I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain [EN]: Chapter 98

“Tch.”

Libena frowned, rubbing her forehead in annoyance.

“They couldn’t even handle that one task properly.”

Not only did they fail to eliminate the Olteba baronet and his son, but they even allowed them to enter the Medest Estate.

Still, she was hoping that Trevor Olteba was senile, and perhaps Paul Olteba knew nothing.

“It’s because of Johann Hyrard.”

The subordinate said in a dejected voice.

“Honestly, that wizard is just too strong.”

Libena had a reason for not being able to get angry at her subordinate.

With Johann Hyrard personally intervening, of course nothing would work.

He was a capable wizard who could end even long-standing wars in an instant, so there was nothing he couldn’t do.

Moreover, with Yurica, who possessed excellent calming abilities, by his side, who could defeat that combination?

“Right……”

Libena said, biting her nails in the secret laboratory.

“I’m definitely not enough on my own.”

Until now, she had the massive backing of the temple.

But with Patr even dead, she had virtually nowhere to turn.

That was a separate issue from her being an excellent researcher.

If the Medest family were to find out about the Artear baronetcy and get close to the truth…….

“How can I face Johann Hyrard alone? I’m too scared to even go out alone now.”

“Then……”

“We’ll have to counter a wizard with a wizard, after all.”

Libena gnashed her teeth and sighed deeply.

Now, the only person she could rely on was Theodore.

“Besides, he’s of higher status than Johann Hyrard.”

No matter how much she disliked him, he was still on her side.

“I just need him to stall them until the experiment succeeds.”

“But to do that, his confinement and house arrest must be lifted first.”

“We’ll have to make sure it is.”

Libena frowned, rubbing her eyes with an annoyed expression.

The very idea of having to release Theodore, that good-for-nothing wizard, with her own hands made her feel awful, but she had no choice.

Theodore was confined because he had hidden the fact that he was a wizard.

And he had blamed everything on High Priest Patr.

He was claiming that High Priest Patr had lured him into being a test subject for the calming potion.

In reality, no one had been harmed because of Theodore.

In other words, as soon as the person who made the decision changed their mind, the house arrest could be lifted quickly.

And the person who made that decision was the Emperor.

“The Emperor, the Emperor, huh.”

In the end, she had no choice but to approach the highest authority.

Libena picked up a beaker in the corner of the lab.

“I didn’t want to use this, but… I have no choice since I’m cornered.”

In any case, if she could just turn back time, she could start everything over. Libena kept that fact in mind and decided to move boldly.

“We will be the ultimate victors.”

Libena pushed up her glasses and smiled coldly.

“As we have always been.”

* * *

Paul, unable to resist Johann’s threat, or rather, persuasion, slowly opened his mouth.

“The Artear baronetcy was a vassal family of Medest a long time ago. And as you know, the Medest family has beastkin blood.”

Then, he looked at me and added with a suspicious expression.

“Surely you’re not going to say that’s just an old legend or a mere creation myth, are you?”

Frankly, until recently, that’s exactly what I thought, but I couldn’t afford to lose in this battle of wills, so I nonchalantly shrugged my shoulders.

“Of course not. You saw me treating the tiger with respect earlier, didn’t you?”

“Hmm. So the descendants haven’t completely forgotten about it.”

Paul stroked his beard with a satisfied look.

Then, he suddenly hesitated, looking at me with a dissatisfied expression, so Johann had no choice but to step in again.

“I’m curious about what my lover is curious about, and I’d like to hear a detailed explanation.”

“……Hmm. In my experience, lovers often break up.”

“We won’t.”

Johann said coolly, holding my hand even tighter.

“Because we’re going to get married.”

And Paul, clearly unhappy with that fact, immediately poured cold water on it.

“Marriage isn’t something that’s up to just the two of you, it’s a union of families……”

“I don’t have parents.”

Johann replied nonchalantly.

“There are no problems on our side at all, and I just need to do better at the Medest Estate.”

In fact, he was doing well. He couldn’t do any better.

In a way, I had even found my father thanks to Johann… there was no reason for my family to object at all.

My father was in the form of a tiger right now, so he was ungrateful and furious, but if he came to his senses, he would never be able to object.

“Don’t doubt it. I’ll be proposing soon.”

I was slightly surprised by Johann’s words and looked at him. He was going to propose soon?

How long had it been since we confessed our feelings?

This didn’t seem like a joke…….

Still, seeing Paul’s suspicious face, Johann added nonchalantly.

“Should I tell you about our plans for children?”

Now even my pupils were shaking rapidly.

P, plans for children?

We hadn’t been lovers for very long… had he already made plans for children?

“Johann? What are you talking about……”

When I looked at him in confusion, Johann instead asked with an innocent face.

“Surely you’re not going to marry me?”

“Huh?”

“Are you really thinking that? After doing all sorts of things with me, you’re going to marry another guy?”

Setting aside the question of what he meant by “all sorts of things,” his face instantly turned into a pathetic expression.

“N, no… th, that’s not it……”

And when he asked like that, it wasn’t like I wasn’t going to marry Johann, so I said awkwardly.

“Still, plans for children are something we should agree on together……”

“That’s right. You’re right.”

Johann smiled contentedly and whispered softly.

“Then let’s talk about it when we get a chance. Actually, I have my own opinions, but I’ll follow your wishes no matter what.”

Come to think of it, I was curious about what those opinions were.

I thought he wouldn’t have any thoughts like me, but he had firm opinions about children.

‘Wait a minute.’

I imagined a child who looked like Johann and me, and then suddenly came to my senses.

‘Did I get tricked again?’

And Paul, who had been watching us silently, sighed once.

Then, as if he couldn’t help it, he began to speak.

“Yes. Well, let’s talk about it.”

It was true that he worshiped Johann, but he didn’t necessarily want to hear about plans for children.

No, it seemed like some of his illusions had been shattered…….

“The Artear baronetcy had been researching for Medest for a long time… and about 100 years ago, they made a proposal. As you know, that was a time when the Empire was very chaotic.”

Having been educated in the Medest Estate, I nodded seriously.

When Johann, who had received almost no education in this area of common sense, tilted his head, Paul explained with a sad expression, as if some of his illusions had been shattered.

“It was an incident that reorganized the system of nobles as the influence of the imperial family grew due to rapid centralization after the civil war. It was also when the council of elders of most noble families disappeared. Medest was also pressured to abolish the council of elders.”

The council of elders system united the power of the nobles, so it was not a good culture from the imperial family’s point of view.

So at that time, the imperial family abolished the council of elders system.

I learned that all noble families had to bow their heads to the imperial family at that time. Since it was right after the civil war, the authority of the imperial family was said to be truly great.

“Anyway, according to the diary, the Artear baronetcy made a proposal to the Medest Estate at the last council of elders meeting.”

“If it’s a proposal……”

Paul sighed as if he really didn’t want to say it, looked at Johann’s face once, and then continued in a dejected tone.

“The proposal that Artear could make is obvious. It’s an experiment. And Medest was soundly rejected.”

Hmm, our ancestor hated experiments?

That was a bit of a wrong perception.

Anyway, wasn’t the process of researching and learning something a necessary process for development?

Our ancestor was a bit stubborn…….

As I tilted my head, Paul continued.

“There are no details, but what can be roughly known from the contents of the diary is… it was an experiment on humans.”

Oh my.

I, who was once a test subject, gaped.

Our ancestor wasn’t stubborn, he was right.

Of course, it was right to reject such a terrible proposal!

“According to the diary, it was a time when all the famous families had weaknesses caught by the imperial family. It is said that even the curses attached to each famous family could not be passed down in detail to future generations……”

Johann, who had been listening to Paul’s words with a calm expression, frowned at the word ‘curse.’

“I called it a curse, but it would be more accurate to say it’s a side effect that comes with power. All power has a price.”

The more Johann listened to Paul’s words, the more he looked like something was bothering him.