The Princess's Husband Candidate (3)
The new hideout of the Demon King's army was nestled in the slums of the imperial capital. Corps Commander Chierre asked Lucifer in a confident voice.
“How about it, Lucifer? It’s a brand-new hideout. Do you like it? Chwi-ik! Hahaha!”
Lucifer, who had come out to inspect the condition, glanced around a few times before clapping her hands in praise.
“As expected of you, Chierre. It exceeds expectations. You’re quite capable.”
“Heh heh! That’s right! I’m capable! Chwi-ik!”
From selecting the location to arranging the hideout and setting up the barrier magic, everything had been handled by the adjutant Lucifer had assigned. Lucifer knew this better than anyone, yet she deliberately praised Chierre instead.
“Leave anything to me from now on! Chwi-ik! The great warrior Chierre will take care of it! Chwi-ik.”
This was all so she could use her more easily later. Given the hot-blooded nature of orcs, Chierre was the type to charge off in unpredictable directions. That was why she needed frequent praise to keep her properly tamed.
“Then I’ll be counting on you for the operation we discussed. It would be wonderful if it succeeds without fail.”
“Chwi-ik! I swear on the name of Chierre that it will be completed! Don’t worry!”
The current plan was an assassination attempt on the Empress of the Arcadia Empire. They would use Morgan to seize the throne and take control of the empire. From there, they would spark wars among the humans. With dignitaries from various countries attending this upcoming banquet, it was the perfect opportunity to create a pretext.
This would cut off the power that opposed the Demon King’s army. However, Chierre’s cooperation was absolutely essential beforehand. While the Empress was being assassinated, Chierre would rampage right in the heart of the capital. They would strike while the empire’s leadership was thrown into chaos. Without a proper chain of command, the capital could fall in one swift blow.
It would be nice if everything went according to plan, but Lucifer wasn’t expecting it to be that simple. All Chierre really needed to do was draw attention. In the meantime, they would seize the imperial palace and assassinate the foreign dignitaries.
“Lucifer, any points I should keep in mind? Things to watch out for? Chwi-ik.”
“Oh? Points to watch out for…”
Lucifer was impressed by the sudden question. So this woman was capable of thinking after all. Just like the saying that even a dog from the Magic Tower could chant spells after three years, it seemed Chierre had learned to use her brain.
“There are a few variables.”
Lucifer stroked her left arm. The wrist where her hand should have been throbbed with a dull, grinding pain.
“The first is the ancient god of the beastmen. But I’m already keeping an eye on that. So please don’t worry.”
She was monitoring their movements. If Sieg made any moves, she planned to handle it personally. However, it seemed Daeho Baekya had done something, because she couldn’t monitor them with magic. She must have used that arrogant Baekya family’s magic.
“The second is Daeho Baekya. But she can’t use her original power because of the curse.”
Simply avoiding Lucifer’s surveillance must already be taking everything she had. Lucifer acknowledged the power of the Baekya family’s magic, but it came at the cost of lifespan. Shortening what little life she had left? Even if she tried, she wouldn’t be able to exert any significant strength. A controllable variable couldn’t really be called a variable. This was the least of her worries.
“The third… she probably won’t move, but there’s Nero Arcadia…”
Nero Arcadia was known as the Blind Genius. Lucifer acknowledged her genius-level talent for magic, but the girl had absolutely no interest in the world. Even if the capital were under attack, she would probably remain indifferent, too absorbed in her own magical research. Even if humanity were on the brink of extinction, she would only lament the loss of research subjects. Nothing more.
This conclusion was based on multiple tests Lucifer had conducted while interacting with Nero over the years. It was reliable.
“You can ignore her. She won’t move anyway. I already took steps to keep her distracted. I shared some interesting research topics through the Magic Tower, so she won’t come out of her room for a while. Heh heh heh.”
“Is that so? Understood. Then there’s no one in the capital who can stand against me. I can handle even the Sword Masters with the weapons you gave me! Chwi-ik. Still, mages are scary. Make sure you take care of them properly! Chwi-ik.”
This woman Chierre was huge but surprisingly full of worries. She had just told her there wouldn’t be any problems.
The possibility that Nero Arcadia would leave her room?
Unless a massive cache of ancient magic tomes was discovered, she would never come out. And even if such a discovery were made, Lucifer had already removed anything that might catch Nero’s interest.
In conclusion, Nero would absolutely never leave her room.
But Lucifer didn’t know.
That even Nero, as a woman, could become interested in a man.
“H-hello… salutations?”
It was Nero’s greeting delivered with all her might.
Was that wrong?
It didn’t take Nero long to realize she had made a mistake. She had finally mustered the courage to speak, yet only silence followed.
I was told it was trending among men…
Nero inwardly cursed the servant who had taught her this greeting. At this rate, maintaining a good relationship with Sieg would be difficult. She had made her research subject wary of her. This could seriously hinder smooth research.
It was a painful blunder.
“Lady Nero has excellent taste. As expected of an imperial princess.”
The hand that reached out to save her from this depressing situation came from Sieg. It was a far better reaction than she had anticipated.
As expected of my servant!
Nero rapidly revised her evaluation of the servant who had introduced her to the trendy phrase.
“Y-yes. I have great taste. If you get close to me, you’ll like it.”
Encouraged by his praise, Nero grew bold. As expected, she really was a genius. She was certain that getting close to a man would be as easy as eating cold porridge.
“H-here, I brought a gift…”
Morgan had once excitedly told her that nothing was better than a gift for capturing a man’s heart. She had heard it dozens of times and came prepared.
“D-do you like magic?”
The gift Nero had prepared was her own research materials. She had brought a large stack of magic tomes.
The old ladies liked them, so he should like them too.
The mages of the Magic Tower had always enthusiastically welcomed Nero’s research. They never stinted on their praise. The magic books she had prepared this time were especially precious results from her research.
“Thank you, Lady Nero.”
Fortunately, Sieg accepted them. She was delighted! At this rate, researching the man named Sieg would go smoothly!
“Lady Nero, would you like to sit here?”
Nero was still hiding most of her body behind the sofa, only poking her face out. Seeing this, Sieg made the suggestion.
“Y-yes… th-that would be good.”
Nero sat down, stuttering. When their eyes finally met, she saw Sieg’s face clearly for the first time. She had been avoiding his gaze until now and hadn’t gotten a proper look, but the moment their eyes locked, it felt like her breath had stopped.
His eyes were like a night sky filled with stars. She felt like she could fall into them at any moment. His nose was high and straight, as if an imperial sculptor had carved it with utmost care. It was the very definition of perfect beauty. And his lips… how could she even describe them? They looked both soft and strong. Every time he smiled, his entire face seemed to glow, making it impossible to look at him directly.
His skin was so clear and pure, like flower petals glistening with morning dew. Just staring blankly at his face made her heart flutter and, at the same time, feel strangely at peace. These feelings were completely new to her, and she didn’t know how to express them. She simply wanted to keep looking at his face.
“Ah… um…”
Suddenly at a loss for words, Nero shot up from her seat. She was too embarrassed to remain in the same space any longer. Having never interacted with a man in her entire life, Nero was learning for the first time just how beautiful men could be. Simply looking at one made her feel good. Was this some kind of magic too? It was fascinating.
But compared to Sieg, she felt unbearably shabby. Having devoted her entire life to magical research, she had neglected everything else. In contrast, she was just a girl who knew nothing but research. She knew nothing about dressing up or fashion. She felt so ashamed of herself that she wanted to run away immediately.
“I-I’ll come see you again next time!”
Nero fled the room on the spot. Although there were still many things she wanted to learn about Sieg, now was not the time. She needed to prepare more thoroughly.
Still, she had learned one new thing. Just looking at the man named Sieg made her feel good. She felt like she could understand her sister’s feelings, at least a little.
“Huh…?”
After Nero disappeared, Daeho and Sieg were left alone. Sieg muttered.
“What the hell was that?”
“They say there’s nothing more foolish than trying to understand Nero Arcadia,” Daeho replied.
Sieg nodded. She was right. The greeting Nero had thrown at him, the gift, her behavior—nothing could be predicted, and everything was bewildering. He had tried to build a good relationship with her since he might need her cooperation later, but she had suddenly run off.
As expected of the phantom Pokémon. She appeared and disappeared as she pleased.
“Still, don’t worry. There’s something that Nero would be very interested in.”
Daeho confidently reached into her own bosom—her four-dimensional pocket—and pulled out a blue orb. It was the sphere containing Lucifer’s severed hand.
“It’s the hand of a demon, and not just any demon—the hand of Corps Commander Lucifer, infused with her magic. For Nero, who’s obsessed with research, there’s no better bait. Heh heh heh.”
“Ooh, as expected…”
It made sense. As expected of someone who knew how to handle Nero so well.
But Sieg still didn’t know.
That what Nero was most interested in was Sieg himself.
That night, Nero went to see her mother.
Knock, knock, knock.
She knocked on the door to the bedroom of the Empress, Diana Arcadia.
Diana tilted her head at the unexpected visitor. This child had never once come to see her first. What could have brought her here?
Diana, who had been about to retire for the night, allowed Nero to enter out of curiosity.
“Second Princess, what is it?”
“Mother.”
“…?!!”
To be shocked twice in one day. She could hardly believe it. This was the child who had never once called her “mother” in her entire life. Because she had been precocious from a young age, she had understood her own situation well. Whenever she addressed Diana, she had always stubbornly used “Your Majesty” instead of “Mother.”
First Morgan, and now even Nero.
Her daughters had all changed. It was astonishing.
But the real shock was yet to come.
“I need a husband too, just like my sister.”
A shocking declaration. For a moment, Diana rubbed her eyes, wondering if the person before her was actually Morgan.
“Could I ask for your help?”
But it was unmistakably her second daughter.
It was Nero.