Equivalent Exchange and the Princess's Vow

[Equivalent Exchange] [Leoness von Austria proposes a trade] [Offering: Leoness's remaining life force: 1, remaining lifespan: 6 days 2 hours 42 minutes] [Demanded: None] [Warning: The scales are heavily tilted toward the 'Offering' side] [Equivalent Exchange can only activate when the scales are balanced]

'Haa...'

Seeing Leoness in front of me, on the verge of tears and utterly dejected, stirred something in my heart.

The Leoness from the game was the villain who would one day stage a coup, drowning the academy in blood and fire. The ruthless woman who cornered the protagonist's party time and again.

But right now, before my eyes, she was just a fragile girl—betrayed by the vassal she trusted, blaming herself for the deaths of those who followed her.

The numbers on the system window proved the depth of her despair. Remaining lifespan: 6 days. Not from poison. This was the result of a human who had lost the will to live, gnawing away at herself.

"Please... grant this lady peace..."

Leoness clutched at my clothes, pleading desperately.

What if I killed her right here?

'Hah.'

A hollow laugh escaped me the moment I saw the quest. Killing Leoness here would prevent the war, the tragedies to come. Plus, a massive drop in scenario difficulty. A quest dangling only penalties for failure.

No reason to decline.

But,

This ain't right.

I looked down at Leoness slumped on the floor.

The reason she was here. Why she bore the stigma ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of traitor, imprisoned without doing anything, only to be betrayed.

Because of me.

For the game's convenience, I'd framed her.

The origin of her downfall was none other than me. I'd shoved her into the abyss with my own hands, and now a quest told me to finish her off?

That's just trash-tier.

Even if it was a game world, I had a bare minimum of conscience.

Tie up loose ends. The knot I'd twisted had to be undone by me.

I hit decline without hesitation.

"Shut up. I choose my own path."

[...]

The system window flashed wildly before vanishing. A crushing pain wrung my heart, but I gritted my teeth and endured.

Then I grabbed Leoness by the collar.

Her unfocused eyes shook weakly toward me.

For kids like this, history showed tough love worked best.

Slap!

A sharp, crisp sound cut through the underground prison. Leoness's head whipped to the side; she blinked dazedly. Her expression showed confusion more than the stinging pain on her cheek.

"Feeling better now?"

I shook out my stinging palm and asked coldly.

"You want me to kill you? Make it painless?"

I yanked her closer, tightening my grip on her collar. Our faces were nose-to-nose. Each other's eyes reflected nothing but the other.

"Don't make me laugh. You clean up your own mess. Where do you think you're running to?"

"Running? This lady is trying to take responsibility! For those who died because of me..."

"Do the math right."

I stared straight into her eyes without flinching.

"You think three hundred lives are worth just your one?"

"..."

"That dying here absolves you of everything?"

Leoness bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Her body trembled.

"Then... what would you have this lady do...?"

Tears fell from Leoness's eyes again, wetting the back of my hand. She slapped my grip away with a smack and slumped back down.

"I have no strength for revenge. No people to rebuild the kingdom! My body wrecked by poison—what can I even do in this state?!"

Of course, it was a desperate situation. Leoness right now had no power, no forces.

But that was only in ordinary circumstances.

"Who says you don't?"

I grinned and pointed to myself.

"Right here."

"..."

"Your strength. Your people. The black magician."

She stared at me blankly.

Equivalent Exchange.

I flicked the empty pan that had been tilted. Then I laid out my terms on one side.

"I'll give you a chance at revenge. A reason ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to live."

Leoness's eyes wavered. A small spark reignited in her ashen gaze.

"But... I have nothing left. Nothing worthy to give you..."

"You've got one thing."

I poked her chest, right over her heart.

"You."

"..!"

"If you're just gonna throw your life away anyway, give it to me."

The opposite pan glowed red.

"From now on, you can't die without my permission. That debt you're blaming yourself for—those three hundred lives. You won't die until you've paid it all back, even if you want to."

I whispered in her ear.

Too hard to live by your own will? Fine. I'll load you with debts until you have no choice but to keep going.

I smirked, ready to seal the deal.

But,

"Huh?"

A status window popped up in response to my dumbfounded mutter.

What the actual fuck.

Why at this timing?

"Uh, um. Okay, then eat your meals on time, study hard at the academy once we get out, no gloomy thoughts, and..."

"..."

I threw in a bunch of trivial conditions until the scales finally balanced.

Click.

"..."

Leoness stared silently at the scales for a long moment.

"Hahahahaha!"

She burst into laughter—like when we first met, but happier.

"You are far more devilish than this lady imagined. Stealing the right to die, of all things."

"I'm just thorough with my calculations."

"Even so, I accept."

Leoness extended her trembling hand.

"Aid this lady's revenge. Avenge this lady's grudge. In return... until the day all debts are paid, this lady shall be your sword and shield."

A brilliant golden light erupted from the scales.

Kiiing!

Notifications flew by too fast to read fully, intense light flashed, and the scales vanished. The princess's eyes burned red once more, vibrant with life.

"Alright, contract done."

I offered my hand and pulled the dazed girl to her feet.

"Time for revenge, right?"

"What shall we do first?"

Leoness wiped her lingering tears and asked.

"Intel first."

I headed to Karihim's corpse. Upper body gone, but the pouch at his waist was intact. Rummaging inside, I pulled out a bloodstained map.

"Found it."

Unfolding it revealed detailed academy blueprints marked with red and yellow dots.

"Black Moon Cult spots, yeah?"

Leoness peered over.

Her brows furrowed.

"Yes. Yellow dots are Karihim's... secret passages he managed. Red must be their outposts."

"They'd infiltrated this deep already?"

The situation was worse than thought. In the original, they'd planned massive terror during the festival. Accelerated now, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠trying early.

But with Karihim dead, this was our chance. Chain of command broken—divide and conquer.

Those blank edicts let you demand anything from the empire. Essential now. The ??? reward tempted, but,

Quest we have to do anyway.

As I reached to accept, more details appended.

'Ah.'

Right after, murmurs and frantic footsteps echoed beyond the iron door.

"Leoness, we gotta run!"

"Ah, my legs are still weak from the poison... Wh-what?! My lady?!"

"Tch!"

I scooped the staggering Leoness into a princess carry. Lighter than expected.

"Escape first!"

The door burst open as I stepped toward the hole.

"Explosion came from here... P-prisoner escaping!"

"Catch them! Black magician!"

"Sound the alarm!"

Cliff ahead. Guards behind.

"Hoo. Hah."

Quick deep breaths.

"Ar-are you insane?! Suicide with this lady?!"

"Hold tight! No biting your tongue!"

With Leoness clinging to my neck, I hurled us off the cliff.

"Waaaaaah!"