Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 182

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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 182

It had been a long time since I used appearance-changing magic.

It had also been a long time since I lived the kind of life where I had to rent a room for just a few days at most, then leave for another place without even properly unpacking.

But it felt as comfortable as if it were yesterday.

After leaving the mansion, I immediately departed the capital with Jeon and Samuel, who had prepared a carriage in advance.

The place we arrived at after traveling all night was the small city of Hali, which could only be reached after crossing the Lindea River. It was also the place where there had been Dura’han sightings.

“Just in case, please stay in the carriage. We’ll go confirm the information again.”

Jeon and Samuel briefly left to verify the information they had discovered.

And now, I was waiting for the two of them inside the carriage.

The passersby seemed to have no particular interest in the carriage. I was resting my chin on my hand, admiring the scenery that was incomparably modest compared to the capital, when Palides, who was sitting across from me, spoke up.

“Does this mean we don’t have to go back to that mansion anymore?”

I nodded toward the excited Palides. She seemed to have found life at the mansion extremely stifling, as she was expressing her joy with her whole body.

It wasn’t just Palides who felt this way. The other Dura’han were also delighted that they no longer had to see the humans who had been rude to me.

Minte in particular, who Seiri seemed to have been watching carefully, looked truly relieved.

[I’m glad I got to see that brat rolling around like that at the end.]

I hadn’t received any reports about it, so I didn’t know, but apparently Seiri had tried several times to catch Minte behind my back.

Perhaps she wanted to get revenge on me for taking away her baby animals?

Seiri had set traps and put out bait, approaching the task quite seriously. If Minte had been an ordinary cat, she might have been caught without anyone knowing.

Meeting Seiri on the night we set fire to Roam and left was a coincidence. More precisely, rather than us meeting her, it would be more accurate to say Seiri discovered us.

I don’t know why that child was awake in the middle of the night.

But the moment I spotted Seiri standing on the balcony, I thought this too must be that child’s fate.

[Hmph, how dare she try to catch someone.]

Minte muttered coldly and arrogantly raised her tail.

It was Minte who had revealed her true form that night to threaten Seiri.

I thought Seiri might scream and cause a commotion, but perhaps she lacked even the courage for that, as she simply fainted on the spot.

Since she didn’t cause any trouble, it was a welcome development for me.

“They’re taking longer than expected, though.”

I recalled the information Jeon and Samuel had given me. Rumors of seeing a monster that could transform into animals. And Dura’han.

This city wasn’t small enough that there wouldn’t be an uproar if a Dura’han appeared.

At the very least, dozens of witnesses should have come forward, but if they had to investigate this thoroughly, it probably meant the Dura’han hadn’t appeared within the city itself.

“Jigol, do you sense anything?”

Jigol, who was more sensitive to detecting companions than the other Dura’han, perched on the open window frame.

[I don’t particularly sense anything here. Should Tristan and I go look around, boss?]

“There probably isn’t anything within the city anyway. It would be faster to move after the location is specified.”

Two Dura’han remained.

I wasn’t in a situation where I could leisurely search for Dura’han while enjoying a carefree journey like before. I had a clear destination I needed to reach.

“I can’t let Maxel arrive at the Trevi Mountain Range first with his army…”

I had also copied down the prophecy contents that Lilia wrote every night.

Subjugate the Belladia Valley and use that achievement to advance. That was Lilia’s prophecy. In other words, that was the flow of fate that Birth desired.

Why would it specifically need to be Belladia? The target must be Belladia Castle located there.

The Creator had a reason for wanting to destroy that place.

‘To prevent the final power.’

…Perhaps the heads of the Dura’han were there.

I looked at my palm out of habit. After regaining my power, I kept looking at it, perhaps because I found the green light fascinating.

I was clenching and unclenching my fist, trying to touch a power that couldn’t be touched, when familiar voices reached me from outside the window.

When I looked up to check, I could see Jeon and Samuel, who had said they were going to meet the witness.

As they approached, I could hear words like ‘today’ and ‘right away’ in their conversation.

I kept my gaze on Jeon and Samuel as I thought.

‘They probably managed to find out properly.’

Curiosity stirred within me about what kind of fellow the Dura’han I would soon meet would be.

* * *

In the drawing room of the Count of Ruewark’s mansion, Maxel, who had arrived after a long journey, heard about what had happened in the capital without even having time to rest.

“This is someone’s frame-up!”

An angry shout burst from Maxel’s mouth.

The sudden collapse of the Crown Prince’s Palace was naturally, without a doubt, a fabricated incident.

Wasn’t that right? The palace collapsing as soon as he left – wasn’t it normal thinking to assume someone had intentionally attacked it!

“It must be Elder Brother’s doing! Why isn’t Father investigating Elder Brother!”

“Ah, the cause of the explosion hasn’t been determined yet…”

“He must have used magic or some other trick! What wages do you expect to receive if you can’t even properly investigate that one thing!”

At Maxel’s indignant appearance, the aide who had reported the capital’s news broke out in cold sweat and avoided his gaze.

The territory managed by the Count of Ruewark family was at the border. It was close to the Belladia Mountain Range, but far from the capital.

Maxel, who had wanted to quickly lead his private soldiers to achieve merit, had focused on traveling diligently, only learning of the capital’s upheaval after arriving at the territory.

“You’re saying a Reviver awakened Empress? Is that really true?”

Lilia, who had been standing silently beside the grumbling Maxel, urgently interjected.

With an expression of complete disbelief, she confirmed several times. And the aide’s answer remained the same.

“Yes. Emperor and First Prince were both present at the scene. The maids of the Empress’s palace also saw it up close.”

“…That’s impossible!”

The Empress’s slumber wasn’t due to medicine, nor was it due to magic. It was the work of a monster.

She didn’t know what kind of monster it was, but in the dreams Lilia had seen, there was no method to resolve that monster’s attack. In the dreams…

“Lilia, what exactly is going on here?”

Seeing Lilia’s confused state, Maxel frowned and asked.

Having left the capital reassured after hearing the prophecy Lilia had shared, he had no choice but to shift responsibility to her.

“Surely Mother was…”

Though he couldn’t finish his words due to the eyes around them, there was no way Lilia couldn’t understand what Maxel wanted to say.

Lilia looked back and forth between the aide and Maxel with a bewildered face, then suddenly brightened as if remembering something.

“It was all an act from the beginning!”

“What?”

Lilia grabbed Maxel’s arm firmly as he frowned.

“If sister is an undead who can control monsters, everything makes sense! So the initial attack was all an act! Since she caused it herself, she would know how to resolve it too!”

She was excited as if she had found the answer.

Maxel looked at such Lilia with a distorted expression, then first dismissed his aide.

Only Maxel and Lilia remained in the drawing room.

“…If that’s true, then why didn’t you know about it?”

“Pardon?”

“Your prophecy was wrong.”

As soon as Maxel’s cold words ended, Lilia responded seriously.

“My prophecy was not wrong, Your Highness.”

“According to your prophecy…”

“I told you Empress would collapse. I didn’t give a definitive answer about what would happen after that.”

What Lilia saw was the future of several key individuals and the situations they would face. And she had informed Maxel of that future.

The characters who held important weight in it were predetermined, and in the case of the Empress, who was her mother, she rarely appeared.

Occasionally, she would use her undeniable position to cause influential events, perhaps?

“Her awakening doesn’t change much. Your Highness, I told you. You are the protagonist. A protagonist’s story isn’t swayed by supporting characters.”

Lilia smiled. It was the gentle, soft smile she usually wore when comforting Maxel.

“Have you forgotten what Emperor said? This is a golden opportunity to establish the Imperial family’s authority. We can’t be swayed by the Reviver anymore.”

The more Maxel was cornered in a short period because of Heinrih, the more he relied on Lilia.

Regardless of how those around them changed their attitudes, Lilia consistently told him that he would become a hero.

“Have you forgotten Count of Ruewark and his wife who welcomed us so warmly?”

The anger he had felt at the aide’s report gradually subsided. Maxel slowly regained his composure.

“Right, the palace can just be rebuilt.”

After all, there was a precedent of the roof being blown off once because of a wyvern. Since then, I had been reluctant to use that palace, so it might be better to build a new one at this opportunity.

What did some palace matter anyway? Only foolish people would be captivated by visible phenomena and chatter about it.

“Anyway, once Your Majesty subjugates the monsters, they’ll quickly change their attitude. Perhaps they’re afraid of that and conspired to call Your Majesty back to the capital.”

Maxel nodded. As he listened quietly, Lilia’s speculation seemed quite plausible.

‘That coward who brings in outside forces like the Temple and Mage Tower but hides behind them himself could certainly do such a thing.’

The Emperor accepted Maxel’s spirited declaration that he would take the lead in subjugating the monsters since they were coming down from the Trebi Mountains.

How could Heinrih step forward for such a great and brave task? He was a loser who couldn’t even hold his head up in the palace just a few months ago.

It wouldn’t be surprising at all if Heinrih, out of jealousy and wariness toward Maxel, tried to obstruct his progress with sinister rumors.

Maxel nodded.

At his gesture, Lilia’s complexion brightened.

“This is all because the Empire is in chaos.”

“That’s right. Because monsters dare to invade human territory. Your Majesty must bring peace back to the Empire.”

“I should quickly discuss the soldiers with Count of Ruewark.”

Maxel gave Lilia a light kiss on her forehead.

“Lilia, your prophetic abilities will bring me fortune, so I will be victorious.”

Lilia responded to Maxel’s resolve with a smile. A shy but trusting smile.

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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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