Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 227
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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 227
How did they even think to build such a massive castle in this deep valley?
As we drew closer to Beladia Castle, I couldn’t help but feel amazed.
This castle, which had clearly been abandoned for an immeasurable amount of time, looked magnificent enough to rival any of the Empire’s famous castles.
There were no visible signs of collapse or damage anywhere, and even the weeds and vines that hinted at the passage of time seemed to blend in as if they had been deliberately placed there.
“That must be the gate over there.”
We found the castle gate without any trouble. After all, the castle sat squarely in the center of the valley, leaving no other path to take.
However, there was one problem.
“That’s… a drawbridge.”
As we got closer, I could see it. The raised drawbridge.
Naturally, we couldn’t jump over it, and it was designed so that someone on the other side would have to lower the bridge for us to cross.
But who in an empty castle could lower that bridge for us?
“It’s not even connected to chains. How is it staying up like that?”
Jeon was right. No matter how I looked, I couldn’t see any chains to raise or lower the drawbridge.
That meant it must operate by some other method…
Jeon could easily get one or two people across using magic, but we didn’t know how to operate that thing in the first place, or even if it could be operated at all.
I decided to look around the area for now.
“Is this a moat?”
The area around the castle walls was deeply excavated. Looking down, I could see water covering the bottom.
It looked shallow from above, but I had no idea how deep it might actually be once you went down.
Naturally, there were no boats around either.
“Is there any knight who might know how to lower that drawbridge?”
Wouldn’t one of the Dura’han know something about it?
When I looked around at the Dura’han with that hopeful expectation, they all fell into thought for a moment.
While they were lost in thought, the Young Lizardman set Ganic down and suddenly started wagging its tail before jumping into the moat.
Splash!
The Young Lizardman’s body sank down with a spray of water.
[Oh my, that little one! Who knows what’s in that water!]
Ganic, left alone on the ground, cried out in alarm and crawled toward the moat.
[It can’t control itself whenever it sees water…]
Ganic stretched his neck out and looked down into the moat. He seemed both worried and fond of the creature.
Fortunately, there didn’t seem to be anything else in the moat.
I glanced at the Young Lizardman splashing around playfully and was about to turn my attention back to the drawbridge when Samuel suddenly spoke up.
“This drawbridge was raised by a Knight of the Round Table.”
“What?”
“If you free him, the path to the gate will open.”
Samuel’s gaze settled on something. When I looked where he was looking, I froze.
[The one who guarded the gate was…]
Mori, who had been quiet, began to speak hesitantly.
[It was Ganic.]
The Dura’han’s gazes also turned to Ganic. Having heard our conversation, Ganic was startled by the sudden attention and widened his eyes, then slowly looked around.
[Ah…]
It seemed he had been so focused on the Young Lizardman that he hadn’t realized what kind of place this was.
After slowly surveying the surroundings, he transformed into his true form with black smoke.
[Kyaaaah!]
Seeing Ganic transform into his true form, the Young Lizardman cried out loudly and waved its hand.
Now the little one didn’t seem scared or unfamiliar with Ganic no matter what form he took.
In fact, it even sent him bright, sparkling looks as if asking him to come play.
[Ganic.]
Ganic, who had been watching the Young Lizardman, responded to Soana’s call.
After transforming, he had his head, as if it had been that way from the beginning.
[Ganic’s head is…]
At Bak’s murmur, Ganic touched his own face. The middle-aged man with rough beard had a bewildered expression.
Wrinkles revealed his mature age, and his firm mouth and thick eyebrows captured his upright character.
Ganic spent a long time touching his head with an expression of disbelief. Only then did he seem to grasp the situation and make a strange face.
“I am…”
Ganic, who had been moving his lips, looked at me blankly.
Then what he turned to look at wasn’t Samuel the betrayer or his fellow knights.
[Kyaaaab!]
It was the Young Lizardman splashing around innocently.
Ganic watched the Young Lizardman with unknowable eyes, then raised his head to look up at the towering drawbridge.
A wistful emotion settled in his pupils. His tightly closed lips slowly began to move.
“My son’s remains were in the mausoleum in the castle.”
Hearing those words, a memory suddenly flashed in my mind like a light turning on. It was a memory from my previous life.
“My son was very weak…”
The power of death didn’t always just end life. Very occasionally, it was also possible to take away unnecessary death.
While I couldn’t make naturally weak life force stronger, I could push back the shadow of immediate death just a little bit.
“But thanks to Captain, I remember that he lived with laughter, even if it was a short life. Yes, I remember. I’ve regained my head…”
Ganic smiled faintly as he recalled the past. Then he turned completely toward me.
“The eighth knight, Ganic, who repaid your grace with loyalty, greets you.”
As if showing the time he had waited, his black armor was faded and full of scratches.
“I closed the gate and raised the drawbridge to protect you.”
Ganic approached slowly. One of his hands was already touching his sword hilt.
A pitch-black sword smoothly slid out of its sheath.
“After that, I faced that betrayer here.”
Samuel, at the sword’s point, wasn’t surprised.
“He cannot cross this bridge.”
“You said the same thing back then. But you were defeated.”
“Samuel Bent!”
At Samuel’s appearance of provoking Ganic without any hesitation, I urgently called out to him.
With an unreadable expression, Samuel was looking at Ganic.
“Will you give up your rest because of that little monster?”
“How shameless, betrayer.”
“You’re afraid of your own rest.”
Samuel was speaking as if Ganic didn’t want rest.
Ganic looked angry, but he didn’t directly deny those words.
We had all witnessed Dasha’s end. If Ganic didn’t want death, the rest that would come to him might feel unsettling.
He would get the rest he desired. But whether he could get it in the form he wanted was unknown.
No one knew what form rest that wasn’t death would take.
[Ganic, we need to complete the final power.]
Soana, who had been watching the situation, spoke in a firm voice. Minte also called to Ganic in a quiet voice.
Even though they must have heard Ganic call Samuel a betrayer, they all seemed to consider the realization of the final power more important.
Ganic looked around at his companions, then slowly lowered the sword he had been pointing.
“Captain. You must have your reasons for keeping that betrayer by your side. No, perhaps everything is the Goddess’s…”
His murmuring grew quieter toward the end.
Ganic stood there blankly for a while with his sword hanging down, then took a deep breath.
Then he raised his head with determined eyes.
“Welcome back to Beladia Castle. I am your shield, a solid wall and the knight who blocks all threats at the very front.”
Just like when he drew it, the sword was smoothly sucked back into its sheath.
“Now I ask of you.”
Ganic’s face was calm, without any lingering attachment or hesitation.
“Please grant me the rest I deserve.”
* * *
With a rumbling roar, the drawbridge slowly descended.
From somewhere came the sound of gears creaking and rolling. Beyond the gradually lowering drawbridge, I could see the latticed gate slowly rising.
The drawbridge and gate moving on their own without anyone’s control seemed more wondrous than eerie.
As I stared blankly at the sight, I glanced down at the moat. Among the things that had changed after the divine power was realized, that moat was one of them.
“The water has risen.”
[It was originally meant for defense against enemy attacks, after all.]
The one who answered matter-of-factly was Soana in the form of a hawk.
[Beladia Castle is returning to its original form.]
Like time that had stopped beginning to flow again.
I smiled bitterly and lowered my gaze.
The Young Lizardman who had been giggling as it let itself drift with the rising water came swimming toward the drawbridge, cutting through the current.
Seeing the Young Lizardman, my train of thought naturally shifted to matters concerning Ganic.
Ganic had calmly accepted his rest. And then he disappeared.
‘Was that death?’
It was completely different from Dasha. Dasha’s earnest feelings had been conveyed to me so clearly that there was no room for confusion.
But Ganic… Ganic, wrapped in green divine power, had calmly closed his eyes, and the ground beneath his feet began to blur.
And so he disappeared.
[Kyuu?]
The Young Lizardman that had approached right in front of the drawbridge suddenly raised its head.
That Young Lizardman had been swimming around, completely oblivious, at the moment Ganic disappeared. Making such innocent sounds.
[Abua?]
Soana, who sighed while watching the Young Lizardman looking around, flew high and entered the castle.
Just then, the drawbridge had completely lowered, so we could cross the bridge too.
Samuel took the lead and crossed the bridge. The Young Lizardman, who hadn’t left Samuel’s side when we first rescued it, now paid him no attention whatsoever.
While we all began crossing the bridge, the Young Lizardman swam in circles under the drawbridge, crying loudly. It showed no sign of wanting to follow us.
It just cried noisily.
[Kyu! Abuuuuu!]
It still wasn’t a proper sentence. There was no one left to interpret those sounds arbitrarily.
Yet somehow those sounds kept sounding like proper words.
I turned my gaze away from the Young Lizardman. I gritted my teeth, feeling like I might unconsciously sigh just as Soana had done.
The firmly closed gate opened, and the drawbridge that had been raised like a sword held high came down.
The Young Lizardman would have no idea what this meant.
Behind me, I heard squeaking cries.
Ganic, Ganic.
[Abua!]
Ganic, it’s calling for you.
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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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