitable. We don’t have to travel together… Why are you crying?”

Only after hearing Anelli’s question did Mori realize he was crying.

Even if asked why tears were falling, Mori had no answer. He didn’t know why he was crying either.

However, the tears wouldn’t stop either.

Unfortunately, he had no hands to wipe them away.

Anelli watched with irritation as Mori shed only tears without making any crying sounds, pressing her brow with her index finger as she asked.

“Are the Knights of the Round Table originally prone to tears? Or did you become more tearful after becoming a Dura’han?”

Naturally, Mori couldn’t answer. He could only shed tears drop by drop from an inexplicable sorrow.

And though Anelli clicked her tongue, she quietly stayed by his side until Mori’s tears stopped.

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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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