Ch.291Revolutionary Princess NPC. (6)

“Aang?! What the hell, did the castle gate just shatter?!!”

Inside the castle after the marquis had left, the high priest who had ordered the priests using holy power to enhance their bodies to push the gate backward onto the people’s heads shouted irritably in disbelief.

“…Before knights or those of comparable skill could cut through the gate with swords, multiple explosive sounds were heard as they momentarily pushed back and penetrated the falling gate. I presume.”

“You mean those guns, the cutting-edge weapons from IT? Don’t tell me that idiot Billion lost the weapons I ordered to be transported?! Wait, did those things always have cannon-level firepower?!!”

Since this wasn’t news to the high priest himself, he immediately spat out the information. The surrounding priests swallowed hard. After all, the contraband they had planned to use “against the entire continent” after this war had fallen into enemy hands. Moreover…

“…Isn’t that fucking great? If we just get those back, we won’t need the Imperial forces, right? We could just blast away at all the sacrifices with those things and steal their magical power too. If we spread rumors that those are demonic weapons, we could label even those so-called magical engineers as heretics in league with demons and finish them off…?”

Since they were planning to use all the barbarians on the continent as sacrifices anyway, so what? Aren’t I clever?! The priests merely bowed their heads as the high priest smiled proudly.

Among the high priests, this one had a particularly aggressive personality—a wild colt whose reins had been loosened here, though normally controlled by the highest priest who had infiltrated the Imperial center. But controlling or stopping this wasn’t their duty.

“Hehehe! Good. Then…”

“By Imperial decree!! Rescue the injured!! Protect our subjects!!! Forward!!!”

“””Forward!!!”””

When the gate had finished collapsing and debris had stopped falling on people’s heads, the high priest looked outside again as loud voices drowned out her own.

Huh? What’s that? Aren’t those the marquis’s troops? Imperial decree? Protecting subjects? What nonsense is this all of a sudden? Besides, weren’t they supposed to be annihilated?

“They, they weren’t completely annihilated. Most of the army was captured after being thoroughly defeated by the princess’s forces…”

“Ah, right. That idiot neglected to report… or did I kill him while he was speaking? No, even so, I heard they were slaughtered by the princess. Why are so many of them still alive with all limbs intact?”

Though no dead people are visible after the massive gate collapsed, there are quite a few insects writhing and bleeding on the ground. And other insects scurrying around supposedly rescuing them. Her expression twisted with increasing irritation at their actions.

“This is annoying. These vermin should just die underfoot. Such a bother… No, never mind. I don’t need to hold back anymore, right? I was only sent to deal with the marquis anyway. Right?”

As if she had been holding back much to begin with. The priests simply nodded in agreement and bowed their heads, swallowing their inner thoughts.

“Let’s go~ It’s time to deliver divine punishment to these barbaric rebels. And don’t forget to capture any pretty girls and bring them to me!!”

With the high priest’s cheerful voice, the priests of the Holy Nation began to move.

*

“Don’t bother identifying whether they’re revolutionaries or not!! Whoever they are, they’re all citizens we must protect!! Move them to safety and treat their wounds! Use potions immediately for those with serious injuries!!”

“””Yes, sir!!”””

At the command of Glaura, who had been the knight commander’s adjutant, soldiers and knights moved in perfect unison to transport and nurse the injured. The revolutionaries who had been standing dazed at the sight also began helping with the rescue efforts, albeit in a bewildered state. And then…

“…Your Highness. Did you persuade them like you did with me?”

“Hmm? Oh, rather than persuasion, I decided to give them a chance for atonement. Though they took the wrong path, they were also victims who were manipulated by corrupt nobles and their vassals.”

I didn’t persuade them with a drinking contest like I did with you. Huh? With a tilted head and adorable smile, the blue-haired woman began helping and directing people with a demeanor, voice, and lovely gestures that seemed more noble than anyone William, the revolutionary leader, had ever seen.

‘…Is this really the fugitive princess of rebellion with three children? If she had acted this way toward the revolutionaries instead of the marquis’s army, we might all have been swayed by her beauty and behavior.’

Unaware that they had been completely played in the palm of her hand, William wondered if there might still be hope for this country as he watched her extend a loving hand to the people with the bearing of royalty. And then.

‘Should I say “as expected”? I’m just smiling, talking to people, and telling others to provide treatment, but I keep feeling lighter. It really is easy to enhance skills this way.’

I neither confirm nor deny when people start calling me the Crown Princess on their own, just responding with a smiling face and pretending to share in their pain. If someone had died, I would have had to wear a sad face, but the people know I saved them, and thanks to the fact that no one died, I just need to maintain my smile. This is too easy, isn’t it?

So, while I pretend to care for people I seem to be meeting for the first time and wander around appropriately, Mac and Dolph slowly approach me.

“Ah, please give this person a potion. The wound isn’t deep, but it seems their head is slightly cut.”

“Yes!!”

“Oh, Your Highness. Thank you…!!”

“Hehe. No need to thank me. You are all citizens under my care. Rather, I’m sorry for involving you in this… this meaningless war.”

“”Ah, aah!!””

After facing the person in front of me with an expression of regret, guilt, and relief that they’re safe, I turn around and join Dolph and Mac, walking away from the crowd.

“Your Highness, as your servant, I hesitate to say this, but you’re being too…”

“Magnificent!”

“Right? Not many people died, and not many were injured either. Plus, it’s quite rare to see a royal personally tending to the citizens, isn’t it?”

I know what Dolph wants to say, but Mac jumps in first with praise, so I smile mischievously at both of them. Mac seems genuinely impressed by my actions, while Dolph looks concerned that I might be interacting too much with the citizens. Hmm, it’s not excessive, is it? I’m doing this because it’s necessary.

“Haah, ‘for what comes later,’ I’m sure Your Highness knows what you’re doing.”

“…Oh? You noticed that far ahead? That’s truly unexpected.”

“Hmm? What are you talking about? Later? Could there be some problem with Your Highness’s health…?”

“”It’s not that.””

“Ugh?!”

Mac seems to want to be in my inner circle, but it appears that the sharp-witted Dolph, who knows when to cut his losses, has started to understand me better as a person. At our sharp response, Mac droops with an ‘Ah, so there’s still something I don’t know…’ look, making me smirk. Either trying to hide his expression from others or finding Mac frustrating, Dolph places a hand on his brow and speaks seriously.

“As Your Highness thought, movement has been confirmed inside the castle.”

“To what extent?”

“We could confirm about 20 people from our position. However, it seems we only spotted those who destroyed the gate returning to the castle and those who came out to monitor from outside. There’s a possibility of more inside, according to reports.”

“…Tell everyone monitoring the castle to come back. They’ll all die if we’re not careful.”

“…Pardon?”

I told them to watch the castle and protect the revolutionaries and citizens, but did they go inside? Certainly, with the gate gone, it’s not strange to think that was within their range of action, but that’s a bad move.

“Don’t you get it? The revolutionaries and citizens have risen up in such numbers. Yet these people, who have enough military power to destroy a gate backward without siege engines rather than fleeing, wouldn’t have noticed eyes monitoring them up close?”

“…Ah!”

Hearing my words, Dolph immediately approached another covert operations unit member and gave orders. However.

“…Tsk. Too late.”

“Excuse me?”

Dolph, who had moved away, didn’t hear me, and only Mac, who remained by my side as a guard, caught my voice. And instead of explaining, I immediately drew both guns from my waist and began firing into the dark sky.

The citizens, who had just been in chaos from the collapsed gate, were startled again by the sudden explosive sounds and even screamed, but I continued firing into the sky without stopping. Eleven, twelve, thirteen, sixteen. Ugh, really!! How many people went in there?!

-Ratatatatang!! Ratatatatatatang!!!

“Twenty-eight. Damn, too many died.”

“W-what are you talking about?!”

Ignoring Mac’s question, I immediately pulled up my hood and then.

-Thudududuk!! Splat!! Dudududuk!!! Splat! Splat!! Thudududuk!!!

“””Kyaaaaaaah?!!”””

Though it’s a dark night, the red rain that begins to fall is clearly visible even by the surrounding torchlight. And between the drops, things that were once human intestines, heads, and eyeballs fall, beginning to stain the people red.

Unfortunately, some might have been killed by me, but it’s much better than having them fall on people’s heads like rocks. No one will die from being hit by a bit of blood, intestines, or an eyeball or two.

“Wow~! What was that? Was that a gun? Did you just shoot and kill all the people we threw from the sky with that weapon?”

“…It seems quite a few were already dead, weren’t they?”

“Ahahaha!! That’s right, actually, there weren’t enough of them to drop on your heads, so I cut them in half before throwing them down. But to shoot them all down like that—is it the weapon that’s amazing or the person using it?”

“Both, I would imagine. So, ‘priests of the Holy Nation,’ why have you appeared ‘killing our Imperial citizens’?”

At the collapsed entrance of the marquis’s castle, priests in white uniforms appear suddenly, led by a woman, holding stone staffs and spreading out widely as if surrounding the citizens and us. And then.

“Ahahah! Pretty girl! And a pretty voice too? But you know what, you’re a liar just like me. If you already know, why ask such a thing?”

“…I don’t know what you mean.”

-Click.

I too aim my sword and gun at them along with Dolph, Mac, and the covert operations unit members, and with a smile, I speak quietly so only she can hear.

“Obviously because I need justification to kill you all in front of the citizens, you fucking bitch.”

And immediately drowned out my voice with gunfire.