A Buster Sword, piercing from my back to my abdomen, made me collapse. Harmonia’s King, also impaled by Yuma Bashar, fell alongside me. The hateful face that crashed before me met my gaze. I have no interest in staring contests with men.
“Lady Annelyse, I have also secured the Royal Seal. With this, the next His Majesty the King will be Lady Annelyse. Proclaim yourself with confidence.”
There was no room for me in the world of the two gazing at each other… Well, screw that. I’ve been stabbed, I’m bleeding, it hurts… No, it’s colder than the pain. If I’m not healed soon, I’ll have to declare my retirement as a con artist. “I’ll return to being an ordinary boy,” and all.
“Mikael!”
Lady Annelyse, shaking off Yuma Bashar, rushed towards me.
Lady Annelyse, shaking off Yuma Bashar, rushed towards me.
I’ll say important things twice. Yuma, pay close attention. Here’s a line to tightly grasp a maiden’s heart.
“A-Lady Annelyse… I’m so glad you’re safe…”
With me, who possesses Godspeed, as your guard, it’s impossible for me not to protect you against knights. Yes, I was impaled through the abdomen, but this is practically an everyday occurrence. I’m not the captain of the White Lily Corps for nothing.
“Ah, Mikael…”
Lady Annelyse embraced me tightly. Shall I say it a few more times, Yuma? Burn this scene into your memory. With this, the seat of the next king is mine.
“Yuma! Take the sword out quickly!”
Even as a con artist, it hurts with the sword still stuck in, and Lady Annelyse can’t heal me. Remove it quickly, and then we will nurture our love.
To pull out the Buster Sword that had pierced from my back to my abdomen, one needs a solid fulcrum. It would be understandable to brace a foot near the wound and pull with all your might, but that bastard Yuma Bashar placed his foot on the back of my head and yanked it out.
He definitely hates me. And he twisted it when he pulled it out, didn’t he!? The wound just opened up even more! A little while ago… I felt gratitude for about a millimeter, but I’ll kill him anyway.
“Hang in there, I’ll heal you right away.”
With Sophia not here, only Lady Annelyse can heal me. The other knights in the tent are being held by Yuma Bashar’s subordinates. I want to call for Richarda and give her instructions, but I can’t call out another girl’s name when one woman is doing her best for me.
“Yuma Bashar, where is Chancellor Himmel!?”
“Sorry, I let him escape.”
Coward, idiot, useless. Muttering a full sheet of notebook paper’s worth of insults in my mind, I stood up. It wasn’t quite the healing magic Sophia possessed, but I could move if I didn’t overexert myself.
“I’m glad Lady Annelyse is safe.”
I naturally embraced Lady Annelyse. Lady Annelyse returned the embrace. I felt like eloping with her. Watch closely, Yuma.
…Time to work.
“Iris! Richarda! Come in!”
I wanted to hug her for about two more hours, but killing Harmonia’s King meant time was running out. Originally, I planned to break through the escort with the King as a hostage, but now we might have to face an escort of a thousand men.
First, let’s take a deep breath. I hate making mistakes out of haste and getting yelled at, but it’s a fact that my plan is in disarray.
“Iris, what’s the situation outside!?”
“The Harmonia army has begun to cross the border. A battle with Rothfar is unavoidable.”
I like Iris; she answers precisely what I want to know. If it were Priscilla, she’d just reply, “Huh?”
“Richarda, commence the operation!”
Richarda nodded lightly and left the tent. Her response is prompt. She’s grown so much compared to the past. Her chest has also grown splendidly, thanks to being tossed around by Priscilla…
“Mikael, to kill His Majesty the King… Wasn’t this supposed to be a discussion…?”
The conversation seems to be heading in a difficult direction. If only she had become queen with a simple exclamation of “Hooray, a queen!” It would have been easier, but Lady Annelyse wasn’t pleased with the expulsion of the King. Moreover, if a position was taken by killing, she’d be hesitant to claim the title of new queen.
I didn’t intend to kill him. In fact, if I had, escaping from here would be difficult. My plan was to escape with the King as a hostage. The stain of kidnapping would be quickly forgotten, but killing would leave a mark on history.
“Lady Annelyse, I am the one who killed His Majesty the King. I am prepared to accept any punishment for it. For Harmonia’s sake, please become Queen now.”
That’s right! Yuma is the one who killed him. Not me… But that won’t be accepted. Expelling the King was something I wanted, and it was we who secretly plotted for Lady Annelyse to become Queen.
“But… something like this…”
I understand her feelings, but there’s no time to think now. A clash with Rothfar is unavoidable, and we need to escape as well.
Even with the King dead, the “mad charisma” hasn’t faded, as evidenced by the knights restrained by Yuma Bashar’s men. Yuma is the one who killed him, so why are they glaring at me?
“Lady Annelyse, let’s leave this place for now. We can reconsider it when we return to Dembelgrusheim.”
It’s understandable that she’d resist him replacing the King, her own uncle, killed by his subordinate. If possible, I wanted to keep the King alive so Lady Annelyse could recognize his incompetence and character flaws.
Then she would have been prepared to become the new Queen and unite the country. I wish Yuma had thought about that too. He’s lucky to be alive…
“Brigade Commander Shin, I’ll stay here for a while. In the meantime, take Lady Annelyse and return to Dembelg.”
He has eyes that look familiar. I feel like I’ve seen them before, the look of someone who has made up their mind. I’ve seen them somewhere… Eyes that pierce with sadness…
“What do you intend to do?”
No immediate answer. He’s not without a plan. Perhaps he doesn’t want to worry Lady Annelyse by telling her he’s risking his life. If he’s made up his mind, I’ll obey. Don’t die… until I kill you.
I took Lady Annelyse’s hand, got into the carriage, and returned to the city of Dembelgrusheim with Iris and the brigade.
“It was a piece of cake, boringly so…”
The battle with Rothfar, which began with Harmonia’s army that had crossed the border waiting for us, ended anticlimactically. The White Lily Corps, which intervened, was largely directed at the Rothfar army attempting to pursue, and the number of casualties was lower than anticipated.
Shortly after we left, Yuma Bashar issued a proclamation within the camp, widely disseminating the news: “His Majesty the King has passed away. The next King will be Queen Annelise Flüge.”
The Harmonia army, bound by the King’s “mad charisma,” gradually weakened over time. The frontline soldiers, who were not under the influence of such charisma from the start, must have wanted to escape this reckless battle.
Then, the great king of terror, the White Lily Corps, displayed their overwhelming power, leading the Harmonia army to a rout. The Rothfar army, attempting to pursue the collapsed Harmonia forces, gave up when Anted Sand Dragons appeared, walls of napalm flames erupted, and suddenly they clutched their chests in pain.
“Isn’t that ‘easy’ part unrelated to Priscilla-san, who was ‘taking it easy’?”
Why? Are you naked in bed? Now I have to discuss the future succession of Lady Annelyse as Queen. You don’t become king just by having a crown and a scepter.
You need to be recognized by the surrounding nobles and have a coronation ceremony performed by a priest, yet here we are, having a wrestling match on a soft bed. I don’t have time for this…
“…Once, each.”
Fool! Priscilla, clutching her chest in pain, is beautifully naked and writhing. Her pose, with her behind thrust towards me, stirs my heart. I approached her, thinking it would be a waste not to… foolish of me.
“Everyone, please put on your clothes. Work awaits.”
Despite my calm declaration, more misfortune was added to my heart. My Godspeed now requires frequent heart massages in Mode Four, perhaps thanks to Christine’s leveling up…
It took me longer than usual, though I realized it late. The reason was the presence of four Irises. I never used to reward Iris like this, but seeking it as a result of work lately must be due to a change of heart.
“Iris, find Count Etvin Ewick Knorr and Count Geert Arthur Ernst. They would have retreated to the city of Dembelgrusheim, as they were likely accompanying the troops.”
It was my job to secure those two influential nobles, but I returned to Dembelg with Lady Annelyse. The brigade is handling the reception of the retreating Harmonia army as planned.
I’m not too worried about the two counts either. It was strange for them to participate in the attack on Rothfar when their territories weren’t occupied. I believe they couldn’t defy Harmonia’s King’s “mad charisma.”
If Lady Annelyse conveys her focus on the peace and defense of their territories, they can be swayed by the “alluring charisma.” It might surprisingly be easy… Perhaps I’m the one who’s “taking it easy.”
Alright! Time to work! It’s a good morning, let me air out the stagnant atmosphere in this room and welcome a new day. I’m worried about Yuma Bashar; I doubt he escaped that camp safely. If he’s dead, I’ll build him a grave, and if he’s alive, I’ll give him the final rites and send him to his grave.
I open the curtains and the window, and a pleasant breeze flows in. Today will surely be a good day…
“Good morning, Mikael…”
A voice I shouldn’t hear from behind me in this room. It must be a hallucination; it must be Sophia’s voice, it has to be. Surely…
If I turn around, a phantom… I seem to be so tired that I’m seeing illusions, even though I’m supposed to be having it easy. If it’s a phantom, maybe pushing it down is acceptable?
“Good morning, Lady Annelyse.”
The phantom is properly dressed. When did you get here? Perhaps… since I was confined in this room? I’m too scared to ask. Perhaps, perhaps…
“I’ve been thinking by myself since then. About Harmonia’s future… I will become Queen. I am still immature, but please lend me your strength.”
Safe! If she was thinking by herself, she wouldn’t be in this room! It would be too much to handle if Lady Annelyse were here, on top of dealing with the White Lily Corps and four Irises. …No, making it a fait accompli and taking the throne isn’t a bad idea.
“Have you made up your mind? With this, Harmonia will be united.”
It was united, but it’s better to be captured by “allure” than by “madness.” If I’m going to die anyway, I want to die for a beautiful woman. If possible, I want to die in Priscilla’s chest.
“The coronation ceremony will be held this evening. The priest in Dembelg has agreed.”
Wait, wait. A priest alone isn’t enough. I need to summon other nobles and get their recognition. Especially the attendance of the two counts is essential.
It’s almost noon. Coercive escorting seems more feasible than persuading the counts.
