Limited Extra Time - Chapter 115

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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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Were there no distinctive characteristics among the Magical Beasts that emerged from there?

The Magical Beasts that harbored upper-grade Haron were particularly marked with scars. It seemed there were many fatal wounds as well. I suspect that the more they die and come back to life, the more traces accumulate on their bodies.

Millaiyen’s eyes narrowed. There was one completely covered in scars—that irritating creature he hadn’t managed to capture yet. And it possessed an abnormally sharp intellect for a Magical Beast, with exceptional situational awareness. If that knowledge had accumulated through countless cycles of repeated life, it would make sense.

…Now that I think about it, I recall one creature that fits that description.

One that fits that description?

There is. A magical beast with scars all over its body and a mind as sharp as a human’s.

Millaiyen, kneeling beside her, pressed his lips to her neck.

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It seemed I would need to adjust our return schedule somewhat. Periel Kalos grimaced with irritation at the sight of the two of them.

Carina, I must remain in the Forbidden Forest for a while. You return first with Periel Kalos and Winston.

…But.

Besides, I’ve been uneasy about leaving such an intelligent creature alive. It’s the kind of beast capable of attacking the Territory. If I let it live, it will become a future threat.

At Millaiyen’s words, Carina’s eyes drooped.

Yet she could not bring herself to say that there was no need for such measures. Carina had already decided that she wanted it to live.

…Please don’t get hurt. And do take potions with you.

I won’t get hurt, so don’t worry.

Millaiyen, are you going somewhere you might not return from?

Periel Kalos, arms crossed, spoke with an unsightly expression. She flushed and bowed her head deeply.

It sounded like a volcano erupting. Millaiyen shot Periel Kalos a warning glance.

Leave once you’re done.

They say raising a friend is pointless if they just discard you the moment they’re finished—is that really how it works?

What then? You plan to watch from here?

Millaiyen Pestellio leaned in close to Carina Leopold, their faces nearly touching. Their lips were on the verge of meeting.

Periel Kalos’s face twisted violently. He rose abruptly, pushing away from his seat with force.

How do you even live with such a personality?

Better than you. At least I’m in a relationship.

Millaiyen Pestellio’s lips finally met Carina Leopold’s.

The moment Carina Leopold’s eyes widened, Periel Kalos swept aside the tent flap and stepped outside.

Still locked in the kiss, he lifted Carina Leopold effortlessly and laid her upon the bed, settling himself above her.

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His tongue slowly parted her lips, deepening the kiss.

“It appears to be this way.”

“Very well.”

Millaiyen Pestellio strode purposefully toward the depths of the Forbidden Forest. The party was sparse—just Goreden and myself.

Sniff, snuffle—

No, that made it two of us and one creature—Herta included.

“Find it quickly. You wanted to save your master too, didn’t you? That’s why I found something worth eating instead of her life force.”

Herta glanced at Millaiyen Pestellio, then huffed sharply and turned away—like a sulking child.

Spending time together like this, even magical beasts seemed endearing. I was grinding my teeth at the thought.

“Are you using Haron to survive right now?”

“Is that what’s there?”

Herta offered no response. Millaiyen and Goreden followed after the creature, which trudged forward with heavy, thundering steps.

It had been five days since sending Carina ahead.

In that time, we had conducted relentless subjugation campaigns, culling the Magical Beasts’ numbers to near extinction. Yet what I sought remained elusive. More than half of the herd that the leader Herta had commanded had been utterly destroyed.

Herta, who had been trudging forward with heavy steps, suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

The creature pressed its head low to the ground, inhaling deeply for a long moment before turning its gaze toward me.

Kwaaaaaang—!

Herta let out a sharp, piercing cry, then scraped at the earth with its front claws as if preparing to bolt forward.

Millaiyen and Goreden, quick to understand, pushed off the ground and leaped onto Herta’s back.

As if it had been waiting for this moment, Herta

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began to run, its massive body thundering across the terrain.

What had started as a walking pace instantly accelerated until the surrounding landscape blurred beyond recognition.

As we entered a region where the stench of blood grew thick and suffocating, Herta’s pace slowed.

My eyes turned fierce, my teeth bared.

They were here.

I leaped down from Herta’s back. The massive leader, sensing my presence, rose from its rest and extended its claws with a menacing growl.

I drew my blade at the sound of its malevolent cry. Without hesitation, it launched itself forward, charging straight toward me.

* * *

At the sound of knuckles rapping against the wooden door, Carina Leopold looked up from organizing her bucket list.

“Miss Carina Leopold, it’s Peng. Would you mind if I came in for a moment?”

“Of course. Please, come in.”

Carina Leopold set down her pen as she answered.

She lowered her eyelids, gazing quietly at the door as it opened without a sound.

It had already been six days since I parted with Millaiyen Pestellio in the Forbidden Forest. Even when I waited without much thought, the nights felt hollow without his warmth.

I rarely slept well at night, only drifting off in the deep hours before dawn.

‘…They say humans are creatures of adaptation.’

Adapting with a speed that was almost frightening—

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I never imagined that merely two months of tent life could transform existence itself so completely. Unable to sleep without warmth—what a childish complaint this sounded like.

“I hope I’m not intruding on you.”

“Not at all. What brings you here?”

Carina Leopold laughed brightly in response to Peng’s gentle voice. There was nothing to interrupt—all she had been doing was scribbling words on paper.

“The matter is this: you’re aware that our Northern Territory closes its checkpoints around this time of year, yes?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Now that the official subjugation has concluded, it’s certainly time to reopen the checkpoints we’ve had closed. I suspect that once the Count returns, we’ll open them immediately.”

“Yes.”

Carina Leopold nodded seriously, meeting Peng’s gaze.

She couldn’t fathom why he was bringing this up now, but in all the time she’d known him, Peng had never been one to speak carelessly.

‘He’s truly a good man.’

Upon hearing that Carina’s health was poor and Millaiyen worried greatly about her, Peng had taken considerable care in various ways.

Though Millaiyen had given separate orders, every morsel of food that entered Carina’s mouth was prepared from the finest, most carefully selected ingredients. Of course, Carina remained entirely unaware of this.

“There are people requesting passage through the checkpoint now, so I came to confirm how we should handle it. His Excellency is not present at the moment.”

“Ah, I understand. But… why are you asking me for permission? I have a feeling that kind of authority would belong to Peng.”

“That is…”

It seemed you would soon become the lady of the house—

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—the words he’d nearly spoken.

Peng swallowed the words before they could escape his lips. Ordinarily, when the head of a household was absent, the lady of the house would exercise his authority in his stead.

Peng, caught in deliberation, deferred his first answer. As the saying went, a third party had no place in matters between a man and woman.

Forcing the words down his throat, Peng opened his mouth again with a somewhat troubled expression.

“The visitors were looking for Miss Carina.”

“…For me? There shouldn’t be anyone looking for me. Could they have made a mistake?”

“According to the report, they claimed to be Count Leopold. Since it wasn’t directly verified, I cannot confirm with certainty.”

Carina’s expression, which had been smiling moments before, hardened like stone.

Her face twisted into something far more grotesque than a demon’s visage, and she slowly dragged her hand across her face.

Peng, observing Carina’s reaction carefully, opened his mouth again with caution.

“The message came through a messenger bird just moments ago, so I don’t have the full details.”

It was rare for the checkpoint to send urgent messages. The fact that they had done so meant either they were dealing with a significant person, or they themselves had no idea how to proceed.

“As far as I know, Miss Carina Leopold’s surname was also ‘Leopold,’ so I’ve come to inquire about your intentions.”

“If that’s true, then he would be my father.”

Carina Leopold answered with her eyelids lowered.

Peng’s eyes widened as he observed her expression. The faint smile that always graced her face when dealing with others had completely vanished.

That wasn’t all. Her eyes had grown so cold they seemed almost parched. The warmth and gentleness that usually shone in her gaze when regarding others had

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disappeared entirely.

“You know I’m not on good terms with my family, don’t you, Peng?”

“I know somewhat.”

After a brief moment of deliberation, Peng chose honesty over deception. Though he didn’t know the details, he had overheard enough. Yet he would never speak of such things carelessly.

“If Millaiyen Pestellio found out, he would surely drive them away without my knowledge. He’s such a caring person that he worries unnecessarily.”

“Hmm…”

Peng could not bring himself to agree.

The word “caring” and the name “Millaiyen Pestellio” were completely at odds with one another.

No matter how much Peng revered him and served him as his lord, he could not tell a lie that would make his entire body crawl with revulsion.

“When will the Checkpoint open?”

“It should open within two or three days. His Excellency said he would return within a week.”

“Let those people through. I need to meet them. For myself alone, no one else.”

“…I shall carry out your orders.”

At her resolute command, Peng bowed deeply, a faint smile playing at his lips.

When I first met him, his current appearance was far more pleasant to behold than the eyes of someone who had resigned himself to everything.

“Thank you for letting me know, Peng. You can go about your business. And there’s no separate news about Millaiyen Pestellio, is there?”

“No, there is still no word yet. I’m sure nothing has happened, so please do not worry. Should I hear any other news, I will inform you at once.”

As Carina Leopold nodded, Peng smiled once more before leaving the room.

The moment the door closed, she slowly erased the smile that had graced her lips. Her face darkened.

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“He’s coming.” She had never imagined he would actually come just because she asked. At best, she had thought he might send someone in his stead. Carina Leopold’s lips crumbled with sorrow.

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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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