Taming The Villainesses

(EP-355.1) #3

355 – D #3

「My moon. My star. My eternal flame. Beatrice.」

Beatrice.

It was the name attached to the portrait.

A woman with brown hair.

She looked to be in her mid-teens.

Her wide forehead resembled a full moon, and her blue eyes shimmered like stars embedded in the cosmos.

Her lips and cheeks were as red as a blazing flame, brimming with so much youthful vibrance that the word ‘young’ almost didn’t do it justice.

And though I had never heard the name before, I instantly understood who Beatrice was.

Solomon’s nymph.

“Sir Theo, this painting…”

Mirna stood beside me, gazing at the portrait with amazement. I wondered how this image appeared in her eyes.

“Beatrice… So she was Solomon’s nymph. This is my first time learning her name. I never would have thought a painting like this would be kept in the Pantheon.”

Mirna’s reaction was understandable. Anything related to Solomon—whether stories, documents, or paintings—was destroyed and burned. It was what you'd call erasing history.

And yet, this painting remained. It was impossible not to find it fascinating. Could it have something to do with the presence of Solomon’s teleportation gate in this place?

Just then, Mirna, who had been lightly tracing the painting with her fingers, added.

“This woman… she looks a lot like you, Sir Theo.”

“You think so?”

“Yes, strikingly so. Is it a coincidence? Or…”

I had thought the same.

The youthful face, carrying a hint of mischievousness. The delicate nose and jawline. The deep brown hair and blue eyes. If not for the long voluminous hair, she was almost like a mirror of Theo Gospel.

Coincidence?

Or was it fate?

━There’s an intruder in the Pantheon!

━Seize them at once!

The distant shouts snapped us back to reality. We knew we didn’t have time to be idle—and now, those wasted seconds had given our pursuers the chance to catch up.

“……”

As I hurriedly turned to leave, I felt an unusually sharp gaze pressing against my back. Turning my head, my eyes met the portrait’s gaze once more.

Beatrice.

That intense gaze seemed as if the painting itself was trying to tell me something. ‘Take me with you.ʼ The will contained within the artwork was very clear.

Between the approaching footsteps in the distance and the portrait, I stood at a crossroads.

‘Tsk—I don’t know either.’

“Hup!”

“Sir Theo, what are you doing?! We don’t have time!”

Suk-.

Mirna shouted at me, who was struggling to pull the frame hanging on the wall. The rapidly approaching footsteps must have made the usually calm Mirna impatient.

Creak, creak.

I was just as anxious. The damn thing wouldn’t budge, as if the frame had been nailed into the wall.

“Just—just a second! Almost—got it—!”

Creeeak!

“… Geuugh!”

“Sir Theo, let me help! Step aside for a moment!”

Just as I was straining to yank it free, Mirna—unable to bear watching—reached out and pulled along with me.

With a sudden shhk—!, something gave way, and I was sent stumbling backward. I landed flat on my back, but I had the portrait in my hands.

Like the hand mirror「Karma Changer」, I stored the frame inside my inventory,《Squirrel Cache》.

━They're stealing the treasure!

━Over there!

Armed monks came surging in from the distance. Their chains, blades, and talismans made them look downright menacing.

“They're elite disciples. Breaking through won’t be easy, Sir Theo. Prepare yourself!”

At Mirna’s shout, I snapped to attention.

“I’m always prepared.”

Suk.

I grabbed Mirna’s outstretched hand and hauled myself up. Our goal was clear—break away to the teleportation gate and activate the spell to escape.

━They took the painting!

━No! Don’t let them take that! Stop them!

Fwoosh! Swish!

Spears and arrows came flying toward me.

This wasn’t just an attempt to subdue us—they were aiming to kill. Even though Mirna was beside me… their ruthlessness sent a chill down my spine.

I knew the Easterners were strict about their rules and doctrines, but to turn their weapons on their own lady to uphold them?

“Sir Theo, the entrance is blocked!”

The running Mirna pointed to the cave entrance. She soon took out a bamboo tube from her robes and popped off the lid.

“It’s your turn!”

━Krrrng…!

“I know, I woke you up! But it’s urgent!”

━Yingyingyaing!

What came out of the tube was a strange cloud-like creature. A very rare monster called a Cloudling, and the Draco sister's pet—well, a companion.

━Krrrng…!

So this was where it had been lately—cozied up in its tiny bamboo nap-pod. In a flash, it lunged at the guards.

━Kyuiiing!

━Agh! It’s a flying cotton candy! Aaaagh!

━Careful! Don't get hit by the lightning!

Yingying was strong.

Thanks to the opening it created, we managed to escape the cave of the Pantheon unharmed. But there were armed people everywhere outside the Pantheon too, so we couldn’t relax.

So we kept running.

* * *

“It’s a little ridiculous for me to say this, but this is endless.”

After briefly ducking around a corner, Mirna said while catching her breath. She was panting heavily, yet for a moment, it seemed like she smiled.

Shing.

Mirna drew her sword.

“Just around that corner is the teleportation gate. They’ve surely figured out where we’re headed and stationed troops there. We’ll have to break through.”

She spoke calmly, but I could see the faint shaking at the tip of her blade.

No matter how distant she felt from this place, it was still her homeland. Fighting her own people—she couldn’t have done it without feeling guilt.

As if reading my thoughts, Mirna admitted softly.

“Theft, lies… and now, striking down innocent people. This is my first time doing something this bad. I’m trembling.”

“I’m sorry.”

Edit by: faker