I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 129

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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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Rael firmly grasped Calyssia’s hand and nodded vigorously.

“Yeah, I tied him up here.”

Calyssia froze in place with a frightened expression. Rael bit his lips tightly with a pitying heart.

“Don’t worry too much. That human had no abilities whatsoever. He absolutely won’t be able to lay a hand on you.”

Calyssia nodded her head slightly. Then she asked with eyes full of worry.

“But, but Rael. Did Lord Kerus go to observe the movements of the other humans?”

“Yeah. It’s really war now. He’s going to use that human as a hostage to create an opportunity for counterattack.”

Rael spoke while gesturing toward the human who had somehow gotten closer.

Calyssia, who spotted the human, hesitated and hid behind herself.

The human was still unconscious in exactly the same position as when they had seen him leaving the cave.

Just as she felt relieved inwardly at that sight, Calyssia’s small voice came from behind.

“Then, in the end, war really will break out…”

Rael frowned deeply and turned around. Then he grabbed Calyssia’s shoulders.

“Calyssia, snap out of it!”

Calyssia looked at him in surprise.

“Have you forgotten what humans have done to us all this time? Last time they captured and killed all the elders, and this time they even attacked you!”

“Ra, Rael…”

Calyssia hesitated as if frightened. But Rael couldn’t contain his anger.

“The humans are definitely trying to kill us all. They’re planning to completely monopolize our territory!”

“But…”

Calyssia whimpered. Rael sighed in frustration.

“Calyssia, because you keep acting like this…”

“But I hate war…!”

Rael looked at Calyssia with wide eyes. Calyssia had a sad expression.

“Wh, whenever I stand in front of humans, my body just freezes up. I don’t even know if I’ll be able to kill humans when battle starts… and I don’t want to kill them either…”

At her voice that seemed ready to cry at any moment, Rael also gradually became tearful. However, Rael spoke bravely.

“Calyssia, you have to overcome that. You have to overcome that freezing up whenever you stand in front of humans to survive.”

“…”

“Humans are no longer beings we need to protect. They’re not weaker than us anymore, and now they’re our enemies! If you don’t attack first, someday they’ll kill you first. You saw it today too.”

Transparent teardrops began falling from Calyssia’s eyes.

“Huu… sniff… Ra, Rael…”

Rael gently patted Calyssia’s back. Calyssia whimpered in a crawling voice.

“Wh, why did it turn out like this? I don’t understand why humans are doing this to us…”

Rael gritted his teeth.

“Why wouldn’t you know. Obviously they’re scheming to monopolize this land.”

“Bu, but we’ve gotten along well together until now. Understanding each other, like that…”

“That was all when communication with humans was possible.”

Calyssia raised her head with a face wet with tears. Rael looked at such Calyssia and also held back his own grief.

“Right now, humans have no intention of listening to our voices. You can tell just by looking at how they started bringing Creda Trees and planting them in the forest.”

Calyssia’s head dropped powerlessly.

“…Now. Now it’s really only war. We have to survive too, don’t we.”

“…”

“Still, since the elders from the Northern Region came down today, we should be able to settle things.”

Rael’s eyes blazed with determination.

They couldn’t leave the humans who kept attacking them alone forever.

Because of that damn instinct, he didn’t want to experience losing his kin anymore just because they were made unable to harm humans.

From across, Calyssia’s small voice was heard.

“…Okay. I’ll, I’ll try too. I have to be even a little help in the war…”

Rael nodded with a bitter smile. Then he patted his only friend’s shoulder.

“Good thinking. Keep your heart firm like now…”

But that’s when it happened.

“…Excuse me.”

At the voice that suddenly came from behind, Rael turned his head in surprise.

Calyssia turned pale and hid behind Rael.

The human they thought was unconscious was staring at them with sparkling eyes.

‘War.’

I gulped at the word that kept coming from the children’s mouths.

War.

The Diermants were preparing for war?

But there was something even more surprising than that.

‘Doesn’t this sound like a situation arising from some kind of misunderstanding?’

Not understanding why humans were doing this to them, or how communication was impossible now unlike ‘back then’.

Everything Rael and Calyssia said was strange.

‘The Academy seemed to only be thinking about catching magical beasts to raise their reputation?’

Moreover, if they had known that the Diermants were preparing for war, Rishion would never have proceeded with such an exam in the first place.

Who were Rishion’s chancellor and vice-chancellor? They were people who emphasized ‘student safety’ so terribly!

Then the answer was clear.

Rishion had no idea about this current situation.

I faced the two little ones who were staring intently at me.

Rael stammered with a face that had turned white.

“You, you…! Since when…!!”

I quickly shook my head.

“So, sorry! I just came to my senses a moment ago, but I didn’t know you were having that kind of conversation…”

Rael frowned deeply. Then he wrapped his arms around Calyssia behind him and stepped back.

I felt like I had become someone who scares children, but I calmly shouted.

“I just, after listening to your conversation, there seemed to be something strange!”

Rael kept his mouth shut and glared at me. But his pupils trembled slightly.

I carefully continued speaking.

“About that story you mentioned about war… what does that mean? Are you planning to start a war?”

The children’s faces turned pale.

I urgently shouted with wide eyes to the children who began stepping back hesitantly.

“I don’t have any ulterior motives! I’m just asking!”

At those words, Rael hesitated. Then, soon he shouted with a face full of wariness.

“…Yes. We’re going to war. We’re planning to give you back exactly what we received from you.”

I gradually closed my mouth, then after catching my breath, spoke quietly again.

“So that’s because humans have been mean to you?”

Rael showed a momentarily flustered expression.

On the other hand, Calyssia who was behind peeked her head out over Rael’s shoulder.

“That’s…!”

It was the moment Rael was stammering. Calyssia took a step toward me and tilted her head.

“Yeah. It’s right that humans have been mean to us.”

I nodded while meeting that child’s deep green eyes.

“Ri, right. Humans can’t communicate, and they keep attacking you. You probably had no idea what they were thinking, right?”

Calyssia’s eyes widened, then she nodded vigorously. Then she ran toward me hurriedly.

“Calyssia!”

Rael urgently called Calyssia, but it was useless. The child had already approached right in front of me.

Calyssia bent down to meet my eyes.

“Right! Do you know why humans are doing this? Do you know because you’re the same human?”

I gulped. Then after looking once at Rael who was still frozen over there, I answered quietly.

“That… actually, I don’t really know either.”

Calyssia’s mouth fell slightly open.

“Ah…”

Her green eyes filled with disappointment. I quickly added.

“But I can ask!”

Calyssia’s eyes widened again. And the same was true for Rael who was behind her.

I quickly continued speaking.

“From what I heard earlier, it seems like the humans weren’t listening to your voices… Were you able to communicate before?”

Calyssia nodded her head.

“Mm-hmm… The humans suddenly started bringing Creda Trees to this land, then attacked us indiscriminately.”

“Really?”

“Yeah… It seemed like they had no intention of talking with us at all. Not long ago, they killed all the elders in the Southern Region…”

Calyssia’s eyes sank gloomily. I clenched my sweaty palms from tension.

Calyssia continued speaking.

“But we kept trying. Even when the humans attacked, we deliberately didn’t fight back. We didn’t want to fight. Because we are…”

“Calyssia, stop that right now!”

At that moment, Rael strode over and grabbed Calyssia’s arm, pulling her back behind him.

I looked at the scene with a surprised face.

“How can you tell that human such things so freely?! She’s the human we’re supposed to take hostage! Did you forget we agreed she’d help with the war?”

Calyssia closed her mouth. The child’s face immediately became dejected.

“S-sorry…”

“That human is different from those idiots who attacked you. You can clearly see how black-hearted she is! Who knows what words she’ll use to deceive you!”

Rael’s gaze toward me was utterly cold. I urgently parted my lips.

“If war breaks out, many more Dearmant will die!”

At those words, silence suddenly descended upon the cave.

“You’re strong too, but the humans outside aren’t easy opponents either! I’m human too, so I know. Maybe Kerus? That person might be in danger too!”

The children’s faces darkened rapidly.

‘I mentioned it just in case.’

The long-haired man I saw when I regained consciousness seemed to be something like the leader of the Dearmant.

“So here’s what I’m saying.”

I spoke in the gentlest voice possible, as if soothing them.

“If we can avoid it, wouldn’t it be better to avoid it? The war, I mean.”

Calyssia’s expression brightened noticeably.

On the other hand, Rael still glared at me with eyes full of wariness.

“I’ll help with communication between humans.”

Both children’s faces went blank.

“You said you’d take me hostage, so go ahead and take me hostage. We have to do whatever we can use!”

“…”

“You said you hate war. I’ll try to prevent war from happening. Okay?”

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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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