The Villain Who Will Kill Me Is Too Handsome, It's Troublesome - Chapter 57

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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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Episode 57.
“Understood. I’ll fight.”
Yusiel agreed without a moment’s hesitation, and Kirien, who had been standing quietly beside her, raised an eyebrow.
“Yusiel is stronger than I am.”
“Pardon? The Saint?”
“Yes. She simply cannot wield a sword, but in terms of combat ability, she’s exceptional.”
Artiela shook her head. Kirien found himself recalling what had happened at the Imperial hunting grounds last time.
The way she’d destroyed that massive barrier with Light Arrows, scattering them indiscriminately…
“So that’s why you let her win every time?”
Kirien finally grasped the truth and murmured it aloud—though Yusiel heard every word.
“Both of you, we have company. This isn’t the place for side conversations.”
“It was a compliment.”
The three of them soon made their way to where the priest had summoned them.
There stood a large frame. The Seal was hidden behind it.
“It’s not Dark Magic. And it’s quite old.”
“Yes, Saint. It appears to be a Seal left by the priests of Edelion.”
“If the priests had gone outside to lay the Seal, there would be records of it.”
At Yusiel’s observation, the priests quickly communicated with the Temple. Those who returned with the answer wore troubled expressions.
“There are none.”
“Before I became Saint, it seems many things happened in the Temple in secret and were covered up.”
Artiela, as if to goad them on, picked up an urn beside her.
Right after the Priesthood’s meeting, when Yusiel had conducted a full inventory of Sacred Objects, she’d found several missing and had been pressing the priests relentlessly about it.
“Ahem, ahem. We really must return to our Temple now. The faithful awaiting the blessing of Divine Power are surely waiting for us…”
“Are you running away?”
“Hmm. Let me see… the energy emanating from this Seal is…”
The moment the priests reached out their hands, Artiela caught a glimpse of a pure white Aura hiding itself.
“It seems to be Bertia.”
“My mother did visit this residence once, or so I’ve been told.”
Kirien gazed at the sealed wall with wistful eyes.
“Even the Dark Mages couldn’t break this, so they left it alone.”
After all, no trace of a Sacred Object’s presence could be felt from it.
Still, it was worth checking. His mother was the sort of person who could glimpse the future and leave her thoughts behind in letters.
“Kirien, would you place your hand on it?”
Kirien nodded at Artiela’s request and pressed his hand against the Seal carved into the wall. Once again, the Aura left in the Seal flowed directly into Kirien’s palm.
Even in small amounts, that sweet Aura drawn in without cultivation was something to envy.
“Oh, the Seal has disappeared.”
“As expected, the noble Duke does everything well.”
At the Priesthood’s flattering praise, Kirien blushed and stepped backward.
“Saint.”
This time, Yusiel examined the wall. With the Seal gone, a gap became visible.
“There’s no Sacred Object here.”
“Is that so?”
“No, I feel no trace of one ever having been there. But…”
Yusiel brought her eyes close to the gap in the wall.
“Something seems to be there…”
“Should I look?”
When Yusiel stepped aside, Artiela peered into the gap.
She wrapped a thin layer of Aura around her eyes, and her Energy Sense sharpened, making the object inside the darkness become clearer even in the shadows.
“It looks like a key?”
“A key? Can you get it out?”
“Hmm…”
Artiela drew out her Bardo. Then she unceremoniously jammed it in and twisted it with a sharp pull.
“Hey! This is the Royal Quarters!”
“Once I take the key out, we can cover it back up with the frame. No one will ever notice.”
“This girl…”
“Or we could just hide it with the same Seal.”
Then no one would ever know.
Artiela declared confidently and, applying force, made a small scratch on the wall. The key wedged in the gap clattered to the floor.
“This is…”
They all stared at the key for a long moment. A key with no power, old and worn, meaningless in appearance.
“Kirien, you’ve never seen this before?”
It might be something that belonged to Bertia.
But Kirien simply shook his head.
“Hmm, even so, I don’t know what it is, so let’s take it for now. She wouldn’t have left it behind without meaning.”
“Yes, you keep it with you.”
With Yusiel’s consent, Artiela pocketed the key.
* * *
The party, having left a priest at Duke Upfailer’s Residence to perform the Purification, returned once more to Edelion.
“Bailey has gone back to the Duke’s estate, I hear. There’s still some repair work remaining, but it’s apparently improved considerably.”
Kirien relayed the news of Bailey.
“The Holy Knights’ Dormitory has turned out quite nicely as well.”
Using Divine Power and Magical Tools together for the work, the eaves that had collapsed last time were now cleanly rebuilt.
It would take some time to fully set, but there was no problem with using the building, they said.
“Commander!”
“Our youngest!”
“You’ve returned?”
The holy knights rushed toward them happily at the sight of their return.
“Have you seen the furniture in the dormitory? It’s all been replaced!”
“Your quarters haven’t been done yet, Commander. Nor have yours, Kirien. We haven’t decided whether you’ll continue staying in the Royal Quarters or move here.”
That was something they needed to decide.
Continuing to use the Royal Quarters was inconvenient, and Kirien had now formally joined the Order.
“If we pick furniture today, can they install it right away?”
“It seems they can do it by tomorrow afternoon if we order now? The sizes are all standardized to match the knights’ quarters, so they’ve made everything to the same spec—only the finishing materials need to be changed.”
“Really? Then let’s have lunch and rest a bit, and I’ll go look at it with Kirien.”
“Yes, please do that.”
After the holy knights left, Artiela looked at Kirien.
“Let’s make today the last day we use the Royal Quarters.”
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
“Then, let’s set up the riding lesson schedule now…….”
Since they were back, there was plenty to do. Though nothing had actually been resolved from the trip.
“What on earth is this key?”
Artiela took out the Mirror of Truth and examined the key. She had just received permission to keep all the Sacred Objects they found until the source of evil was eradicated.
“It looks like an ordinary key.”
“Hmm, I thought it would be a major clue, but apparently it isn’t.”
Artiela put the key and mirror away.
“There isn’t much time left……. Until when did Mother say the spell she and the priestess wove would remain active?”
“She said she’d cast it again when it’s about to run out.”
“Then can I be at ease?”
“It depends on the activation condition.”
If the curse manifests on a specific date, they just need to avoid that time. If it’s the kind of curse that reflects the accumulated time, corruption might begin the moment it’s broken.
Either way, it would be best to break it quickly. Otherwise, she’d have to use Time Stop Magic for the rest of her life…….
“Magic that defies nature has its limits.”
There’s no guarantee that having time flow differently in the right arm versus the left arm won’t strain the body.
The world of magic is difficult indeed.
“All of this happened because of my mother’s power……. If I end up never recovering my arm…….”
Kirien’s eyes grew sorrowful again. But the moment Artiela rose onto her toes to meet his gaze, his eyes widened.
“We agreed not to think gloomy thoughts.”
“I apologize.”
Artiela took Kirien’s hand as it was.
“Well, if it doesn’t work, I’ll just have to pester the Sacred Tree and demand it purify you even if it means grinding it to dust. The Sacred Tree is an existence that watches over us in place of divine will, so when I’m out there risking my life fighting evil things, it wouldn’t abandon me, would it?”
Artiela spoke boldly and swung their clasped hands back and forth.
Then, catching sight of priests’ eyes, she hastily pulled away from Kirien.
“Ahem.”
We can’t let them see an unsightly scene like that. We mustn’t stab our precious priests in the heart with envy. Such talented people they are.
But the priests didn’t even greet them—they simply turned their heads aside and quietly slipped away, their faces wearing an expression somewhere between mysterious smiles and furrowed brows.
It seemed that, already…….
‘Yusiel, that’s dirty of you!’
You’ve spread the word, haven’t you! You must have even given them orders to pretend not to know!
At that moment, one of the priests came rushing through the space between them.
“Something grave has happened at the Imperial Palace.”
“What? Why would she?”
“His Majesty has fallen ill, and the Princess herself came to request that priests be sent to assist with his healing.”
But how had he collapsed so suddenly that the Princess herself would come—not a lady-in-waiting or a knight, but the Princess?
And the Princess and the Emperor weren’t exactly…….
“I was under the impression they weren’t on the best of terms.”
Even Kirien knew that much.
It wasn’t merely strained—they were known to be outright enemies.

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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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