How a Villain Defies Destiny Chapter 139

[I’m just doing what I have to do.]

 

“But could you tell us what exactly happened to us back then?”

 

[Of course.]

 

Huluppu explained the full details of that day’s events.

Even after talking with us, he couldn’t easily shake off his suspicions toward Selene. 

 

He said that he had almost forgotten about the existence of magic, which he rarely used until he saw Fenrir’s barrier, and it reminded him.

 

[If Selene’s divine power was similar in level to mine and my ability couldn’t get through, I figured magic might be able to pierce it.]

 

It was a reasonable hypothesis.

 

‘Fenrir has also blocked Huluppu’s unique ability with barrier magic before.’

 

Conversely, it should also be possible to break through Selene’s defense with magic.

 

[So I tried using surveillance magic as a test, but Selene immediately sensed something off and came straight to me.]

 

Huluppu’s story was similar to what Selene had stated earlier.

 

She didn’t seem to have properly recognized the magic, and according to him, she had even approached Huluppu first to try to talk.

 

[She followed the strange energy and asked if something had happened to me, whether I had been cursed or something. But strangely, my voice didn’t reach her.]

 

Although Selene had never actually spoken with Huluppu before, she knew that divine beasts could communicate. 

 

So when no reply came from him, she apparently thought something serious had happened.

 

[Unlike with you, I couldn’t even summon Selene into my space. The moment I tried to send my thoughts through magic, Selene absorbed my divine power.]

 

Suddenly, the face of Selene passionately claiming her innocence flashed through my mind.

 

‘She had every right to feel wronged.’

 

She wasn’t hiding some ulterior motive; she had simply explained the situation exactly as it happened, yet no one believed her. It must have been incredibly frustrating.

 

But right now, rather than sympathy toward Selene, uncovering the reason why Huluppu’s voice could not be heard was far more important, so I shook off stray thoughts and asked the reason.

 

“What do you think is the cause, Lord Huluppu?”

 

[Hmm…]

 

Furrowing his brow slightly, he stretched out the end of his sentence and stroked his chin.

 

‘Looks like even Lord Huluppu has no guess.’

 

The fact that even he, who among the beings on the ground knows the most about divine power and can be said to be the closest to the gods, doesn’t know the problem…

 

Suddenly, a negative question arose. ‘Is it really possible to fight against a god?’

 

Come to think of it, Nanana only turns back time and never launches a direct attack, so her very existence couldn’t even be confirmed.

 

‘Of course, I never thought fighting would mean physically exchanging blows.’

 

Since there wasn’t even a clear, distinct form like a Demon King, I began to doubt whether it would even be possible to request “please end Selene’s regression.”

 

‘Besides, if it were something that would be granted just because it was requested, Selene’s tearful begging would have been answered long ago.’

 

While Huluppu was lost in deep thought, I too had sunk into my own musings, so we were both silent, when suddenly, Yves’s voice whispered as if right by my ear, cut through my reverie.

 

“Laura, I think it would be good to also ask Lord Huluppu about information regarding the dragon.”

 

“Ah!”

 

Thanks to Yves’s advice, I finally remembered the most important matter I had intended to ask Huluppu.

 

“Lord Huluppu, do you happen to know anything about the dragon that attacked Dilbart?”

 

[The dragon that attacked Dilbart? Hm, ah! Ah… That dragon is…]

 

For a moment, he pondered who exactly the question referred to, then his face brightened as if he had found the answer in an instant, only for his expression to immediately darken again as he let out a low groan.

 

As if there was something that bothered him.

 

“Why is that?”

 

I had thought that he who could observe every corner of the continent would answer readily, but his unexpected reaction made me tense for no reason.

 

“Could it be… an opponent that even Lord Huluppu cannot observe with your unique ability, like Selene?”

 

When I asked again with my heart pounding, he quickly shook his head.

 

[No, that’s not it. I even know where he is right now. It’s just that the dragon is a bit… strange.]

 

The more vaguely he spoke, the more my curiosity surged in response.

 

Just what kind of being was this that the goddess Astarte personally told me to meet the dragon, and why was Huluppu showing such an ambiguous reaction?

 

“What part is strange?”

 

[If I had observed him properly, there would definitely be a record left behind, but he appeared one day out of nowhere without any record of his birth. As if he had dropped straight down from the sky.]

 

It was certainly a suspicious history.

 

[Also, sometimes he completely disappears from my field of vision.]

 

He mentioned that he occasionally felt a sensation similar to when Fenrir had deployed his barrier, and continued.

 

[And the most unsettling thing is… how should I put it. It feels like he has completely seen through all of my abilities, yet he’s deliberately pretending not to know.]

 

“Like a being who is originally hiding his true identity?”

 

[Hmm, I can’t be certain.]

 

“I see.”

 

I wasn’t greatly disappointed, but there was still a slight sense of regret.

 

The harvest was smaller than I had hoped for.

 

Perhaps noticing my mood, Huluppu added one more thing in a noticeably brighter tone.

 

[Still, as I said earlier, I definitely know where he is right now!]

 

Unintentionally, my feelings must have shown on my face, because Huluppu started reading my expression.

 

‘Ugh. It’s always the face that’s the problem.’

 

I touched one cheek awkwardly, gave a sheepish smile, and cautiously asked.

 

“Where is that place?”

 

[The Zagros Mountains.]

 

“Hmm…”

 

Just hearing the name alone didn’t give me a clear sense of exactly where it was, so I unconsciously let out a small groan.

 

“It’s near Dilbart. The border between the Euphrates Kingdom and the Babylonian Empire is divided along that mountain range.”

 

Yves, who had eerily read my inner thoughts, added the explanation.

 

“However, since the teleport gate closest to the Zagros Mountains is in Dilbart, traveling by carriage will take quite some time.”

 

Oh, he knows it in such incredible detail.

 

While I was inwardly admiring Yves’s vast knowledge, I suddenly remembered that I hadn’t yet thanked Huluppu.

 

“Ah, Lord Huluppu, thank you. Thanks to you, I was able to pinpoint the dragon’s location—the source of so much trouble in one go.”

 

I grabbed both of his hands and shook them vigorously up and down as I spoke; Huluppu let out a small laugh and asked.

 

[When are you going?]

 

My heart burned with the desire to set out immediately, but unfortunately, there were still matters I had to attend to.

 

‘There’s no longer any need to ask Selene about the dragon, but since she’s the one regressing anyway, it would probably be better to go together, right? Wait, should I inform His Holiness the Pope as well?’

 

The moment my thoughts reached that point.

 

I realized I was currently caught in a dilemma.

 

Precisely because I had postponed the Saintess appointment ceremony until after Selene’s trial.

 

To take Selene along, the trial had to conclude first, and once the trial was over, the Saintess’ appointment ceremony would have to be held.

 

‘Or else… what if I just run away during the preparation period?’

 

No matter how modestly the ceremony was to be conducted, there would still be a preparation period required.

 

“I want to go as soon as possible, but for now, I think I’ll watch the situation and think it over.”

 

As the conversation seemed to be naturally winding down, I tossed out the question that had been quietly nagging at me.

 

“By the way, where did Lord Fenrir go?”

 

He had sent us into this space along with the news that Huluppu had awakened, but since his figure was nowhere to be seen, I had been wondering about it the whole time. 

 

However, with so much to discuss with Huluppu, it had been a curiosity I had set aside for the moment.

 

[After conveying my condition to you all, he said he was going to meet Xenon. Apparently, there was something he needed to resolve.]

 

Come to think of it, Xenon and Fenrir were in a proper contractual relationship.

 

‘For a while, Fenrir had been neglecting Xenon, so maybe that caused some issues? Well, it’s none of my business anyway.’

 

Having satisfied my curiosity, I exchanged farewells with Huluppu once more and left that space.

 

Now, feeling the familiar sensation, I opened my eyes, and the ornate ceiling came into view.

 

It was the newly assigned room I had been given after being confirmed as the Saintess.

 

‘Ha, I just can’t get used to this place at all.’

 

I was enjoying an unwanted luxury, yet the stray thought that it wasn’t welcome at all lingered in my mind.

 

“Laura, are you alright?”

 

Perhaps he had opened his eyes before me, though he had clearly been sitting in a chair earlier, Yves was now already by the bedside, examining my complexion.

 

“Of course. I’ve gone back and forth through Lord Huluppu’s space so many times that I’m completely used to it now.”

 

“How’s your body? No stiffness or pain anywhere?”

 

“My body was just lying in bed the whole time.”

 

If there was anyone whose body might be in pain, wouldn’t it be Yves, who had stubbornly refused to lie on the same bed even if it killed him and ended up sitting on that hard wooden chair?

 

…The thought briefly crossed my mind, but I quickly shook it off.

 

Because I couldn’t bring myself to scold Yves, who still seemed to be bothered by that very minor incident that had occurred on this bed a few days ago.

 

“More importantly, shall we go meet Selene?”