The Villain Changed the Ending

078 Wrath of the Goddess

***[Heroine Oscar]***

After reading the report, I looked at Benno.

“Haven’t you read Benno yet?”

“Yes, as a simple scorpion, I only know that this is an urgent report on the Witchbeast.”

I passed the report to Benno without saying anything.

Benno’s face became serious little by little as he read quickly.

“I’m in trouble.”

The number of demons living in the mountains is increasing.

They were giving birth to twice as many babies, sometimes three or four times.

The smaller ones gave birth to more babies, and the bigger ones gave birth to fewer.

The report speculated that it might be because of the food.

The little ones become prey for the big ones.

If there are too many large ones, the food supply will be reduced and the survival rate will be lowered.

The mountain keeper who investigated this incident guessed that this is why each monster has a different number of babies.

However, the cycle of giving birth seems to be a little longer than usual.

So, the number of Witchbeasts was gradually increasing, invisible to the human eye.

“It’s detailed. You can’t see it simply by observing it for a few days.”

“Yes. The lord of that place does a good job. They say the mountain keeper has already been sent here.”

It is said that the mountain keeper left before sending Pabalma.

It seems that he had already left before writing the report.

The details were written to be heard from him.

“It should arrive tomorrow at the earliest.”

Benno said softly and looked at me.

“What do you want to do? Shall we contact the Marquis Hoven and the Petrie in advance, or will you do it after meeting the mountain keeper?”

To be precise, you must meet the mountain keeper and move behind him.

However, there might be a place where the number of monsters has already exploded somewhere.

“It’s better to simply send a warning in advance.”

“Okay. Then I’ll prepare someone to send.”

Watching Benno bow his head, I began to write a letter to the Marquis of Hoven and Petrie, as well as a few close families.

You don’t have to worry about it because Benno will send messages to the vassal families and lords of the dukedom on their own.

News will come and go at appropriate intervals depending on the progress.

Especially in the case of vassal families, most of the head or heir arrives here within a few days.

‘It would be okay to let them meet the mountain keeper when they come.’

Sending a call to the king is after understanding the phenomenon in some detail.

If you make ominous remarks such as an increase in the number of demons without any evidence, it is common in this world to hear that you will “take the wrath of the gods”.

When it comes to God, people easily become paralyzed.

There was no such thing as witch hunting in the Middle Ages, but there were often cases comparable to it, and conversely, there were cases in which people were honored as being children of gods or receiving blessings from goddesses.

It’s not just simple faith, I also sometimes feel that the power of God is at work.

The royal family is especially sensitive to such things, so you have to be careful.

I let out a small breath.

As I continued to pursue new ventures and the duchy grew richer, the king’s vigilance grew stronger every day.

It seems to have gotten worse after the magic soldier’s power was clearly revealed due to the locust spell.

There was news from officials and butlers in the capital that the king was trying to increase the power of the royal family by contacting nobles behind the scenes.

On top of that, the jealousy of Prince Robert and the affairs of Princess Louise, who had married into a steppe tribe, overlapped, and even the current first queen’s gaze was not good.

‘I had good feelings for her.’

I thought he was a smart person.

They say that it is fun to go out with them regardless of the beauty of their appearance and the good or bad of their personality.

I let out a small sigh again.

Human work doesn’t go the way you think.

“…”

But why is the number of demons suddenly soaring?

‘Is there some other cause?’

But, what do you need to have a beast to give birth to multiple babies?

It’s not even in some areas.

If you think about the rhinoceros and horned rabbits you met on your way here from the royal capital, it was definitely something that happened throughout the kingdom, with only a difference in degree.

‘Hunting this year is going to be a bit rough.’

What is certain is that it must be killed.

Cubs, mothers, everyone.

I closed my eyes.

My eyes are cold for some reason.

*

The next day, I was working in my room later than usual.

It was because I was waiting for the mountain keeper to arrive.

‘Maybe it’s not coming today.’

I let out a small sigh and pushed the checked documents aside.

Benno quietly takes care of it.

“I’ll go to my private room for a while.”

As I said, Benno lowered his head slightly and asked.

“Aren’t you going to your wife’s room?”

“Don’t ask if you know.”

A bitter laugh came out.

Katrin fell asleep early, right after dinner.

Since I’m still before adulthood, I wonder if it’s because I went to bed early even in the family of marquis.

After the sun went down, drowsiness began to fill my eyes, and at some point I was dozing off alone.

My body and brain were at their limits because I was doing unfamiliar things all at once, but my usual habits probably also played a role.

Even though she goes to bed early every day, she doesn’t lock the key to the door.

In the bedroom of the duchess, two large spaces for husband and wife were connected with one door.

Each space is again composed of a bedroom and other rooms.

And the middle door connecting the rooms can be locked from the wife’s room.

Even though I told her that we don’t share her bedroom because she’s still young, she seems to wait every day without locking the key.

Until I fall asleep, while dozing off.

Even though I’m still working by the time she goes to sleep.

Benno said with a faint smile.

“Your wife left the door slightly open today.”

Fuu, without realizing it, laughter came out momentarily.

I turn my head to look at the door on the other side of the space, it doesn’t show much, but it really seems to be slightly open.

It doesn’t look good from this side.

Benno said while hiding a laugh.

“According to what the ladies-in-waiting heard earlier this evening, it seems that your wife has decided to express your opinion more actively. They heard that she was discussing with the lady-in-waiting who came with her from the Marquis family.”

“By the time I go to bed, I’m already completely dreaming.”

“Still, that’s what a wife’s heart is like. Apart from the problem of staying up all night with the master, if he doesn’t come looking for you at all, that won’t be a sad thing.”

It seems that Benno is completely on Catherine’s side.

I smiled and got up from my seat.

“Then let’s see your face for a while.”

“Your wife will be pleased. The lady-in-waiting has turned off all the lights in the room, so this.”

Benno held out a candlestick.

It is made for carrying.

The silver candlestick had a round handle.

No matter how Benno is, when the door to the wife’s room is open, don’t go near it.

I took the candlestick and headed toward the wife’s room alone.

As I approached the connected door, it was actually open by a finger or two.

With a slight push, the heavy door opened gently.

As Benno said, all the lights in Katrin’s room were off.

In the dark, lit by candlelight, Catherine’s hair shimmered softly.

With the candlestick away from the bed, I approached her, careful not to make the sound of footsteps.

It seems that the small mouth is smiling a little, as if he is dreaming.

After gently brushing away the hair that had flowed down her forehead with her fingers, she lightly put her lips together.

“Sweet dreams, Katrin. You did a good job today.”

It was the moment to say so.

Katrin smiled a little as if she understood.

I looked down to see if she was awake, but she was still sleeping.

It seems that it was an act done in a dream.

I was a little surprised.

Anyway, it seems like a good dream.

After looking at her happy face for a moment, I turned around.

Benno, who was waiting in my room, greeted me with a soft smile.

*

After that, I spent about an hour in a private room.

There is always a key in this room, and only me and Benno can open the door.

Sitting in a space where no one came, I held a book in my hand that I had read from time to time.

It is the diary of the head of the family who recorded what happened in the past.

It covered a wide range of things from the troubles of the family head to the political problems that occurred that year.

It is a kind of reference book for me.

After my grandfather passed away when I was young, I learned a lot from this diary of Dangju.

When I read it when my heart is complicated, I think that I am not the only one who had this kind of trouble, and that my ancestors in the past also fell into the same situation as me.

Since the diary of the head of the household honestly writes successes and failures, it has been helpful many times so far.

‘However, there is no mention of the Witchbeast giving birth to many offspring.’

I didn’t read all of the diary of the head of state, but at least I didn’t read it.

After all, the mountain keeper couldn’t arrive today.

I got up from my seat a little disappointed.

After putting Dangju’s diary back on the bookshelf and looking at the shelf, a long line of bottles caught my eye.

In this country, after the age of 15, you are treated as an adult, so you can drink alcohol.

Commoners and nobles alike.

But I didn’t enjoy drinking in my previous life, and now, as a teenager, of course I don’t.

Instead, the fruit was mixed with sugar or honey, and the drink was drunk hot or cold.

That seems rather strange to people in this world.

Occasionally, Benno subtly arranges wine or liquor imported from abroad in the private room.

There were several bottles of alcohol, which I hadn’t seen this time, in the middle of the fruit drink.

‘I’m sure the wine bottle in a place where no one comes is for me to see.’

Someday you should learn to drink.

Alcohol plays a very important role in socializing with nobles, so it was a problem not to drink at all.

But that’s not today.

An owl’s cry was heard from somewhere.

The nights are getting colder now.

I went to the window to close the window I had left open.

It was the moment I was about to close the door.

I saw something shiny in the distance.

‘carriage?’

No wagons enter the duke’s premises at this time.

If there was a wagon coming in front of the mansion.

I immediately left the private room.

From nob le mt l dot com

Just in time, Benno was approaching at a fast pace.

“Master, the mountain keeper has arrived.”

“I just saw you from the window. I need to meet you right away.”

“I have prepared a room on the first floor.”

“Go there.”

*

There were two mountain keepers sent by the lord.

One is very old and the other is young.

However, the condition of the old mountain keeper looked quite bad.

It was skinny, as if only a skeleton remained, and one leg was missing below the ankle.

Instead, several twigs were placed under the knees as splints, and vines were woven together to make it look like a prosthetic leg.

The workmanship is crude whether he did it himself.

Maybe it was because I couldn’t wash it, or if the wound was rotten, a disgusting smell emanated from the mountain keeper.

As soon as they saw me, the mountain keepers prostrated themselves on the ground.

“It’s okay. Get up and sit down. You’ve worked hard coming a long way. You look bad. Did the doctor see it?”

When I asked the old mountain keeper, the man opened his mouth while still lying on his stomach.

“No, High Lord! Forgive me for standing in front of you with such an ignorance. If I meet the doctor, I might die in the meantime. That’s why I said something wrong. I want to report it quickly. I have to tell you this while I’m still alive.” I thought.”

I winked at him, and Benno walked over to the mountain keeper and stood up.

The young mountain keeper hurriedly grabs the man and raises him up.

After sitting the mountain keeper in the chair, I gave orders to Benno in a low voice.

“Call the doctor while I’m debriefing.”

“All right.”

The Duke’s family has a dedicated doctor.

He was also one of the best doctors in the country, and he was also involved in surgery, which was rare.

Doctors in this country do not do the work of surgeons who cut and cut the body.

There was a consciousness among doctors that cutting oneself with a saw or a knife was a lowly thing.

However, the duke’s exclusive doctor is a person with a budding consciousness.

He was also able to perform surgical procedures proficiently.

The old mountain keeper seemed to be in a hurry.

I didn’t even ask, but I started reporting alone.

What was written in the report was that this person had been watching in the mountains for several years.

“At first, I thought he died from being bitten by a demon, but I’ve been a mountain keeper for a long time, so I know a lot. Any high-ranking scholar will know less about mountains than I do.”

After the man spoke proudly, he smiled.

“It seems that the demon beast that bit me at first tried to make it food for the chicks. I took it to the nest.”

Although it moves quickly, it is said that it was not a strong magic beast.

“Even if you get bitten by a beast, if you keep your mind straight, you’ll find a hole in it that will help you survive. My father said that.”

After the man ran away from the nest, he looked closely at the monster’s ecology and recorded it in his head.

He treated his wounds with the knowledge of herbs he learned while working as a mountain keeper, and made splints with twigs.

He said he met his son while waiting for the wound to heal, moving again little by little, and returning home with such difficulty.

The man continued talking with his eyes shining as if possessed.

“My father once told me when I was young. There’s a story that comes down to the mountain keepers. When a beast suddenly starts giving birth to a lot of babies, that’s what the gods do. This is because the Goddess of Blessing is angry.”

The child-loving Goddess of Blessing gets angry when the human she cares for is harmed.

The mountain keeper said while raising both hands to the sky and acting as if praying.

“Great lord, this will continue unless the goddess’s wrath is resolved. Even if I kill you, it will not end. Please relieve the goddess’s anger. Please save the lives of everyone in this land.”

The mountain keeper fell on his face again, as if hitting his head on the floor.

“Please, save my family.”

It turned out to be a lot bigger than I thought.

Maybe this is also the coercive power of the novel trying to kill me.

Suddenly, I felt that, and my heart felt cold.