Chapter 54: Isabel will be protected by Lunari

I had a dream.

A dream that felt so unreal.

“D-Darling…where are you going?”

Isabel’s back as he walked ahead of me…

He looked so cold.

“W-Wait! Darling!”

I have to catch him.

But no matter how hard I tried to reach out…

He vanished like a cloud, like an afterimage…

As I desperately tried to grab him, he turned around.

And with a small smile, he said,

“…I’ll see you again, Lunari.”

“I-Isabel…!”

Just as I reached out…

I opened my eyes.

And realized it was a dream.

“Gasp…gasp…”

I sat up abruptly and frantically looked around.

Searching for Isabel, who was just with me.

But he was nowhere to be seen.

Where did he go…?

I jumped out of bed and ran down the stairs to the tavern’s main floor.

Then…

Kaira looked at me with a worried expression.

“L-Lunari…”

“Just in time! Have you seen Isabel?”

Kaira murmured, “Well…”

And Han quietly handed me a letter.

“Lunari…This is a letter from Isabel.”

“Letter…?”

Is it like the memo pad humans use?

I took the letter and unfolded the white paper.

But…

For a beastkin who has lived a life of illiteracy, this letter was just white paper and black ink.

“…What does it say?”

“To summarize, Isabel…‘He’s leaving.’ He said he has no more business here. And that he’s going somewhere else to improve himself…for you…”

“No way…”

Why would Isabel leave me?

Didn’t darling promise to live happily ever after with me…?

Panic started to set in.

Then a thought suddenly occurred to me…

That baldy also mentioned ‘improving himself.’

Could it be that he felt inadequate to marry me and left?

Isabel is an ordinary human, but Lunari is a Divine Being.

Isabel mentioned feeling inadequate because of this difference.

So…could he have gone on a training journey to improve himself?

Lunari gritted her teeth, her eyes hardening.

“Darling…I have to find darling. I will find him…!”

Lunari was about to rush out to follow Isabel…

But Kaira blocked the tavern door.

“…Big Sis, move.”

“No…Isabel asked me to stop you.”

Isabel’s request in the letter.

Both Kaira and Han felt grateful to Isabel for bringing so much income to the tavern.

And they also cared for Lunari.

They’ve worked, eaten, and slept together in this tavern.

It hasn’t been long, but Lunari is like family to them.

A youngest daughter…

A little sister…

Because of this affection, they couldn’t refuse Isabel’s request.

Lunari grew increasingly anxious at Kaira’s words.

That anxiety turned into anger…

And her hair started to change from blonde to silver.

Full Divine Mode.

She’s not just divine, she’s practically omnipotent.

She could destroy this building with a flick of her finger.

Even Han and Kaira could feel Lunari’s aura.

“Kaira!”

Han quickly stepped in front of his daughter.

As the former Thief Guild Leader, he possesses considerable strength.

He wouldn’t stand a chance against Lunari, but…

He could put up a good fight.

A man of his strength should draw his dagger…

But he couldn’t bring himself to use a weapon against Lunari.

He cares for her…

He sees her as a daughter…

Han couldn’t attack her.

“Calm down, Lunari!”

Lunari glared at them with sharp eyes.

“Move…both of you.”

…Or I’ll kill you.

Lunari might seem reformed…

But when it comes to Isabel, she can become a villainess.

In this volatile situation…

—Lunari, please calm down.

“Why is the lord…?”

“M-My Lord…?”

Aias entered the tavern.

Lunari looked at the lord and murmured,

“Isabel. You smell like Isabel…Where is he?”

“Divine Being, please calm down.”

“My darling…how can I calm down when Isabel is gone…? I won’t let anyone take him away this time. Not humans, not beastkin. No one can stop me…! Move, human!”

Lunari bared her sharp fangs.

An immense magical power emanated from her.

The humans couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by her presence.

The whole tavern started to shake.

The chandelier looked like it was about to fall…

The bottles on the shelves began to shatter…

And the tables and chairs rattled violently.

Amidst this chaos, the lord bravely spoke to Lunari,

“The Fox Mask said he would be back soon.”

The lord’s words…

Made Lunari stop releasing her magical power.

She twitched her ears and stared at the lord.

“…What?”

“The Fox Mask…no, Isabel, Lunari’s husband-to-be…is undergoing some training to improve himself. He said he’d be back soon and asked you to protect our village, Divine Being.”

Half-true…

And half-false.

I didn’t say what kind of training he was doing.

And I didn’t say when he’d be back.

However, the truth is, he said he would return.

Kaira cautiously approached Lunari after the lord’s words.

“Lunari…as the lord said, it’s also written in the letter. Isabel said he would come back…that he would train and come back to you…”

“…”

Lunari calmed down at those words.

And then she murmured softly,

“…I can’t trust…humans…especially human males…”

“…Lunari.”

Kaira understood Lunari’s feelings very well.

She heard it from Isabel too…

Even though Lunari has been redeemed and reformed…

It was only because of Isabel.

It hasn’t disappeared.

The scars won’t disappear just because Isabel is gone.

“But…Isabel is different. Isn’t he the man chosen by the Divine Being?”

Lunari’s eyes widened at the lord’s words.

“…That’s true. He’s the male I chose.”

“It’s fine for the Divine Being to look for the Fox Mask…but if you leave this land, everything in the village will crumble.”

“…?”

The lord knew what would happen if Lunari disappeared.

The beastkin are coexisting with humans because of Lunari’s influence.

If this deterrent disappears…

The beastkin might bare their fangs.

And Lunari is the Divine Being of this village.

Now that she’s been chosen by this land, if she doesn’t protect the village…

All the plants and livestock…

All living things except humans and beastkin will wither and die.

Lord Elysion Aias, who accumulated all knowledge about the coexistence of humans and beastkin…

She knew the legends, so she couldn’t let Lunari leave.

Kaira added to the lord’s words,

“And Lunari, if you leave too…we’ll be sad. Right, Dad?”

“Ahem.”

Han coughed and turned away, speechless.

Lunari quietly looked at the father and daughter and murmured,

“Big Sis, baldy…”

“H-Hey, Lunari! I told you, my hair is a fashion statement…”

“And there are others waiting for you besides us…Honeygrain is looking for you too.”

There are people who follow her.

Precious bonds she can’t forget.

Even if Isabel is gone…

Because of them, Lunari will surely lead the village in the right direction.

Knowing this…

Everyone simply looked at her.

“He will definitely come back…And I will definitely find him. I promise.”

The lord was sincere.

She knows that the Divine Being will be sad if Isabel doesn’t return.

And she couldn’t bear to see the Divine Being, the protector of this village, sad, so she promised to find him.

Lunari quietly stared at the lord.

“Lord.”

“Yes, Divine Being…”

“If you find him…cut off his legs. Got it?”

“Y-Yes…?”

“Cut off his legs. So he can’t leave my side. Can you do that?”

A chilling request.

But the lord boldly replied,

“Understood. I will obey the Divine Being’s will…”

“Heh, good…then…”

Lunari’s stern expression softened into a relaxed smile.

She crossed her arms and murmured,

“I’ll make a special exception and wait. He said he would become a male worthy of me, so what kind of wife would stop him? I’ll wait for a while. Just a little while…”

The lord smiled and replied to Lunari’s murmur,

“Of course. That’s a wise decision, Divine Being.”

“I’m telling you again…while you’re waiting, you have to look for Isabel. Got it?”

Lunari narrowed her eyes and smiled mischievously.

“Of course.”

“…Then, good. Darling…♥ Just you wait. You can’t escape anymore. I’ll cut off your limbs…and keep you by my side forever. I’ll protect you forever, darling.”

Even listening to it is chilling.

Lunari’s madness is evident.

Her eyes glowed with an ominous red light.

That red light must represent…

Obsession with Isabel.

Possessiveness towards Isabel.

Affection for Isabel.

She’ll wait for Isabel, just for a little while.

And if he’s not found after some time, or if he doesn’t return…

She’ll hunt him down herself.

Even if it means cutting off his legs so he can’t escape…

“Sigh, what a handful of a darling.”

The Divine Being’s troubled expression as she touched her cheek was frightening.

The lord looked at her and made a silent vow.

I have to find Isabel…

To do that, I need to go to the Guild Association Isabel established…

“Black Hound,” in Luminous Garden…

That’s what Aias thought.

…!!

A shiver ran down my spine.

Is it my imagination?

Well, maybe not.

After all, I just escaped from the most insane heroine…

But…I can’t abandon those poor, pitiful villainous heroines who are waiting for me! Hahaha.

…Despite my lighthearted words…

If I don’t save these heroines, the world will be destroyed.

I have to convince myself of this.

I regained my composure and activated the system.

Is the next target this easy heroine?

I checked her profile.