I'm a Villainess, Can I Die?-Chapter 106

Aaron was reading the report that Lukas had sent from the outer base. Judging by the date, it had arrived two days ago.

At the start of the report, Lukas noted that their arrival at the base had been delayed by three days. He attributed the delay to an unusual number of monsters blocking the road.

He then listed the monsters that had appeared along the way, along with any notable details.

“Two in the plaza. One wolf-shaped, one snake-shaped. The situation was handled relatively quickly, but many shops were damaged and there were multiple casualties. Left first aid to the temple and moved on.

Three encountered on the road through the plaza. Wolf, snake, and bear. The bear took a bit more time to deal with. No particular anomalies noted, but all three appeared at one-day intervals.

Just before the midpoint—and at the midpoint—two more. Dog and snake. They appeared separately, an hour apart. They were easier to deal with. Possibly due to being summoned in quick succession, they seemed noticeably weaker than the earlier ones.

On the way from the midpoint to the outer base—bear and boar. They were aggressive, but again weaker than the bear we faced previously. We’ve been destroying every red orb we find. It's likely the summoner’s mana is rapidly depleting. At this rate, a new sacrifice will be needed soon.”

“A new sacrifice, huh... Is the investigation going well, Sir Allogen?”

“Yes. We’ve begun surveillance on the noble houses and merchants we already suspected.”

“According to the report, the monsters have been weakening for at least the past few days, maybe even longer. If they really do need a new sacrifice soon, increase monitoring—especially on houses with outside connections over the past ten days. We’ll provide extra manpower from the duke’s estate if necessary.”

“I’ll see it done. Thank you for the support.”

“It benefits us both.”

Their eyes met across the room.

They were sharing the same office for now. Turned out, they worked surprisingly well together, and sharing a space made it easier to share intel and opinions quickly.

After exchanging a faint smile, both men turned their attention back to their desks and returned to work.

—

“Damn it, damn it!”

Crash. The marquis flinched, staring at the crazed man in front of him.

He’d always known the High Priest was unstable. No matter how friendly his smile looked, the way his eyes would turn bloodshot always triggered a primal alarm in anyone who saw it.

Still, he’d managed to hide it until now. Wrapped himself in a pleasant, inviting exterior—perfect bait in pretty packaging.

“They’re destroying the red orbs! I’m sure those bastards at the Mage Tower have found another black grimoire!”

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The fury pouring out of him—was it directed at someone? Or was he just screaming into the void?

The marquis watched as the vase the priest had flung shattered across the floor. He spoke in a low voice.

“Calm down first. Throwing a fit won’t change anything.”

The High Priest turned his bloodshot eyes toward the marquis, his lips twitching with rage.

Just like a demon from scripture, the marquis thought. That’s exactly what he looked like.

The priest tilted his head and slowly approached, one step at a time. The quiet advance, after all that rage, only made the atmosphere more terrifying.

The marquis crossed one leg over the other on the sofa, feigning composure as the man came closer.

“This is your fault. I never should’ve joined hands with a worm like you.”

“...What?”

“It’s your fault everything’s falling apart! Useless, greedy noble trash. All hunger, no skill!”

The priest’s fury turned toward the marquis.

Though really, it didn’t matter who was in front of him—the man just needed something to direct his rage at.

The marquis shot to his feet.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The High Priest had been the one who came to him. He’d claimed that if the marquis sided with him, he would help him get everything he wanted.

And now, after all that, he had the audacity to say the marquis was a mistake? That he was greedy? That this was all his fault?

“How rich, coming from you! How many mages and priests have you slaughtered? And even after all that, you're still this weak? Cowering over a few broken orbs? You act like some god of this world, but who do you think caught those sacrifices for you? Who made the spaces to trap them? And now it’s all my fault? You’ve got to be joking.”

Objectively speaking, the marquis had a point.

The High Priest had killed dozens, maybe hundreds, for his “sacrifices.” And yet, the monsters he created were dying far too easily.

Yes, people had died fighting them. But in terms of losses? The monsters were the ones being wiped out.

If you’re going to claim to be a god, you’d better have the power to match it.

The marquis let out a deep sigh and put his hands on his hips, his fury boiling over until it made his head spin.

“Shut up! If you were even slightly more competent, I wouldn’t be this weak over a few shattered orbs! You only ever brought me scraps! That’s it! I’ll do it alone from now on. A useless ally is dead weight.”

The two hurled accusations at one another, irrational and emotional.

The High Priest had finally snapped. Not that he was ever particularly sane to begin with—if he’d been off by 90 degrees before, he was at a full 120 now.

The red orb magic was a force of control.

The caster and the orb’s mana were linked—so as the orbs were destroyed, the priest’s strength was steadily draining.

In truth, this was the result of several overlooked variables.

First, the subjugation force was far larger than expected. House White’s influence had pulled in more troops than they’d anticipated—at least double.

Second, Lukas himself. They had known of him, but they’d vastly underestimated his capabilities.

A young prodigy knight? How strong could he really be? That complacent mindset had cost them dearly.

The sight of him cutting down monsters alone—monsters that took entire squads to deal with—and doing so in a fraction of the time...

And he wasn’t just strong. He was an exceptional commander, too.

The Duke was certainly impressive, but there’s always a gap between a brilliant man and a genius.

Once Lukas took charge, everything moved with surgical precision.

The final variable was the existence of another black grimoire.

They’d believed only one copy remained, with all others long destroyed. But apparently, they were wrong.

Ever since the mages had arrived at the duke’s estate, they’d begun smashing every red orb they came across.

Instead of collecting them, they were now destroying them without hesitation.

The feeling of power draining away was unbearable. Like a river once overflowing, now drying up into a trickle.

Crack.

The priest flinched, covering his ears. Another orb had just been destroyed.

“Damn it...!”

“Tch. Look at yourself. Pathetic. No wonder your plan’s falling apart. You couldn’t even predict this?”

The marquis let out a bitter laugh as he watched the priest clamp his hands over his ears.

The High Priest’s eyes, trembling in their sockets, turned back toward the marquis.

“...Yeah? And I guess the oh-so-clever marquis just sat back grinning while I made the plan?”

“Of course. You acted like a god. If I made any mistake, it was believing in a lunatic like you.”

The priest clenched his jaw. The muscle there twitched with tension.

He turned away, eyes lifting toward the ceiling as if seeking the heavens.

Yes. He had believed he was a god. Or could become one.

He used ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) Ariana’s name as a shield, pretending to act in the name of righteousness—but deep down, he’d always hoped to become a god.

To stand equal with the goddess Ariana.

How often did priests actually receive divine power? It was rare—near miraculous.

Like something out of a myth.

So he had convinced himself that he had what it took. That he had the qualifications.

He would build his own temple. Name it after himself—Vanessa. And become the living faith of the empire.

Yes. Everything moved too fast. And it’s all...

“...Her fault.”

He muttered, staring blankly at the air.

Then, like a ghost, he walked toward the wardrobe and disappeared inside. The marquis, watching him go, collapsed back into his seat.

He had dealt with plenty of madmen in his political career. But the ones with power—the ones who were insane and capable—those were the worst.

“...It really is like making a deal with the devil.”

He murmured, hands gripping his head. His voice was low, heavy with dread.

—

The High Priest returned to the ruined temple. He had destroyed it himself—used its collapse as an excuse to gain access to House White.

Now, seated on a fallen column, he gnawed his nails in agitation.

Click. Click.

The only sound in the silence was the faint snap of nails breaking.

Corpses were strewn around him.

There were hardly any weak mages left living outside the Mage Tower now. Most had become his sacrifices.

But now... he needed more. And there were none.

With the recent disappearances, the Mage Tower must have warned the remaining independent mages. The few that remained had gone into hiding.

The bodies around him now were all clerics.

Clerics who once followed him. He still remembered their bloodshot eyes staring at him as they gasped their last breaths.

But he wasn’t particularly moved.

Small sacrifices were necessary for greater goals.

“The marquis is finished. He’s no use to me anymore. A useless ally is just another burden... For now... for now, I’ll pin everything on him. If things go wrong... yes, the maid I planted at the estate—or the portal. I can use that girl as a hostage and escape the empire...”

It’s fine. It’s all fine. The plan isn’t ruined yet.

He muttered to himself again and again, his trembling legs and bitten nails showing just how frayed his mind had become.

Then another crack rang in his ears.

Another orb had shattered.

He clutched his head, the pain in his skull unbearable.

“...I have to stop the monsters from dying off like this...”

A face rose in his mind.

A tall, silver-haired man, cutting down beasts with ease.

“Lukas.”

He whispered the name.

He’d crossed paths with that young knight a few times while staying at the estate.

Those living eyes. That calm smile. As if mocking him.

Crack. Blood seeped from between his fingers, but he didn’t flinch. His red eyes stared into the dark void, unblinking.

“If I take down the pillar of the subjugation force... the whole unit will collapse. If you want to destroy something... always start with the foundation.”

The High Priest rose to his feet.

His eyes gleamed with deadly intent as he looked up into the darkened sky.