The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 181

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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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Part 2, Episode 51
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“By the way, how did you even find this place? Ah, well, since I’ve taken the money, I’ll do the work—but I’m genuinely curious.”
He walked along cradling the box of money to his chest as he spoke.
I glanced casually around. Wolf walked beside me on one side, while behind us the Knights trailed along, tense but keeping their swords sheathed.
Even though I’d told them it was fine, they apparently disagreed.
With Wolf grown nearly as large as me now, I felt less afraid than I might have.
“And I’m curious how you came by that wolf too.”
“You’re a curious one, aren’t you?”
“Am I?”
“Sure—five million Olang per question, and I’ll answer.”
Irbon’s eyes widened before he quickly hugged the money in his possession closer.
“Not curious anymore.”
The boy spoke those words while looking at me as if watching the most shameless person alive.
Young or old, it seemed everyone had the same love of money.
The moment Irbon appeared, Wolf had broken through some space, revealing what lay beyond—something like a cavern.
A cavern, perhaps?
Or maybe, given that it stretched endlessly, it would be more accurate to call it a tunnel.
With each step they took, flames ignited in succession, illuminating the path ahead.
“But honestly, I am curious how you got here.”
“I don’t know myself—someone led me here.”
“……To this place, where I am?”
“Yes.”
“That’s quite remarkable… I’d very much like to meet this person.”
Irbon’s eyes narrowed.
He studied me with an inscrutable expression before turning his gaze forward again.
“Regardless, may I ask why you came looking for me?”
“Why are you here?”
I scanned the tunnel’s interior—where the only thing visible was the flames at our feet—as I asked.
At that, he tilted his head with an odd look.
“Why am I here? Because I’m here, I’m here.”
“I’m not trying to play word games.”
“Neither am I.”
Irbon replied.
“If you strip away the beginning and end of your words like that, I honestly don’t understand what you’re asking me.”
……
I narrowed my eyes, gave him a sidelong look, then nodded.
“I heard that a Divine Revelation came to the Temple recently.”
“Did it?”
“That one of the High Priest’s descendants was born.”
This was information that Garren Wilbred had shared with me, something he’d learned from the Temple.
Ah, Garren—whether because of me or for some other reason—had begun to sponsor the Temple.
Thanks to that, information was easier to come by.
“The High Priest?”
“Yes, and I know that descendant is you.”
“……Me?”
His habit of ending every statement with a question made my lips curve into a small smile.
Regardless, Irbon opened his eyes wide in affected innocence, his expression blank as though he understood nothing.
“What I want to know is why you’re hiding.”
“I simply came to polish the Way for the sake of my spiritual well-being……?”
At such a shameless answer, I frowned.
The Religious Order’s power had grown too great, and the Temple’s power had diminished far too much.
There was nothing inherently wrong with multiple religions existing, but in a country where only one religion rose to prominence, it was dangerous.
The Temple needed a countermeasure.
Irbon, as the High Priest, was someone whom Garren Wilbred acknowledged to some degree, so at minimum, we needed that level of strength.
What was needed was someone who could perform true Miracles.
Hmm.
Irbon glanced at me, then tilted his head slightly.
“I might not be the one you’re looking for.”
“But you have a reason to be hiding in a place like this.”
“I told you, it’s just for peace of mind and stability…….”
“I don’t have time for this.”
There was no time to indulge in pointless word games.
I had to get back before dinner anyway.
“My father and his fiancée haven’t been getting along lately, and if I’m not there, they won’t even eat.”
If I stayed much longer, dinner would slip through my fingers entirely.
“……Ah.”
“I want to keep the conversation short and straightforward.”
“Short and straightforward…….”
Irbon murmured softly to himself, nodding his head.
“Then, well…… if I’m to be short and straightforward about my opinion.”
He’d positioned himself at the tunnel’s exit, and now he opened his mouth.
“Would you mind just going? It’s troublesome otherwise.”
“……?”
“I don’t want to get caught up in anything that gives me a headache…… and for some reason it feels like there’s danger lurking out there, so I’d rather not think about it.”
Wait—was a High Priest candidate really allowed to do this?
I stared up at him blankly, then staggered and clutched at Wolf’s back in exasperation.
Wolf’s body went rigid.
Even though his frame was stiff and awkward as a stone, at least the fur was soft and thick—better than nothing.
“So please go back, little girl.”
“So you’re saying you’re staying here because it’s too troublesome……?”
“Yes.”
“That’s allowed?”
“What’s to stop it?”
He was right—phrased like that, I genuinely had no counterargument.
“I’ll pay you.”
“Too troublesome.”
Irbon scratched his head and spoke without interest.
“Have you ever seen the Bynac Cult? Or made contact with them—either way, really.”
Irbon’s gaze lowered to meet mine, and a faint smile crossed his face.
“Yes, they came looking for me. They said they could grant miracles. So I pestered them almost desperately to give me just 10 billion Olang, and for some reason they went pale as a ghost and ran away.”
“……Ah, 10 billion.”
At that amount, I’d run away too.
“I suppose it can’t be helped…….”
“Are you giving up?”
“No, it’s just…….”
If my target wouldn’t cooperate, I’d simply execute Plan B.
I smiled brightly and spoke.
“I’ll spread word about where the High Priest candidate is, what he looks like, how he speaks, what his abilities are, and what his values are. All of it.”
“……Pardon?”
“Then even if it’s troublesome, he’ll end up walking into somewhere eventually.”
I reached my conclusion cleanly.
“A High Priest candidate who performs miracles…… for just 10 million Olang, I’ll sell where he is, his appearance, his manner of speech, his abilities, his values, his age, his preferences, and basically any personal information…….”
“…….”
“Well then, since I’ve gotten what I came for, I’ll be leaving.”
“Even if you come back here, I won’t be.”
I nodded at Irbon’s words.
“That’s fine. Someone else will search desperately for you.”
“……Pardon?”
“I was attacked by a massive bear today, lost an arm, had my head torn open, and got a hole punched through my abdomen…….”
“……Wait, what have you been talking about this whole time…….”
“And then I witnessed a ‘real’ miracle.”
“…….”
Irbon looked at me with an expression caught between disbelief and resignation.
“I’m going to spread that story.”
She smiled with the brightest expression she could muster.
“…….”
I watched his expression turn to utter impossibility, and I didn’t drop my smile.
“If you don’t want to participate because it’s too troublesome, well, you can always just serve as a rumor-mongering catalyst instead. Staying holed up here isn’t such a bad strategy either.”
“So this is what you’re going to do?”
“Yeah. When, how, or who’ll come looking once word spreads—I have no idea.”
Irbon exhaled slowly.
He rubbed his brow lightly.
“Even if I involve myself, I don’t think the situation will change much.”
“Why?”
“The world is already walking the path toward ruin. There’s no point in—”
“Why?”
“Well, the fact that a monster has coiled up here means this world is already finished, so—”
Even as he spoke, Irbon seemed to find his own words strange, and he sighed again.
“Irbon.”
“Yes?”
“I need to restore peace to this world quickly and go home.”
My words made him pause.
He looked down at me with the expression of someone who’d heard something peculiar.
“But right now there are too many obstacles in the way, and it’s frustrating. So I need to deal with this—”
“…I see.”
Irbon let out a small exclamation, then crouched down and stared at me intently before opening his mouth.
“So that’s it.”
He murmured something quietly and smiled.
“I’ll do it.”
“Huh?”
“I’ll become the High Priest.”
And then, out of nowhere, he accepted.
I was left speechless.

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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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