Chapter: 11
The incident came to a close with the appearance of Commander Izuri.
Not only was the leader completely wiped out, but the remaining lackeys were also eliminated. Alexander and Rayhem were reportedly rescued as well.
‘The captain set aside everything else and was only focused on us, so we barely kept our lives… what a relief.’
Reclining in the VIP bed, I could happily await the day of my audience with the Emperor.
Had we sacrificed them and solely accepted the credit, it would have been incredibly unsettling.
Though there weren’t no victims at all, this world wasn’t kind enough for me to stress over each one.
‘···Shall we sort out the situation first?’
This princess’s runaway incident had brought many changes.
First off, this.
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Thanks to the Value Explosion, a new passive had emerged.
Should I think of it as this passive having been secretly activated at 100% in the game?
‘With this, it might be worth considering self-destruction combos with my allies.’
Next, my identity was outed to the imperial family. Since the Knight Commander witnessed it, it was only natural for the Emperor and his close aides to have been informed.
However, out of gratitude, I wasn’t punished. Rather···
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(Equip Level: 1)”
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I received a new robe as a gift.
Whether it was due to feeling sorry for me being bare or because Maria had asked, the Knight Commander personally draped a blanket over me.
Just look at the gesture of goodwill behind these gifts. Anyone might think I had already met the Emperor.
“Eat some snacks too, oppa. Ah.”
“I’ll politely decline. As you can see, I’ve got no mouth.”
Aside from the Emperor’s reward, the Imperial Craftsman decided to create a special doll for Maria.
He also said he would repair the special items that were damaged during the quest. Thinking this was a chance, I tactfully left all five of them with him.
What I broke was undeniably during the ‘quest’ to subdue sparrows, right? Maria, who had learned negotiation skills, gave me a sparkling look.
“Couldn’t it taste good if you put it in the straw?”
“Maria. To taste something, you need taste buds.”
I usually walked around with a sickle and a hammer stuck in my head. Did you think I was some kind of lunatic who licked blades and giggled?
I’ve heard that taste receptors exist in the testicles, but the imagination of children is truly boundless.
“Oppa, your body is made of wood, so it hurts.”
‘···Is that so?’
In this game-fantasy world, I’d been too scientific and rational in my judgments. Here, the saintess even treats baldness.
Maybe thinking my silence meant she was convinced, Maria genuinely tried to shove candy in my head.
I completely understand her dear intention to share something delicious, but please hold back.
“But I’m not a tree anymore, you know?”
“That’s right. I forgot, Maria.”
Exactly. Upon being promoted to a combat scarecrow, my stats had increased, I had arms, and my body transformed into metal.
Now, I play the roles of the Scarecrow, the Lion (which has a mane similar to straw), and the Tin Woodman (both plants and wood are essentially the same). If I could just get Maria to wear magic shoes, wouldn’t I be able to return home?
‘What in the world…?’
A chuckle escaped me as I grabbed a random pillow lying around and plopped it over Maria’s face. It was so big it covered everything but the back of her head.
“Ugh. What the heck.”
Once I untied her, the timid revenge naturally ensued in a flurry of thump thump thump—a comical act that didn’t even lose a single HP.
Thud thud thud—awwk!
No, now that it was made of metal, the sound was quite different.
“Maria, shall we have a pillow fight?”
“A pillow fight?”
“It’s when we both hold pillows and playfully smack each other.”
“Yeah! Maria wants to do it.”
Maria gently picked up one pillow.
“Okay, then let’s…”
And she rummaged through the sofa and cupboard to pull out eleven pillows, lifting them up with mana thread.
“Wha…?”
Wham! Puff!
Puff-puff—Boom!
Pillows were flying in from twelve different directions simultaneously. Even if I tried to block them with both hands, ten points of entry were wide open.
Rags flew everywhere, transforming the space into utter chaos.
“M, Maria! This is cheating! Let’s face off one-on-one…!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Maria is definitely all by herself. No cheating!”
“Hi! How’s everyone? I’m here to visit!”
“Ryona! It’s really rude to barge in without knocking… what on earth is happening…?”
Fortunately, the scene of the scarecrow’s assault was quickly swept under the rug with the arrival of the princesses.
A maid passing by would have no choice but to clean up the straw scattered all over the floor.
*
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Princess Lilith Pe Dorricon, the first princess of the Philia Empire. I truly appreciate you looking after my younger brother.”
“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”
“Likewise.”
Despite witnessing such a chaotic scene, Princess Lilith greeted me with grace, showing no signs of discomfort.
With golden hair and eyes, her appearance resembled that of Princess Ryona but embodied the refined education and experience of the royal family.
Unlike her younger sister, she was composed and exuded elegance. I hope Maria grows up to be like that as well.
“Haa… When I heard our lovely Ryona ran away from the academy, my heart almost dropped… I couldn’t eat or sleep for days…”
“Ugh! Sister, get off me… I can’t breathe!!”
“How can you grow so quickly every day? Ryona, can’t you stop growing here? Please stay my little Ryona forever…!!”
“What are you touching, sister?!! Everyone’s watching!!!”
“Oh my. Does that mean I can touch whenever nobody is looking? This older sister is thrilled! ♥︎”
Forget I said that. I momentarily forgot who they were descendants of.
It’s an established fact that perverts with etiquette and power are the most dangerous.
“Ah! Come to your senses. I made a blunder in front of our esteemed guests. Shall we take a seat?”
It wasn’t a faux pas; it was like having someone with a sister similarly to how my sister acts. I managed to hold back that thought and took a seat at the table.
When I noticed the maids setting up snacks and tea, their calm and serene expressions indicated this was likely their usual demeanor.
Seeing the Fedoricon family, who truly lived up to their reputation, offered me an unusual sense of relief. It’s better than having family members tear each other apart in power struggles.
“Ryona. There’s something I would like to discuss with the adults, so why don’t you go play with your friends outdoors for a bit? It won’t take long.”
“Alright, sister. Let’s go, Maria.”
“Yup.”
“Oh, wait. Speaking of which, Maria, you lied and said you were nine years old, didn’t you??”
“Gasp.”
I waved goodbye to the girls as they exited the room.
Then, all the maids followed suit, leaving only the First Princess and me in the chamber.
‘What kind of conversation is she going to have?’
I tried to gauge Princess Lilith’s mood in an attempt to deduce her intentions. The most probable topic would be regarding my identity—being classified as a puppet and a demon.
While Ryona seemed indifferent to the matter, the situation would be different for her, as she cared deeply for her younger brother.
With embedded values and experiences, one cannot help but be cautious—even towards one’s benefactor.
“Dear child.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Since this incident, our Ryona has been playing some rather dark games with her dolls. Do you have any idea why she might be doing that…?”
“···N, no??”
In a moment of panic, I responded without any manners to the question.
I was about to pull myself together to respond, but I found myself once again speechless when she revealed a doll with limbs and head systematically removed.
“Even other adventurers and Rayhem say they have no idea… I couldn’t ask her directly for fear of bringing up painful memories…”
“Oh, I see…”
If she asked me directly, I could indeed guess some reasons.
“Die! Die! You enemy of Rayhem! Scream in pain! More!”
“···.”
“Ah… Revenge, making others suffer, how enjoyable it is… Keep an eye on me, Rayhem!”
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I can only speculate. There’s fundamentally no other reason that accounts for this behavior.
Here, I only had one thing to communicate to Princess Lilith.
“I’m sorry. I have no idea, at all…”
“Oh, is that so…”
What can be done? I have to deny any knowledge. And truthfully speaking, this is not my fault.
The blood that runs through the Fedoricon family has ingrained characteristics that yield a certain dominant personality. It’s an inherent nature that would have surfaced at some point regardless of my involvement.
From the very beginning, I held feelings for my sister that transcended sibling affection; who’s there to demand judgment?
‘···I guess I don’t have to worry about getting caught. It seems like there’s no need to inquire directly with the involved party.’
“Understood. Again, I sincerely thank you for rescuing my younger brother.”
The brief tea party wrapped up with one secret that would be carried to the grave.
Aside from Lilith’s small incident of a jealous glance upon seeing Maria hug Ryona, that day passed quite quietly.
*
“Maria, did you ask the Princess well?”
“Yeah, I asked.”
On the night before the audience with the Emperor, we built a secret base out of blankets to meet discreetly.
I had previously asked Maria to inquire about what the Emperor was like when she met Ryona.
While it was like using a daughter to find out about her father, it’s not like we’re just visiting a friend’s dad. This level of preparation is absolutely essential.
“He was a gentleman, unbound by rigid formalities. He frequently donates to orphanages and children’s hospitals.”
“Is that so…?”
An assessment that remarkably matched the Emperor’s image from a century ago. This gave me certainty and determination.
“Maria. While you’re at the palace, stick closely to me, okay?”
“Yup. The seat beside oppa is reserved for Maria.”
So we decided to keep the Emperor and Maria apart wherever possible.
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