The Villainess Whom I Had Served for 13 Years Has Fallen-Chapter 335-336
Lowen, who had been walking silently through the maze, glanced at Yuria, who was following behind him with a stiff expression.
'She seems very nervous.'
She seemed to be revealing her nervousness without hiding it. Her walk was stiff, and her expression was rigid.
Lowen wanted to ease her tension with a casual joke, but unfortunately, lacking a talent for words, he shook his head with a bitter smile.
'I'd probably just scare her more.'
It felt strange to say it himself, but she was probably more nervous because he was a celebrity known throughout the empire.
[The Sword of the Empire.]
Except for Desmunt and that suspicious fellow, everyone feared him.
Nevertheless, Lowen, who considered himself a true adult, looked at Yuria and 'casually' started a conversation. He thought it would be a shame to go without saying a single word after forming a team.
"Your name is Yuria, was it?"
"Yes...!"
"And you're from the North."
"That's right...!"
"You don't need to speak so formally. I'm a parent with a daughter too."
"Yes!"
Hmm...
To lighten the mood, Lowen asked Yuria a question he had always wanted to ask.
A story that his eldest son, Malik, never told him.
A story that his second daughter, Rosy, never told him.
And a story that his youngest daughter, Hanna, never told him.
"How is academy life?"
"...The academy?"
"Yes."
"It's good."
"What part of it is good?"
"Well..."
Yuria glanced at Lowen and thought. That the senior director and the knight commander had similar personalities. Of course, they had different qualities, but... she still thought their way of speaking was similar.
"There are many good people, and it's fun."
"I see."
Did they exchange a word or two of meaningless conversation? In the slightly more relaxed atmosphere, Lowen tossed a simple consolation to Yuria as if throwing it away.
"Are you nervous?"
"What...?!"
"I asked if you were nervous."
"Ah..."
Yuria looked at the dusty white wall and lowered her head. She had tried not to show it, but she was nervous.
Her startled heart from the heretics' attack had not yet calmed down, and the screams that seemed to tear her eardrums still seemed to echo vividly.
It was as if she could still hear 'save me', 'save me' ringing in her ears.
What would happen here?
The fear of someone chasing her from behind echoed endlessly in Yuria's heart.
That's why she was even more nervous, and she was realizing the anomalous existence of the heretics.
Lowen, knowing Yuria's heart, didn't press her and said to her with a small smile.
"Don't be nervous."
"Yes..."
"No matter what happens, I will protect you, so you just need to gain experience."
"...I understand."
"But don't relax too much either."
"Yes...!"
"Much better."
Lowen nodded and continued to move forward. He was making his way through the complex maze, passing the same white walls and platinum armors holding swords.
Had he walked about ten steps?
-Saaah...
Lowen, feeling an eerie energy, stopped in front of a fork in the road and let out a sigh.
"It's chilly."
"..."
"It doesn't seem to be the energy of the holy sword."
"..."
Lowen thought.
The strange energy he had felt from the beginning was bothering him like a thorn.
'Is there another motive?'
It was too alien to be the energy of a person, and it seemed to be overflowing with the wrong kind of energy to be that of the holy sword. As if the holy sword was there to suppress something.
Whatever it was.
"I'll have to go this way."
He had no information for now.
Lowen moved his feet towards the left fork, where an ominous energy was flowing.
One step.
He frowned at the space that unfolded as he took a second step.
"...Ha."
Black and white.
At the confrontation of clearly different colors, Lowen let out a sneer. He wasn't sure, but he thought there was a secret hidden here that he didn't know.
The pure white temple that couldn't maintain its concept until the end. The harmony of black and white mixed in contrast to it.
And.
"It's ridiculously huge."
A huge space, so large that it was hard to believe it was carved out of a mountain, greeted Lowen.
A space split in half by black and white.
There were dozens of paths in the huge space, and a huge mural was carved into the ceiling.
On the pitch-black wall, a single man holding a sword. On the pure white wall, a woman holding a gorgeous sword was carved in huge size.
Lowen voiced the question that had momentarily crossed his mind.
"It's bizarre."
"...It is."
"It's excessively large and huge."
At the temple of the holy sword, which was tightly wrapped up as if enshrining a sacred object, Lowen voiced another question.
"Black in the pure white temple of the holy sword. It doesn't fit."
He didn't know what the person who created this place was thinking when they built such a huge temple. The intentions of the ancients were a difficult puzzle for modern people to fathom.
What was certain was that the ancient who created this place had no intention of easily giving up the holy sword. Otherwise, there would be no reason to hide the holy sword in a huge maze.
Lowen nodded and began to take a step into the huge room.
"The coexistence of black and white."
"..."
"It's strange."
"..."
"Doesn't it seem like they're trying to hide something? Like the holy sword is a stake to suppress something."
"..."
"This needlessly huge temple is like a warehouse to block the leaking energy..."
Yuria, who couldn't understand Lowen's words, just mumbled with a frightened expression.
"It's just a wild guess. Don't think too deeply about it."
Lowen let out a hollow laugh and moved towards the wide space. If the path they had passed so far was a corridor, this place felt like an auditorium. Yes, to compare it to a sewer, it was like a space where all the water gathered.
"It's complicated."
"..."
Lowen clicked his tongue and then slowly began to move forward.
And.
-Click.
He held his breath at the sound of someone's approaching footsteps.
An intruder.
No, it would be more correct to say that our paths overlapped with someone who had the same purpose.
-Click.
-Click.
-Click.
At the sound of the approaching footsteps, Yuria gulped and began to gather divine power in her fists. Lowen, likewise, drew his sword from his waist and began to sound the alarm.
Lowen said to the frozen Yuria.
"Don't be nervous. The person next to you is the strongest in the empire."
"..."
"Judging by the energy I feel, it doesn't seem to be Ricardo."
"..."
"Then... an Apostle."
Lowen slowly began to coat his sword with aura. The golden aura that symbolized the 'Sword of the Empire' slowly seeped into the sword.
Supremely.
Intensely.
"Our enemy, I suppose."
The face of the person making the sound of heels from the opposite exit emerged from the darkness and began to enter Lowen's field of vision. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂
Wearing a thick robe on their head.
The person, who was exuding a ferocious mana without hiding it, was approaching Lowen and Yuria without hesitation.
Lowen sent Yuria behind him and said.
"...Be on your guard."
"Yes."
"If another Apostle comes, I plan to flee, so be prepared to retrace our steps."
-Nod.
Lowen's eyebrows twitched as he saw the face of the approaching person.
Because of the darkness, her face was not clearly visible, but he couldn't help but be surprised by the characteristics of the woman in front of him.
"An elf...?"
"...!"
"...Why is an elf here?"
"That person is the one from before...!"
"Shh. I know because I heard from Ricardo."
It was an elf.
"..."
The elf who had used a huge magic on the academy party was slowly walking towards Lowen.
Lowen said coldly to Yuria.
"Dodge."
As soon as Lowen's words finished, an innumerable number of black spears began to rain down on the head of the Apostle of Benevolence.
At high speed.
And powerfully.
They were falling towards Lowen and Yuria.
"..."
Lowen, who had deployed a sword barrier, let out a relaxed breath and asked the Apostle of Benevolence.
"What is your name?"
"The Apostle of Benevolence."
"What is your real name?"
"..."
"You don't seem to be in the mood to talk."
Lowen told the Apostle of Benevolence the information he remembered.
"Why is an elf attacking a human?"
"..."
"In the talks held in secret 30 years ago, humans and elves should have made a peace treaty."
"..."
"...A taciturn elf."
The cold green eyes of the Apostle of Benevolence glared at Lowen and said.
"Filthy Sword of the Empire."
"You know my title?"
"Filthy hypocrite."
"I never thought I'd hear that from an elf."
"..."
"I don't remember doing anything to earn the ill will of the elves, so why are you saying such negative things?"
The Apostle of Benevolence created a bow in her hand.
"Humans are the worst."
"Elves don't seem to be that great of a race either."
"Shut up."
"..."
Lowen lightly kicked off the ground and unleashed his sword energy.
And at that moment.
The bowstring released from the Apostle of Benevolence's hand cut through the wind and began to stretch far.
The sword energy and the arrow met.
-Kigigigigigigi!!!
As a bursting storm raged, Yuria frowned so much she couldn't see in front of her, and the elf's robe also began to flap.
-Kigigigigigik... Kigik...!
Ricardo's Tyrfing was a special sword that nullified magic, but Lowen's sword was not.
-Kigigigigigik!!!
The aftermath was bound to be great.
In the wind created by the fierce impact, the elf's robe began to flap and dance. At the same time, the elf's eyes began to tremble.
"I can't show them..."
It was a fleeting moment, but Lowen could see it.
"If I show them..."
The elf in front of him was scared.
At the gesture of the Apostle of Benevolence reaching out to block the falling robe, Lowen gave her no opening and rained down his sword energy.
He didn't know why she was trembling, but there was no room for consideration for a strong person on the battlefield.
"Hup...!"
-Jjeeeeeeeok!!!
The Apostle of Benevolence also let go of the hand that was holding the robe and began to respond.
And at that moment.
-Flap.
Along with the falling robe, Lowen's and Yuria's eyes began to widen.
"You..."
Lowen said with trembling eyes.
"Were you a slave?"
On the face that the Apostle of Benevolence had been hiding, there was a huge burn scar.
A huge burn scar on her left eye that couldn't be covered. And on her collarbone, a brand symbolizing a slave indicated her past.
The Apostle of Benevolence's pupils began to tremble at Lowen's words.
"Don't look..."
"..."
"I said don't look..."
Madness sets in.
A madness originating from humans.
A madness that cannot be forgotten even if one wants to.
"That eye..."
It began to rush in.
"I'll gouge it out."
The elf's green eyes began to be tinged with madness.
"Μη με κοίτα με βρώμικος ⲁⲓⲛ. (Don't look at me with those filthy eyes.)"
"Μη με κοίτα με άσχημος και αηδιαστικός ⲁⲓⲛ. (Don't look at me with those ugly and disgusting eyes.)"
An explosive gaze that hated everything was pouring out towards Rowen and Yuria.
Rowen and Yuria, who did not know the elven language, could not understand her words, but what was certain was that the emotions pouring from her eyes were negative.
The emotion of her hatred for humans.
"...This is trouble."
As an ominous magic power began to swirl around the space, Rowen clicked his tongue and began to widen the distance.
The ability of an apostle is异形 (abnormal form).
It was the reason why many strong people were killed by the heretics because of their unpredictable and abnormal abilities. Because their abilities held an unpredictable irregularity.
The ability of the one called the Apostle of Meekness is a bizarre power that can change everything in sight as she wishes.
The apostle who held an axe had endless regenerative life force and tremendous strength. He knew because he had had a chance to clash swords with him 10 years ago.
He had heard that the axe-wielding apostle had died at that fellow's hands, but it was an undeniable fact that he had been a powerful warrior.
If so.
This elf, called an apostle, must also possess immense power.
"..."
What kind of ability does she have?
Rowen sharpened his senses and carefully watched the flow of the elf's magic power. Because she could fire formless attacks.
Focus a little more.
And react a little more sensitively to win this battle...!
Rowen shut his mouth at the single form floating above the apostle's head.
"What... is that."
Because a sinister tool was floating in the air above the elf's head.
A sinister tool with sharp thorns sticking out all over it, which gave a creepy feeling just by looking at it.
Yes.
"..."
A tool for the pain of others.
"Iron Maiden..."
The Apostle of Benevolence looked at Rowen and Yuria with trembling eyes and muttered softly.
"Εγώ θα προστατεύσω ⲁⲛⲟⲕ. (I will protect myself.)"
With the cool words, huge chains began to shoot out from the Iron Maiden.
-Charrrrrr...
The elf said in a cold voice.
"Don't look at me."
-Charrrrrr...!
"With those filthy eyes...."
At that time.
In the corridors of the temple, the sound of silent footsteps echoed.
-Click.
-Clack.
"..."
No words were exchanged.
A tension that felt like it would explode at any moment filled the corridor, but the two people just walked, looking straight ahead without any chatter.
-Click. Clack.
"..."
The owners of the footsteps were the Apostles of Temperance and Meekness. The two, in a lopsided relationship, were working together to find the Holy Sword.
Temperance, to find the Holy Sword to offer to the order. Conversely, Elisia, to obtain a gift to offer to the Saint who had saved her.
With the same goal but different outcomes, the two just walked silently in a chilly tension.
The Apostle of Temperance, unable to bear the cold atmosphere, glanced at Elisia who was following behind and said.
"Hey, Apostle of Meekness."
"..."
"Are you satisfied with the heretic life?"
-Click...
Elisia did not respond to the question directed at her and followed behind Temperance.
Temperance let out a hollow laugh at Elisia's cold attitude and shook his head.
"A taciturn woman."
"..."
"You shouldn't be like this to me. You should be trying to please me, but... you have to think about the future. Isn't that right, Meekness?"
"..."
At Elisia's continued silence, the Apostle of Temperance frowned.
"Hey. Meekness."
"Focus on the task. Temperance."
"..."
"Are you unable to exercise temperance like a child, unlike the title given to you by the Pope?"
"...Ha. You really seem to want to die."
"...If that is God's will."
-Grip.
The Apostle of Temperance clenched the watch in his pocket and his eyelids trembled. Wondering just how much that woman knew.
She had always been a cold woman. Especially to me and my younger brother, she was even colder and showed a frosty attitude. A woman who wouldn't be swayed even if you tried to hold her life and swing it around.
But.
"..."
Today, something is strange.
As if, she is no longer afraid of me. It seemed she harbored a killing intent as if she would put a knife to my throat if she had the chance.
At the continuing unease, the Apostle of Temperance glanced at Elisia and asked bluntly. To show him her specialty.
"Meekness."
"..."
"What color is my emotion that you see now?"
"Wouldn't you know better yourself?"
"I'm curious."
Elisia glared at the Apostle of Temperance once and replied with a blank face.
"Yellow."
"If it's yellow...."
"It's a color that signifies trust. A warm color that symbolizes faith."
"Hmm..."
The Apostle of Temperance smiled slyly and nodded his head. 'That's right, it was just a groundless fear.' The Apostle of Temperance was relieved, thinking it was a worry that arose because things weren't going as planned.
The Apostle of Temperance asked again. This time, what color was the Apostle of Meekness's emotion.
"Then."
"..."
"What color is Meekness's emotion now?"
"..."
"Are you also the same yellow as me?"
-Grip.
Elisia, looking at Temperance's eyes full of self-conceit, squeezed her eyes shut and held back her anger.
The color of the emotion she saw every time she looked in the mirror was.
"Purple."
A color of depression that she couldn't see the future in.
At his question, Elisia's emotions intensify. The feeling of wanting to wring that man's neck right away comes rushing in like a storm.
But.
"...It seems we're getting close."
Because the fruit of revenge must be picked when it is ripe. Elisia waited for the time to come, waiting for that moment.
-Endure it.
-...
-Even if you want to kill him right now, you must endure. You know, don't you, that Temperance's ability is not a good match for you, Elisia-nim.
-...
-The moment the Apostle of Temperance grabs the Holy Sword is the opportunity. You must endure until then.
-Saint-nim.
-Yes.
-I want to tear him to shreds right now, but do I really have to endure? I obey because it is your word, Saint-nim... but still.
-Elisia-nim.
-Yes.
-Do you know when a person feels the most despair?
-...
-It is when happiness arrives.
The moment the Apostle of Temperance took a step into the room from which light was leaking. A pure white space began to unfold before his eyes.
In this space, where hundreds, perhaps thousands of years might have passed, a dazzlingly brilliant light began to be seen in Elisia's eyes.
Full of holy power and strong force.
The Apostle of Temperance, seeing this, began to smile slightly.
"Is that the Holy Sword."
"..."
"It's hard to see your face just once."
"..."
In the center of the vast space, a single brilliantly shining sword was placed. A gorgeous sword that anyone could tell was the Holy Sword.
A white blade and a golden hilt.
In the center of it, a red jewel was set, a sword from which a brilliant radiance emanated, was now proudly stuck in front of Elisia and the Apostle of Temperance.
The Apostle of Temperance moved towards the Holy Sword without hesitation.
And.
-Flinch.
He looked at Elisia and gave a small smile.
"Meekness."
"..."
"I will give you the honor."
"What are you talking about?"
"Just as you heard. Pull out the sword. Meekness."
"...."
"It was written in the ancient texts that a person with the qualification can pull out the Holy Sword. You, who were a faithful clergy, should be able to pull it out."
"...I am a body that has abandoned God."
"You once believed in a false god, so I'm telling you to pull it out."
A coldness begins to creep into Temperance's gaze.
"What is it."
"..."
"If you pull out this sword, you will get back the memento of your son that you so desired.... I am telling you I will give you the freedom you desire, so why are you hesitating."
"..."
Temperance let out a weak laugh and said.
"If you want, I can even bring your child back to life as an undead. Of course, he'll be a living corpse without consciousness."
"..."
"Did you not like the joke?"
"..."
Temperance, with a sly smile, said to the hesitating Elisia.
"Why are you looking at me like that."
"..."
"Pull it out."
"..."
"I said pull it out."
Elisia closed her eyes.
At the same time, she could see the Apostle of Temperance's emotions churning.
Blue.
A very dark blue.
A color signifying distrust and alteration began to be reflected in Elisia's eyes.
"It seems you are no longer afraid."
A short sigh.
Temperance gave a small smile and slowly began to move towards the Holy Sword.
"It was your last chance, it's a pity, Meekness."
The Apostle of Temperance, approaching the Holy Sword, said in a low voice.
"A phrase was written in an ancient document."
"..."
"If one without qualification holds the Holy Sword, that person will suffer great pain."
"..."
"Nevertheless, if that person endures the pain and holds the sword until the end with evil and arrogance."
"..."
"The evil spirit that the Holy Sword is suppressing will awaken."
"..."
"This is destruction."
Temperance looked straight into Elisia's eyes and said.
"I understand your meaning well."
"..."
"You are not afraid of death."
"..."
"I've thought about it. Why you are acting so confidently."
"..."
The space begins to distort.
The surroundings of the Apostle of Temperance begin to distort bizarrely and churn.
Creepily.
Bizarrely.
He begins to dance, looking straight into Elisia's eyes.
Temperance asked in a cold voice.
"Have you decided to accept death."
"..."
"You must have thought it's better to die than to live like a slave."
Elisia let out a small smile and muttered softly.
"An arrogant and proud person."
"..."
-Flinch.
"An apostle who loves himself more than God."
"You say interesting things."
"Who do you love more?"
"...Ha."
Temperance took the watch out of his pocket.
"..."
"Are you afraid."
"..."
"If you've provoked someone so much, you have to take responsibility, don't you think?"
"..."
"We can just set up a new apostle."
"..."
"We can just create someone with... a deeper hatred, like you."
Elisia said in a cold voice.
"Then try it."
-Twitch.
"Just try it."
The moment Temperance's trembling pupils and Elisia's coldly ringing voice pressed down on the space.
"...Wow."
A single voice began to be heard from the path they had walked.
"So this is the Holy Sword."
A smile was blooming on Elisia's face. At the same time, a sense of foreboding was rising in Temperance's heart.
The moment the Apostle of Temperance, feeling the crisis, hurriedly tried to pull away from the Holy Sword.
-Twitch.
The surrounding objects began to churn and transform.
Yes.
"Meekness."
The ability of the Apostle of Meekness.
Elisia was bringing the Apostle of Temperance's hand closer to the Holy Sword. Because Temperance's concentration was disturbed by Ricardo's appearance.
Elisia's eyes held only hatred and were full of killing intent.
Elisia, with a madness-tinged smile, said.
"Ah... ah... how long have I waited for this moment."
"Do you want to die, Meekness...!"
"Ah ah... you poor person."
Temperance struggled, trying to escape from Elisia's grasp. The moment his struggle intensified. Temperance dropped the watch he was holding and his pupils trembled greatly. Elisia, looking at the watch that had fallen in front of her, just gave a hollow smile.
Elisia bent her waist and picked up the fallen watch with her own hand. Looking at the watch in her hand with an expression full of ridicule, she began to apply force.
-Crack...!
"...What are you doing now...!"
-Crumble!!!
Temperance's words were not able to continue to the end.
"How can you be so stupid."
"..."
"If I had known I could take it this easily, I would have tried to resist at least once."
"..."
Elisia, with a madness-tinged smile, began to change the space.
The Apostle of Temperance grabbed the Holy Sword with a trembling hand, and Elisia, with a smile full of ecstasy.
"Grab it."
began to lead him to hell.
