The Villain Dreams Of World Peace

 Episode 21: Murishi, The Species That Eats Monsters (7)

 

Aside from the area unintentionally attacked by Muriel, the Murishi’s body had many wounds. Immediate treatment seemed necessary.

 

“If you return Ur’s fragment, I can heal you properly.”

 

I don’t know what that is.

 

“The small bead shard you took from here. Give it back. It’s something I really need right now.”

 

I’m hungry.

 

“Hey!”

 

I’m hungry. I’m hungry.

 

“Speak properly. Give me Ur’s fragment!”

 

When Muriel shouted, the Murishi made a whimpering sound that didn’t match its cruel appearance and got up with a limp. It seemed like he was trying to eat the monster.

 

I’m hungry.

 

Muriel quickly grabbed the monster and hid it behind her back. The mushy texture of the monster vividly transmitted through her hand, causing all the hair on her body to stand on end.

 

“If it wasn’t you who took it, then someone from your friends must have taken it. Bring it back. Then I’ll let you eat monsters until your bully bursts. Someone took it from here last night.”

 

Whimpering… I’m hungry. I’m going to die.

 

“So go and bring back the fragment of Ur. Then I’ll let you eat until you’re full and treat you too.”

 

I’ll die because of the human’s treatment.

 

That’s really..

Muriel was infuriated by Murishi’s unnecessary sharp words even while it was whining about being hungry. However, since it seemed fearful, she thought it would be better to soothe it gently instead of shouting at it.

 

“You must be very hungry, right? If you bring me the bead fragment that was buried here yesterday, I promise to let you eat monsters to your heart’s content from now on. Return Ur’s fragment. Here, it smells exactly like this.”

Muriel took out the piece she’d gotten from Rovelia and showed it to the creature. The Murishi flicked his head then.

 

Not the same.

 

“Don’t pretend like you know. Should I make you suffer more? Huh?”

 

Muriel quickly abandoned her resolve to soothe it gently and responded harshly.

 

Whimpering… It smells different from yesterday…

 

“As expected, it was you who took it yesterday, right? Where did you put it now?”

 

Too small.

 

“What?”

 

Bigger meat. I’m very, very hungry. Bigger meat. Every day. Every day.

 

Ha. Muriel burst into a hollow laugh at the unimaginable attempt to trade. What an impressive creature. It wasn’t just intelligent; it was also clever.

 

“Alright. I’ll make you full with bigger meat every day. Isn’t that good? Give me the fragment.”

 

Excited, the Murishi stamped its feet and trembled. As a result, all the blood that was flowing through its long, stiff fur splattered onto Muriel.

 

“Ugh…”

 

What a terrible smell.

Unable to taste spiciness or feel pain, but still being able to smell a stench that made her nasal passages swell. It made her think that this novel transmigration was really inconsistent.

 

Gwuewek.

 

The Murishi violently retched, and spat out Ur’s fragment.

 

“Ugh. Were you keeping it in your stomach? Ugh…”

Muriel, though nauseated, quickly picked up the fragment and wrapped it in a handkerchief.

 

That strange-smelling stone. I ate it because I was hungry. It’s tasteless. I’m hungry.

 

“Yeah, yeah. You’re hungry. Hurry up and eat this.”

 

Muriel threw it the fragmented monster lump she had been hiding behind her back all this time. The Murishi sniffed with its short nose and then devoured the monster in one bite. Looking at its appetite, it seemed that the Murishi truly would not be satisfied by a small monster.

 

“Let’s heal the wounds first.”

 

Still hungry.

 

“I know. But I need to treat you first.”

She thought it’d be more stubborn, but the Murishi obediently folded its legs and plopped down on the ground. From the sound of its groaning, it seemed like its wounds indeed hurt.

 

She hadn’t expected to use Ur’s fragment again so soon. But since it worked much better than August’s talisman, she had no other choice.

 

Muriel cleaned Ur’s fragment, which had entered Murishi’s stomach, with the handkerchief. This time, Muriel didn’t need to let Sharan’s eyes see her, so she didn’t have to send her Pacio directly to Kaiton.

 

“Cerenus.”

It was a success in one go. The wounds that covered the Murishi’s body entirely disappeared.

 

Kyu-ing…! It doesn’t hurt. I’m not in pain.

 

“This is truly… amazing.”

 

Muriel looked down at the fragment of Ur in her hand. It was just a small bead-like piece, but she could use magic much more effortlessly than with the two talismans August had given her.

 

‘Just a little more… should we test it?’

 

After all, Kaiton wouldn’t know anyway.

The pacio she had was infinite, so there should be no problem.

 

Besides, she still needed to heal her own wounds…

She could come up with endless excuses, but the truth was, she wanted to use Ur’s fragment once more. It was fascinating to see how a wizard like her could succeed in casting magic.

 

‘Yeah, well… I’m only using it one more time.’

 

Muriel briefly turned away from her decision not to use Ur’s fragment again and treated her own arm.

 

“Wow… another success….”

 

Gah! Muriel clenched her fist, feeling a chilling sensation run from the top of her head to her toes. She couldn’t afford to get caught up in this power any longer. She knew it so well in her head, but her heart began to pound freely still.

 

Hungry.

 

The Murishi noticed Muriel, lost in thought while biting her lips in unease, and snatched her thoughts. Whether it was because they could communicate or because the Murishi was naturally someone with weak vigilance, it acted quite friendly.

 

“Alright. Wait here for a moment. I’ll get the monster. Ah… but I can’t bring it myself, so stay well hidden. You might die if you’re discovered. Got it?”

 

Got it.

 

Once again, with the help of the knight, Muriel resolved the monster hunt. The knight guarding the castle gate were not enough, so she called all the knights who were resting in the lodging. The sudden monster subjugation in the middle of the night caused a commotion in the territory, but it seemed better than repeatedly asking for help separtely. Since Murishi ate rotten corpses as well, she intended to prepare a month’s worth at once.

 

“Eek!! It’s a monster! A monster has appeared in the territory!”

“No… it’s me…”

 

“Eek! It’s speaking like a human… it’s a ghost… a ghost!! A ghost has appeared in the territory…”

 

“No, I’m Muriel Storm…”

 

“My lady…? Not a demon?”

 

Although there was a commotion because the knights mistook Muriel, who appeared in blood, to be a demon at first, despite their confusion, they followed Muriel’s words and captured a lot of monster to bring to the mountains.

 

The excuse that it was part of the training for the candidate saint was suspicious to anyone who heard it, but perhaps because they felt sorry for freaking out when they saw Muriel, they listened to her without questions.

 

“Hah… It was a long night.”

 

Muriel opened a portal and returned to her accommodation in the palace. The Murishi, who had been excitedly jumping around at the sight of monsters piled-up like a mountain, looked cute when viewed with cloudy eyes, but it wasn’t a picture that was good for mental health, regardless.

 

“I’m tired.”

She couldn’t wait to fall down and sleep as if she were dead.

Muriel hurried her steps, and found Kaiton standing in front of her room.

 

“You’re late.”

 

He scanned Muriel with his eyes. Even though she’d wiped away all the stenchful blood of the Murishi and changed her clothes, it felt like his sharp gaze could see the traces from before.

 

“Yes… I had some business to attend to.”

 

Unconsciously, Muriel clenched the fragment of Ur she’d unwittingly put in her back pocket. She couldn’t bury it in the ground in case another Murishi ran off with it, and there was nowhere to put it, so she brought it along.

 

Kaiton slowly shifted his gaze along Muriel’s arm. His cold expression slightly narrowed. He already seemed to know what Muriel was hiding behind her back.

 

“Did you go to your territory?”

 

“Yes…”

 

He knew all about where Muriel had been, of course. It was only natural. Opening and closing portals was the work of the wizards, so he must have received a report.

 

“It smells like blood. Are you hurt?”

 

“!”

 

She should have pretended to be innocent, but unconsciously, Muriel sniffed her nose to see if the smell of the Murishi’s blood was still on her body. All she could smell was soap.

 

What’s going on… Did she get caught? Or maybe he really didn’t know everything about where she’d been and what she’d done?

 

Muriel caught the strange smile on Kaiton’s face. She couldn’t read his expression. It didn’t seem like he was angry or displeased, but he didn’t seem pleased either with the fact that Muriel had touched the fragment as he planned.

 

“I got a slight scratch, but I treated it quickly.”

 

“You did it yourself?”

 

“…Well…”

 

“It seems you’re experiencing the true effects of Talisman.”

 

Kaiton nodded before Muriel could even respond. She wondered what he knew and why he was acting this way, but Kaiton began to approach her. This made her tense up. His gaze briefly shifted towards the talismans that August had given her, but soon turned to the hand she hid behind her back.

 

“I remembered that we didn’t use any magic today. The path of magic needs to be stimulated consistently for it to develop, so it’s best not to skip even a day.”

 

“Right now? Well… I mean, now…”

 

Muriel took a step back.

Kaiton was undoubtedly trying to confirm if she had used the fragment of Ur. He must be trying to check her pacio.

 

“Is it possible that you have already used enough magic to not need me to open the pathway of magic for you? If that’s the case, then your channel of magic must still be strong, and my assistance is not necessary.”

 

Kaiton extended his hand.

 

“If not, give me your hand. I will help the power of the saint to awaken.”

 

Muriel regretted bringing the fragment of Ur here. It was a mistake. She had unnecessarily drawn Kaiton’s attention.

 

Carefully hiding the fragment of Ur in her embrace, Muriel took Kaiton’s hand. She worried that he might forcefully take the fragment away, but Kaiton simply remained silent.

 

Muriel placed both of her hands on his large, rough hands. His hands were as cold as ice. Muriel’s hand was about to fall in surprise, but his chilly hand firmly clasped hers.

 

“Ah…”

 

“Stay still.”

 

Kaiton’s magic squeezed into her narrow blood veins like cold seawater. It was a fierce energy that made it hard to breathe.

 

A groan almost escaped her, but Muriel clenched her lips and held it in. Kaiton intensified the flow of his magic, sending a sharper surge of energy through Muriel, who remained still under his gaze.

So that it would hurt a little more.

So that those eyebrows would become just slightly more twisted.

 

Kaiton carefully watched the surprise etched on Muriel’s expressionless face. He thought it would be nice if she suffered a bit, but Muriel showed no signs of pain or distress.

 

Muriel’s surprise gradually faded away.

 

No matter how much he etched and carved, any pain, surprise, or sadness disappeared completely when it reached Muriel. It vanished like a sandcastle that could be wiped away with a single wave, no matter how carefully constructed.

 

What if he could leave a scar that she could never forget, that she could never erase…

 

Beset with wicked thoughts, Kaiton’s grip on Muriel’s wrist tightened, but Muriel, who could not feel pain, obliviously and obediently waited for his examination to be over.

 

“Doesn’t it hurt?”

 

“No, I’m fine.”

 

“…I see. That’s a relief.”

 

Unaware that Kaiton was even more grumpy at her calm face, Muriel complied decently, not wanting to offend him.