I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 143

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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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Things proceeded swiftly.

First, the servants from the Imperial Palace lifted a human-height holy water stand onto the dais.

Then they filled it to the brim with a special solution used for verifying magical power.

The entire process was watched by twenty appraisers, fifteen observers, and all the attendees present at the certification committee.

My turn came right after that.

“Lady Tigris. Please come forward to the dais for a moment.”

At the call, I quickly stood up and approached the dais.

The oldest-looking appraiser among them asked with a serious expression.

“Do you have any separately extracted magical power from the Diermant?”

I shook my head. The old man frowned.

“Then how…?”

Instead of answering, I calmly turned my head.

Where my gaze landed. At the edge of the forest boundary, a single Diermant stood awkwardly.

[…Ahem, this is a bit scarier than I thought.]

As soon as our eyes met, Rael’s voice came through vividly in my head.

When I nodded as if to say it was okay, Rael hesitated in place.

[If it weren’t for Lord Kerus, I would never have done this…]

Then he began walking forward hesitantly, step by step.

Large and small murmurs erupted among the attendees who spotted him.

“Th-that is—!!”

“Indeed, it looks exactly like what we saw in the magic mirror…!”

“…Judging by its appearance, the Temple’s previous verification might really have been a misidentification!”

Meanwhile, Rael approached right next to me and stopped.

His large eyes, seemingly frightened, glanced around nervously.

All the appraisers on the dais had their gazes fixed on Rael and me.

I nodded to them and said.

“I was concerned that if I brought pre-extracted magical power, there might be suspicion that the certification was manipulated.”

The appraisers exchanged surprised glances.

Sighs leaked from the section where the priests were seated.

It was understandable.

My words were no different from saying ‘I used my head so the Temple absolutely couldn’t find fault.’

“W-well then. We’ll proceed from the magical power extraction process.”

Soon one of the appraisers spoke in bewilderment and brought an amethyst that could contain magical power.

[Should I do it there?]

Rael glanced at me and asked.

And as soon as I nodded, he leaped up onto the dais.

“…!!”

Several appraisers jumped back in surprise. But that was only momentary.

They soon began examining Rael with interested eyes.

The appearance of a Diermant seen in daylight felt different from what we had seen at night.

His soft fur sparkled under the sunlight, and the horn rising from his forehead gave off a mysterious atmosphere like a well-shaped old tree.

Moreover, since Rael wasn’t fully grown, he was also small in size.

In short, to the eyes of the people gathered here, the Diermant just looked like a small, delicate young deer.

One with a somehow sacred atmosphere at that.

The back area became even more noisy.

“L-look at that! How could that possibly be a monster? It feels completely different from what we saw in the magic mirror!”

“Exactly. It’s fortunate that re-verification was conducted due to the Lady’s claim…”

Perhaps hearing those sounds, Rael lifted his snout slightly as if showing off.

Then he approached the appraiser holding the amethyst with dignity.

His steps had become slightly more confident than before.

The appraiser flinched but soon calmly extended the amethyst to Rael.

Rael made eye contact with the appraiser, then brought his forehead to the amethyst.

Soon a gentle light began emanating from Rael’s forehead.

The light grew brighter and brighter, then dimmed as if being absorbed into the amethyst.

[It’s done.]

Rael, who had lifted his head from the amethyst, lightly turned around and came down from the dais.

Then he stood obediently next to me.

I smiled at Rael.

‘…You worked hard, Rael.’

Rael stiffened with an embarrassed look, then soon made a huffing sound and turned his head away.

The appraiser looked back and forth between the amethyst and Rael as if he couldn’t believe it.

Then he came to his senses and quickly took it to the holy water stand.

“Th-then we’ll begin the verification.”

As if they had been waiting. The twenty appraisers crowded around the holy water stand.

They surrounded the holy water stand completely, and took turns checking that there were no problems with the solution and amethyst.

Several procedures followed, and only after all those processes were complete did one person who appeared to be the representative put the amethyst into the solution.

A few seconds later.

The silence that felt like years was broken by the trembling voice of the lead appraiser.

“Th-the mana that the Diermant possesses is…”

The Empress and Prince, Duke Haren and Sadina.

And countless other people as well.

Everyone focused on what would come from the appraiser’s mouth. Rael was the same.

“It-it’s divine power! The Diermant is not a monster!!”

Exclamations erupted from various places.

In contrast, a cold silence descended on the seats where the priests sat.

The appraiser looked at Rael with trembling hands. Then he added as if in wonder.

“Th-the Diermant is a sacred sprite, and one with very strong and pure divine power…”

“…”

“It’s definitely a spirit among spirits!!”

The Grand Cathedral.

The underground restricted area, wider than the entire ground floor combined, had a maze-like complex structure.

Past giant bookshelves easily over 3 meters tall, around corners flanked by pillars, lay a hidden place.

In that place used only when discussing matters of ‘great cause,’ Baul Henbeg was looking into a magic mirror.

-The Diermant is a sacred sprite, and definitely a spirit among spirits with very strong and pure divine power!!

Finally, the result he had so desperately wanted to avoid came from the appraiser’s mouth.

Paul, his expression hardened, swallowed a sigh and cut the magic mirror’s connection.

Then he kept silent with his head bowed.

A voice came from across.

“So it has come to this after all.”

In the chapel where the only light was from flickering candle flames.

The silhouette sitting across from him said,

“It’s regrettable that things turned out this way when you put in so much effort.”

The highest authority of the Order who never showed himself in official settings.

The current Pope, Pector.

Paul bit his lips and shook his head with a crawling voice.

“…I have nothing else to say. I should have somehow prevented the certification…”

The Pope’s green eyes curved very kindly.

“What are you saying. Paul, don’t say such things. This matter wouldn’t have been easy for even you to overturn.”

Paul looked into those eyes and swallowed dryly.

The Pope was draped in ornate sacred robes embroidered with the Temple’s insignia.

Even so, the hideous scar covering half his face was clearly visible.

Every time the candlelight flickered, the shadows cast on the scar’s uneven surface rippled along with it.

“Paul.”

Then the Pope’s low voice was heard.

Paul flinched and quickly raised his head to look into his eyes.

Though it was a face that made one’s knees weak just to look at, the Pope despised those who averted their gaze from him.

“What do you think?”

Paul drew in a short breath. The Pope was staring directly at him, still wearing that smile.

“About what, Your Holiness?”

“About Lady Tigris.”

Paul flinched. But he quickly responded.

“…She’s a cunning wench. Seeing how she’s been pushing against The Order these past few years, she’s clearly sharpening her blade behind that smiling face.”

“No, that’s not what I’m asking about.”

Paul’s eyes widened.

Pector leaned his upper body forward gently toward Paul.

“The truth is.”

And after pausing for a moment, he smiled warmly.

“I’ve been thinking since last time that the Lady seems like ‘that thing’ mentioned in the ancient prophecy.”

Paul closed his mouth in bewilderment.

Unable to easily understand what the Pope had said, he went over each word he had just heard in his mind.

Then, finally grasping the meaning, his eyes widened greatly.

“That thing, you mean…!”

“Yes. ‘The vessel to contain heresy.'”

The Fratrer Church was the most prosperous religion in continental history.

The Order was solid, the god they served was powerful, and the path they had walked was utterly sacred.

However, even they had a fatal weakness.

Long, long ago.

The prophecy that the ancient god Frater had delivered directly to them when he manifested for the first and last time.

“In the future, a vessel to contain heresy shall be born, bringing shame upon me and causing the world’s destruction.”

At Pector’s voice, Paul reflexively continued the words.

“…So, find the vessel and establish The Order at the continent’s pinnacle as quickly as possible to prepare for the calamity.”

Pector smiled serenely as he watched the trembling Paul.

“Yes, exactly that.”

As his green eyes curved, the gleam reflecting the red candlelight flashed.

Paul stared at the Pope with a face gone deathly pale.

“Th-then… you’re saying Lady Tigris is the vessel to contain heresy? Then what should w-we do…?”

Pector closed his eyes slowly while maintaining his smiling expression. It was a face that looked utterly peaceful.

“We’ll have to change our plans.”

At the feeling of his heart being squeezed, Paul gulped down his saliva.

“You know, don’t you? Our initial goal was to establish the Fratrer Church as the state religion as quickly as possible, according to the prophecy.”

“…”

“But we failed.”

His body began trembling involuntarily. Paul secretly took a deep breath and nodded.

The Pope’s eyes became distant, as if tracing through old memories.

“I remember it vividly even now. It was truly a heartbreaking failure.”

“…”

“We planned everything solely to place Grace Belmart on the Empress’s throne, even accepting the sacred Order’s losses, but the result was…”

As if mocking, Pector slightly lifted one corner of his mouth.

“Surprisingly unrewarding, wasn’t it? We haven’t even managed to properly build a single Central Temple yet.”

Paul unconsciously straightened his posture.

Suddenly, Pector’s eyes turned precisely toward Paul.

“I can’t stand by and watch any longer. We must set things right, even now.”

Paul breathed in, struggling not to avoid the Pope’s gaze.

Pector slowly raised one hand into the air. Then, pitch-black mist began gathering there.

The mist soon formed into some kind of shape.

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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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