The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen - Chapter 370



370 – Octopus -1-

[Curse of Destruction]

◈ Reduces the target’s regeneration ability by 50%.

◈ The target will not stop bleeding for 30 minutes.

◈ Healing becomes impossible for a certain period.

The ‘Curse of Destruction’ blessing is honestly not very useful in duels. Unless it’s someone like Olaf who can regenerate even if his arm is cut off, most people would suffer a fatal injury from a single sword strike.

But if it’s a beast that regenerates endlessly, that’s a different story.

– Gwooo…!

I calmly raised Caliburn and measured the distance to the beast.

‘This should be enough.’

If I release a sword energy imbued with aura, it should reach. It would be great if I could target the main body in the sea, but I had to be careful as the ice could shatter completely.

“Hmm…”

– Focus all firepower…!

– Fight without fear!!! The Crown Prince will protect us!

– Uwaaa!!!!

Well.

“They’ll survive on their own.”

If the phrase ‘protected by Ricardo’ or ‘Desmond’ was attached, my thoughts might have been different, but I was annoyed by the knights looking for an innocent person, so I lightly swung my sword at the beast sweeping over the ice.

With the will to cut through the sea.

– Saaa…

Honestly, I was curious.

What kind of power would the sword energy created by combining Caliburn’s ability and my strength produce?

Since becoming a Sword Master, I hadn’t had a chance to properly swing my sword.

During the Holy Sword contest, I was paired with Elysia, so I didn’t have a chance to use my full strength, and when sparring with Darvav, I couldn’t swing my sword properly for fear of injuring him.

But now.

-Guooo…!

To a beast, not a human.

-Magicians, freeze the sea!!

A training ground where there’s no worry about property damage.

“I can’t stand this…”

So, the head of the family couldn’t stand it either.

-Meteor. Meteor. Meteor. Meteor. Meteor. Meteor. Meteor. Meteor. Meteor. Meteor.

Recalling Darvav’s refreshed expression when he dropped the meteor, I let out a small laugh, ‘Puhat,’ and released my hand from the sword gathering aura. Further. With the will to split the beast in half if possible.

The space splits.

-Zzeoook!!!!

[The aura is imbued with the ‘dark’ attribute.]

The black aura, imbued with the abyss, was advancing through the air.

The waves blocking the path of the sword energy parted as if making way, and the beast’s legs, densely packed like tree roots, were being smoothly cut off.

‘…’

It was so deep in the sea that I couldn’t see ahead, but seeing the huge vibration shaking the ice, it seemed that the main body of the beast had been severely injured.

-Guooo.

“…Oh.”

As if to prove it, the beast began to thrash about in the sea.

-Everyone, get out of the way!!!

The tentacles, searching for the person who had injured its body, were knocking Wolfgang’s knights down like bowling pins.

There was a knight whose leg was crushed.

There were also knights abandoning their comrades and fleeing.

“Tsk.”

If I had brought knights who volunteered for the beast subjugation, they could have at least done their part, but because of Wolfgang Louis’s arbitrary decision, only a ragtag group had gathered, making them useless.

-You think you can subjugate the beast with just that?

-Our Wolfgang knights are experts on the beast. We cannot harm the residents of the west.

-It’s ridiculous.

Tentacles can be cut off as much as needed. If we slowly reduce them with the blessing of the gourd of destruction, the end will surely be in sight.

But dealing with the main body is the problem.

I had a hunch that if things continued like this, there would be no one left on the battlefield but me. The Wolfgang knights, whom I had asked to act as bait, weren’t even fulfilling that role properly.

“…Annoying.”

I should be aiming at the main body….

-Run!!!

Damn knights got in the way, making it impossible to properly subjugate.

‘Master.’

‘Yes.’

‘I think it’s better to wipe them all out. If we continue like this, that octopus might escape.’

‘…Hmm.’

Despite Caliburn’s advice, I silently continued to cut the tentacles and support the knights. Regardless, I had to save those who could be saved.

“Everyone, duck.”

“…!”

“I clearly warned you.”

-Swish…!

The knight of Wolfgang narrowly avoided the blade above his head and sighed in relief as he hurriedly continued the battle.

“…Ha.”

They’re fighting hard, so I can’t tell them to run away. It’s frustrating.

-Charge!!!

It’s difficult.

Really….

Standing on the shattered ice, I looked down into the sea. All I could see in the deep sea, filled with the abyss, were the tentacles of the beast blooming like flowers.

“…Strange.”

Suddenly, I had this thought.

I understand that the beast is strong enough to dominate the western sea…. But I wondered why the head of the Bellian family couldn’t subjugate such a monster….

So far, the only strength of the beast seemed to be its size. It didn’t have thorns coming out of its tentacles, nor did it secrete acidic liquid. It just swung its heavy tentacles. I couldn’t believe a Sword Master died because they couldn’t avoid such an attack.

The beast in the novel was controlled by black magic and looked a bit different…. But it wasn’t such an easy opponent….

‘Was I careless?’

No.

Considering the current head of the Bellian family, the previous head must have also made calm and unbiased judgments.

‘Then, have I become too strong?’

From noble mtl dot com

That’s not it either.

It was true that I was significantly stronger than other Sword Masters, but considering Rowen, who had similar martial prowess, I thought this level of monster could be dealt with as a warm-up.

If so.

‘There must be something I don’t know.’

There was a high possibility that something capable of bewildering and incapacitating a Sword Master was hidden.

Otherwise, there would be no reason for the head of the Belyan family to die.

Contrary to my complicated thoughts, the battlefield was bustling. The knights, who had been dispatched recklessly to elevate Wolfgang’s prestige, were pushing back the monster with magic, and both the Crown Prince and Wolfgang were inflicting damage on the monster with relentless wide-area magic.

-Guooo…

Cheers began to be heard as the monster, under continuous attack, hid its tentacles underwater.

-Good! Its movements have slowed!

-Now! Push it now!

But.

“…Something’s wrong.”

Just when the tension was easing due to the situation resolving more easily than expected.

-Guuu…

A foreboding feeling crept in.

If.

-Kuuu…

Really, if.

-Kugugugugu

From the point in the novel where the previous head of the Belyan family died, if the cult’s grasp had extended to the monster…

“Damn…!”

The moment my thoughts began to take shape.

-Kwaaang!!!!

A massive roar, loud enough to tear my eardrums, began to reverberate terrifyingly in my ears.

-Zzzeeeek…!

The ice cracked.

-Kugugugugung.

The cold seawater began to engulf Wolfgang and the Crown Prince, exuding a sinister aura.

-Capture the head!!!

-Protect the Crown Prince…!!! I’ll find a way out somehow!

-Pull it in!!

The waves crash.

Not towards the land, but towards the sea, the waves were surging. Like the water in a sink draining towards the plughole, a massive whirlpool began to form before my eyes.

A small dot swallowed the waves, growing larger.

-Splash… Splash…!

The dot that devoured the waves grew larger, forming a gigantic circle. It moved as if it intended to swallow everything.

“…!”

With the fierce tidal wave created by the beast, dark clouds began to gather in the sky.

“Is it showing its true power now…”

A breath was taken away by the bizarre power that arbitrarily altered nature. The damage was already severe, and if the heretics got involved, we would have to abandon the prince and the subjugation altogether.

“Damn it.”

Should I have followed the prince’s orders?

Shielding myself from the pouring rain with my hand, I peered into the whirlpool. If the heretic appeared, I had to move despite the risk.

If it was an apostle, it had to be killed.

Even if we lost the prince, we had to reduce the heretic’s forces. The reason we kept the prince and Wolfgang alive was to capture the apostle.

“Lord Bellian.”

“Why are you calling me?!”

“Please tell the people to stay away.”

“You…!”

“…”

Seeing my stern expression as I gazed at the whirlpool, Lord Bellian nodded without further questions and replied, “Understood.”

“There is no time.”

“…”

“Hurry.”

Lord Bellian moved quickly, rescuing the prince and Wolfgang from the sea. By the time Lord Bellian, who had swiftly rescued the soldiers swept away, collapsed onto the ice.

“…I see it.”

I carefully observed the innermost part of the whirlpool that revealed the bottom of the deep sea.

Tentacles were moving rapidly.

They were gripping the waves and rotating in a circle.

And within it.

-Guooong!

The true form of the beast began to appear.

Seeing the beast, which looked like a tiny dot, I let out a deep sigh and jumped into the sea. It was right to deal with it if the beast had already fallen into the hands of the heretics.

-Splash…

-Splash…

As I descended, seeing nothing in my view, it seemed there were no apostles or other heretics.

-Mooon!

I couldn’t afford to let my guard down.

“Caliburn.”

-Yes, my master.

“Please lend me some strength.”

Kill it in one blow.

“…”

-Swooosh.

·

·

·

By the time my red hair brushed against the waves and absorbed the moisture.

“Octopus?”

Standing on the seabed, I was stunned by the unexpected sight.

“…?”

“Octooopus?”

“…???”

The octopus spoke human words.

No.

A girl wearing a pink octopus head was speaking strange words.

“Octopus?”

The beast stared at me and extended a small tentacle.

“Huh…?”

A tentacle holding a squid.

“`

“Are you giving it to me?”

“Octopus.”

“As a peace offering?”

“Octopus.”

“Um… that is…”

The beast began to tremble its large eyes as it looked at my hesitant hand.

“Octopuuus?”

“So, I mean… I have to subjugate you…”

-Splat.

Upon hearing the word ‘subjugate,’ the beast dropped the squid on the ground and began to shed tears.

“Octopuuus”

Like that.

“Uh…”

“Octopuuu uuus”

“Please don’t cry. Okay?”

The beast was successfully subjugated.

“`