A Crack in the Imperial Shield
I wanted to find a way to ravish the Imperial Princess. My magic hadn't worked on Helene. But before I even had time to wallow in my disappointment, Clafouti had returned to the infirmary, dragging me into idle chatter until I finally snapped back to reality.
"U-Uh... Y-Your Highness...?"
And just like that, an unbelievable scene unfolded right before my eyes. Thanks to this, I realized one absolute truth without even needing to consult the Armonomicon.
Helene Holympia was an astonishingly good person. Even if the heavens were to collapse, I could confidently declare this to the world.
"Ramnusia Yuno. Do not be flustered. Is this not an apology you rightfully deserve?"
"T-That is t-true, but..."
Standing before me, so flustered she could barely speak, was Laura Arnold. Beside me stood the Princess, and next to her was Clafouti.
"L-Laura is going to apologize...?"
As soon as our chat ended, Helene had told me she had somewhere to take me and led me here. It was a neatly arranged magic classroom, complete with a large blackboard since it was used for theoretical lectures. It was a familiar place, but the person standing there was none other than Laura.
"Laura, apologize to Ramnusia properly."
Helene had actually brought Laura and me here to force a "reconciliation." I suppose only an Imperial Princess could pull off something like this. Seeing her bold, decisive action made me fall for her just a little bit more, but...
"A-Ahaha... Princess Helene? I believe there has been a slight misunderstanding. There is no reason for me to apologize to Miss Ramnusia..."
"Do you truly mean to say you have none, indeed?"
"U-Ugh... Clafouti-senpai..."
Laura wore an incredibly aggrieved expression, looking back and forth between me and Helene.
"Y-Your Highness? In the first place, the reason Ramnusia was naked was—!"
"Are you trying to tell Clafouti and me that Ramnusia simply happened to be lying naked on the classroom floor by sheer coincidence?"
"Th-That's..."
Laura glanced at Clafouti once more.
"It is true that magic capable of cleanly dissolving clothes does exist, indeed."
"H-Hahaha! Your Highness! See?!"
"However, Ramnusia's uniform and undergarments were left perfectly intact in the classroom, were they not? Since Ramnusia was the only one left entirely naked, I do not believe I need to explain the implications any further, indeed."
Clafouti offered a bright, amiable smile. Laura, who had been grinning triumphantly a moment ago, instantly shut her mouth, and Helene let out a heavy sigh.
"Laura..."
"Y-Yes, Your Highness!"
"I am not speaking to you right now as the Princess of the Empire on which the sun never sets."
Laura swallowed hard, looking utterly pitiful.
"As students attending this Academy, should we not treat one another with the utmost consideration and look upon each other without prejudice? Moreover, are you not one of my imperial father's beautiful flowers? I will not go so far as to demand that you hold hands, drink tea, and become dear friends."
"Ugh..."
"But at the very least, stripping someone entirely naked and laughing at their misery is something that should never be tolerated, is it not?"
"I-I understand. I understand what you are saying."
Laura bit her lip hard, staring at Helene and me for a long moment. Then, she ran her fingers through her pink hair, tossing it back to compose herself.
"Miss Ramnusia Yuno... I am sorry for bullying you. I will do my best to restrain myself in the future."
"Oh my... Restrain yourself? That sounds as if you might still accidentally bully her a little later on, indeed?"
"U-Ugh...! Clafouti-senpai!!"
Flustered, Laura squeaked out a protest before hanging her head and shaking it vigorously. Then, she took a step toward me, forcing a smile onto her face. It was a fantastically calculated smile—honestly, quite impressive in its own way.
"R-Ramnusia, I will never bully you again."
Laura extended her hand to me. Since this apology was brokered by the Princess herself, I had no choice but to accept. Not that I actually cared about a cheap apology from Laura anyway, considering I had already taken her virginity as compensation.
"L-Let's g-get along from now on, L-Laura."
I took Laura's soft hand, gave it a firm shake, and bowed politely.
"Ugh..."
Laura knit her brows in clear distaste, but she didn't throw a tantrum or burst into tears. She was, after all, a high school student of the Academy. As a proper adult of the Empire on which the sun never sets, she knew better than to make a scene in front of someone she desperately needed to stay in the good graces of.
"I look forward to it. I guess."
Laura gave a half-hearted bow, mirroring mine. Helene watched us with a highly satisfied smile.
"I do not expect you to become best friends overnight. However, since you share many of the same classes, there is no need to spend your days bullying, fighting, and avoiding each other, is there?"
"Ho-hoho... You are entirely correct. I suppose... I was being rather short-sighted in my treatment of Ramnusia."
"Laura Arnold. You are a highly capable young lady with an excellent reputation. Since you shine so brightly, ensure your conduct matches that brilliance."
Surprisingly, Laura didn't scowl or clench her fists at Helene's words. She merely curled the corners of her lips into a polite smile and nodded slowly.
"In that case, Your Highness, perhaps we should make our way back to the dormitory soon, indeed?"
"I was thinking the same. Ramnusia, I look forward to our continued acquaintance."
Before turning around, Helene locked eyes with me and spoke warmly. Laura glared at that brief exchange with absolute resentment, but really, what could she do?
"Sigh... How annoying..."
The moment the clicking of Helene's heels faded from the classroom, Laura's face contorted into a scowl, and she glared at me.
"A mere Ramnusia..."
But that was as far as she went. She didn't slap my cheek or grab me by the collar. She didn't even throw out any cliché warnings like, 'Don't get cocky just because you're friendly with the Princess.' It seemed she simply wanted nothing to do with me anymore, as she just stared blankly at the half-open door with a deeply dissatisfied look.
Frankly, Laura didn't matter to me anymore. She was already a girl firmly in my grasp. Right now, the one I desired more than anyone else was Princess Helene.
"Sigh... I'm leaving."
Laura muttered, giving me one last glare before turning to walk away.
"L-Laura!"
"...I don't care what kind of relationship you have with the Princess, but I have no intention of playing happy friends with you here when we're off the stage, okay?"
I wanted to make Princess Helene mine. I wanted to break her to the point where I could do whatever I pleased with her at any moment, just like the Laura standing before me. I wanted to do dirty, unspeakable things to her, but I also wanted to hold her hand on dates and make her look at me with eyes overflowing with love.
But my magic didn't work on Princess Helene. At the very least, I needed someone who could explain why. Keres would probably have a good explanation, but I also wanted to know more about the Princess's social circle and personal relationships...
"Laura, I have a small favor to ask... Would you like to have tea in my room? You just need to answer my questions honestly."
"It's surprisingly clean for a room belonging to Ramnusia. And... you actually have decent taste."
Those were the first words out of Laura's mouth as she stepped into my room. I wasn't sure how she did it, but Keres had already prepared everything for tea. I had been worrying about how to explain why I was suddenly bringing Laura back, but it turned out to be a completely foolish concern. On the pristine white table, two fragrant drinks were already waiting, accompanied by four beautifully arranged slices of cake in different flavors. This had to be Keres's handiwork. It was incredibly convenient and helpful, but almost terrifyingly so.
"What on earth did you want to ask me that made you drag me all the way here? You're just Ramnusia."
Laura grumbled as she pulled out a chair and sat down. She really had a terrible attitude.
"I-I have a favor to ask... Laura. Strip down, leaving only your panties."
"Having tea in nothing but my underwear? What kind of... Mm, mgh... Truly... a hobby fitting for someone like Ramnusia..."
Laura's face twisted into an expression of sheer disgust, but she had no right of refusal. Still grumbling, she undid the buttons and zipper of her uniform, exposing her pale, bare breasts before sitting back down. She desperately tried to shield her chest with her left hand, her face flushing a deep crimson. It was a truly magnificent sight. Forcing someone to obey my commands unconditionally was incredibly satisfying. This memory itself would surely cause issues later, but I could always suppress it or perform a Revision on her mind.
"Sigh... You really are a pervert..."
Laura fanned her face with her hand while taking a sip of her drink.
"Laura... Do you know why my magic doesn't work on Princess Helene?"
I cut straight to the chase the moment I sat down.
"That is a very 'Ramnusia' question to ask."
"Answer me without the insults, please."
"Isn't it obvious why magic doesn't work on Princess Helene? In the first place, she is of Imperial Royalty! Imperial Royalty!"
Laura spoke with a touch of anger, but upon reading my expression, she pouted and let out a frustrated huff.
"Strictly speaking, we carry imperial blood as well, but Princess Helene is different. Completely different. She was born directly from the Empress's womb."
"B-Because she inherited more of His Majesty the Emperor's blood?"
"Exactly. For people like us, you have to trace back the family tree, but for the Princess, her actual father is the Emperor himself. It's only natural that she's on a completely different level."
"But why does... being of the imperial bloodline have to do with magic...?"
Laura knit her brows. "Honestly, typical Ramnusia. You only care about perverted things and lack even the most basic common sense."
"U-Ugh... I'm asking b-because I don't know."
"What is the duty of the imperial family? It is to protect the citizens of the Empire on which the sun never sets from the wicked demons, is it not? And demons fling high-tier magic around like it's nothing. Do you really think magic would easily work on someone destined to fight those monsters?"
Laura shrugged.
"She is famous for being completely unaffected by even beneficial magic. Her very body possesses an incredibly high resistance to magic. You know of the demi-humans living in Gregorio to the south, right? Some of those monsters can walk right into a raging pillar of fire and come out without a single scratch on their skin."
It was the first time I had heard of such a thing, but I got the general picture. I see. Expecting my magic to work on Helene, who possessed resistance to magic on par with the demon race, was flawed from the start.
...But still, my magic was taught to me by the Armonomicon, which contained the condensed wisdom of the Demon King. Or did I need to use magic on the level of a Demon King to make Helene mine?
"...Laura."
I didn't expect a groundbreaking answer, but Laura was at least a noble lady who achieved far better grades than I did. She surely understood the principles and theories of magic well.
"H-How can I make my magic work on Princess Helene?"
"What a sudden and incredibly stupid question. I'll tell you right now: it's impossible."
So it was impossible. I suppose the very idea of me doing something to a Princess whom even the demon race couldn't handle was foolish to begin with...
"However."
"Huh...?"
"It's not that magic is completely useless against her. Immunity and resistance are two entirely different concepts, aren't they, Ramnusia?"
Laura shrugged, her bare breasts swaying slightly.
"T-Then, is there a way...?"
"Of course there is. If her body is exhausted to the point where she can barely breathe, or if she is mentally pushed to her absolute limit so that she cannot focus her thoughts, your magic will work. I told you, didn't I? It's a matter of *resistance*."
Laura raised a finger.
"Immunity is passive; there is no will involved. You can cast a spell to decompose living matter on a stone a hundred times, and the result will always be the same. But resistance is different. It's like swatting away a ball flying toward you."
"T-Then... if Princess Helene's condition is at its absolute w-worst...?"
"I can't guarantee it will work 100% of the time... but the chances of it succeeding become incredibly high. In fact, that's exactly what the demons try to exploit."
In the pitch-black darkness where I could see no way forward, Laura had unexpectedly shown me a loophole.
"T-Then, Laura... what about Hypnosis Rune Magic?"
"Hypnosis Rune Magic? You don't even know how to use that, Ramnusia."
Laura cut me off flatly. "In the first place, Hypnosis Rune Magic is something you can only learn after studying extensively at the Magic Tower."
"U-Under the assumption that I *did* learn it! How could I use it on Princess Helene?"
"As if that's even possible..."
Laura looked at me with pity, then crossed her legs elegantly, covering her chest with both hands as she fell into deep thought.
"...Spells that affect the mind actually follow the most basic principles of magic. Just like how a lightning bolt is far more lethal to a target soaked in water... surely you know at least that much?"
"O-Of course! Freezing, burning, creating an ice barrier to block a fireball, or failing due to weak mana and getting severely injured! Professor Hecate explained it so many times my ears practically bled!"
"It's simple, then. You just have to corner her mentally. The more unstable her mind is, the more intimacy she feels toward you, or the wider she opens her heart to you... the greater the effect of any mind-altering magic will be. It's bound to happen."
Laura smiled. "This is the most fundamental nature of magic. No spell can bypass this law."
"T-Thank you! Laura! Thank you!"
Feeling incredibly grateful to Laura for giving me such unexpected help, I threw my arms around her waist and gave her a tight hug, patting her back.
"A-As a reward, you don't have to masturbate before going to sleep tonight. But starting tomorrow, you must do it every single day."
Now that I knew the method, all that was left was to put it into action...!