The Teddy Bear Sends the Insomniac Villain to Dreamland - Chapter 88

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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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Chapter 88
Ophelia had arrived in the Eastern Region.
The moment she reached the Eastern Border Village, the Village Chief came rushing out barefoot to greet her.
It was only natural—she was a great Saint who had come from the Capital.
“It is an honor to meet you, Saint. I am the Village Chief of this town, and I have prepared comfortable lodgings for your stay.”
The village was quiet, perhaps because she had arrived in the gathering dusk.
Ophelia moved toward the prepared Mansion under the Village Chief’s guidance.
The Village Chief cast furtive glances at those who followed slowly behind Ophelia.
The entourage the Saint had brought with her was peculiar in some indefinable way.
Their faces were obscured beneath pristine white hoods, making it difficult to discern their features, yet their presence was unsettling.
They were unmistakably human, and yet they drifted like phantoms—as if they were something other than human entirely.
They moved only in the direction Ophelia moved, like puppets suspended by invisible strings.
As the Village Chief continued to observe them, he ventured a careful question.
“Pardon me, Saint. The people following behind you—are they…?”
“Oh my, did I not mention it? They are Priests who follow me. They are apostles of God who will accomplish great works in the Eastern Region.”
“Ah, I see, I see.”
The Village Chief could ask nothing further of Ophelia, who smiled at him with such grace.
Upon arriving at the Mansion, Ophelia ushered the Priests inside and then turned to bid the Village Chief farewell.
“Thank you for guiding me here. Peace will soon come to the Eastern Region.”
“I have faith in you, Saint. I know you will eliminate all the Demon Beasts.”
“Indeed. Simply trust in me.”
The Village Chief was about to withdraw, thinking that those who served God were naturally difficult people to approach.
Ophelia called out to him.
“Village Chief.”
He was startled that she used an honorific even when addressing a mere village chief, and he hastened to stop her.
“Oh my, please speak freely. To someone like me, a simple village chief…”
“It’s quite alright. I speak respectfully to everyone. Regardless of status or origin, we are all children of God.”
“What an honor.”
The Saint was far more sublime and beautiful than the tales had suggested.
“I have a favor to ask of you, Village Chief. Would you be willing to hear it?”
“Of course! If there is anything I can help with, I will do whatever is needed.”
Already completely captivated by Ophelia’s beautiful appearance and gentle manner of speech, the Village Chief was prepared to grant her anything she asked.
“All the Priests here have been recently chosen directly by God himself. They possess formidable divine power and will help eliminate Demon Beasts and bring peace to the Empire.”
“I see.”
“I intend to create many more such Priests in the future—powerful ones called by God to slay Demon Beasts. The younger they are, the more fully they can receive God’s power, I believe.”
“That sounds like a worthy endeavor.”
Ophelia smiled and asked casually, leaving the bewildered Village Chief to wonder why she was sharing such important and grave matters with him.
“Are there any children in this village?”
“Children, you say…”
“If there are any children who wish to become Priests, could you recommend them to me? Since I’m here in the Eastern Region, I’d like to know if there is any talent in this place.”
“Talent….”
“I’m also considering building a Temple in the village where the Priest appears. Once a Temple is established, the population will grow, donations will flow in, and the village will flourish.”
Since it was all enticing talk, the Village Chief grew rather puzzled instead.
“Why would you share such wonderful information with me….”
“It’s my gratitude to you, Village Chief, and the villagers for welcoming me so warmly. It’s merely a casual suggestion, so please feel free to simply consider it.”
Not long after,
the Village Chief departed, and inside the Mansion Bedroom wrapped in silence.
Compared to the room in the Temple, it looked so shabby and modest that Ophelia, who had been sitting there, let out a soft laugh.
“Without a shred of doubt, they’re handing over the children.”
At the mention of a Temple being built in the village and receiving donations to bring prosperity, how the Village Chief’s eyes had sparkled so brilliantly.
“With just one grandiose phrase about children destined to serve God, they’d hand over their kids even if I said my purpose was to extract their hearts.”
There were plenty of humans who would agree to anything—whether I fabricated plausible stories like now, or honestly said I was gathering children to extract their hearts.
Fear was a good tool to manipulate humans, but even better than that were greed and hollow honor.
Behind the flickering orange lantern, the Priest wearing a white hood remained silent.
Ophelia paid no mind to his taciturn demeanor and continued speaking.
“Still, this method would be perfect for extracting hearts without suspicion. Taint them with magical power, and before they seem about to die, extract their hearts. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Yes, I understand.”
At the command to answer, this time two Priests opened their mouths in perfect synchronization, as if they had been waiting.
Ophelia nodded with satisfaction and rose from her seat, approaching the Priests.
With her slender fingers, she brushed the hood back, and one Priest’s face was revealed.
It was an ordinary human face with skin so pale it was almost corpse-like.
Seeing the Priest into whom she had first injected corrupted magical power at the Temple just before coming here, Ophelia smiled with satisfaction.
“Fortunately, this time it didn’t fail. It really turned out beautifully, didn’t it?”
Since using Demon Beasts, my magical power had increased considerably, and unlike the past, dark magic was now successfully realized.
She pressed close to him and placed her ear near his heart.
No heartbeat could be heard.
The heart consumed by corrupted magic had hardened completely, moving only by magical power.
My own scarecrow, capable of holding corrupted magic throughout its entire body.
“It’s beautiful.”
It was truly a beautiful work.
Admiring this beautiful subject that moved only by my magical power, Ophelia couldn’t hide her smile.
I was planning to build Temples throughout the Empire and station scarecrows in each one.
By recruiting young children under the pretext of hiring Priests for each Temple, these Priests would taint the children with magical power.
Those children who endured would become Priests, and those who couldn’t would have their hearts extracted before death and consumed.
With this method, I no longer needed to create Demon Beasts.
While Blake was finally absorbed in the Demon Beast outbreak patterns he had discovered, I could leisurely absorb magical power through the new Priests.
Of course, there would be those hesitant about work with no guarantee of survival, but I just needed to make them think becoming a Priest was worth far more than that.
“Deceiving foolish humans is what I do better than anyone else, after all.”
If I granted them honor by saying they died serving as God’s representative, they would all come running without question.
I couldn’t hide my smile—the delight was simply too overwhelming.
“Blake Leblanc’s efforts were all for nothing. No matter how many Demon Beasts he slays, he can never seize my source of magical power now. It’s not as though he could destroy the Temple itself.”
I almost felt sorry for Blake, who was out there bleeding as he fought the Demon Beasts.
By tomorrow, I would be able to reach the Eastern Border Village where Blake Leblanc was said to be.
I had sent the Temple Guard ahead, so Blake would have already heard news of my arrival.
Even if he sensed something suspicious, there was nothing Blake could do about it.
He would simply continue slashing through Demon Beasts, only to watch them vanish in an instant as they were consumed by my magical power.
In this battle, the Demon Beasts would be erased from the world.
Forever.
And once again, I would be able to conceal my true identity.
Yet what awaited her upon arriving at the village was news that Blake Leblanc had already ventured near the Gorge where the Demon Beasts were spawning.
***
The next day.
Elio, the lieutenant who had been protecting the town, finally received word that Ophelia had arrived at the village entrance.
“So she’s at the village entrance right now?”
“Yes, sir. She’s arrived, and she came with a Priest.”
“A Priest and a force to annihilate the Demon Beasts… Truly worthy of the Apostle of Destiny. Now that’s an entrance befitting the Protagonist.”
A Demon Beast shrieked. Elio, who had been whistling as he watched Cartel members swing short daggers and plunge them into the creature’s skull, suddenly felt saliva drip onto his head.
“Another Demon Beast, sir.”
“Ugh, damn it. Filthy. Wait—let me just finish this one more!”
Elio severed the head of the charging Demon Beast in one swift motion, then turned back to answer Jikan.
“And let’s go meet that famous Saint.”
Watching Elio grin broadly despite being drenched in Demon Beast blood, Jikan couldn’t help but break into a wide smile himself.

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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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