Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 5

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 5

Samuel did not disappoint the Temple’s expectations.

He had found me so easily that the Temple, trusting in his abilities, would confidently open the city gates, and the strict inspections would return to normal. The loosening of city inspections was welcome news for me as well.

As if to prove my speculation, the random inspections that had been conducted on the streets were nowhere to be seen.

Now I could find a cargo wagon to secretly escape on. Even if not that, anything would do—my options had increased.

Fingering the Temple’s treasure hanging around my neck, I calmly organized my thoughts. It would be possible to remove this and divert Samuel’s attention, if only for a short while.

The problem was that the time given to me wouldn’t be long, and despite that, I had to definitively escape this city within that short timeframe.

Contacting back-alley brokers to obtain a wagon or horse again would take too long.

Honestly, I thought there would be at least some hole in the city, but who knew they’d manage the city walls so thoroughly. Should I look for underground waterways instead?

While considering several alternatives, I eventually reached the grocery store. Surprised by the unexpected location, Samuel, who had been quiet the whole time, spoke to me.

“Do you cook your own meals?”

“Why? Do I look like someone who’s never gotten a drop of water on their hands?”

In truth, I had never cooked food with my own hands.

However, I was confident in pretending to be familiar with any task. If one was from Roam, one should naturally be able to deceive everyone.

Like my mother’s dramatic performance, rumored to have fallen ill from missing her daughter.

“You don’t need to do such laborious work yourself.”

“It’s a hobby.”

Picking up a basket of acorns, I casually raised my eyes. Glancing up at the high sky, I saw a bird circling like a dot. I nonchalantly shifted my gaze to the stall.

“…I wonder if this shop’s meat is fresh.”

I visited dozens of butcher shops looking for freshly caught meat still dripping with blood.

Samuel seemed puzzled by my incomprehensible behavior, but perhaps because it was too trivial to be suspicious, he didn’t particularly interfere. Maybe he really thought I was seriously passionate about cooking.

My hands had the power to create the worst possible results from anything, but this was completely unknown even when I was in Roam.

The handkerchief I had gifted to Maxel was made by the most skilled embroiderer, yet everyone thought it was my handiwork.

I heard Lilia was good with her hands. She was skilled at housework and good at making simple handicrafts, often giving handmade items or snacks to acquaintances. The handkerchief Maxel used was also Lilia’s creation.

Lilia was a woman who was my complete opposite in many ways.

Though from a fallen noble house, she happened to become acquainted with some minor noble and came to the capital, then happened to catch the eye of some mediocre count and received patronage, then happened to get the precious opportunity to attend an imperial palace banquet.

Her life, as told through rumors, was entirely made up of chance fortune. Unlike my life, which had been tightly woven from birth.

“Resurrector?”

At the quiet call, I snapped back to attention. The butcher shop owner, who had wrapped the raw meat still bloody, stood awkwardly while glancing at Samuel. As I belatedly tried to receive the meat from him, Samuel extended his hand first.

“I’ll carry it for you.”

He seemed to think I was hesitating because I found it distasteful to handle the meat directly.

I was about to snatch the meat from him but changed my mind. It was heavy, smelly, and fishy—I didn’t particularly want to carry it myself. If he was going to misunderstand and help on his own, there was no reason to refuse.

“Then let’s return to the room.”

“You’re not cooking today?”

“No. I’m tired from buying ingredients.”

“You’re planning to keep raw meat in your room?”

“Why?”

If raw meat were kept in a small room, it would naturally fill the place with a fishy smell. The meat’s freshness would also deteriorate, and it might even spoil.

As someone who had witnessed my struggle to obtain freshly caught meat, my behavior was naturally incomprehensible.

But unfortunately, I had no intention of explaining. Furthermore, I secretly hoped he would misunderstand in other ways.

“Are you worried I might cast some evil magic with it?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You know that’s impossible too. They say evil things favor fresh life, but what could one do with dead meat?”

As I muttered indifferently, a cold emotion crossed Samuel’s face. It wasn’t scary at all.

“I just want to make you suffer. I’m tormenting you right now.”

“This is?”

“Yes. I’m planning to serve you a dish made from that meat.”

Going around butcher shops looking for fresh meat I don’t even need, deliberately letting the meat I obtained spoil, and feeding you food made from it. Because I want to torment you.

My words were easy to understand. They were full of malice that anyone who could comprehend would notice.

I stared at Samuel, hoping to see even a hint of disgust on his face. His gray eyes remained calm.

“God bestows trials in various forms. Submission is only natural as His servant.”

“…Let’s hurry back. I want to rest.”

Ah, how tiresome.

Perhaps my emotions showed clearly on my face, as Samuel asked with slight puzzlement.

“If tormenting requires unnecessary mental energy, is there a need to deliberately do it?”

“Are you asking why I would torment you?”

“Yes.”

“Evil is just evil—where’s the grand reason? You must not have heard the rumors about me. I was famously known for being wicked.”

“Now that you’ve become a Resurrector, you may abandon whatever your worldly reputation was.”

“Like you?”

Even my sarcastic mood disappeared. What filled its place was a chilling coldness.

Samuel didn’t answer my question. Since it was obviously an affirmation even without hearing it, I didn’t slow my walking pace and replied in an indifferent tone.

“I’m not someone who has devoted myself to the Temple.”

“But you are a Resurrector.”

I felt as if bile was rising in my stomach. As Samuel said, I did intend to abandon my worldly name, but not because I was a Resurrector.

“My name isn’t ‘Resurrector,’ Samuel Bent.”

Right after speaking, I felt slight regret.

It was doubt about why I was trying to have a conversation with a fanatic who would accept even incomprehensible malice as God’s trial.

Judging by his mindset, that man surely didn’t even know my name.

“God…”

“If you keep proselytizing.”

I, who had been walking while looking straight ahead, stopped abruptly. Pointing at the bag in Samuel’s hand with my chin, I seriously warned him.

“God will bestow upon you the trial of eating raw meat.”

Samuel closed his mouth.

No matter what, he apparently didn’t want to eat raw meat dripping with blood. Thanks to that, the journey home became somewhat quieter.

It was the first time his faith had become somewhat useful.

* * *

The night wind was cold. Since I had left the window open for over an hour now, the air inside the room had cooled to match the outside.

I was waiting with raw meat hung on the window frame. Was it too much to hope for this bloody smell to spread all the way to the high sky?

Worried that the one I wanted to summon wouldn’t come while useless beasts might be attracted, I was scanning the window area with wary eyes when a large black shadow came fluttering in.

[Anelli!]

The squirrel that had been gnawing on acorns jumped onto my lap in surprise. I stroked the squirrel’s back with my fingertips while looking toward the window.

Seeing the white bird head suddenly poking in from outside the window, I let out a sigh of relief.

“You’re late.”

At my reproachful whisper, the eagle fluttered its wings.

[Were you waiting for me, Anelli?]

“Yes.”

When I nodded obediently, the eagle’s fierce eyes turned toward me.

Though its glaring eyes looked angry, the eagle actually had quite a gentle personality.

While it had attacked the squirrel, it hadn’t attempted such behavior again since I started giving it raw meat.

[How did you know I arrived?]

“How could I not know?”

I chuckled at the strange question. Flying around the entire sky calling my name like that.

[Could you hear it?]

“Yes.”

Even knowing I was the only one who could hear that voice, my heart raced with worry that someone else might hear. I kept unconsciously turning my gaze toward where the eagle’s cries could be heard, which was quite troublesome.

“You came back to help me, right?”

[Anelli gave me raw meat! Thanks to that, our babies are growing well!]

This father eagle had appeared in the courtyard of the Great Temple to find food for his chicks.

The reason the eagle was particularly grateful that I had diligently provided meat was because of this—for not letting his chicks go hungry.

…Even animals know how to care for their young like this.

I pushed away the sudden sentiment that arose and pulled my upper body closer toward the eagle’s head.

“Is there a way?”

[I told the elder brother I know!]

The eagle lifted its yellow beak triumphantly.

An elder brother you know?

[He said he could lift and carry Anelli.]

“What?”

My voice rose involuntarily in bewilderment. Immediately covering my mouth, I glanced toward the door and held my breath for a moment.

Samuel would still be outside that door. Biting my tongue and adjusting my voice, I whispered again.

“Is there a bird that big?”

[Yes!]

Looking at those confident eyes, it didn’t seem like a lie.

“When would it be possible?”

[Well, elder brother needs to be somewhere he can grab Anelli.]

Certainly, if it’s a bird large enough to carry a person and fly, we couldn’t meet in a narrow alley.

Then would the Central Square of the City be good? Taking a deep breath and lost in thought, I glanced toward the door. I need to get rid of that Samuel too.

Fiddling with the magical device around my neck, I suddenly looked down at the squirrel sitting on my knee. Actually, nothing beats this little one for speed.

“Alright, this is the final operation.”

The squirrel, who had been hugging the acorn, looked up at me with bewildered eyes. Meeting the squirrel’s gaze, I smiled faintly.

I could see my face faintly reflected in the squirrel’s clear eyes.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————