Taming The Villainesses novel Chapter 398

Marmar Marnoy said she’d grown up in a monastery.

A place of rigid, austere rules. But she’d always said the nuns and monks there were warm and kind-hearted people—so her childhood had been more joyful than one might expect.

“But... I heard the monastery was torn down so nobles could expand their estates. So how can this be here?”

Marmar’s finger pointed to a label on the map:

「House of Saint Ordo」

Was it just a coincidence that it shared the same name as the monastery she grew up in? Duplicate names weren’t uncommon, after all.

“The location is exactly the same...!”

But Marmar’s tail quivered with certainty. Swoosh. Professor Balan glanced toward me, seemingly expecting an explanation. So I spoke casually.

“Marmar’s a monastery orphan. She’s lived her life hoping to reunite with the scattered friends and family from back then.”

“It’s not u-unusual for p-postwar imps to have been raised in Church-run facilities.”

According to Professor Balan, life after the war with Solomon had been a brutal era. A world overflowing with orphans, with graves dug by the wounded and widowed.

Lady Kalira added her voice.

“I also received aid from the Church when I was young. My younger sibling and I managed to survive thanks to that.”

It was said that after the war, the Church dedicated itself to education and relief work.

But according to Professor Balan, the Church also used orphanages to study Solomon’s forbidden sorcery through the children...

Of course, this still needed confirmation—but it was a deeply disturbing claim.

“Comrade, I want to go see this place!”

Swoosh.

Marmar pointed to the monastery’s location on the map. I’d already had a hunch she would say something like this.

“No. It’s too dangerous. We don’t know what might happen.”

There were only about two weeks left until the wedding in the capital, Monarch City.

As one of the main people involved, I already had far too much to do. And I didn’t want to cause a stir—or trigger a disaster—right before the most important event of my life.

Even aside from that, our investigation into Church facilities was still too shallow. If Marmar rushed in and got hurt, I’d never forgive myself.

“But...”

Marmar looked deeply downcast. For a moment, I saw the shadow of her long-lost friend, Mormor, overlapping with her expression.

Watching that gloomy, childlike look made my heart melt like sugar soaked in water.

“...Alright, Marmar. But just to check it out quickly, okay?”

“Yeah! And it’s close to Monarch City, so I can go and be back today!”

If I sent Professor Balan along with her, she could prevent most potential issues. Despite her eccentricities, Balan was capable when it counted.

“Then let’s wrap up for today.”

The meeting ended quickly.

“Alright. Let’s meet at this time weekly from now on and give updates. For now, everyone return to your stations and duties.”

Clatter, scrape...

Everyone began pushing back their chairs and standing up one by one. At that moment, a thought flashed through my mind. I turned to Professor Balan, who was gathering her things.

“Professor Balan, would you stay a bit longer?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

She flinched, checking my expression. Perhaps she thought I was about to scold or lecture her? If I were in her shoes, I might have thought the same.

“It’s just—I wanted to ask you about Basago.”

Only then did Professor Balan seem to relax slightly. As everyone else left the meeting room, leaving only the imps sweeping and chattering among themselves, I asked her quietly:

“How has Basago been doing lately?”

“That guy’s probably still in Gracia, the Church’s city. He’s trying to breach Saintess Friga and the Ars Nova embedded in her...”

As she said this, Professor Balan’s expression darkened. She was already a naturally shadowy person, but this felt heavier than usual, and I began to feel a twinge of suspicion.

“Is something wrong?”

“Well...”

“Did Basago betray us or something?”

At that, Balan waved her hands frantically in shock.

“Betray?! N-no, that’s absurd. He may be a fool, but—how could he possibly dare to betray Lord Teo? If he did, I, Balan de Sabrunach, would personally purge him...!”

It didn’t seem like Balan was lying to me.

Basago had once been a guide in the Hero’s party, and had caused me quite a lot of grief.

Because of that, I had always worried he might eventually betray me or cause trouble. Fortunately, it didn’t seem like that was the case.

“However...”