Isn’t Being A Wicked Woman Much Better? - Chapter 211

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Special Side Story Episode 8
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The Duchess of House Visconti’s welcome banquet was abruptly postponed by a week.
The retainers of House Visconti, who had been anticipating the banquet with excitement and nervous tension, were now in no position to discuss such matters.
The entire Southern Region was in upheaval because of the Duchess of House Visconti.
“How remarkable you are! It hasn’t been long since you defeated the Greater Demon, yet the Duchess has accomplished such an extraordinary achievement!”
One of the House Visconti retainers cried out in admiration, and another chimed in.
“Not only did you uncover and severely punish the cunning demon that had seduced humans, but you also made a discovery that will be remembered throughout the Empire’s history…! It’s simply unbelievable that one person accomplished all this.”
“A discovery that will be remembered in history? What discovery are you referring to?”
The youngest retainer, who was always slow to hear news, asked dumbly, and another retainer clicked his tongue.
“You haven’t heard yet? The Duchess discovered the ruins of an ancient Spirit King.”
“Good heavens! Is that truly so!?”
“Indeed. As soon as she came down to the Southern Region, she discovered ruins of astronomical value that will be recorded in Southern history. She is not only the incarnation of the Saint, but also a goddess of fortune.”
What the people of the Asteia Empire, especially the nobility, are most enthusiastic about are artifacts passed down from ancient times when mana was abundant. And ruins of a Spirit King, who is regarded as a mythical being no less.
Isn’t that worth as much as a dragon’s fang!
“And… what’s even more remarkable is that she prevented massive loss of life.”
“If she hadn’t discovered and stopped that traitor Philaf beforehand, it would have been a true catastrophe.”
“Isn’t our lord, the Sword Mage, far stronger than Philaf Montes?”
At the foolish youngest retainer’s words, another retainer clicked his tongue again.
“If those ancient Spirit King ruins had fallen into Philaf’s hands, it would have been disastrous. And if a demon had possessed his body, it would have been even worse.”
“Does that relic possess such tremendous power like an ancient artifact?”
“So I’ve heard. The ancient relic discovered in the Lava Cave of the Igneus Volcanic Region is said to strengthen Spirit Mages.”
If Philaf, already a powerful Spirit Mage, had utilized that artifact, I shuddered to think how formidable a fire spirit might have appeared.
“While enjoying her honeymoon and resting comfortably… for her to personally step forward and protect the Empire’s peace once more, the Duchess truly sets an example for all.”
“It is an honor to serve such a person!”
* * *
While everyone in the Southern Region who had heard the rumors was singing praises of the Saint, the actual protagonist, Deborah, was touring the Igneus Territory and smacking her lips in frustration.
‘That demon wretch! I thought it had hidden something remarkable….’
Well, it truly was remarkable. A stone containing the essence of fire, no less.
The problem was that while it might have been remarkable once, it certainly wasn’t now.
‘The stone had deteriorated… it had turned to dust.’
Judging from why the stone containing the essence of fire had been destroyed, the density of mana must have changed drastically.
Unlike ancient times, the density of mana in the air had significantly decreased, making it an environment where the stone could hardly remain intact. Moreover, since it was a monster-infested area, the creatures must have carelessly touched and damaged it repeatedly.
“Nooooo! This can’t be!”
The demon, Puckel, wailed while clutching fragments of stone.
“My dream of enslaving the Fire Spirit King as my servant~!”
“Just how remarkable was this stone?”
At Deborah’s question, the demon sniffled.
“It was a stone that allowed you to bind summoned spirits as servants without sending them back to the Spirit Realm. Moreover, it was imbued with the aura of a Spirit King, so you could contract with a spirit two ranks higher than your own ability!”
“Two ranks higher?!”
That fool’s plan was to use the Montes bloodline’s power to summon a high-ranking spirit, seize Montes’s body, and command that spirit like a servant.
Well, even if the stone had remained intact, I wouldn’t have allowed her to attempt something so reckless anyway.
“That said, something seems odd.”
At that moment, Isidore murmured while touching the stone dust with his hand, and Deborah immediately chimed in agreement.
“Right? This red stone dust. Even though it’s a cave where sunlight doesn’t reach, there’s still heat remaining. I wonder why?”
Isidore promptly offered a plausible hypothesis.
“Although it has become dust, the original function might retain some residual properties.”
He summoned a retainer of House Visconti who handled fire spirits and conducted several tests. Through experimentation, they discovered that the red stone dust floating in the air transformed this cavern into an environment similar to the Spirit Realm.
“That ancient artifact the Montes House possessed!”
“Yes. It has become a place similar to the subspace connected to that artifact.”
Moreover, a retainer who could previously summon only two intermediate spirits could now summon three. It was as if they had discovered the most coveted training ground for fire spirit users.
Though unfortunately, it wasn’t the jackpot prize of a first-rate essence of fire….
Deborah narrowed her eyes shrewdly.
“Isidore, if you name this properly, this stone dust could become gold dust, couldn’t it?”
The word “ancient” absolutely had to be attached.
The Empire’s nobility were obsessed with antiquity, after all.
‘And it really was stone from ancient times, so it’s not a lie….’
Thus ― the Lava Cave, where the essence of fire once existed but no longer does ― spread among the Southern Region nobility within a single day under the plausible name of “Ancient Spirit King’s Ruins.”
* * *
‘Time has already passed this quickly.’
After assisting the Igneus Territory, which had suffered flooding from the hot spring water the Demon had unleashed, and explaining the circumstances of the incident to an administrator sent down from the Capital, time had slipped away.
“….”
Just before boarding the carriage returning to the Territory, I met those turbid, reddish-brown eyes.
Separated from the Demon, Philaf Montes sat within a mobile prison brought by the Crown Prince, bound in restraints.
The moment he saw me, his pupils flashed with savage intensity. Even in this state, his temperament remained unchanged.
“How is it? Does your heart feel at ease now? Isn’t it amusing to see that fool you once clung to fall to the very bottom?”
“It’s not amusing.”
“Ha! If you hadn’t looked down on me, you wouldn’t have hidden the fact that you’re a Saint from me. You must have been laughing inwardly while watching Miya Binoshu being treated like the very embodiment of a true Saint, didn’t you?”
“Philaf Montes.”
I called to him in a subdued voice.
“Why do you put on such a grave tone? Just speak as you have been.”
“It’s because we likely won’t see each other again, so I’m telling you a truth without a single lie….”
I stepped closer and spoke to him with sincerity.
“I’m not that Deborah who was obsessed with you. I’m someone else.”
“….”
“It means I never hid the fact that I’m a Saint from you. That Deborah was never a Saint to begin with. Whether you believe it or not, that’s the truth.”
“…Bullshit.”
He spat out the words, his brow furrowed as he clamped his mouth shut, and the ill-fated connection between Philaf Montes and me ended there.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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