Chapter 14: Expectations of the Royal Family’s Sincerity… or So I Thought
After returning from the capital of the Weimar Kingdom, I had been using a spell to “watch” the movements of the Younger Princess-sama before I left.
The spell I used before teleportation was one I had developed on my own, essentially a remote surveillance camera that allowed me to see images from afar.
I could also hear audio.
Instead of saying “execute her,” I deliberately chose the words “dispose of her.”
I intended to gauge the sincerity of the Royal Family based on how they responded to that statement.
As a result, it seemed that the woman who had clung to me back then—who turned out to be a woman from a brothel—had whispered to the Younger Princess-sama that since I must have a woman, why not take her as a hostage? Consequently, it was decided that she would be executed for the Crime of National Treason.
I had thought the information had leaked from the town where Ivern lived, but it turned out to be the woman’s deduction from that time…
I found myself doubting Ivern for a moment.
When I asked Meileen about the Crime of National Treason, she explained that it was a charge applied to those who conspired to overthrow the state, and in the Demon Tribe Nation, it invariably resulted in the death penalty.
While I found that interesting, it was also decided that the Younger Princess-sama would be stripped of her Right of Succession and confined in the Northern Tower.
I was irritated by the leniency of the punishment—how could the woman from the brothel be executed while the Younger Princess-sama was merely imprisoned? But Meileen informed me that for a royal stripped of their succession rights and confined, it was considered a severe punishment.
Being denied the life they had known and barred from the public stage was akin to a death sentence for someone of royal blood.
I reluctantly accepted that explanation.
Then, something surprising happened.
The Royal Family announced that the Younger Princess-sama’s situation was not a punishment but rather an accidental death.
I was told that this was a common tactic used when the nobility wanted to keep their crimes hidden from the common folk.
I felt a bit uneasy about it, but since Meileen, a former member of the royal family, seemed to sympathize with the Younger Princess-sama, I decided to let it go.
One day, when I went to pick up Mr. Bennett for Meileen’s regular check-up, I found Ivern and Yulia in Mr. Bennett’s room.
“Hey? What are you two doing here?”
When I asked, Ivern shot me a disgruntled look.
“We couldn’t enter the forest.”
“Why not? I gave you a Permit.”
As I said that, Yulia also frowned and complained.
“It wasn’t your Barrier that kept us out; it was the forest itself! That soldier kept saying it was off-limits and wouldn’t let us through!!”
Hearing Yulia’s furious rant, I pieced together what had happened.
“Ah, so that’s the measure they took.”
As I admired the Younger Princess-sama’s strategy, Ivern glared at me and demanded an explanation.
So, I recounted the events surrounding the Wanted Poster from a few days ago.
Upon hearing this, both Ivern and Mr. Bennett buried their heads in their hands.
“Going to pick a fight with the Royal Family… that’s insane…”
“Maybe we should tell Meileen to reconsider.”
While Ivern and Mr. Bennett were saying that, Yulia was seething with anger.
“How could they issue a Wanted Poster that puts Meileen in danger!? What is the Weimar Kingdom thinking!?”
Yulia was outraged by the existence of the Wanted Poster that threatened her best friend, Meileen.
“They told me to do something about it. So, I arranged for guards to prevent bounty hunters from entering the forest.”
“Oh, I see.”
With my explanation, Ivern finally understood.
“Ah, so those soldiers were protecting Meileen. In that case, I can forgive them.”
Yulia, however, was still looking down on the soldiers with a mysterious air of superiority.
“Still, I was wondering why you guys hadn’t shown up. It was a hassle for me to go pick you up, so I thought I’d talk to the soldiers.”
With that, I decided to teleport to the entrance of the forest instead of directly to my house with Ivern and Yulia.
“Hey, thanks for your hard work.”
As I offered words of encouragement to the soldiers, they all turned to me with wary expressions.
“What do you want!? This forest is currently off-limits!!”
Wow, they’re really dedicated to their jobs; I was impressed.
“That’s to keep bounty hunters away from the one living deep in the forest, right?”
When I said that, the soldiers looked shocked.
“W-How do you know that…?”
“Ah, I’m the one living deep in the forest.”
As I revealed my identity, they hurriedly pulled out the Wanted Poster and began comparing the sketch to my face.
“…It seems to be the real deal. So, what does a bounty target like you want with us?”
Oh, right. Since I’m a bounty target, I must look like an enemy to them.
Their faces showed their dissatisfaction with the idea that they had to protect the safety of a bounty target.
“Isn’t this an order from the Princess-sama? Just follow it quietly.”
“…Hmph. So, what do you want?”
“Oh, right! These guys aren’t bounty hunters; they’re my acquaintances, so let them through when they arrive.”
“…And who are they?”
“Ah, we’re… ‘Does it really matter? What’s it to you?’ Hey, Kenta!”
Ivern was about to answer honestly, so I cut him off.
“Ugh! If it weren’t for the orders from Lady Victoria, I’d slice you down in one blow…!”
“Ha! Don’t talk big if you can’t back it up.”
By the way, I meant that in two ways: first, that I couldn’t defy the Princess-sama’s orders, and second, that they couldn’t possibly cut me down.
It seemed this soldier took it the latter way, as he instinctively reached for his sword’s hilt.
An officer among them hurriedly stopped him.
“Hey! Are you planning to defy Lady Victoria’s orders!?”
“B-but!”
“The orders of the Lady are absolute! Even if this man is a vile criminal, if she commands us to ensure he comes to no harm, we must obey! What do you think you’re doing by breaking that order!?”
“Ugh…!”
The soldiers were putting on quite a dramatic performance, but the reason we were in this situation was because of the Younger Princess-sama, so they should take their complaints to her.
Well, since the Younger Princess-sama was declared dead, there was no one to complain to.
“Alright then, I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
With that, I entered the forest while receiving the soldiers’ resentful glares.
Once their figures disappeared from view, I tried to teleport home, but Ivern poked me in the back.
“Ow! What was that for!?”
“What do you mean ‘what was that for’? Why did you provoke them like that!? Now I have to face them next time! Do you even realize that!?”
…Ah, so I’ll have to deal with their snide remarks next time.
“…Tough luck.”
“You jerk!!”
As I cheerfully consoled him, Ivern seemed displeased and chased after me.
“Alright! I get it that you two are close, but let’s hurry up!”
“Yeah! We can’t keep a pregnant woman waiting!!”
Well, a pregnant woman isn’t sick, and it’s not like she’s about to give birth right this second, so it’s not an urgent matter…
I thought that, but I couldn’t say such things to Yulia, who was concerned for her friend, so we headed home immediately.
Then, a few days later.
I decided to check on the Younger Princess-sama’s condition by reviewing the footage from the surveillance camera magic I had left running in the Royal Castle.
Since they mentioned the Northern Tower, it must be around here, right?
The Royal Castle was unnecessarily vast, so I had a bit of trouble locating the tower where the Younger Princess-sama was confined, but I eventually managed to find it.
And what I saw was…
“Hey, Meileen.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Could you come over here for a moment?”
“Sure, I understand.”
Meileen, who had been preparing a meal, came over at my call.
“Take a look at this.”
I showed her the footage from the surveillance camera.
The magic-created display projected the images into the air, allowing anyone nearby to see.
“…Huh?”
“Is this what royal confinement looks like? Living in such luxury?”
What I saw was a room so lavish it hardly seemed like a punishment, with the Younger Princess-sama dressed in a splendid gown, reading a book with a bored expression.
Servants were attending to her, and on the table, there was freshly brewed tea and snacks.
It looked nothing like a prison cell; it resembled a typical young lady’s room.
“…No. In the Demon Tribe Nation, the royal family’s imprisonment is quite austere, providing only the bare minimum of clothing and food. The rooms are simple, containing just a bed and a desk. There are no luxurious chambers, no dresses, and certainly no servants. Books, tea, or sweets are absolutely out of the question.”
“So, what you’re saying is… they’ve just hidden the Younger Princess-sama from the public, but haven’t actually dealt with her, right?”
“Well… she’s been declared dead, so she can’t appear in public. But as time passes, she might eventually make an appearance.”
I see, I see.
So that’s their intention.
In other words, they have no intention of keeping their promise to me.
“I’m heading out for a bit tonight.”
“Understood. Be careful.”
That night, before going to bed, I transferred to the Weimar Royal Capital.
During the day, I might be seen by someone.
Under the cover of darkness, I floated above the Royal Castle in the capital.
After visually confirming the Northern Tower where the Younger Princess-sama was held, I unleashed a spell toward the tower.
The magic struck the tower, enveloping it entirely before erupting in a massive explosion.
Once I confirmed the chaos erupting in the Royal Castle, I used teleportation to return home.
“Welcome back! How did it go?”
“Yeah, I made quite the spectacle of it.”
“I see. Good job.”
As I returned home, Meileen gently embraced me, offering her comfort.
Once again, I felt the undeniable truth that the rulers of this world were utterly untrustworthy.
Later, I received a report from Ivern, informing me that, for some reason, my wanted status had been lifted in the Weimar Kingdom.
Ivern was puzzled, but I understood immediately.
They were scared and had come to appease me.
From that point on, I deliberately chose not to contact the Royal Family.
Let them live in fear of my shadow for the rest of their lives.