Chapter 75
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 75
Chapter Title: Return (3)
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Yujin stared blankly at Yuseol, who seemed to have suddenly grown bigger.
‘…Yeah, she really has grown.’
Her overall body size had increased.
Originally, she looked like a girl in her early teens, but now she appeared to be in her mid-teens?
In other words, not only had she grown much taller, but her development was more impressive than expected. To the point where, judging by size alone, she could pass for a high school student.
‘…She ate the head of the dying Lust.’
That was the only trigger he could think of for Yuseol's sudden growth.
Excluding the brief time she entered someone else's shadow, she'd been sticking only with him.
So, by process of elimination, eating Lust's head was all that remained.
Lust was one of the Seven Deadly Sins Seats, the pinnacle among demonkin. It was like rotten, defective junk food that would be strange not to cause stomach problems.
Truly radioactive waste itself.
So, mutating from the radiation wasn't strange at all.
‘Or maybe it's just because she's a beast.’
Her essence was Fenrir to begin with.
Yujin didn't know the ecology of mythical beasts from legends. In other words, the possible could be impossible, and the impossible could be possible.
From that perspective, sudden rapid growth was entirely plausible.
Freely switching between Fenrir form and beastkin form was already far from ordinary.
…Hmm.
‘So, should I see Yuseol as a beastkin?’
Human? (Yes)
Beast? (Yes)
Then beastkin fits best, right?
…
‘…Tricky.’
Such philosophical, profound issues were best solved by mages...
And conveniently, two future archmages were right in front of him. They were the pinnacle talents in this broken world's upper echelons.
Of course, if they heard that, they'd spit blood in shock.
It was utter nonsense.
The man with the truly unreasonable talent was Yujin.
They'd definitely chew him out for pulling some kind of scam.
He told them about Yuseol.
And about the Knight of Dominion too.
Lua seemed to be hearing it for the first time; she hadn't been the one to bring it up.
“…Wait, is that okay, Yujin?”
“Hm? It's fine.”
Irene clutched her head.
“It might not be. That Knight of Dominion was made by Father, right? It's practically absorbing a divine being, so there could be unforeseen problems…”
“For now, she's perfectly fine.”
Surprisingly, she really was fine.
Her realm had even advanced, and she'd powered up substantially.
Irene looked at him with exasperation. She let out a sigh she couldn't hold back.
“…Fine, you look okay… Haa.”
What could be done now that it had happened? Lucia and Irene consoled themselves inwardly.
Besides, Lua, who had been saved thanks to it, was right there, so complaining more would be rude.
“…Don't do anything reckless like that next time. Got it?”
A subtle pressure laced their voices.
“Got it.”
“…Good enough.”
The pressure wasn't unpleasant. It came from worry and love for him, after all. They just didn't want things going wrong and him vanishing from their side.
How could it be unpleasant? If anything, joyful.
More than that, strictly speaking, his life wasn't his alone anymore; his reckless actions had nearly caused disaster.
In the end, he had no choice but to nod.
The talk shifted back to Yuseol.
“For Yuseol… shall we examine her here? It's not our specialty, but we know the basics.”
“I'd appreciate that.”
“Of course. It's all for you, my lord.”
…
Snort—
“The duty of a wife, is it?”
Perhaps this was true inner assistance.
“Eek…”
Lucia's face flushed red.
Lately, she'd been acting so composed, but when Yujin took the lead, she got embarrassed. Was this her charm?
It was delightful to watch.
He hoped it lasted a lifetime.
Lucia and Irene stood on either side of Yuseol and cast some magic.
“Brainwashing detection and various healing spells.”
“Hmm…”
“…No issues from the examination.”
“That's good, but…”
Still, something nagged at him. She'd grown after eating radioactive waste, and no problems at all?
‘…Did she just turn it into nutrients?’
Maybe...
Then Lua stepped up.
“I'll help too, hero.”
“If you would…?”
“I was the Pope. Distinguishing patients is basic for a cleric.”
“Right.”
He'd forgotten.
Clerics fundamentally wielded healing power. Distinguishing illnesses came naturally.
“May I place my hand on your head, Miss Yuseol?”
“…Yeah, okay.”
“Good girl.”
“Yeah, Yuseol good.”
Lua smiled softly at Yuseol's proud reply and placed her hand atop her head, circulating holy power.
“Does it hurt at all?”
“Yeah. Doesn't hurt…?”
Twitch—
“…Huh?”
“…Miss Yuseol?”
Sensing the anomaly, Lua poured in more holy power.
But the more she did, the more Yuseol twitched like a broken machine.
“…Yuseol.”
“Something's off.”
“Reacting to holy power…?”
He immediately pulled Yuseol into his arms.
“What's happening?”
“…I don't know, hero. Nothing was detected by holy power, but when it passed her abdomen, suddenly…”
Lua's face grew grave.
“I think my holy power triggered something in Miss Yuseol—”
“Eek!”
At that moment, Yuseol in Yujin's arms twitched harder.
“Ha!”
“Hik!”
“Ugh!”
Yuseol let out strange noises, as if colliding with something.
And…
“Hello?”
It wasn't Yuseol.
.
.
.
.
Lust, occupying Yuseol's body, greeted Yujin.
“……!!”
“What…!”
“Your surprised faces are fun.”
Lust chuckled.
“Didn't want you seeing me like this, though.”
He immediately suppressed Yuseol's body. The women behind him also powered up.
Ready to use force if needed.
“No need for that wariness? I can't do anything anyway.”
“Someone who can't do anything takes over another's body?”
“Pfft.”
Lust mocked Yujin as if it were laughable.
“Take over? Me? Ridiculous.”
“……”
“I just borrowed her mouth briefly. Proof: I can't even use this brat's body properly.”
“…Is Yuseol safe?”
“Safe.”
“Proof?”
“Proof… Even if I say it, you won't believe me, right?”
Deep-seated rage surged; he gripped tighter. Yuseol's body slammed into the ground.
Boom—
“Guh…!”
“…Don't test my patience, Lust.”
His voice brimmed with fury.
Fury at the intruder daring to occupy a precious body, and fear that Yuseol might not return.
He wanted to rip Lust inside apart right now.
But… he couldn't.
Couldn't harm Yuseol's body. It might kill her.
“Kh… Calm down. I'll just talk and leave.”
“Talk?”
Just talk and leave?
‘Opponent's a Seven Deadly Sins Seat. Can't trust it.’
More believable she'd backstab and steal Yuseol's body forever.
She'd hijacked the Northern Grand Duke for chaos, tied to Archbishop Rozan's rebellion—this mad devil worshiper promising talk?
Definitely a deception act.
“For real. Talk, and I'll leave nicely.”
But…
“What do you want to talk about?”
He had to comply. Unable to strike Yuseol's body directly, he was cornered.
Lust smiled.
“Hey, you know Wrath, right?”
“……?”
What did she say?
“Are you acquaintances with Wrath? Answer quick.”
…
Nod.
“Knew it. So that's it.”
Her prediction confirmed, she muttered oddly.
“So that's why Wrath acted that way…”
.
.
.
.
“Hey, if you wanna find that Wrath bitch, better move fast.”
—Wrath is burning her life away in the Eternal Desert right now.
‘…What?’
Burning her life?
Meaning Jane dies…?
“Yeah. She's dying? Without even a corpse left.”
—Puhahaha! Hilarious, right?
“…How do you know?”
“Don't know she has a curse? Who made it? We know everything.”
Lust grinned viciously.
His expression twisted.
Couldn't control his face or killing intent. Wanted to shred Lust a hundred, thousand times now.
“……”
Crunch—
Rumble rumble rumble rumble—
“Kh…! Grah…! Haha! So rough…! Useless though. Heh…I just wanted to say this…!”
That was it.
Lust was doomed anyway; she just wanted to watch him flail to save his beloved.
Just to give despair.
Thus, Lust mocked Yujin.
…
Then, Yujin felt something snap in his mind.
‘Kill her.’
Kill somehow.
Max power without harming Yuseol's body.
No—even if Yuseol's body suffers, make Lust's soul writhe in agony before death.
‘…Mind Sword.’
Mind Sword could do it.
As he prepared to sever Lust's consciousness—
“Eek…!”
Yuseol's body trembled in his grip. Abruptly.
Yujin's focus shattered. Rationality flickered back.
Lust's presence faded with the trembling.
The shaking intensified.
.
.
.
And
“…Burp.”
Her body let out a small burp.
That instant, Lust vanished. Eyes changed too.
Not venomous glare, but Yuseol's innocent, round gaze.
“Master! I'm back!”
“…Yuseol?”
“Yeah, me!”
…For real?
“…The real Yuseol?”
“Yeah!”
Afterward, Yuseol burped once more, softly.
And Lust was utterly gone.
…Digested in Yuseol's stomach.
…What the hell is this.