Chapter 130
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 129
Chapter Title: Crown Prince Selection Contest
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“Hmm...”
About a month had passed since Chapter 4 of the main quest began.
“I guess this is about all I've figured out...”
But rather than focusing on the Chapter 4 main quest, the past three months had been spent time traveling and building more bonds with my mother and aunts from the past.
'In the end, that girl in the white mask seems to be the key...'
If there was one thing I'd learned from those three months of time travel, it was that the incident from ten years ago was closely tied to the girl in the white mask.
However, since the past reachable by time travel shifted in sync with the current timeline, it seemed like it would take a few more years to uncover exactly what had happened.
“Young Master, pardon the intrusion.”
“...Hmph.”
“Oh dear, what's gotten into you?”
Anyway, as I was organizing my meetings with my mother and aunts from the past via time travel today as well, the door suddenly opened, and Schwarz's voice rang out.
“I'm not talking to Big Sister Schwarz!”
“Very well, then just listen quietly.”
Still a bit sulky from what happened a month ago, I turned my head away and pretended to pout.
“An intruder has been detected in Belverk territory.”
“...What?”
But hearing Schwarz's urgent report, it seemed impossible to keep up the pout.
“Oh? Didn't you say you weren't going to talk?”
“Th-this is different!”
“Ahaha, if you say so.”
Anyway, as I hurriedly turned back to listen, Schwarz approached me with a triumphant expression for some reason.
“So, with that settled, you'll need to oversee the territory defense.”
“...Pardon?”
“Why that face? It's your duty as Young Master to protect us, isn't it?”
No, what was this now?
“B-but... Normally, that would be Big Sisters or Mother...”
“The Duchess, First Miss, Second Miss, and Third Miss are all currently away.”
“Why!?”
Lately, I'd been avoiding going out much because my sisters were acting strangely somewhere, but they had definitely all been in the mansion just a week ago?
“The monster wave that started two years ago is about to reach the Empire.”
My question was short-lived as I immediately realized why I was left alone in the mansion again.
“As you surely know by now, it's because of the Demon King title passed down through generations of Belverk heads.”
“Ah...”
“And due to the pact made with the Imperial Family during the Founding War, we Belverks have the duty to suppress that phenomenon.”
Come to think of it, there had been talk of the monster wave at the merit conference two years ago.
If that wave had lasted two whole years and reached the Empire, its scale was beyond imagination.
“For reference, to the Empire's citizens, monster waves are practically natural disasters.”
“......”
“Mid-to-high-grade monsters swarm endlessly like locusts, with top-grade ones leading as vanguard captains?”
Thanks to Schwarz's explanation, I could roughly gauge the scale, but it might have been better not to know.
- Grrr...
No wonder Fluffy and her pups, who had been huddling in the shadows lately, had been howling more often. Were they affected by the monster wave too?
“Honestly, if we weren't the good Demon King army, the Empire would be drowning in headaches.”
But amid all this, why was Schwarz so relaxed?
“Th-that's not the issue right now!”
“Pardon?”
“There's an intruder in the territory, so why are you so calm...”
I pointed out Schwarz's oddly nonchalant attitude for a moment, but then I recalled one fact and gaped.
“Ah, no way.”
“The month of patient waiting has paid off.”
And sure enough, Schwarz confirmed my guess exactly.
“It seems the Imperial Family has finally made their move.”
“Gasp...”
As I walked down the corridor with her toward the office, I caught sight of the intruders illuminated by the window.
“Looks like they've openly declared full-scale war.”
“Knights...”
“This goes beyond territory skirmish level. It's outright war.”
Fully armored elite Imperial Knights filled the hills visible beyond the mansion.
“Th-this is bad!”
“......”
“We need to call the Belverk Knights now...!”
My face paled slightly as I rushed into the office, flung open the door, and raised my voice.
“Hahaha, Young Master. What are you saying...”
“Calling the Belverk Knights for something like this...”
“They look like the Third Knight Order that just played around in the outskirts... We've already got the estimate.”
The retainers inside, as nonchalant as Schwarz, looked at me with fatherly smiles to reassure me.
“Come to think of it, Young Master hasn't seen us fight in earnest yet, has he?”
“Ufufu, it's been too peaceful lately; my body was itching...”
“Oh my, is it starting...?”
At the same time, the acting head maids' eyes began to gleam darkly.
“Duke's Guard, protect the supervisor.”
Schwarz, who had followed right behind me, lowered her voice to an unimaginable level and issued orders to everyone.
“Acting Supreme Commander Schwarz, deploying.”
No way, for real?
“Don't worry, Young Master!”
“We were pretty notorious demons in hell, you know?”
“Actually, not just notorious, but lord-class... Ngh.”
Even for Belverk, facing the Imperial Knights with just servants?
Meanwhile, at that time, on the hill near the Belverk mansion.
“So that's the Belverk Ducal House...”
“Cleaner than I thought.”
The two intruders, mounted on horses with golden manes, conversed with their eyes dyed gold.
“I've always wondered why we, the Imperial Family, have to live wary of Demon King descendants...”
“S-Sis!”
“...Understood. Honestly.”
Their identities were none other than the Empire's First and Second Princesses.
Of course, the real First Princess was someone else, but since Alberion's secret was known to almost no one, their titles remained the same.
“Still, it's certain that Belverk crossed the line first.”
“True, but...”
“If we Hero descendants go to full war with them, Belverk losing is only natural, right?”
The Second Princess, who had been glancing sideways at the First Princess's bold claim, nodded quietly.
“...Indeed, throughout history, in disputes between Belverk and the Imperial Family, Belverk has yielded more often.”
“So, let's seize the Crown Prince seat this time and humble those arrogant Belverks while we're at it.”
Emboldened by the Second Princess's words, the First Princess raised her baton high.
“Everyone hear that?”
“......”
“Third Knight Order! Advance...”
It was right as she was about to order a full assault on the Imperial Third Knight Order she had brought.
“Hm?”
“What...”
That was when presences suddenly began to be felt from afar.
“...Maids?”
“...Huh?”
The two princesses, squinting at the figures, realized their identities and looked baffled.
“Welcome to Belverk.”
The servants, dressed not in armor but maid uniforms, reached the princesses en masse, curtsied, and bowed in unison.
“Then, let the guest reception begin.”
“Pfft!”
The First Princess burst into laughter at Schwarz's polite greeting from the front of the servants.
“Maids, of all things? That says it all about Belverk's level!”
How much time had passed since then?
“Hierarchy Rank 3, Schlaf. East front... Yaaawn. Suppression complete.”
In Belverk territory, where horrific screams echoed for the first time in ages, the maids' businesslike voices rang out.
“Ughhh...”
“M-my arm...”
“L-legs...”
And as she said, the knights on the east front were all sprawled on the ground, sleep-talking with pale faces.
“Hierarchy Rank 4, Kreuz. West front suppression complete.”
“S-save me...”
“C-can't move...”
“Hiiik...”
On the opposite side, knights bound to crosses rising from the earth struggled before slumping in exhaustion.
“Hierarchy Rank 5, Flame. North front suppression complete!”
“H-hot!”
“Fire!!!”
“Why... won't it go out...?”
And in the rear, unquenchable flames engulfed the knights no matter what they did.
“D-don't move!”
“Y-you didn't expect us to take the supervisor hostage, did you?”
Suddenly, a shout with enough impact to reverse the one-sided slaughter rang out.
“Uegh...”
The Second Princess, having turned part of her body spider-like, clutched Kairen tightly in her arms.
“Ah.”
“Oh.”
But the two princesses, smug with Kairen as hostage, soon paled and looked up.
“Consider this a warning.”
“......”
“The Duchess's personal maids protecting the supervisor now have no mercy in their strikes—unlike us?”
As Schwarz said, the elite guards revealing their terrifying true forms glared down at the princesses with pitch-black eyes.
“B-but...”
“Grrr...”
“Kyaaak!?”
Despite bravely trying to press poison fangs to Kairen's neck, the Second Princess was pounced on from behind by a massive monster.
“The supervisor's pet dog is the same.”
“Ah...”
Pinning her was Fluffy, emerging from Kairen's shadow with a ferocious expression, drooling.
- Drip, drip, drip...
As Fluffy's saliva dripped onto her forehead, the Second Princess's struggles gradually weakened.
- Trickle...
Soon after, her body shuddered to a stop, and a puddle formed at her feet.
“...Please spare me.”
Seeing the Second Princess in full panic begging, Kairen scratched his head and muttered softly.
“...I was going to test if I could escape a hostage situation with my own power.”
Kairen, missing the chance to test how much stronger he'd grown in two years, turned to leave with a slightly disappointed look.
“Um...”
“......?”
“L-let me make a proposal to the youngest prince.”
That's when the frozen First Princess forced a smile and stepped toward Kairen.
“...H-how about allying with me?”
At the same time, a sweet fragrance began emanating from her body.
“Marry me, and I'll give you half the Empire.”
“......”
“Not just words—I can draw up a contract. I'm fine with just the next Emperor title... I could even make you regent?”
She spread wings from her back resembling a queen bee's and pressed her body against the dazed Kairen flirtatiously.
“You can have as many concubines as you want.”
“......”
“...This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to hold the woman who'll rise to the Empire's pinnacle.”
As the scent thickened, not only the rushing maids but even Fluffy staggered. She quietly curled her lips.
“Tempted?”
As she lowered her stance to meet Kairen's eyes and leaned in.
“But...”
Kairen, eyes suddenly crimson, frowned and spoke.
“First Princess, you're older and uglier than Lia.”
The First Princess froze at his words, gaping at the insult she'd never heard before.
“Who the hell is that Lia...”
“Ugh...”
Regaining her senses, she glared venomously, but Kairen pinched his nose and stepped back.
“...And Big Sis, you stink.”
Her golden insect wings shattered and vanished.
“First Princess, Second Princess. You're eliminated.”
Kairen declared the first eliminations mercilessly, looking down at the First Princess who collapsed powerlessly.