Chapter 87
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: The Forgotten Duty
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Seizing the moment while Princess Lilian faltered, I quickly pulled up the original story.
—Very well, my new contractor. My name is Elise. I am the long-time ruler of the lands you call the Imperial Capital, and the lord who lent territory to the mere villager Donapart in accordance with Radon's will.
The self-proclamation Elise had uttered upon contracting with Elin long ago.
Out of it, only one word caught my attention.
'Villager Donapart.'
The imperial bloodline's neglected duty.
'If it can be resolved through Princess Lilian, that's not a bad deal.'
The scenario begins with Elise lending land to the lowly villager Donapart and telling him to found a nation.
She granted fertile soil perfect for tilling vast plains, created great rivers and lakes, and made the four seasons clear and distinct.
As bountiful harvests came year after year, people gathered, the land grew prosperous, and those empowered by Elise's blessing repelled foreign invasions, absorbed surrounding territories, and formed the current empire.
'Then why did Elise lend out her own domain?'
For a high spirit like Elise to lend her territory meant her power had weakened to that extent.
It was akin to how she now secluded herself in the back mountain called Spirit Mountain to gather strength.
"Elise lent the territory to Donapart with instructions to block what lurked beneath."
That was the contract between Elise and the imperial family—the key symbolizing the scenario of the villager Donapart.
It wasn't just heretical mages who targeted purity.
Demonic magic was also a pristine, untainted black.
It was material enough to challenge purity.
Long ago, one of the great demon lords, desiring greater perfection, coveted Radon's corpse hidden by Elise in the great lake. After a prolonged battle, Elise succeeded in sealing the great demon lord in her domain.
But she suffered severe damage, leaving her unable to tend or defend the land, and even the seal was imperfect.
Thus, she instructed the mere villager Donapart to protect and safeguard the seal from the demons.
'It's a forgotten duty now.'
But with demon worshippers rampant inside and the seal weakening, reinforcing it once to delay the revival wasn't a bad idea.
"Of course, if I intended to just watch, I wouldn't have come here like this."
Princess Lilian, who had been confused, composed her expression and cautiously responded.
"You must have something you want to demand from me."
She probed my intentions while coldly scanning me with her gaze.
In the original story, the reason Princess Lilian had half-fled to the academy was that her palace had turned into an enemy's den.
Even after threats from what she thought was the safest Lily Palace and rooting out her maids and subordinate knights, she couldn't catch the one who ordered the assassination.
'Traces of instigation erased—such a feat implies an enemy within the palace.'
Despite the bold move of replacing all maids and subordinate knights, she faced a second assassination attempt.
She must have been convinced by then that the mastermind was among her closest aides.
'The ones who remained unchanged amid the total replacement.'
In other words, her closest aides. A traitor lurked among them.
That's why she bolted from the palace in a fit.
She threw herself as bait to draw out the mastermind behind the assassination orders.
'And that mastermind was a lackey of the demon worshippers.'
However, in the original story, Princess Lilian failed to deal with the mastermind and ended up sacrificed as an offering, murdered.
The problem was I didn't know if it was one or more.
But it was certain a traitor among her closest aides was a demon worshipper.
In the original, the great demon lord sealed in the Imperial Capital awakened with Princess Lilian as the trigger, opening the scenario's major arc.
The second scenario, starting from the villager Donapart.
Before the great demon lord grew beyond reversal, their factions had to be dismantled: demon worshippers, heretical mages, cults.
The biggest issue in this chapter wasn't just stopping them—it was minimizing casualties.
'The more people die, the stronger the great demon lord becomes.'
Age of Giants, Age of Dragons, Fall and Rebirth.
The great demon lord slumbering in the Imperial Capital symbolized the Great Fall among them.
'Demon worshippers are a problem, but the nations crumbling in war, and the droughts, locust swarms, floods, and resulting great famine stirred by the great demon lord are the real threats.'
Famines claim more lives than wars usually.
'And the more people die, the more the great demon lord transforms into something invincible.'
I turned to look at Princess Lilian.
'Princess Lilian's white hair signifies she inherits the imperial bloodline most purely.'
All these disasters stem from the great demon lord reviving early and gathering power.
Conversely, if the great demon lord is restrained and the rest handled?
If his limbs that feed him power—demon worshippers, heretical mages, cults—are cleanly eradicated before revival, even the 'Great Fall' great demon lord could be killable.
'To seal that shut, Princess Lilian's help is essential.'
I mulled over the original story thoroughly, then closed my eyes.
Even if asking for help was a decent offer for me, Princess Lilian sending a letter begging Aiden to save her was not in the original.
Like Bielle unexpectedly intervening in the tunnel, it was one of the butterfly effect's new changes.
'I need to be cautious.'
I recalled the letter Princess Lilian had sent before.
—I've heard tales of Professor's valor, even if only through reports.
Please forgive me for not writing at length due to time constraints.
As Princess Lilian asked what I wanted and got no reply, she tilted her head.
"What I wish to request of you, Professor, is protection..."
"Is that true?"
'Not writing at length due to time means desperation, and mentioning my exploits means she wants my strength.'
But was it really just about protection?
"If that were all, you wouldn't have needed to send a letter pretending to be an imperial decree. For mere protection, you could borrow reliable personnel from His Majesty."
"......"
"You already know for certain the mastermind is among your closest aides. That's why you set this trap, baiting yourself deliberately."
Princess Lilian asked quizzically about my inner thoughts.
She hadn't yet revealed why she came to the academy or that she was facing assassination instigation.
She'd only said 'save me.'
My suspicions about her were purely my own deductions.
"Yet you sought my help. Isn't it because you have some ulterior motive beyond mere protection?"
"May I ask what makes you think that?"
Because that's how it's written in the setting document.
I couldn't say that, so I flashed my usual tasteless smile.
"Why should I tell you? Figure it out yourself."
"Ha......"
With a look that said what kind of guy is this, she released her crossed arms and replied.
"But I do understand why you chose me."
"What is it?"
Having aligned the process, I urged her to match the conclusion, grinning as if it were obvious.
To Princess Lilian, her Lily Palace was already in enemy hands.
"The moment you fled the palace, didn't you want to overturn the game board your enemies set? In that case, holding a joker or two wouldn't hurt."
A board where rooks, bishops, knights, and queens could be black or white......
A joker that could declare the game invalid no matter who stabs you in the back.
"With enemy blades already hidden among your allies, aren't you asking me to purge them using you as bait? Calling that 'protection duty' is a stretch in language."
A king held hostage and a joker toying with its blade.
What the princess demanded from me was to identify and eliminate the traitor among her closest aides.
"Better call it an execution ceremony."
Half flustered, half delighted at finding the right person, Princess Lilian beamed brightly.
* * *
What I thought was quite ruthless as I looked at Princess Lilian was spilling this conversation in front of her closest aides.
Even though she could dismiss the others, she responded in a way that seemed meant for them to hear—a warning laced with threat.
With the heat subsided, Princess Lilian took black tea and simple tea treats from her maid.
"No poison test?"
"It's fine. His Majesty lent me an artifact."
Princess Lilian looked at me as if I were quite unexpected.
"You deduced all that, but you don't know about artifacts?"
"I've never paid much attention to poisons."
Aiden had once guarded against poisoning with antidotes and such in the past, but after reaching master level, he lived carefree.
'A body that endures lava—can't handle a bit of poison?'
"No poison that can affect me has been found yet."
"Lucky you."
"Of course, if there were poison, the food might taste a bit bitter."
Her reaction to poison being just 'a bit bitter' left Princess Lilian staring in disbelief for a moment.
Then she pulled a small object from her inner pocket.
"It's an artifact His Majesty used. It's old, but it reacts to nearby poison."
She said it wasn't reacting now, so it was safe, and added three sugar cubes to the black tea.
Muttering inwardly that it was basically sugar water flavored with black tea, I downed my coffee.
'Ugh.'
Princess Lilian asked brightly.
"How is it? I already added sugar cubes and cream—my favorite combination."
"...How many sugar cubes did you put in?"
"Three. Two cream packets. Need more?"
It was no longer drinkable coffee, so I set it down detachedly.
Seeing my lukewarm response, she expressed regret at our mismatched tastes and sliced a piece of cake daintily before popping it into her mouth.
"So, what does Professor Aiden want from me?"
What I want.
"Two things."
"Can you tell me before I decide? Or is it something to hide?"
"One is necessary for the task, so I can tell you, but the other requires secrecy, so I can't."
"I see."
Princess Lilian nodded in understanding.
"Then tell me the one you can. For the other... a hint would be nice."
"Fair enough. The first is scaling back the fanfare for my public duties."
"Scaling back, not adding?"
I nodded affirmatively.
"My movements are too restricted. Too much attention could attract flies unrelated to the incident."
"That would indeed be trouble. I'll speak to His Majesty. And the other one..."
The other one.
The reason I had to see Princess Lilian in person.
"What I ask is something only imperial blood can do. That's all I can say."
After exchanging glances, Princess Lilian gave up prying and sliced cake into her mouth.
She needed sugar.
I understood that about her.
"...Can I have a moment to think?"
"Go ahead. But my time isn't infinite, so I'd appreciate an answer before I leave."
Princess Lilian acknowledged and left with her aides.
I ignored the stares from the knights guarding where her advisor and proxy Silbeia had gone, leaning back leisurely in my chair.
While I had my eyes closed, Princess Lilian finished her meeting and approached.
"I, Donapart Lilian Alexia, Third Imperial Princess, regarding Professor Aiden's proposal..."