Here begins the Second Part, Chapter Two: “Rose of the Desert.”
It’s a bit long.
At the Royal Magic Academy, which should have been a safe haven for the daughters of the Kingdom of Claydale’s leading nobles, Princess Elena Claydale was attacked and went missing.
According to eyewitness accounts, the perpetrator appeared to be a faction of Dark Elves, a race called the Evil Race that was at war with humans decades ago. However, the corpse left outside after being defeated by the Princess’s guard turned to ash in the morning sun. As a result, the court magicians and royal physicians examined the remaining corpses indoors and determined that they were Vampires.
Was it a political act of the Evil Race (terrorism), or an attack by the Monsters known as Vampires? Some, not aligned with the Princess’s faction, speculated that the Princess was dead, but her severely injured aides and attendants testified that this was not true.
The primary objective of the Evil Race perpetrator was to kidnap the Princess. To achieve this, they used a magic stone containing sealed Magic obtained from a Dungeon. At the moment the sealed ‘Spatial Transfer (Teleport)’ Magic was activated, the Baron’s daughter, an Adventurer who was the Princess’s exclusive guard, defeated the Evil Race perpetrator, thwarting the Princess’s abduction.
However, it was said that the Princess and the Baron’s daughter were caught up in the already activated Spatial Transfer and disappeared somewhere.
Interrogations and investigations using Magic were conducted on the aides and the knights who were her guards, but there were no discrepancies in their testimonies. As a result, the Kingdom’s focus shifted from investigating the Evil Race to searching for the Princess.
Regardless of the situation, if it became known that the Princess was missing, it was uncertain how some of the Aristocratic Faction, which had been leaning towards the Royalist Faction, would react. Fortunately, the headmaster had already declared martial law within the academy, preventing the information from reaching the students. His Majesty the King ordered a three-to-six-month closure of the academy for the purpose of reinforcing its security, and under the Prime Minister, the investigation department, including the Shadow Unit, was ordered to search both domestically and internationally.
Many believed that the Princess was alive, but the information could only be contained for about three to six months.
The King decided that if the Princess’s safety was not confirmed within a maximum of six months, he would announce her death from illness to avoid confusion, and Crown Prince Elvan would be officially declared the next King.
The deadline was six months. There were those who began to move in order to do what they could within those six months.
In his office at the Royal Castle, Margrave Melrose Belt, the Prime Minister, ordered the Shadow Knights in charge of intelligence to search for the Princess, and at the same time, began investigating the nobles who had brought the Evil Race into the country.
“Lord Belt, do you believe that some noble family brought in the Evil Race?”
“Yes. Even if there was a traitor, they couldn’t have known the security information within the academy unless they were a noble. But it’s not limited to noble families. The older nobles harbor a grudge against the Evil Race.”
During the previous war, Belt was still a boy, but even so, the strength of the Evil Race and their ruthlessness in battle were burned into his memory along with terror.
Even within noble families, the heads and those from older generations still couldn’t forget it. If that were the case, the one who harbored the Evil Race within the country was not a noble family, but an individual. And it was highly likely to be a younger noble.
Hearing this, Oz, Belt’s exclusive butler, quietly nodded and brewed fresh tea for his master.
“The one who invited them and the one who harbored them may not be the same. I will have that aspect investigated as well. And what about the Crown Prince’s search? If they were caught up in Spatial Transfer, there’s a high possibility they’re abroad.”
“…That’s highly likely. We can’t conduct an official investigation in other countries, but the Princess is capable. And that one (…..) is with her. They will probably try to contact us. Even if it’s just rumors, have that aspect investigated as well.”
“…Understood.”
Sensing a certain thought of his master, Oz bowed his head and left the office.
“…………”
With a faint creaking sound, Belt leaned deeply into his chair, exhaled lightly, and gazed up at the empty space, imagining the figure of a certain girl.
It was not about the daughter who claimed to be his granddaughter, found a few years ago, the keepsake of his late daughter, but about the Adventurer girl who went missing with the Princess.
Even after becoming the adopted daughter of Sera, a Shadow Knight, the Princess’s vigilance was strict, and nobles other than those related to the academy could not approach her. But the sight of her as the Princess’s guard, which he had only been able to see once, was still strongly burned into Belt’s eyes.
Shining, pinkish-gold hair. Both that color and the expression she showed in a fleeting moment were enough to see the image of his late daughter.
The same age. The same features. But there was no proof. Unlike that girl whom he accepted as his granddaughter based on circumstantial evidence, there was no circumstantial evidence to make her his granddaughter.
How much hardship did she have to endure to gain that much power at that age? But now, she had become the Princess’s guard through her own ability, and if Belt tried to interfere carelessly, there was a possibility that she, as an Adventurer, would easily disappear somewhere.
The fact that the girl had gone missing with the Princess increased his impatience. Until now, he had thought that he could investigate before his two daughters came of age, but perhaps he would never see her again, just like his daughter.
(No, that girl is alive.)
The Princess has strong luck, but considering that girl’s ability, she should be able to survive even in a foreign land.
He will definitely find the girl along with the Princess. And this time, he will not make the wrong choice like he did with his daughter. In order to gently confine her, who was under the Princess’s protection, Belt decided to help his grandson, who seemed to have a liking for that girl.
And upon receiving the report that the Princess had gone missing with her guard, a certain girl also began to move.
Clara Dandole, the Margrave’s daughter. She was Crown Prince Elvan’s primary fiancée, and she had been in poor health after obtaining a Divine Protection (Gift) from the Dungeon for the sake of the royal family.
“El-sama…”
But when was the last time that fiancée showed his face?
Clara, who had been captivated by Elvan’s cheerfulness and kindness, which lacked the coldness of royalty, had come to love him not just as a target in the Otome Game, but as a man. But the reason why Clara’s complexion was bad now was not only because Elvan’s heart had drifted away, but also because Princess Elena had gone missing.
Just like in the Otome Game scenario, Carla had brought the Evil Race into the country, but Grave had given the abandoned Evil Race a base and Clara had provided information and funds.
Even without contact with Grave, Clara had been able to foresee the Evil Race’s objective to some extent through her future calculations using her Divine Protection.
Even so, Clara did not tell Elena about the danger. They had been like sisters before, but Clara’s heart, remembering her past life, had weakened, and an even greater divide had formed between her and Elena, who had grown to have a strong heart as a Princess.
Clara didn’t intend to take Elena’s life either. She just wanted her to leave this stage for a little while.
Even now, she felt like throwing up at the thought that her life might have been lost. But the current situation was a perfect opportunity for Clara.
The academy was closed, but the main nobles who knew the circumstances and some of the upper-class noble families remained within the academy. The royal family had announced that if it was only the upper-class noble families and their relatives, it would be better to have them guarded by the Royal Knights rather than sending them back to their territories, and the upper-class nobles of the Royalist Faction chose to remain within the academy. There was also a plan to have only the royal family and their fiancées enter the Royal Castle, but that plan was dropped because Clara and Carla wanted to remain at the academy.
Without the strict Elena and that terrifying girl, even Clara, whose heart was sick, would be able to move freely.
Clara vowed to herself that she would use her Divine Protection (Gift) to look into the future of all possible choices and win back Elvan’s heart.
Until now, she had cursed the existence of the Heroine, but she had relied on others and done nothing herself. So this time–
“I will kill the Heroine with my own hands…”
While one girl was making such a resolution, a girl calling herself Alicia was elegantly enjoying tea with three men.
“Licia is really kind. Those girls were always doing dangerous things, so they’ll suffer a little and come back soon.”
“That’s right. Amor-sama is so kind to worry about me too.”
“That guard was a savage girl. She’s the kind of person who can easily take a person’s life, so she deserves this.”
“Don’t say that, Nasanitaru. Not everyone has a pure heart like you.”
“I-Is that so? I’m sorry, Licia.”
Alicia, seated at the same table as Prince Amor and Nasanitaru, the grandson of the Holy Church Temple Head, flashed a childlike smile. The two, accustomed to the artificial smiles of noble ladies, found her smile refreshing, a symbol of purity.
The pink-haired girl had shattered their previous values, yet they couldn’t accept her with their rigid concepts, leaving them traumatized. Alicia, by accepting all their claims, bound their hearts.
Not too close, not too far, gently holding their hands when needed. Her youthful appearance, combined with her affirmation of everything they said, drove a wedge into the gaps in their hearts without raising suspicion.
“…………”
Elvan watched the two with a complex expression.
He was probably the most worried about the disappearance of his half-sister, Elena. Though Elena had grown up and drifted away from him, she was still just a cute little sister to him, with the sensibilities of a mid-level noble. He couldn’t be as detached as they were.
Amor should have adored Elena, but did he lack Elvan’s familial love? Nasanitaru, who so abhorred killing in accordance with the teachings of the gods, seemed to rejoice in the misfortune of others.
No one would criticize them. And their feelings were affirmed by a single girl.
Alicia. Was she really right?
Elena didn’t seem to think highly of her. Clara also said she was dangerous.
(…Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Clara’s face for days. Since when? I became afraid of her binding me… but Clara is doing it for me…)
“El-sama?”
“Licia…”
Elvan, lost in thought, was brought back to reality by Alicia’s voice and the warmth of her hand gently grasping his under the table.
“Don’t push yourself… El-sama is not wrong. You’re just a little tired, so if you rest a little, things will surely go well.”
“Yeah… you’re right.”
He wasn’t convinced. But her words gave him a comfortable “escape” from the heavy responsibility and difficult problems of being the Crown Prince, and Elvan gently squeezed her hand back.
The girl who called herself Alicia loved them all. But that affection was nothing more than a reflection of her own self-love, solely for the sake of being loved. That’s why the men were deluded into thinking they were loved more than anyone else.
Her goal was to be loved. Only being loved by everyone could satisfy the “hunger” in her heart. She would die to be loved. If it meant being loved by all men, she would even trade it for the destruction of this country.
The feelings of loneliness and fear she felt as an orphan, when she was unloved and had nothing, had turned a powerless girl into a femme fatale capable of toppling a kingdom.
And today, the girl who called herself Alicia wore a radiant smile, genuinely believing that she alone was loved.
There was one girl who wholeheartedly enjoyed the spectacle of these girls.
Carla, the daughter of the head court magician, woke up two days after the princesses disappeared. After hearing about them from her attendant, she laughed so hard that she lost half her strength.
“…It’s really interesting, Aria. But come back soon. If you don’t come back, I’ll burn them all, everyone.”
It wasn’t just the academy and the nobles who were moving. The Adventurer party, Rainbow Sword, including the recovered Viro, received a request from the Prime Minister and began searching for the princesses and their companions. Nero, the Mystic Beast Kuaal, rushed to the place where his partner’s teacher was, the girl he had only accompanied once before, for the sake of the girl who was his partner.
The princesses were alive. Those who were close to the princesses were convinced of this because they knew that the girl, Aria, was by her side.
In the southwest of the Searth Continent, there was a desert of sand that rejected living things, called the Desert of Death, and a huge ancient ruin adjacent to it.
No one knows when the ruins were built. It is said to be the remnant of a people who lived before the Cruz, the indigenous people of this continent. The vast city itself is entirely ruins, and the sandstorms blur the city, so the ancient ruined city came to be called Lace Veil.
No one lives in that ancient ruined city. The city was overflowing with beetle-type monsters that live in the desert, and undead such as wraiths and skeletons.
However, if there are monsters, you can get materials and Magic Stones. If you can get those, Adventurers will gather.
Some people dream of the gold and silver left in the ruins and loot them. When such people gather, merchants who smell money gather, and gradually a settlement is formed.
The town a few kilometers away from the ancient ruins was a settlement created by such people.
The Calfaan Empire is about a month away, but this town does not belong to the Empire.
There is no lord to rule, no soldiers to protect the peace, and living or dying is your own responsibility. Belonging to one of the two merchant houses or two mafias is the only way to protect yourself, and this town is known as a lawless zone where only the strong survive.
That’s why all kinds of races coexist in this town.
Adventurers, looters, criminals, and exiles. Most are Cruz, a human race, but there are also beastmen of the dog and cat races, as well as dwarves, and even Dark Elves, called the Evil Race, although few in number.
Their past grudges don’t matter. In this town, if you are strong, you have the right to live, and if you are weak, you will die and become a skeleton in the desert.
As such a motley crew drank alcohol at a table made of sliced old trees, and drunkenly told tales of their bravery, two figures stepped into a certain tavern. The rough-looking men immediately fell silent and began to size them up.
Leather boots stepped on the sandy stone floor, making a faint sound.
Both were hiding their entire bodies in cloaks, but judging from their height and stride, they were women… young women at that. There were women in this town, but most of them were women who sold their bodies to rough men, and there were rarely any women who walked so “elegantly.”
Amid such unreserved gazes, the two came to the counter where the tavern master was. The taller woman placed several small Silver Coins on the counter with her gloves still on.
“Light food and non-alcoholic drinks for two.”
“Hey, hey, missy. What’s the idea of coming to a tavern and not ordering alcohol?”
Knowing from the voice that the other party was a really young woman, the master, a man in his forties with a stubbly beard, made a light joke as if raising the corners of his mouth. Still, being a merchant, he shifted his gaze to the small Silver Coins placed on the counter table and widened his eyes slightly.
“This is… Claydale’s money?”
“Can’t you use it?”
“No, I can use Claydale’s money. But, missy.”
The master didn’t accept the small Silver Coins just by looking at them, and leaned forward as if putting one hand on the table.
“You guys are Mersenian, right? Do you really think that rare Mersenian women can be safe in this land? If you understand, get out of here quickly. There are no elegant guards here, you know?”
“That’s right.”
Before they knew it, five men were standing behind the two with smirking faces.
“I don’t know where you guys came from, but I’ll teach you the ways of this town.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll sell you to a good shop.”
“…Try not to make too much of a mess of the shop.”
The master, who sighed as if half giving up, turned his eyes to the women, and the woman who had spoken first opened her mouth again.
“Won’t there be any problems doing this?”
“That’s right. In this town, only those with power–“
At that moment, the woman who turned around swung her arm, and a line ran across the throat of the man who was standing with a smirk on his face. The next moment, he spilled thick, dark red blood.
Before his surrounding companions or even himself realized that he was dead, she smoothly slashed the throat of the man next to him. Finally, they noticed that a black Blade was in the woman’s hand, and the Blade of a Dagger pierced the brow of the man who tried to raise his voice.
Without even giving them time to raise their voices, she slashed and killed the remaining two men. In front of the men who collapsed at the same time while spurting blood, the hood of the woman, who hadn’t even been splashed with a single drop of blood, slipped off, exposing her bare face to the light.
Moist white skin. Shining pinkish-gold hair.
She was still a young foreign girl, but even after slashing and killing several men, her beautiful standing figure, which seemed so natural, made the other customers who saw it feel an overwhelming “difference in status” and they couldn’t even utter a word.
“Light food and non-alcoholic drinks for two.”
“…Is fruit water and millet flour bake okay?”
“That’s fine.”
To the girl who ordered in the same voice as before, the master imagined the tragedy that would occur in this place, and began to carefully prepare meals for two in the midst of the stench of blood, trembling.
That was a long explanation. It’s a challenge for the future.
The story mainly follows Aria and my journey as a duo, but occasionally there will be academy segments.
Next time, we’ll go back a bit to the story right after the transfer.