Chapter 9

Translator and Editor: Lea and Ishy

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Chapter 9

I was slightly relieved by the appearance of the same setting.

The knowledge from the original work felt like it helped a little this time.

“It appears that you have recognized its perimeters.”

“Is there anyone in the empire who doesn’t know of the Duke’s ability to create perimeters?”

“Is this perimeter the same as that of the Rutoru forest?”

When I looked up at Lennox, he let out an exasperated sigh.

“It can’t be said to be completely the same, but it’s similar.”

“I have only read about it, but it’s my first time perceiving it.”

I quickly shut my mouth as I realized I had uttered the words unintentionally.

Luckily, Lennox seemed to naturally understand what I said as ‘read in a book in this world’.

“Let’s have a seat.”

Lennox gestured to a bench made of white clouds that seemed to have appeared into existence.

I walked slowly to where he pointed and gasped as I swept my palm over the fluffy surface of the bench.

“Your Grace knows how to make this?”

“It’s simple.”

Lennox—who made his own bench—sat opposite to me.

“You don’t seem curious.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“I supposed you’d ask if I was a wizard.”

It was because I already knew that Lennox’s power was not based on magic.

However, I had no idea about what kind of power his ability was and where it originated.

“I don’t know what it is, but I’m afraid it’s not magic.”

I guessed my answer was unexpected, because he just stared at me and murmured to himself a moment later,

“Is it because she’s an Epure?”

Then, he immediately changed his features.

“So, what is it that you wanted to know?”

Taking a deep breath, I opened my lips.

“Your Grace said I was the ‘target’.”

When I brought it up, he slightly tilted his head.

“I’m sure you’ve seen them, too. Evil spirits rushing after you.”

“Evil spirits?”

Oh, so they were the evil spirits that followed me, who then disappeared when sliced in half by Lennox’s sword.

I stuttered in embarrassment,

“W-Why were the evil spirits following me?”

“Because your Epure has now awoken,”

He shrugged lightly.

“The evil spirits usually feed on negative human energy, but Epure is a greater desired prey.”

‘Oh, no…’

Chills spread down my spine as I took in the shocking information.

“The energy of an innocent Epure naturally attracts evil spirits. They won’t stop until they seek you out and consume you.”

By this point, my body was trembling with shock and astonishment.

‘You said I could purify! Does it make any sense that a person blessed by God themselves would be eaten by evil spirits?’

Feeling betrayed, I reached down at the hood of my cape where Ash had hidden, after making my situation like this.

But there was nothing in my hands. That astute creature had already vanished in the meantime.

‘Just wait, I’ll pay you back when you come back later.’

Grinding my teeth, I decided to find a way to survive.

“Is there any way I can avoid or fight against such evil spirits?”

I asked desperately, to which Lennox answered calmly,

“You need to fully realize the power of Epure in your hands. Because you can’t do anything with just the awakening of it.”

“…”

“Otherwise, you are only defenseless and exposed to those who seek your power.”

I bit my lower lip.

“I’m afraid I don’t know how to express my strength. What should I do?”

The completion of three stages is needed for a total awakening of Epure.

Currently, my power is only at the first level of awakening.

I had asked Ash how to advance to the next level of awakening, but he shook his head.

[You have to enlighten yourself. That’s the only way.]

“After the second awakening, the evil spirits will not pose any threat to you.”

“And before that happens?”

I needed to know how I could deal with dangerous situations.

At my question, Lennox glanced at me with the same persistent gaze as earlier.

“I have no idea.”

“…”

“Perhaps, survive somehow. Regardless of what you do.”

“Haha~”

I let out a nervous laugh, amazingly falsely.

I had to survive by avoiding the threat of my life being snatched away by those evil spirits, until and unless my powers reach the next level of awakening.

‘Will it be possible?’

I failed to hide the nervousness in my tone.

I chewed on the soft flesh inside my lips and gently pressed the handkerchief hidden inside my robe.

Would I be able to reach it safely?

I expected to get a clue if I visited the herbs dealer and asked about the identity of the leaves in my tea.

However, considering my current situation, even that did not seem oh so easy.

‘What do I do?’

It was overwhelming just to deal with Carinne, but now even the evil spirits were chasing me.

Adding to that, I couldn’t see where Ash had escaped.

As I was busy contemplating, Lennox’s voice caught my ears.

“If you have nothing more to say, I’ll call off the perimeter.”

“What? No…”

Lennox stood up from his seat.

As impatient as I was, I couldn’t stay polite in that urgent situation.

“Your Highness, hold on!”

‘What will happen after you leave!?’

As soon as I grabbed his sleeve in an attempt to stop him, my hand brushed against his skin, and a blue fume erupted from within my skin.

The generated fume was immediately sucked into Lennox’s skin.

“Again…”

Embarrassed, he ran his fingers down the bangs that covered half of his forehead.

“…It wasn’t intentional.”

It was understandable. Besides, it had happened a while ago when he grabbed my wrist.

‘I’m not sick or tired anywhere.’

Yet, it felt like something escaped my body.

“It’s fine. I understand that the Duke didn’t take it on purpose. It’s just…Oh!”

I exclaimed shortly after I spoke.

‘Why didn’t I think of that until now?’

The answer to my problem was just around the corner.

“Just in case.”

I clasped Lennox’s hands tightly, trying to change my expression to look as innocent and desperate as possible.

“Could I ask Your Grace for a favor?”

***

After a while, I entered the carriage belonging to the Duke of Kravant with Lennox.

My eyes grew wide when I found the carriage—with no decoration on the outside—to be so comfortable on the inside.

But that contentment disappeared as soon as it came.

“It’s unbelievable that you ventured out of the mansion without an attendant when your power was at an incomplete awakening.”

“…”

“You’re very reckless. Why didn’t you see that you were going to die?”

The man had a unique skill of bringing a person on edge with his words.

All the while, his words were only right.

He didn’t seem to like my request for a ride.

‘Do you still have to do this?’

I listened to his grumbles quietly as if I committed a crime, but he was only getting unfair as time went on.

I protested timidly,

“I didn’t come out because I wanted to die. If I had known that evil spirits would attack me, I wouldn’t have come out without countermeasures.”

“Ignorants should not boast.”

However, this man—who could detonate verbal bombs—was relentless.

“I wonder if you were out of your mind or if you felt your life was just a waste.”

The bitter sarcastic remarks of his finally made me snap.

“What would I have done when I had something to investigate? There was no one to help me, so I had no choice but to proceed myself!”

“Investigate?”

“That’s right!”

I unfolded my handkerchief that I had folded finely earlier and held it out to him.

Inside it was two tea leaves spread out straight with the dampness of water around them.

“Look. The leaves are different, right? I was trying to find out what kind of leaf it was because I thought something else was mixed with the tea leaves I was given to drink.”

One of his eyebrows wriggled when he saw the tea leaves.

“Where did you get the Qualum leaves?”

“What?”

Lennox pointed to the left leaf.

Oh, his face was stiff now, alright.

“I asked, how did you get a hold of Qualum leaves?”

“Well, I told you, didn’t I? It was mixed with the tea leaves I was given to drink. I had no idea what this was.”

I stuttered as if I was making excuses in the suddenly frozen atmosphere.

Lennox narrowed his eyes at the leaves as if he were measuring the authenticity of my words before he looked at me.

“I’m not lying.”

I confidently stared at him—who was giving me a sharp scrutinizing look—because I didn’t do anything wrong.

“Rather, I’ll ask you. How did you recognize them?”

How did Lennox know about the leaves when Ash didn’t even know?

‘If Lennox is an accomplice of Carinne… and if he intentionally approached me…’

I felt my heart sinking.

‘No, it can’t be possible.’

I looked straight at Lennox, pressing down the suspicions that sprouted from the corner of my chest.

“Tell me what this Qualum is and how Your Grace knows about it.”

Momentarily, his fierce eyes went back and forth between me and the leaves, as if he was wondering if I was an enemy or an ally.

When he finally eased his eyes, he spoke,

“Qualum is a tree that grows only in the forest of Rutoru.”

“A tree… in the forest of Rutoru?”

The Balkan Empire, the most powerful country known on a continental scale, actually had a problem.

The Rutoru Forest, also called ‘the cursed land’, was at the southernmost part of the empire.

It was abandoned land that was off-limits.

It was said that all kinds of unknown evil things still swarmed those woods.

The person who was responsible for protecting the empire from such wickedness and keeping them from escaping the Rutoru forest was none other than…

‘The lineage of Kravant.’

AKA Lennox.

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