I Became A Squirrel Seeking For The Villain Chapter 119

The contents of the note Yurika had taken out were nothing special.

 

[Lady Yurika will be loved by many people.]

 

Meriel blinked as she stared at the unremarkable words, clearly unsure what they were supposed to mean.

 

“It’s obvious, Yohan doesn’t have a family. And he’s a wizard who can’t help but become obsessed with me.” Yurika said confidently.

 

“So, they tell Yohan to separate Medes and me. Because the more love I receive from my family, the less Yohan will be able to monopolize me.”

 

Oscar gave a strange expression at those words. Yurika continued speaking calmly.

 

“They think Yohan’s probably trying to sow discord—like stopping me from trying to save Mother or something like that. But if so, they are completely mistaken. Yohan loves me enough to forward this note to me immediately, and…”

 

Yurika’s eyes turned to Oscar and Mariel.

 

“Because he trusts Medes.”

 

And Yurika also believed in Yohan.

 

After so long of doubt, she resolved to trust Yohan unconditionally once their hearts were connected.

 

It was a relationship she never would have begun without that level of conviction.

 

Oscar, who had been silent for a moment, slowly began to speak with a cautious expression.

 

“The wizard’s obsession is truly remarkable. It’s not something that can be resolved with words like ‘trust’ or ‘love.’ And Yurika, you were once the Duke of Hyrad’s divine beast, weren’t you?

 

Oscar’s face darkened further.

 

“Of course, I haven’t forgotten the debt we owe Duke Hyrad. And if you say you like him, well, I want to interfere—ah, ahem, not that I truly intend to interfere, but still… trust is a different matter.”

 

It sounded very much like he wanted to interfere after all, but Oscar merely rubbed his eyes, unable to hide his discomfort.

 

“I may be the head of the family, but I don’t know everything. The Medest family lost much of its history in a very short time. What I do know for certain is this: we’ve finally become ordinary humans. Neither beasts nor wizards—just ordinary people.”

 

Oscar looked at Mariel for a moment.

 

The result that the ancestors of the Medes were trying to achieve was Meriel.

 

A human who can live an ordinary life without turning into a beast and who can calm the magic within her.

 

If not for what had happened to his father and younger sister, she likely would have lived her entire life without ever questioning the Medest family’s secrets.

His gaze slowly shifted to Yurika.

Yurima had turned into a squirrel—and could do so again. That such a child had been born into the Medes family, which had already lost the power to transform into beasts, was ultimately the result of Artae’s experiments.

A child who possessed all the beastly powers they had tried to hide, the power to calm magic.

 

His second daughter was destined to live a life completely opposite to Mariel’s.

 

“So, Yurika…”

 

Oscar spoke slowly, looking at Yurika.

 

“It’s hard to be certain from a third party’s perspective that Duke Hyrad doesn’t like your true power.”

 

“That’s….”

 

Yurika, too, could only quiver her lips.

 

Her faith was just that—faith. She had no objective proof to offer.

 

Even Lean was wary and warned her about the wizard, so it was only natural that her father, Oscar, was anxious.

 

“So this time, I’ll handle it myself. It would be best if neither you nor Duke Hyrad got involved.”

 

That was Oscar’s conclusion after all.

 

It meant that he acknowledged Yohan but could not completely trust him.

 

And again, this time, since he was back, he was willing to step forward and express his will not to put his children in danger.

 

“In that sense, Runart, let me confirm once more.”

 

Oscar spoke in a low voice.

 

“If the holy water of the High Priest is sprinkled on the Arit grass growing in the temple’s central garden, and someone related by blood to Sienna harvests it and brings it back—that will suffice, correct?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Runart sighed and answered.

 

According to him, both Sienna and Trevor showed traces of having consumed the same drug.

 

It was easy enough to slip such a drug to someone who wasn’t suspicious, so Sienna must have ingested it at some banquet.

 

Trevor, however, appeared to suffer fewer delusional symptoms because he regularly took an appropriate headache medicine.

 

Perhaps Patre was tormented by guilt after injecting Trevor with the drug just in case, so he gave him a weak antidote later.

 

“Alit grass absorbs the magical power of the person who gathers it. Therefore, its effectiveness is significantly reduced if the magical power isn’t of the same wavelength. When I asked Paul, he said that Patre had once summoned him to the temple to gather alit grass. That’s where I found my lead and began researching the ingredients of the headache medicine.”

 

“I see.”

 

“However, Sir Trevor is too old, so it seems he couldn’t be completely cured.… but Madam is still young. She should be able to make a full recovery.”

 

“Thank you for bringing such good news. Then where can we obtain the Alit grass?”

 

“All the grasses in the central garden are Alit grass, so you won’t have trouble finding them. Their appearance is also unique, unlike anything you’ve seen before. Alit grass requires divine power, so it only grows in temples.”

 

He added with a shrug.

 

“It’s definitely a formula involving divine power, so it’s quite different from conventional medicine. Still, it’s an application of what’s officially written in theological texts, so it’s certainly reliable.”

 

No one here would doubt Runart’s insight.

 

The only issue was that they had been unable to obtain the materials until now.

 

Since Patre’s death, the position of High Priest had remained vacant.

 

Even though the temple was under the imperial family’s control, and even though Roymond, representing the imperial family, would obey Mariel’s words, he couldn’t create something out of nothing.

 

As the imperial occupation continued, high-ranking officials were unable to select a high priest through elections.

Yet at the upcoming ceremony, the Emperor himself would preside over the appointment of a new High Priest.

A mere thirteen-year-old child.

 

It was even more suspicious because things fell into place so smoothly.

 

Since there is an event held at the temple, you can enter the temple,

and even a high priest is appointed.

 

For the Medes family, who wanted to cure Sienna’s illness, this was an opportunity they obviously couldn’t afford to miss.

 

“Jayden.”

 

Oscar said quietly.

 

“I’ll get the holy water from the High Priest, so you collect it. I’m not Sienna’s blood relative.”

 

“Yes?”

 

Jayden, who had been keeping quiet, was startled.

 

“Do you expect my precious daughters to go around picking grass?”

 

Oscar asked, frowning.

 

“I was already irritated enough that a bunch of worthless fellows latched onto them while I was gone. Huh?”

 

In the end, it was true. Oscar didn’t like either of his daughters’ lovers.

 

And it was a tone of light reprimand towards Jayden, who had been quietly watching the scene.

 

Even if those “worthless fellows” happened to be a war hero and the Crown Prince…

 

“Yes—yes… I’ll do it. Of course.”

 

Jayden answered, his face frozen.

 

“I will do it, yes.”

 

Oscar nodded with satisfaction, as though the matter were settled, then added with a soft sigh,

 

“If it were up to me, I’d tell both of you not to come at all, since it could be dangerous… but unfortunately, my return ceremony is scheduled for that same day, so I’ll have no choice but to bring the entire family.”

 

It was also the day officially marking Oscar’s return, alongside the ceremony celebrating Theodore’s enlistment. Naturally, the whole family had to attend.

 

Especially since, no matter how much Rivena’s true target might be Yurika, Yurika could not afford to be absent.

 

She was officially an adopted daughter. If she failed to attend such an event, her standing would inevitably suffer.

 

“That’s why I wanted to do it, Father.”

 

Yurika wiggled her fingers and then said.

 

“They said the harvesting has to be done by someone related by blood.”

 

There was silence at the table for a moment.

 

Everyone believed that Yurika was Medes’s second daughter, but there was still no real evidence.

 

That she had overheard Rivena and Theodore’s conversation.

 

That Sienna had immediately called her her daughter.

 

The tiger had strangely followed Yurika.

 

That Yurika had done her utmost for the Medest family…

 

All of it carried meaning—but none of it was tangible evidence.

 

“I’ve been secretly waiting for this opportunity for a long time.”

 

Yurika said cautiously.

 

“This is a chance for me to prove, with absolute confidence, that I am Yurika Medes, without any doubts.”

 

“Yurika.”

 

But Oscar lightly blocked Yurika’s argument.

 

“You don’t need to prove yourself. What I dislike far more is the possibility of you being put in danger. However, if you truly want that opportunity, then consider postponing it. The temple won’t disappear after that day.”

 

Oscar’s eyes lit up.

 

“On that day, isn’t capturing Rivena Artae far more important?”

 

Rivena was, after all, planning another cruel experiment on Yurika. From the Medest family’s perspective, they needed to stop her immediately.

 

In the end, neither side could afford to leave the other alone. A head-on collision like this was inevitable.

 

“That day will decide it,”

 

Oscar spoke quietly.

 

“That long, tiresome struggle that’s dragged on for so many years.”

 

* * *

 

A few days later.

 

The temple, which had always been closed and locked, accepting only a minimal number of people, grandly opened its doors.

 

There were three major events happening at the same time.

 

The appointment of a new High Priest, the enlistment ceremony of Prince Theodore, and the return of Oscar Medes.

 

The temple was quickly filled with people, from nobles of the capital to wizards from the border regions.

 

“Um… It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Rodrigo Kellas.”

 

And as soon as I cautiously stepped into the temple, I found myself in an unexpected situation.

 

I fell in love at first sight. May I ask your name…?”

 

“Oh! I was just about to say the same. May I introduce myself first? I’m Alben Letio. I, too, felt an inexplicable attraction toward you, my lady…

 

Young wizards from the border regions, whom I had never seen before, began to flock to me one after another, like moths to a light.

 

* * *