I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 128

Johann was silent for a moment.

Libena simply waited, a confident look on her face.

She had forcibly transformed Yurika into a sacred beast, but the effect was temporary. Still, she had no doubt that Johann would make a decision before the time ran out.

She had meticulously planned for this very situation.

Even without added pressure, the temptation would be immense, but now he was even more stimulated.

Frankly, his hesitation surprised her.

Why was he hesitating when he had the chance to possess her for the rest of his life?

Theodor had been desperate for such an opportunity.

Right now, Theodor was probably getting mauled by Oscar, but that was none of her concern.

From the beginning, Libena intended to use Johann.

And after a while.

“…I will do it.”

Johann stated flatly.

“What do I have to do?”

*As expected.*

Libena grinned. She knew it would turn out this way.

*‘As expected. Trusting a wizard, it’s all your fault.’*

From the start, she believed trusting a wizard was foolish.

She endured, imagining this moment every time Yurika succeeded.

This moment when she would be betrayed by Johann Hyrard, whom she thought was her closest ally.

It was a little unfortunate that Yurika was unconscious during this pivotal moment. Had she been conscious, Johann might have wavered, making unconsciousness an unavoidable choice.

“It’s simple.”

Libena explained quickly.

“I’m going to perform several procedures on Yurika…”

She strode over and laid Yurika on the old, worn-out experiment table.

Since this was originally her laboratory, she was adept at everything.

“At the end, after injecting the Duke’s magic power, just whisper to her to remain a sacred beast and not transform back into a human. That will effectively brainwash her.”

“…”

“Normally, sacred beasts don’t have a strong desire to turn into humans without special brainwashing… It’s a bit strange how she insisted on transforming in this case. I must have overlooked something.”

“…Is this experiment definitely complete?”

“Yes, of course.”

In reality, it was a lie.

She had run out of experimental materials and time, leaving her no choice but to proceed.

However, she couldn’t tell Johann, ‘Actually, I’m not sure if it will work… Manipulating time is very tricky.’

Despite her uncertainty, Libena decided to trust her abilities.

“Of course, it’s completely finished.”

Libena, confidently assuring Johann, secured the unconscious squirrel to the table and immediately took out several vials from her pocket, injecting their contents.

After a brief procedure, Libena looked at Johann.

“Now, come here. And…”

She smiled and continued.

“Here, place your hand on the squirrel’s belly, inject your magic power, and keep repeating: Never, ever, turn into a human.”

* * *

At some point, the temple’s collapse ceased.

The wizards, regaining their senses after Yurika’s disappearance, began the cleanup.

They were skilled enough to protect the outskirts. They could support the collapsing temple by dismantling and moving the fallen pillars.

Moreover, the earthquake subsided over time.

Meanwhile, an interesting incident unfolded in the central garden.

A tiger, whose arrival no one had noticed, was attacking Theodor, its teeth at his neck.

To be precise, it was poised to bite, its teeth just millimeters from piercing his skin. Any sudden movement could cause a fatal injury.

This precarious situation prevented the imperial knights from intervening carelessly. A misplaced dagger throw could break Theodor’s neck.

No matter how skilled Theodor’s guards were, they couldn’t react faster than a beast.

“Libena! Where is Libena!”

Theodor shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Find Libena! Quickly!”

One of the knights said, flustered.

“Even if the Countess arrives, she wouldn’t be able to resolve this situation…”

“She can solve it! This potion was made by Libena!”

Everyone present had witnessed Oscar transform into a tiger after being hit by Theodor’s potion.

Everyone was astonished.

No one had imagined a potion capable of turning a human into a beast.

The knight, prompted by Theodor, continued loyally despite his anxiety.

“I, if you could tell us where the Countess is, we will find her immediately…”

“She’s watching the whole situation from the railing above… Ah, that’s right!”

Theodor, struck by sudden realization, shouted with wide eyes.

“She must have seen this. She must have gone to Johann Hyrard and Yurika Medest!”

“Yes?”

“Find those two! Libena must be with them.”

“Then, if you could guess their location…”

“It’s near here!”

Theodor shouted urgently, feeling the tiger’s teeth press against his skin.

“Yurika Medest would never give up Alitr [a rare magical herb]!”

“Yes, yes!”

Fearing Theodor’s wrath if they delayed any longer, the knights who had been conversing quickly ran off.

Jayden, quietly observing the scene from behind the railing, clicked his tongue.

*‘Theodor probably doesn’t even realize what he just confessed.’*

Jayden had been tending to Sienna and hiding before Oscar went to the central garden.

*‘And he said that with so many ears listening. It’s pretty much over.’*

Sienna rolled her eyes and muttered beside Jayden.

“No, why isn’t he actually biting him? He’s too cold-blooded, even after becoming a beast.”

“Sister.”

Jayden sighed and whispered.

“I still find it so… strange that a person can turn into a tiger, but you’re taking it so well.”

“The essence isn’t different, though.”

Sienna said nonchalantly.

Even so, she frowned slightly, as if she had a headache, and muttered worriedly.

It was as if her husband biting the prince’s neck was a minor inconvenience.

“Anyway, I’m worried about Yurika and Johann.”

“…Johann? Since when have you been so close?”

“Isn’t he going to be family?”

Sienna whispered, her eyes wide.

“Anyway, he’s handsome and good to Yurika, so I approve. He seems a little crazy, though.”

“Isn’t that the scariest part? His eyes are not normal!”

Jayden was surprised and waved his hand.

“Actually, that man is a wizard… I’m really uneasy. The Medest family has received so much from Duke Hyrard that even my brother-in-law can’t refuse… Anyway, how can you trust a wizard?”

He rubbed his forehead and continued.

“Of course, I would have opposed whoever came. Even the Crown Prince isn’t good enough for our cute and adorable nieces. But if it’s a Hyrard wizard, there’s something unsettling, isn’t there?”

“But the Hyrard ducal family has a lot of money. Honestly, their family’s power is stronger than ours.”

“Still, that’s not everything. We’re not a trash family that sells daughters to powerful families…”

Jayden muttered lowly.

“Just thinking about the previous Duke Hyrard and his Duchess…”

At that, Sienna said firmly.

“That’s the previous generation’s business.”

“Yes?”

“Johann is a different person from the previous Duke Hyrard. Why are you worrying about that?”

“…But, no, it’s nothing. Never mind.”

Jayden, unable to form a logical rebuttal, simply closed his mouth.

However, he quietly began to worry about Yurika and Johann, who were out of sight.

Libena’s whereabouts were also unknown, adding to his unease.

* * *

Johann quietly gazed at the unconscious squirrel on the table.

His purple eyes were filled with deep possessiveness.

“Quickly.”

Libena whispered.

It was clear that the situation outside was being managed. Theodor would be dealt with by Oscar, the earthquake’s aftermath would be cleaned up, and people would soon begin investigating.

But it didn’t matter. Once the experiment was complete, time would rewind anyway.

“Since the experiment has already begun, this squirrel will die without your magic power. There’s no point in hesitating now. This squirrel has already lost consciousness and is only existing in the past timeline with everything regressed. So, you have to brainwash her quickly. Only that step remains.”

Libena gently pulled Johann closer.

Johann took a deep breath and placed his hand on the squirrel’s belly as Libena instructed.

He slowly began to inject his magic power. The squirrel’s front paws twitched slightly.

“Now, whisper.”

Libena urged.

Johann slowly lowered his head, bringing his face close to the squirrel.

“Yurika.”

He whispered desperately.

“You are human. Turn into a human. You must, you must turn into a human.”