I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 84

Became a Squirrel Saving the Villain 84

Libena was staying in Count Sevs’s underground laboratory, located on a quiet street in the capital.

She spent most of her time hiding, unsure when Johan might attack.

Having tightly tied up the long hair she used to wear loose in the lab and even wearing thick glasses, she looked like a completely different person.

“The assassination attempt failed.”

Libena listened to her subordinate’s report while holding a beaker.

“We dispatched skilled individuals, but… he was with Johan Hylard. It seems they tried to exploit a gap when the two were separate, but they never left each other’s side. So, it seems they had no choice but to make a final attempt when returning to the Hylard estate.”

She carefully measured while clicking her tongue at the continuing words.

Yurika, who had been extremely cautious, probably moved because Johan Hylard was with her.

So, the assassination itself should be seen as a reckless attempt.

Libena continued the experiment with a face that showed no impact. It wasn’t something she had planned anyway.

No matter how much they interrogated and investigated the mastermind, nothing would trouble her.

“It can’t be helped.”

Still, if the assassination had succeeded, things might have been a little easier.

The existence that interfered with her work the most right now was Yurika.

“But I got the most important thing, so it’s fine.”

Libena narrowed her eyes and looked at the beaker with bubbles rising.

Theodore’s escort knight she had deployed had done a good job.

He entered the temple, avoiding the eyes of the Hylard ducal family’s knights, and not only destroyed the main research documents but also brought her what she wanted.

Of course, he had to enter the temple empty-handed because he could only leave the imperial palace for about a day under the guise of ‘vacation’.

‘Even if I had gone in armed… I wouldn’t have been able to bring Duke Medest alone. This is the best I could do.’

It would have been better to bring him here, but that wasn’t possible.

However, she couldn’t kill him carelessly.

Duke Medest’s blood was a crucial ingredient in the experiment Libena was conducting.

‘For now, it’s best to keep him in the temple… and send people whenever I need him again if the experiment fails.’

The theory was roughly complete, but the success of the experiment was another matter.

‘Once that damn improvement ceremony is over, the Hylard ducal family’s knights will no longer have a reason to be in the temple.’

Regardless of whether the Hylard knights were skilled or not, it wasn’t pleasant to have watchful eyes in the temple.

In that sense, it was almost divine luck that Libena appropriately left the temple and began to act as ‘Lady Sevs’.

If she had stayed in the temple, it would have been difficult to get out.

‘If this experiment succeeds… if it succeeds, I can undo everything.’

Libena flashed her green eyes and swallowed hard.

Her original surname was not Sevs. Libena’s real name was Libena Artear.

The Artear barony [a territory or rank held by a baron].

A family famous for producing genius scientists for generations and once a loyal vassal of the Medest ducal family.

Now, it was a forgotten family that had simply disappeared from the world.

‘It was all because of the Medest family.’

Libena was born and raised in the temple. And she had not forgotten the teachings of her father, who had worked for the temple for generations.

And her father always said.

Libena was one of the most outstanding geniuses in the Artear baronial family.

‘We will constantly take revenge on Medest like this, and we will prove that we were right in the shadows of the temple.’

And her first mistake was sending Yurika to the Hylard ducal family.

She was determined to make up for that mistake.

* * *

It was a bit of an ominous sound, but what was certain was that there was a living creature here.

“Kyung.”

Even this clearing seemed to have been touched by human hands for quite some time, but there was a living animal in such a place.

I resolutely stretched out my front paws above Johan’s head, signaling him to move forward.

“Okay, let’s go.”

Johan nodded and slowly moved his steps.

“Grrr…”

It was a terrifying sound that made the fur on the back of my neck bristle just from hearing it.

Just from the sound, I could feel that it was a predator completely different from a trivial rodent like me.

“Don’t worry.”

Johan said softly, noticing that I was very nervous.

“Beasts can’t hurt me.”

That’s because you’re a great wizard…

Not beasts, no one could hurt Johan.

As I cried out in dissatisfaction, as if telling him not to state the obvious, Johan nonchalantly added.

“It’s true. They just don’t attack at all. I knew it when I was on the battlefield.”

“Kyung?”

“Animals seem to instinctively know who is strong and who is weak. Once I could use magic properly, even the most ferocious beasts would avoid me.”

So, you’re saying they just ran away just by looking at Johan, right?

Is that possible?

I tilted my head with a dubious expression.

Even if he’s a wizard, Johan’s appearance is just human…

Johan chuckled softly, noticing that I was suspicious, and continued.

“Don’t you believe me?”

“Kyug.”

“Wanna bet?”

It was a light and playful voice.

“Granting a wish. How about it?”

Since I was on top of Johan’s head, I couldn’t see his expression.

But I could tell that he wasn’t nervous at all.

“If you’re okay with it, tap my head once. If you don’t want to, pull my hair.”

For a moment, I almost burst out laughing. It seemed like a rather violent expression of intent.

And I lightly tapped Johan’s head once.

The beasts on the battlefield might have run away because they saw the large number of soldiers behind Johan, not Johan himself.

“Good.”

Johan smiled confidently.

“I’ll show you soon that I’m not a human who bluffs and talks nonsense.”

“Kyoong.”

“Although you’re in the form of a small squirrel now, you’ll be fine if you’re with me.”

The tone of belittling me as a small squirrel was sad, but it was the truth.

I pouted unhappily and suddenly realized that Johan was playfully acting to ease my tension.

Because I had become accustomed to the growling sound while talking to him.

After all, the wish bet was just something he said.

Well, in fact, we are in a relationship where we help each other, so it wouldn’t be necessary.

However, as I was moved and grateful on my own, Johan’s low voice continued.

“I have to win.”

Huh?

“Because there’s a wish I really want to fulfill.”

…Wasn’t it a light joke?

“Kyooowoong.”

“Why, does it sound ominous?”

Johan smiled mischievously.

“It’s not bad to be prepared.”

That goes for you too! You be prepared too!

I swung both fists without giving in.

Johan, who saw me punching his head from the shadow cast by the moonlight, smiled faintly.

Ah, I must be crazy. Why does that laughter sound better than usual…

And suddenly, the kiss in the carriage came to mind, so I secretly slapped my cheek without Johan knowing.

I must have been possessed by that seducer while living with him. I need to come to my senses.

Anyway, the continued road was long.

Even though Johan wasn’t going slowly, it took quite a while.

There were several forks in the road, but I didn’t have much to worry about because I kept choosing the path where the beast’s sound was coming from.

“Hmm.”

Johan stood quietly at the fork in the road in the middle of the way and muttered quietly.

“It seems like there’s a passage here. The outside air is coming through.”

Indeed, as Johan pointed out, there was a path where the fresh air from outside was coming in.

Well, in order to operate such a large space underground, they would naturally have to create a passage connected to the outside.

And the person Libena sent would have escaped through that passage.

‘It’s probably a structure that can’t be entered from the outside.’

I thought, holding Johan’s hair tightly on top of his head.

In such a secret space, even if escape was free, they would have made it so that no one could enter.

‘Someone shouldn’t come to this secret place… so that’s why that person had to come in through the temple.’

Johan also seemed to be thinking similarly, muttering in a serious voice.

“If we need an escape route, we can go out here. At least one adult can get out.”

“Kyowoong.”

“If it’s too narrow, we can break it.”

Since he could use physical strength to his heart’s content, a wizard was a simple yet convenient being.

And it was not long after we left that path.

Something flashing in the darkness caught my eye. It was an iron fence.

And…

“Ky, Kyoong?”

In that iron fence that looked like a wide prison, I saw two glittering eyes.

As soon as I met those eerie eyes, I grabbed Johan’s hair and shouted.

“Kyoong!”

It’s a real tiger!

It wasn’t just any tiger, it was a tiger as big as a house.

It was so big that I couldn’t even see it at a glance.

No, why is there a tiger in this deep underground?