The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 301

Back in the room after putting the Young Lady to sleep.

-Knock. Knock.

A knocking sound reached my ears as I sat in the chair. Of course, it wasn’t from the door, but from the window.

-...Are you there?

"Just a moment."

I couldn’t understand why someone would knock on the window instead of using the perfectly fine door, but since the tenant preferred the window, I didn’t question it and simply nodded.

"Come in."

-Creak. Hans climbed in through the window, looking unsure of where to sit as he glanced at me.

"Sit on the bed."

"...I wouldn’t dare sit on the Saint’s bed. I’d rather kneel instead…!"

"...Good grief."

Shaking my head, I offered him the chair and sat on the bed instead. He really looked like he was about to kneel.

Facing Hans, who was smiling brightly while sitting in the chair, I asked him if he had finally decided on a title.

"So, you’ve settled on calling me ‘Saint’?"

"Yes!"

"Why ‘Saint’? There are plenty of other options like ‘Butler,’ ‘Master of the House,’ or ‘Ricardo.’"

"Those felt too ordinary, so I came up with something more meaningful."

At Hans’ serious expression as he spouted nonsense, I let out a sigh. I had already given up trying to understand him.

A brief silence fell.

I asked Hans what he had been about to say earlier.

"So, what happened during your vacation?"

Hans slowly opened his tightly shut lips.

"Yung is committing blasphemy."

"...?"

"Yung is..."

"Ah… I get that much, but what do you mean by blasphemy?"

"Exactly what it sounds like."

At Hans’ very serious expression as he uttered absurdities, I stared at him blankly. I understood what the Archbishop of Oblivion was trying to do, but I hadn’t expected the term ‘blasphemy’ to come up.

"So... who is the ‘God’ in this blasphemy?"

"It’s you, Saint."

"And the ‘blasphemy’?"

"Acts of hostility against you, Saint."

"Ah!"

He was someone who remained a mystery no matter how much I tried to understand him.

Deciding it wasn’t worth arguing, I let out a hollow laugh and refrained from commenting further. Anything more would just give me a headache.

But, ‘Yung’...

That was an unwelcome name.

It was a name I hadn’t heard since first meeting Mikhail, who went by the name Misa.

Back then, he hadn’t been wearing a mask. I had been waiting, thinking he’d show up eventually, but to hear his name from Hans’ mouth...

As the conversation grew heavier, I nodded slightly, focusing my attention.

"Anyway, why are you suddenly bringing up the Archbishop of Oblivion?"

"Well, during my vacation…"

Hans began to quietly recount the events that had transpired.

"Recently, I sensed something strange and started investigating the Archbishop of Oblivion."

"..."

"I heard that people in the capital city were suddenly losing all their memories overnight… It made me think he was up to something."

"So that’s why you were away?"

"Yes."

"It was a rare vacation. You should have taken the chance to rest."

"What else do I have to do? Haha...! Just being at the Saint’s feet is enough for me…"

"Good grief..."

With a bright smile, Hans continued his story.

"My standing among the Heretics is now practically non-existent."

"Well, that’s to be expected. You haven’t been active."

-Nod.

"After failing the operation to kidnap Yuria, and skipping the formal meetings and the Archbishop’s assembly, they probably think I’m dead."

"That makes sense... Oh, suddenly, I’ve been wondering—why did you try to kidnap Yuria back then? I’ve been meaning to ask, but it just came to mind now."

Hans nodded slightly, his expression turning awkward.

"It’s an old mistake, so it’s uncomfortable to talk about, but since you’re asking, I’ll set aside my embarrassment and explain."

"It’s fine. You’re one of my people now. Besides, it failed in the end."

I gave Hans a small smile as I looked at him.

"Even if I hadn’t interfered, it would have failed anyway… Wouldn’t it?"

"Haha... The Saint sees through everything."

In the early part of the novel, Hans had been such a soft-hearted person. I knew he would have given up quickly.

It was only after he became entangled with the Heretics that he changed.

Nodding slightly in acknowledgment of my trust, Hans began to answer my question slowly, revealing an unexpected reason.

"...Actually."

"The Apostle was gravely injured."

"What?"

"I don’t know the exact details, but I heard they were critically wounded during a confrontation with the Empress of another country."

"The Empress…"

The Empress.

A character who appeared in the later part of the novel. A woman with blue hair and a long spear. Since there wasn’t much detail about her, I hadn’t paid much attention, but to think something like this had happened.

I nodded slightly, storing the new information in my mind.

"I don’t know why they fought. It seems the details were kept highly confidential…"

"They must have been discovered."

"What?"

"The Empress is very suspicious by nature. Ah… Never mind. Don’t pay attention to what I said. It’s not particularly important."

-Nod.

"Ahem...! Anyway, the information I heard was that the Apostle was gravely injured. As you know, the Heretics don’t have Healers, so they’re vulnerable to injuries."

"..."

"Moreover, once someone uses Dark Magic, their body becomes resistant to Divine Power, as you’re aware."

"Ah, so that’s why…"

"Yes, that’s why Dark Mages resort to absorbing life to heal themselves, but this injury was no ordinary one."

"Hmm…"

One question came to Hans’ mind. Why Yuria, of all people?

Yuria also healed people using Divine Power, so it didn’t make sense why they specifically targeted her for abduction.

Perhaps sensing my confusion, Hans continued speaking without pause.

"Yuria was different."

"Different… how?"

"Yes. She…"

With a rather heavy expression, Hans explained.

"She possessed the Eyes of Divinity."

The Eyes of Divinity.

A divine gift that allowed one to perceive the essence of an illness.

Hans’ voice grew heavy as he spoke of Yuria, whose eyes could see through and comprehend everything about the human body.

"It seems they intended to conduct some kind of experiment."

"..."

"They thought that if they could make her change the god she believed in, she might be able to heal the Apostle. Moreover, as a user of the Eyes of Divinity, she could at least identify the root cause of the illness."

"Brainwashing…"

"Honestly, even I find it hard to grasp their true intentions. The existence of the Apostle was not even disclosed to the Archbishop. I was merely tasked with abducting Yuria, who possesses the Eyes of Divinity. I couldn’t extract any information."

A new question arose from Hans’ words. If it was an injury to the Apostle, it was a significant issue. It was suspicious why they were keeping it under wraps.

"So, is that mission still ongoing?"

"No. It has been abandoned."

"What…?"

"Well…"

Hans glanced at me briefly, then shut his eyes tightly before speaking.

"There is the Saint, isn’t there?"

"..."

"Although it’s not certain, the Heretics are somewhat aware of the Saint’s existence. Even if they can’t precisely identify the Saint’s nature, they’ve concluded that Yuria, who uses the Eyes of Divinity, has an ally."

"But still, it’s the Apostle we’re talking about…"

"Even so, the Heretics are cautious about even small changes."

"..."

"For the greater cause, they have to conceal their strength. If they cause a meaningless incident that unites the Emperor and the nobles, they’ll collapse in no time."

"It would indeed be terrifying if Desmond and Histania joined forces."

"That’s not all. If the Blue King, the Mercenary King, and the Empress unite their strength to hunt down the Heretics, the Heretics wouldn’t be able to withstand their combined forces head-on. Moreover, if they recklessly provoke someone under the Saint’s protection, the backlash they’ll have to endure will undoubtedly fall on the Heretics. I believe they want to avoid unnecessary damage."

Hans shook his head and muttered, "That’s just my opinion, though," as he wrapped up the conversation.

It was time to move on to the main topic.

Having somewhat understood the situation regarding Yuria, it was time to address the matter looming right in front of us.

I nodded and shifted the topic to the main issue.

"So, what happened with Yung?"

"I apologize. I’ve been rambling unnecessarily."

"No, it’s fine. I asked, so I should be the one apologizing."

"Well then…"

Hans rolled up his sleeve to reveal a wound on his arm. A wound that looked as though it had been pierced by a blade. At a glance, it seemed to be quite a severe injury.

"A penetrating wound. Judging by the size, it looks like it was caused by a dagger."

"That’s correct."

"And the person who inflicted the wound was Yung, I presume."

"That’s right."

Hans slowly began recounting what had happened to him.

It was a dark night.

He had gone to Yung’s hideout to gather information and overheard Yung’s mutterings. That’s how he discovered Yung’s intentions and decided to cut off the problem at its root.

"Hmm…"

The strongest among the Archbishops was none other than Yung. It was still an undeniable fact that Yung was the most formidable presence among the Archbishops.

He had also been around the longest.

Even before becoming an Archbishop, he had been a criminal with quite a notorious record.

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And yet, for him to injure Hans…

"You must have let your guard down."

-Nod.

"At your current level, Mr. Hans, you should be able to easily defeat an Archbishop of Oblivion."

Hans lowered his head apologetically and offered me an apology.

"I’m sorry. I was overconfident and failed to notice the ambush."

"It happens. Still… letting your guard down against someone missing an arm is a bit disappointing."

"...I have no excuse."

I gazed at Hans’ arm for a moment before asking about the outcome. Rather than reprimanding him for the wound, I valued the experience Hans had gained from his mistake. Besides, I was grateful that he informed me about Yung’s ill intentions toward me.

"So, what happened to Yung?"

"He’s still alive."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I pierced his abdomen with a shaping spell. By now, he’s probably hiding somewhere, wrapped in bandages."

"Hmm… so he didn’t die."

"No."

"That’s troublesome."

Considering Yung’s personality, he wasn’t someone who would let things slide. He was the type to repay any grievances he suffered.

Then…

"The person he’s targeting is our Young Lady… is that it?"

Hans shook his head vehemently.

"No one can touch the Young Miss."

"What?"

"As you’ve seen, even the Apostle wouldn’t dare to meddle with the Young Miss…"

Hans looked around to ensure no one was nearby, then whispered in a low voice.

"The Young Miss’ Dark Magic is powerful enough that even an Apostle wouldn’t dare to interfere."

"Is it really that powerful?"

"She’s a monster. An unimaginable monster."

"..."

Hans added more reassuring words, as if to put my mind at ease.

"The barrier around the estate has also been reinforced to the point where an Apostle cannot easily enter. Even if the barrier were breached, the Young Miss could erase an Archbishop of Oblivion with just a flick of her finger."

"...To think the power of chocolate could be this immense."

Hans nodded earnestly and exhaled the breath he had been holding.

"That concludes my report."

"Understood. I’ll keep it in mind for now."

I asked Hans one more thing as he prepared to leap out the window.

"By the way, Mr. Hans."

"Yes?"

"What are you building in the basement of the estate? It seems to be quite large in scale."

"Ah."

Hans smiled faintly and said,

"It’s a secret."

"What?"

"I’ll show you later."

He truly was a man full of mysteries.