Ch.290Revolutionary Princess NPC. (5)

The priestess from the Church State, who was about to depart from the marquis’s castle, couldn’t hide her bewilderment at the scene unfolding before the balcony.

“What is that?”

“…It’s the revolutionary army.”

“And the marquis?”

“…It seems he was completely defeated by the sudden appearance of the princess.”

“…Didn’t you say you didn’t even know if the princess was here, hiding, or what? And such a person had an army?”

“…According to our spies, it appears that most of the prime minister’s covert operatives who were pursuing the princess have defected to her side…”

“Haha! Truly, both the prime minister and you lot are useless!”

When anger becomes too intense, laughter emerges. It was a fact she had long known, but the idea that useless subordinates and some barbarian country’s princess could anger her to this extent was something she didn’t want to understand or even think about. She put on her priestly robes properly and immediately headed toward the corridor.

“The, the marquis seems to have already begun to flee…”

“Did I ask about that? Do you think I care whether that ugly, useless pig lives or dies?”

“Th-then, shall we prepare to escape as w-…?!!”

-SMACK!!!

“Just what are you babbling about?”

Stopping in her tracks as she entered the corridor, the high priestess grabbed the mouth of the priestess who had been reporting behind her, lifting her up forcefully. With piercing eyes, she tilted her head in confusion.

She genuinely couldn’t understand. Escape? Me? Because of whom? Run away from a princess who’s merely butchering one of her country’s pigs thanks to a [Skill]? What is this? Does she not know who I am?

“Guh, guh…! I’m, I’m sorr…”

“Ah, I see!”

Looking back toward the room she had just left, she could see that the “woman” who had been in bed with her until recently was now sprawled out like dried fish jerky. Perhaps that had been the priestess who had served by her side the longest. Oh dear, what a mistake. She had eaten her simply because she looked “delicious.” Sigh.

“Never mind. What’s done is done. And you too.”

-CRACK!!!

“Guhh… p-please spare m…”

“You’re nothing but a ‘sacrifice’ about to pass. Don’t bother apologizing.”

She used her “divine power” on the priestess she was holding. Like the woman on the bed, the priestess began to wither and twist, trembling violently, and then…

-POOF!

“Indeed, those who can’t do their job properly don’t taste good either.”

She withered completely and turned to powder, scattering on the floor. The high priestess stepped lightly on the powder remains of the dead priestess and began speaking to the empty air.

“I’ll choose my own assistant later. For now, let’s begin harvesting the sacrifices outside. And some of you, go after the escaped pig and butcher him. It doesn’t matter if you just kill him, but the knights and maids guarding him had quite a bit of magical power. Collect it properly.”

“””Yes.”””

She had planned to slaughter as many humans as possible from the beginning, but thanks to the princess with her skill making things bigger, it seemed she could harvest more sacrifices than initially expected. To think of escaping at a time like this—should she just kill all the other trash assistants after this is over? The priestess stretched lightly as she pondered, but eventually shook her head.

“I’ll need people to pull my carriage and serve as attendants when I return to the Church State. Let’s leave them be until then. And…”

Countless torches visible below the corridor window. If all those were “sacrifices”…

“…Oh? Then couldn’t I just devour this entire domain?”

She could say the marquis was killed by the princess with her skill, and the people and army were massacred by revolutionaries. Then she would consume all these traitors. Thinking she had come up with quite a good idea, the priestess moved forward with a much lighter step.

*

“Marquis Hurk, step down!!!”

“”Step down!!””

“Return our families you forcibly conscripted!!”

“”””Return them!!!”””

“The imperial will is with us!! Divine punishment to the nobles who commit atrocities!!”

“””Divine punishment!!!”””

Thanks to Princess Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman taking the lead, the revolutionary army, now joined by citizens who had previously remained neutral observers, had grown into a truly formidable force.

“…Spread the word to the surrounding units. The cornered rat will soon make its move.”

“Against these forces? Even with the entire domain turning against him and his army annihilated. Will he really appear?”

“…Mac. You obey His Highness’s orders without question, yet you always question my words when I relay them?”

“Dolph, well… I don’t particularly mean anything by it, but you were someone who tried to assassinate His Highness after all.”

“…And you’re saying this?”

“The order doesn’t matter. I, who wandered without a true lord to pledge loyalty to, died by his hand and was reborn at his side.”

Above all, I was only trying to kidnap, not assassinate, Mac added as he responded curtly, but still began relaying orders to the surrounding units. Could it be? Is this guy jealous of me? He couldn’t possibly have such feelings for the princess, could he?

“Mac, let me tell you something. His Highness already has someone in mind. Unlike the person His Highness used to be, you shouldn’t imagine you could defy and snatch—”

“What? What are you talking about? If you’re referring to the Imperial Crown Princess’s consort, I’ve heard about it often. Do you think I would have such a crazy idea?”

“…Good, that’s fine… Wait, who’s the Imperial Crown Princess?”

She specifically asked us not to call her princess or imperial princess if possible. Imperial Crown Princess? For someone who hasn’t even received the emperor’s recognition and couldn’t be called an imperial princess, such a title would be nothing but mockery…

“I wasn’t the first to say it. Look there.”

“Huh?”

“By our side stands the Imperial Crown Princess!! Ragni Bluemoon Ottoman, the Imperial Crown Princess who punishes corrupt nobles!!!”

“Long live the Imperial Crown Princess!!!”

“””Long live!! Long live!!! Long live!!!”””

In front of the marquis’s castle gate, the people who hadn’t yet begun attacking with weapons but were already celebrating as if victorious started cheering in the name of our lord.

‘…I see. From the people’s perspective, with an imperial daughter by their side, calling her a princess would seem strange. As a result, someone with limited knowledge tried to correct it to imperial princess, and wanting to emphasize that the person with them represents the ‘true imperial emperor’s’ will, they started shouting like that.’

A princess abandoned by the emperor, the imperial family, and the empire, has now been elevated beyond imperial princess to be called Imperial Crown Princess by the people. I hope our lord doesn’t see this bitter scene…

“Isn’t it wonderful? Even if abandoned by the imperial family and the country, with just one deed she’s done here, the people have recognized her as their ‘lord.'”

“…What?”

Slightly startled by Mac’s sudden words, I looked at him to see him watching the revolutionaries’ cheers with a pleased smile, his lips curled upward. What? Did I speak aloud?

“You didn’t speak aloud. I just thought you seemed to be looking at them with a concerned gaze.”

“…Stop trying to imitate our lord. If you claim to be his knight, such behavior lacks sincerity.”

I wasn’t imitating anyone. Your expression was just too obvious, Dolph. After saying that, Mac joined the surrounding people in cheering once, then turned back to me and spoke again.

“Without a ruler, a country cannot function properly, but without people, a country cannot even manage its own destruction. Therefore, the lord we’ve found is certainly the right master to run this country properly and prevent its downfall.”

Look at this. After deciding to play the ‘hero’ once, she’s gained this much popularity with barely any casualties? The man seemed inexplicably delighted.

Hmm, I must tell our lord later. This guy doesn’t even doubt that Her Highness will become an ’empress’!

As someone who has roughly guessed what she desires, I know this man’s wish cannot come true. However…

“…I never thought I’d live to see a lord adored by the people.”

The scene before me, with people exalting Her Highness’s name and cheering, certainly doesn’t feel bad. Just as I was about to join the surrounding people and cheer once for our lord’s happiness…

-SCREECH! SCREEEECH!!!

“”Aaaaah?!””

“”Kyaaah?!!””

The marquis’s castle’s massive gate began to open—in the ‘outward direction’ toward the people. No, it’s clearly opening in the reverse direction, what kind of castle gate…?!

-CLANG!!!

“Waaah?!! Re-retreat!!!”

“Retreat!!! Be careful not to trample those behind you!!!”

“Ah! Ah?!! The, the gate!!”

As sounds like hinges being forcibly twisted echoed and the gate opened backward, causing the people to panic, someone raised a finger pointing at the gate, and screams began to spread.

“The, the gate!! The gate is falling!!!”

“””Kyaaaah?!!”””

Of course, there couldn’t be a gate that opens backward!! The massive door, its hinges clearly forcibly torn off, began to fall like it would crush the people below, and I broke away from the crowd and kicked off a nearby stone wall, rushing toward the falling gate.

“Kuh!! Can we do it?!!”

“We must!! Those were our orders!!!”

Not just Mac but other unit members had already jumped beside me, pointing their swords toward the gate, and we swung our blades at the thick door, uncertain if it would work…

“Cut it to pieces!! Don’t let it fall on my people’s heads!!!”

-BANG! BANG BANG BANG!! BANG!!! CRACK!!!

“Now!! Cut it!!!”

-SWISH SWISH SWISH!!!

Our lord’s voice rang out, followed by multiple explosive sounds that left the wooden gate riddled with holes as if bombarded. Following those shattered lines, we reduced the massive gate to wooden fragments. And then…

“Re-revolutionaries!!! Protect the people!!!”

“”Uwaaaaa!!!””

The revolutionary members below either caught the falling debris with their bodies or swung their weapons to shatter pieces falling toward the people who were sitting or unable to move with their heads down. Casualties?!

“Quite a few. Should we move our troops?!”

“No, for now…!”

“‘Imperial Army!!!’ Attention!!!”

While Mac was asking me how to respond as people groaned from being hit or trapped by debris we couldn’t completely block, a familiar voice we knew all too well called us the ‘Imperial Army,’ which confused us, but we looked in that direction anyway.

“Prioritize rescuing injured citizens!! Everyone forward!!!”

-THUD!

“By imperial command!! Rescue the injured and protect our people!!! Forward!!!”

“””Forward!!!”””

The soldiers and knights who had just been defeated by us in back alleys, despite their ragged appearance, thrust their spears into the ground with spirit and moved according to our lord’s orders. Mac and I couldn’t help but laugh wryly at the sight.