Chapter 63: Aftermath
I crouched down beside the collapsed Shimizu and began to examine the Collar of Subjugation. Several Magic Stones were embedded within it, and I could feel the flow of Magic Power. I wondered what would happen if I tried to forcibly remove it.
“Hmm… I can’t tell.”
I probed it with Magic Power, just like I did with the brooch, but I still had no clue.
“Are you going to help him?”
“That’s what I thought.”
“Hmm… You could just leave him be.”
It seemed that Rio had no intention of helping. I wasn’t planning to assist out of pity or sympathy either.
“It would be a hassle if he were to be ordered to attack us again.”
“Ah, that’s true. But can’t you just break it?”
“That’s true, but…”
“Why not? If you break it all at once, nothing might happen.”
Oh, I see. If I couldn’t figure out the self-destruct mechanism that might be hidden within it, then breaking it all at once could work. Usually, these things activate when the supply of Magic Power from the Magic Stones is cut off. But I’d prefer to reuse it if possible. For instance, I could put it on that foolish royal family member who’s standing there in shock.
“Hmm. I wonder if I can remove it with Spatial Magic.”
I began to weave Spatial Magic around Shimizu’s neck. Opening a Dimensional Box consumes Magic Power, and the amount consumed varies depending on the size of the entrance. Just curving the entrance would significantly increase the consumption. I spread the magic around Shimizu’s neck and—
“Could it be a Dimensional Box? Is it going to work?”
Wait a moment. It seems like it might work, but it requires quite a bit of concentration. After taking my time to cover the Collar of Subjugation, I managed to pull it into the Dimensional Box and closed the entrance.
“Oh?”
Did it work?
“Looks like it did?”
“Probably?”
I wasn’t sure, but it seemed fine to assume it worked. I tried to store Nagai’s collar in the same way.
“That should do it.”
“Ahaha, shall we return it to them right away?”
“Yeah.”
Rio and I exchanged mischievous smiles as we approached the foolish princesses. They looked like they were about to say something, but I didn’t want to hear it, so I bound their mouths with a Dual Bind without hesitation. The knights surrounding them received the same treatment. I even blindfolded them to ensure they couldn’t see anything.
I ignored the muffled sounds of protest and, using the same method as before, returned the Collar of Subjugation to the princess’s neck. Of course, I returned it to the prince’s neck as well.
“It fits perfectly.”
“I wonder if this way of wearing it has any effect?”
“Who knows? Maybe it needs to register a master or something.”
“Why not try giving them an order?”
“Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Alright… don’t speak and stay still.”
With the command, I released the Dual Bind on the royal siblings.
“…!”
They glared at me fiercely but did nothing and remained silent.
“Oh, this is nice.”
“Impressive.”
It seemed to have an automatic identification function that recognized the wearer as the master. That was convenient, but I still had no idea how long the effect would last. Staying in this country just to witness when it wore off would be a hassle. I decided to give them a quick order and then leave without further involvement.
“What should I say?”
Rio asked excitedly, but I had already made up my mind.
“Keep the fact that you were made to wear the Collar of Subjugation a secret from everyone. And you are both forbidden from removing each other’s collars.”
“Ahaha!”
“By the way, do you still have other brothers? You can answer.”
“…Yes, there is the Crown Prince, Albert.”
Interesting. That was good to know.
“Alright, this will be the last one.”
I pointed decisively at the foolish prince and issued my final command.
“You are to kill that Crown Prince.”
Ignoring the prince’s wide-eyed shock, I turned to the princess next.
“And you… are to kill the King.”
“That sounds good! He tried to kill us, so he deserves the same fate!”
“After that, you are free to do as you please. Oh, but don’t remove the collars, okay?”
With a dismissive wave, I sent them off as they gritted their teeth and made their way back into the castle.
“W-Wait!”
As I released the knights from their bindings, the prince and princess hurriedly left the scene, bewildered, but they quickly chased after them.
“What about the rest of our classmates…?”
Manaka and the others were likely on their way home, but where was Neguro?
“Maybe over there?”
Rio pointed toward the direction of the crumbling castle. As I focused my senses, I could indeed feel Neguro’s Magic Power. I hadn’t sensed it when I arrived, but after breaking the brooch, my senses had sharpened. Rio must have experienced the same.
“Let’s quickly retrieve the collar and head back.”
“Yeah.”
We returned along the path we had come from, back to the now-empty plaza. I sensed the presence of that butler near the entrance to the castle, as if he had been waiting for us.
“Welcome back.”
“No, I want to go to the other Hero, Neguro. Do you know where he is?”
“Not a problem. I will guide you.”
He bowed deeply and walked confidently down the corridor.
Now that I thought about it, he hadn’t appeared suddenly this time. Perhaps it was because I had been freed from the brooch, and my Presence Detection had become sharper.
As we turned a corner, we found ourselves in a chaotic battlefield, with people running around frantically. The sound of screams echoed, and the place was engulfed in confusion. Cracks marred the walls, and I felt a sense of satisfaction that I had managed to cause this much destruction to the castle, even though we were still on the first floor.
“Lord Ordis! Just the person I needed to see!”
A plump man, whose thinning hair was becoming more apparent, rushed toward us. Ordis must be the name of this handsome butler.
“This is Minister Marukandore.”
“Do you know what has happened here?!”
“Yes, it seems that the Royal Castle has been destroyed by intruders.”
The minister spoke with an urgency that suggested he was about to explode, while Ordis calmly and succinctly reported the situation.
“…What? …Destroyed?”
“Yes. All the spires have been blown away, and the balconies have been destroyed. It is likely that access to the upper floors is now impossible.”
“What?! If you say so, then it must be true… I can’t just sit here!”
As soon as he heard the news, he began issuing orders and hurriedly left the scene. I felt a bit guilty for being the one responsible for the destruction, but I hoped he would manage the evacuation well.
Still, I wondered if Ordis planned to keep quiet about the real culprit being here. For the Demon Tribe, the collapse of this country would be a welcome event, so perhaps he had no intention of speaking up.
“Excuse me. This way, please.”
He resumed his guiding as if nothing had happened, leading us through the bustling crowd until we arrived at what appeared to be a medical room. Fortunately, there weren’t many people inside.
“Over there.”
Ordis stepped back in front of the bed at the far end. Lying on the bed was indeed Neguro. His torso was wrapped in bandages, and blood was seeping through in several places.
“Wow…”
Rio looked horrified, but he was the one who had stabbed her, right?
It seemed that some Healing Magic had been applied, so he was likely not in any immediate danger. He must have been ordered by the princess to do it, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling of wanting to punch him for what he did to Rio.
“Let’s get this over with and go home. Even if he was ordered by the princess, just looking at this guy makes me want to hit him.”
“Ah, yeah.”
So, we quickly finished up and turned to leave. I saw Rio casting Healing Magic on him, but if she was okay with it, I had no right to interfere.
“Now, we just need to deal with those still lying around outside.”
Once again guided by Ordis, we successfully reached the entrance of the castle, the rotary.
“Well, this is where I take my leave. I hope to see you again.”
Ordis sent us off with a bright smile. The kingdom likely didn’t want us back, but it seemed the Demon Tribe welcomed us.
“Thank you for your help. I don’t think I’ll be coming back.”
“If you do, please take care.”
I walked away with a wry smile.
Manaka and the others had regained consciousness from their fainting spell but were still unable to move, remaining where they were. They complained a lot, so I silenced them and hurried toward the castle gate to retrieve the collars.
“Alright, this is it! We’re finally free!”
“Where should we go now?”
“Well, obviously… anywhere but the Arclight Kingdom!”
And so, with a refreshing sense of liberation, we passed through the castle gate.