The Baby Villain Dreams of Conquering the World

Chapter 97

Episode 97

Basilian, having also heard it, pulled Flora closer to his side, holding her hand tightly.

"If you got the information you wanted, let's go back. If they find out we came out like this, we might really get sent back to the north immediately."

"Okay, let's go back quickly."

"So, did you solve everything you were curious about?"

On the way out of the village, as if he could no longer hold back his curiosity, Basilian asked.

Grateful that he had accompanied her quietly without being a bother, she readily answered.

"Hmm, not everything yet. I'll tell you when it's all solved. More importantly, did you hear earlier? Our northern image has improved? Isn't that praise-worthy for Oppa?"

"It was a fairly favorable reaction, yes."

Seeing Flora's beaming face, Basilian nodded.

"Isn't our Oppa amazing? He finds parts of this case suspicious, so he's even going around investigating himself. Truly his father's son, he's so diligent."

"If anyone heard you, they'd think your dad and brother were younger than you. Anyway, little old lady. Stop being so mature for your age."

"I wonder who's talking."

It was natural for Flora, having lived as Mors, to have a mental age far higher than seven, but Basilian was only eleven.

It was Basilian who lived in a way unbefitting his age, so he couldn't take any more of this nagging.

As Flora shook her head disapprovingly, Basilian muttered "I can't stand it" and laughed softly.

"Anyway, it was good that we came out."

Seeing his very pleased face, Flora laughed along.

Yes, it was good that they came out.

Just as they were exiting the village entrance, Flora paused for a moment and looked back.

It was the village where the most recent disappearance occurred, and she had even visited the green-roofed house just in case, but it was as expected.

'I didn't sense any pure demonic energy that a demon might leave behind while passing, nor did I sense any monster's demonic energy either.'

Not even the tiniest trace was left behind; how could they call this the work of a demon?

'Well, it could have abducted them stealthily without using demonic energy. It is a demon, after all.'

But even considering that, the suspicious feeling wouldn't go away, which was the problem.

'Stealthy abduction is something humans can do too, right?'

There were many questions, but she still lacked sufficient information to solve them completely.

To resolve this doubt, it seemed she would indeed have to face the demon. Who was responsible and the reason for these acts would probably become clear soon.

After all, there had been eyes watching the two of them carefully from the village.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Sure enough, not long after returning to the tent, someone came looking for the mercenary band.

"I heard news that there is a child with this mercenary band. Where is the child?"

Unlike the mercenaries, a knight from a noble house, clad in sturdy armor, confidently demanded the child.

Perhaps having heard about the related matter beforehand, Prek wasn't flustered and retorted immediately.

"Huh? You come here suddenly, what do you mean by that?"

Upon hearing a knight had arrived, the mercenary band members also hid Flora and Basilian inside a tent.

Seemingly displeased by their grinning faces, the knight scowled pointedly.

"I came here knowing everything, so cut the useless chatter."

"There are no children here."

"Didn't you hear me say I came here after hearing about it? There are witnesses who saw you have a child working as an errand girl or something, and you keep making excuses!"

Prek's excuses didn't work on the knight.

He glared at the group of mercenaries with a sharp gaze, as if ready to tear the tent apart, and said,

"The demon here is a despicable, evil creature that targets children! We are trying to evacuate the child beforehand, so cooperate quietly!"

As if the mercenary band wouldn't know that the children's abductions by the demon were the reason this subjugation force was assembled.

Although they had lived quietly after being advised by Benio to keep a low profile, that didn't mean the people who had spotted Flora and Basilian would disappear.

Even the Executors had seen them, so their words carried weight; as they had said then, it might genuinely be for the purpose of protecting the children.

However, when entrusting Flora to the Red Serpent Mercenary Band, Benio had told them this:

〈Never trust them. If they ask for the children, play dumb. Tell them they are under Lucifer's protection and will be protected as much as possible.〉

He had warned them, anticipating something like this might happen.

〈It might be a burden, but I'm asking you.〉

Using the word "request," unlike a typical noble.

That's why Prek tried to hold out as much as possible.

A commotion might arise, but that would actually ensure the news reached Benio's ears, who was keeping a close watch on them.

"Young Duke Lucifer himself said he would look after them! The children are perfectly safe under our protection!"

At the tone implying they were trying to snatch them away by force, the knight's face twisted fiercely.

"If a knight says he will protect a mere mercenary band's child, you should at least say 'Thank you' and entrust them to us, if nothing else!"

The knight raised his hand, and just as Prek was about to accept the violence without even thinking of blocking it...

"It's hard to believe that someone who raises their hand over such a trivial matter will protect me."

Shaking off Basilian, who was trying to stop her, Flora rushed out of the tent.

Basilian hurriedly chased after her, but the knight had already spotted Flora.

"Are you sure it's really okay for me to go with you?"

At Flora's consecutive questions, the knight's fist stopped mid-air.

He awkwardly cleared his throat and forced a friendly smile.

"These adults here keep refusing to hand you over and are trying to put you in danger, you see. By the way, who is that beside you?"

"He's my older brother, a full-fledged mercenary. I'm just an assistant errand girl."

"I see. If he's a mercenary, then he doesn't really need protection. Come with me, uncle. The esteemed people will keep you safe."

As Flora made to follow him, Basilian urgently grabbed her hand.

"It wouldn't be too late to ask Young Duke first!"

"But the Young Duke hasn't returned yet!"

At those words, Basilian bit his lip as if frustrated. It seemed he hadn't expected Flora to be taken away as if abducted like this.

'Fool. You should know just by looking at the situation.'

Hunting is usually like this.

Unless it's a special case like Lucifer, luring the prey out is a way to end the hunt more easily and quickly than storming its lair.

'Since she's a child affiliated with mercenaries, they could shamelessly think of using her as bait.'

Of course, even if her identity as the Lucifer ducal daughter were revealed, they would likely have tried to use her as bait under the pretext of the Judgment.

'It's just a difference of whether it happens sooner or later.'

That's why Benio had come again and warned them so sternly. To absolutely not stand out and stay quiet.

He had tried his best to protect Flora, but she, on the contrary, had been waiting for this moment.

If it was the demon's doing, she would meet a demon after a long time and ask why it was doing this, and if it was a human's doing…

'I'll have to think about that when the time comes.'

She hadn't thought of a specific method, but she would somehow reveal the culprit in front of everyone and ensure they received a fitting, terrible punishment.

"This is no good. I'll just reveal your identity......"

As Basilian, grasping the seriousness of the situation, urgently tried to ruin the plan, Flora immediately shook her head.

"I'll be in a safe place, so you, Oppa, need to do your mission well. Okay?"

Then she clenched her fist and made a fighting gesture.

As she showed the bracelet with its conspicuously shiny glass beads dangling below her clenched fist, Basilian clicked his tongue and then released her captured hand.

Seeing Flora, far from surprised but rather offering the Lur Bracelet as if she wanted this, he instantly realized she had anticipated and waited for this moment.

"It's always your way, isn't it?"

Basilian's face was filled with clear dissatisfaction, seeming truly angry, but since she had waited for this moment more than anyone, there was no helping it.

'I guess I should at least tell him who is taking me.'

To reassure Basilian somewhat and to give the mercenaries an excuse as well.

"But who said they would protect me? The noble sirs in white clothes?"

"Yes, people bearing a very noble mission. I don't know why they'd offer to protect a lowly child like you......"

When Flora pointed at the Executors and asked, the knight's answer held a subtle contempt.

It was irritating, but Flora, a genius at acting, hid her emotions and grinned innocently.

Muttering that the child's laughter was silly, the knight shouted toward the mercenaries.

"Anyway, she will be under the protection of a great person, so don't worry and just faithfully carry out the mission given to you!"

With those final words, as the knight started walking ahead, Flora had to wave goodbye to the mercenary band from afar.

But in stark contrast to the knight's firm words, the place Flora arrived at was nowhere near where the Executors were staying.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Wait, why are we going deeper into the forest?

Flora had a lot she wanted to say, but she diligently followed behind the knight, who walked ahead without even looking back.

She felt like just overturning everything, but if she did that, there would be no point in having endured this long.

"Mister, how much further do we have to go?"

"Call me Sir Knight."

"Okay, Sir Knight Mister. How much further? My feet hurt now."

"Tch, this is why uneducated children are like this. No manners, no respect."

Even after the knight corrected her, she spoke however she wanted, and she felt the blatant, critical gaze.

'A knight should act like a knight to be treated as one.'

He's clearly dragging me to a suspicious place, and he has a lot to say.

He wasn't even matching his stride, so she had to follow with quick steps.

It seemed that urging him further would only earn her more unpleasant looks, so she quietly followed just behind his back. How long had it been?

The narrow grassy path ended, her view opened up, and a clearing appeared.

It looked nothing like a place to protect a young child.

A man stood there in a high-handed posture, and beside him was a large box as tall as his leg.

A suspicious place and a strange box to boot. They were really determined, weren't they?

Just as she was thinking that, the man looked at the arriving knight and scowled with a displeased expression.