The Imprisoned Princess

"Wh...o... are you?"

A voice came from the opposite cell in the prison, sounding like the mouth had seized up from not speaking for so long. "It's been... quite some time... since a person last came to this place..."

I jerked my head up in surprise. The other side was shrouded in darkness, so I couldn't see clearly. But given the structure of the underground prison, there had to be another cell there.

NPC? There was someone here too?

I'd thought this was just a text-only implemented location. To be locked up here already—it must be some seriously heinous crime.

After a moment's hesitation, I replied. "I am... Elise de Bellaph, lady of the Bellaph family. And what might your name be?"

I couldn't quite recall the noble speech from Theodora Chronicle, but it was something like that, right?

A sigh-mingled scoff burst from the other side. "Bell... ije... de Bellaph. I am already well aware of your name."

"Pardon?"

Chills ran down my spine. It felt just like when someone from a completely different forum board spotted my username and acted like they knew me. How did this person know me?

"The academy's wastrel, disgrace of the Bellaph family, a wench whose morals have all sunk to her chest."

The first two were fair enough, but where the hell did that last rumor come from?

Oh, right. It was the rumor I spread in the game.

It was a line I'd made up to piss off Elise as much as possible within a month. And damn, it had the best reaction-to-effort ratio.

"From the looks of you forcing a formality that doesn't suit your frame, the stories ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I've heard don't seem entirely wrong."

"Ahem, ahem. So, what is your name?"

"Enough. How long do you plan to keep up that ridiculous facade? Just speak casually..."

"Uh. Sure. Casual from now on?"

"...I was about to say speak casually to me, but you're the first to accept so readily."

"So, what's your name?"

Red eyes glinted from beyond the darkness.

"This one's name is Leoness von Austria. The sole bloodline of the old Austria dynasty, the last princess of the kingdom destroyed by the empire. Remember it well."

"Leoness von Austria?"

"Indeed. Have you perchance heard of me?"

"Nope. First time."

"..! Hahaha! *cough, cough, cough*. Hahahahaha!"

Laughter, coughing, more laughter alternated from the other side in response to my answer. This woman's laugh code was glitchy. Had she lost her mind from being locked up too long?

"Locked away less than a month, and the world has already forgotten this one."

"Sadly, I'm quite oblivious to such social gossip."

"Hmph. Even if you speak in that mocking tone, it stirs no emotion in me. I've long forgotten such trivial feelings."

Hmm... Leoness von Austria. Austria... I'd heard that name somewhere before. Oh, right.

"No way, a coup?"

"A coup!"

I flinched at the bang of her slamming the bars. Forgotten trivial emotions, my ass.

"Who dares utter such nonsense! This one merely spared no means to restore the Austria monarchy!"

That's a coup, lady.

"Gathering loyalists, reassembling noble forces...!"

Coup confirmed.

"Infiltrating the academy, biding my time. But... but!"

Her voice trembled with resentment. I remembered Leoness's episode perfectly. The last bloodline of an eastern kingdom destroyed by the empire. Two years later, she runs for student council president in a landslide victory, then launches a coup that completely topples the academy as the final mastermind.

Her base stats were so high, facing her head-on was a headache.

If you bungled it and missed the golden window, you'd end up fighting both the demon army and her Austria restoration forces.

That's why the community hotly debated countermeasures, arriving at the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠perfect solution.

Since early-term Leoness was naive about suspecting people, it was doable.

"Framed for crimes I never committed, and thrown in here!"

"Aw, who snitched to land you in prison like this..."

It was me, but whatever. I played along, feigning ignorance.

"Hah. I remember it clearly. That pink-haired commoner wench with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her sly eye-smile!"

"..."

Yup, definitely the one I locked up.

"That impudent bitch pretending to be innocent! Hiding forged documents in my room and snitching to the imperial crown prince?"

Damn, she's pissed.

Her killing intent was so thick, even in the dark, her eyes flashed red. Fair enough—she was prepping a coup but hadn't done shit yet, and bam, criminal treatment and prison.

Still, none of my business. Thanks to her, Lilliana snagged the student council spot easy.

"...Come to think of it, I haven't asked about you."

The princess's bar-smashing tantrum finally stopped after a while.

"How did you end up imprisoned here? My solitary confinement ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was growing dull; I'd love to hear your tale."

"Well, see..."

Princess, it might not be polite to say you're my consolation prize for prison, but I'll spin you a killer story anyway.

///

"Hahahaha!"

Her laughter echoed through the prison after hearing my story.

"Flinging black magic at a salon? That's quite the entertaining tale."

"Not something I'd expect from someone accused of a coup."

Leoness cackled on, ignoring my jab.

"So, how's being a black magician?"

"How's it? Fucking shitty."

"F-F... Ahem. You have quite the foul mouth. More importantly, are the rumors about black magicians true?"

"What rumors?"

"The wild tales spreading across the empire. Like, they can only use magic by drinking blood from a five-year-old's heart."

"First I've heard. Probably that black magician just sliced open some kid's heart for no reason."

"Or that only those who've killed their most precious person can become one?"

"What's that one?"

What lame-ass rumors.

"That black magicians fall in love only with corpses—ones with big chunks of flesh missing from the chest and thighs?"

"Urk."

That fucker was a necrophiliac, then.

These whispers across the empire explained why black magicians were persecuted in-game. Whether only crazies became black magicians or they all went mad after, every one pulled insane stunts, flipping cause and effect. Hearing them now, I got why black magic was taboo.

"Finally, the rumor that black magicians trade in blood and lifespan?"

"...That's real."

"Oh?"

She pondered deeply at my answer, then continued. "Then, you. Shall we make a deal?"

"This one has no intention of bowing to this empire. If trial begins, execution is likely inevitable. So, I offer all my remaining blood and lifespan."

"In exchange, fulfill this one's wish."

Her eyes blazed fiercely, undimmed despite long imprisonment.

"The wish: Topple all who imprisoned me here."

"What say you?"

Her blazing red eyes pierced me through the dark, full of earnest intent. I answered with equal sincerity.

"Nah, pass."

"Very well. Then the contract... What did you say?"

"Pass. Why the fuck would I avenge you against the empire and Lili?"

No, more than that—

I eyed the warning floating before me. "Don't you think you're asking too much for what you're offering, Princess?"

"Wh-Why? Do you not desire this one's blood? Even fallen, it's the blood of a royal house that once defined an era."

"Royal house or kingdom... didn't it fall to the empire anyway?"

If it was so great, they should've kept it. Life force at 1? Lifespan barely anything? Avenging the empire for that scrap? Trash stock doesn't get trashier.

"Eek, eeeeek..."

Guess my bluntness hit her reverse scale.

"Take it back! How dare a mere noble's diluted bloodline insult royalty!"

"Not taking it back. What're you gonna do about it, locked up like that?"

"Eeeeeeeek..."

Her eyes burned fiercer with rage, the red sharpening. Right on cue, the door opened, someone entering.

"Hah, whoever you are, perfect timing! No jailbreak, but can you open this barred door I'm trapped in? There's a bitch I need to deal with right now."

This chick was full-on psycho.

I was about to retort when I realized the door-opener was Lilliana. Her light affinity must've been leveling; a faint halo glowed behind her. Why was such nobility in this dump? Our eyes met, and incongruously festive fanfare blared in my ears.

What the hell was this? I couldn't make sense of it.

Whatever.

"A pity your limbs weren't torn asunder!"

"Try it! Come out and tear me, then!"

"I'll rip that tongue out first if it's the last thing I do!"

Business is business.