Don’t Look for the Resurrected Villainess - Chapter 71

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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 71

Neither Jeon nor Samuel could deny her words. Anelli pulled up her hood and turned around.

“I don’t want to stay in a place like this any longer.”

“Then what do you intend to do?”

“I’ll have to demand they hand over the medium. And considering Ganic’s efforts, I’ll free that poor Young Lizardman too.”

Anelli took the lamp herself and walked ahead.

“But they won’t cooperate.”

“They’ll have to cooperate if they don’t want to face the Creator’s wrath.”

“What?”

Just as the bewildered Jeon was about to ask something more, Samuel quickly stopped Anelli.

“Are you planning to reveal your identity? As a Reviver?”

The reflexive question came out coldly. Anelli looked puzzled at Samuel’s hardened expression instead.

“It’s the easiest and fastest method. How reassuring to have a plausible divine oracle backing me up?”

“You’re being hunted.”

“Ah, I’ll tell them I decided to seek refuge in the Temple if I’m caught by the Imperial House or Roam.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.”

“Then what?”

Samuel couldn’t respond. Anelli, who had been staring at him intently, smiled coldly.

“You don’t need to worry about losing custody of me. If a situation comes where I have to choose, I’ll value your devotion most highly.”

Anelli replied cynically, shook off Samuel’s hand, and started walking again.

“…”

Samuel couldn’t take his eyes off Anelli. His chest felt tight.

It wasn’t just the Imperial House or the Roam Family. Samuel found himself disliking even the thought of Anelli officially seeking refuge in the Temple and standing before everyone as a Reviver.

The words “I wish your identity wouldn’t be revealed” rose to his throat, but he couldn’t voice them. Even he himself didn’t understand such a wish.

“I understand you’re angry, but couldn’t we move secretly first and then reveal your identity if we get caught?”

At Jeon’s words, Anelli paused. Receiving her gaze, Jeon grinned.

“I think I can find and destroy the medium without you having to step forward. Since this Knight can detect holy water, he should be able to quietly locate it as well.”

Jeon gestured toward Samuel and casually asked him a question.

“You seem to want to handle this quietly too, so will you cooperate?”

The moment Anelli’s violet eyes turned toward him, Samuel gave his answer without deep consideration.

“Let’s move at midnight.”

* * *

After agreeing to resolve things quietly, we returned to the lodging.

And we pretended as if we had eaten the food. When we acted tired and turned off the lights in the lodging, some woman secretly entered before midnight.

Apparently they had put sleeping pills in Jeon’s and my food. Judging by how she entered Samuel’s room boldly without being cautious.

「H-how are you awake…!」

After subduing and tying her up, when we went outside, we encountered other villagers who were probably waiting for the woman.

Samuel easily subdued the villagers. We tied them up tightly and put them in the lodging, so they wouldn’t be discovered until morning.

Furthermore, Samuel fully utilized his skills from interrogating criminals to accurately find out where the Young Lizardman was imprisoned.

In the process, we also learned why they had captured the Young Lizardman alive.

As Jeon had guessed, they were using the Young Lizardman’s blood for fishing.

「T-the village’s livelihood depends on this!」

「Monsters are going to be subjugated anyway, so why is it a problem for us to use them usefully!」

Even though Samuel must have killed many monsters before, he showed displeasure at the expression of “using” the Young Lizardman.

Of course, it was needlessly grating to my ears, as I trust monsters more than humans.

「How can you do such things to fellow humans because of monsters?」

「That’s right! Are monsters more precious than people?」

Instead, they began criticizing our request to release the monster. They even threatened to report us to the Guard Corps if we freed the monster.

Saying that the Knight who should protect the villagers was instead threatening the villagers’ livelihood.

「You brought in monsters you couldn’t handle in the first place, so take responsibility for it yourself.」

They managed to hear my cynical muttering.

「Over just a few monsters…」

「Whether it’s ‘just’ monsters or ‘mere’ monsters, you shouldn’t have touched something that has an owner.」

I’m not particularly righteous by nature.

It was the same when dealing with Lilia. If I hadn’t felt she was encroaching on what was mine, I probably wouldn’t have cared much about whatever she did. I might have even admired her a bit as a quite capable woman.

In this case, I wasn’t trying to argue about the sanctity of life or anything like that. Honestly, I do feel sorry for the Young Lizardman’s situation, but that’s all.

Whether they made a living from its blood or not, I had no interest. If they had obediently handed over Ganic and the other Dura’han, I would have turned a blind eye to the deeper circumstances.

In short, how should I put it. I just hate having what’s mine violated.

And these headless Dura’han were a kind of “mine.” As long as these guys called me leader and followed me blindly.

As a result, those villagers didn’t know where the medium was.

Judging there was nothing more to find out, we knocked them unconscious and locked them in the room with the woman, then decided to divide the work and handle everything at once.

Samuel would handle the Young Lizardman, and Jeon would find the medium and destroy it on the spot.

My role was to take the Dura’han and escape as soon as the barrier disappeared.

Seeing me pacing with my arms crossed, Jigol and Palides spoke to me with concern.

[Leader, please sit and rest.]

[Aren’t your legs tired?]

“I’m fine. It’s better to stand if we need to move quickly.”

Actually, I wanted to put the Dura’han straight into the Separate Space Dimension as soon as the barrier was lifted, but the magical device’s function hadn’t returned.

Thanks to that, I couldn’t summon Nadab either. Even after escaping the barrier, the Dura’han’s transformation might be difficult for a while.

“If you can’t transform, we’ll have to leave this village immediately and hole up in the forest or somewhere. So try it as soon as the barrier disappears.”

[Yes, understood.]

Hearing the Dura’han’s determined response, I slipped outside the barrier. The cave was still quiet.

I was fiddling with the non-functional Separate Space Dimension bracelet when I glanced up. The pitch-black interior of the cave was silent.

I had temporarily set aside the malfunctioning magical device and was armed with other offensive magical devices. I hoped I wouldn’t need to use them, but you never know with human affairs.

“Well, I came here just in case.”

And it seems my thoughts were right on target.

“I even provided a delicious dinner so you’d sleep soundly, but what are you doing here?”

The one who appeared with a dim light was the Village Chief.

“Ah, the Knight’s servant.”

Confirming I was alone, he burst into hearty laughter and spoke kindly.

“No matter how much the monsters are trapped in the barrier, it’s still dangerous. Come back with me.”

“…Then why did you come to this dangerous place alone?”

“To repair the barrier, of course.”

“Weren’t you going to open it tomorrow anyway?”

“Oh my, I thought I conveyed my intentions well, but it seems your master didn’t understand. The most beautiful girl in the village offered to serve him, but didn’t he like her?”

“What kind of garbage are you spouting now?”

“Ah, did someone else already serve him? …But for a Knight to travel with a female servant, this is quite suspicious circumstances.”

“That head of yours only works in useless directions.”

I truly sighed.

How is a Knight having a female servant suspicious circumstances? Since his usual thoughts are impure, that’s probably all he can think of.

Being such a person, he would use monsters and even try to drug a Knight.

“Seeing you here, it seems your attempt to resolve things quietly has failed…”

“Isn’t it a stretch to call that ‘an attempt to resolve things quietly’?”

“Well, it’s fine even if nothing happens. Just the testimony of many can drive this to a Sacred Tribunal. Do you know what a great humiliation it is for a clergyman to stand in such a place? If you cooperate obediently, I won’t make false reports.”

If nothing else, I could definitely tell this wasn’t something an ordinary fishing village chief would say. The way he naturally threatened me wasn’t his first time doing this.

Even so, there was something I couldn’t understand. Honestly, isn’t threatening something you can only do when you’re in a superior position?

Right now, this Village Chief seemed to think he was in a position to threaten, but I couldn’t fathom what gave him such audacity.

“Even with numbers, facing a trained Knight alone isn’t easy, so what are you relying on to be so arrogant?”

At my question, the Village Chief laughed heartily.

“Haha, what can just three people do?”

“…Well, would we need many people just to destroy a medium?”

“If you can find the medium, that is.”

The Village Chief’s attitude was quite triumphant. He must have had something he believed in.

“No matter how excellent a Holy Knight might be, they won’t be able to find it. Even if they do find it, they won’t be able to destroy it. That thing was made by a very renowned mage, after all.”

Seeing the Village Chief’s confident attitude made me a bit anxious. They don’t know that Jeon is a mage, so they’re asserting he won’t be able to find it, but what if it has magic so powerful that even if he finds it, he can’t destroy it?

“Now, if you understand, hurry up and step away from that barrier. Don’t waste your energy if you want to leave quietly tomorrow morning.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Hah!”

Even if we managed to find and destroy the medium, it would all be for nothing if a new barrier appeared. At least until Jeon found and destroyed the medium, I had to block this Village Chief.

Seeing me not moving a single step, the Village Chief clicked his tongue and said.

“I have connections with an important person at the Imperial Palace. I could report you all to that person!”

“I didn’t know that an important person from the Imperial Palace would associate with a village chief from such a remote place.”

“That person has always listened to the voices of the Empire’s citizens since long ago!”

I naturally thought it was bluffing, but the Village Chief’s bold attitude showed no hesitation, which was strange.

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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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