Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 64
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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 64
The cup almost overflowed.
I hastily set down the bottle and stared at Samuel with wide eyes. The identity revealed so suddenly felt almost unreal.
Just yesterday, hadn’t he given a whole speech about how faithful servants of the Creator the Prophets were? I remember him praising them as wise souls, the first roots directly molded by the Creator himself.
Blinking in bewilderment, I carefully organized his words.
“…You’re saying that twelve Prophets betrayed the Creator?”
“Yes.”
“But the Temple venerates all thirty-two Prophets as saints.”
They even include gratitude for the Prophets’ wisdom in their prayers!
“The Temple officially venerates the Prophets as saints, but they don’t serve all thirty-two.”
Come to think of it, the official prayers did use vague expressions. Even the oracles were full of ambiguous language, so I hadn’t found it strange and just let it pass.
“As I told you, the punishment the Creator gave them was oblivion. The unbelievers had even their sins erased from the world.”
I could understand why they erased the existence of the Twelve Sinners. If it became known that out of thirty-two humans created, twelve had betrayed him, some would surely question his divinity.
Even I was thinking right now – just how incompetent must the Creator have been for twelve of his children to turn their backs on him?
…It’s really fortunate Samuel can’t read my thoughts.
“The Creator sent down the Prophets to benefit this world, but twelve of them fell into arrogance and sought to stand in the Creator’s place. They abandoned the blessed land the Creator had designated for them and sought to become gods themselves in the wasteland. The first act of disbelief symbolizing their arrogance was breaking the Creator’s altar to make it into a round table.”
Samuel moistened his throat with wine and continued matter-of-factly.
“They built a fortress on barren land and spread life there. They created their own domain, hidden from the Creator’s eyes. Records say they established themselves quite successfully at first.”
“Where did they establish themselves?”
“Not far from here. It’s said the Fortress of the Betrayers lies near Beladia Valley, deep within the Trebi Mountains.”
The Trebi Mountains were a massive mountain range that barely touched the Empire’s borders.
A place famous for its many monsters, so treacherous and steep that no one could venture into its depths.
It was such a dangerous place that even the Imperial Army was content to guard only the base of the mountains.
“There’s also a theory that the foolish descendants of that region, who once served the sinners as gods, became monsters after incurring the Creator’s wrath.”
“I’ve never heard of a fortress in Beladia Valley.”
“Well, no one has been able to confirm it. Who would risk their life entering mountains full of monsters? Since the Temple hasn’t revealed information about that place either, it will remain a mystery forever unless someone who’s actually been there appears.”
“Right. With so many monsters in those mountains, no human would easily think of going there.”
As I muttered as if entranced, Samuel suddenly closed his mouth. His gray eyes darkened as they stared at me. Snapping back to my senses under his suspicious gaze, I quickly picked up my wine cup.
After clearing my head with the sweet wine, I faced him nonchalantly.
“So, how did those who had established themselves so successfully end up being punished?”
“…A betrayer appeared among them.”
“A betrayer?”
They betrayed the Creator and ran away, then betrayed each other too?
I didn’t know the history of betrayal was so long and storied.
“One Prophet who longed for the Creator’s embrace finally came to his senses. He personally executed one of the sinners with his own hands to prove his faith to the Creator. The Creator was moved by his devotion, accepted his wish, and punished the remaining ten sinners.”
“That punishment was… cutting off their heads and burying them?”
“Correct.”
“Where are the heads?”
“…According to records, they are crushed under the weight of their sins.”
Another characteristically vague answer came back. Wondering if he was trying to hide information, I glared at Samuel, but he received my sharp look without wavering at all.
Crushed under the weight of their sins – would it kill them to be more specific in their records?
Feeling disgruntled, I emptied my wine cup and reluctantly asked another question.
“If ten were punished, what happened to the remaining two?”
“The sinner executed by the betrayer had his soul destroyed and can never return to the Creator’s embrace.”
“What about the betrayer?”
“His whereabouts are unclear. However, since the Creator accepted his wish, we can assume his soul was at least saved.”
So right now, he sacrificed one comrade’s soul and ten other comrades’ heads to be saved alone?
“What a complete bastard.”
“…He was a foolish one who realized the Creator’s teachings a bit too late.”
“If they ran away together, they should have died together.”
“It’s not such a simple matter.”
What do you mean it’s not? He’s irredeemable trash. Right now, because of that bastard, my Dura’han are wandering around having lost their heads…
My train of thought came to a halt. I hadn’t found evidence that the Dura’han were the sinners yet, but I had unconsciously concluded it. I shouldn’t be doing this.
Clearing my throat to compose myself, I organized what I’d heard so far in my mind.
There was no evidence that the Dura’han were the sinners, but circumstantially, the possibility seemed high.
Wait, then who exactly is the Dura’han’s leader?
“Is that all?”
“Pardon?”
“Besides those twelve sinners, isn’t there anyone else related to them? Someone who was importantly connected?”
“I don’t know who you’re looking for, but the records confirm twelve sinners.”
If the Dura’han were the sinners, shouldn’t their so-called leader naturally be on the list of sinners too?
I definitely felt something was strange.
Don’t tell me this leader person also ran away alone and got saved?
If that’s the case, then later when the Dura’han recover all their memories, they’ll recognize me as their target of resentment…
Just imagining it gave me chills.
“Was this helpful?”
“Oh, well. To some extent.”
I shrugged as I answered.
I was still completely in the dark about my revival, but I had gained some understanding of the headless Dura’han’s circumstances.
As the Dura’han recovered more memories, I’d be able to confirm how credible the information I just heard was.
“I’m glad it was helpful. If you’re curious about the Temple’s history, please ask anytime.”
“Sure.”
I nodded halfheartedly and drained the wine I’d been sipping in one gulp. I wondered if the Creator had somehow manipulated the Dura’han into mistaking me for their leader.
If he was guiding me to find their heads in order to finally forgive and save the sinners…
Then I’d be back to square one. Because I have no intention of stopping the rampant evil.
Through our time together, I’d learned enough that the headless Dura’han were in an unstable state. But what if the headless Dura’han going berserk was the ‘rampant evil’ mentioned in the oracle?
Then shouldn’t I scatter the Dura’han across the world and run away quickly instead of taking care of them?
“Is what you’re doing now a journey to find the sinners?”
“I told you they’re not sinners.”
I replied curtly and pushed my empty cup aside. It was because I’d started feeling queasy upon discovering the possibility that I might have to abandon the Dura’han I’d taken in.
“I’ll correct myself. Are you traveling around looking for headless Dura’han?”
“Rather than looking for them, I take them in when I happen to meet them. They like me.”
“How curious. Headless Dura’han following you.”
“Right.”
I don’t want to stop the rampant evil, but I don’t like the idea of watching the Dura’han go berserk either. Are the Dura’han really the rampant evil?
My expression naturally hardened as I tried to hide my confused feelings. I brushed my bangs back to hide my complexion, when Samuel changed the subject in a low voice.
“I also have something I’d like to ask you.”
“Ask away.”
“Do you happen to have strange dreams or anything like that?”
“Dreams?”
When I looked at Samuel questioningly, he slowly nodded.
“Yes. Dreams.”
“…I have them often.”
At my answer, Samuel’s eyes lit up. He asked in a somewhat urgent tone.
“May I ask what kind of dreams?”
“Don’t tell me you’re expecting something like divine revelation?”
I’d heard that sometimes oracles were received through dreams. Since I was a Reviver, he might be expecting something like that.
“Sorry, but the dreams I’m talking about are memories from before I died. Before I was beheaded, so… episodes with Maxel and such.”
At my answer, Samuel’s face openly contorted.
What, was he that disappointed that I couldn’t receive oracles even though I’m not a cleric?
“I heard that all ties with the Empire have been severed. The Crown Prince’s fiancée is another woman.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Do you perhaps still harbor lingering feelings for that connection?”
I thought he was disappointed that my dream wasn’t an oracle, but it seems he was displeased that I dreamed of Maxel. Why on earth?
“It’s not that I harbor lingering feelings, but so many things happened between us.”
“They say dreams are manifestations of unconscious desires.”
I couldn’t hide my bewilderment. Of all people, Samuel shouldn’t be saying such things!
“That’s one of the research findings published by the Magic Tower.”
“Depending on the situation, the Temple also embraces various forms of knowledge.”
Good heavens, Jeon should have been here for this.
I looked at Samuel with inner regret. It was absurd how he was casually disparaging my dream based on the Magic Tower’s research findings.
I don’t see what’s strange about past experiences appearing in dreams.
“Since I experienced those things, the memories must remain in my subconscious. It’s not like I recorded them in writing on paper—how could I erase every single memory?”
“Doesn’t that mean they were worth remembering?”
“Even things without value can remain in memory if they were intense enough. Don’t you have such experiences?”
“I am…”
Samuel hesitated. See, he must have had such experiences too.
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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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