Adulthood Ceremony (7)
At 19 years old, the adult Princess Esilia was dazzlingly beautiful. Her platinum blonde hair cascaded in luxurious waves. The pure white dress clung to her like a second skin, embracing her fair complexion. Her aura exuded effortless grace, and her smile seemed intoxicated with pure delight. She was a stunning beauty straight out of a romance fantasy world—one you couldn't even dream of glimpsing otherwise. Princess Esilia was that level of exquisite.
She's grown into quite the beauty. Dante had predicted from their first meeting at 14 that she would become a nation-toppling enchantress. And indeed, the princess had blossomed into a breathtaking woman.
Being alone with such a suffocatingly gorgeous beauty... and yet, Dante felt nothing special.
The princess being pretty isn't anything new. For one, he was already used to her face. It was a visage he'd seen often since childhood, so there was no reason to get tense now. Moreover...
Dante understood what kind of person she was. On the surface, a saintly-level beauty... but she could turn ruthlessly cruel when needed. She never easily revealed her true feelings. And unbeknownst to him, she networked with countless noble ladies, gathering information and maneuvering in the shadows. Princess Esilia wasn't someone you could approach just because she had a pretty face.
"Are you ready, Dante?"
"Of course."
"Good. Let me explain the plan."
Princess Esilia laid it out. The intruders were slated to strike after 6 p.m. She'd host the ball casually, then excuse herself to the garden for some air—and get "kidnapped" by the Carmilton Liberation Army.
"I've already cleared the garden guards~"
"Is that okay? Some noble might complain about security..."
"They actually seemed thrilled about it?"
"..."
"A dark garden with no guards~ I don't know what a man and woman might want to do there~"
Ah, whatever~ Dante just nodded along.
"Once I link up with the Carmilton Liberation Army, you follow behind, Dante."
"By myself?"
"Yes."
"...Don't you think that's dangerous?"
The princess smiled leisurely in response.
"Think of it the other way. Right now, you're one step away from becoming the hero who rescues the imperial princess from kidnappers?"
"..."
"You have to rack up merits in advance~ That way, your reputation soars later~"
Indeed. In moments like this, Dante was keenly aware that he was on Princess Esilia's side. She was deliberately funneling all the credit to him to boost his fame. That would make it easier for him to move freely later.
The guards were intentionally pulled, and no knights or mages were assigned. Obvious to anyone in the know—but to outsiders, it would look like Dante had pulled off something incredible.
"You already know, but the goal of this plan is to capture the Liberation Army's ringleader."
"Yes. It won't be difficult."
Princess Esilia beamed at Dante's reply.
"That's exactly the answer I love! Dante!"
In truth, Dante was confident. He was a mage and a martial artist. A master of bug magic.
"Perfect! Then get into position and wait!"
"Yes, Princess."
Dante moved out to prepare for the assault.
The sun had set and night fallen, but the empire's light shone even brighter. The ballroom glittered under lavish illumination. Empire nobles celebrating their coming of age danced together—then strolled the gardens to cool off... only for the irony of the night burning hotter still.
Dante Aision hid in the shadows, waiting for the attackers.
"Ha-ut~ Ah-ut~"
"Ah... not there...!"
"..."
Staying silent and hidden, he saw every kind of noble imaginable. Couples sneaking kisses away from prying eyes, all "innocent(?)." Others indulging in utterly indecent, scandalous trysts.
Extremely... free-spirited.
Dante didn't interfere with the couples—for the empire's birth rate(?), of course. Well... this was a romance fantasy world, after all. Those pairs would probably follow the marriage-pregnancy-birth-childrearing course ahead.
Be happy. He took care not to let any bugs near them. Dante was a cultured noble who sincerely wished happiness on others.
"Ahaha~ So that's what I mean~"
"!"
"!"
"!"
Then, a familiar voice echoed from afar. Soft and playful. But from someone whose personality was anything but. Princess Esilia.
"The p-princess!"
"Scatter—!"
The nobles enjoying their illicit fun sensed her approach and bolted like ghosts. Empire Noble Survival Rule #1: Don't get involved with the princess. Rule #2: Uphold Rule #1 no matter what.
Trained well in survival, they evaded her with ghostly finesse.
...She probably wasn't even thinking about them anyway.
"Ah~ When did we grow up so much?"
"Right...? Feels like just yesterday we were fighting Lady Raquelra here at the debut ball."
"Ahaha~ We were kids back then~"
Dante narrowed his eyes slightly. Right on schedule—the princess appeared in the garden. With Sara and Charlotte in tow.
Those two were the princess's [friends]. Not maids, but close aides... or so Dante figured. Less like limbs of the princess and more like allied nobles?
Sara had been intimidated by her at first. But after nearly five years, her demeanor had grown natural.
"Shall we head that way?"
The princess pointed beyond the garden to a woodland path.
"Yes! Sounds good!"
Sara, who loved moving around, nodded. But...
"Isn't that path a bit scary...? I'm frightened..."
Charlotte murmured in a slightly fearful voice. She was even more timid than her mother.
In truth, fearing the dark was average for empire noble ladies.
"Hee hee hee. Worried about ghosts~?"
"G-ghosts are no good!"
"Ahaha! Don't worry! If a ghost shows, Sara will beat it down!"
"Yeah! I'll smash it, Charlotte!"
"My friend Sara...! So cool...!"
Hahaha, hoho. The princess chatted naturally with her friends as they ventured toward the dark woods.
That was when it happened.
Teacher Dante—!
A pitch-black cockroach flew from the woods and stuck to Dante's clothes.
"Found something, Cockroach Teacher?"
Cockroach Teacher. Astonishingly, this was a descendant of the cockroach Dante had commanded at 15. Five years and generations later, the Teacher lineage still served him faithfully.
Cockroach Teacher IV. That was this cockroach's name.
Other friends told me. Men in dark clothes, armed, approaching!
The Cockroach Teacher family's bugs had higher intelligence than average insects. To a bug tamer, smart bugs were precious servants. Ordinary ones were too dumb(...) to command precisely.
Whether from a genius lineage or empowered by Dante's mana over four generations, Cockroach Teacher capably handled mid-level management.
"Spot on."
Dante had briefly worried if the princess's intel was off—what if they set a trap and no prey showed? But it was unfounded. Her network was flawless.
Carmilton Liberation Army. The enemy approached.
As Dante's gaze shifted, countless bugs mobilized in unison. As the bug tamer walked, the forest's myriad insects followed.
After walking some distance, the princess turned back.
"I'll go alone from here."
"Pardon? Why...?"
"I want some time to think by myself."
"..."
Charlotte nodded, but Sara hesitated before speaking.
"Can't you tell me?"
"Sara...!"
Charlotte tried to stop her, but Sara smiled reassuringly.
"I think of Esilia as my friend. Beyond princess and noble."
"...Hee hee. I see, Sara."
"I want to help my friend. If something's troubling you, tell me."
Princess Esilia gazed at the sky. As royalty, she'd thought true friends were impossible... but apparently not.
She now had someone she could call a 'friend.'
...And so, Princess Esilia realized. Friends were more precious than imagined. You wanted to cherish them in any situation.
"I always rely on you, Sara. You give me emotional... stability."
"Really...?"
"I'll tell you when I need help someday. But for now, leave me alone a bit."
I don't want to drag you into this. She swallowed the rest with a smile.
Sara nodded.
"Okay. Charlotte and I will head back to the ballroom first. Come when you've sorted your thoughts."
"Sure~ See you later~!"
Her friends left. With lighter steps, Princess Esilia entered the woods.
Now... they'd come soon.
"Where are you off to in the dead of night?"
"!"
Men in black clothes emerged from the trees, surrounding her as if planned.
"Night strolls are fun, sure~! But you can't ditch your escorts~!"
The man chuckled as he approached.
"Princess Esilia."
"...Who are you."
"Me? A warrior from the north! Yorgkan!"
Princess Esilia frowned slightly.
What a joke.
He was obviously imperial. Northern Carmilton grand duchy folk were far whiter and sturdier. The grand duke was called an "icy handsome man" for their signature translucent, pale skin.
An imperial posing as northern...
If she lacked common sense, she'd buy the northern name. But Princess Esilia saw through him.
An imperial faking northern roots.
What nonsense are you plotting...?
"Our boss wanted to join the ball, but no invite?"
"How old is your boss?"
"42."
"Not of age for the adulthood ceremony."
"What?! You calling our boss a shriveled geezer who can't hang with 20-year-olds?!"
"..."
Say yes and get punched? She swallowed the dark urge and smiled.
"No can do! Time to teach manners!"
The black-clad men hoisted her over a shoulder. They sent underlings ahead; [Yorgkan] guarded the rear, ready to intercept any knights.
Then.
"Yorgkan. Something's off."
"What?"
A robed man spoke up.
"The forest is buzzing. Feels like magic interference."
"Nobles pass through often. Magic circles wouldn't be odd."
"Not that. Something weirder... mana waves I've never felt before."
"Never?"
The robed man was their mage, for countering pursuers. And even he sensed... anomaly.
Unprecedented, eerie mana waves.
"Bad feeling. We need to buy time."
"Damn... Got it."
Yorgkan shouted to his men.
"Go ahead! We'll handle pursuers and catch up!"
"Yes! Glory to the kingdom!"
"Yeah. Kingdom's glory!"
Yorgkan and the mage halted, battle-ready.
"..."
Yorgkan paused mid-step.
...Bugs?
An unknown bug crawled underfoot.
Crunch!
He crushed the black bug. But...
"!"
Another beside the corpse. Another. Another... and beside that.
The ground crawled black with bugs...
Suddenly, chills raced up his spine. He realized.
Bugs.
Thousands encircled him and the mage...!
At the same moment—a man in black suit emerged from the woods. Tall, sharp-eyed. Aristocratic, poised gait.
And around him... swarms of thousands of bugs.
Shing—!
Yorgkan drew his sword reflexively. And yelled.
"Who the hell are you...!"
The man replied.
"Dante of Aision."
Simultaneously—the bugs unfurled wings and exploded into flight.
Dante Aision. Mage and martial artist.
Bug tamer.