Chapter 11: Trouble Close to Home
The next day, I reported the first night to my shitty old man.
As a result, two noble houses were dismantled.
A countās and a viscountāsātoo low in rank to act alone against me.
The conclusion? Someone higher upālikely a dukeās family with legitimate royal bloodāwas pulling the strings.
Weād need to stay vigilant.
ā¦What a pain.
And so, several days passed in cautious routine.
Now, in the presentā
Yusuke and I ride in a carriage.
Jane, of course, is handling the reins.
Weāre conducting a site survey for a new Magic Guild branch.
As one of the kingdomās top magiciansāarguably the best in the royal courtāpublic duties like this fall on me more than my siblings.
"Leave rice to the rice sellers, magic to the magicians."
And Yusuke? Heās my bodyguard.
Things have been tense lately, and some idiot nobles have been scheming against us.
"ā¦Weāll be arriving shortly, you two."
"Mm, yeahā¦"
Honestly, Janeās a lifesaver.
Sheās more than just a maidāsheās practically family.
Sheās been by my side since before I can remember. Not quite a mother (the age gap isnāt that big), but for someone like meāwho never had oneāsheās close enough.
I glance out the window.
A prosperous town. Not as bustling as the capital, but developed.
Strange that a place this size lacks a Magic Guild branch.
Maybe superstition or cultural bias against magic lingered here.
Though apparently, among the younger generation, magicās popularity is growing.
The problem? The current Guildmaster opposes new branches.
Doesnāt want to send skilled staff to remote locationsāwhich, fair, nobody wants to be reassigned from the capital to the boonies.
But the Magic Guild isnāt just a workplace.
Itās infrastructure. Spellbooks, licensed state-approved mages, talent development. Every town needs one.
Letting personal whims create disparities? Unacceptable.
At any rate, I have the necessary documents and approvals.
All thatās left is securing the local lordās consent.
"Alright, customer service smile, customer service smileā¦"
I pinch my cheeks, forcing on my royal-approved expression.
ā¦Not that I need to do this. Switching modes is easy.
But lately, all the noble surveillance and political scheming has been wearing me down.
Physically. Mentally.
I take a deep breath.
Then, from across the carriageā
"ā¦Milia, you okay?"
"ā¦Do I not lookĀ okay?"
My tone is polished as always. Yusuke just gives a wry smile.
"Nah, you seem the same as always. Just⦠a feeling, I guess?"
A feeling, huh?
Itās not like weāre meeting anyone today whoād know me well. They wonāt notice if Iām off my game.
I flash him a smile.
"Well, if I look fine, then I am fine."
"ā¦Right. Still, donāt push yourself."
"Of course⦠Besides, if anything happens, youāll save me, wonāt you?"
"Obviously⦠though Iām bad at politics."
"My, my⦠so you only specialize in brute force?"
"Ugh, sorryā¦"
ā¦Not the most reassuring.
But still, the fact that he tries to cover for meāthat he wants to helpāis enough.
So I lean in closer andā
"Just kidding⦠Iām counting on you, fiancĆ©."
I whisper it in my usual casual voice, so he knows I mean it.
When I grin at him, Yusuke smiles backāawkwardly, but sincerely.
The lord turned out to be more of a middle-aged guy than the old man Iād expected. Just some dude.
And apparently, he had issues with magicāleaning toward rejecting the guild branch. Wait, wasnāt the preliminary intel different? Oh right, the Magic Guild staff handled the initial survey.
Nothingās more annoying than superstitions and baseless fears. The moment you try to reason with people like that, they shut you down before you even start.
Hopeless.
Just as I was about to give up, the lord made an offer: if we exterminated the monsters infesting the townās plantation, heād approve the branch.
ā¦The whole point of setting up a Magic Guild branch was to help this town. And now heās treating it like some transactional favor? What a joke.
But I agreed. Even if the lord was an unreasonable fool, the townsfolk didnāt deserve to suffer for it. The sins of the leadership shouldnāt fall on the people.
So, monster hunting it was.
Unfortunately, today I was playing the role of the Ninth Princessānot exactly dressed for combat, nor was I expected to fight as a mage.
I decided to send Yusuke alone for the hunt. Sure, dismissing my guard wasnāt the smartest move, but I could handle myself in town. Iād been through plenty of close-quarters fights before.
Thus, we split up.
Not that I was worried about Yusuke. The guy walked away unscathed after getting punted by an evil dragonāsome random monsters wouldnāt even count as a warm-up.
I could relax. Sit back, sip some tea, let him handle it.
Easy work.
ā¦Or so I thought.
"Ow, damnā!"
Trouble struck.
The tea was laced with paralytic poisonāthe kind that wrecks your nervous system and knocks you out. I noticed something was off and cast an antidote spell on myself, butā
In that brief moment of distraction, the lordās lackeys ambushed me.
I fought back with magic, but between their numbers and the lingering effects of the poisonānot that Iād lose to this level of threat, butā
They took Jane hostage in the chaos.
With no choice but to surrender, I got beaten down.
Now, Iām sitting in the lordās dungeon with a magic-dispersing bracelet locked around my wrist.
Damn it. Iām the Ninth Princessāno, forget that, beating up and imprisoning a young woman is messed up regardless of royalty!
Janeās tied up in ropes, her face deathly pale. Meanwhile, I⦠guess they went easier on me since Iām technically a princess? All I got was this cursed bracelet.
"P-Princessā¦"
"Iām fine. It looks worse than it is."
"Butā"
Goddammit, they really went to town on me.
Using Jane as a hostage, they made sure I couldnāt fight backāand took the opportunity to rough me up.
My dress is torn in places, my underwear fully visible.
Not sexyājust pathetic.
I look like a wreck, so I get why Janeās worried, but⦠eh, Iāve taken worse. I lived through an evil dragon subjugation, after all.
Just some bruises. A split lip. A swollen cheek. A few scrapes on my legs.
ā¦Wait. Is this actually serious?
"............"
I glance outside the cell.
No guards.
They really think Iām harmless without magic, huh?
ā¦Well. Theyāre not wrong.
Without spells, Iām just a delicate maiden.
I look down at the bracelet on my wrist.
A device that automatically drains mana when I try to cast?
Never seen or heard of anything like it.
Normally, an artifact like this would short-circuit under my mana output, but this thingās capacity is absurd.
ā¦They used part of the evil dragonās corpse.
Probably a fragment of its flame sac.
Channeling mana generates heatāif not for the modifications, this thing would've just shot fire.
But right now, the how doesnāt matter.
The real questions are:
-
Why did the lord imprison me?
-
How does he have a magic tool made from the evil dragonās remains?
I donāt recall pissing him off, so this isnāt personal. He must want something.
And that bracelet...
No ordinary mage could craft something like this.
This backwater town doesnāt have the expertiseānot without a Magic Guild.
...So someoneās pulling the lordās strings.
The financial power to manipulate him.
The technical skill to create magic tools from an evil dragonās remainsā
The mastermind must beā
"Had you not resisted, you wouldn't have gotten hurt. You always insist on such pointless struggles."
...Figures.
"...Figures it'd be you, you fossil."
A familiar old man descended into the dungeon.
That condescending tone. Those extravagant robes. That long white beard.
The head of the kingdomās Magic GuildāOthum.
"Oh? So this is how you truly speak? How unbefitting of royaltyāthat vulgarity suits your current attire perfectly. Fuhohoho."
He stroked his beard with a slimy laugh.
"My 'current attire'...?"
Oh, right. The torn-up dress.
I slowly exhaled. "...I thought I had a decent opinion of you."
"That arrogance of yoursālooking down on others despite being a mere girlāis precisely what led to this. Do you understand, Ninth Princess?"
God, this guyās insufferable.
I shouldāve fired him ages ago.
What kind of worthless old man spends his time bickering with and harassing a girl who isnāt even twenty?
"...You didnāt act alone. Whoās helping you?"
"Many nobles share my distaste for you and that outsider. Youāre quite unpopular, the both of you."
He actually answered me?
Meaning⦠he doesnāt see me as a threat anymore.
This senile bastard is way too confident.
"...What happened to Yusuke?"
"Fuhohoho, I'm in a good mood, so I'll tell you. That outsider is currently monster feed in the forest outside town."
"...What?"
Monster feed...?
Are they breeding monsters?
But monsters canāt be domesticated. They donāt obey human orders.
And monster experimentation is a capital offense under kingdom law.
"That magic toolāmagnificent, isnāt it? Crafted from monster remains. Specifically, the evil dragon you killed."
"...I could tell."
"The kingdom confiscated the corpse, but you insisted on preserving it for analysis instead of burning itāsending it straight to the Magic Guild. How does it feel, tightening the noose around your own neck?"
"Like absolute shit."
Othum laughed down at me, sprawled on the dungeon floor.
"Fuhohoho, indeed. Let me share something that will make you feel even worse... I mentioned that outsider became monster feed, but that too was thanks to another magic tool crafted from the evil dragon."
"...Don't tell me you deliberately triggered a monster stampede?"
"How astute... as expected of the princess. We burned incense made from the dragon's bodily fluids. Research shows that monsters who inhale it become frenzied, exhibiting several times their usual strength."
"...You were even researching monsters? Thatās a capital offense."
"Fuhohoho, yes... but as long as no one finds out, it doesnāt matter. No one can hold me accountable."
Damn. This guyās way too chatty.
Just how badly did he want to gloat?
...Guess thatās how much he hated me.
After years of running the guild unchallenged, suddenly having royalty interfere mustāve felt like a direct threat to his position.
Not that he was wrongā
I was planning to fire him.
"Fuhohohoho! Once that so-called 'Hero' outsider dies, you'll have no one left to protect you. Then, we can do whatever we please with you."
"...Ugh, you disgusting creep."
A shudder ran through me at the grotesque implications.
"I don't know what delusions you're harboring, but I suppose the rumors about you selling yourself to the Hero were true after all... My, what a filthy woman."
"............"
So that's how they saw it.
What a bunch of vulgar bastards.
I never sold myselfāand Yusuke isn't that kind of man.
Honestly, them mocking me is one thing. Insulting him pisses me off more.
"We have another tool, crafted from the dragon's eye. With it... we'll erase your memories and reshape you into a puppet that serves our purposes."
"...You sure about this? It violates the Magic Guild's regulations. 'Development of mind-altering artifacts is prohibited.' Since when did the rules change, Guildmaster?"
"What are you babbling about? I am the rules, as Guildmaster... Fuhohoho."
His eyes gleamed with triumph as he looked down at me.
"...You're way more arrogant than I ever was, old man."
Ah.
Now I get why he's running his mouth so much.
Memory erasure? Noāheās planning to kill me. He must be that confident in his victory.
Just another senile fossil bloated on his own pride.
"Well then, do cherish what little time you have left."
"...Tch."
"The next time we meet, I'll bring you the corpse of that delusional fool who calls himself 'Hero.' Fufu... I look forward to seeing the expression you'll make then... Fuhohohoho."
With that disgusting laugh, he ascended the stairs and left.
Seriously? He came all the way down here just to taunt me? Then walked away like some smug villain in a cheap novel?
People in high positions like his always have this weird obsession with proving their superiority.
Not all nobles are like that, but some definitely are.
...But why not erase my memories right away?
Keeping me alive is a risk. Unlessā
Of course.
If by some chance Yusuke survives, theyāll use me as a hostage.
Crafty bastard. Heās keeping me as insurance.
"ā¦Princess."
"Hm?"
Jane, who had been silent until now, inched closer.
She leaned in, whispering right next to my ear.
"ā¦There's a way to escape."
Seriously?
I knew my maid was amazing, butā
"ā¦How?"
"There's a flexible metal pin hidden under my shoe. I can reshape it into a lockpick. With it... we can unlock the cell."
"ā¦But your hands and feet are tied. Am I supposed to do it?"
"ā¦No, I recognize this lock. I can pick it one-handed. Though I will need your help with the actual unlocking..."
...Is she a ninja or something?
No normal maid knows how to pick locks.
"So we can escape... butā"
There were still unresolved issues.
"ā¦What about this magic-sealing bracelet?"
"ā¦My apologies."
"ā¦And the ropes binding you? I doubt I can break them barehanded."
"ā¦That wonāt be a problem."
Wait. Can she slip out of the ropes? Noāif she could, she wouldnāt need me to unlock the cell.
Which meansā
"ā¦You're planning to send only me out, aren't you?"
"ā¦It would be the wisest course."
"Hell no. Vetoed."
I sighed, slumping back against the cold stone floor. The chill seeped into my wounds, a dull contrast to the fire simmering in my chest.
"Butā¦!"
"You're my maid, not a sacrificial pawn. You donāt have to throw your life away for me."
"ā¦Even so, Iā"
Jane's face twisted in anguish. Then, after a long pause, she lowered her headāas if confessing a sin.
"ā¦Jane?"
"Princess, this may not be the right place, but⦠may I speak freely?"
"We've got nothing but time. Go ahead."
Inside the dim cell, her expression grew solemn.
"ā¦I knew your mother."
"Huh...? Oh, right�"
That didnāt seem like the kind of thing worth such a grave toneā
"ā¦I am your motherās younger sister."
"ā¦Huh. So weāre related?"
Well, that was⦠unexpected.
Not that shocking, though.
Maybe a little.
"ā¦And I also had a physical relationship with your father."
"............Huhā"
Okay, now thatās shocking.
What the hell was that shitty old man thinking? At her age back thenāugh, thatās straight-up criminal.
"But⦠I couldnāt bear children. Even though we were sisters, both maids⦠Iā¦"
"............"
"ā¦I was jealous. Of my sister."
Jane's voice wavered, her hands curling into fists.
"So⦠when she was suffering from illness, I⦠did nothing."
Her eyes darted away, as if unable to bear the weight of her own words.
Iād heard my mother died of illness.
ā¦She contracted it while pregnant with me, without proper care.
No one knew about her pregnancy, and as a maid, she received no special treatment.
If only her younger sister had nursed her properlyā¦
But thatās just hindsight.
"ā¦After my sister died, I ended up caring for the daughter she left behind."
Janeās voice softened, almost trembling.
"You, Princess."
She hesitated, then closed her eyes.
"I told myself you were the child I couldnāt have. But in truth⦠after taking my sisterās lifeā¦"
She exhaled shakily, the weight of years pressing down on her shoulders.
"I stole her child, too."
Regret clung to every syllable.
She must have suffered deeply.
Thatās why she never told me until now.
Because she felt unworthy.
"So please, just leave someone like me behind and escapeā"
"No. I wonāt leave you."
I shook my head.
Yeah, sure, what I just heard was⦠a little shocking.
Just a little.
But more than that, it made me realizeāthere was so much happening behind the scenes that I never knew about.
"Princess⦠butā"
"I trust the Jane whoās been by my side more than the past I never knew. So I canāt just abandon you and run."
"ā¦Princess."
"And besidesā"
Lying on the cold stone floor, battered and bound in a hopeless situation⦠I still managed to grin.
"You werenāt with us during our travels, were you, Jane?"
"ā¦Huh? N-No, I wasnātā¦"
"Thatās why thereās something you donāt realize."
Thenācrash.
A sound echoed from above.
Stone? Bricks? Something was breaking.
Janeās head snapped up in shock.
"People tend to think Yusuke and Iāthe mage and the heroāwere equals in strength during our journey. Maybe even that Yusuke was slightly stronger."
More crashing. Debris tumbling down.
"But thatās a misunderstanding. When it comes to combat⦠Yusuke is far stronger than me."
And thenāshouting.
"Thatās why everyone underestimates him. That senile bastard⦠and even you, Jane. Heās way more incredible than anyone realizes."
Explosions. The sound of metal shattering.
"My fiancĆ© isnāt some weakling whoād drop dead to a bunch of monsters. And when Iām in troubleā¦"
Another deafening crunchāthe path to the dungeon was torn open.
"ā¦He always comes for me."
And standing there, framed by dust and debrisā
"Milia! Jane! Are you two okaāā¦yā¦?"
"ā¦Took you long enough, Yusuke."
My fiancƩ.
The Hero, Yusuke.
His armor was splattered with monster blood.
"M-Milia...?"
His gaze locked onto meābeaten, battered, and with my underwear fully exposed.
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