Bloodhound's Regression Instinct-Chapter 248

Chapter 248

Vila, burdened with the immediate duty to protect the priestess, couldn’t help but wonder, Could I have been deceived?

The priestess possessed an unexpected level of skill. Vila hadn’t anticipated having to face her in combat. Even now, as she deftly parried Yan’s relentless attacks, she was barely holding her ground.

Just then, the priestess shouted, “Chieftain! Are you just going to stand there?”

Her sharp words snapped Vila out of his stupor. He had to act. Following Yan’s command, he focused on the priestess’s side.

There, a long scar marred her skin, surrounded by necrotic tissue. Vila recognized it all too well. He bore a similar scar on his own abdomen—a result of clashing with Duke Beowulf.

But how could the priestess have such a wound?

As Vila grappled with this revelation, Yan adapted swiftly to the dense mana in the air. His senses sharpened, allowing him to gauge the priestess’s approximate strength.

Is she now at the level of a newly awakened transcendent?

Yan’s eyes gleamed.

Thwack!

Unlike before, when he struggled to control his strength, each of Yan’s attacks now sliced through the air with precision. The priestess defended herself, her movements faster than ever.

Soon, though, Yan’s blow struck her shoulder, freezing her arm in place. The priestess winced, lips tightly pressed together, attempting to retreat into the cabin.

“Not so fast,” Yan muttered.

He overpowered her, knocking her off balance. She crumpled to the ground, defeated.

As the fight ended, Vila approached, his stern expression unwavering. “Is this the person you’re searching for?”

“It could be her, or it might not,” Yan replied ambiguously.

Vila frowned. Could he have caused all this chaos without certainty?

His gaze shifted to the priestess’s scarred side. “She bears the mark of Duke Beowulf’s fight. But without confirmation of her magical signature, we can’t definitively label her as the culprit.”

Yan pinned the priestess down, preventing any escape. He drew a sharp dagger from his belt and faced her.

“Did you kidnap Lorena?”

The priestess glared, refusing to speak. Her determination to remain silent was clear.

Yan pressed the blade against her nail. “Speak up. Do you want everyone—yourself included—to die because of your actions?”

Fear flickered in her eyes, but her lips remained sealed.

“Since you won’t willingly talk, I’ll force the truth out.”

Just as he prepared to apply pressure, an unexpected voice echoed from an unexpected place.

“Wait!”

Yan turned toward the source—the hidden chamber beneath the warrior’s spring.

“Hans?”

Indeed, it was Hans. But why was his voice coming from there?

Before Yan could question further, the floor beside the warrior’s spring collapsed, revealing an elderly man—the Beowulf family’s steward, Hans.

Yan’s confusion was evident. “Why is Hans emerging from there?”

“Ella guided him,” Hans explained.

“Ella?” Yan raised an eyebrow.

Hans chuckled. “That woman was once a maid in the duke’s household. Having served there for years, I know her well.”

An uncivilized priestess turned noblewoman’s maid? Yan couldn’t help but laugh. The priestess clenched her lips, eyes squeezed shut.

Yan slung her over his shoulder, addressing Vila. “Shall we go inside?”

Vila hesitated, then nodded. “I suppose we have no choice. We can’t risk this secret getting out.”

Together, they stepped into the unknown space, leaving the chaos behind.

* * *

Yan followed Hans into the underground chamber adjacent to the warrior’s spring. As he took in the scene, his eyes widened.

“A shrine?”

The chamber held a large communal space, and at its far end stood an altar, as if dedicated to ancestors. Before it, intricate runes—drawn with water from the warrior’s spring—adorned the floor.

Several familiar faces appeared within the runes.

“...Lorena’s twin?”

On the left was Lorena, and on the right, Theo. In the center lay a woman bearing a striking resemblance to Lorena.

Hans broke the silence. “Allow me to introduce Lady Helena Beowulf, the late duke’s wife.”

“But I heard she had passed away. How—”

“We’ll find out soon enough,” Hans interrupted.

He turned to the priestess, who sighed deeply, her lips finally parting to share her story.

* * *

In the wild and untamed lands, Ella stood out as the sole candidate for the sacred maidenhood.

The Vilagers’ expectations of her were sky-high, and as a result, she lived a life that bordered on captivity.

From the tender age of five until her twelfth year, Ella was confined within the sacred spring of the warriors. But her spirit yearned for freedom.

The prospect of spending her entire life trapped in this place was unbearable.

Driven by determination, Ella wielded her hands like ferns and her fists like stones, tirelessly digging an escape route. For over a year, she toiled, sacrificing sleep to create a passage that connected the cave to the outside world.

Emerging through the exit, Ella made her way straight to the bustling Beowulf Domain nearby. She managed to evade the guards at the castle gates by hiding atop a passing cart.

However, once inside the castle walls, Ella faced a different challenge. Having been trained solely as a sacred maiden, what skills did she possess?

Her days consisted of wandering the streets until, one fateful moment, a child saved her from the brink of starvation. That child was none other than Helena, the mother of Lorena and Theo, who had visited the Beowulf Duke’s court for social reasons.

Helena took Ella to her mansion, nourishing her with food and providing shelter. Grateful, Ella offered to work as Helena’s maid.

Unlike other nobles, Helena saw Ella not as a mere street urchin but as a girl who had fallen on hard times. “You don’t have a name? Well then, from now on, let’s call you Ella,” Helena declared, bestowing upon her a name beyond her sacred candidacy.

And so, Ella spent countless days in Helena’s company. She witnessed the joy on Helena’s face when she accepted the Duke’s proposal and later gave birth to Theo and Lorena.

Life seemed blissful, except for one thing: Helena’s confession.

“Ella, this happiness terrifies me.”

Ella couldn’t understand Helena’s words, but soon enough, their meaning became clear.

Hidden away in Helena’s room, Ella discovered a letter—a secret missive containing crucial information about Duke Bacchus Beowulf. His weaknesses, dislikes, and even the blueprint of the winter fortress were meticulously detailed.

And the author of this forbidden knowledge? None other than Helena herself.

The handwriting unmistakably belonged to Helena, forever altering Ella’s perception of her benefactor.

* * *

Hans stared at the goddess, Ella, with a stern expression.

“Are you saying that the Duchess leaked our family’s information to the outside?”

“...Yes.”

“If this is a lie... I won’t be able to bear it.”

Ella’s face twisted in bitterness.

“It’s not a lie. And there’s a reason why Lady Helena, no, the Duchess had to do it.”

“A reason?”

In response to Hans’ question, Ella closed her eyes tightly.

“Lady Helena is...”

Ella revealed the truth she had kept hidden until now.

“She was not only a secret agent entrusted by the royal family... but also one of the Seven Sins.”

“...!”

“Wait, the Duchess is one of the Seven Sins?!”

Hans, Yan, and Vilai were left in shock by this unbelievable revelation.

The mistress of the Beowulf family was not only a secret agent but also one of the royal family’s covert operatives!