I’m Hunting My Enemy - Chapter 66
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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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66. Annulment Ceremony (4)
Benito was in a good mood.
After the annulment ceremony ended, many people felt that this ritual had gone wrong.
“Am I being impious? Or is my faith lacking?”
“I never want to see such a sight again. Oh God, please forgive us.”
“It’s definitely wrong that Yeongae tried to break off the engagement. Look how the annulment ceremony failed! Such, such acts.”
“A wedding should have been held, not an annulment ceremony.”
“Yeongae can’t think properly right now!”
“What if this problem doesn’t just end here?”
“The reason His Highness the Crown Prince won’t wake up might also be…”
Everyone whispered in terror.
The temple courtyard was filled with messenger bird droppings from people frantically sending letters to the capital, and mages ran around with faces that showed they hadn’t slept a wink.
Among them, only the priests maintained a completely normal and peaceful appearance.
To be precise, only the priests of the Swamp Temple.
“Very smooth indeed.”
Benito hummed.
He was satisfied to see people fallen into anxiety and fear.
No matter how much Ryuie didn’t care about her surroundings, if a hundred or a thousand people rushed at her begging her to get married, it would be hard to resist.
Even if she was pushed onto the altar along with the people, it would be enough as long as the goal was achieved.
‘I probably didn’t even need to meet Mos?’
That naive village youth was still visiting Yosua’s body every day to offer flowers.
Even though everyone was avoiding that place after the annulment ceremony ended.
Ryuie actually loves Yosua, so the better you treat Yosua, the easier it will be to gain her favor.
If the Crown Prince doesn’t wake up like this, that love will transfer to you instead.
Benito truly believed this to be fact.
If Yosua didn’t wake up, that is.
‘But I’m going to wake him up!’
Benito shuffled across the temple courtyard. Arriving at the path where carriages entered, he peered beyond the forest.
‘But if the Saintess comes, the story changes.’
He had never met the Saintess before, so he couldn’t predict how she would react.
Would she take his side?
Or would she take Ryuie’s side?
Remembering that the Saintess had already rejected Ryuie long ago made him too confused.
Benito, who had been thinking pleasantly, was grabbed by the collar and spun around.
“What are you doing here?”
“Ah, Glem!”
Benito waved his hand cheerfully.
“Good morning.”
“Shameless bastard!”
“Kek.”
Because he was lifted so forcefully, Benito’s feet floated slightly in the air.
‘He’s lifting me!’
While Benito kicked his feet in the air out of curiosity, Glem’s grip on his collar tightened even more.
“What the hell do you want?”
“I want to see a wedding.”
“Shut up! Tell me the truth, not useless nonsense!”
Glem barked.
“Rkultu appearing at yesterday’s ceremony was also your doing, wasn’t it?”
“Gods don’t move in such ways.”
Benito spoke as if singing.
“Rkultu appeared to confirm the vow between two people. You know that too.”
Glem’s breathing stopped for a moment.
Benito realized that humans needed comfort at times like this.
“You should consider it an honor. The opportunity to become part of a god is not common.”
“…Father didn’t do that.”
Glem muttered through his teeth as if he would get a definitive answer this time.
“Not every Imperial marriage offered a spouse as sacrifice to the god!”
“Of course. That was your choice.”
Benito’s voice made a shrill sound that pierced Glem’s eardrums.
“When you fell in love with Ryuie, you wanted to cherish that love forever.”
“…Shut up.”
“You were intelligent from childhood, so you could read ancient languages. That’s how you found the old vows in the Imperial Library.”
“I said shut up!”
“Ryuie didn’t suspect anything. She was actually pleased. She likes dangerous things. You were too excited as well. It felt more special.”
“…”
“The two young people secretly snuck in and performed a marriage vow that had existed since before this Empire was even founded.”
Glem began to breathe heavily.
“After the vow ended, you realized something was wrong. Ryuie thinks it just ended as a betrothal vow.”
Benito’s eyes reflected Glem without any judgment of good or evil.
“But you knew it wasn’t, didn’t you?”
“Shut up.”
“That Ryuie wasn’t just marrying you. She had become bound to Rkultu flowing in your blood as well.”
Glem clenched his fist so hard that his nails began to pierce his palm and draw blood.
The Imperial family learned far more theology than ordinary citizens of the Empire.
At least the Imperial family knew that Rkultu, the Empire’s patron deity, was not protecting the Empire out of goodwill.
It was closer to being forcibly held captive with all sorts of vows and sacrifices.
And what Glem had done was like throwing an elephant-sized harpoon into that.
A harpoon called Ryuie.
That’s why an ancient god had appeared with eyes blazing at a mere annulment ceremony.
To see the bride who would be dismantled and become part of himself as soon as the wedding was held.
“How do you know such things?”
“I am Rkultu’s will.”
Benito’s head tilted.
“Why are you so angry?”
“I am, damn it. If you were me.”
“Doesn’t everyone want to sacrifice their spouse to elevate their own glory?”
“No!”
Glem, who had been trembling continuously, shouted firmly.
“No. Never. Not that.”
He could confidently deny at least that much.
Compared to making his beloved fiancée into a sacrifice with his own hands, it was nothing.
‘I want to go back.’
Being too young was no excuse for forgiveness.
He had regretted his entire life how arrogant the best vow a ten-year-old wanted to give had been.
‘Let me cancel it.’
He had no interest in being able to rule this Empire with eternal immortality after holding the wedding.
The imagination of Ryuie being dismantled alive and becoming part of a god was enough to give him nightmares every night.
‘I want to kill my past self.’
When the Crown Prince returned with a blushing face and shyly brought up the story of marrying Ryuie, the Emperor and Empress immediately realized he had touched the wrong ritual.
Turning pale, they looked into whether there was a way to break the vow immediately, but once sworn, the vow could not be undone.
They had no choice but to send Yosua away immediately.
Since they didn’t know when the oath might activate, it was best for them to stay far apart from each other.
He couldn’t even dare to tell Ryuie the truth.
‘If you knew the future you’ll face solely because of my choice, you would resent me to death.’
There was no way Ryuie would love him after hearing such a story.
Glem’s hand dropped with a thud.
Benito, who had landed back on the ground, rolled his stiff neck from side to side.
“An oath made to Rkultu must be kept.”
“What? Absolutely not.”
“Many try to escape by offering sacrifices, but it’s all foolish. Even the priests of this Temple know that.”
Glem stared at Yosua with dark eyes as he spouted nonsense.
“If you know that much, you can’t complain if I kill you.”
“Even if I die, nothing will change, will it?”
“But I can reduce the number of humans who will drag Ryuie to the wedding.”
“Don’t do that! You’ll regret it.”
Benito said in shock.
But Glem wasn’t fooled.
Benito wasn’t genuinely begging for his life—he just shouted as if it were something he had to say.
As if he had been trained to do so.
The strangeness grew unbearably.
“Are you even human?”
“Hehe.”
Benito grinned broadly.
“That’s right. Your words were wrong. Even if you kill me, the number of ‘humans’ who will drag Ryuie to the wedding won’t decrease.”
“!”
Startled by the black tentacle that suddenly wrapped around his wrist, Glem swatted his arm away.
He hastily drew his sword and checked his surroundings.
Benito’s figure had vanished without a trace.
‘Where did he go?’
He had spared him thinking he was human, but he should have killed him from the start.
Above Glem’s head, Benito giggled and shouted.
It turned out Benito had fled to a tree. The tentacles from his belly were wrapped around the tree branches.
“Are you trying to kill another demon, Glem!”
“You monster bastard!”
“There are too many people who’ve turned into demons here. Too, too many. Hahahaha!”
Benito hung upside down like a bat, swaying as he looked at Glem.
“Demons can become priests too! You also became a mercenary even though you’re a demon who was transformed by touching a holy relic!”
“Don’t compare me!”
“Ahahaha!”
Glem hated himself for having to look around helplessly.
If someone heard, if Ryuie found out!
“Don’t worry, Glem. You’ll be found out soon too. You’ll be found out!”
Hmph.
Unable to bear it, Glem threw his sword toward the tree.
Benito’s body disappeared up into the tree.
Benito, who had vanished into the shadows, was no longer visible.
Only his maniacal laughter mixed with the rustling sound of leaves before disappearing.
“…This crazy bastard.”
Glem’s back grew cold with sweat.
So the swamp’s curse hadn’t only activated on the villagers.
The priests had also turned into demons.
‘To think they’d become like that.’
After turning into demons, did they naturally connect with Rkultu and learn all sorts of secrets?
The chill he felt when secrets known to only three people in the entire Empire poured from Benito’s mouth was indescribable.
‘…Don’t tell me Mos too?’
A crack appeared in the dam he had built up over a long time.
Water seemed to burst from all sides, ready to drown Glem and drag out Yosua.
Just like when he had pulled Yosua’s body from the swamp.
“Damn it, damn it!”
Glem turned and ran.
He began to feel a premonition that he could no longer stop it.
From the moment Ryuie left the capital, fate had been trying to unite the two in marriage.
He desperately needed a wall to separate him from Ryuie.
Instead of this heart that wouldn’t let go.
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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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