Chapter 101: Escape from the Imperial Palace (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 101: Escape from the Imperial Palace (1)
[My, the situation isn't looking good.]
What?
Desmond’s troubled voice echoed in my head. I frowned at his uncharacteristically grim tone.
[I don’t know what kind of trickery those bastards used, but they’ve trapped your mother with sorcery. I can’t get through to Luers.]
“...!”
Only then did I realize that Luers’s constant chirping had gone silent.
I bit my lip anxiously. I had a vague inkling that this was the final, desperate struggle of the Empress Dowager and the Temple.
If the fanatical Apocrypha and the Temple were in league as I suspected, then the Empress Dowager was surely aiding them. The sorcery trapping Veronica was likely the work of either the cult or the Empress Dowager herself.
Even if the Apocrypha were a group of lunatics known for their terrorism in the original story, they had never attacked the Imperial Palace so directly.
The fact that they had dared to do something this bold meant the Empress Dowager was truly cornered. Moreover, she must have recovered a significant amount of power recently by sacrificing the people of the Southern Region.
Filthy until the very end.
I couldn't even begin to guess how many people had been killed to pull this off.
Suppressing the urge to gag, I gritted my teeth and focused on how to survive this crisis.
“There she is! Capture the Princess!”
The man at the front of the cultists shouted, brandishing a sharp blade. Immediately, men dressed in robes engraved with eerie patterns dashed toward me.
“Little Miss!”
“...!”
A panicked Sophia hugged me tight, calling me by her old nickname for me. Simultaneously, Demia and Desmond moved to intercept the swarming cultists.
The odds are too stacked against us.
The cultists were not only numerous but also exceptionally skilled. Since they had intended to trap Veronica with sorcery, it seemed they had sent their elites specifically after me.
“Nu—Nanny.”
“Stay still, Little Miss.”
“...!”
As if she had made up her mind, Sophia pulled a dagger from her bosom. Her expression was one of grim determination, just like the time she had tried to fight an Ancient Demon in my stead at the Duke’s townhouse.
At this rate, everyone, including Sophia, was going to die right before my eyes. I glanced at Desmond, who was busy fending off the cultists.
If I use your power, can we stop all of them?
[That is...]
Bibi’s voice trembled slightly. Her hesitation gave me my answer.
Because I was still young, I couldn't draw out the full power of the demons. Therefore, I wouldn't be able to stop them all.
Then, the Body Growth Sorcery...
The moment I recalled the method Dollens had confirmed for me, the brooch pinned to my chest rattled against my hand.
Looking down, I saw the magic stone Melissa had given me glowing with a blue light. I stared intently at the gem.
It was the second magic stone I’d received containing Melissa’s mana. This time, I had it processed into a brooch so I could carry it easily. The moment I saw it, I gripped it tight.
Magic.
The demons had warned that the Body Growth Sorcery was dangerous, so they would likely refuse to help me use it.
But magic was different. Magic was something I learned and cast solely with my own strength. No one would be able to restrain or stop me.
[Ma—Master, what are you planning to do with that?]
Bibi asked, her voice shaking as if she sensed something ominous. I murmured calmly.
I’m going to use teleportation.
[What?!]
Bibi shrieked in horror, but my mind was already made up.
Can you protect me from their attacks with the Indestructible Body?
[O—once or twice, maybe...]
That’s enough!
I shouted inwardly and ripped the brooch off, clutching it in my palm. Then, I pushed past Sophia, who was blocking my path, and ran forward.
“Little Miss!”
I heard Sophia’s scream. To be honest, I wasn't certain this would work. I had learned magic, but it hadn't been long, and my knowledge was shallow.
But I couldn't just sit back and watch. If I didn't act, everyone I cared about here would die.
A cultist’s blade swung down toward my head. In that split second, I saw the man’s eyes widen in shock. He probably hadn't intended to kill me, so my sudden movement must have startled him.
Clang!
The sound of metal clashing against metal rang through the room. It was loud enough to make the others stop fighting for a moment.
I had clearly been struck by a sword, but it didn't hurt at all. The power of the Indestructible Body was truly incredible.
[Master!]
Desmond’s horrified voice snapped me back to reality. I saw him leap toward me, realizing I was in danger before anyone else.
At the same time, I finished the incantation I had been reciting in my head and shouted the trigger word.
“Teleport!”
It was a spell Melissa had taught me almost as a joke. She had wanted to tease me for seriously reading magic books when she thought I couldn't even read yet.
Contrary to her expectations, however, I was fully literate and possessed an excellent memory. Having memorized every syllable of the teleportation spell, I cast it with composure.
Flash!
The world before my eyes shook violently.
“Your Highness!”
“Little Miss!”
I heard the faint voices of Demia and Sophia. I squeezed my eyes shut and then forced them open.
“Huff!”
In an instant, the scenery around me had completely changed. I had been inside a room just moments ago, but now I was outdoors. I looked around in shock.
“Where am I?”
[Master! You actually succeeded in teleporting!]
“Ugh.”
[Are you alright?]
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied, trying to sound unfazed.
I felt a throbbing pain near my heart, but it wasn't unbearable. If I had tried to input a specific destination, the calculations would have become so complex that the spell might have failed or caused severe backlash. However, since I had used a simplified version for random short-range transport in my haste, it seemed I had succeeded without major injury.
“Whew.”
I exhaled in relief. Just then, a white object and something bright red popped up in front of me simultaneously.
[Master!]
“Demon!”
Desmond, whom I thought I’d been separated from, hopped up and hugged me. It seemed he had managed to grab onto me at the last second and was swept along by the teleportation. I smiled and stroked his soft fur.
“Thank goodness. Having your physical body here is much more helpful than just your spirit.”
[Tell me before you do that next time! I thought my heart was going to stop!]
“It was an emergency. But, well, sorry anyway.”
[Masteeeer!]
Perhaps because this was the first time we’d faced such a dire crisis, Desmond was acting more frantic than usual, licking my face all over.
But then, I heard a faint groan from below.
“Uuugh...”
“...?”
Come to think of it, I’d seen something pale besides Desmond. I looked down and narrowed my eyes.
“Ugh... Wh-where... what on earth is this...?”
“...!”
It was the cultist who had attacked me. Well, 'attacked' wasn't quite the right word, since I had jumped into his path on purpose. To be precise, this was the guy who had been aiming for Sophia.
I looked down at the cultist with disdain. If there were several of them like before, I would have been worried, but now there was only one. He had been so startled when I jumped at him that he’d dropped his sword, and having been caught in the teleportation, he was now completely unarmed.
“Demon! Bite him!”
“Bark!”
“Aaaagh!”
Desmond followed my command faithfully. He lunged at the bewildered cultist and pinned him down in an instant. The man cowered on the ground in terror.
“S-spare me! Please!”
“Don't you dare do anything suspicious! Or he’ll rip your throat out!”
“Grrrr.”
“Hieeeek!”
Desmond’s jaws clamped firmly onto the cultist’s neck. Just as I’d threatened, if the man made even the slightest suspicious move, Desmond’s sharp teeth would crush his windpipe.
Terrified, the cultist could do nothing but tremble. Feeling a bit more at ease, I continued to scan our surroundings.
“Sigh, I need to figure out where we are.”
To get back to the palace, I first had to identify our location. I could probably figure it out if I used the demons.
Since Desmond had to keep watch over the cultist, I was about to give Bibi an order.
However, a faint voice came from below.
“I... I think I know where we are...”
“What?”
The cultist, whose neck was still held in Desmond’s mouth, managed to speak through his violent trembling. I looked down at him, my face twisted in a scowl.