Living As the Villainess Queen

Eugene shook her head in response. “It’s all thanks to you, elder. You helped me uncover the truth, and I’ve simply shared what I’ve learned.” Her words weren’t just humble; they resonated with genuine sincerity. Meeting Alber had been pivotal for her. It had swiftly unveiled Sang-je’s true identity and intentions, allowing her to escape danger promptly. Learning about the Holy City’s blockade later had left her both relieved to be safe and burdened with guilt for feeling that relief.

“Not everyone has the courage to do what you did—reveal the truth, regardless of consequences. Some might exploit it for their own gain. But you acted on your beliefs,” Alber praised, her words striking a chord with Eugene. “I’ve made countless wrong choices, but meeting you was undeniably the right one.”

Eugene blushed, averting her gaze. Among the compliments she’d received, this was the most meaningful. Alber’s acknowledgment made her feel validated in this world.

“That magic…” Alber’s voice drew her attention back. Eugene lifted her head, eager to listen. “It’s an ancient magic, perhaps as old as the ancient tribes themselves.”

Alber briefly elucidated the key aspects of the ancient magic.

In the distant past, the ancient tribes, categorized into three major factions, engaged in heated debates about magic. These discussions, however, were more scholarly than combative, lacking clear victors until the emergence of larks. Before larks, the tribes’ distinctions were minimal.

Yet, preceding this era, the tribes endured a brutal period characterized by kinship-based factions and territorial disputes. During this savage epoch, conflicts raged, marked by pillaging and bloodshed, prompting the development of defensive magic.

This defensive sorcery functioned as a last resort, like the desperate defiance of a cornered animal. Upon activation, it formed an impenetrable barrier, shielding its users from external threats. Choosing isolation over submission to plunder and enslavement seemed preferable, even if it meant facing death alone while safeguarding one’s possessions.

“Do people living within these defensive barriers not interact with each other? Is it like living on an isolated island?” Eugene’s question caused Alber to bow her head solemnly.

“The potency of this magic is immense. To unleash such power, equally potent conduits are required. Human lives were necessary to activate and sustain this magic.”

“Ah…” Eugene’s realization filled her with a chilling dread. Innocent lives must have been sacrificed to fuel the Holy City’s magic as well.

Outside the defensive barrier, enemies lurked, while those trapped within awaited their inevitable demise. With each passing moment, their sanity waned amidst the horrors they faced.

In response to these harrowing circumstances, the ancient tribes devised rules governing warfare. Once the outcome of a conflict was determined, the victor could only claim material wealth; humans were never to be considered spoils of war. Furthermore, the use of defensive magic was strictly prohibited.

Over time, a consensus emerged that war was futile, leading to an era of unprecedented peace and magical advancement. However, the hubris of the ancient tribes led to their downfall as they summoned larks, heralding their own destruction.

“When successfully cast, this magic envelops a designated area in an invisible barrier, impervious to anything from our world,” Alber elaborated on the magic’s capabilities. The shield possessed a certain elasticity, mitigating external impacts to some extent. Enduring powerful gusts was akin to the flexibility of a bending reed rather than the steadfastness of a deeply rooted tree.

To dismantle the magic, one needed to disrupt its medium. However, since the medium resided within the defensive barrier, external interference was impossible unless the barrier was breached from within.

Even amidst seemingly insurmountable odds, Eugene refused to succumb to despair.

“But there must be a solution, right? You came to inform us of it. Isn’t that the case?” she asked, her tone infused with hope.

With a reassuring smile, Alber nodded, prompting Eugene’s face to light up with optimism.

“This barrier blocks entities from our world. But there are beings not of our world within it.” 

Eugene’s mind raced back to the information Kasser had conveyed in his note. He mentioned throwing a lark seed and breaching the defensive barrier. At the time, she hadn’t grasped its significance, but now, the pieces began to fall into place.

“But Kasser… He said even Hwansus couldn’t access it… Ah, because they are subservient to the king. They fall outside larks’s jurisdiction, unaffected by the territories of other Hwansus,” she realized aloud, her understanding deepening.

Alber’s proud nod affirmed her deduction.

“The existence of this magic had been all but forgotten, sealed away long ago. However, after the summoning of larks, the ancient tribes scoured their records in search of a countermeasure, leading to its rediscovery.”

The ancient tribes had hoped that deploying defensive magic would thwart larks, but their aspirations were dashed. Larks remained impervious to the defensive enchantment, and its entry into the barrier destabilized the magic, contradicting its primary function of repelling intruders.