Living As the Villainess Queen (Web Novel KR)-Chapter 429.1

The thirty or so individuals gathered by the kings were the chosen ones. They had learned the truth faster than anyone else in the Holy City and held the power to determine its fate.

Yet, none of them felt pure joy at this realization. The truth had shaken them to their core. If a colossal lark had not rampaged through the heart of the city, some might have refused to believe it until the very end. Though the degree of shock varied from person to person, they all shared the same despair—the sense that the very foundation of their lives had crumbled beneath them.

As the city's elite, they now faced the grim reality that the rest of their lives would be thrown into an unpredictable chaos. The Holy City, once the most perfect and blessed place in the world, no longer existed.

And they had no time to grieve. The kings had merely revealed the truth and left the decision in their hands. They were given just one day to deliberate.

Unanimity was impossible. Some argued for a three-month grace period, unwilling to trust the vague powers of sorcery and fearing that the Holy City might become a colony of the Six Kingdoms. They believed that if the city was to retain its independence, it had to stand alone—after all, every kingdom fought against the lark during its active periods. Original content can be found at novｅlfire.net

But the majority held a different view. They were willing to pay any price if it meant keeping the Holy City safe from the lark's threat. Having never faced a lark in battle, they feared it all the more. If the creatures invaded the city, most citizens wouldn't even think to resist. Just one active period could leave the city in ruins.

In the end, they agreed to accept the method of protecting the city through sorcery—but only after obtaining as much detail as possible. With this mission in mind, five representatives made their way to the annex.

They arrived much earlier than the appointed time. The palace grounds, including the annex, were heavily guarded by soldiers forming a dense perimeter. Yet, once inside, the guards were nowhere to be seen.

They recalled the warrior at the entrance instructing them, "Go straight inside." So they continued walking—until they came upon a vast courtyard, where an enormous tent stood.

Uncertain of what to do, they hesitated until someone pulled back the tent’s entrance and stepped out. The moment they saw the middle-aged man’s ashen-gray hair, the representatives quickly bowed their heads.

“You’re early. Come in.”

After the king disappeared back into the tent, the representatives followed. Inside, the darkness unsettled them.

“Sit by the table with the candles.”

Guided by the flickering candlelight, they groped for their seats. As their eyes adjusted to the dimness, an eerie scene unfolded before them.

Symbols spread across the floor emitted a faint glow. An elderly woman sat motionless in the center, eyes closed. A few old men murmured in hushed voices. And then, there was the enormous serpent—its crimson eyes gleaming in the shadows.

Those eyes… 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

A lark.

Cold sweat trickled down their backs. Goosebumps prickled their skin.

Meanwhile, Riner paid them no mind and continued his conversation with Mara. Absentmindedly tracing the serpent’s scales with his fingertips, he murmured, “This alone is enough to sustain breath? For how long? Then, the lifespan of this thing is… Hm. So it can be passed down through generations. You said once the scales are removed, they never grow back. So that’s its weakness? Ah, fine, I get it. No need to be so touchy.”

To the representatives, Riner appeared to be talking to himself. They had all heard of the Fire King’s infamous reputation, so they deliberately avoided even glancing in his direction.

By the time the sun had fully set, the kings had arrived. Once everyone was assembled, Alber finally spoke.

“Are you the representatives of the Holy City? Do you understand why you were summoned here today?”

The representatives flinched as every gaze fell upon them. The weight of the moment pressed down on them harder than ever. They felt even smaller now, surrounded by figures of immense power. Outside of high society, few ever had the chance to meet a king. For three of the five, this was their first time seeing one.

As they exchanged hesitant glances, the elder scholar stepped forward.

“We do not fully understand everything the kings have told us. Sorcery is unfamiliar to us, and we struggle to grasp its principles. However, our desire to protect the Holy City is united.”

“The Holy City was a nesting ground for monsters. It was never a land protected by divine power. Do you understand that?”

“…Yes.”

“To protect the city, we must harness the power of the lark. Do you understand that as well?”

“Yes.”

“In the distant future, unforeseen variables may arise. Are you prepared for that?”

“Yes.”

Alber nodded and turned to the kings.

“If any of you have objections, speak now.”

The kings remained silent. Initially, they had feared that this arrangement would merely replace one divine ruler with another monstrous force. However, they trusted that Alber would ensure such a thing would not happen. After observing Mara for several days, they no longer perceived him as an imminent threat.

“For Mara to serve as the conduit for the sorcery, he must return to his true form. This tent is in the way.”

“We will remove it.”

Kasser replied as he moved to leave the tent, but Mara cut in.

“What a hassle. I’ll take care of it.”

His voice rang inside their minds, startling the representatives, who instinctively glanced around. The black serpent slithered forward, slipping beneath the tent’s edges. Moments later, the tent’s walls and roof trembled, and the supporting poles were wrenched free and lifted into the air. With a careless flick of his jaws, Mara tossed the tent aside.

The outside, illuminated by moonlight, was brighter than the tent’s dim interior. The representatives gasped as they looked up into the glowing red eyes of the massive serpent towering over them. Their breath hitched in terror, and they barely held onto their consciousness, proving their worth as representatives simply by not fainting.