Chapter 123
Chapter 123
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 123
Chapter Title: It's Not Over Until It's Over
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# 123
12. It's Not Over Until It's Over (12)
“Hah!”
The princess let out a groan as she crumpled to the ground after being struck in the leg by the Iron Bat's adorable little fist.
“Wha… are you…?”
I looked at the princess, who couldn’t even speak properly, brought my right hand to my neck, and drew my thumb across it.
“Finish it.”
Slash.
As I mimed slitting my throat, the Iron Bat's two fists began pummeling the princess's body.
“Hng! Tha… t’s… it!”
The bat treats everyone equally—except me.
Call it "bat for all but me."
It might not be enough to take on the one and only god of stealth, but as long as there's no god in this world immune to the bat, I'd say I'm the only exception.
Well, since it works on gods from other worlds, it might work on this world's gods too.
“Ast… rut!”
Even with tears welling in her eyes, the way she stared not at the Iron Bat but at me gave me chills.
Even Sia, when getting hit by the Iron Bat, would look at the raised fist, not my face.
Yet the princess, screaming and crawling on the floor, kept her eyes fixed solely on me.
Come to think of it, she'd been like that for a while.
Unlike her usual overflowing composure, she'd seemed desperately urgent about something.
That's why I threw my one and only weapon, the Iron Bat, to lower her guard.
The plan to use the remaining mana to transform the Iron Bat into humanoid form and finish her off was a success.
“Ugh… Why… ugh… do you hate it…?”
I sighed as I gazed into her eyes, losing focus.
“Because it's too much pressure.”
Would the fallen princess even hear that answer?
Well, even if she did, nothing would change.
“That sister might ditch being princess or whatever and follow her master if she could?”
“But she is a princess.”
“Not if she quits, right?”
“No.”
Even if she followed me and quit being princess, that wouldn't make her not a princess.
More precisely, the problem is she'd be an ex-princess.
That's why ex-heroes vanish without a trace.
They either become too famous and have to keep running to live quietly somewhere, or they face even greater hardships from enemies they made during their hero days chasing them down.
“How does master know that?”
“It was common in the organization.”
Evil organizations typically have a system where grudges are settled immediately, but Howling, as the empire's top evil group, showed the magnanimity to settle them later.
If you were taken out by another group, they'd burn the body or donate it to a black magic research spot.
And if you survived, they'd pour every resource into killing you.
True active heroes are basically tied to at least one royal family, plus countless nobles.
But quit being a hero?
Most of those ties vanish, leaving only a few close ones.
No comrades means weakened combat power, and since killing you won't rile up a nation, cleanup's easy.
Even the common folk care more about active heroes' exploits than dead ex-heroes', so you're forgotten quickly.
Same goes for the princess—if she abandons her title and marries me?
Easier to meet since she's no royal, but would nobles leave an ex-princess with imperial ties alone?
And the moment she and I have a kid, we'd have a bloodline thick enough for throne claims—think the crown prince would just watch?
Plus all those soldiers from kingdoms we crushed in the great hall?
“And the most important part squeezed in the middle is master?”
“Of course.”
And me, stuck right in the middle.
Sheesh. Worse end than a hardworking hero's retirement.
Might as well face imperial assassination or poisoning threats—that'd be easier.
“So, our fates end here in this life.”
Well, this princess gives off scary vibes like she'd follow me even after suicide and reincarnation, so I'm only saying this while she's out cold.
“Anyway, time to bolt.”
“But can we handle the aftermath? Feels like the army's waiting outside?”
“But staying here risks a swordmaster reviving or Lady Rea coming down my escape route.”
No one's used the pole I climbed down yet, but who knows how long that'll last.
“And we've got another escape route!”
“Really?”
“Of course. But… how much mana you got left?”
I heard she could transform into humanoid form earlier, but armor was impossible—unsure if mana remains.
For my escape, she needs at least enough for shape-shifting…
“Hmm… Roughly… enough for three transformations.”
“Well, that should do…”
I picked up the sword the princess dropped and started doodling on the floor.
Drawing on the floor as canvas—every man's dream of precise artistry.
The Iron Bat, watching my dream, nodded that she could handle that change. Confirmed, I hurried to flee…
“Why that way?”
“Grab that, duh?”
The sword had fallen, but the wooden bat in her other hand was still gripped tight.
“Urgh! My little sis!”
Touch it wrong, and she might wake. Leave it, and she could mass-produce swordmasters like the downed knights.
“Hmm… Would more swordmasters really pop up? If they're lucky? No swordmasters at the academy except Aris, right?”
“Keep bashing, maybe.”
Plus, as the world's top power, their territory's massive.
With talent pouring in from that vast land, if evil orgs can produce swordmasters, why couldn't the empire?
“But the org's swordmasters were master's disciples—that's the catch.”
“Some weren't.”
“Three disciple swordmasters, one org swordmaster?”
Lately, she's hitting me with facts.
Attack with agitation and fabrication!
“Sigh… Should've kept quiet. Hurry and run!”
Sighing at the pattering Iron Bat, I decided not to retrieve the wooden bat.
Princess isn't the chit-chat type, and she said it was borrowed from Rain—for his sake, don't snatch it.
Already caught by her once; lose the bat too, how survive?
“Anyway, I'll leave you to live well in the palace. Your Highness.”
I flashed a wry smile at the princess, collapsed like dead with faint breaths, uttered my final words, and followed the Iron Bat without looking back.
“Hey, not that way!”
“Urgh!”
So long, Your Highness.
Nearly died meeting you—let's never meet again! For real!
#14 Their Circumstances: Lady Aris Lil Retia's Circumstances.
“Haa… haa… ha…”
I see a castle turned inferno.
The Yuglasia banner symbolizing its lord lies in ruins.
Lightning strikes everywhere, ravaging Yuglasia students, while tiny wolves from shadows tear into those dodging bolts.
“Must… we really do this?”
My left hand's unusable.
Right hand, covered in wounds, won't respond as I scream desperately.
Yes. Yuglasia faced its end on the last day of the Imperial Tournament.
Betrayed, pushed to defeat.
“Lady Aris.”
“Give up.”
The betrayers' leaders—president and vice president—commanded leisurely.
…With beautiful women beside them!
“For a lady like you…”
“There are fitting things.”
At their nauseating affection display, a silver devil whispered from behind.
“Ehehe, play with me, sis!”
“Nooooo!”
“Haa… haa… ha…”
Panting roughly, I check around.
Thank goodness—no silver devil.
“Just… a dream.”
Cold sweat soaked me unpleasantly, but relief outweighed it.
Rising from bed, I grabbed a dry towel, wiped off the sweat, went out, picked up a pebble, and hurled it at a target outside.
“This is all your fault!”
The pebble, thrown just right, hit one hanging from wooden poles outside Yuglasia's barracks.
No cry of pain.
Probably out cold from yesterday's judgments.
“Sigh…”
Over a hundred poles evoked wartime POWs; I sighed softly.
But it's over.
Yesterday, all Imperial Tournament matches ended.
Dangerous moments aplenty, but Vice President Karen-senpai joined after beating Marsis, letting us barely take down the president, vice president, and traitor spirit users.
Of course… nightmare-worthy perils multiple times.
“But still…”
We won! Victory!
“Yeehaw!”
Even as a great noble of the Absolute Ten Families—no, as a noble lady—a cheer I’d never utter burst out.
No more night self-study. Done.
No more nightmare times!
“It's over… over… ngh…”
-Aris…
Mid-jump, a tear dropped; I slumped back.
Sob… It's done… All over. Night self-study's gone…
“Aris…”
Syr from the same barracks hugged me from behind.
“Syr… no more night self-study…”
“Yeah…”
“Sob… And… the devil… won't hit me anymore?”
“Yeah, yeah. You did great.”
That silver devil worked so hard to hit me especially.
Claiming one hit gave two tastes of hand—how many times?
“Over… sob… waaah!”
I finally sobbed happily in Syr's arms, tears flowing.
#15 Their Circumstances: The Anti-Imperial Army's End.
“Urgh…”
Blood surged through my body.
Toyed by the wicked emperor's hand, most of our forces fell blocking that merciless bombardment.
I blacked out too, but loyal subordinates let me barely escape the imperial beast.
“Pointless in the end…”
We lost.
Utter defeat to the wicked emperor.
While I was down, surviving officers gathered wounded and retreated to base—but it was already imperial-held.
Then the massacre.
Having used all power on the bombardment, most died or were captured under merciless blades.
“Fine, I admit defeat.”
Heard the broadcast continued airing students' tournament despite us seizing the imaging magic tool.
Yes.
We poured everything in, yet students in our targeted castle didn't evacuate—kept celebrating.
Defeat admitted.
But ignoring our final blaze… our end…
“I won't accept that, Emperor!”
I erupt magic explosively.
The emperor, moving for student commendations.
And that emperor…
“I'll kill you!”
At my words, all remaining anti-imperial forces charged.
But.
“What's this?”
One swing of the emperor's indifferent sword.
“Wha… t…”
Something grazed me; my torso floated.
“I see.”
As it hit the ground, I realized my death.
#16 Their Circumstances: A Certain Emperor's Circumstances.
“What are these?”
Sheathing my drawn sword, I muttered.
“Those are the anti-imperial army, Your Majesty.”
My longtime friend and guard Arten—who handles palace affairs so indispensably my private life'd collapse without him—bowed slightly.
“Anti-imperial army? Why? New suicide fad?”
Rushed here for student commendations after hearing daughter let Astra slip again back at palace.
Normally crown prince's job for student event, but daughter's vibe screamed "flee palace now," so I sacrificed him and bolted.
Left the teary prince vowing to fulfill duty and dashed out.
What can ya do? Rank's a bully.
Gripe to your crown prince rank, not emperor.
“Oh, right… There were anti-imperial incidents at the academy tournament.”
“Yeah?”
Anti-imperials pop up anywhere.
Probably snuck into student fun, failed, blamed me, charged in.
“Just trash anyway?”
Key figures never show—anti-imperial trait.
Branches move, roots hide.
“Likely so.”
Ordered Arten nodding to clean up and calm citizens, then sloooowly headed to commend students.
Sloooowly… reaaally slowly. Daughter scares me today—no palace return; dragged every task.
“Amazing, Your Majesty!”
“Even crushed the anti-imperial army!”
“Huh?”
Back at palace after all duties, heard of anti-imperial army's annihilation.
…What's this?