My Illusion Is Survival - Chapter 29

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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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Chapter 29

As Simoer and Ron’s conversation was coming to an end, an unexpected commotion arose outside the manor.

“Should I call the butler?”

When someone who had been sweeping the yard like an ordinary servant spoke in a calm tone, the others also began to lift their heads one by one.

“Hmm, couldn’t we just handle it ourselves?”

“It’s moving faster than I thought?”

In the distance, something was rushing toward the manor at high speed.

Thud thud thud thud-

Despite the heavy noise and the massive cloud of dust that rose, they still maintained an attitude devoid of any sense of crisis.

“Isn’t that an Aigres?”

“Aigres? Why would that be here? Aren’t you seeing things?”

“Hmm, no. I think it’s right. It really is an Aigres. Two of them, actually.”

Only after the youngest, who had particularly good eyesight, identified what was behind the dust cloud did they begin to dust themselves off and stand up one by one.

“Two of them would be a bit dangerous, wouldn’t it?”

“Hmm, even one Aigres is dangerous. If it gets really bad, let’s call Lord Simoer.”

After exchanging brief glances, they finally began rummaging through their pockets.

Someone drew a dagger from their chest, someone else pulled out gunpowder from their back pocket, and yet another stopped searching their pocket and headed to the warehouse. When that person returned, they were carrying a massive greatsword.

Despite their lack of urgency in expression, their movements were swift.

“By the way, it’s fortunate that Lady Elpis isn’t here.”

“Indeed.”

Since they had hidden all their weapons due to the guest currently staying at the manor, they didn’t want to show such violent scenes to the guest if possible.

“Lady Elpis probably wouldn’t like this sort of thing, would she?”

“She’s such a gentle and tender person.”

Thus, Elpis’s popularity within the manor was suspiciously high.

First of all, she was someone their master cared about greatly, and above all, Elpis herself was so kind to everyone.

“Anyone who’s not in good condition today should step aside on their own. It’s annoying to clean up corpses.”

“What about people whose faces are in bad condition?”

“Tell them to step aside too.”

“You heard that, didn’t you? Please step aside quickly, Lord Dekan.”

“Damn it, really.”

There really wasn’t an ounce of tension.

“Even if you’re ugly, you can still fight, can’t you?”

“Looking at you makes the other guys lose morale.”

“Oh, I’m convinced.”

“Forget the Aigres, I’ll kill you guys first. Come here, you bastards!”

While the person called Dekan was throwing a fit, all preparations were finally complete.

Just as they had finished preparing to face the Aigres from their respective positions, the youngest tilted his head with a bewildered expression.

“Senior, there’s someone riding on top of the Aigres.”

“What are you talking about? What crazy bastard in this world would ride on top of an Aigres?”

Everyone burst into laughter at such an unreasonable statement, but a shocking answer came back shortly after.

“The master, Lady Elpis, and Lady Linoa Marigold are riding on them.”

Silence immediately descended.

“…Who?”

“I only laughed. I wasn’t the one who said ‘crazy bastard,’ so don’t ever mention my name later.”

“You bastard, trying to weasel out of it alone!”

But even in the midst of all this, the youngest who had first spoken still wore a strange expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, something seems a bit odd.”

“Odd? What do you mean?”

Only after everyone’s attention was focused on him did he speak again.

“The master’s and Lady Elpis’s expressions are, how should I put it… a bit strange.”

“Their expressions?”

“I don’t know how to explain it. It’s like, should I say their souls have been sucked out? Anyway, it’s strange.”

Everyone just tilted their heads at the incomprehensible explanation.

But shortly after.

When they saw the three people who had arrived at the manor, they immediately had no choice but to understand the earlier explanation.

“…”

“…”

Azel was half out of his mind, and Elpis’s eyes were unfocused.

Her forehead was even swollen red, and just as the youngest had said, she looked as if her soul had been half sucked out.

Anyone could see that their condition was strange.

“Uh… well, that… uh, w-welcome back.”

In the end, they greeted their master with thoroughly flustered expressions.

In any case, it was a homecoming.

*

“Lady Elpis, did you sleep well… no, excuse me, are you alright?”

Early morning.

As I slowly emerged from my room, Linoa Marigold started to give me a morning greeting but stopped mid-sentence and asked in a worried tone.

“Of course. I’m perfectly fine.”

I thought I had answered properly, but Linoa Marigold’s expression grew worse.

“You don’t seem fine at all.”

“Haha, hahaha.”

I responded with mechanical laughter instead of an answer, but actually, Linoa Marigold’s observation was accurate.

I was currently not fine at all.

‘I couldn’t sleep a wink all night.’

Every time I closed my eyes to sleep, Azel’s moist eyes would come to mind, making it impossible to fall asleep.

After screaming and bolting upright from bed several times, I finally had to give up on sleeping.

“Linoa Marigold.”

“Yes, please speak.”

When I called out to Linoa Marigold hesitantly with a half-dead face, she responded with a thoughtful expression.

Even though Linoa Marigold was being particularly gentle today, I failed to notice that fact.

“Ah…”

I wanted to ask how Azel was doing right now, but it was difficult to even mention that name.

“Ah, what happened to the Aigres?”

In the end, I asked about the whereabouts of the Aigres instead, something I wasn’t particularly curious about, but an unexpectedly surprising answer came back.

“Those creatures are currently in the garden.”

“The garden? They haven’t gone back yet?”

I naturally assumed they would have dropped us off and returned to their original location, but the two creatures were still staying at the manor.

“We tried to send them away several times, but they wouldn’t listen at all, and it seemed like they were waiting for Lady Elpis.”

“Hmm, I guess I should go to the garden first.”

I was about to start walking when Linoa Marigold immediately spoke next.

“There’s a priest that the master called in the annex, so how about visiting there first?”

“Cough!”

When Azel was mentioned, I choked without realizing it.

“Are you alright?”

“Ah, Azel, *cough*! *ahem*, Azel called for a priest?”

He had been looking for a priest yesterday too, and it seemed he had finally brought one to the manor.

I didn’t know the reason, but Azel was extremely concerned about my health.

‘D-damn it!’

Of course, this was a red flag for me.

What was this supposed to be? My heart area was tingling again.

“…Lady Elpis?”

I must have made a miserable expression without realizing it, as Linoa Marigold looked at me with a worried face, but I couldn’t bring myself to say I was fine.

“Let’s go for now.”

*

At the annex we arrived at, just as Linoa Marigold had said, a priest was waiting for me.

“Ah, greetings, my lady. I, I am a servant of Lord Acrasia who opens the br-brightest dawn, offering my r-r-respects.”

The priest was a young man who was extremely nervous. He wasn’t a face I recognized.

But I couldn’t take my eyes off the priest for a different reason.

“Um, Linoa Marigold?”

“Yes, miss.”

“…What on earth is this about?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why are the priest’s eyes covered?”

The young priest was trembling while his eyes were covered with black cloth. That definitely wasn’t a fashion statement.

“Because it’s better that way.”

Meanwhile, Linoa Marigold’s attitude was extremely calm.

Thanks to that, I didn’t need to ask in what way it was better.

Cleanup. That clearly implied it would be easier to clean up afterward.

“*gasp*…! *sob*, *whimper*!”

The priest also seemed to realize the true meaning behind those words.

‘They kidnapped him.’

I had wondered how the Empire’s famous villain had brought a healing priest, but it seemed they had simply kidnapped and dragged him here.

To safely send the priest home, we had to make sure he didn’t know where this place was.

“*sob*, *gasp*! *cough*, I’m, I’m s-s-sorry, *gasp*!”

“…Let’s skip the introductions.”

“Th-*cough*! Thank, thank you!”

Thanks to that, the reception room was filled only with the priest’s sobbing sounds.

‘This damn Black Mansion.’

If I continued to be attracted to Azel after seeing this scene, I really wouldn’t be human.

“Let’s just do this quickly and get it over with.”

I was trying to hurry things along, thinking this might kill someone, when the tightly closed door of the reception room opened.

“Don’t rush and examine her pulse accurately.”

At the familiar voice, my heart dropped with a thud, now like a habit.

‘D-don’t act up, heart!’

Despite having just argued about whether I was human or not, my chest was already pounding.

That was right.

I wasn’t human either.

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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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