Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 220
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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 220
“Do you know where they fled to?”
―We’re tracking them, so I think we’ll catch their trail soon. Those two aren’t particularly skilled at fleeing.
“They’re people who lived quietly, after all.”
To think they fled with the help of Count Ruewark.
More precisely, it was probably the work of the Count’s daughter. She must have been the one who gave Prisian Sister the purification magic tool as well.
―Though bringing down Maxel is being delayed a bit due to his remaining forces, since he made such a mess in Montel Territory, the remaining moderates will soon make up their minds. We’ll officially discuss the Crown Prince’s qualifications soon. Of course, there will also be talk about His Majesty’s unreliable judgment.
“Yes.”
Didn’t they say the Emperor was staying secluded? Of course, I didn’t think the Emperor was choosing not to show himself of his own accord. Rather, Heinrih must have done something.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Heinrih had crippled his own father, or was feeding him drugs to put him in a similar state.
Hadn’t I suffered even worse at the hands of my family?
The world I lived in was such a place. A world where even among family, reason came before emotion, and calculating gains and losses was natural.
I too am now trying to completely erase the name of Roam.
A bitter smile rose to my lips. No matter how far away my body was, in the end I was still a child of Roam and thought as such…
「You’re not going back there, are you.」
Suddenly, Jeon’s voice popped up from a corner of my memory.
On some day that felt distant, those were the words he had said to me.
―Is your business going well?
At Heinrih’s question, I snapped out of my daze. I answered in a somewhat hurried tone.
“Yes. It seems it will be accomplished soon.”
―That’s fortunate.
A faint trace of laughter appeared in Heinrih’s voice, which had been full of exhaustion. Listening quietly to that voice, I spoke without thinking.
“It’s thanks to you, Heinrih.”
―Thanks, indeed. We simply gave and received from each other.
“Even so. If you hadn’t shown me favor from the beginning, this relationship never would have started.”
Heinrih fell silent at my words.
Toward the mana stone that was glowing brightly, indicating the communication was continuing, I spoke calmly.
“I’m grateful for that sentiment.”
―…You really are…
Heinrih, who had been about to say something, closed his mouth again. Instead, he exchanged a few words of small talk in a gentle voice before ending the communication.
Even after the flickering mana stone completely lost its light, I quietly looked down at it.
「Practice saying thank you from now on.」
I recalled Jeon’s appearance as he spoke with a bright smile.
Not everyone desires gold coins. What he wanted was just small expressions of gratitude.
Until now, I had only understood that with my head, accepting it like learning a lesson.
And now.
Ridiculously, I finally felt like I understood those words just a little bit.
* * *
It was night.
Since we didn’t know if we’d be able to rest comfortably once we entered the Trebi Mountains, which would be full of monsters, we decided to camp at the base of the mountains even though it was a bit early, and enter in the morning.
On what might be their last peaceful night, Nadab, who didn’t need to sleep, volunteered to keep watch and stayed awake alone.
[This feeling is strange.]
Nadab’s gaze turned toward the black ridgeline visible in the distance.
The Trebi Mountains. Beyond that dense forest lay their destination. Though he didn’t know the location, he could feel an unknown energy with his whole body.
However, that energy wasn’t clear, as if it were placed within thick fog, so Nadab had been feeling frustrated since earlier.
‘If there were other dura’han here, I could have heard their opinions…’
Anelli, who usually kept three or four dura’han summoned nearby, hadn’t summoned any dura’han other than Mori and Nadab until arriving here.
Even Palides, who could transform into a human and was supposedly the most convenient to keep close, was in the separate space dimension.
Mori, who had been extremely taciturn since long ago, didn’t react much even when Nadab shared such sentiments.
In the end, until reaching this place, Nadab had to feel this unidentifiable energy alone.
[Brother, did you remember something?]
Nadab, who had been staring ahead, turned his head.
Mori, who had been guarding the sleeping Anelli, was crawling over, having come out at some point.
[No, strangely my memory still isn’t perfect.]
Though the surroundings were dark, it wasn’t much of a problem for Nadab, so he could easily see the black snake looking up at him with concern.
Though Mori and Nadab were brothers, Nadab sometimes thought of Mori as a truly incomprehensible younger brother.
Those large eyes seemed to know many things, but Mori had never easily spoken about anything.
Probably the ones Mori spoke to most were the Captain and Soana.
[What about you?]
At Nadab’s question, Mori clamped his mouth shut.
In the past, he would have let it pass, but today somehow he couldn’t ignore that silence.
[Mori. Have you regained your memories?]
[Do you think we’ll regain our memories?]
Instead of answering, Mori threw back a question. Nadab, who had been silent, shook his head and turned his gaze away.
[Since all the Knights of the Round Table have gathered. The Captain will soon lead us to rest. With the final authority approaching, naturally we too will become complete.]
He had heard that Dasha’s condition was bad.
When Nadab reunited with Anelli, Dasha had already entered the separate space dimension, so he hadn’t met her directly.
‘They said the Captain is hastening her steps because of Dasha too.’
Because Dasha was unstable, and they didn’t know when she might rampage again.
[Didn’t Dasha also not remember the Captain when she first opened her eyes, but regained some memories after meeting the Captain? Just like the other dura’han have done.]
[Everyone has slowly regained their memories. But there’s one thing that uniquely everyone has failed to remember.]
As Mori said, while everyone was gradually remembering the past in bits and pieces, there was one thing they uniquely couldn’t recall.
The Betrayer.
[Brother, is it okay to regain our memories?]
Mori asked worriedly. Instead of answering immediately, Nadab let out a long sigh.
Was it because they couldn’t remember the Betrayer? Even when he pondered the word “betrayer,” he felt no emotion whatsoever.
Originally, the only emotions permitted to all dura’han were obedience and loyalty toward the Captain.
Though their outward behavioral patterns might differ, fundamentally they were all the same.
[Regaining memories isn’t our will, Mori. It’s the Goddess’s arrangement.]
Everyone actually knew that it was blind emotion.
They had known it from the past.
That their obedience was abnormally blind. Even without Soana trying to enlighten them about it.
Originally, being able to wait for the Captain for such a long time—would that have been possible without the Goddess’s intervention?
[Brother.]
[That’s why we must perform the final authority.]
At Nadab’s words, Mori only quietly looked up at him.
[The final authority will eliminate not only Birth’s power but also Death’s power, and we’ll be able to break free from the Goddess. The Captain will too.]
Birth arbitrarily designs their lives. Death arbitrarily ends their lives.
The difference between them was that Birth didn’t want to let go of that power, while Death wanted to let go because she knew that power.
Grown children should become independent, and parents should accept that.
[Even if we regain our memories, what we must do won’t change. So don’t worry.]
[Brother…]
[Everyone knows. Mori, they are the Twelve Knights of the Round Table.]
Those chosen by the Captain, those permitted to accompany her on that journey.
[As we did in the past, this time too we follow the Captain’s will.]
Nadab’s voice carried unwavering faith. Mori listened to such words from Nadab and remained quietly lost in thought for a long while.
Then he slowly opened his mouth.
[What if the Captain changes her mind?]
[Changes it?]
Nadab pondered it questioningly, as if he had heard something unfamiliar. Then he soon let out a low laugh and spoke.
[Mori, do you still not understand the Captain?]
[Huh?]
[Why do you think the Goddess chose the Captain as her agent?]
Mori looked at Nadab with bewildered eyes. Nadab gazed at his younger brother with warm eyes, then spoke calmly.
[The process may differ, but the result is the same. She made us a promise, and she will definitely keep it.]
Knowing this, Birth desperately moves his agent to somehow interfere.
Nadab’s head lifted a little higher.
[Freedom for the gods. The complete perfection of the world.]
At the far edge of the sky, a faint bright light could be seen rising.
[Rest for all beings.]
Dawn was breaking.
* * *
I had heard rumors that the Trebi Mountains were treacherous, but I never knew they were this bad.
It was fine that we reached the base of the Mountain Range since there was no proper path to enter, but the problem was that the slope was too steep and it was hard to find footing among all the weeds.
“…Forget horses, it would be difficult even to walk.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to just burn it all down with magic?”
Listening to Samuel and Jeon’s opinions, I stared at the scene before me.
Since Jeon is an excellent Mage, he might be able to designate an area and burn it.
“Or how about jumping over with flight magic?”
“Oh, that might be cleaner. But flight magic only applies to the caster plus one other person. You know you’d have to climb up on your own, right?”
“You seem eager to ditch me at this opportunity, but my guidance isn’t finished yet.”
I glanced at the two men who were putting their heads together and whispering as they pondered ways to break through, then slowly approached the slope.
Looking closer, the answer seemed even more elusive.
Stems of unknown origin were tangled everywhere, and upon closer inspection, thorn bushes were also scattered throughout.
As I looked at them with concern, I cautiously reached out my hand. I wanted to get a rough idea of how much space the undergrowth occupied and what the terrain hidden beneath looked like.
It was the moment my fingertips were about to touch a stem.
[Captain, be careful!]
Mori, who had been in my pocket, suddenly poked his head out with an alarmed voice.
“Huh?”
I reflexively pulled my hand back, but a green stem had already wrapped around my wrist. Looking down calmly at my firmly caught arm, I muttered quietly.
“It’s a monster.”
…Right, it was about time for plant-type monsters to appear.
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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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