Here, at long last, begins the final year of the Otome Game.
“……I see. You seem to possess a fine power.”
At the end of the year, during the Magic Academy’s winter break, an elderly man faced a young girl within the Holy Church’s temple in the Royal Capital.
The man’s name was Hiram. He had come from the Fandora Theocracy, where the Holy Church’s main temple was located, to determine the ‘Saint’ recognized by the Kingdom of Claydale’s temple.
The girl introduced to him by the temple’s head priest and his grandson was Viscount Mercis’ Daughter, Alicia Melsys. She was said to be thirteen, but as a noble who grew with Mana, she looked young, appearing to be only fourteen or a petite fifteen.
However, Hiram had noticed the “darkness” lurking beneath her guileless smile.
(……A terrifying child.)
A considerable number of Saint certifications had been conducted thus far.
Each country’s temple contacted the main temple several times a year, claiming that the Saint they recognized was the real one. Each time, someone with a priest’s title like Hiram would go to confirm, but most of them were just noble daughters who could use Light Magic to some extent, and the name of Saint was used to add prestige to the daughters.
However, the main temple recognized most of them as ‘Saints’. From the current values, political reasons that gave peace to the people and the enormous donations made to the main temple were more useful than a real Saint who could repel the Evil Race.
It had been about thirty years since Hiram joined the Holy Church, but Hiram himself had yet to encounter a truly Saintly existence.
It was said that the Saint who lived about a hundred years ago, when the war with the Evil Race was intensifying, was loved by Spirits and used ‘Holy Magic’ different from Light Magic, and that its essence was closer to [Combat Art] than [Magic].
The girl before Hiram had a low Mana Capacity and did not seem like a Saint at all, but even Hiram, who was wary, felt an alluring charm that captivated his heart just by looking at her the moment he met her.
It was said that true Saints possessed a unique atmosphere that made them loved by everyone.
In the past, there was a woman who tried to become a Saint through the [Divine Protection (Gift)] of ‘Charm Ability’, but such a powerful ‘Charm’ that manipulated the hearts of others had a severe price, and she would run out of lifespan if she charmed about a thousand people.
It was not the fault of the Spirit who gave the Divine Protection, but a tragedy because the Spirit could not understand that the desires of the human race were limitless.
He did not feel that much power from this girl. If Charm was being used, he should have felt something strange about the temple’s head priest, whom he had spoken to before meeting her.
This girl had “darkness”. However, if the charm he felt was the result of being loved by Spirits, then even if this girl did not become “genuine,” she would have sufficient qualifications as a “political Saint.”
If he used that power well, he could increase the influence of the Theocracy within the kingdom.
“Then, Saint-sama. The Theocracy’s temple recognizes your existence and wishes to walk with you.”
“I’m so happy! Hiram-sama, I look forward to working with you!”
The girl showed a radiant smile at Hiram’s words, but blushed a little shyly, “But……”
“Being called ‘Saint-sama’ is a little embarrassing…… If possible, could you just call me Licia?”
“……Understood. Licia-sama. Then, let’s discuss what is needed to make Licia-sama’s power known from now on.”
＊＊＊
Soon after the new year began, the Royal Family was making their New Year’s appearance to the citizens of the Royal Capital who had rushed to celebrate, on a terrace in the Royal Castle facing the outside.
Standing on the terrace were His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen, Crown Prince Elvan, First Princess Elena, and even Prince Amor, who had turned seven, as well as Prince Amor, which showed how few members the Royal Family of this country had.
Even so, the absence of Clara and Carla, Elvan’s fiancées, was due to the issue of Elvan and Elena’s future.
Elvan and Elena, who used to be on good terms, had stopped pretending to be so, and the Dandole Family and Melrose House, the heirs of the country’s leading figures, had sided with Elena, which had confused the nobles who were unfamiliar with the situation, he heard.
As a result, the situation had become even more unstable, but according to Elena, it would be better in the end than Elvan remaining Crown Prince.
That was how much Elvan’s reputation had fallen. It was only natural, as he did not fulfill his duties as a member of the Royal Family and was infatuated with one young lady.
If he were to accept the Viscount’s Daughter as his concubine, he thought that he would gain some understanding. But the old nobles were wary of him becoming the same as the current King.
Currently, the nobles of the Crown Prince faction within the Royalist Faction were defending him, but he heard that support for Elena was gathering, mainly from the neutral faction.
Perhaps because of this, Elvan’s complexion was not very good. The distance between him and Elena, who was standing next to him, was greater than before, and his lackluster, forced smile was overshadowed by Elena’s energetic brilliance, who wore the perfect royal smile.
That was only natural. It was because Elena had set the stage for it to happen.
From Elvan’s point of view, he had been abandoned by his two childhood friends, and his sister, who should have admired him, was even trying to take his position.
The Melrose House, which was originally neutral within the Royalist Faction and valued the strengthening of the nation, had clearly applied to His Majesty to side with Elena.
The Dandole Family had become a conflict between Clara, the Crown Prince’s fiancée candidate, and her brother Rookwell, but Elena was also of the Dandole Family bloodline, and Clara had said nothing about it, so the family as a whole decided to remain neutral and watch.
Elvan had learned of this only a few weeks ago.
If Elvan had the “strength” to behave as a member of the Royal Family without showing it on his face, Elena would not have tried to become Queen by force from the beginning.
As a result, Elena showed the difference in status between her and Elvan as a member of the Royal Family to the citizens of the Royal Capital who supported the Royal Family, and to many of the nobles present.
The reason Elena made this known around the time of the academy’s graduation party was this.
Elena had already taken steps to address the impact on foreign countries as well.
This would clarify the enemies and allies within the country. Some unexpected allies and enemies may appear.
It is my role to identify and eliminate them.
“……Get out of the way, ‘Ash-Covered Princess’.”
“Do you think I’ll move just because you told me to?”
There were several people moving in the Royal Castle, where there were few people.
Four men and two women. A knight, two civil officials, a lady-in-waiting, a butler, and a maid. They were all moving separately, and I blocked their path when they gathered in one place.
I knew their faces. I had passed them several times in the Royal Castle.
That was why I was wary of them.
The fact that someone who was not a member of the Shadow Unit knew my “reputation” clearly told me their identity.
“What is the Second Queen’s force doing to the Royal Family?”
“……That’s none of your business.”
The middle-aged butler, who seemed to be their leader, answered my question in a stiff voice.
They were not Shadow Unit members, but reconnaissance-type spies used by Elena’s biological mother, the Second Queen. If such people were armed and trying to approach the Royal Family, I could guess the reason.
“Are you trying to cause a commotion to make Elena-sama the Queen, and blame His Highness the Crown Prince? Or has the daughter who abandoned her mother and doesn’t listen become a nuisance?”
“I told you it’s none of your business.”
“It’s not.”
The Second Queen’s goal was to take everything from the Queen. To that end, she kept the Queen away from power by not allowing her to do any work other than attending events as Queen.
It would have been fine if the Second Queen continued to ignore Elena’s existence, which she had abandoned as useless. However, no matter what her intentions were, the actions of the Second Queen, who was mad with love and jealousy, were only a hindrance to Elena now.
“Elena-sama predicted your movements.”
At that moment, I struck the maid who had jumped out with a Dagger with a palm strike to the jaw, and crushed her trachea with an elbow strike.
“Don’t let your guard down! Risk your lives for Her Highness!”
The maid collapsed, and at the butler’s voice, the remaining members scattered into the corridor.
Only the butler was Rank 4 with a Combat Strength of 800. The rest were Rank 3.
The fact that they immediately gave up on persuading me and became hostile meant that they intended to harm Elena.
The worst prediction that Elena and I had considered was that they would harm Elena, blame Elvan for the crime, and the injury would cause Elena to have to rely on her mother.
Probably they were from the Second Queen’s forces, mainly those who specialized in assassination. They seemed loyal to the Second Queen, but that’s precisely why such combat power couldn’t be left in the hands of a Second Queen who could no longer make proper judgments.
And more than anything—
“Gah!?”
“I’ve decided I won’t hesitate if there’s a chance you’ll harm Elena.”
The chest of the civil official I struck with my knee caved in, and he was blown away. A lady-in-waiting tried to slip past me in that gap—
“Higっ”
At that moment, the thread of the spinning Pendulum wrapped around her neck, and by pulling it tight, I strangled her. I threw the corpse at the knights, and as they hesitated for a moment whether to catch it, I grabbed the necks of the knight and civil official and twisted them, snapping them.
One left—
“You…”
“I won’t deny your loyalty. But just as you have your beliefs, I have things I can’t yield.”
He must have realized that I killed them so as not to spill blood in the castle. But the middle-aged butler didn’t back down and slowly readied his dagger.
“…I shall go.”
He leaped out in an instant, launching a full-force strike that he had honed for several times my lifetime, without any feints.
“—【Critical Edge】—!”
A lightning-fast strike—I didn’t evade it, but focused my mind, gently placed my hand on the flat of the blade, and deflected it to the side.
【Critical Edge】is a technique that can deal massive damage even to stronger opponents, but on the other hand, if it misses the vital point, the damage is lower than usual.
Your downfall was not fully understanding the characteristics of the technique. I slipped through the deflected strike, wrapped my arm around the butler’s neck, and crushed his bones.
The butler’s eyes, still retaining some light, reflected my expressionless face, and I spoke a single word to him, not knowing if he could hear me.
“I won’t let Elena’s mother die.”
“…………”
After those words, the light disappeared from the butler’s eyes.
It might be a mere consolation. But I want to believe that the possibility of understanding each other isn’t zero…
＊＊＊
Licia, also known as the Saint, Viscount Mercis’ Daughter Alicia Melsys, spent the time until the academy started in a room given to her in the Temple, not in the Mercis House’s mansion in the Royal Capital.
According to that woman’s “knowledge” that Licia possessed, the Heroine was loved by the Mercis family, who took her in as an adopted daughter, but Licia, who easily aroused antipathy from women because she relied too much on men, found the days surrounded by maids and servants as a noble lady troublesome.
(…There are more men in the Temple, after all.)
Licia’s 【Divine Protection (Gift)】 of “Bewitchment” is greatly influenced by the emotions of the other party. Bewitchment is more effective in the Temple, where there are many people she meets for the first time, but little effect could be expected on the Mercis family’s maids, who had antipathy towards Licia from the start.
Licia’s personality probably also played a part. Unlike that Assassin woman, who would deceive if she had to, Licia had no intention of getting deeply involved with anyone other than men from the beginning.
She could show a heartfelt smile to men. Hiram, who came from the Kingdom of France, initially looked at her with suspicion, but Licia’s smile made Hiram raise his ‘Affection’ while still harboring doubts.
Licia’s “Bewitchment” is fundamentally different from “Charm”; its power is weaker, but it can raise the other party’s affection without them even being aware of it.
Nevertheless, as a reaction to this, the maximum value of her Mana continues to decrease each time she uses Bewitchment.
It’s a reaction that recovers with a few days of proper meals and rest, but because she continued to use that power, Licia’s appearance remained childish.
But there’s no problem. If her Mana Capacity continues to decrease, she will become more susceptible to illness, which will ultimately shorten her lifespan, but Licia never intended to live long enough for her appearance to fade in the first place.
Her goal is to be loved. As much as possible. The number of people who love her is the sole purpose of Licia’s life, a life she would even stake her life on.
For that purpose, the role of Saint, the same as the Heroine, has been helpful. However, the seat of Crown Princess, one of her goals, has become dubious because Elvan hasn’t grown up as he did in the game.
Even so, Licia had no intention of stopping her pampering of Elvan. She had no interest in his life.
Therefore, Licia considered solving the problem not by making him grow, but by bringing others down. She had so many pawns for that purpose that she couldn’t count them on her fingers and toes.
One of them… Licia, who had invited him to her room late at night, leaned close to him, letting him smell the aroma of bath oil, and touched his bare skin with her finger.
“Nasanitaru-kun… will you listen to Licia’s request?”
Huh? It’s still a mess!
Next time, will the author be able to reach the start of the academy!?