Chapter 15: The Abandoned Prince Detoxifies Alcohol
“Alright, it’s begun-zo!! The first-ever Groom Snatching Battle!! The Empire’s Seventh Imperial Princess Rosemary versus the Kingdom’s Duke’s Daughter Eliza!! Your commentator for today is none other than I, the Fifth Imperial Princess Yellowna-zo!!”
Yellowna-san shouts, microphone in hand.
Today, she’s not in her work clothes, but dressed in a sharp suit like a referee, complete with a bow tie.
Perhaps because of that, her breasts are making quite a statement.
The buttons on her chest look like they’re about to pop off any second, and it seemed like you could see all sorts of things through the gaps between them.
A feast for the eyes, a feast for the eyes.
The Imperial Capital has an arena, and there’s a system where anyone can watch via magical images projected into the air.
In short, it has a function for live-streaming video, and apparently, Yellowna-san was the one who made it.
The Empire’s technology really is leagues ahead, huh.
As I was thinking about such things, Yellowna-san turned the topic to me.
“So, what do you think will happen in this battle, huh? Commentator and spoils of war, Reichel-shi.”
“Don’t call me spoils of war. And wait, I’m the commentator? I thought it would be her.”
“Well, you looked like you had nothing better to do, so I called you over, but…”
Yellowna-san said, “Well, I suppose I should introduce her,” and pointed the microphone to her side.
“Our guest for today! For whom alcohol is life itself, we have the Second Imperial Princess, Airlin-neesama-zo!!”
“Wheeey, I came ’cause they said they’d treat me to drinks if I showed up~. Hic“
The guest, Airlin-san, already seemed completely drunk.
Or rather, she’s been drunk ever since I met her.
The smell of alcohol wafting around her had gotten stronger; she might have been out drinking for the past few days.
“Ahahaha~! The world is, like, making clones of itself~!!”
“…She’s drunk to a worrying degree. Want me to try healing her?”
“Oh? Can you do such a thing-kana?”
“Well, alcohol is, broadly speaking, a toxin, so it’s possible, yeah.”
And so, I removed the alcohol from Airlin-san’s system.
Then, an unexpected change occurred.
“…Ah, um, hello.”
“”Eh!?””
“Um, well, I am the Second Imperial Princess, Airlin-san, whom you’ve so kindly introduced. It’s a pleasure to be here today.”
Saying that, Airlin-san bowed towards the camera-like magical tool that was recording the video.
“H-Hey, Yellowna-san. What’s going on? Is that what a sober Airlin-san is like?”
“I-I had no idea-zo!! Or rather, thinking about it calmly, she’s always drinking, so this is the first time I’ve seen her sober-zo!!”
“Ah, um, I apologize. I’ve been drunk for about five hundred years… I’ve caused trouble for my family and my younger brother-in-law… ah, no, my father-in-law? too.”
“Wha- Hey. She suddenly became all demure and cute!!”
With the alcohol gone, Airlin-san had, how should I put it, a princess-like aura.
Like she was ephemeral, or someone you’d want to protect.
Also, being called “father-in-law” by an older sister-type figure subtly got to me.
“I know that drinking too much isn’t good for my body or my mind. But I… I can’t proudly say that I’m a daughter worthy of my mother, so I just kept drinking to deceive myself… My beloved mother tells me to do as I please, but even that makes me feel apologetic—”
I-I see.
So Airlin-san’s slightly aggressive attitude towards Alkalion-sama was the flip side of her affection, huh.
“Ugh, thinking about the future suddenly makes me feel nauseous and teary…”
“Hey, someone, alcohol!! Bring some alcohol!!”
“Please let Airlin-neesama drink-zo!! I’m starting to feel sorry for her-zo!!”
After having Airlin-san consume a large amount of alcohol, the usual drunkard returned.
“Ngugh, puhaah!! Alright, your big sis is gonna do her best commentating today-zo~!!”
“Well, we had a bit of a shocking event, but now it’s finally time for the contestants to enter-zo!!”
As Yellowna-san gave the signal, two beautiful women entered from the east and west entrances.
From the East, the captain of the Empire’s pride, the Dragon Knight Order, and the Seventh Imperial Princess, Rosemary.
Her opponent from the West, the Kingdom’s genius mage, Eliza-san.
“By the way, how amazing is a ‘genius mage,’ exactly-kana? Spoils of war, Reichel-shi.”
“Don’t call me spoils of war. …How amazing, huh.”
Answering that question was difficult.
“The troublesome thing about Eliza-san is her vast mana pool and casting speed, comparable to an elf’s, and her precise judgment. She’ll unleash a barrage of appropriate spells for any situation, and at top speed too. Just when you think the common anti-mage tactic of ‘closing the distance’ might work, you find out she’s also the best swordswoman in the kingdom. She’s a formidable all-rounder, tough at both long and close range.”
“Hmm, hmm. What are your thoughts on Rosemary-kana?”
“Ah, sorry. I’ve only ever seen Rosemary fight while riding a Wyvern. So I don’t know how strong Rosemary actually is on her own.”
“I see, I see!! Actually, I also don’t know Rosemary’s true strength on foot-zo!! She’s admired Wyverns since she was little, you see-na!!”
“Hmm. So no one knows what the outcome will be, then.”
While Yellowna-san and I were having this plausible-sounding conversation, the gong for the battle rang.
Rosemary’s weapon was a double-edged greatsword, taller than I am.
She closed in on Eliza-san before she could use magic and swung it around effortlessly.
It was overwhelming power and speed.
In response, Eliza-san, rapier in hand, repeatedly used hit-and-run tactics, somehow trying to create distance from Rosemary.
Perhaps she was using body-strengthening magic, as her movements were no less fast than Rosemary’s.
However, Rosemary was even faster.
She closed in on Eliza-san with even greater speed and swung her greatsword with all her might.
“Oooh!! Is Rosemary at an advantage in the early stages!?”
“But if she moves with that much intensity, won’t her stamina run out quickly…?”
“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. Rosemary has the stamina to sprint at full speed for an entire day without getting out of breath.”
Airlin-san interjected with commentary from the side.
Now that she mentioned it, I’ve certainly never seen Rosemary out of breath at night.
“Then, will Rosemary win just like this-kana?”
“Nah, I wonder about that? Her opponent, Eliza-chan, was it? She’s plannin’ somethin’~. Rosemary’s power and speed are formidable, but that girl’s got a rigid personality, so she’s weak against tricky moves. —See?”
“”Ooh!?””
Eliza-san’s earth magic caused the ground beneath Rosemary to collapse, making her lose her posture.
However, the time it took her to recover was instantaneous.
Rosemary went on the attack again after that brief moment, but in that same instant, Eliza-san had finished preparing her next spell.
A barrage of ice lances rushed towards Rosemary.
It was a top-tier offensive spell, the kind used when subjugating large monsters.
“Aah-to!? Countless ice lances from Eliza-shi are assailing Rosemary-zo!?”
“No, Rosemary is amazing too!? She’s cutting them all down!?”
Eliza-san launching an overwhelming barrage of attacks was one thing, but Rosemary was something else entirely.
I never thought she’d knock down Eliza-san’s ice lances with her greatsword and fists.
Amidst a hail of ice lances that would have skewered an ordinary person in seconds, Rosemary calmly advanced, closing in on Eliza-san.
Her figure, stopping for nothing, was so cool it was captivating.
My wife is the best.
“Nuaah!? Eliza-shi is deploying even more offensive magic here!? Even Rosemary has been forced to stop-zo!? Come on, Reichel-shi, cheer for Rosemary more-zo!!”
“H-Hey, Yellowna-san. You’re bumping into me, you’re bumping into me.”
“—Ah. M-My apologies, my apologies. I got a little too excited-na.”
Yellowna-san’s large breasts brushed against my arm, making my heart skip a beat.
The battle between Rosemary and Eliza-san was a fierce, back-and-forth struggle that continued for several tens of minutes.
However, its end came abruptly.
Rosemary’s greatsword broke, and Eliza-san’s mana ran out.
―――――――――――――――――――――
Afterword
A Trivial Little Story
Author: “I want to take alcohol away from a drunk older sister type, make her go sober, then gift her alcohol and get her dead drunk again. I want to make that an infinite loop.”
Rei: “There you go, showing off your fetishes again.”
If you thought, “Ki◯ri-san… mutter,” “I like the Airlin who actually loves Alkalion-sama,” or “The author’s fetishes made me laugh,” please leave your thoughts, bookmarks, ★ ratings, and reviews.