REAPER SCANS
THE S-CLASS HUNTER DOESN’T WANT TO BE A VILLAINOUS PRINCESS
[Translator – Woni]
[Proofreader – Leef]
Chapter 44
Maybe I’ll just destroy this world.
The thought crossed a certain ranker’s mind as she stared blankly into the training ground.
Should I just burn it all down and build my own empire?
[The <Evil Blood Lord> pulls you away!]
[The <Queen of Tides and Remedy> tells you to think of Cerberus!]
[The <Temptation Monarch> suggests immigrating to the Demon Realm instead!]
“Forget it. I’m not that mindless.”
I’m here as proof.
She sighed, a bitter smile tugging at her lips.
The Makius’s training grounds were packed with skilled knights, their swords clashing in the crisp morning air.
Renee had hit a wall. No matter how hard she fought, her limits had been made painfully clear.
That’s why I built a team for myself in my past life.
What good were achievements if the Duke could simply snatch them away with a flick of his wrist? She needed a safeguard—her own force, her own foundation.
And you all will be just that.
A sudden chill ran down the spines of the knights. A few paused mid-swing, glancing around uneasily.
“What was that?”
“Did you feel it, too?”
“Yeah, but… maybe it was just the wind.”
Though they resumed their training, the uneasy feeling lingered.
Renee watched them with a satisfied grin. Train harder. Your strength will be my asset soon!
She had come for only one reason: Dominance over the Makius Dukedom.
At first, she hadn’t been too concerned about the Duke. He was just a bad father, she supposed. Her original plan was nothing more than putting him in his place at the family meeting.
He was Renee’s father, after all. She couldn’t act rashly without knowing how the real Renee had felt about him.
But using Ante to sabotage her future? That crossed the line.
Family can’t do that. No, no one should do that if they were a decent human being. Still, cutting him off entirely wasn’t an option. I need to put a leash on him and hand Renee complete hegemony over the dukedom. After that, I’m sure she could take care of things herself.
Her eyes swept over the knights once more.
They don’t have a bad military force.
There were roughly a hundred men, all of them at least beginner-class sword experts. Around ten seemed to be intermediate-class. In her past life, a group like this would’ve been considered an upper-middle-ranked guild—lacking rankers but with a solid foundation.
That’s weird. Her eyes furrowed. I don’t see anyone above intermediate class.
Kirill and Ante had achieved so much at a young age.
Water Girl told me this is where all of the top talents on the continent gather… so shouldn't at least one of them be top-class?
Then it hit her.
Right. Makius doesn’t share its secrets.
She’d seen this before. In her past life, some major guilds had promised to provide resources and knowledge—only to give her nothing once she joined.
There were a lot of those.
Most guilds operated that way. That’s why she had never joined one again.
[The <Temptation Monarch> reminds you that’s why you created your own guild!]
Only in my first few lives.
She had learned quickly. Leading a group wasn’t easy. Ten people meant ten minds, ten expectations, and ten disappointments.
Eventually, she stopped forming large groups altogether. Instead, she surrounded herself with only a select few—those she knew and trusted. People who wouldn’t rely on her too much and wouldn’t be disappointed by her. People stronger than the average who could survive just a little longer.
...Though in the end, she had grown fond of them anyway.
“Urm, Lady Makius?”
Oh, I got lost for a second. Renee blinked and looked up.
A knight stood before her, his stance formal, his voice polite—but his words were not.
“I’m sorry, but this is not a place you should be in, Lady Renee.”
His tone was courteous, unlike his words.
She narrowed her eyes and, without a word, opened his status window.
* * *
Reaper Scans
[Translator – Woni]
[Proofreader – Leef]
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://dsc.gg/reapercomics
* * *
<Status Window>
Name: Dillon Max
House: None
Renown: 121
Titles: <Second Knight Commander of Makius>, <Almost Intermediate Class Sword Expert>, <Uptight Knight>
Stats:
—Strength: 321
—Dexterity: 353
—Constitution: 410
—Intelligence: 410
—-Luck: 86
—Favorability: -120
Let’s see… His stats are okay. Favorability isn’t too low—probably because he hasn’t run into Renee very often. Looks like he’s been stuck in beginner class for nearly a decade… and his body is already hitting its limit.
Renee clicked her tongue.
“Why shouldn’t I be here?”
The knight, Dillon, straightened his posture. “This is a space for those who are training in earnest.”
“So?”
Not expecting her to question him, Dillon faltered. “An outsider will be a distraction.”
“I’m a Makius, not an outsider.”
“Then, why do you wish to stay, Lady Renee?”
What do I want, huh? Renee smiled bitterly. It’s funny, really.
She had read the first volume of the novel in its entirety. Renee was never a villain to the knights—she never even had the chance to be. She was barred from the training grounds simply because she was talentless.
That child felt sad whenever she even looked at a sword.
“I want to stay at my own house. What’s wrong with that?”
Dillon hesitated. “I hate to bring this up, but we are all followers of Bellua. Most of us here await the Saintess’s return.”
“And what does that have to do with me?” Renee asked, unbothered.
Slowly, frustration seeped into Dillon’s tone. “Of course, you, Lady Renee, didn’t directly take part in the assassinations, but there are still some suspicions—”
“What’s suspicions?”
Terror struck Dillon in that instant.
The final straw—the moment before it snaps. He couldn’t put it into words, but the feeling gripped his very core when he looked at Renee.
One more word, and I die. Everyone here will die.
His breath hitched, his body frozen in place.
“I’m awaiting Lian’s return, too.”
Why is that so hard to understand?
Renee didn’t bother hiding her venom any longer.
Sensing the tension, another knight stepped between them. “Hey, Dillon. Why are you so frozen?”
Please, shut up! Dillon shot the knight a desperate look.
Unfortunately, the man was oblivious. His swordsmanship wasn’t as sharp as Dillon’s.
“What is it, Lady Renee? Are you here to ask us to teach you sword techniques again? Surely, staying as the prince’s mistress would be better.”
Ah. So that’s how it was. Renee looked at the knight with disgust. You poor thing. Did you endure this fear and humiliation just to seek teachings from these men?
“I have a question for you.”
The knight stared at her, his brow arching.
“Do you talk like this to Ante or Kirill, too?”
The blatant difference in treatment between her and the other Makius could only mean one thing: this behavior was ingrained into the dukedom. This was the Duke’s doing.
“Pardon?”
“Do you disrespect them this blatantly to their faces?”
Do you crush their dignity like this?
“They are top elite-class sword experts—a true Makius. They’re fundamentally different from you…”
“Fundamentally?”
Why are people so cruel in this world?
“Fundamentally, you say…”
A bitter smile formed across Renee’s face. The pain from her past life was tolerable. It was from monsters—monsters hurt people. And the only thing left to do was slaughter them and save the humans.
But if people are the ones hurting other people… then what am I supposed to do?
“Looks like I need to show you what ‘fundamentally different’ really means.”
[The <Evil Blood Lord> puts his hand on your shoulder.]
[The <Queen of Tides and Remedy> consoles you…]
Of course. I’ll punish them all.
That way, everything will be roses when Renee comes back.
[Skill Activating! – Declaration: Blood Demon Order]
[Range: Makius Duchy– Training Grounds]
[You pledged your blood to erect a barrier. This space is now yours!]
I’ll need a barrier like this to make sure everything stays under control. Now...
[The <Temptation Monarch>’s jaws drop!]
[The <Queen of Tides and Remedy> stands up in joy!]
I’m not going to hold back.
[Skill Activating! – Summon Archaic Ruination Blade]
It’s too early to pass out now, Gramps. I’m not done yet.
—Bloom,
[Skill Activating! – Asura Sword Technique, 45th Form – Blood Flower Blossoming]
—Blood Plum Blossoms.
Blood Flower Blossoming wasn’t a skill Renee particularly liked. It was too flashy, and its core technique was mediocre at best. At least, that was its general description.
[You have cast an incantation!]
[Field Bonus: Floor Master]
[The mastery of the skill caster is immeasurable! The spell's power has increased!]
[Field Bonus: Floor Master]
[Caster’s Mastery: Immeasurable]
It’s like night and day, depending on who’s using it.
Everyone stared in shock and awe.
A crimson wave of plum blossoms swept across the training grounds in an instant.
They could have painted the whole capital red if the barrier hadn't held.
The air turned thick with the scent of blood—whether from man or beast, none could tell. Some recoiled, choking back bile.
But it wasn’t over.
—Fly.
[Skill Activating! – Asura Sword Technique, 46th Form – Flower Dance of the Butterfly]
—Blood Butterflies.
The real strength of techniques lies in their combinations, don’t you think?
Butterflies wove through the plum blossoms instantly, siphoning the knights’ will.
With each delicate flutter, their resolve unraveled—until all that remained was surrender.
“This,” she murmured, eyes glinting as she delightedly watched the crumbling knights.
“Is what ‘fundamentally different’ means.”
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