Chapter 35
The chimera creator who had kidnapped the princess before. When I fought him, I'd sensed some strange energy emanating from him somewhere. It was something different from the aura I used or the mana that mages wielded. But it had been so utterly repulsive that, had it not felt like scooping up thick, black tar with my bare hands—a sticky, cloying sensation—I probably wouldn't have paid it much mind.
A clammy energy, somehow distinct from the corrupted mana unique to monsters. The problem was...
'Why the hell is that coming from this guy?!'
Right in front of my eyes, Prince Taurus was proudly boasting about his upcoming marriage to the imperial princess, grinning ear to ear. Even as the princess—who was to become his bride—looked like she was rotting away from the inside, the prince seemed thrilled at the mere fact of taking such a beauty as his wife, his face beaming with joy.
"Your Highness, if I may ask without offense—why exactly are you here?"
"Hm? Didn't I just say? I wanted to see the woman who'll be my bride as soon as possible."
"That... but the official announcement hasn't even been made yet. Won't your sudden visit cause all sorts of confusion?"
"Ah, no need to worry about that. His Imperial Majesty has already given his permission."
"His... Majesty has?"
I'd long suspected that man was up to something, but to think he'd approve a visit from someone as shady as this...
"Speaking of which, I'd heard tales of the Empire's second princess being breathtakingly beautiful, but the rumors didn't do her justice!"
The prince laughed merrily, oblivious to the princess's torment. Watching him, I felt like I was choking on a lump of frustration the size of a sweet potato. If the guy had even a shred of tact, he'd know she wasn't thrilled about this marriage—but here he was, barging in uninvited and strutting around her home turf like he owned the place. It made my blood boil.
"Prince Taurus. I understood our marriage still had some time left, but this unannounced visit has left me a bit flustered."
"Oh? Hasn't His Majesty informed you yet?"
"What do you...?"
The princess voiced her confusion, and the prince looked at her like she must have misheard.
"His Majesty moved the wedding up from two weeks to one week from now. The palace staff are being stretched thin because of it. I assume there'll be an official announcement from the palace today?"
"!!"
An unprecedented event: advancing the princess's wedding by a full week. Time left until the princess's marriage...
Just 7 days.
...What the hell do I do now?
* * *
"Is... is that true?!"
When I told the princess that the energy I'd sensed from Prince Taurus felt similar to that of the man who'd kidnapped her, she shuddered, clearly recalling the terror.
"Calm down. From what I saw, he doesn't seem interested in you at all. Whether he's ignoring the news on purpose or has some other agenda, it doesn't look like he's planning to do anything to you right now."
"Haa... yeah, probably. He seems more focused on the princess..."
I didn't know if he belonged to the same group or if it was coincidence, but at least Prince Taurus showed no real interest in the princess. Still, given the precedent of the chimera creator, that prince was surely hiding some filthy ulterior motive beneath his facade.
"Princess. Could you possibly ask the duke if there's any additional information on that group I took down before?"
"It's not hard to ask, but... what if he gets suspicious and asks why you're suddenly curious?"
"If he asks, just brush it off—say it's better to know more about the people who tried to harm you ahead of time, something like that...?"
The emperor had officially declared the investigation closed, but the duke—whose daughter's life had been at stake—likely still pursued it diligently. A bizarre group absent from the original story. With zero info on them, I desperately needed even the tiniest clue to pin down their identity.
"Alright, got it. So, what's our next move?"
"Next move? Simple."
Time to raise some hell.
For the princess's best wedding ever.
* * *
"Then please rest well. If you need anything, just ring the bell inside—it's enchanted to summon us immediately."
"Very well. I'm tired; I'd like to rest a bit. You may go."
"Yes, sir."
Once the servant bowed politely and left, Taurus checked his assigned room for listening devices or surveillance. Finding none, he carefully drew a black crystal orb from his bosom, placed it on the desk, and knelt on the floor, awaiting.
"Yes. Your lowly servant dares to greet you."
A voice emanated from the crystal orb—not long after. Man? Woman? Elder? Child? Its eerie, indeterminate timbre enveloped Taurus, filling the air around him. Even just the sound alone squeezed his heart with awe and barely contained excitement.
"Yes. It seems he's truly fallen out of the emperor's favor. The emperor himself advancing the wedding date suggests he's eager to ship her off abroad posthaste."
Even with a comrade's plan in ruins, his relaxed tone hinted at the group's selfish nature. They cared only for personal goals and blind faith in "Her"—no trust or camaraderie among them, just saccharine illusions.
"Of course not. My priorities are growing stronger and serving Her. No time for some woman. Hmm... There's a useless broodmare at the 'nest' anyway; I'll just donate her there."
A chilling exchange treating humans as less than livestock flowed naturally, yet they carried on as if it were everyday chatter, utterly unfazed.
"What happened?"
"...!!"
Merpho Mene, the genius chimera creator. He'd set up near the Empire for steady material supply, yet now he was suddenly dead.
While the messenger had been away delivering experiment reports to the main temple, Merpho and his crew had been wiped out by some unknown entity. Shocking news.
"Merpho—that man—is dead? How in the world...?!"
Meaning the perpetrator had taken down countless combatants without a scratch.
"Merpho wasn't a combatant, but he wasn't easy prey either! Who could...?"
Taurus recalled Merpho: bookish researcher, but his body—grafted with monster and chimera parts—was formidable. Even Taurus, granted Her power and monstrous strength, couldn't easily breach it. To fell such a man effortlessly...
"Pardon? An executive dead, and it 'worked out'?"
"...!!!"
Taurus caught the implication and jolted in shock.
"Yes! Understood!!"
Even after the orb fell silent, Taurus remained kneeling, refusing to rise.
"Executive... Me... Finally!!"
His eyes blazed with terrifying madness. Drool spilling from his grinning maw, he howled in ecstasy, eagerly awaiting the wedding's end.