Those Who Carry the Stench (3)
It still wasn’t confirmed that Dagileg Branon was a demon. All we had was the vile stench. That alone made it difficult to pass judgment. The odor of rotting soil. Rusted metal. It was certainly one of the most recognizable traits of demons. During the Racial Wars, they had identified demons hiding among crowds by detecting that exact stench. However, the Branon family that had dispatched Dagileg as a suitor was a prestigious house in the western empire, so we couldn’t carelessly brand him a criminal.
“It feels so refreshing to have driven off all those sleazy suitors.”
Elizabetta stretched her back languidly, arching like a cat. The Suitor Slayer. The valiant woman who had chased away all fifteen handsome young men. After witnessing the empire’s finest noblemen trudging away with hollow expressions, people had given her that nickname. It was praise for the Platinum Princess who had rejected every last one of the fifteen candidates.
“Your Highness…! His Majesty will surely scold you! Especially now that Princess Ludmila has left for the north—he’s already in a foul mood…!”
The exclusive maid stamped her feet in horror. Elizabetta, however, responded with complete indifference. Serving a villainess like her—could there be a more exhausting extreme occupation in the world? I genuinely felt pity for the poor woman.
Having been rejected so one-sidedly, the prestigious families who sent the suitors would undoubtedly voice their displeasure. They might even protest that the princess had tarnished their family honor. It was only natural for the exclusive maid to scream in terror once she realized that possibility.
“By the way, those earrings are new, aren’t they? They’re gorgeous.”
“Ah, yes…”
The maid’s scolding continued. Elizabetta desperately tried to change the subject.
“Looks like Sekri has found herself a boyfriend. How scandalous, starting a secret romance.”
“Your Highness!”
The princess’s exclusive maid turned bright red and cried out in embarrassment. On her earlobe sparkled a beautiful jewel of strange hue. I hadn’t noticed it yesterday…. Just who had given the princess’s personal maid such a gift?
Slightly curious, I asked the maid while she continued speaking with Elizabetta.
“The young master from the Branon family… gave them to me before he left.”
“Pardon?”
If it had been a gift from any other suitor, I would have let it slide. But the suitor who had given the maid this present was the very suspect I had been watching. Could it really be coincidence? It might have been simple goodwill. Perhaps he had given it as a way to tip off Elizabetta. After all, among nobles, bribes were practically the same as gifts expressing sincerity.
But I defined it not as a gift, but as malice.
“Sekri, may I see the earring?”
“Y-yes… of course.”
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Elizabetta asked the maid on my behalf. Though hesitant, the maid handed the earring over to me.
The instant it touched my fingers, an indescribable sense of dread washed over me. Along with it came a faint feeling of familiarity. This was no ordinary jewel. Something—magic or sorcery—had definitely been sealed inside. It was likely a trick designed to bypass the imperial palace’s strict boundary wards. The jewel’s peculiar color was probably being used as camouflage to deceive those very wards.
I was nearly certain because I had encountered similar deceptions while serving with the Saintess’s party during the war.
“I believe I’ll need the Saintess’s assistance to analyze this properly.”
It was an item connected to social maneuvering. The Saintess of the Holy Kingdom should be able to identify it with ease. I called for Jeblina and the clergy under her command, who had been enjoying tea time in the reception room.
But how did that bastard hide his identity and infiltrate the imperial palace?
This was the imperial castle of the Valtaria Empire—an impregnable fortress that had stood firm even during the Third Racial War, when the entire continent had been drenched in a fishy sea of blood and corpses. Until now, the imperial castle had never once been breached. If Dagileg Branon truly was a demon, this would be recorded as an unprecedented event. It was an extraordinary crisis: the imperial palace’s ironclad security network had been pierced by a filthy demon.
A great number of people must have been involved. It would have required a long time and tremendous effort. This was definitely not the work of a lone actor. There might even be an armed organization formed by demons and cultists operating behind the scenes.
The more I thought about it, the more restless I became. I even felt a burning urgency to wipe them all out as quickly as possible.
“Princess Elizabetta. And Saintess.”
Elizabetta. And Jeblina, who arrived accompanied by the priests. I explained the emergency countermeasures I had hastily prepared while looking at them.
Even though Ludmila had departed for the north, we could not afford to ignore the demons hiding within the empire. After informing Elizabetta and Ludmila, I intended to report the demons’ infiltration to Emperor Barbarossa as well.
After the marriage talks collapsed, the monster wearing Dagileg’s human skin had taken up residence in a villa on the outskirts of the imperial capital.
While not on the level of the Hoenberg family, the Branon house had once enjoyed exceptional renown in the west. Now it had long since become a den of demons and cultists. They had murdered Dagileg Branon. They had also massacred his family and every servant in the household. The ones currently staying at the villa were nothing more than fakes disguised as the Branon family.
The ‘Inductors’ who had infiltrated the imperial palace to kidnap Princess Elizabetta were now accelerating their next scheme.
“It will activate soon. The princess’s person is already as good as within our grasp.”
The white-haired elder spoke in a raspy voice.
The descent of their god was not far off. The old man’s eyes gleamed with filthy anticipation.
It had been an extremely dangerous plan, yet so far there had been no variables whatsoever. The incompetent fools of the empire still had no idea that the strict security network they boasted about had been breached. He burst into laughter at the thought of having toyed with the Valtaria Empire—the power that ruled the continent—as they pleased.
“Lord Bergis, a letter has arrived from the imperial palace.”
“From the imperial palace?”
The imperial palace had sent a letter. More precisely, it had come from Princess Elizabetta. The elder named Bergis expressed doubt at his subordinate’s report.
“It can’t be that we’ve been discovered…. How unexpected.”
Elizabetta had sent handwritten letters to the suitors she had driven away like stray dogs. She wished to apologize for her rudeness. She had prepared a banquet for the suitors whose hearts must have been greatly wounded.
The handwritten letter from the imperial family that arrived at the villa was an invitation for reconciliation.
Esteemed suitors,
I wish to apologize for the rudeness I have shown. I have prepared a banquet for you all, whose hearts must have been deeply wounded.
— Princess Elizabetta of Valtaria —
As he read the letter, Bergis snorted and bared his yellow teeth.
“Meyros, the princess has invited you. She says she wants to apologize for her rudeness.”
“Ooh!!”
Bergis spoke while observing the scene of repentance.
The monster. The man with his head lowered was whipping himself. Claiming he would atone for humanity’s original sin and foolishness, he lashed the whip across his own flesh. With the sound of skin splitting open, blood and chunks of meat splattered down. Yet the monster wearing human skin continued whipping himself, panting heavily.
“To meet the beautiful princess who shines like platinum once more! Ah, this is undoubtedly a divine revelation! It is an opportunity bestowed upon us by the omniscient and omnipotent god!!”
The monster, now drenched in blood from the relentless whipping, howled with madness. The horrifying sight was enough to make even the fanatical cultists turn pale.
“Still, something feels off. The banquet is not being held at the imperial castle, but at a villa nearby. They say they will host it at a villa owned by the Valtaria imperial family.”
“All the other suitors received letters as well. It shouldn’t be a trap.”
Bergis nodded at his subordinate’s words.
It couldn’t possibly be a trap. The empire fools were still completely blind.
He decided to attend. After all, they already held the princess’s safety in the palm of their hand. However, to ensure perfection, he chose to accept the invitation. The madman disguised as Dagileg Branon desired the reunion with the beautiful princess with such desperate intensity.
The suitors who received the handwritten letter from Elizabetta gathered without exception at the Valtaria imperial family’s villa, where a grand banquet was being held.
Did they want an apology that badly? No—the suitors had a different goal.
It was the resumption of the marriage talks that had been helplessly thwarted by the villainess. If they returned to their families after failing like this, they would face thunderous reprimands. Therefore, the suitors were determined to change Elizabetta’s mind by any means necessary. The ambition to become the Platinum Princess’s consort and seize power once again set their hearts ablaze.
“It seems I was not in my right mind due to the shock of the unpleasant broken engagement. I offer my repeated apologies to the distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the prestigious families who have attended this banquet.”
When the beautiful princess, dressed in an elegant ivory evening gown, bowed her head and apologized, the suitors’ remaining discomfort melted away like thin ice. Pale golden hair shining like white porcelain. Vivid emerald eyes. A face as pure as fresh snow and soft lips. It was as if the goddess of beauty had descended.
Elizabetta possessed beauty and charm that surpassed even her older sisters, who were famous for their nation-toppling looks. Capturing the suitors’ hearts was no difficult task.
The Platinum Princess smiled at the sight of the suitors, who quickly broke into foolish grins.
“I-it’s perfectly fine! I didn’t mind at all!”
“Exactly! How could we possibly harbor disloyal thoughts?!”
The suitors, captivated by her seductive beauty, practically jumped as they shouted. They competed with one another to shower her with flattery and express their courtship.
“Excuse me…! Wine coming through! Hiek—I spilled it!!”
While the drone bees fiercely competed in loyalty to claim the queen bee, a girl with green hair hanging loose began serving, taking precarious steps.
Clink! Crash!!
She spilled the wine glasses. She even shattered several plates. The suitors openly displayed their displeasure at the girl’s behavior, which was vastly inferior to the family’s excellent servants. However, they could not show immoral conduct in front of the Platinum Princess they adored so passionately, so they endured with patience.
“Ahem!”
“This dress was so expensive…!”
A wine glass was placed before each suitor. It was a white wine with a delicate bouquet. Was the main dish fish? The suitors sipped the white wine and speculated about the upcoming courses.
“We meet again like this. Have you been well?”
“…Ugh!”
When the cute girl approached him as well, Dagileg Branon smiled brightly and greeted her. The girl, however, let out a groan and scurried away as if fleeing for her life.
What was that about? Running off so frantically….
I had noticed it while she was serving the wine glasses, but the short, plump girl displayed not even a speck of etiquette or refinement. Why would they assign serving duties to such a girl? It was truly strange.
“Hmm?”
Dagileg, who had been staring at the girl’s retreating figure, suddenly let out a puzzled sound.
The wine was a brilliant red. The other suitors had all received white wine. So why had only he been served red wine?
As he stared at the blood-like crimson wine, Dagileg felt a sharp sense of crisis pierce his lungs. Instinctively, he tried to leap up from his seat.
“There’s only one rat that sneaked in.”
“Guh!!”
A man who had approached at some point drew his sword and stabbed Dagileg in the chest. Caught off guard, Dagileg let out a short scream and collapsed to the floor.
“W-what is this…!!”
He tried to shout at the man who had launched the surprise attack while blood poured from the wound. But he couldn’t open his mouth. All the sorceries and blessings that had deceived the imperial castle’s strict security network began writhing at once, as if screaming. It was because of the blow he had just received. His entire body began to boil and emit thick, acrid smoke.
“Graaa!! Graaaaaagh!!!”
The face of Dagileg Branon, which had served so well until now, began to melt and slide off. Not only that—the flesh across his entire body dripped down like wax. The monster whose identity had been exposed glared at the purple blade that had stabbed him even as he screamed. Then he turned his gaze toward the man who had swung the sword.
“Just how many sorceries and blessings did you smash for your whole body to melt like this?”
The man drew a pistol. Without the slightest hesitation, he pulled the trigger at the monster’s head.