I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 131

My mother smacked the tiger’s rear with a resounding thwack.

“Oh, stop being such a drama queen! Are we going to keep our daughters at home forever? They need to get married and find happiness, just like we did!”

With a theatrical sigh, the tiger finally relented, concealing its impressive teeth.

Then, with surprising grace, it stood and subtly displayed the Alit grass it had been guarding.

“Ah…”

I inhaled sharply.

Before I knew it, every eye lingering in the temple was fixed on me.

“Here,” Jayden said, a warm smile gracing his lips.

“I figured you’d want to pick it yourself, so I left it for you.”

My heart began to pound in my chest.

“We all believe you’re Yurika, but it wouldn’t hurt to prove it to everyone here.”

Until now, I hadn’t possessed any concrete proof of my bloodline.

Regardless of my family’s unwavering belief, my official status remained that of an adopted daughter.

Earlier, my father had declared before everyone that the Alit grass would only respond to someone of the true Medest bloodline.

“Uncle…”

That’s why Jayden had waited for me, even though he could have easily plucked the grass himself.

Perhaps everyone present was waiting with bated breath, their hearts filled with hope.

I gave a single, decisive nod and walked silently to the spot where the tiger had been sitting.

With a swift, practiced motion, I plucked the grass.

The Alit grass, now infused with holy water, shimmered and sparkled in my hand.

“Please, give it to me,” Renat said from behind the tiger, carefully extending his hand.

“If we prepare it immediately and add it to the medicine, it will be ready.”

With trembling hands, I passed the freshly picked Alit grass to Renat, acutely aware of the intense gazes focused on me.

“If my sister makes a full recovery…”

Jayden paused, looking around at the assembled crowd.

“Just as brother-in-law said, those who treated you poorly simply because you were an adopted daughter won’t even be able to show their faces in society.”

I couldn’t help but notice the color draining from Lady Yella’s group’s faces.

Honestly, I had never considered them rivals; they simply weren’t in the same league.

Nevertheless, the moment was incredibly satisfying.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, Renat immediately began preparing the medicine on the spot.

“If I drink this, my head won’t hurt anymore?”

As soon as the preparation was complete, my mother took the medicine right then and there.

Every eye was glued to her. She closed her eyes for what felt like an eternity after swallowing the potion, then snapped them open.

With a dazed expression, she blinked rapidly, looked around the room, and suddenly screamed.

“Kyaaaa!”

We all lurched forward, ready to assist her.

“A tiger! A tiger! Why is there a tiger here! Why! Kyaaaa!”

Jayden, glancing at the tiger’s crestfallen expression, muttered under his breath.

“She’s definitely back to her senses. That’s the reaction of a normal person.”

* * *

That day, my father didn’t revert to his human form until after we had entered the Medest mansion that evening.

“Ugh, being stuck as a tiger… it was truly awful.”

Now that Libena had been apprehended, we no longer had to live in fear of him transforming into a beast.

I recounted the events to my father, who had no memory of what had transpired after his transformation. He was overjoyed that everything had turned out so well.

My mother, overwhelmed by the sudden return of her sanity, was initially confused. However, after Meriel and I calmly explained everything, she accepted reality with surprising ease.

“It’s such a relief, isn’t it?”

My mother embraced me tightly.

“To regain my senses and find such a happy ending waiting for me.”

Surprisingly, despite her fragmented memories, my mother claimed she vaguely remembered recognizing me.

“Yes. I knew you were my second daughter the moment I saw you… Your father must have recognized you back then too; it seems his instincts were still sharp even when he wasn’t in his right mind.”

A newfound spark flickered in my mother’s eyes. She declared that she no longer felt any headaches.

My mother, who had previously been listless and confined to her room, began to explore the mansion with renewed energy, meticulously inspecting every detail.

“Finally…”

Renat wiped away tears, visibly moved by the scene.

“I can finally keep my promise to the Princess.”

No longer hearing the demeaning words ‘adopted daughter’ whispered behind my back, I smiled and expressed my gratitude to Renat.

Theodore and Libena had both been arrested and were awaiting trial, and my father would now preside over their judgment. The Emperor had granted us full authority to handle the aftermath.

My father, his senses fully restored, turned to Johann and said,

“Ah, Duke Hierad. Thank you again for everything. Thank you for protecting our Yurika until the very end.”

I could sense his underlying beastly growl of protectiveness, but nonetheless, my father was a man who valued gratitude.

“So, have you given it any thought?”

The ‘thought’ my father referred to was whether Hierad was willing to relinquish his wizard’s bloodline.

Johann answered awkwardly.

“Actually… I failed to refrain from using magic. I used quite a bit at the temple.”

“So, you’ve come to appreciate the usefulness of magic and power? After all, possessing such power is a significant advantage.”

“Yes. To be honest, there were many situations that could be resolved with magic.”

Johann admitted frankly, his expression calm.

“But… it was all to protect Yurika.”

Even so, he continued with unwavering resolve.

“Now that the temple has fallen and there are no more malevolent remnants to endanger Yurika, I don’t believe my power is necessary anymore.”

“Hmm…”

My father stroked his chin, pausing in thought.

Then, he began to speak slowly.

“…Actually, the method is quite simple. The power of the beastmen possessed by the Medest family not only suppresses magic but also absorbs it when in beast form.”

Johann and I nodded, our faces serious.

My father continued his explanation.

“In theory, if a transformed Medest absorbs all of Hierad’s magic to the point where it can’t even regenerate, both of you will revert to being ordinary humans.”

Johann and I blinked in unison. My father sighed and elaborated.

“The experiments that Arteer conducted on the children of the Medest family disrupted the balance of that power. Originally, the children of Medest are born with both magical power and calming abilities, like Meriel, which effectively cancel each other out. However, the children of Medest who were experimented on at the temple had their magical power completely suppressed while maximizing their calming ability to absorb magical power.”

“Ah…”

Hearing that, I finally understood why I didn’t possess as much magical power as Meriel. My father continued to explain, his face grave.

“Actually… it’s a method that was deemed impossible long ago. Because the Medest family has forgotten how to transform into beastmen over generations. Besides, even if they could transform, it would be incredibly rare for a beastman capable of absorbing all of Hierad’s magic to be born naturally. So, all that’s left is to find a way…”

“Uh…”

I carefully interrupted my father.

“Earlier, you said that both of them would revert to being ordinary humans. Then, does the Medest who absorbed the magic also just become human?”

“That’s right.”

Wait a minute.

Johann and I exchanged glances, realizing we were thinking the same thing.

I was a divine beast with an immense calming ability, a fact that Libena herself had acknowledged. I wasn’t born naturally, but I had been artificially modified that way.

And absorbing all of Hierad’s magic was precisely what had happened a little while ago?

“It’s a bit strange. I don’t feel the calming effect either, as if I’ve emptied out because I’ve poured out all my magic.”

“Ah, is this the first time you’ve poured out your magic like this?”

“Of course. Until now, I didn’t even know I could use up all my magic like that. I don’t know what Libena did to you, but it kept going in endlessly? It was completely different from usual.”

Johann slowly raised his hand.

Then, he muttered with an incredulous expression.

“I… I just thought it would take time to recharge because I used so much magic. Now I only have about as much magic as ordinary people have.”

“The pain? Is there no pain?”

“Since I have almost no magic, of course, I don’t feel it.”

Johann’s face was now filled with expectation and joy.

If… if Johann and I had truly exhausted all of our opposing powers, we might both have become ordinary humans.

With a dazed expression, I rummaged through my pockets and pulled out the potion that transforms me into a squirrel.

And I swallowed it in one gulp.