I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 13

I Became a Squirrel to Save the Villain – Episode 13

The temple was located in the heart of the capital.

High Priest Patre received an urgent report and hurried down to the basement, alarmed.

After passing through several secret passages that no casual visitor would ever suspect, a large laboratory appeared.

High Priest Patre approached Libena, who was sitting in the laboratory with a serious expression.

“Libena! Is that report true?”

The young woman called Libena was a beauty with flowing red hair.

She was wearing a lab coat instead of a priest’s robe, but she was indeed a member of the temple.

“From the Divine Beast… there might be a side effect of seeing the future?”

At High Priest Patre’s words, Libena slowly nodded.

“According to my research, that’s correct. It seems that injecting Duke Medest’s magic to increase the survival rate of the Divine Beast this time has acted as a catalyst for this side effect.”

“So, how exactly does it see the future?”

“To be precise, it doesn’t see *the* future, but rather a version of itself that perceives one of the many possible futures as if it were reading a book. The future isn’t fixed. Perhaps this experiment involved manipulating space-time, which seems to have caused some… complications.”

“…Complicated.”

“Well… I won’t bore you with further explanations if you don’t understand. It was a very complex experiment.”

“But what does it matter if the Divine Beast sees a fragment of the future?”

“It doesn’t mean much if it remains a squirrel.”

Libena sighed, as if frustrated by High Priest Patre’s question.

“The problem arises when that Divine Beast humanizes after knowing the future.”

“Humanizes? Don’t worry about that.”

High Priest Patre waved his hand dismissively. “We’re only selling them to people who don’t have much magic anyway. Besides, those with enough powerful magic to induce humanization don’t come along that easily.”

The humanization of a Divine Beast had only happened once in the distant past, according to the records.

Even that instance was so long ago that there were no reliable accounts.

So, the temple has always been careful to prevent Divine Beasts from humanizing.

In fact, they avoided selling to individuals with truly potent magic.

When Duke Hairad came a few years ago, requesting a Divine Beast, the temple suggested, ‘It’s not really necessary, so perhaps you can manage without one.’

People praised the temple for their ethical stance, for not readily trading in Divine Beasts, and for being an upstanding organization.

They only offered them as a favor to those who didn’t genuinely need a calming effect but desired a Divine Beast for status or bragging rights.

For example, the most recently sold Divine Beast went to the second son of the Hairad Dukedom, who clearly possessed almost no magic.

However, Libena’s expression remained troubled.

“I’m still concerned, so I think it would be best to eliminate the Divine Beast that was sold this time.”

“Hmm…”

High Priest Patre blinked, as if weighing the implications. “It’s a Divine Beast sold to a great noble family. The Hairad Dukedom, no less, making it even harder to approach. Besides, Tezen? That child barely has any magic.”

“Still, if that Divine Beast is aware of its potential to become human, it’s likely to cause trouble. Let’s retrieve it somehow and eliminate it here at the temple.”

“Well, ordinary Divine Beasts don’t have a strong desire to humanize… Haven’t countless Divine Beasts lived and died as squirrels without any issues?”

“But is there any need to leave potentially dangerous factors unresolved? I feel uneasy, so I want to deal with it, even if it’s difficult.”

“Ha.”

High Priest Patre nodded, as if he couldn’t refuse Libena’s firm stance.

“Okay, I understand.”

“Thank you.”

“Well, the Duchess probably knows that her son isn’t a powerful magician, so she’ll likely return it if we offer her twice the price.”

He straightened his priest’s robe and continued.

In the dark night, the temple, where not even moonlight penetrated, felt even more ominous.

The expressions of the people plotting these old, dark schemes were remarkably calm.

“Or they might want something else from the temple… then the situation would be simpler. I should meet with Duchess Hairad tomorrow.”

High Priest Patre stroked his beard, as if reassuring her not to worry. “I’ll bring that Divine Beast back, so let’s prepare to dispose of it.”

***

For a month, time flowed peacefully.

Every night, I went to Johan and absorbed his magic, and Johan’s expression became more and more serene.

In fact, the magic that had been raging within his body was gradually being organized and stabilized.

‘Hmm, this…’

I tilted my head, watching Johan’s complexion improve day by day.

‘…I knew he was a bit handsome, but he’s getting more and more handsome?’

The dirtiness and pitiful aura from when I first saw him were gradually disappearing as his illness subsided.

Besides, he seemed to be making an effort to wash before I arrived.

Judging from the scent of cheap soap and the dampness of his bangs.

Moreover, his attire was subtly neater than when we first met.

‘Well, villains are bound to be sexy.’

Johan had begun to exude a seductive atmosphere rather than a pathetic one.

Especially when I visited him at night, when he picked me up, laid me down next to the bed, and stroked me…

‘He’s going to grow up well, he’s going to grow up well.’

A high nose, fair skin, deep eyes, a sharp jawline, and a playful smile of a boy emerging from beneath the surface… He was giving me much more eye candy than Tezen.

‘Now that you’re not sick, don’t turn evil. You’re going to succeed anyway, so don’t do villainous things.’

I rolled around in his palm, thinking.

I felt like I was blessing the future of my grandson.

‘Just quietly let Meriel go and be happy with the Crown Prince… You’re guaranteed success, wealth, and fame anyway.’

In the original story, Johan falls in love with Meriel at first sight.

Because Meriel’s warmth is the first kindness he experiences after a long period of isolation within the Duke’s family and hardship on the battlefields.

‘But I’ve been good to you.’

Johan always said that he was happy not to be alone when he looked at me. So, there was definitely a possibility that the original story would be altered.

At this rate, he might become a reasonably serious and kind adult, not a villain with a destroyed personality.

In fact, he rarely said anything negative. “Momo, are you leaving?”

When it was time for me to go back, he would make a pitiful expression and sulk.

“…You have to come tomorrow too. I’m alone without you…”

He seemed to have become a bit more emotionally vulnerable, but anyway, it meant that he wasn’t experiencing warmth for the first time from Meriel.

‘Wait, then is that first warmth coming from me?’

I savored Johan’s touch and closed my eyes happily, but then I pricked up my ears at a thought that suddenly crossed my mind.

‘Could it be… that he likes me, who is human on the inside but a squirrel on the outside?’

Johan and I didn’t have proper communication.

I wanted to learn to write because I was frustrated, but I couldn’t even express that desire, so the situation itself was hopeless.

Or maybe… did he like the way I looked when I transformed into a human for less than a minute? Maybe I’m a beauty comparable to Meriel too.

Well, I don’t know what I look like, so there’s no way to deduce it.

‘Then grow up well. If you grow up well as such a kind adult, I might accept you.’

Johan was handsome, and he was going to be a war hero and become the Duke of Hairad.

He’s a little lonely and weak-hearted, but… well, I’m strong-hearted, so it’s okay.

According to the original story, he has a bit of an obsessive personality, but if he grows up kindly, he’ll adjust it himself.

So, there was no reason to refuse if he grew up well and came back.

Anyway, my plan was progressing smoothly for a month.

The plan was to humanize on the day Johan enlisted, ask Johan to erase the Hairad Dukedom’s crest [a symbol of their lineage and power], and escape.

In the meantime, I also discovered the laundry room where the maid uniforms were stored while exploring the Duke’s residence.

I could borrow Johan’s clothes temporarily, wear a maid uniform that fits me from there, and then leave.

“Momo.”

Suddenly, Johan touched my nose lightly.

“…Are you sleeping? Why are you dozing off so often these days? Are you tired?”…Huh.

I must have closed my eyes without realizing it.

I was tired.

To prepare for any possible variables, I went to Johan at night and monitored Ella’s daily life during the day.

For a month, Tezen lost interest in me, who was ignoring him and hiding acorns in the corner. In fact, he didn’t need my calming effect either.

So, I was able to roam around the mansion instead.

Once I got out of Tezen’s room, I could go wherever I wanted by running down the tree trunks.

I was small enough not to be noticed and fast too.

Even if someone saw me, they would just assume I was an ordinary squirrel, not a Divine Beast, unless they bothered to check my chest.

“Kyuuung.”

I sighed and rolled around in his palm once.

What would you, a young and tender villainous dream tree, know? About my earnest desire for humanization.

And the next day, a little over a month later.

I learned important information, enough to be compensated for my fatigue.