TAVHAAN 03

 3

In the Kingdom of Tenebrine, those without abilities were called the ‘unawakened’.

Even a trivial difference in vocabulary could make the feeling entirely distinct.

And since there were many of these unawakened, discrimination was supposedly less, right?

‘A new life should start in a new place.’

Lillian took out a small sketchbook from her bag.

Flutter, flutter… With each turn of the page, there were artifact design drafts.

‘Hoohoo. Ah, my beauties.’

My future livelihood!

An ‘Artifact’ equipped with a Control Stone was, in simple terms, a medical device and accessory combined.

‘It controls an Ability-user’s rampage and also suppresses Ability-sickness.’

In this world, Controllers were far fewer compared to Ability-users.

‘Was it almost a 30 to 70 ratio?’

If you couldn’t find a Controller with compatible affinity, you had no choice but to rely on Artifacts.

And the Tillard family was the leader in this field.

By sucking the marrow from Lillian’s bones.

‘They sold the artifacts I designed under Iris’s name and didn’t give me a single penny.’

Of course, what’s yours should be for Iris’s sake.

What could you possibly do alone?

But despite appearances, in her ‘previous life’, she had even gone so far as to personally establish her own workshop.

So, after becoming aware of her past life, she prepared in haste.

She secretly made a fake ID and secured a place to earn money in a new location.

Now that she had even incapacitated Ramio and the knights, she needed to hurry towards the border checkpoint.

After moving in a frantic rush for a while.

Soon, she reached a forest path leading north.

‘I need to meet the mercenaries who are supposed to sneak me into their group.’

Lillian took a map out of the bag slung over her shoulder.

Both forks in the road eventually led to the meeting point.

“Which one should I choose? Take a guess.”

But then, from the right path, a scent gently stimulated her sense of smell.

A scent as clean, mysterious, and even cozy as a snow-covered forest.

‘Phytoncide are good for mental health.’

I’ll have nothing but things requiring mental fortitude from now on.

Let’s choose the right path.

Lillian took a step forward.

This was a small but great leap for the insignificant villainess of the ‘original work’.

Aeterna, a region bordering the northern frontier.

Although it was the early onset of winter, the forest dense with conifers was lush.

It was a refreshing landscape, if you excluded the colorful splatters of monster blood bursting all around.

“Don’t let a single one escape.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“Kill them cleanly. Don’t damage the cores.”

At the leader’s command, the ‘Shadows’ swiftly swung their weapons.

The one who actually gave the order, the 1st Prince, Ebren Tarandia, however, slaughtered the monsters very much sincerity.

Even humming a tune absently.

“Hmm-hmm…….”

His long silver hair was loosely tied near the nape of his neck.

The front of his black uniform was left unfastened.

He looked very much like a carefree noble.

The reason he didn’t quite appear that way was thanks to his ethereal beauty.

His emotionless green eyes caught a fleeing wolf monster.

‘Now, the last one.’

It was a bit laughable, but for a monster, it had a clean, white floral scent.

But Ebren paid it no mind and swung his sword.

As the monster was split vertically, it died instantly.

Splatter.

Blood sprayed in all directions.

“……Huh?”

The low hum cut off abruptly.

Beyond the monster, a pink-haired woman in a robe stood there dazedly.

Covered head to toe in the violet monster’s blood.

A few minutes later, Lillian thought.

Phytoncide were nonsense derived from pseudoscience.

Monsters appeared, and she was talking about mental health?

Not to mention being drenched in monster blood.

‘Ugh, how disgusting…….’

However, she didn’t scream upon seeing the scene of the slaughtered monsters.

The living ‘original villain’ was far more terrifying than the dead monsters.

And above all else.

“Hmm, you saw. You saw it.”
“May the Creator’s blessing be upon you. I am grateful for this fine towel.”
“Young Lady, you saw what we were doing, right?”
“Of course, I am ever so reverent and grateful to His Highness, the 1st Prince, above anyone else in this world. In the way you slashed and cleaved the monsters, I could sense the finest dignity in the Empire.”
“Did you also sense dignity in the way we extracted the cores? How embarrassing.”
“Oh my, there’s still monster blood in your eyes. Ugh.”

Are you asking me to pretend I didn’t just see you brazenly committing a crime?

While you’re openly harvesting cores from the monsters you just killed.

The enemy of the heroine, Iris, and the 2nd Prince, the male lead!

An S-class Ability-user possessing the ‘Annihilation Ability’!

…The villain was casually tossing and catching a monster core, a Class-1 Prohibited Material.

That requires the Emperor’s permission, which he couldn’t possibly have.

‘I thought he was in the eastern region right now. So that was a lie.’

I made sure to remember to avoid him before the original story began.

How could this happen!

There were many reasons Lillian wanted to avoid Ebren Tarandia.

First.

‘I died because the hall collapsed due to the war he started.’

It was because he raised an army to seize the imperial palace.

Of course, it was her family who abandoned her.

But since the cause of the incident lay with him, it couldn’t help but be awkward.

And second.

‘That man is a real villain that not even the heroine’s love could redeem!’

If you get enchanted by that relaxed, smiling beautiful face, you’re in big trouble.

He kills if you’re useless, disposes of you if he loses interest.

A god of impulsive destruction who still calculates?

He’s practically a living, breathing, warm iced American

Though at least an American is a harmless beverage.

That man was an S-class weapon.

Poor Controller who has to handle him.

Though Iris will handle him anyway, so not that poor.

In the ‘original work’, his act of occupying the imperial palace was also to take Iris away.

But now, the one who had to deal with him was Lillian.

She still diligently rubbed her eyes, pretending not to see the illegal activity.

Rub, rub.

“Young Lady, why on earth were you passing through here……”
“Ugh, the reason I’m here is… because I ran away from home, Your Highness. Ah, my eyes.”
“Hmm. Ran away……”
“My fiance had an affair with my cousin, you see? So, heartbroken, I just, slipped away for a bit-.”

What if the mercenaries I’m supposed to meet leave while this is happening?

But then, knights in black uniforms appeared from the forest path in the clearing.

“Your Highness! This area is also cleared!”
“Got them all?”
“Yes. All mercenaries operating without updated permits have been captured and transported.”
“I told them they’d all be thrown in jail if they didn’t renew their permits, but they just don’t listen.”
……Why?

Why are you arresting others for violations while committing crimes yourself?

It’s cliche, but life is truly unfair.

Then, Ebren tilted his head.

He was a man as beautiful as snow.

And the eyes on that face were smiling, but were as chilly as a cemetery.

“I wonder why? I just can’t bring myself to believe that the quiet Miss Tillard ran away from home……”
“Even loyal citizens of the Empire have the freedom to run away, Your Highness. Even the quiet ones do.”
“Then how can I trust your loyalty? I can’t possibly use my ability on you, an innocent person……”
“……”
“I only know how to use it on monsters and fools. I’m terribly troubled that I can’t use it on the precious Young Lady of Tillard.”

Are you really troubled?

Aren’t you gauging the situation to use your Annihilation Ability?

‘With that ability, you could dream of committing the perfect crime.’

Impressive. But it’s not impressive when the target is me.

‘Think. Think fast.’

Why this man is here, of all places.

A way to suitably trick him!

And a flash of insight struck Lillian’s mind.

“Actually, I was on my way to the Aeterna region in the north.”
“Huh……”
“Because a new vein of Control Stone ore was recently discovered there.”

For the first time, the villain’s smile disappeared.

Bingo!

The main material for Control Stones was the power imbued by a ‘Controller’.

But of course, a mineral to contain that power was also necessary.

However.

‘The Tillard family monopolizes it and absolutely does not sell to the villain’s side.’

Not to mention, that man still hadn’t met a Controller with compatible affinity.

‘So he’s using monster cores as a substitute.’

Unlike Control Stones, they have a shorter cool down before rampage, and once a rampage occurs, it’s more severe.

But it must be better than having nothing.

……In that case!

“The reason I ‘ran away’ in that direction is that the news would reach headquarters late, so I was on my way there.”

And that place isn’t far from the border checkpoint either…

“How surprising. Coincidentally, I’m also heading towards Aeterna’s.”
Liar.
“Oh my! How wonderfully fortunate!”

But I’m lying too!

Clap!

Lillian smiled and clapped her hands.

“I want to run away for a long, long time, you see. I want to make my family furious. The Tillard family’s misery would please Your Highness, wouldn’t it?”
“……”
“I apologize, but I shall gratefully accept the honor of joining Your Highness’s party. When shall we prepare to depart?”

Isn’t this still before the original story begins?

‘If I can’t avoid it…!’

Let’s use the original villain to get free escort by the most elite knights while moving.

And find an opportunity to slip away!

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