Chapter 32: The Mob Prince Traps the Dark Elves
Late that night…
“Let me out of here! I have to save Mother Luna!”
“Silence! You child with the blood of wicked Mazoku!”
I was locked in a prisoner transport wagon with Diana, being hauled deep into the forest. The cargo area was a cage made of iron bars.
Both of our hands were bound by handcuffs.
“That’s right, I am of the Dark Elf royalty! The time has come for divine punishment to befall the arrogant Empire that oppresses us!”
I deliberately shouted loudly enough for the Dark Elves who were surely monitoring us to hear.
I hadn’t told the surrounding soldiers about the plan I’d devised.
To deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your allies, as they say.
“Forgetting the kindness you’ve been shown all this time!”
“Who would feel indebted to an Emperor who would try to execute our family!? Don’t be ridiculous!”
I had reworked the plan, now that Diana was accompanying me, to make it seem as though the Emperor had decided to execute our family.
This would be more effective in luring out the Dark Elves who would want to take back their Luna.
“…As expected of you, Brother Luke. A truly convincing performance.”
Diana whispered in my ear from beside me.
It’s not a convincing performance; my animosity towards the Emperor is my true feeling that I’ve been hiding. I don’t recognize a man who would hit my mother as my father.
“We can’t lure the Dark Elves out unless we make a big show of it, right? Do your best, Dia.”
“Yes, then…”
Diana took a deep breath and let out an ear-splitting scream.
“That’s right! Let me out of here! Dia cannot die until she marries Brother Luke!”
“…Huh?”
I’m supposed to be engaged to Olivia if this plan succeeds, but…
“Let me out! I demand it!”
Diana, with her hands restrained, kicked at the iron bars.
Well, I suppose I should start acting up too.
“Macedonia won’t calm down even if you offer our family’s heads! There will surely be war. The Empire is finished!”
“Yo-You!”
Unable to bear it any longer, a soldier struck me with the butt of his spear.
“Brother Luke!? How dare you do that to him!”
Diana was furious, and purple lightning crackled from her body.
Although Diana’s magic was sealed by the Magic-Sealing Necklace, her immense Magical Power leaked out, unable to be contained.
“H-Hii!”
The frightened soldiers distanced themselves from the transport wagon.
Recently, Diana’s Magical Power had been growing stronger and stronger. Ordinary people would be terrified.
“They really are children of the devil…!”
“B-But, there’s no need to lay a hand on them directly. We can just abandon them in the forest as is.”
“That’s right. Let them scream all they want! Their mother will be publicly executed eventually too!”
The soldiers grinned, though they were sweating bullets.
Eventually, the wagon carrying us stopped in the heart of the forest. This was a dangerous area teeming with monsters.
The soldiers fled as if their lives depended on it.
The method of executing criminals by restraining them so they cannot escape and feeding them to monsters is a traditional practice that has been carried out in the Empire since ancient times.
It probably wouldn’t seem unnatural.
Now, I wonder if the Dark Elves will come as planned…
Gishaaaa!
Then, a giant serpent monster appeared, trying to swallow us whole.
“Brother, Dia is scared!”
Diana leaned against me, looking somehow delighted.
We were in a cage made of iron bars, so the serpent’s fangs couldn’t reach us.
“It’s okay, Dia. I’m here!”
“Ahn! I’m so happy!”
“…No, you shouldn’t be looking so happy, should you?”
The one who dominates this forest is Kuro, the magical beast I tamed.
I ordered Kuro to send a monster here that was just strong enough to almost break the iron bars.
This way, we can successfully play the part of pitiful children being attacked by monsters.
“Brother Luke, we’ll be together when we die!”
“No, Dia, don’t give up until the very end!”
“Please tell me your true feelings one last time. You love Dia more than Princess Olivia, don’t you!?”
“…Wh-What are you saying?”
I do love Diana, but as a sister, and I don’t think this is the time to be talking about it…
In the first place, isn’t the Like you feel for a sister different from the Love you feel for a lover?
However, in order to deceive the Dark Elves, it’s better if they don’t think Olivia and I are on good terms.
To cover up my sister’s mistake, I deliberately shouted loudly enough for it to echo around us.
“Of course, Dia. You’re a hundred times cuter than that human brat!”
“I did ittt! I’m so happpppy!”
Thud!
“Eh?”
Suddenly, the giant serpent collapsed to the ground.
Its head had been pierced from above by a Dark Edge.
“…I see, so that’s how it is.”
A man clad in black, wearing a hood, stood on top of the serpent’s head.
In my heart, I struck a victory pose.
Dark Elves, like Elves, are characterized by their long, pointed ears. He must be wearing a hood to hide them.
Besides, the weapon he’s holding is… a Dark Edge?
He’s using a rather niche magic.
In the darkness, a Dark Edge, whose blade is difficult to see, would be advantageous, I guess?
“That transport wagon has a powerful magic bomb set up. If we approach carelessly, this entire area will be engulfed in flames, is that it?”
“What…?”
I deliberately pretended not to understand the man’s identity or what he was saying.
If anyone were to step inside the iron bars of this transport wagon, an incendiary-type magic bomb that would scatter flames over a wide area would be triggered.
A trap that reeks of malice, intending to set the forest on fire and annihilate the Dark Elves along with us…
Of course, this is a bluff to prevent them from realizing the real trap.
This man is pointing out the trap and gauging our reaction to determine whether or not I know about the trap’s existence. How cautious.
“Who are you!? No, more importantly, get me out of here! I’ll reward you! I am the Empire’s—no, the Dark Elf’s Prince Luke!”
“I am Diana! Brother Luke’s beloved sister!”
“Lady Diana…! Oh, that face is exactly like Luna-sama’s when she was young!”
The man seemed deeply moved and took off his hood.
Tanned skin, long ears, and an overly beautiful face. He’s a Dark Elf after all.
Moreover, isn’t that Vincent, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Demon Lord Diana, whom you fight in the latter half of the game?
I heard that he kidnapped Olivia while the Orleans Knights were guarding her, so I had a feeling…
A troublesome guy has emerged as an enemy.
“Yes…?”
Diana was bewildered by the sudden worshipful gaze from a stranger.
Furthermore, Dark Elves appeared one after another from behind Vincent.
“Please excuse my rudeness. I am Vincent, currently leading the Dark Elves in place of Luna-sama. I would like to help you immediately, but it seems that a Spell Trap has been set up to lure us out and eliminate Lady Diana along with you.”
“What did you say…?”
I feigned ignorance, but to think he would see through Saint-Germain’s trap so quickly, as expected of him.
However, if he didn’t, we would be in trouble.
“Lady Diana, please wait a moment. We will do everything in our power to disarm the magic bomb as quickly as possible.”
“Umm… Ah, thank you.”
He’s been talking to Diana this whole time and ignoring me… Why?
Could it be that he’s a lolicon…?
The Dark Elves carefully worked to disarm the magic bomb.
“Thank you for waiting, Lady Diana. Now, this way.”
Vincent slashed the iron bars with his Dark Edge.
The sharpness and precision of that slash… His swordsmanship is on par with Master Gaine.
Vincent is a magic swordsman who favors the Dark Edge as his weapon. With his high proficiency in Dark Magic and strong Magical Power, the Dark Edge has a higher attack power than a famous sword.
He’s a so-called all-rounder character who can use both swords and magic, and he even has a Unique Magic as his trump card.
Vincent switched to a physical sword and destroyed Diana’s Magic-Sealing Collar. This is because the Magic-Sealing Collar nullifies magic.
“I’m saved. Thank you, Vincent. Could you break my handcuffs too?”
“…You’re a failure who can’t even use magic properly, right? Don’t act like a prince.”
Vincent gave me a look of utter contempt.
Ah, that’s right, Dark Elves are a combat race where strength is everything. The royalty is respected because they are the strongest warriors.
“Hmph! How dare you say such a thing to the great Brother Luke!”
Diana flew into a rage, destroying her handcuffs on her own, and even tearing off mine.
“Ooh! W-What power!”
The Dark Elves gasped in admiration at Diana’s overwhelming power, enhanced by her physical ability enhancement magic.
“Brother Luke is many times stronger than Dia…!”
“Dia!”
I nudged Dia to stop her from talking. It would be easier to rescue Olivia if the Dark Elves continued to underestimate me as a weakling.
“We have heard rumors of Lady Diana, but your power exceeds even the rumors! It is an honor to meet you.”
Vincent knelt reverently before Diana.
“Now, shall we work together to rescue your mother, Luna-sama?”
He wants to rescue Mom? Not knowing that their actions will end up taking her life…
I sighed inwardly.
“Understood. I will leave it to you. But before that…”
Diana cracked her knuckles. An intimidating wave of Magical Power overflowed from her body.
“Kneel before Brother Luke!”
“Ugh!?”
Diana jumped up, grabbed Vincent’s head, and forced him into a dogeza.