I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 62

I was visiting the Hyrard ducal residence for the first time in a long while.

‘Has it been five years?’

I looked around, lost in reminiscence.

Come to think of it, I spent most of my time here as a squirrel.

Compared to when I stayed here before, not much seemed to have changed.

Of course, the biggest change was the owner of this castle.

“What are you going to do with Ella and Tezen?”

Tezen, who had been strutting around the garden, came to mind, so I blurted out the question.

“Honestly, I thought you were going to… Ah, never mind.”

“You thought I was going to what?”

When I trailed off, Johann narrowed his eyes and replied gently.

“Honestly, did you think I was going to kill those people, Yurika?”

“Ah, well.”

Goodness, he figured out what I was thinking so quickly.

In the original story, as soon as Johann returned, he brutally executed all the servants of the ducal residence, including Ella and Tezen, in front of many people.

You could say he was almost out of his mind, taking revenge in a cruel manner.

However, the Johann in front of me didn’t kill the servants, though he did drive them out like beggars.

And it was only reported that Ella and Tezen were imprisoned in the underground dungeon.

‘Of course, people are criticizing even that as an act of patricide [killing one’s father].’

No matter how much Johann claimed he had been abused, few people would believe him anyway.

Ella hadn’t done anything visibly wrong.

Most people just assumed that Johann had internally dealt with them after vaguely accusing them of something.

The stepmother and half-sibling who were guarding the capital were enough to threaten Johann’s position in Hyrard just by their existence.

‘Who would believe that they even tried to use drugs from the temple? The temple would naturally deny it.’

Therefore, Johann quietly handled the matter without making it public.

Of course, there were people who gossiped behind his back, but no one openly criticized him.

There wasn’t really anyone who would stand up for Ella and Tezen against Johann.

“That’s what I thought, actually. I know how those people treated you.”

I rolled my eyes and nodded.

And I was about to add that I didn’t expect you to be so soft-hearted.

Johann smiled and said eerily.

“Shouldn’t they be trapped in pain for at least 15 years?”

“Huh?”

“Dying in an instant is too easy.”

Well, that’s true… but to say that with such a pretty smile.

“Um……”

“I don’t know how many times I wished I could die back then.”

“Ah……”

“I’m going to make them experience the same thing, and then think about it in 15 years.”

Ah.

Johann had grown up to be a truly rationally cruel person.

I stared at him intently and gave him a thumbs up.

“Good job, Johann.”

“Huh?”

“You’re keeping a good grip on your sanity and calmly taking revenge. I highly commend you.”

In a way, it could be said that he was taking revenge in a truly elegant and quiet manner compared to the Johann in the original story.

I even clapped and praised him.

Johann, looking pleased with my praise, added.

“Ah, of course, their bodies will be quite sore. Because I’m creating that kind of environment for them.”

I see…….

You were trapped with a painful body, so they must be trapped with painful bodies too.

It was a very meticulous revenge.

I smiled awkwardly and asked cautiously.

“Then, are you not as sick as you used to be now? Well, the mana suppressant potion is out, so……”

“Well, as long as I take the potion regularly, my mana is suppressed.”

Johann glossed over it, then tapped the arm I had crossed and smiled.

“It’s being suppressed now, too.”

“Ah……”

“It’s much less than when you were a sacred animal, but it’s still being suppressed, even faintly.”

“Really? That’s amazing. It’s suppressing it even when I’m human with this much contact.”

So, that’s why Theodor recognized my identity as soon as he brushed my hand.

Come to think of it, a very old book about sacred animals that I read did mention something similar.

Even when humanized, they can suppress magicians through contact.

However, it stated that much more intense skinship [physical contact] is needed for a valid suppression effect.

So, just lightly crossing arms or holding hands wouldn’t have much of a suppression effect…….

As I made a curious expression, Johann kindly explained.

“Actually, it’s very weak. Almost non-existent.”

Well, the sacred animal was a beast specialized in suppression.

No one knows the principle except for the temple.

There was no way that putting a paw on someone as a sacred animal would be the same as humans holding hands.

As I looked at Johann curiously, he sighed softly as if he couldn’t help it and continued.

“I’ve hardly been taking the mana suppressant potion these days. So that’s why you can feel it even this much.”

“Why aren’t you taking the mana suppressant potion?”

I asked in surprise. Soon after, I was able to guess the reason.

That’s why he glossed over it when I asked about the mana suppressant potion earlier.

The mana suppressant potion was also made by the temple.

And Johann was outwardly completely on my side.

The temple might have even guessed that something had happened between us.

Johann was a high-ranking noble and a war hero, an influential figure who could protect me so safely.

So, unless the temple was stupid, they would obviously want to get rid of Johann too.

The easiest way would be to put other drugs in the mana suppressant potion.

For that reason, Johann was holding out with the mana suppressant potion he had purchased a long time ago.

In the end, because of me…….

I couldn’t speak because I felt sorry, and Johann slowly opened his mouth.

“So……”

His purple eyes, filled with me, wavered.

“The reason I’m so happy right now isn’t because of that slight suppression.”

But apart from the fact that his quiet words were appreciated and exciting, I still felt sorry.

“Ah…… Johann.”

I blinked and sighed.

No matter how much Johann said that, I didn’t want to just brush it off with an ‘Ah, I see.’

“Because of me…….”

“Why is it because of you? I was going to blow up the temple as soon as I returned from the war anyway.”

Johann said as if it was nothing.

“I wasn’t planning on relying on mana suppressant potions thrown by the temple anyway.”

His eyes narrowed, carrying a gloomy atmosphere.

“The temple tried to feed me terrible drugs, so would I live relying on those people?”

It was quite a long time ago, as it happened when I left the Hyrard ducal residence.

Besides, that was actually the temple fulfilling Ella’s request, so it wasn’t directly trying to harm Johann…….

“I don’t forget anything.”

As I stared at him intently, Johann spoke in a somewhat eerie but affectionate and gentle tone.

“Of course, I don’t forget what you’ve done for me either.”

He slowly stroked my hand. His fingers slowly intertwined.

“The first sensation of suppression, which was even ecstatic, is still very vivid.”

A sweet voice, like a whisper, lightly landed in my ear.

“So…… I kept thinking on the battlefield that I would never let go for the rest of my life.”

Johann firmly grabbed my slightly flinching hand and clasped it.

It was just holding hands like at the banquet, but strangely, I felt like an invisible tail was perking up.

“While pouring the damn mana suppressant potion that the temple threw as charity into my mouth without hesitation.”

At the word mana suppressant potion, I snapped back to my senses.

In any case, the fact was that Johann wasn’t taking the mana suppressant potion. Then his physical condition couldn’t be good!

“But then you…….”

“I’ve finished growing now.”

He cut me off with a grin.

“I might be a little sick, but it won’t be as painful as when I was a child. Unlike when I was trapped in the tower, I can take regular painkillers too.”

But even if he was an adult, being sick was still being sick. As I moved my lips to say something, Johann continued.

“Besides, you absorbed mana at the banquet.”

He seemed to be referring to the time when I absorbed Johann’s mana when I turned into a squirrel and then back into a human.

But that was also a few days ago.

If he hadn’t taken the mana suppressant potion since then, his mana would be quite twisted.

So, I nodded and said resolutely.

“Then I can suppress you when we’re together from now on!”

At my words, Johann looked at me with a strange expression.

Then he chuckled and brushed his eyes, and for a moment, the atmosphere was strange.

Johann had definitely been kind and affectionate to me all along.

Yet, for a moment, I thought his atmosphere was somehow eerie.

“Really?”