Side Story - Side Princess Iv, Part Three
In the royal capital, they're focusing attention on both the outside and inside. In the middle of this, they plan to attack the heart of the country, which is the king's castle. It might seem simple, but that's what makes it the most effective strategy.
However, there's no intention to praise or compliment.
If this guess is correct, then the situation wasn't good at all.
Just as my father said, this situation wasn't something that could be prepared for overnight. They should have prepared in advance and finished all the arrangements before taking action.
If that's the case, then the plan to attack the king's castle might already be in place──
And then, at that moment, I witnessed my father's eyes sharpening dramatically. His gaze pierced through a single point as if he had identified the prey to be harvested.
I suddenly snapped to attention and followed my father's gaze.
A group of influential figures had gathered in this place, and everyone wore a tense expression.
Amidst them, there was a noble who seemed strangely unsettled, constantly surveying the surroundings even though the king's eyes were upon him.
"...Father."
"Yes, I know."
My father motioned for the soldier guards who were standing by and whispered instructions with a slight gesture. I couldn't make out the details, but he must have told them to secure that noble.
Perhaps it was just a misunderstanding. If there were no issues, there was a possibility that it could backfire and cause distrust from that noble in the future. However, there was no time to fear those risks anymore.
Most likely, the situation had reached a point where there was no room for delay. It was more important to prevent the crisis of this moment before worrying about the risks that lay ahead. Sometimes, one must be prepared to take risks in order to obtain the assurance of 'nothing to worry about.'
The soldiers communicated without words, using silent gestures to coordinate their actions. They moved stealthily, determined to capture the suspicious noble without alerting anyone.
But suddenly, a new messenger burst into the scene.
"Excuse me! I have urgent news from the captain. He wants an immediate report!"
The messenger exclaimed, visibly out of breath, more so than any previous messengers. It must be an extremely important report.
──Even though my instincts warned me that something was amiss, he continued without pause, shouting his words.
"We have received information that a figure resembling a 'demon' has been spotted inside the royal capital! Furthermore, two dead 'demon' have been found as well!"
At the mention of the word 'demon,' everyone in the hall held their breath in shock.
Once upon a time, when the Demon King was sealed away, his demon followers were defeated by the Brave and their allies of that era. However, they couldn't destroy them all, and the survivors disappeared from the world's stage.
But now, they have reappeared.
He tried to be faithful to his duty, which in itself is commendable.
There's nothing to blame him for, except perhaps the unfortunate timing.
As tension rose among the leaders, the most surprised was the suspicious noble. His face turned pale, his eyes widened in shock.
At the same time, this alerted the soldiers who were moving to capture him.
What followed seemed like a whirlwind of events in slow motion.
The noble reached into his pocket and pulled something out. It looked like a blue gem, but I could tell at a glance that it was a 'magic stone' imbued with magic.
I quickly aimed my hand at him, ready to unleash my magic. However, there were other important figures around, and I didn't want to risk harming them. I hesitated just before casting the spell.
The soldiers who were closing in tried to stop his movement, but they were too late.
The nobleman raised his arm and forcefully slammed the magic stone he held onto the ground.
As the stone shattered, magic circles appeared on the ground. They emitted a brilliant glow and indiscriminately blew away everyone except the nobleman at their center.
"Flame Bolt!!"
This time, I unleashed a fiery ball of red-hot flames. Fortunately, thanks to the shockwave caused by the appearance of the magic circles, the nearby people were blown away, sparing them from harm. If I could destroy the magic circles before something else happened──
However, my hesitation earlier proved to be fatal.
The fireball I unleashed was stopped just before hitting the magic circles.
It was blocked by a magic barrier created by a being that appeared from the magic circles.
"Quite a rough welcome."
At first glance, the being seemed to have a 'human' shape, but was definitely not a 'human.' Blue skin and thin, sharp fangs protruded from the corner of the mouth.
Most notably, twisted horns grew from their head.
They perfectly matched the characteristics of the 'demon' I had heard about.
The demon glanced at me and the surroundings, then turned their gaze to the noble standing behind me.
"Hey, what's your intention here? The situation is quite different from what we planned."
"T-there's no other choice! Since the magic circles in the royal capital have been completely destroyed, I had to do this!"
In a conversation between a demon and a noble, the nobleman's fears were proven to be true.
It turned out that there was a traitor within the royal capital, and he was hiding in a position close to the center.
And to make matters worse, the identity of the mastermind behind it all was revealed to be the demon.
"...Well, I suppose it's not a bad situation if I consider that the defense of the castle has been directed outward."
The demon sighed and shook their head, trying to regain their composure as they faced my father.
"Nice to meet you, the king of this country. My name is Nils. I am a loyal servant of the esteemed Demon King. From now on, consider us acquainted."
They said, displaying a courteous attitude that would be commendable under different circumstances. However, it was too unsettling to simply praise them.
"Well, thank you for your politeness. If possible, I would prefer if you just left."
My father responded with a casual tone, but I could sense the strong tension behind his voice.
"No, it can't be like that. We're about to celebrate the Demon King's revival with a fun show. I want you to stay until the end."
Saying this, the demon raised their hand.
"Stop!!"
The king sharply exclaimed, and the soldiers who had surrounded the demon without anyone noticing suddenly sprang into action. While the elders were stunned by the appearance of the demon, the soldiers acted immediately. Their ability to act decisively even in emergencies must have been the result of their rigorous training.
However, before the soldiers' swords could reach, the demon's fingers made a faint sound that echoed through the hall.
As the magic circles he conjured shone, numerous monsters appeared. They moved in a coordinated manner, dancing in front of the soldiers, and all the swords that were supposed to reach the demon were completely blocked.
One of the magic circles summoned it. The bird-shaped monster landed on the demon's shoulder. When the demon stroked its feathers, the bird-shaped monster soared again and perched near the ceiling of the hall without attacking anyone.
"That monster is a specially trained creature by me. It has the ability to use a special magic that projects its sight to another location."
The demon boasted proudly, with a cruel smile on their face.
"The 'tragedy' that will unfold in this place will be fully conveyed to the royal capital. The king and his daughter will be brutally killed, and the country will deeply mourn their loss. I shall make it the celebration of the Demon King's resurrection."
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