ISPBHA | Chapter 010 – Novelish Universe Translations

Chapter 010

Afterward, I desperately made excuses to settle the situation.

I said that Rusla was shedding tears because I had sponsored her with a large sum of money, and that I couldn’t answer the knock because I was preoccupied with comforting her.

The knights didn’t seem to believe it, but thinking they couldn’t interrogate the Princess, they withdrew for the time being.

“Oh, my God……”

And I returned to the detached palace with Rusla, who was still intoxicated by the mana.

It was because I couldn’t leave her alone in that state.

She, who had been shedding tears without rest, eventually succumbed to dehydration and fainted by the time we arrived at the detached palace.

After laying her on my bed, I collapsed onto the sofa. Lilibel, who helped move Rusla, glanced at the bed and asked.

“Princess, what happened?”

“Well, you see……”

Normally, I would have said nothing happened, but since my mind was weary, I needed a comrade to confide in.

I explained the situation appropriately.

Since Lilibel thought of me as something like a great black magician, she understood easily.

“So…… that person named Rusla was actually of a different race, and by chance, she saw the Princess using black magic and mistook you for someone else?”

“That’s right.”

Lilibel nodded her head, saying, “To think such a coincidence exists—.” Then, looking at the face of the sleeping Rusla, she marveled, “Wow.”

“That aside, to think an arena player was such a beautiful woman……”

“Is that more amazing than her being of a different race?”

“Well, it’s the first time I’ve seen a female warrior in reality. I’ve only seen them in fairy tales.”

Indeed, unlike the Demon Realm where one is treated as a warrior as long as they have mana, this world’s standards were quite conservative.

‘Wait, come to think of it, Loreil’s knights weren’t surprised by Rusla’s face either, were they?’

What they were surprised by was Rusla praying, not her gender.

Suddenly, the words the middle-aged knight said when he let me into the waiting room came to mind.

‘Don’t worry about rumors and please go in.’

‘That reaction…… he knew Rusla was a woman.’

Of course, he wouldn’t have known she was a fairy. Even I can’t distinguish between a human and a fairy by appearance alone.

But the fact that he knew Rusla’s gender meant that his boss, Loreil, had also noticed.

‘That snake-like young master, he encouraged me to sponsor her while knowing.’

For Loreil, he must have pretended not to know to observe my reaction. Actually, if Loreil, who can detect mana, had followed, a big problem might have occurred. His busy schedule ended up saving me.

While I was lost in various thoughts with a sigh of relief, I heard the voice of Rusla, who had been lying on the bed.

“Where is this……?”

“Are you awake?”

I sat on the chair next to the bed.

Then, I ordered Lilibel to leave, saying there was a story to share between the two of us.

Rusla sat up with a dazed face.

‘She really is a beauty.’

Her hair was sticking up and her eyes were swollen from tears, but she was still unrealistically beautiful.

Beautiful appearance was also a characteristic of the Baobhan sith, who charmed enemies to steal their blood.

“God.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

The madness had vanished, but the memory seemed to remain. When I immediately denied it, Rusla spoke with an awkward expression.

“But you are Asmo-Dina, aren’t you?”

‘As expected, she even knows my name.’

To deny it was difficult because Rusla’s conviction was too strong. Moreover, she seemed to have seen my past appearance due to my mana.

Mana is the essence of the soul. Although it was a hallucination, what she saw was definitely me.

It was difficult to back out now and say it wasn’t so.

‘But it’s strange, I have no memory of meeting Rusla.’

The subordinates under my command were countless, but the number of Baobhan sith was small. So I remember all of their faces and names, but Rusla was not among them.

“Rusla.”

“Yes.”

“Setting aside my identity for a moment…… where did you hear the name Asmo-Dina? You aren’t from that side.”

Now that I had figured out her identity, I asked in a light tone. Rusla nodded, seemingly not minding much.

“Of course, I have never met Asmo-Dina in person. Instead, I heard of her achievements and appearance from my grandmother.”

“What is your grandmother’s name?”

“It’s Mihilda.”

‘She is my subordinate.’

Mihilda was the name of the youngest among the Baobhan sith.

Has such a long time passed since I died?

Whether it was sorrow or regret, my chest felt tight with complex emotions.

“Then why is a descendant of Mihilda in the human world?”

“My family moved to the human world during my grandmother’s generation. It was because my mother fell ill with mana-sickness and could not live in the Demon Realm.”

Mana-sickness was an incurable disease where one becomes weak due to mana poisoning, a terrible illness that worsened just by breathing the air of the Demon Realm.

The grandmother of the Baobhan sith, Mihilda, was said to have moved to the human world for her daughter’s survival.

“But the sun was too strong in the human world. To the point where outside activity was completely impossible.”

“That’s true, since this is the domain of the Sun God.”

The sun of the surface was several times more powerful than that of the Demon Realm. For the weak and elderly, it wasn’t just a matter of avoiding the sunlight, they had to hide deep underground to survive.

“So we decided to settle and live in an abandoned mine. Fortunately, resources were abundant in the underground of the human world, so living was not a problem. What was lacking, I could just come up to the human world and buy.”

Rusla, born in the human world, was somewhat immune to the sun, so even if her power was weaker than those born in the Demon Realm, outside activity was possible.

Their life was inconvenient but happy. However…….

“The appearance of humans was the problem.”

“That’s right.”

After that was as I heard earlier.

Because the Baobhan sith had to hide that they were born in the Demon Realm, they could not resist the humans.

Moreover, because there was a priest among the crowd that found the abandoned mine, they had no choice but to be hit helplessly.

‘Not resisting was a wise choice.’

If they had been caught being from the Demon Realm, it wouldn’t have ended with just being kicked out.

No matter how strong a demon is, it was difficult to handle a crowd of humans.

“Fortunately, I disguised myself and didn’t have my face discovered before being found by the noble. Thanks to that, I could avoid disgraceful matters.”

“Disguise?”

“It’s like this.”

She roughly rubbed her face with her hands. Then, her beautiful face changed into a strangely ordinary face.

“I knew the Baobhan sith were masters of disguise…… but that wasn’t magic?”

“Yes, it’s a kind of physical ability. Although I am inexperienced and cannot maintain it for a long time. That’s why I didn’t take off the helmet.”

‘Indeed, if that appearance were revealed, it would be a mess.’

Having returned her face to its original state, she looked at me again with eyes full of respect.

“Since I was young, I grew up hearing about Asmo-Dina from my grandmother. The black lion decoration was also made for me by my grandmother. Saying that Asmo-Dina would protect me……”

“Salvation is an exaggeration. It just happened by chance.”

The Baobhan sith and I were strictly in a business relationship. I needed subordinates, and the Baobhan sith simply needed a place to rely on.

When I glossed over it, she smiled brightly.

“That point is also exactly as my grandmother said. She said Asmo-Dina always changes the subject when hearing a compliment.”

‘Mihilda, that brat.’

It seemed she had created strange rumors while I was gone.

I cleared my throat and turned the subject back.

“Anyway, I understand the circumstances. It means the other Baobhan sith will be liberated only if you win.”

“That’s right. But because I make mistakes in every important match……”

She bowed her head, saying she was ashamed.

‘Not once or twice, but such mistakes occur every time?’

Something smelled fishy.

I fell into thought with my arms crossed.

The option to take away my emblem decoration that she possessed disappeared. It was because I felt bad about taking away an item her grandmother gave her.

Since she said she was the granddaughter of none other than Mihilda, I couldn’t treat her harshly.

‘Besides, her family is being held hostage.’

In my heart, I want to visit that abandoned mine and help, but I lack the strength. Both as a Princess and as a General.

‘Then is only one thing left.’

I looked at Rusla, who still had a pale complexion.

“Rusla, do you really want to win?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

“Even though you might face very difficult hardships?”

“I am prepared.”

If I can’t help directly, I have no choice but to make Rusla win and liberate her family.

Moreover, it was more comfortable to help than to ignore.

“Then I will help with your training. So that you can win without losing to any interference.”