046 – A Devil’s Pact

—

[Why didn’t these no-taste b*stards make a Princess route?]

Seducing a Princess would be so damn delicious.

They didn’t even include it, tsk tsk.

Quick, game company, release a DLC where there’s a hidden princess.

[Comments]

– Probably didn’t add one because it would break the balance. If the player could seduce a princess, they’d be able to wield national power at will.

ㄴ (OP): Ah, thinking about it, you’re right.

– It’s because the Emperor has some messed up curse.

ㄴ (OP): What curse?

ㄴ His daughters all die before they turn 10.

ㄴ (OP): What the hell? What kind of curse is that; who put it on him?

– The Emperor has a curse? I’ve never heard that before.

ㄴ They probably just threw in some bullshit reason, like the first comment, just to keep players from romancing a princess.

– Wasn’t it something about making a deal with some… somethingsomething devil? Like, ‘Our organization can completely wipe out your magic kingdom, but how about we call it even by taking the life of your daughter before she turns 10?’ ＜＜ Something like that.

ㄴ That somethingsomething devil guy. Only deals with girls under 10…

ㄴ (OP): Uh-oh?

– Princess? For real, hella tempting, slurp~

ㄴ (OP): All princesses die before they turn 10, snap out of it.

ㄴ What’s wrong with that?

ㄴ ?

ㄴ (OP): This guy’s operating on a whole different level…

– In the first place, getting close to the Emperor is really hard. The Royal Palace has a lie detector, so the Emperor, who’s always suspicious of people, uses it to try and determine the sincerity of your words.

ㄴ That, uh, premature ejaculation detector that can only be used once a week?

ㄴ (OP): A premature ejaculation detector… is this the dignity of the Arcam Gallery bros?

—

Chicks go peep peep.

Cows go moo.

Dogs go Ed… ward… oppa…

Cats go meow meow – which is perfectly normal.

Who would believe you if you said, “My cat speaks human language”?

“The Archmage is on his way here to investigate the current situation.”

“…”

“Students, please remain seated in your classrooms and await further instructions until the investigation is complete.”

“…”

“Our faculty will do everything in its power to protect you, in case any students are harmed…”

Also.

*Who would believe that my talking cat made those ninety doppelganger corpses stacked over there?*

Therefore…

*No matter what, I absolutely cannot act like I know anything.*

I decided against doing anything foolish, like actually checking to see if there really were ninety doppelganger corpses.

…

“An act of God.”

The previous day, the Archmage, having seen the melted doppelgangers at the Vatican, had a decent idea of why the bodies had dissolved.

“…”

Of course.

The only problem was that he believed *I*, not our Isabella, was responsible for this divine retribution.

“So, should we officially announce it? That a Saint has secretly begun operating within the Mage Kingdom?”

“Couldn’t you just say the doppelgangers committed mass suicide?”

“Would anyone believe that?”

“The truth is even harder to swallow.”

“Seeing as you know the truth of this matter, it must be your doing.”

“Ah… well…”

My mouth is the problem, the problem is my mouth!

“I told you not to overexert yourself. Couldn’t you restrain yourself?”

“…No, I truly did nothing.”

“Indeed. That’s always the case. Our Mihan did nothing. Just a regular Academy student.”

“I’m serious…”

“We’re currently out of elixirs. Please endure it for a little while longer. We will continue to need your abilities in the future.”

One hundred and eighty.

One hundred and eighty doppelgangers vanished from the Mage Kingdom within a 24-hour period.

This was…

the result of our talking cat, Isabella, determined to invite me to a vampire nest by any means necessary.

*…Only about 400 left, I suppose.*

Trying to think positively, I took solace in the fact that only around 400 doppelgangers remained in the Mage Kingdom.

Since Isabella seemed much more eager to go home with me than I’d anticipated…

*I thought she’d forgotten the way home.*

…Once Isabella recalled the route home, I resolved to accompany her to the vampire lair.

*Seriously…I need to take all the elixirs I can get my hands on. No, maybe I should ask Lillian Isolede to come with me??*

Of course, until then, the goal was undoubtedly to gather every elixir available, both known and unknown, and become as strong as possible.

*

Leonardo Leon, the 12th Emperor of the Arcane Mage Kingdom.

Having just heard the report, he let out a heavy sigh and quietly sat down next to his bed.

“I’m truly sorry, my daughter…”

The Madou Empire was nearing a state of utter perfection.

The traces of the human trafficking ring, so troublesome to pursue, had been unearthed.

A large number of doppelgangers hidden within the Empire were being purged, eliminated.

Even the succubus queen disguised as a human had been dealt with.

But…

“The Empire thrives…”

Within the Madou Empire, where all things were prospering,

his own daughter showed no signs of improvement.

“…”

The Emperor had, until now, possessed four daughters.

Each one precious beyond words, yet each failed to survive past their ninth winter.

“Haa…”

The current Emperor recalled.

Long ago… a very long time ago, the demon he had bargained with, staking the very survival of the nation.

He knew.

That this was the nature of the contract.

The contract that allowed the Madou Empire, which should have perished, to endure, at the cost of his daughters’ lives.

“…”

He didn’t regret the contract made that day.

As Emperor, he had made the right choice.

“Mihan, was it?”

The reports from the Border Lord and Layton mentioned a man named ‘Mihan’ in a peculiar way.

As if… this ‘Mihan’ was the one who effortlessly killed the powerful succubus queen.

Which meant.

“I must meet him as quickly as possible.”

Now that the power of the human trafficking ring had weakened,

with Mihan’s help, perhaps he could shatter that demon.

If he could, the Madou Empire would no longer stand on the precipice of destruction, and

his beloved daughter might survive this winter.

*

“Would you care to have dinner at my home tomorrow evening?”

“I would.”

“Just bring your pajamas.”

The conversational leap from “Want to have dinner at my place?” to “Want to sleep at my place?”

skipped a rather significant step.

“I would love to.”

But he didn’t refuse.

He considered the intervening steps unimportant.

“The dessert for you, Mihan-nim, was made by my mother with my father.”

“Oho…!”

What is this..!

Such boundless potential..!

Mother-in-law! I shall enjoy this immensely!

I anticipate this evening with such fervor—.

*Hic!*

“?”

“?”

A sudden hiccup from behind caused me to whirl around.

I couldn’t say for how long, but there, behind Ella and myself, stood Lillian Isolde.

“Oh?”

“..!”

Our conversation, one for adults, held much that was foreign to a minor of only fifteen.

And the fact that Ella and a commoner like myself were courting was to remain a secret, at least for now.

“Uhm… you, you two… you two, so…”

“…”

“…”

Nod.

Nod.

“So, the next head of the Eloise March, and… a commoner… mean…?”

Ella and I locked eyes at once, and nodded in tandem.

“Mmph?! Mmmph?”

Immediately, Lillian Isolde’s face flushed crimson, and I clapped a hand over her mouth, dragging her to a secluded corner where no one ever ventured.

“You’re, uh, being kidnapped.”

“Mmph?!”

Limp… Limp…

“Mmph… You intend to kidnap me with those limbs?”

“Would you prefer we go with that?”

“…Understood. Mmph mmph…”

Naturally.

Lillian Isolde couldn’t quite muster any sense of unease when being kidnapped by someone in full body casts.

In any case, after leading Lillian Isolde to a deserted corner…

“…”

“…”

Ella and I simply stared at one another in silence.

Because…

“..What do we do?”

“..Indeed, what *do* we do?”

Neither of us had a contingency plan.

Eliminating someone for discovering our secret liaison was out of the question, naturally.

No.

Can one even *eliminate* Lillian Isolde in the first place?

“Lady Lillian Isolde?”

“Yes?…”

“Might I inquire… how much did you happen to overhear?”

First, I need to ascertain how much Lillian Isolde actually heard—

“That… so… you two were… having a baby…”

Her face flushes a deep crimson even as she speaks the words.

“???”

What is this… a situation where the ending is revealed, skipping even the middle process and the results entirely.

“…”

These days, even fifteen-year-olds know about such things, but still…

“…We haven’t had any conversation like that at all today, though?”

“Earlier…! The, the delicious thing that Lady Ella Eloise’s mother made… you were going to eat it…!”

“…Dessert?”

“…Wasn’t it… Lady Ella Eloise?”

Where in the world did a fifteen-year-old’s brain even conjure up such a thought?

*Thump-*

He presses his head with the hand that isn’t in a cast.

Turning, he looks toward Ella… no, wait, why is Ella’s face so red as well?

“…Lady Ella?”

“Yes?? Yes??? I, I’m not… still, pregnant…!”

“?????????????”

“…!! S-See…!”

Good grief…

No, wait a moment… pregnant?

Ahem, shall I ride this wave a little?

“First, a daughter that resembles Lady Ella.”

“Hiek…!”

Ella, whose face had turned even redder than Lillian Isolde’s from just one teasing remark, dashed out of the room as if fleeing.

‘…And she was the one who started with the suggestive jokes.’

Surely it was Ella who had started with the mother-in-law banter.

Why must I bear the entire weight of the embarrassment?

“If you were caught, shouldn’t you at least share the responsibility…”

“Sh-She’s running away without… taking responsibility…?”

“…I’m genuinely curious. Is Lady Lillian Isolde really fifteen years old?”

And just how boundless are the imaginations of this fifteen-year-old girl? It was beyond comprehension.

‘Is *this* what it takes to be a genius…?’

Lillian Isolde, the greatest genius of the magic kingdom, was on a completely different level from when *I* was fifteen.