Chapter 83 (1/2)

Chapter 8. I came to end it all. (3)

I was in a world of pain.

Who the h.e.l.l made me like this in the first place? I can't use any energy, no G.o.d's or demon's blessings or curses work on me, but strangely enough, the pain of the bat could still be felt. So in the end, all men were equal under the bat?!

No, in any case.

”How did you… find out about this place?”

I barely managed to stand up, and say this. The princess maintained her evil smile, and spoke.

”I bought it from the dwarves? They said you didn't pay enough for them to keep their mouths shut, so I bought it.”

”…Is that so.”

d.a.m.n traitors! Did they even know how much money I threw at them till now? Couldn't they do me a little favor after all this time? I was a VVIP to them, d.a.m.n it! But then again, it is true that I haven't paid them to keep their mouths shut, so I'll just leave that be. In any case.

[Let's get myself prepared first.]

I could only see the princess in front of me, but there probably were hidden fighters lurking in the shadows. Plus, the princess herself was a skilled fighter. The best of the best, in fact. Fighting with a.s.sa.s.sins all this time had sharpened her skills like no other. It wasn't like I couldn't subdue her, but at this point where my best weapon turned into my most dreaded one, I could only use my own weapon of destruction.

But.

-Hey hey. By the way~ no matter how useful I am, no matter how much mana I can gather on my own, no matter how much like a legendary weapon I am…

[…What are you trying to say here?]

-Didn't you use me like, a lot? Ever since we came out of the organization?

[…The point is?]

-Pii! No energy left! I can still fight, but no magic! You're f.u.c.ked! Big time!

I got the world's worst response ever. Well, it is true that I used her mana up like no other the past year… So this should be obvious… but… why now?!

”Oh my, I haven't seem a surprised face of yours in a while? Mm… did you like my surprise that much?”

”You seem to have a lot of free time nowadays.”

”Pft, the only time I'd have free time would be when the empire disappears. I'm pretty tired, you know? Especially with all the infighting in the family?”

The princess was clearly enjoying this.

-Can't you just capture her as hostage? I can still hit, you know?

[I'm telling you, I'd die before that.]

According to the empire's creation story, the imperial family had the blessings of a dragon running in their blood. Because of this, every member in the imperial family had enormous strength within their body. Right now, the key members who showed this blessing in full effect were the princess and the third prince.

No, actually, even the third prince pales in comparison to the princess. I can't beat her like this.

”Mr. Aast!”

I can even hear Lia's angered voice behind me. d.a.m.n it, d.a.m.n it. There's no way to get out…

”You can't escape! Just give up!”

”Oh, dear Lia. Don't tease him too much… who knows? Maybe he might have a way.”

My spine s.h.i.+vered when I the smile that just tempted me to try and run, but the one who actually got scared was Lia.

”Y-your majesty… You're being quite scary, so would you please restrain your smile a bit?”

”Hohoho, don't be so scared. I'm just happy.”

Lia's group began to tremble when the princess widened her smile. Ah, that smile. It resembles the smile she had when she jailed one of the n.o.bles who stared at her pervertedly.

”Are you that confident?”

I tried saying something. I just needed to get some time. More time to think is good. And Lia, as a person who just enjoys talking in general, might throw me a clue.

”Of course we are! Even now, you are completely surrounded by her majesty and her shadow knights!”

As expected, Lia immediately began to talk with pride. For now… the princess was 15 meters in front of me. Behind me by twenty meters were… Lia and her group of knights, who numbered about… twenty.

”We cleared out all of your traps in this pa.s.sage as well. Plus!”

There were probably less people behind me than in front of me. Going back would probably be for the best. But the princess probably expected me to do that. And right now, when the bat couldn't make use of its power, it'd be difficult for me to escape fast enough.

”I even installed an energy-restricting device you developed, Mr. Aast, so that you wouldn't be able to use any of your strength…”

The princess and I both responded to that statement simultaneously.

”Thanks!” ”The h.e.l.l?!”

The princess immediately swung her bat my way. But.

Clang!

-Huahaha! It's still too early for you to be challenging your elder sister!

The steel bat shouted in pride. No, before that. The wooden bat should be the elder sister in this equation?

”Catch him!”