Chapter 49
Chapter 49
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Devil, Witch, and Demon Sword (9)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Princess.
Was there any word better suited to make a man's heart tremble with just one syllable?
There wouldn't be many who hadn't fantasized about rescuing a princess from a vile villain. It didn't matter who the villain was—a demon king, a turtle, whatever. What mattered was that a 'princess' was there, waiting for his help.
Ever since he'd gripped a sword—no, even before that—Ban had harbored such thoughts. If there was a place most fitting for wielding his sword, it had to be to save a princess locked in a castle. And after truly becoming a swordsman, he'd even hoped something like that might happen to him someday.
But reality was like this.
"......I've committed a grave sin. Princess."
Ban bowed his head. Insulting royalty was a capital offense that warranted beheading without complaint. Princess Drnoa, cigarette in hand, crooked her finger.
"Come closer."
Ban approached her with the most pitiful expression he could muster. She blew cigarette smoke into his face and lounged sideways in her chair.
"Isn't it a bit much? I was just living quietly in this neighborhood, then suddenly your friends barged in...... So I served them tea, asked them to stay just until I could escape...... And you, to someone like me...... What was it you said?"
"......I have nothing to say. Princess."
"You seemed to have plenty earlier. Why?"
This was the first time he'd felt so utterly powerless. If she were overwhelmingly stronger, he might have thrashed about desperately somehow...... But against an opponent where he couldn't even draw his sword?
'Princess?'
Meanwhile, Shade was lost in thought as well. He stared at Drnoa in silence for a long while, unable to grasp what to do. And it was around then. Perhaps tired of teasing Ban, she turned her gaze to watch them.
"Sent by the royal family?"
"......It's a mission from the Royal Knight Order."
"Those fools still only know how to be a nuisance. Unfortunately, now that you've come this far, I can't just let you all go freely. Stay here until I've finished preparing to move. I'll at least feed you."
"I'm sorry, but we can't do that."
Shade drew his sword. He glared at Drnoa with a fierce look.
"I don't know why you hid that the target was the princess...... But it's a mission from the Royal Knight Order. Her wishes can be set aside, right?"
"......So you'll point your sword at this kingdom's princess?"
"Does that matter?"
It was a defiant glare. And rightly so. To Shade, a princess's status warranted only formal courtesy. It wasn't enough to freeze him into foolish judgment; he held not a speck of respect for the royal family.
Drnoa smiled oddly at such a Shade.
"It's not that you can't. It's that you won't. —Kneel."
It happened in that instant. The moment Drnoa's voice rang out, Shade, Macdead, and the rest of his squad dropped to their knees. Drnoa spoke quietly to them.
"Don't try to escape. Your knees will try to break themselves if you do. I don't want to hurt you, so it's best if you just stay put."
Word Command.
The ability, no different from the symbol of the royal bloodline, had revealed itself. Ban swallowed hard as he watched.
'......Incredible.'
It wasn't his first time seeing Word Command. Their dean was from the royal family, after all. But witnessing it truly 'compel' someone like this was a first.
His intuition—not his five senses—told him. If that Word Command turned on him, he'd kneel just like them, no different.
The princess said,
"Don't force yourselves to stand. You might really hurt yourselves."
"......We won't be the end of it."
"You weren't the first."
Drnoa replied with a smirk.
"Naturally, you won't be the last either."
§
"......What happened?"
Ban whispered to Anya. She sighed in response.
"We picked the wrong target, that's what. Who knew that 'witch' was Princess Drnoa......"
"You knew her?"
"I met her once as a kid. At a gathering of the Nine Great Clans...... She was so pretty and cool, I really admired her......"
"She is pretty and cool."
Ban glanced at Drnoa and said. Among all the women he'd met, she'd been the first to be so utterly self-willed. Were all princesses like that? Anya glared at Ban as if he were annoying, then spoke.
"Anyway! We have no more business here. Our mission wasn't to bring back the princess; it was just to identify the witch...... And since that witch turned out to be no one other than the princess herself, there's zero suspicion."
"You're sure?"
"......Are you seriously suspecting the princess right now?"
"No, not that......"
Ban scratched his head with an awkward expression. Yeoryeong sighed and spoke.
"So what's the situation over there? Was she really worshiping devils or something?"
"Well......"
Ban explained his side of things in detail. After hearing him out, they made complicated faces and shook their heads.
"The Seeds of the Night have spread this far......"
At this point, the mission was effectively over. Their goal had been to verify the truth of the devil worship, and it had been confirmed as real. All that was left was to report it. Now that it was proven demon ghosts were swarming, unless reinforcements came...... It would be arrogant to think they could resolve it alone.
"What'll happen to that pastor?"
"......He'll be dragged to trial and probably sentenced to hanging. There's no forgiveness for treason."
"Yeah......? He seemed like a good guy."
Anya and Yeoryeong didn't respond. Answering that felt like crossing an unforgivable line somewhere.
Ban didn't waste the brief respite he'd finally gotten. He closed his eyes, which he hadn't been able to for a full night. He was hungry, but his body felt ready to collapse at any moment. He didn't even want to eat; he just wanted to sleep deeply and let day and night pass him by.
But unfortunately, his sleep didn't last long. Before the sky even turned to sunset hues, Drnoa appeared before them.
"I request your escort."
§
It wasn't a proposal or a request. It was practically an order. Her logic was thus: Royalty had the right to request aid from the kingdom's subjects at any time, and academy trainees went without saying.
"......Aren't you on the run?"
"A princess is still a princess. That's why I didn't even mention it to those guys, right?"
Drnoa pointed to Shade's group, still stuck kneeling on the ground. Drnoa laughed. To call it a typical princess's laugh would be off; it carried a rather hearty edge.
"Helping me won't harm you. Even if the royal family is looking for me, they won't hold it against you for heeding my request. As subjects, it'll be something to praise you for."
"..Princess. Even so, we..."
"I beg you. Your small, fragile princess is terrified right now. She's waiting only for brave knights' aid. Can't you be those knights?"
"That's......"
"Let's do it. Escort her."
And then. Ban spoke up in a quiet voice. As Yeoryeong and Anya turned to him with expressions questioning if he was serious, Drnoa lifted the corner of her mouth and looked at Ban.
"Hmm, more straightforward than I thought. What was your name? Banban or something?"
"It's just Ban. And we'll help. How far do you need us to take you?"
Yeoryeong whispered with a dubious look.
"Hey, aren't you taking this too lightly?"
"It's not something to overthink."
Ban shrugged. In the end, helping the princess brought them no real loss. Even if the Royal Knight Order was searching for her, they were still the royal family's people. If she returned to the palace someday, she'd remember their aid.
And above all......
'I'm curious.'
Ban was a simple man. If he wanted to chop, he chopped; if he wanted to do something, he did it. And becoming the knight who helped a princess was...... something he'd always wanted to do since childhood.
But more than that, he wanted to know her reasons. A woman who could have everything in the world, do anything...... Why had she chosen to become a fugitive, even earning the witch label?
Perhaps her answer held responses to the questions he had about this world too?
"We'll help. Wherever you're fleeing, we'll clear the path. There'll be a treasure chest or two for us at the end of that road, right?"
"......Hmm, who knows about treasure chests. But I could manage a gift or two."
Drnoa replied with a hazy smile. And it was then.
Ban's nostrils flared. It wasn't Drnoa's scent. Something far more intense, somehow ominous, was wafting closer from afar.
It didn't take long to realize it was the smell of something burning.
"Huh? Th-that......!"
Yeoryeong pointed and freaked out. A fierce blaze, too vast to gauge, was burning through the forest toward them. And trailing behind the flames came shouts filled with rage.
"Catch the witch!"
"Burn the bitch alive! We won't take it lying down anymore!"
"Lord, show us the way!"
Ban's eyes darted around. He couldn't grasp the full situation, but he got the gist. The people, realizing the forest protected the witch, were burning the forest itself to reach them. Targeting Drnoa. What to do.
Ban stood. He lowered his voice. At least for now, he was the hero facing a demon king. Though what approached were ordinary villagers, not a demon king.
"Why do they always spit curses before even looking......"
Ban gripped Kishin. Aiming his sword at the flames, he twisted his lips. Amid the vines crumbling powerlessly in the fire, people began revealing themselves one by one. Spotting the group, they raised their voices.
"Over there! The witch is there!"
"Damn it, I'll avenge Renber!"
"You filthy bitch......!"
"Shh!"
It was then. Ban, with Kishin over his shoulder, pressed a finger to his lips. The people frowned momentarily and looked at Ban. Some, recognizing him from the service earlier, paled. Ban said in a stern voice.
"You shouldn't curse without knowing the full story first. Right?"
He seemed to have completely forgotten how he'd showered Drnoa with curses just half a day ago.