Please Bully Me, Miss Villainess!

Chapter 205 : Can You Hear It_ 3

"Though I'd like to touch the Lake God's belly, I might not be tall enough."

This one really wants to...

"Speaking of which, what does the Lake God look like? Did you see clearly underwater?"

"Very big!"

Bebe stretched out her arms to demonstrate, but obviously, her short arms weren't enough.

"Anyway, it's just very big!"

Rako rolled her eyes after hearing this.

"That's about as good as saying nothing."

"Hmm..."

Crossing her arms, Bebe tried hard to recall the scene.

"Also... the Lake God seemed very dirty."

"Dirty?"

"It looked like there was a lot of seaweed growing on its body."

Bebe opened up an embroidered cloth picture, which depicted the Lake God as a dark, formless mass, looking somewhat terrifying.

"So that's why people draw it like this?"

"Ah, this..."

Rako, who had grown up around Grandfather Mondo, was very familiar with this image. She remembered how the adults in the tribe used to scare children with it. 'If you don't behave, the Lake God will take you away.'

"Has our Bebe thought of a good method?"

"Mama!"

Yvonne lifted her child from behind and held her to her chest.

"The place where the Lake God stays seems very cold... It would be nice if there was a way for the Lake God to have a bath too!"

A bath...

A flash of inspiration crossed her mind.

...It might work!

"That expression, do you have an idea?"

"Elsa! Do you remember that very large hot spring lake nearby?"

"Ah... that one..."

She had seen it before when bathing, surrounded by numerous small hot springs, there was a large one in the middle.

Though it was nothing compared to the vast Lake Gagar.

"We can dig a channel and bring the Lake God over there, let her have a comfortable bath."

"...Wait a moment?"

Elsa felt she couldn't keep up with these two's train of thought anymore.

"Are we really going to bathe the Lake God?"

This was absolutely unheard of.

"I'll show you 'Spirited Away' next time. If you see the scene where Chihiro works hard to bathe the River God covered in sludge, you'll probably understand what I want to do."

Sincerity will be rewarded.

"If we can make the body warm, it will feel at ease!"

"That's right—our Bebe is such a little genius."

"...Are we really going to do this?"

Elsa still felt this plan wasn't very feasible.

"But didn't Grandfather Mondo and the Felis say they would take responsibility and stay? Is it okay for us outsiders to interfere?"

"It's necessary."

Yvonne took out a pottery piece with engravings.

"Look at this."

"...What's this?"

This was a piece of pottery recording the history of the cat people.

"Lake Gagar connects to the Golden River. This area is low-lying, and during the wet rainy season, flooding should be a common occurrence."

"Strange..."

Elsa discovered a blind spot.

"The Felis shouldn't like their fur getting wet, so why would they choose to settle here?"

"This is the secret of this lake—"

Yvonne continued to rotate the body of the jar, which depicted the Felis offering sacrifices to the Lake God, and the Lake God bestowing protection.

"Remarkably... events like floods have never occurred, it only depicts scenes of peaceful living."

This could also be seen from the water marks on the rock by the river.

"...Is she protecting this place?"

Elsa suddenly realized.

It seems that, as Bebe said, this Lake God isn't essentially bad.

"Since the Felis moved away, the area of the lake has expanded significantly. This isn't a good sign."

Yvonne took out a Silver Eye National Geographic special issue, which showed that the lake surface was clearly several times larger than the previously drawn animal skin map.

"If Gagar didn't exist... I'm afraid this place would be submerged within a year..."

Bathing the Lake God is just a formality.

The most important thing is to let the Lake God know that her people still remember her.

"But... how can we get Gagar, with such an enormous body, to go to that hot spring lake?"

"Well..."

Yvonne smiled and linked arms with Elsa.

"It's all up to you~♡"

Elsa immediately felt like she had been set up.

"...Evie, tell me honestly, did you deliberately bring me here?"

From her taking on this task at the association, then using the pretext of observing winter fishing to lure her here... thinking about it now, everything seemed too coincidental.

"Oh my, you figured it out?"

"Really... I fell right into your trap!"

Elsa was very angry.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier!"

"Because I wasn't too sure before coming here either. Rather than making you worry, it's better to enjoy a happy journey..."

"That's why! Don't shoulder such important matters alone!"

She showed the ring on her hand.

"Aren't I your partner in sharing burdens?"

"...I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

"It's too late!"

With herself by her side, there was no need to worry about such things...

"Gaining popularity is also part of it. If this matter is resolved smoothly, you'll be able to gain considerable prestige among the beastfolks as well."

"That's why... don't push all the credit to me!"

"I've said before, you will become everyone's hope."

Elsa, coming from a commoner background, becoming a hero would be easily accepted by people.

If it were herself, this villain character specifically designed to attract hatred, there would be all sorts of conspiracy theories.

Anyway, she was set up to be this unpopular character, whatever she did would be misunderstood...

"That's not true."

Holding her hand, her expression softened.

Just being looked at like this by her, she could feel a continuous flow of invigorating power coming to her.

"Sincerity will be rewarded... isn't that right?"

She said with a smile. Yvonne didn't expect Elsa to use her own words to stump her, and felt her face getting a bit hot.

"...Mm."

Hopefully so.

·

"With everyone looking at me like this, I'm getting a bit embarrassed..."

Faced with the gazes of so many Felis tribe members, young and old, from all directions, Elsa felt a bit uncomfortable.

"Mama~ You can do it!"

Elsa smiled and waved in Bebe's direction.

At least she had to perform well in front of the child.

She needed to show her true abilities!

Thinking this, she held a magic stone, crouched down in the already drawn magic circle, touched the ground with her hand, closed her eyes to concentrate, feeling the flow of elements within the earth.

"Power of the earth, sleeping in rocks and sand, awaken—"

Rumble rumble rumble rumble—

The Felis holding excavation tools all pricked up their ears.

The earth... was trembling??

"Look over there—"

Someone exclaimed in surprise.

The Felis then discovered that the ground beneath their feet was slowly cracking open.

Then, as if given life by magic power, the soil around the cracks was continuously being filled and smoothed out.

Where this human girl passed, it was as if an invisible giant hand was shaping the land.

A wide water channel that would require hundreds of people to dig together was advancing at a visible speed.

"Amazing..."

Although they had heard before that this human girl was remarkable, they didn't expect her to be capable of this extent.

Is this the power of a top-tier human magic user?

Earth elemental magic is often used for defense in actual combat. On the battlefield, magic users would use soil and rocks to form thick shield walls to resist ranged attacks. Not only this most well-known application, but contrary to the 'solid' impression it gives people, earth elements are highly malleable.

Excellent earth magic users can create and operate clay dolls with their magic power.

If they have enough magic power, they can even directly modify and reshape the terrain like Elsa is doing.

"Evie, is it alright to connect the hot spring and the lake like this?"

After doing half, Elsa wiped the sweat beads from her forehead and confirmed with Yvonne.

"Yes, well done—! Don't break through until I give the signal on my side!"

"No problem, leave it to me!"

Being trusted like this by the other party, using this magic power to become her strength, was the most exhilarating thing for her.

Giving a gesture of affirmation, Elsa manipulated the temporarily created clay dolls, working together with other Felis tribe members to move away rocks and dead wood blocking the path.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Bebe, not wanting to be left behind, clenched her little fists, looking full of energy.

"Let's go invite that great one."