I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 105
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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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Adam began speaking with an excited voice.
[Diermant is a very ancient being. It has the appearance of a deer, with one large horn branching out like antlers from its forehead as its distinctive feature.]
I listened intently to his story.
[Actually, you don’t need to fear Diermant if you’re careful about just two things. They’re surprisingly gentle creatures when you get to know them.]
“What are those two things?”
Adam smiled.
[First, never attack them first. They have strong bonds with their kind, so if one is attacked, the entire herd will charge at you. By the way, Diermant form herds of thirty to forty individuals.]
I frowned as I couldn’t quite picture a herd of magical beasts in my mind.
[Second, you must never damage plants like flowers or trees in front of Diermant.]
My eyes gradually widened.
“Flowers or trees?”
Adam smiled and approached me.
[That’s right. Of course, there’s a reason for that too. Because Diermant’s main diet is precisely…]
[What a dull woman. If you have eyes, take a look at this forest.]
Amon, who was beside us, interrupted with a sharp voice. When I turned my head, Amon muttered bluntly.
[Can’t you see? This space is obviously strange beyond belief. There isn’t a trace of the animals that should naturally be in a forest.]
My mouth slowly closed.
I already knew there were no animals in this forest. But hearing Amon’s words, something really did seem strange.
‘Even if there are no large beasts, the fact that there isn’t a single small animal like rabbits or birds…’
Amon, reading my thoughts, nodded.
[The reason there are no beasts in this forest is simple. It’s because Diermant are selfish creatures that wipe out all animal life. Those antler-heads only care about grass.]
Adam quickly interjected.
[That’s not it. Diermant feed on the forest’s vital energy as their main diet. That’s why they prefer places where grass grows thick and vegetation is lush.]
“…But if animals were present, the forest would be damaged. Animals would feed on the plants.”
Adam smiled brightly as if I had done well.
[Exactly! That’s why Diermant drive out all the animals that exist within their territory. That’s how they complete their own paradise.]
To completely erase the existence of animals to maintain the forest’s vital energy at maximum levels. It was quite an extreme story.
When I let out a short sigh, Adam laughed. After pondering for a moment, I asked cautiously.
“But something’s strange. If they drive out all the animals in their territory, why don’t they bother humans? I’ve been wandering around this forest since yesterday, but I haven’t seen a trace of Diermant.”
Adam nodded and explained.
[That’s because Diermant have maintained friendly relations with humans since ancient times. Diermant are particularly gentle only toward humans.]
Amon, who had been listening, laughed as if incredulous.
[Even a passing bug would laugh, Adam. Those antler-heads are gentle?! They’re the type to tear apart everything around them at the drop of a hat!]
[That’s because you weren’t human even back then. Don’t you know that The Man created Diermant to be lenient only toward humans?]
I frowned at the incomprehensible conversation, and Adam, lightly ignoring Amon, spoke to me.
[Child. It probably won’t happen, but if you ever need to hunt or capture Diermant, you must never face an entire herd at once.]
“Then what should I do?”
[Separate them one by one and face them individually. Though even that isn’t a method I’d recommend. Because when several of them gather together…]
[What! Those guys are just creatures with grandiose names but nothing special. Especially for me, they’re not even worth a single punch.]
Amon, interrupting Adam’s words, looked at me and grinned wickedly.
[Thanks to whatever your Academy thing is, I’ll be able to get revenge on those antler-heads. You’ve done something I actually like for once.]
I stood up and muttered while brushing the dust off my clothes.
“We don’t know that yet. The assignment isn’t clear.”
Amon glared at me with a displeased expression. But I didn’t care and came out from behind the rock, starting to return to the cave.
In my head, I was quickly making plans for the future.
Thanks to obtaining quite a lot of information about Diermant, preparing for the test seemed like it would be much easier.
But then. My footsteps, which had almost reached the cave entrance, came to an abrupt stop.
“What are those guys up to now.”
Rosette, who had been talking about Diermant, suddenly closed her mouth. A sudden commotion could be heard from outside.
“Rosette! Estelin! Come out!!”
The booming voice was definitely Selene’s.
Rosette’s eyes widened as she rushed out of the cave. Estelin, who followed her out, also slowly opened her mouth.
With the forest behind her, Selene was gripping someone wearing a hood by the collar.
But what was more surprising was the fact that the person dangling from her hand was gradually becoming blurry.
Within a few seconds, the human figure scattered like mist. Selene shouted.
“What, it’s fake! Rosette, the real ones are over there!”
Rosette reflexively turned her head.
She could see the backs of two people running away as fast as their legs could carry them in the distance.
When she quickly extended her hand, thin, long vines began growing from beneath her feet.
The vines made crackling sounds as they rapidly broke through the soil and stretched toward the fleeing figures.
“Ahhh!”
One person, whose ankle was caught by the roots, soon fell flat on the ground with a thud.
“There’s one more!”
Estelin shouted while stamping her feet.
The other one, who had shaken off the vines, was already running far away through the trees.
Just as Rosette was about to give chase.
Something very sharp wind whooshed past between the two people.
Soon the remaining fleeing person hesitated and stopped in place.
“Wh-what…”
Where the wind had passed. A giant tree with its base cut fell over completely.
Thud—!
A massive vibration shook the ground heavily. The lost footsteps hesitantly backed away and tripped over a stone.
The tree was enormous in size. Even fallen, its diameter was higher than an average adult woman’s height.
“Selene…!”
Estelin looked at Selene, the one who had felled the tree.
Selene was equally flustered. She stood frozen, alternately looking at the fallen tree and her own hand.
Rosette clicked her tongue and asked.
“What exactly are you? Was your second ability this powerful?”
Selene replied with a bewildered face.
“I-I wonder…? I didn’t know this was even possible…”
However, Selene, who had been trailing off, soon snapped back to her senses. And she began running forward hurriedly.
Finally arriving, she quickly pulled off the thick hood of the person who had fallen.
And she frowned.
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice if you did this?”
Looking at the face that had been hidden under the hood, Selene said in a low voice.
“…Verain.”
Estelin’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Verain? That Verain from the Duey Baronet?”
While Selene nodded, Rosette dragged the other person over.
Selene sighed and asked.
“And even Miss Janet. Why are you two here?”
“F-first, can’t you untie this? It hurts!”
Verain shouted sharply. I shook my head firmly.
“That won’t do. How can I trust Miss Verain, who attacked me first?”
Verain’s face crumpled as she shouted.
“Th-that earlier incident was reflexive because I was flustered! Besides, you didn’t get a scratch on you from my clone!”
But I pretended to think for a moment, closed my mouth, then waved my finger back and forth.
“Still, I can’t untie you.”
“Why, why not?”
“I’m not in the mood for that.”
“What?!”
Verain, who had been trying to get up, plopped back down with a thud.
The vine stems that had been tightly binding her entire body yanked her back.
Verain’s eyes welled up with tears, looking like she might die of frustration.
“This is really too much! Anyone who sees this would think we were trying to assassinate the young lady!”
I looked down at her sniffling form with a leisurely smile.
“Weren’t you? You were acting so suspiciously in those gloomy outfits that I was sure you were trying to assassinate me.”
Verain bit her lips tightly.
Estelin tilted her head beside me. Rosette did the same.
“Selene, what’s gotten into you? I’ve never seen you like this before.”
I answered with a smile.
“Ah, I’m in the middle of getting revenge. Just a little bit.”
Janet and Verain looked at me with surprised expressions. I grinned and looked down at the two of them.
“Don’t you remember? At the prospective student gathering.”
Verain’s face turned pale with a start. Janet avoided my gaze and hung her head low.
“You two were the ones who eagerly gossiped about me with Anita Solb.”
Only then did Rosette make an “ah-” sound. Estelin’s expression also became quite serious.
I leisurely looked around at Janet and Verain and asked.
“But why are there only two of you today? You always seemed to go around as a trio with Anita.”
Just then, Verain suddenly screamed.
“Don’t even mention that traitor!”
Traitor?
My eyes widened. Estelin and Rosette did the same.
As we looked at each other with puzzled faces, a crawling voice came from the side.
“Lady Selene…”
Janet looked up at me with desperate eyes.
“Could you please let us join your group…?”
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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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