[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
Chapter 49 - Yulia’s Choice
The bloodline of Estrid is noble.
So great that no one dares to touch a mber of the Estrid family without permission. Even among Estrids, any unsanctioned contact is considered an offense, a cri.
And yet.
Yulia couldn’t resist the boy gripping her cheek—the boy whose body was now controlled by Ortega.
Why?
Why was she frozen like this?
Was it fear of Ortega?
She couldn’t deny it. Ortega was a being who had single-handedly slaughtered an entire city and turned the entire empire into his enemy. He was both the greatest stain and the strongest force of Estrid. A ghost wandering this world, far beyond the realm of humans.
There was no way she wasn’t afraid.
Her fingertips trembled, her lips quivered. All signs of fear.
But it was more than just fear.
Yulia knew herself well.
She was not soone who would stop because of a little fear.
Sothing else was keeping her from moving.
— Grip.
The heavy hand gripping her cheek.
It was because of him.
'Lloyd.'
From the mont she first t him, from the mont she learned Ortega was dormant within him, she had made a promise to herself.
'I swore I’d kill you.'
She had vowed that if Ortega ever took over Lloyd’s body, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.
That vow was the problem.
If she moved now, it would an killing Ortega—killing Lloyd.
"Are you frozen, woman?"
Ortega sneered as he pressed down on Yulia’s cheek.
"......."
"Those blue eyes of yours… I didn’t want to see them again. They still make my blood boil."
Tremble.
His hand trembled, though it was unclear whether it was from rage or excitent.
"This has nothing to do with . You just didn’t get along with the Reverse Eyes bearer of your ti."
That wasn’t true.
Even at this mont, Yulia wanted to kill Ortega—or seal him away forever.
She was just holding back that instinctive urge because of one conflicting presence within her.
"Woman. Your eyes are shaking."
"I don’t know what you an."
"Then why have you already stepped back?"
Yulia faltered.
Seeing this, Ortega’s grin widened.
"You like him."
"........"
"You like this body I’ve taken over."
"That’s impossible."
"Kuhahahaha!"
Laughter filled the room.
He bent over, shaking with amusent.
In that brief mont, Yulia took several steps back.
Ortega straightened up.
"Hey, Reverse Eyes."
"......."
"Don’t try to hide it. Every bearer of the Reverse Eyes I’ve ever t has wanted nothing more than to kill ."
Yulia bit her lower lip.
Blood dripped down her chin.
"Show those cursed eyes."
"......."
"I feel like stretching a bit. That last woman wasn’t strong, just filthy."
Whoosh.
Ortega’s aura spread instantly, making the air heavy.
“Haa, haa…”
Even breathing beca difficult.
This damn bastard—could he control the air too?
"Use your Reverse Eyes already. Are you going to let crush you like this?"
"...Shut up."
"Fine, getting crushed isn’t so bad either."
“Haa…”
"I never wanted to see those wretched eyes again. They make sick."
Ortega swung his hand downward.
— Boom!
Everything in the space sank inward, as though the air itself had caved in.
“Kuh!”
Yulia coughed up blood.
Slowly, Ortega walked toward her, his deanor careless, almost lazy.
But it wasn’t carelessness. It was confidence.
Anyone could see that Ortega was dominating this space completely.
Yulia counted in her head.
'This is the second approach.'
Ortega stepped on her fingers as he approached.
“Kugh.”
"Those eyes… they disgust . They remind of when I was sealed."
The previous Reverse Eyes bearer.
He hadn’t been able to seal Ortega because he was overwhelmingly powerful.
If that were the case, Ortega would have been stopped long before he could have destroyed a city.
The reason he had managed to seal Ortega was because…
‘The sacrifice of the Reverse Eyes bearer.’
By fixing his Reverse Eyes on Ortega and endlessly dispelling his magic, he had beco the container that sealed Ortega away.
‘I can do it.’
Yulia wasn’t afraid of becoming that container.
If it ant imprisoning this monstrous being, she was willing to do it.
But.
‘That’s only if all else fails.’
Right now, Yulia knew.
There was another way to stop Ortega.
She didn’t have to sacrifice herself—if Lloyd could regain control of his body, they could stop him.
Flicker.
Yulia’s Reverse Eyes began to glow.
Ortega smirked as he stepped closer.
The third approach.
"You think just lighting up those eyes will let you touch even a hair on ? You’re far from—"
His words trailed off as his brow furrowed.
"Far…"
It seed like he couldn’t move his tongue properly.
“Huh?”
Ortega glanced down at his leg.
"What’s this?"
Clink.
A shackle had appeared around his ankle.
Ortega’s eyes widened as Yulia smirked.
“A trick.”
◆
Before they had faced the Seven Kill Squad.
Lloyd had called a strategy eting.
Although it was just him, Yulia, and the village chief, Lloyd’s words were enough to draw their attention.
"I have a trick."
"...A trick?"
"Yes. Co take a look."
Thud.
Lloyd placed sothing on the table.
"...Shackles?"
The village chief mumbled.
Only then did Yulia realize what she was looking at—small, tal shackles, barely big enough to bind two or three fingers, let alone an ankle. They were tiny, easily held in one hand.
"What are you planning to do with those?"
Her voice ca out incredulous.
But Lloyd just grinned, fiddling with the chain attached to the shackles.
"Do you know how hard it was to get these?"
"These toys… really?"
"Toys? Oh, hang on."
Lloyd raised one hand and rummaged through his pocket, pulling out so sedatives.
He swallowed two pills at once.
"...Lloyd, you’ve been taking way too many of those lately."
"Ah, that’s because Ortega can’t hear this part."
With a mischievous smile, Lloyd continued, his expression becoming a little drowsy.
"We’re going to face Ilsal soon. She’s definitely a strong woman. Being an assassin, her stronghold is likely full of traps and sorcery. She won’t be an easy opponent."
"Right. Those assassin types are skilled in all kinds of trickery. A tough bunch."
"The chief is right. That’s why we need to prepare as much as possible."
"But we’re the ones attacking. What kind of preparations can we make?"
"Well, the problem is that Ilsal is powerful."
"Exactly. She’s highly dangerous."
"And there are many ways to deal with a strong opponent."
"Many ways… to deal with soone strong?"
"Yes."
Lloyd answered casually, as if it were no big deal.
It wasn’t arrogance.
He had faced enemies stronger than most mbers of the Hero Party during his battle against the Demon King.
"There’s politics, traps, equipnt… many options. The important thing isn’t how strong they are, but how smart you are."
Tock tock.
Lloyd tapped his head.
Brains.
The chief didn’t mind. He knew Lloyd would do the thinking for him.
That clever boy had probably found a way to use those shackles.
"So, what are these shackles for?"
"There are unique magical artifacts in this world. And among them, there are so that grow stronger based on the strength of the opponent."
Artifacts were common knowledge.
But an artifact that grew stronger based on its target?
Yulia and the chief exchanged startled glances.
"These shackles impose 'constraints.'"
"Constraints… as in conditions that, if t, make the artifact stronger?"
"Exactly. The more difficult the conditions, the stronger the shackles beco. In other words, against a strong opponent, the artifact can beco exponentially more powerful."
"And where did you find sothing like this?"
"It wasn’t easy. I had to get help from Claire to track it down. Anyway."
Lloyd held up three fingers.
"We’ll input three conditions."
"Three?"
"Yes. The harder the conditions, the stronger the restraints. So, the first condition: the opponent’s guard must be lowered. At the mont when we need to use these, the enemy will likely be in control and overconfident. It’s a difficult condition, but a good insurance policy."
Lloyd extended his second finger.
"The second: we must have fallen into one of their traps."
"And that?"
"We’re invading the heart of the Seven Kill Squad. We’re bound to trigger at least one trap. And the third."
He extended his ring finger.
"The enemy must approach three tis."
If all three conditions are t, the target will be restrained, no matter how strong they are.
Lloyd concluded with that.
◆
Now, facing Ortega once again.
Yulia hesitated.
She had initially thought the shackles were ant for Ilsal...
'But considering he took sedatives to hide it, he knew they could work on Ortega too.'
"You think you can bind with these pathetic shackles?"
Ortega rushed toward her, grinning.
As he neared, Yulia knew she had to make a decision.
Would she trust Lloyd?
Or give up everything and seal Ortega herself?
Yulia clenched her fist.
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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