The Baddest Villainess Is Back - Chapter 71
The man who had been pretending to be the “Khan” while speaking with Roxelyn approached the woman with a towel.
When he rubbed her hair with the towel, the red dye that had been coloring her hair washed away, revealing her original silver hair.
She was covered only up to her chest with cloth and wore short pants, over which she had draped something made of flowing silk.
Adorned with various ornaments on her forearms and wrists, she looked at first glance like a woman beloved by a king.
However, those ornaments were likely all made with soul stones on the inside, necessary to suppress her powers to such an extent.
“I heard about it,” Roxelyn answered.
“From whom?”
“From Sansar, whom I just mentioned.”
Upon hearing Roxelyn’s words, the woman smiled silently, rubbing her chin.
She was a beautiful woman.
Despite being of middle age, she seemed to exude sensuality from her entire being.
‘Is this what it feels like to be enchanted by someone?’
Roxelyn thought, feeling as if she would say anything she wanted under her spell, if she just let her guard down even slightly.
She was the most attractive woman Roxelyn had ever seen in her life.
The woman burst into laughter, slightly tilting her head.
“Did Sansar also tell you why only women can become Khan?”
With a light nod in response to the question laced with laughter, Roxelyn replied,
“The power that is passed down to the ‘Khan’ can only be fully wielded by women… I heard that the strongest woman in the tribe is chosen as the Khan.”
And to protect such a Khan from external threats, the strongest man is placed as the deputy chief, acting as the ‘Khan’ for public appearances.
This was a fact unknown to anyone outside the Kaluta tribe.
In other words, the man who had been acting as the “Khan” was merely an external decoy to protect the real Khan.
A living shield, vulnerable to death at any moment.
The woman, having listened quietly to Roxelyn’s words, laughed heartily.
Straightening her languid posture, she grinned and raised her index finger.
“That’s correct. But there’s one more reason,”
“…Another reason?”
“Our god, whom we worship, was born male but yearned for femininity. Thus, he adorned himself to appear like a woman.”
Roxelyn’s expression became complicated. The woman continued.
“Do you know that after the Kaluta tribe unified the so-called ‘barbarians,’ they formed the country of ‘Kaluta’?”
“Yes.”
“Long before that, when we were called ‘barbarians,’ we were all wanderers, the ‘Luta’.”
As the woman mentioned this uncomfortable truth without any discomfort, Roxelyn managed her expression and nodded.
“And all ‘Luta’ have a god they worship. We have a monotheistic deity,”
“A monotheistic deity?”
“Yes, and do you know what the name of our god is, as it is passed down?”
The woman’s vivid green eyes, undimmed by age, looked directly at Roxelyn.
“Sansar.”
Roxelyn paused.
The woman, the Khan, widened her eyes, and Roxelyn remained silent.
“Wait a moment. God, you say? That doesn’t make any sense…”
“It’s natural to find it unbelievable. I’m not entirely convinced myself. But, among what you’ve told me, there are things that outsiders couldn’t possibly know.”
As the ‘Khan’ looked closely into Roxelyn’s confused eyes, she continued to speak.
“Did he leave any other messages?”
Roxelyn frowned.
“Just that, if a day comes when I need help, I should go to Kaluta…”
And…
Roxelyn’s brows narrowed.
“And…”
The more she mulled over the hazy memory, the clearer it became.
“If a day comes when you need help, go to Kaluta. Knowing this language and my name will be of help to you.”
“Thank you.”
“But in return, Rose. If a miracle happens to you one day, please help my Kaluta.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“I wish those children could experience a wider world. I hope they survive and live on in any way possible.”
“Miss Roxelyn!”
“What on earth have you been talking about all this time…?”
“In exchange, I’ll share my power with you. When your Abyss awakens, my power will bloom with it.”
“What exactly…”
“The power you call Abyss. The power that flows from the… Abyss.”
“Sansar?”
“Roxelyn!!”