Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 194

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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 194

While Jeon went to replenish supplies, Samuel also exchanged communications with the Temple.

It seemed he had heard about the monster hunters during that process. Samuel continued with a frown.

“If they had tried to use monster hunting as a get-rich-quick opportunity, the Temple would have had justification to step in and stop them.”

Monopolizing monster hunting was also a kind of power. Monsters were considered evil creatures, and exterminating them was sacred work.

The Imperial Army had no choice due to their duty to protect citizens, but if such roles were distributed even to ordinary mercenaries, the Temple’s symbolic significance would inevitably fade.

And judging by Samuel’s reaction now, it seemed the Temple indeed viewed these monster hunters quite unfavorably.

“They’re pretending to do charity work to avoid being stopped.”

I muttered calmly and looked out the window.

Lilia’s use of the Yusgel Trading Company to foster monster hunters must be to help Maxel’s subjugation efforts, right?

After the monster hunters establish themselves properly, wouldn’t she reveal that it was actually the Crown Prince who supported this and give all the credit to Maxel?

‘Even so, Maxel still has to personally handle the major subjugations.’

The most promising target for what could be called a major subjugation was the Lizardman Habitat.

However, if Maxel was targeting the Lizardman Habitat, I thought rumors would spread, but according to Jeon, no such news had been heard.

Since the subjugations so far hadn’t caused much of a stir, he would surely aim for a large-scale subjugation.

I shifted my gaze to the sky. I could see Soana flying high with her wings spread. When I waved lightly, Soana circled once in a large arc and flew away.

“We should wait until Soana finishes scouting the habitat area and returns.”

Among the Dura’han under my command, Soana was the one who could scout the Lizardman Habitat and return most quickly.

Moreover, since she would be looking down from high in the sky, if Maxel appeared near the Lizardman Habitat leading soldiers, it would surely be visible to Soana’s eyes.

Jeon, who had been looking up at the sky through the window following me, asked when Soana became a black dot and disappeared.

“How long will it take for her to return?”

“She said one day would be enough.”

“Then shall we look for a place to stay in the village today?”

Since we’d been camping for several days, it would be good to get an inn and rest for about a day.

When I nodded, Jeon immediately opened the window toward the driver’s seat and told Palides the location. He must have looked around for an inn separately while going around the shops.

The carriage that had been standing near the village entrance began to move slowly. As I rested my chin and gazed blankly out the window, Samuel quietly spoke to me.

“And this is news I heard while communicating with the Temple earlier…”

When I glanced back, I saw Samuel’s slightly frowning face. He paused for a moment, then spoke in a blunt voice.

“Dura’han sighting reports have increased.”

“Dura’han?”

Just as I was about to ask why he was only telling me this now, Samuel quickly continued.

“But the reports are sporadic and indiscriminate, so they lack credibility. The Knights who responded to the scenes encountered no Dura’han.”

“Aren’t people just making random reports because they’re scared after hearing the Temple’s announcement that Dura’han are cursed creatures?”

Jeon casually offered his speculation. It was quite a persuasive theory.

“Of course, that could be it.”

Samuel’s voice as he answered sounded somehow unconvincing.

“Is there something that bothers you?”

When I asked, Samuel slightly lowered his gaze.

“This place was among the villages where reports came in.”

“…This place?”

“Yes. Knights came by yesterday, apparently.”

With perfect timing, the carriage stopped in front of an inn. However, neither I nor Jeon got out of the carriage, instead staring blankly at Samuel.

“Similarly, there were no particular traces found.”

“…Did you confirm who made the report?”

“The Temple records show it was a traveler passing through this village.”

A traveler passing through this village suddenly discovered a Dura’han and reported it?

It was naturally suspicious beyond belief.

“If it was a traveler, they would have used the inn.”

Jeon, who had been quietly silent, suddenly spoke up. After seeming to fall into deep thought, he turned his gaze to the inn visible outside the window.

“We can check it out.”

* * *

There was no particular information about the traveler. Based only on the innkeeper’s explanation, he was an unremarkable traveler you could see anywhere, with no distinctive features.

The Dura’han he claimed to have seen was also close to an illusion he had glimpsed by chance in the night. The innkeeper concluded dismissively that it was nothing more than a simple farce.

If his words were true and this was just something to laugh off, that would be fortunate.

‘If Dasha had awakened, she wouldn’t stay quiet…’

The sighting in this village might really be nothing special.

‘But simultaneous false reports from multiple places is strange.’

It feels like someone is scattering bait around – am I being overly sensitive?

“Captain, you don’t need to worry. I’ll guard you flawlessly!”

Lost in thought, I snapped back to attention at Palides’ spirited words.

“Yeah, I’m counting on you.”

I normally didn’t have Dura’han guard me while sleeping. However, just for today, I decided to keep Palides by my side.

I felt a bit sorry for assigning night duty to Palides, who had worked hard driving the carriage all day, but she was the only Dura’han who could guard me in human form.

“Nothing will happen, Captain.”

Palides spoke in a reliable voice. I smiled at her and lay down on the bed.

Some inexplicable premonition was making me feel uneasy…

I really hoped nothing would happen.

Bang!

And unfortunately, my wish was not granted.

* * *

Samuel couldn’t fall asleep late into the night.

It was insomnia that had started some time ago. No… saying “some time ago” was a somewhat evasive expression.

He had lost peaceful sleep since partially recovering his past life memories. Every night in his dreams, traces of that distant past were always replayed.

His words about wanting to ask Mori about the past had been sincere. Samuel was curious about the emotions the past Betrayer must have felt.

What emotions and impulses had driven the deeds he committed.

Thus, he was staying awake through the night as usual.

That’s why he could quickly react to the commotion occurring in Anelli’s room.

Bang!

The inn’s walls weren’t thick enough to block noise. Moreover, Anelli’s room was flanked by Jeon and Samuel’s rooms on both sides, so there was really only one wall between them.

Samuel immediately got up at the dull noise from Anelli’s room.

As he burst through the door, he saw Jeon’s door opening. Samuel didn’t wait for him and grabbed Anelli’s door handle.

“What’s happening?”

Before forcing the door open, he shouted loudly. Instead of an answer from inside, there was a crash of something breaking.

Without needing to think further, Samuel turned the locked handle.

The old inn room door handle twisted with a metallic sound under his strong grip. The twisted screws dug into the wood grain, creating cracks with a creaking sound.

“Lady Anelli!”

Beyond the forcibly opened door, a room with the same structure as Samuel’s was revealed.

The first thing visible was the wide-open window. Thanks to it, cold night air was dropping the room’s temperature sharply.

“Are you alri…!”

Jeon, who had been urgently shouting from behind Samuel, stopped short. Samuel and Jeon stood dumbfounded at the entrance, staring blankly at the scene before them.

Anelli, meeting their gazes, frowned and clicked her tongue briefly.

“I woke you up when I was trying to handle this quietly.”

“Sorry, Captain. I should have used less force…”

“No, if you’d used less force, these intruders would have struggled more. Taking them out in one blow is cleaner.”

Saying this, Anelli slightly leaned forward, shifting her center of gravity.

Then a low groan flowed from the unidentified person pinned under her feet.

“What are those… those people?”

Samuel tried his best to assess the situation calmly. However, he couldn’t stop his voice from trembling.

Carefully entering the room, Samuel looked around inside. Besides the person Anelli was stepping on, there were several other figures lying unconscious.

“What is this, did these intruders crawl into Lady Anelli’s room at dawn?”

Jeon, who had been standing with a dazed expression, belatedly grasped the situation and made an incredulous face.

Jeon strode over to the fallen men and roughly pulled off the masks they were wearing. Naturally, even seeing their faces, it was impossible to recognize who they were.

Jeon crouched down in front of them and began stripping off not just their masks, but their clothes entirely. He seemed intent on searching through their belongings.

“Are you injured anywhere?”

“Ah, yeah. I made such a commotion beating them up that I woke you and Jeon unnecessarily.”

“I wasn’t sleeping anyway. And it seems that mage wasn’t either.”

Samuel answered calmly and turned his gaze toward Jeon.

“It’s unseemly, so strip them moderately, mage.”

“Don’t you know you’re supposed to strip guys like this starting with their clothes?”

“It seems you’ve picked up some half-baked knowledge through hearsay, but apparently learned the wrong things.”

Samuel turned away from Jeon, who looked flustered and was about to retort, and knelt on one knee.

The man pinned under Anelli’s foot appeared to be nearly unconscious. Judging by the blood visible on the back of his head, he had undoubtedly been struck hard.

“For bandits, they seem…”

“They’re not bandits.”

Before Samuel could finish speaking, Anelli crossed her arms and spoke coldly.

“These guys were clearly targeting me specifically.”

The word “targeting” felt somehow chilling. Samuel raised his head to look up at Anelli.

Anelli’s eyes, looking down at what lay beneath her feet, had turned coldly distant. A calm voice flowed from between her lightly curved lips.

“I guess after shaking off the pursuit team, assassins were sent after me.”

…Sadly, this wasn’t something to say with a 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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