Chapter 437: The Hero Climaxes in Defeat Again Today[R-18] (27)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 437: The Hero Climaxes in Defeat Again Today[R-18] (27)
The third princess was a beauty with silver hair and red eyes. The same features as me.
‘So that’s the mark of those with royal blood.’
She looked to be in her early twenties. Grace flowed from her every movement, a perfect harmony complemented by the cold glint in her red eyes.
Seeing her in person, I was struck by a fatal beauty that no mere illustration or CG could ever capture.
“That’s the youngest princess, Her Highness Ariella.”
Cielin, who was beside me, whispered.
“The rumors of her being the most beautiful in the kingdom… I see they were true.”
I nodded.
In the original story, the princess-knight Ariella is first portrayed as a strong and dignified character. But if the player fails to stop Graz, the story progresses to a point where she, along with the other princesses and even the queen, is dragged away by orcs to be gang-raped for eternity.
‘I jerked off to that scene.’
But seeing her in the flesh, not as some CG on a screen, felt different.
‘Hmm… I wonder what it would be like to turn into an orc and fuck her myself. Is there anywhere I can get a transformation potion?’
Just as that sinister thought crossed my mind—
“Marquis Alcladion.”
I turned my head to find Crown Prince Lucian standing right in front of me.
“It’s an honor to finally meet the marquis I’ve only heard rumors about.”
I immediately changed my expression and bowed my head formally.
“The honor is all mine, Your Highness.”
“I hear you reached the level of a Sword Master at a young age… Indeed, the aura emanating from your body is extraordinary.”
“You flatter me.”
“If you have the time, could we speak privately?”
“My apologies, but I’m afraid I must decline. I’m quite busy.”
“Hmm… If you’re busy, it can’t be helped. Very well.”
Lucian smacked his lips slightly and stepped back. Behind him, Leonhardt and Daniel approached.
“A pleasure, Marquis Alcladion.”
“Good to see you, Marquis.”
Their tones and gazes were irritating.
Unlike the crown prince, the two princes showed no trace of royal etiquette or dignity.
‘These bastards… They were the traitors who sold out the kingdom.’
They didn’t appear for long during the game, but I practically coughed up blood cleaning up the mess from every stupid fuck-up they committed.
‘One of them sold his soul to Luxiar because he wanted to fuck his own sister… and the other is a massive mama’s boy.’
Honestly, the two princes were scum not worth my time. But Daniel's mother was a different story. She was definitely someone to watch out for.
She was the daughter of the Arduan ducal family, the head of the noble faction. A villainess brimming with ambition and greed, she was a woman who would stop at nothing to push aside the crown prince and put her own son on the throne.
‘That bitch was pretty hot, though…’
In the original game, there were routes where she would later be corrupted by demonic energy and turn into a demon, or be dragged off by orcs to be broken in, eventually ending up as a dedicated breeding pouch for goblins.
Just then, an irritating voice sounded from beside me.
“Marquis, don't tell me... are you ignoring us?”
It was Prince Daniel. The son of Queen Bellatrix, the same mama's boy who lived buried in his mother's skirts, asked with a pout on his face.
I immediately bowed my head and put on a gentle expression.
“Not at all, Your Highnesses. I was simply... lost in admiration of your dignified presence.”
“Haha! It feels good to hear that from a Sword Master like yourself!”
My single comment made the princes puff out their chests, their spirits soaring.
‘Simple-minded bastards. That’s why they’re so easy to use.’
As I was scoffing inwardly, an elegant voice came from behind.
“We need to offer our greetings as well, so would you mind stepping aside?”
The owner of the voice was the first princess, Eleonora. With brilliant golden hair and a graceful smile, she was known among the nobles of the Sievern Kingdom as the ‘Lantern of the Kingdom.’
“It is an honor to meet the princesses, who are called the flowers of the Sievern Kingdom.”
I knelt on one knee, took Eleonora's hand, and gently kissed its back.
She accepted the gesture naturally, nodding with an elegant smile.
“It's a pleasure to finally meet the famed Marquis Alcladion in person. I heard you became a Sword Master at such a young age. That's truly remarkable.”
“And you, Princess, possess a beauty and grace that shine even brighter than the rumors suggest. I believe this banquet is all the more radiant thanks to your presence.”
“Oh my, you have quite the silver tongue.”
Eleonora blushed, covering her mouth with a fan as she laughed.
“I am only speaking the truth.“
As I replied with a bow, the second princess, who had been smiling quietly beside her, took a step forward.
“A pleasure to meet you, Marquis Alcladion. I am Isabella.”
With her brown hair tied back neatly, she exuded an intelligent air as she offered me her hand.
“It is my utmost pleasure to meet you, Princess Isabella.”
I gently kissed the back of her hand. And finally, the youngest princess, Ariella, stepped forward.
“It is an honor to meet you, Marquis.”
She stepped closer, her silver hair swept back neatly. Her red eyes held a sense of dignity, but also a fiery spark.
“I trust you know my name without me having to state it.”
“Of course, Princess Ariella.”
When I bowed my head respectfully, she raised an eyebrow slightly. In that gesture, there was less of the youthfulness of the royal family's youngest and more of the confidence of a knight.
“I would like to witness your swordsmanship for myself someday.”
She took another step closer and continued.
“Or... how about a light spar, right here and now?”
The surrounding nobles, who had been holding their wine glasses, turned their heads, and Cielin looked at me in surprise.
“Haha, how could I possibly raise my sword against a princess for a spar?”
“Duke Baran always avoids sparring, saying it's a bother. Thanks to him, I've never seen for myself just how incredible a Sword Master is.”
“Ariella.”
Eleonora gently chided her.
“Such talk is not appropriate at a banquet.”
Ariella's lips curled into a brief smile before she bowed her head slightly.
“My apologies. It seems I got a little carried away.”
She seemed to back down obediently, but a competitive spirit still flickered in her red eyes.
She left me with one last remark.
“Marquis, I will look forward to the day we cross swords.”
“When that day comes, I will face you with all my heart, Princess.”
After all the princesses had departed, the banquet hall returned to its peaceful state.
I planned to enjoy the rest of the banquet quietly with Cielin, sitting on a sofa in the corner and sipping wine.
I had no intention of causing any trouble or getting mixed up in problems with women.
Since I was being unusually well-behaved, Bi-yeon seemed to find it rather commendable.
‘What’s gotten into you?’
‘I just... feel like I shouldn't act up today.’
Just then, a sudden commotion erupted in the banquet hall.
“Urgent news for Your Majesty!”
A messenger rushed in and dropped to his knees.
“The west…! News has arrived that the sixty-thousand-strong army of Margrave Rodion Barcheno... has been annihilated!”
In an instant, the banquet hall fell silent.
The king's face hardened, and anxious murmurs began to spread among the nobles.
“…Explain in detail.”
“A massive horde of orcs and goblins appeared suddenly, launching a surprise attack that devastated the western region. In response, Margrave Barcheno led his sixty thousand troops to subjugate them, but... they were wiped out.”
—CRACK!
The king, sitting on his throne, slammed his fist on the armrest.
The impact, echoing off the hard wood, sent another chill through the already silent hall.
“…Where are those monsters now?”
The king's voice was low and heavy. The messenger kept his head bowed low and answered in a trembling voice.
“According to the report... the horde is heading south, attacking and devastating every city and village in its path. They are devouring survivors and prisoners or taking them as slaves, and some are being used as... material for breeding. It is a tragic situation.”
Listening to the messenger's report, I slowly brought a hand to my forehead.
‘Don't tell me they couldn't even stop that?’
In the original, it was a game, a scenario designed to unfold that way unless specific conditions were met. A development that was impossible to stop unless you were the player. But I thought that in reality, the nobles of the west would have been more than capable of stopping them.
That judgment... was completely wrong.
‘What are you going to do? Head back to your territory right away?’
‘Of course. I'm just starting to build my foundation. I can't let a bunch of orc bastards in heat take it from me.’
I looked toward the king. He was surrounded by nobles, urgently discussing countermeasures. There was no reason to wait any longer.
I strode forward and knelt before the king.
“Your Majesty, the south is the land governed by Alcladion. I will return at once and subjugate those vile monsters.”
“Yes... there is the Marquis. However, this is an orc horde that defeated sixty thousand men. Can you handle them?”
“The ability of the commander is more important than the number of troops. I will see this through with my own hands.”
“…Very well. Marquis Alcladion, I entrust the defense of the western and southern fronts to you. Furthermore, I will dispatch the Partisan Knights, one of the Royal Knight Orders, to serve under your command. They will move according to your orders.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. I will not disappoint you.”
The Partisan Knights. They were an elite unit, even among the knight orders directly under the royal family. Composed of 50 knights in total, all of them were elites with skills at or above the level of Sword Expert.
‘This is a pretty decent addition to my forces.’
Combined with my personal order, the Seven Nights Knights, we would have more than enough quality to face the orc horde.
“Sir Gareth!”
At the king's call, a tall knight stepped forward from one side of the hall. He appeared to be in his mid-forties, a veteran with a powerful build and sharp eyes.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“From this moment, the Partisan Knights are to be under the command of Marquis Alcladion. Consider his orders as my own.”
The commander of the Partisan Knights, Sir Gareth, knelt and paid his respects.
At that moment, someone stepped out from the crowd.
“I... will go with you!”
All eyes turned to the speaker. It was Princess Ariella, with her silver hair and red eyes.
“Ariella!”
Eleonora called out her name in surprise, and the king also spoke, his face grim.
“Ariella Calios!”
But Ariella didn't even blink, speaking resolutely.
“Father, I am not merely a princess, but a knight of the kingdom. To stand by and do nothing in a crisis like this goes against my beliefs.”
“This is not a child's game, Ariella! The battlefield... is no place for games. Step down at once!”
“Father…”
Faced with the king's firm refusal, Ariella turned her head and fixed her gaze on me.
“Marquis, take me with you. I will surely be of help.”
I looked at her for a moment, then shook my head.
“I'm sorry, but I cannot take you to the battlefield, Princess.”
Truthfully, it wasn't that I didn't want to take her. It would be an opportunity to get closer to her under the pretext of protecting her on the battlefield, and more importantly, I could personally direct the ‘princess captured on the battlefield’ scenario I'd seen in the original story.
But not now.
In a situation where I didn't know the number of orcs in the west or how many offspring Graz had spread, she was too dangerous a variable.
Above all, if the princess were to get hurt, it would instantly become a political minefield. Of course, I could protect her. The problem lay elsewhere.
‘She's not the type to sit still. Stubbornness, pride, and a sense of justice—who could control a temper that's a trinity of all three?’
In the original story, Ariella was a character thoroughly devoted to the spirit of chivalry. The type to protect the weak, never forgive evil, and throw her life away for her beliefs.
If a woman like that witnessed the orcs' atrocities on the battlefield firsthand? She would undoubtedly charge in recklessly.
And the result of that would be obvious.
‘It's better to have her wait somewhere safe.‘
I spoke firmly to Ariella.
“This mission is too dangerous. I cannot guarantee your safety, Princess.”
“But—”
“Ariella, that is enough!”
The king's voice boomed. The king, who had been sitting, was now on his feet, glaring at his daughter with unconcealed anger.
“What do you think you are doing, holding up the busy Marquis!”
At the king's roar, Ariella flinched and averted her gaze. Her confident shoulders trembled slightly in that moment.
“Marquis, you should be on your way.”
“Understood, Your Majesty. I will sound the drums of victory and prove that the dignity of Sievern still stands strong.”
Bonus
