The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 113

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

Chapter 113
“Anyway, I’ll be back soon.”
Albus, who had been laughing for some time, finished his farewell to Edward, whose expression had turned utterly bewildered.
At Rozelin’s request, Albus was set to depart with her to the Duchy to forge the Abyss Weapon.
Edward chose to remain behind—there was still much to settle at the Mansion, and he needed to look after the children who would stay in this world a while longer.
“……Hey.”
Rozelin, about to board the carriage carrying Garren, Arma, and the High Priest, stopped short.
“……Thanks.”
Rozelin glanced at Edward with wide eyes, then let out a light, breathy laugh.
This time, Edward’s eyes widened in turn.
“Edward, if someone comes and tells you they’ll make you useful again—don’t fall for it. You’re useful enough as you are.”
“……What are you talking about, all of a sudden?”
“And the dead don’t come back to life, so you’ll never meet your mother and father again. Even if someone promises to reunite you with your parents, think of them as a charlatan and don’t ever agree. Do you remember what I taught you?”
“Do I look that stupid to you?”
“……”
As Rozelin fell silent, Edward’s eyes narrowed fiercely and he stomped his foot with force.
“There’s no madman stupid enough to say such things, and I won’t be fooled by such insane talk, so don’t worry!”
And the very next day, Edward discovered something.
“Your Highness, His Majesty has finally deemed you necessary.”
A real charlatan.
* * *
‘……Is this insane?’
He never thought he’d actually meet someone who would say such a thing.
Edward stood face-to-face with a charlatan who had shown up before dawn and abruptly asked, “Are you His Highness Edward Dianitas?”—and he was speechless.
Because…….
“Who are you?”
“I am Galio, Captain of the Royal Guard, sent under His Majesty’s command.”
“His Majesty?”
Edward furrowed his brow as he repeated the words.
“Yes. The world is in disarray now. This is precisely the time when His Majesty has come to recognize your true worth. It has been so long since you last saw your mother……I can arrange for you to meet Her Majesty.”
Edward burst out laughing.
“So Mother deems me necessary, is that it?”
“Indeed.”
“And what exactly does she need me for?”
“The outside world is currently overrun with rebels and traitors. His Majesty hopes you will lend your strength in defeating them.”
Galio spoke with emphasis.
His eyes held not a flicker of doubt, and his jaw was firm.
A well-trained knight and nothing more—had Edward not heeded Rozelin’s words, he would have been utterly duped without question.
But Edward had already heard the truth.
About the state of the outside world.
“If anyone strange comes to you with odd talk, say it like this.”
He recalled what Rozelin had told him, arms crossed.
“Furthermore…….”
“Ah.”
Edward raised a hand, cutting off Galio’s next words.
“I’m not buying.”
“What……? That’s not what I——”
“Nope. No religion, no loans, got nothing—so unless you want to get torn apart by some beast, scram.”
The words came pouring out like machine-gun fire, and Galio’s eyes went wide.
“Yeah, I’m pretty handsome, but I’m not selling my body either.”
“What in the world are you——!”
“A charlatan like you’s got nothing I’d fall for, so get lost.”
It was the moment those low words left his lips.
Grrrrr—!
A howl rang out—something far more vicious than any ordinary beast.
Not mere beasts, but creatures trailing miasma—reeking of filth and blood—in their wake.
Monsters.
From wherever they’d been hiding, things began slouching into view around the Mansion, each with a grotesque, alien form.
Some bore horns of abnormal length; others possessed fangs that strained belief.
Covered in thick, dark fur, they presented a shape far too grotesque to be called mere beasts.
“What is it, what’s going on? We have a visitor?”
“A new guest? Is someone here?”
“Are you tormenting him?”
While Galio hesitated, ceramic dolls that had been left in this place poked their heads out from behind Edward.
The children’s ceramic dolls were cracked in places, and standing beside the beast, they looked all the more grotesque.
As Galio took a cautious step back, each doll began to move its mouth with the same vacant expression.
“Wow, all his limbs are intact! I don’t have eyes, so can I take those?”
“I’m missing hands, so I’ll take a hand!”
“Oh, then I’ll take the fingers from the other hand!”
“We’ll take the feet and legs!”
“What about putting the tongue on display?”
What came from those innocent voices was cruelty incarnate.
“…What in the world is all this?”
Galio’s hand moved reflexively toward the sword at his hip.
“Hey, if you don’t want to die, I’d drop that. Unless… you want to find out what happens when a beast bites you?”
Edward, standing with his arms crossed against the mansion, asked with a savage smile.
Beneath the golden hair, blue eyes that had seemed innocent blazed red.
The ornate mansion began to creak and crack, and slowly transformed from a gleaming Western estate into a ramshackle wooden structure overgrown with vines, ready to collapse at any moment.
“…”
Galio drew in a sharp breath.
He knew well what befell those bitten by beasts.
Infected with miasma, the body rotted alive from that point onward.
It could only be healed with divine power—a considerable nuisance. And he was in no position to visit the Temple now.
‘…There are too many of them.’
There were far too many beasts for him to handle alone.
Galio bit his tongue inwardly at life refusing to bend to his will, his fists clenching hard.
‘What is all this?’
He had faith.
Faith that he could exploit this ignorant immortal.
Not long ago, he had dreamed—as though it were a revelation.
The God himself had shown him the future in his mind, like a prophecy laid bare.
In the dream, he had discovered this forest much later, but he was different.
Galio believed this was fate.
He was certain—absolutely certain—that God supported him.
Otherwise, how could He have shown him such a future and guided him here?
‘I don’t know why that accursed Duke Wilbred appeared in the dream, but…’
In any case, Galio thought everything was perfect.
This impossible immortal being—it actually existed.
He would never have imagined the illegitimate child of the thirteenth emperor was still breathing all this time.
‘…I wanted to replicate this Abyss.’
He ground his teeth together.
An immortal Abyss—it could survive no matter how much time passed.
Given infinite time, seizing the throne would be no mere dream.
To become king—the very illegitimate child they most despised.
“…How unfortunate.”
“Not really.”
Edward smirked and let out a bitter laugh.
‘…For now, it’s better to look forward to the next opportunity.’
If what the dream showed was true, he was surely someone who knew nothing of the world.
‘…This sort of thing hasn’t happened before. The timing might simply be too early.’
Galio did not doubt for a moment that the vivid dream was a revelation.
Every moment shown in the dream had proven true.
He had invested in the venture shown in the dream, and it had indeed borne great fruit. So he invested more of what he had.
And recently, he had learned through a dream that the mine owned by the organization overseeing that venture contained Yellonite.
When investors were being recruited for the mining venture, Galio needed no further persuasion—he decided to invest at once.
This new mineral, Yellonite, which had been mistaken for amber, had been extracted from the Nolang Mine and was finally being discovered elsewhere.
‘The Bellion Duke House made quite a fortune from it.’
Rumor had it that a smile never left the face of the Bellion Duke.
Naturally, many investors flocked to it, but Galio had already invested nearly all the money his ventures had generated.
‘…This should resolve the shortfall in funding to some degree.’
It would be nice to gain Immortality here as well, but there’s no helping it.
“……Then I shall take my leave.”
“Ah, don’t come back again, peddler.”
“I will relay it to His Majesty as such for now.”
At Galio’s words, Edward’s brow furrowed before a slight smile tugged at his lips.
“I’m not sure how you plan to relay anything to a man who’s already dead…….”
At Edward’s remark, Galio—who had been turning to leave—froze mid-step.

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