Episode 182 Operation: Escape from the Demon King's Castle (4)
Olivia's appearance was accompanied by the 'aura of fear' unique to high-ranking undead, which instantly enveloped the surroundings.
Just being near her made their bodies tremble and their breathing quicken, and as they faced her presence directly, their composure crumbled and their thoughts became fragmented.
Riley clenched her teeth and hugged Hesperon tightly in her arms, trying to gather her wits.
'Banshee Queen Olivia. The monster who gained notoriety under the second Immortal King and was even recorded in history books…!'
And personally, she was the one who had kidnapped her while she was with Isea and brought her before the Immortal King.
Back then, she had been able to overcome the fear with the help of protective magic and various magic tools, but now that she was facing a high-ranking undead bare-handed, it was difficult for her, who wasn't at a high level, to even endure.
[Hmm… I've heard about the existence of otherworlders… but I didn't think you would actually be able to escape from here…]
Olivia looked at Hesperon, who was vomiting blood from the backlash of magic power, and slowly shook her head.
[But I can't overlook this…]
Actually, she hadn't just arrived.
She was a ghost, possessing an overwhelming advantage in stealth, so they hadn't noticed her.
To be precise, she had already arrived while Hesperon was beating up the Crown Prince and had been quietly observing the situation.
'If it had just ended with a fight, I was going to quietly leave…'
She had been told how to handle them, so she didn't intervene when the Crown Prince was being unilaterally beaten.
But she had been watching closely, ready to intervene if Hesperon tried to kill him or if Riley got hurt from the Crown Prince's counterattack…
But then they suddenly started talking about escaping?
Seeing them actually preparing to do something, not just talking, she hurriedly intervened, first disrupting Hesperon's magic power.
'He got hurt a bit in the process… but that level of injury will heal with enough time…'
She might be punished for hurting someone the Immortal King was interested in, but it was still better than letting them escape.
[I'll take charge of this man for now… You just wait here quietly, Princess…]
"Ugh—!"
As the Banshee Queen approached, firmly declaring her intentions, Riley bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
She had finally found hope in this desperate situation, and now she had to give it up so easily…
And what made her even more miserable was that there was nothing she could do.
'…What good is being the Iron-Blooded Princess or the next emperor? I can't do anything on my own, I just rely on others, and now I can't even help in this crisis!'
Those outside didn't know.
She was the one who gave orders and led the way, and there were always those who carried out her commands.
Even when she was young and couldn't stand up to her siblings, she still had the authority of a princess, and after Isea became her emotional support, she actively used it to build her power.
After she officially entered the race for the throne, the faction that supported her became her weapon and armor.
But now…
Riley looked down at the man in her arms.
He was breathing heavily, seemingly in pain from the backlash of magic power.
'…Yes, I can't hide behind others forever. At least the emperor I aspire to be isn't that kind of person.'
There was no one to protect her now.
She had to overcome this situation with her own strength.
The chances of a miracle were slim, and she didn't even know what to do…
But she couldn't just give up without doing anything, could she? She was the 'Iron-Blooded Princess'.
Swoosh—
Riley slowly stood up, gathering her magic power to strengthen her body.
Holding Hesperon tightly in her arms, as if she wouldn't let go.
[Ha— It's a futile resistance, you know… Please just cooperate…]
Seeing her unwavering gaze, Olivia shook her head and gently touched her cheek.
To her, who was already weakened from the backlash, Olivia's presence was harmful in itself.
She had to be careful and use her magic power delicately to take him away, but if she resisted like this, it would be troublesome.
'But it's just a little troublesome…'
After all, she had plenty of time.
Olivia smiled faintly and slowly floated towards them.
"Huff, ha—"
'Is there really no way?'
Riley took deep breaths and slowly backed away, looking around for a way out.
But there was no concrete plan from the beginning.
Maybe, as Olivia had said, it was just a meaningless struggle.
'But.'
She clenched her lips, enduring the overwhelming fear with her mental strength, and stared at the approaching enemy.
'I know it won't work. But even if it's pointless… I don't want to give up without doing anything!'
She couldn't endure the remaining time if she did.
And as she was reaffirming her resolve,
Grab—
A hand suddenly grabbed her arm tightly.
She flinched and then looked down, recognizing the owner of the hand, and her face brightened.
"Heron? Are you okay…!"
Squeeze—
He squeezed her arm even tighter without a word.
Hesperon looked at her with bright eyes, despite the blood dripping from his lips.
"…Heron?"
Sensing something strange, Riley cautiously called his name.
And it wasn't just Riley who felt that something was off.
[What are you trying to do…?]
Olivia also noticed the change in their atmosphere and immediately reached out to them.
She was going to subdue them first, regardless of Hesperon's condition, but…
[Ah…? Wait, what's this…!]
The situation unfolded differently from her expectations.
Her power couldn't reach them, as if blocked by something… or as if space itself had been severed.
[This is impossible… This is a space personally created by the King…!]
Olivia, shocked, tried to approach them directly, flying through the air.
But even she, a ghost, could no longer reach them.
She had been granted some control over space as the general manager of the Immortal Fortress…
[W-wait… Don't tell me, you're really…?]
As she desperately tried to figure out what was going on,
Swoosh—
The two people who had been standing there a moment ago vanished without a trace.
It wasn't just that they had disappeared from sight.
Their presence could no longer be felt anywhere in the Immortal Fortress, not just in this residential area.
[This… what is this…?]
Olivia, dumbfounded by the unexpected situation, looked around for a long time and finally had to accept the reality.
That they had really escaped from the Immortal Fortress.
[No… If I start searching now and bring them back… Huh?]
But right before she released the ghosts to track them down,
A sudden signal in her head made her stop and bow her head respectfully.
[You called, my King… I await your command…]
The Immortal King had personally visited and summoned her.
She had already finished all her other tasks and was waiting for him, as his scheduled visit was approaching.
She hadn't expected him to come at this exact moment, though.
[My… King… I have something to report…]
It would have been better if he had come after she had taken care of this situation.
But she couldn't just ignore this critical issue and not report it.
She braced herself for a harsh scolding and explained everything in detail, cautiously suggesting that she would immediately begin the pursuit.
[What? Yes… I understand… I will obey your command…]
But as if he had already anticipated everything, the Immortal King's reaction was nonchalant, making her nervous for nothing.
Olivia, giving up on trying to understand his intentions, dismissed the ghosts she had prepared and looked around the residential area one last time before disappearing.
And so, the Immortal Fortress's second residential area was enveloped in silence.
The two people, and then Olivia, had all vanished.
Only the battered Crown Prince Simon remained, lying alone on the garden floor.
______________________
A few hours after the commotion.
"Ugh— Damn it, my head…"
A crumpled figure on the ground writhed and slowly sat up, looking around.
But there was no one else in the deserted garden, only his battered self.
"Ugh— Those bastards! How dare they do this to me, the Crown Prince…!"
Remembering what had happened before he fainted, Simon gritted his teeth in anger.
That arrogant bastard, Hesperon, and Riley, who had looked down on him.
He could vividly imagine them laughing at him as they left.
"Ugh, could it be that I fell for a trap? What if they had set up a barrier around the area beforehand to humiliate me…?"
Unable to accept his defeat, he quickly came up with a plausible hypothesis.
And the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed!
At least to him, it was much more realistic than losing a fistfight to a mage.
"Yes, that's the only explanation! Those cowardly bastards tricked me…?"
He convinced himself and struggled to his feet, analyzing the situation and devising a countermeasure.
He was also a Crown Prince, one of the Empire's successors.
He might have lost his composure from the extreme stress, but he wasn't stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice.
'Alright, I'll admit defeat this time. But next time will be different.'
He wasn't going to just let this slide.
He had been too careless and underestimated them, but now that he was serious, he wouldn't fall for the same trick again.
'I'll have to recuperate for now and come up with a plan. They might be mages, but their level isn't that high, so there's a limit to how elaborate their traps can be. If I fight them properly, there's no way I can lose.'
The only thing he was worried about was Lilith returning before he could get his revenge, but there would be plenty of opportunities later.
He had plenty of time here.
Simon entered his lodging, washed up, and lay down on the bed.
They were probably celebrating their victory and laughing at him right now…
'Enjoy it while you can. Once I'm fully recovered, I'll show you true hell.'
He slowly drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the day he would make those two kneel before him.
Unfortunately, he still didn't know that he was the only one left in this residential area.
He would probably realize it much later.
By then, his plans for revenge would be meaningless…
But as they say, revenge is a dish best served cold. Maybe it was a meaningful experience for him.
"Ugh— Hehehe… You lowly bastards… I'll make you my slaves… Mmm…"
Maybe this sweet dream was the happiest moment of his life.
______________________
A few hours after the escape.
"Ugh— Damn it, my head…"
Riley opened her eyes wide and took a deep breath.
The aftereffects of the long-distance teleportation made her head spin, but that wasn't important right now.
"…Outside? You really did it… in that situation…?"
The blue sky with white clouds leisurely drifting by and the warm, bright sunlight.
The surroundings were filled with a variety of plants, not just a simple garden, and insects were buzzing around.
It was a scene of nature itself, something she hadn't seen in the artificial garden for almost two months.
She stared blankly at the scenery for a while, unable to do anything else.
"Cough—! Ugh—!"
Until she heard a rough cough from her arms.
"Heron! Are you okay?"
He had pushed himself to the limit in that crisis, and he coughed up even more blood before opening his eyes with difficulty.
"…Riley? Did we… escape…?"
"Yes! We did it, Heron! You're amazing…! No, just rest for now. I'll take care of the rest!"
She hurriedly stopped him from speaking and lifted his large body onto her back, using strengthening magic.
He had gone through so much to get them out of there, she couldn't just stand there and do nothing.
"Whew— Just in case, I'll move carefully. South."
It had been almost two months since the Fifth Princess and the Crown Prince of the Azeria Empire were kidnapped.
Finally, Riley escaped from the Immortal King's grasp and regained her freedom.
'Good, this is a satisfactory ending.'
With a satisfied smile from a certain director.