Arc 13: Disturbance of Imperial Capital
Chapter 92: The Empire’s Princess and the Demon
I ran up the stairs with Carol-san in the lead, and before long we reached a large hall. Carol-san tried to run straight through but I stopped. I heard the faint scream from somewhere.
I strained my ears. I heard the snarls of the soldiers and explosions in the distance. There were the sounds of weapons mixed in but I could definitely hear it, a woman’s… no a girl’s voice.
「Search! A young girl, and anyone that presently trying to hurt her within a 100 meter radius!」
『…Search End. Displaying』
There it is. In a room at the far end of this one!
I kicked the door open and similarly kicked the next one.
When the door blew open, there was a silver haired girl that was being ridden by uniformed service man that was holding her neck that was going to shove a dagger in her at any moment.
「Guhoa!?」
Surprised at my intrusion, a paralysis bullet struck the man who hesitated at my surprise entrance. That was dangerous! If I had been even a little later she would have been killed.
The man collapsed due to the spell on top of the girl.
「Hii!?」
The girl shoved the man off and escaped from under him while holding onto herself trembling. It’s not impossible. She was almost killed after all.
「Are you alright?」
I made my voice as gentle as possible to help calm her down. The girl realizes that and looks at my face for the first time.
She had a pair of deep jade eyes, and porcelain white skin, she had disheveled silvery hair, dressed in white silk. Is she about Yumina’s age? To do that to such a small child, what trash.
If you look closely you could see it was torn up everywhere, there was even a cut in her arm. If I don’t do something about it quickly then it’s going to leave a scar.
「Come forth light, tranquil healing, Cure heal」
She look frightened in the beginning for a moment at my aid spell but as the soft warm light healed the wound on her own arm then her reaction changed to one of astonishment.
「A…you are?」
「I’m Mochidzuki Touya. I’m an adventurer. I have nothing to do with the army, ok?」
I said that so that I wouldn’t be attacked like I was with Carol-san, just to be safe.
「Mochizuki, Touya-sama……」
「Yes……」
She hold out her hand to help her to stand up. Huh? It might be after the fact but she isn’t a normal girl. She’s wearing some considerably first class clothing. Could it be…… Huh?
I meet the girl’s eyes. She is… fixedly staring at me.
Ji—————
Ji——————————–
Ji——————————————
Wait a second, this feels like déjà vu. With a blush the girl opens her mouth as she steals glances at me.
「……do you dislike younger ones…?」
Uoi! That was exactly what Yumina said isn’t it!? What is with this?! I had just begun to think about what a problem it was going to become when someone else kicked in the door and jumped in.
「Princess!」
「Carol?」
The one that jumped into the room was Carol-san. She rushed over to the girl. As I thought. She’s the Princess of the Empire.
「Are you safe!? …Who is this?」
Carol-san send a dubious glance at the army person who has collapsed on the floor.
「He was here to kill me. I was saved by Touya-sama」
「Oioi!」
Carol-san pulled out her sword to give the finishing blow to the man who was unconscious. She hurriedly grabbed him by the neck and pulled back. What a troublesome person this is!
「It was the princess, no wonder the feeling was naturally different」
While dragging out Carol-san I spoke to the Princess of the empire. I thought it was like that though.
「Regulus Empire’s third princess, Rushia Lea Regulus…….You don’t seem very surprised Touya-sama, do you? Usually people’s attitude changes when they realize I am an imperial princess」
「I’m acquainted with two other princesses besides you. It’s something you get used to to a degree」
One is a sooner or later fiancé, and the other is a dangerous author.
「You know that many princesses…just who are you?」
This time Carol-san was the one with the surprised face that looked at me. Even if you were to ask who I am… I don’t even really understand what my position is. I am part of Belfast’s staff and at the same time I am not. Even if I marry Yumina, I don’t really want to be king.
「Well, I will explain about myself later. Shall we go for now? I can send Princess Rushia on ahead if you prefer」
「I see……」
The female knight thinks. Where to run away to? But the person in question refused.
「I do not mind going later. I’m more worried about Father and older brother. Let’s go together」
Rushia-hime says these things bravely. N- it is dangerous. Well, I should probably take her with me to hear the stories of the Emperor and the crown prince. For the time being I will have her take refuge at my house and then talk about it.
I left Rushia-hime’s guarding to Carol and took up the perimeter guard position. We returned to the hall where I had separated from Carol-san and we continued onward.
「The people that need to be evacuated are just the Crown prince and Emperor right?」
「For the time being. If possible the Prime minister and aides if possible」
Carol-san answers as we run through the corridors. Huh? Which reminds me, Rushia-hime said she is the third princess, but where are her older sisters?
I asked about it, but the first princes had already married another royal family in a different country and the second imperial princess was studying abroad. They were in countries that were amicable with the Empire for the time being. But depending on the situation with the Empire from now on is what I don’t know. If they’re deposed by the coup then they may be demanded to be turned over.
We ran through the corridor, and turning the corner, 5 doors down, stood 5 soldiers waiting with swords drawn.
「It’s Rushia-hime! Capture her! No, just kill her!」
The soldiers turned their swords toward us in unison.
「How dangerous」
I pulled out Brynhild and shot everyone with paralysis bullets. Dododododo went the report of the gun and the soldiers fell one after the other. Yes, thanks for the good work.
「You killed 5 of them so quickly……」
「Don’t say it like that. I only paralyzed them. Forget that, the emperor is beyond here?」
I replied to Carol-san who was blank with surprise, and asked Rushia-hime.
「Yes, the room ahead is father’s bedroom. He is ill so I have not been able to enter very much」
「No……He’s emaciated so I think he doesn’t want me to see it often. I have heard that he is very weak as well……」
I see. But what to do……With the enemy having invaded this far, there are probably enemies within as well. Honestly it is highly possible that he has already been done in. I wonder about showing a father’s corpse to a child this young……
Did she see my hesitation, Rushia-hime grasped my sleeve very tightly.
「I’ve prepared myself. Still though, if I don’t see father for myself, I think I will surely regret it. Therefore……」
If you have that much determination then I can say nothing to it. I steeled myself and threw the door open.
Inside the considerably wide, luxurious room, there was a king-size bed. There were several men standing in the room, and all turned toward me.
The result was they were in army uniforms, there were 3 normal soldiers as well as 2 officer class people, as well as a single general. There were several corpses in the room, they were wearing armor, so they were probably guard knights.
In the middle there was an elderly person who was lying in bed. Were we too late……?
「Who are you? You don’t appear to be with the knights?」
The general looking person asked. He gives off the image of a falcon with sharp looking eyes and hooked nose. About 40 I’d say?
「General Bazuru! Did you lay your hands on the Emperor!?」
「…Father……!」
Behind me, Carol-san was enraged and I could hear the gasp of Rushia-hime. General huh? I wonder if he’s the perpetrator of the coup.
「Why if it isn’t Rushia-hime and Ritto house’s stupid daughter? How strange, I ordered you both to be killed as soon as you were found」
The Empire’s general gives off a perverted laugh. As I thought, she’s stupid one after all? I gave a fleeting glance at Carol-san.
「You’re the mastermind of this riot? I’m asking tentatively, why did you do this?」
I ask General Bazuru to his face. In the end I’m an outsider. Not knowing the situation, I can’t decide who to ally with.
「The Emperor has an illness, the one in his heart. He signs a non-aggression pact with Belfast and Rodomea, he hesitates to destroy the pacts and invade both countries immediately…..Before, His Majesty would do things without hesitation. The illness of age is a frightening one」
「The Emperor must always be strong. If he loses this qualification then he must descend the stage. A new emperor must be installed and build a new empire」
How unneeded. Usurpation. That’s just taking over the country isn’t it? At least in the mind of the general, he and not the emperor has more charisma. Otherwise he wouldn’t have raised a revolt.
The ill emperor with no future, and an unreliable crown prince. Compared to a general overflowing with strong ambition. It’s needless to say who has the stronger voice.
Even still, annul the non-aggression pact? These guys intend on going to war with Belfast?
「Belfast and the nearby Misumido, and Rifurizu are in an alliance, do you really think you can defeat all 3 countries at once?」
「We can. Do you think we sat on our hands for the past 20 years after the non-aggression pact was signed?」
General Bazuru stretches his right hand toward the window, and begins concentrating magic. This guy can use magic? Moreover, what is this magic……?
It’s huge. It’s bigger than any other wizard I’ve met until now. What is that? My body feels heavy……?
「Come forth darkness, I wish for a duke of demons, Demons lord」
General Bazuru recited the chant and one of the windows blows out, and the area is enveloped in a flash. When the light disappears, in its place the sight of a huge demon appears that was as tall as 3 stories.