Chapter 102: Escape from the Imperial Palace (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 102: Escape from the Imperial Palace (2)
“Hey, who said you could speak? Seriously, you want a piece of me?”
“I-I’m sorry!”
“Grrrr.”
I raised my tiny fist and tried my best to sound menacing, but to anyone else, I probably just looked like a child playing make-believe.
Even so, perhaps because of Desmond’s sharp fangs pressed against his throat, the fanatic cried out in terror, begging for forgiveness.
Satisfied, I lowered my fist. I scanned the fanatic with suspicious eyes before speaking again.
“Is it true? Do you really know where we are?”
“Yes, yes. This path is very familiar to me.”
“Really? It just looks like a forest to me.”
The sun was setting, casting deep shadows over our surroundings. It looked like an ordinary forest with nothing special about it.
Yet, the fanatic seemed strangely certain. That made me suspicious.
“N-no, I’m sure of it. I lived near here when I was a child.”
“Is that the truth?”
“Yes! Do you see that ash tree over there with the peeling bark? There’s a small path right next to it. It’s a trail only the locals know about. There’s a small stream nearby, too.”
“Hmm.”
His description was quite specific. I wrinkled my nose and let out a low hum as I looked down at him. Just then, Bibi’s voice echoed in my head.
[He’s telling the truth, Master. I see traces of human passage. There is indeed a stream beyond those trees.]
“Hmm. Is this far from the Imperial Palace?”
Only after receiving Bibi’s confirmation did I question the fanatic. He answered immediately.
“Yes, it’s... it’s quite far. You are currently in the Eastern region.”
“What?”
My eyes widened at his words.
The East? We came that far? With just a simple teleportation spell that didn't even have set coordinates?
As if reading my thoughts, Bibi added a kind explanation.
[Master’s mana is so vast that you must have accidentally traveled a great distance. Since you didn't set a destination, the scale of the magic likely expanded.]
Sigh. I didn't expect things to turn out like this.
This was a setback. I had only used the magic to hide for a moment, thinking that if I disappeared, Demia could fight at full strength and the fanatics would fall into confusion once their target was gone.
But to think my talent was so great that it would whisk me away to a completely different region. How was I supposed to get back to the Imperial Palace now?
Wait, the East?
Then I remembered I actually had business in the East. The orphanage where Luciano had stayed—that was in the Eastern region.
Was the name of that place Loben? Keeping my eyes fixed on the fanatic, I asked half-doubtingly.
“Hey, do you know where Loben is?”
“Pardon?”
“Do you not know?”
“A-ah, no! I know it!”
When I intentionally sharpened my tone, the fanatic jumped and shouted. The words came tumbling out of his mouth.
“It’s just a short distance from here! I’m from there, so I know the way well!”
“You’re from Loben?”
“Yes! At the orphanage there, I...”
“The orphanage?”
I tilted my head at his words, my brow furrowing deeper.
“Are you from the Loben Orphanage?”
“T-that is correct.”
“The one run by the Temple?”
“That’s—hic!”
His reaction confirmed it.
The Temple really was the power behind the Apocrypha! Realizing he had made a slip of the tongue, the fanatic looked like he wanted to bite his own tongue off.
A member of the Apocrypha who came from a Temple-run orphanage. This was clear, undeniable evidence. The fanatic’s eyes trembled violently at his accidental confession.
However, he seemed to regain his composure quickly, likely thinking that a mere child like me couldn't possibly grasp the weight of such information. I let the corners of my mouth curl upward.
This guy was going to be an important witness and a source of information. I’d have to take him to Dantalion and squeeze him dry.
I smiled with satisfaction and asked Bibi a question.
Can’t we use sorcery to make a contract or something?
[A contract?]
Yeah. Since he knows the way and can prove the connection between the Apocrypha and the Temple, I want to place some restrictions on him.
Instead of Bibi, it was Desmond who shouted in a spirited tone.
[Of course we can! Since I’m already biting his neck, I’ll cast a contract sorcery right now!]
Ooh, nice.
I wore a wicked smile and asked the demons how to proceed. Once I had the information, I spoke to the fanatic with a casual, bossy attitude.
“What’s your name?”
“M-my name?”
“Answer me before I lose my patience.”
“P-Philip!”
“No last name?”
“I don’t have one!”
Okay, name acquired.
“From now on, repeat after me. Don’t miss a single syllable.”
“What? Why would I...”
“Do you want to die?”
“I-I’ll do it!”
As Desmond’s teeth sank deeper into his neck, the fanatic shrieked in terror. I continued leisurely.
“I, Philip, swear to be the faithful servant of Claudia Elly Sylvester, and never to utter a single lie or commit an act of betrayal. This oath shall remain in effect until the day I die.”
“I, I, Philip...”
Philip stammered as he repeated my words. As he finished, Desmond bit down hard on his neck, and a red energy began to swirl around the wound. When Desmond slowly pulled his teeth away, a red, geometric pattern was etched into Philip’s skin.
“Oho.”
I leaned in, curious about the mark that looked like a magic circle. Desmond puffed out his chest and twitched his nose proudly.
[It is done. This fellow is now no different from Master’s slave!]
Good job.
I gave Desmond’s head a firm pat. This made him even more arrogant.
[This was nothing!]
I looked down at Philip, who was still trembling even though Desmond’s teeth were gone. He was tracing the mark on his neck with shaking hands. He seemed to realize that something ominous had happened to him, fitting for an elite of the Apocrypha.
“W-what on earth did you do to me...?”
“It’s a contract you made with me. If you don't listen to me, your head might just fly off.”
“W-who are you? Are you really the Imperial Princess? Or are you a d-demon in the guise of a princess...!”
“Zip it. Do you want me to get angry?”
“Eek!”
When I raised my fist in a huff, the mark on his neck glowed bright red, as if reacting to my energy. Philip writhed in pain.
This really works well, doesn't it? I’ve gained another slave who can't disobey me. Though, I’ll have to make sure he keeps his mouth shut later.
“If you say the wrong thing in front of my Mom and Dad later, you’re dead that very day. Do you think I won't do it?”
“P-please spare me.”
When I threatened him gloomily, Philip rubbed his hands together and begged for his life. Demon contract sorcery was truly convenient.
“Now, lead the way. To the orphanage in Loben... to...”
[Master!]
[Master!]
I was so sleepy. It was around my usual bedtime anyway, and it seemed my fragile body was struggling to handle my massive mana.
Before I could even finish my sentence, my head lolled forward, and I couldn't keep it up. I felt Desmond catch my body.
And just like that, I lost consciousness.
*
The atmosphere inside the Imperial Palace, which had been raided by fanatics, was grim.
After barely breaking the sorcery with Luers’s help, Veronica headed straight for the Princess’s quarters. The familiar sight of the room came into view.
“Dia!”
“My lady... Your Majesty!”
Sophia, her face drenched in tears, approached Veronica. Veronica scanned the trashed room before turning her gaze to Sophia.
“Sophy, where is Dia?”
“Your Majesty, that is...”
Sobbing, Sophia recounted what had just happened. She explained how the fanatics had attacked, how Claudia had suddenly disappeared while protecting her, how the confused fanatics had fled after losing their target, and how Demia had chased after them.
Veronica’s eyes flickered with a sharp tremor. She barked an order at the knights standing behind her.
“Pursue the fanatics immediately! Bring every single one of them before me!”
“By your command!”
The Imperial Knights were ordered to follow the commands of Empress Veronica as their highest priority in Dantalion’s absence. They rushed out, following the trail of the fanatics and Demia.
“Ah.”
“Your Majesty!”
Veronica stumbled as a sudden wave of dizziness hit her. Sophia caught her in alarm.
But she couldn't afford to lose her senses like this. She had to find her child quickly. Veronica grit her teeth.
“Right now... Dia... bring the Imperial Mages here, at once!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
If she had disappeared right before their eyes, it was certain that magic or sorcery had been involved. Veronica thought of Melissa. In that short moment, she remembered that Melissa had given Claudia a magic stone.
“Dia, my baby, please...”
Veronica prayed and prayed while waiting for the mages to arrive. She prayed for her child’s safety. If she could only get her child back, she felt she could do anything.
Truly, anything.
A ferocious light flickered in Veronica’s blood-red eyes.