I’m a Villain, but I Want to Live a Long Life - Chapter 201

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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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The garden of the separate palace, devoid of any human presence, was eerily desolate.

“Are you really sure you’ll be okay? Shouldn’t at least five people go in together?”

Rosette grabbed my arm and asked worriedly. But I shook my head.

“No. If my prediction is correct…”

And I climbed the stairs and placed my hand on the door of the separate palace.

The moment my fingertips touched the surface of the door, a bright light sparked with a crackling sound.

Starting from that point, a strange flow of magical power spread outward.

Like ripples on water, a thin membrane overlaying the door was revealed.

“Is it a barrier?”

Estelin asked in a surprised voice. I nodded.

“That’s right. Probably no one but me will be able to pass through here.”

As soon as I finished speaking, Rosette strode forward.

And without hesitation, she reached her hand toward the barrier.

Again, a short spark flew.

However, Rosette’s hand couldn’t pass through the thin membrane and was pushed away.

Clutching her repelled hand, Rosette pursed her lips.

“This is ridiculous. A barrier all of a sudden?! And one that only lets you in?!”

She shook her head vigorously.

“I don’t know who did this, but it’s dangerous. It’s such an obvious trap!”

But I answered calmly.

“It’s Frater.”

“…What?”

“Frater is calling me.”

After defeating all the magical beasts at the palace entrance, I had been thinking all the way to the underground chapel of the separate palace.

“I heard from Michael earlier. That Pector offered fifteen hundred innocent people to Frater.”

Rosette’s face became serious.

Estelin silently clenched her fists.

“Frater is strong. Stronger than ever before. But why doesn’t he appear?”

“…”

“Why doesn’t he come forward himself while sharing power with Pector and summoning magical beasts through rifts?”

I gazed intently at Rosette and Estelin.

“…He wants me.”

Rosette looked up with a start.

“Without interference from anyone else, he just wants to face me alone. There’s no other reason.”

Having seen the ancient memories, I knew.

The relationship between Fluma and Frater.

They weren’t simply enemies who opposed each other.

Though the ending was desperate, Frater was a being born from Fluma’s hands.

To him, Fluma was both mother and sister.

And also the only being who tried to hold onto him until the very end.

“Frater’s target is me. So he’s trying to lure me out.”

“Knowing that, you’re going to go in alone?”

“Because that’s the only way.”

Rosette closed her mouth.

“I have to summon Kerus by any means necessary. Without him, there’s no way to heal Mother.”

“…”

“So this time, I’m going in even if you try to stop me.”

Rosette let out a short sigh. However, she couldn’t bring herself to continue speaking.

The moment she looked down with a complicated expression, I added.

“Of course.”

“…”

“I’m not saying I’ll go in recklessly.”

Rosette looked at me again with a start.

I made eye contact with her and Estelin beside her, then handed them something I had been holding in my hand all along.

“…What is this?”

“A transmission magical device.”

What I placed in both their hands were small pebble-shaped magical devices.

It was a simple mechanism where when one person sent a signal, the other two would flash with purple light, but to me it was more meaningful than anything else.

Because,

“…Mother used to use it.”

Estelin looked up from the magical device to gaze at me.

“Twelve years ago, our mother used this to exchange signals with Lady Kione and the Empress Dowager.”

“…Selene.”

“If the situation becomes urgent, I’ll send a signal. When that happens, blow up the annex building.”

Rosette’s eyes widened.

“Blow up the annex building?”

“Exactly as I said. If no one but me can enter the annex building, we have no choice but to blow up the entire building, right?”

Rosette opened her mouth slightly. But soon she nodded with a serious face.

However, Estelin interjected anxiously.

“B-but Selene. A building of this size won’t be easy to blow up. And I’m also worried about Selene’s safety inside…”

“I can protect myself with a barrier. Also, there’s just the right person for blowing up the annex building.”

Estelin’s eyes widened. I added calmly.

“That person who’s dying to blow up anything.”

Estelin’s mouth gradually opened.

“That’s right…! Vice President Sadina!”

“My goodness. I completely forgot about her.”

I smiled while facing the surprised Rosette and Estelin.

In the darkness without a single point of light, the sound of my footsteps echoed hollowly.

The interior of the annex building was completely empty.

There were no traces of attacks by magical beasts, nor any human corpses.

It seemed everyone had evacuated the building when the chaos broke out.

As soon as I passed through the huge hall on the floor, the central staircase appeared.

The stairs leading underground were located between the spiral staircases on both sides.

Because the surroundings were so dark, I grabbed the stair railing.

The cold touch of metal was transmitted directly through my palm.

Whoosh—

I could feel a faint wind blowing up from underground.

I calmly took a breath and then stepped down one step at a time.

One step, then another step.

With each step forward, the wind grew stronger.

When I reached the bottom, I could even feel a strange flow of magical power.

And when I finally reached the very bottom.

Whooom—

The surroundings gradually turned blue, and the underground chapel revealed its majesty.

The chapel that occupied the entire underground of the annex building was enormous in size.

In the center was a cracked altar, surrounded by stone pillars that towered well above human height.

The source of the blue light was the spirit stones densely embedded in the stone pillars.

“…”

I slowly walked around the altar, quickly taking in the objects inside the chapel.

In the corner, I could see a holy water stand with one corner crumbled away.

Next to it were a chipped holy sword and scrolls used for conducting sacred rituals.

I turned my head to stare at the altar.

Though it had cracks, it seemed like there would be no problem using it to summon Kerus.

‘If a situation arises where you need me, I’ll help you once.’

I slowly recalled Kerus’s words.

‘The altar. Blood drawn with the holy sword. And that relic you possess will be enough.’

I quickly ran up to the holy water stand.

Then I picked up the old holy sword beside it and stepped onto the altar.

“…Hup.”

Without hesitation, I cut across my palm, and blood immediately began dripping from the wound onto the floor.

‘The last thing was the relic.’

Diermant was Pluma’s sacred sprite.

To summon them, a relic containing Pluma’s power had to serve as a medium.

And currently, the relic was absorbed within me.

‘So all preparations are complete.’

Wooooooong-

Sure enough.

Soon the stone pillars around the altar began emitting intense light.

White energy also spread around the patterns carved into the altar.

At the same time I felt something thump- resonate within my body.

“…What?”

“….”

Kerus appeared, with Rael dangling from his neck.

“I sensed an evil energy from the north.”

Kerus muttered as he looked me over carefully.

Rael couldn’t take his eyes off me openly.

“So you’re saying you’re currently carrying The Man’s power? That’s why you look like… that?”

“Yeah. After the ritual ended, my appearance changed like this.”

I slightly lifted the silver hair flowing down my back to show him.

Rael stared at me with his mouth hanging open.

Then Kerus broke the silence.

“You must have a reason for summoning me so suddenly.”

“That’s right. There’s something I’d like Kerus to help me with.”

Kerus crossed his arms and tilted his head sideways.

“I thought you’d forgotten about us since you never came to visit even once after that day.”

“…What?”

I doubted my ears and tilted my head in confusion.

Kerus continued in a somewhat sulky voice.

“Just one step outside the tower where you stayed was our territory. But you never came to see us even once until you left the area.”

Rael nodded vigorously.

“That’s right. You were bad, human. Do you know how much Calyssia wanted to see you?”

“Calyssia wanted to see me?”

“Yes! And I also a little…!”

Rael cleared his throat and crossed his arms just like Kerus.

“I-I didn’t particularly want to see you, but I was curious. Whether you were living well after returning all the spirit stones to us!”

I opened my mouth in bewilderment.

“It was fine. I replaced all the necessary spirit stones with magical stones from magical beasts. And I was…”

In the Empire, I purified the Emperor’s curse and saw Lady Kione’s painting.

I regained memories of the past along with the truth…

“…busy. I had a lot to do.”

And even now I was standing on an extension of that work.

I looked at Rael and carefully added.

“Also…”

“….”

“I felt sorry about visiting you.”

Rael frowned. Kerus was quietly looking down at me.

“Even though I removed the Creda Tree you hated and returned the spirit stones.”

“….”

“That doesn’t make the fact that humans indiscriminately killed Diermant completely disappear.”

Even if those actions stemmed from misunderstanding.

When I proved that Diermant were sacred sprites and the Frater Order was greatly weakened as a result.

I was happy, but on the other hand, I felt uncomfortable as if I had forced forgiveness from them.

Furthermore, using that forgiveness as a means to solve my own problems also bothered me.

“But it’s absolutely not because I wasn’t interested.”

From the dormitory tower where I stayed, I could see the entire northern forest of the jurisdiction where Diermant lived.

On nights when the full moon rose, I would always stay awake and look down at that forest.

Because sometimes I could glimpse them walking between the dense trees.

“Really.”

Kerus, who had been tilting his head sideways, chuckled.

“You’re still the same.”

“….”

“You’re not the one who killed our kind. Rather, you’re a benefactor who prevented greater tragedy and exposed Frater’s arrogance to the world. No one anywhere can hold you responsible.”

Kerus stepped closer and placed his hand on my head.

“We’ll help you. Not because you’re the soul meant to guide The Man, but because we cherish you for who you are.”

“….”

“It’s good to see you again.”

The moment he said that.

Rummmmmble—

The altar we were standing on began to shake.

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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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