The Empire’s Princess (5)

The Knight Commander’s armor was now shattered pieces littering the floor, and the Head Maid’s perfect uniform was torn. The Court Wizard’s staff no longer held any magic, reduced to a mere wooden stick.

“Hero-nim. You’re amazing, as expected.”

“We’re amazing, you mean.”

At my words, Seraphin’s violet eyes filled with joy. Her wings shone even more brilliantly.

Iris remained silent for a while, then slowly opened her mouth.

“It was my miscalculation.”

Her crimson eyes wavered.

“Even though I know the Hero well… my preparation was insufficient.”

Her hand, clutching the hem of her wedding dress, trembled slightly. But soon, the cold smile unique to the Leonhardt family returned.

“But do you think it will end with just this? If there was a setback in the plan, I just need to fix it.”

Kung-!

The doors opened, and heavily armed Imperial Guards filled the hall. Knights in silver armor advanced in neat formations.

“Knight Commander, what’s the situation?”

Iris asked calmly.

“Three squads are on standby. The Court Wizard Division and the Maid Knight Division are also ready.”

The Knight Commander rose and reported.

Magic swirled at the tips of the Court Wizards’ staffs as they deployed magic circles, and the Maid Knight Division, who had been attending the ceremony, drew their weapons.

The situation was serious. As strong as Seraphin and I were, there were too many of them. Numbers aside, I wasn’t confident I could handle even the regular soldiers.

“Hero-nim.”

Seraphin’s voice echoed in my ear. Her attitude was very relaxed.

“You don’t need to worry. Because I… have already prepared something.”

Doong- doong- doong-

Footsteps echoed from outside the cathedral. The sound of orderly marching grew closer.

“The Order!”

Iris’s eyes narrowed.

“I contacted them in advance.”

Seraphin said calmly. Behind her, Holy Knights lined up. Their pure white armor reflected the holy light.

“The Goddess’s judgment descends.”

With a deep voice, the Order of Holy Knights appeared. Their pure white armor shone in unison, reflecting the holy light.

The Imperial soldiers buzzed with chatter. And for good reason, the Order of Holy Knights was a force equal to the Imperial Knights.

“That’s not all. The Goddess’s Apostles are here as well.”

The Commander of the Holy Knights knelt and spoke. Behind him, Apostles in sacred vestments appeared.

In an instant, the two forces were in tense opposition.

The wedding hall was divided by two powers. On one side were the Empire’s elites, and on the other, the Order’s holy warriors.

‘This… this has become a bigger deal than I thought?’

Amidst the standoff between the two forces, cold sweat ran down my back. I tried to escape from my party member’s obsession, but now I was caught between the Empire and the Order.

Seraphin’s hand gripped mine tightly.

“Now… no one can separate us.”

I sighed inwardly. I helped her because of the camaraderie built over five years with Seraphin, but if it turned out like this…

‘This is troublesome.’

If the Saint wins, I’ll be dragged to the Order, and if Iris wins, the wedding will be forced through.

“Hoo…”

A deep sigh escaped my lips. I tried to escape from my party member’s obsession, but now I was stuck in the middle of two forces.

With the power of the Empire and the Order in perfect balance, I fell into contemplation.

No matter which side wins, my freedom seems to be over. What should I do now?

“Everyone is watching. The moment the Goddess’s will is fulfilled.”

Seraphin’s voice was filled with confidence. Her violet eyes shone like moonlight, and her eight wings fluttered with the joy of victory.

“Finally… the day our destiny is completed.”

As the Empire’s Imperial Guards and the Order’s Holy Knights glared at each other, I racked my brain for a way to escape this situation.

‘Running out alone is blocked… and if I oppose the Order, Seraphin’s buff will be cut off…’

Then I met Iris’s eyes. A strange light flickered in her crimson eyes.

‘Wait… that look…’

Others might not understand, but for us, who had always used and been used by each other, this was enough.

“Haa… this time… I lost. I admit it.”

Iris let out a small sigh.

“Rather than clumsily trying to possess him… it would be better to aim for the next time.”

“Just a moment!”

Seraphin interjected sharply. Her wings trembled with tension.

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m saying I’ll give you one day for now.”

“Who decided you could let Hero-nim go? I won’t allow it!”

Seraphin’s voice rose. Her pure white wings trembled with tension.

It was at that moment. A small gap appeared in Head Maid Eva’s formation. Others might not have noticed, but her movements were too unnatural.

‘As expected… Iris.’

The gap was in a straight line with the location of the secret passage she had told me about before. It was too perfect a location to be a coincidence.

There was no time to hesitate. Gripping the Holy Sword, I ran towards the gap.

“Hero-nim?!”

Seraphin’s surprised voice was heard. Her wings fluttered.

“Catch him!”

The Holy Knights moved. But the Imperial soldiers immediately blocked their path.

“You can’t act as you please in front of me.”

Iris’s cold voice echoed.

Running down the hallway, I pressed a specific point on the wall. With a cheolkeong- sound, the secret passage opened.

“Hero-nim! Where are you going…? Are you leaving me again?”

Seraphin’s desperate cry was heard. I’m sorry, but this is the best I can do.

I jumped into the passage and looked back. Iris gave a cold smile and waved lightly.

“Everyone, step back. You don’t really want to create a problem between the Order and the Empire, do you?”

Her authoritative command echoed behind me as I ran into the darkness.

“Hero-nim… where are you going? We are… destined…”

Seraphin’s desperate voice was heard, but thanks to the Imperial Army’s obstruction, she wouldn’t be able to follow easily.

‘Where do I go now?’

I thought as I ran. The Empire and the Order were definitely out of the question.

‘Sorry, Seraphin.’

The noise behind me faded into the distance. I ran through the darkness, searching for a new escape.

Where should I run to now, and how long will this escape last… I couldn’t see the end.

The noise of the cathedral faded away, and I caught my breath in the darkness of the secret passage. I barely… barely escaped.

I sighed. This wasn’t the end.

I hadn’t solved the problem, just postponed it.

I knew very well that I would never be able to escape their obsession if things continued like this.

“I have to become stronger on my own.”

I muttered quietly. Enough to assert my will, enough to stand on my own without anyone’s help.

Without the dragon’s magic, the elf’s spirits, or the saint’s blessing… only with my own strength.

‘To do that…’

Calculations ran through my head. Hidden dungeons, forgotten artifacts, hidden manuals… everything I saw in the original work flashed by.

Suddenly, a strange thought came to mind.

‘Wait…’

The Wizard Division was confronting the Order in the cathedral, and the Imperial Guards were there too. Even the princess’s personal guard, the Maid Knight Division…

“Then what about the Imperial Treasury? Who’s guarding the treasury?”

A smile spread across my face. This was an opportunity.

The treasury had what I was looking for. Magic materials, ancient manuals, legendary equipment… things I had only seen in the game were actually stored there.

‘If I can just raid that…’

My plan would be advanced by several stages. The time it would take to gain the power to stand against my party members would be shortened by that much.

I turned around. A staircase leading deep underground came into view.

‘Just this once…’

I felt a pang of conscience, but this was a necessary choice. With the usually strict security almost gone, this kind of opportunity wouldn’t come again.

I’ll definitely pay it back later… let’s think of it as borrowing.

I went down the stairs in the darkness.

It was as expected. The usually strict security was almost gone. The few remaining guards were yawning and sighing.

‘Sorry, but…’

I lightly struck the back of their necks from behind. The guards collapsed without making a sound.

I entered the treasury. More important than gold and jewels were the magic items.

‘That’s strange…’

A place with top-tier treasures like this… should have ancient magic barriers. Countless thieves had tried to raid this place and failed.

Magic circles that detect magic power, runes of curses that suck the souls of intruders, traps that teleport you to prison…

But right now, I couldn’t feel any magical energy.

‘What about the mechanical traps?’

I carefully examined the floor. If you stepped even one foot wrong, the floor should collapse, or poison needles should fly out, or the walls should move.

‘This is strange… too strange.’

All the dangerous devices in my original knowledge were nowhere to be seen. It was as if…

‘As if someone had disarmed them all?’

Nyang- nyang- nyang-

The sudden sound of a cat meowing froze my entire body. My heart pounded. Slowly, very slowly, I turned my head towards the sound.

“Ugh… Haru-nyang?”

Nia, hanging upside down with her whole body tied up with black threads on the ceiling. Her golden eyes sparkled.

“I finally found you-nyang!”

Her black ears fluttered with joy. Her expression was as bright as if she had met a savior.

“Nia? Why are you here…”

“Well… I came because I wanted the treasure, but I got caught in a strange trap-nya… Why is there a silvervine fruit on top of the trap-nyang…?”

“You got caught in such a trivial trap?”

Her cheeks flushed as if she was embarrassed.

Well, the Empire knows that the legendary master thief is a cat beastkin, so they must have prepared for it.

“Ugh… don’t say that-nya! Haru-nyang came to steal treasure too, right-nyang!”

“I came to borrow it? I’m going to return it later.”

“What kind of bullshit is that-nyang?”

Nia looked at me as if I was ridiculous. Well, the concept of ‘borrowing’ would be unfamiliar to a thief.

“More than that, Nia, by any chance…”

“Eung-nyang?”

“Besides the trap you got caught in… are there any other traps?”

Nia’s expression changed subtly. Her black tail twitched slightly.

“Nia disarmed them all-nya! You can praise me-nya!”

So that’s why it was so sloppy.

The question I had until now was resolved. That was the reason why all the traps had been disarmed.

‘She came to chase me, but she raided the treasury first? She’s really a cat burglar.’

“Haru-nyang… can you help me-nyang?”

Her black ears drooped as she pleaded for help.

If I save Nia, the cat’s obsession will start again, what should I do….