Chapter Five : beside the strongest shield, always stands the strongest spear.
“Heh… That butler is a real monster…”
Pressing my left arm, which had suffered necrosis due to the pseudo-contract with etoile’s key, I cursed in an alley away from the magic museum.
The plan was perfect. Despite some unexpected interruptions, it was mostly going smoothly. I obtained etoile’s key, sacrificed my left arm to activate the unique ability through the pseudo-contract, and successfully connected with the Amplification Gem. The enormous black sphere floating in the sky above the imperial capital, Mifras, should be transmitting the ‘Discord’ of etoile’s key throughout the entire city.
If nothing goes wrong, many lives will disappear from this world within the next two hours. My long-cherished wish for revenge will finally be fulfilled.
But…
“Surely, it won’t be that easy.”
In my mind, I saw the butler and the princess.
Roth alone, with the Sixth heaven Key, possessing an absolute defense magic, is already a formidable opponent. And on top of that, the Imperial Princess Krell Carreralonde, also known as the strongest in the world. I never imagined it would turn out like this. I sent the notice in advance to enter the ‘Key Chamber’ during the hours when there are no visitors, so only the director could enter at night… but it totally backfired. I never thought it would attract a jinx, really bad luck. The assassination attempt also failed and enraged Roth.
Those two will undoubtedly head to destroy the black sphere in the sky. They have the power to make it happen.
I hope that nothing happens, that time passes without any incident.
With a fleeting and impossible wish in my heart, I leaned against the wall and sat on the cobblestones, letting my hands free from the wound that had stopped bleeding. I grabbed the gem with the blood-stained hand.
Just a bit more… a little longer…
If only I could endure a little more time.
“I’m coming for you… Lady Rias.”
I muttered the name of the person who I could no longer see.
If… there is a heavenly kingdom and I can meet her there… I wonder if she would forgive me. She would probably be really angry and give me a big lecture that would scare me. But in the end, I think she would forgive me and say, “Let’s make it up together,” because she’s that kind of person.
I daydreamed about that scene and slowly closed my eyes――when.
“――Ah!!”
***
As we jumped down from the hole in the wall and left the museum, I and Princess Krell ran at full speed towards the black
sphere floating in the sky, rushing through the streets of the imperial capital. Stepping on the cobblestones, kicking the
walls of buildings, running full speed on rooftops, we aimed to reach our destination as soon as possible. At this moment, I
gratefully felt the cold air outside, which I normally found chilly.
Jumping from roof to roof, we crossed over the waterway by leaping over a small boat floating on it, and then I slowed down, turning my gaze towards Princess Krell in my arms.
“Are you okay, Princess Krell?”
“I feel so sorry…”
Princess Krell, being carried princess-style, exuded a gloomy atmosphere while crossing her index fingers.
As I mentioned before, Princess Krell is a true klutz. She basically spins her wheels in whatever she does and creates trouble, so much so that she can be called a mass-production machine for failures. If I let Princess Krell run in this situation where we must reach the black sphere as soon as possible, her lack of coordination combined with mental anxiety would lead to even more falls than usual. We don’t have time to spare now, and I can’t afford to let her get injured.
That’s why I’m carrying Princess Krell and running at full speed. This is currently the fastest way for us to reach the scene.
Princess Krell, filled with intense self-loathing, self-deprecated.
“I’m causing so much trouble for Roth… I’m really useless. Oh? What is thess salty water …?”
“No time for tears, Princess Krell.”
I comforted her while running again. She’s a person who needs care. That’s also one of her endearing qualities.
“As I said before, as long as I’m with you, Princess Krell, you are the perfect and strongest. I’ll cover all the clumsy and useless parts, so you just focus on what only you can do.”
“Ugh… yes.”
“On the flip side, without me, you are far from capable.”
“Please don’t add to the injury…”
“It’s the truth.”
I kicked the wall again and jumped to the roof of the building.
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The distance to the black sphere has gotten quite close, but the imperial capital is vast, so we still have a long way to run. We’ve covered about a third of the distance from our starting point.
I checked the time on my wristwatch and saw that ten minutes had passed since we left the museum. To cover this distance in just ten minutes is quite impressive. However, even though I am an excellent butler, I can’t keep running endlessly. I need to take a break to catch my breath and recover.
Embracing the sensation of the cold night air cooling down my elevated body temperature, I set Princess Krell down for a moment.
“I apologize. I will catch my breath quickly, so please wait for a moment.”
“It’s okay… well, we are in a situation where we need to hurry, but there’s no need to keep running without restoring your stamina. Take your time.”
While feeling grateful for Princess Krell’s gentle words and understanding, I shared what I had been thinking since we left the museum.
“It’s not in a negative way, but honestly, I’m surprised.”
“Surprised? How so?”
“Well, I thought you would be more panicky and flustered.”
After hearing the ‘Discord’ sound produced by etoile’s key, I realized that I would die in two hours if nothing changes. Although I managed to avoid losing consciousness and sleep like the others, my life force was still disrupted. I can run at full speed, but my breath becomes shorter than usual, and my fatigue increases.
Princess Krell should be aware of my current condition… despite that, she hasn’t expressed any words of worry or complaints at all.
That was quite surprising… and after hearing my words, Princess Krell smiled.
“I understand that Roth’s life is at risk too. But I don’t think it’s the time to panic and lose control.”
“Why do you think that way?”
“Because… I have you by my side.”
“――”
I never expected to receive such words in response, and I was slightly taken aback.
Seeing my reaction, Princess Krell seemed to be in a better mood and continued with a chuckle.
“It’s alright. Just as you protect me and won’t let me die, I won’t let you die either. We’ll definitely survive… and welcome tomorrow together.”
“Let’s get married.”
“Why on earth does the topic of marriage come up in this situation!”
Hearing Princess Krell’s words, which resonated deeply with my heart, I unintentionally proposed. Even though I said it unconsciously, I should apologize… no, wait. The fact that it came out is all because Princess Krell is too adorable. In other words, the cause lies with Princess Krell. It’s her who should apologize. I want her to apologize.
“Really… if you’ve recovered, let’s go immediately? There’s no time to waste with things like this.”
“No problem. My breath has stabilized, so I can run again. Of course, after we arrive, I’ll need to ask for your help, Princess Krell, so be prepared for that.”
“I understand. But… if Roth isn’t here, there will be tremendous damage around us.”
“Seriously, the entire capital might be wiped out. That’s why I’m here, so that won’t happen.”
Princess Krell’s magic consists mainly of ultra-high firepower. While she can adjust the power to some extent, unfortunately, she hasn’t mastered precise control of fine magic. Despite her daily efforts, it’s not something that can be easily acquired.
As I prayed that the current view of the city wouldn’t disappear, I surveyed the imperial capital.
“Princess Krell… did you see the people in the city?”
“Yes, of course.”
Nodding, Princess Krell turned her eyes to the city just like I did.
While running, I confirmed it… the people living in the imperial capital were all lying on the ground just like the fallen magicians in the ‘Key Chamber,’ with vacant eyes. They seemed unconscious, and even when we passed by closely, there was no reaction. Everyone, including pedestrians walking on the streets, customers drinking at pubs, and people having meals at restaurants, were all in the same state.
By seeing that, it becomes easy to understand the reason for the black sphere’s existence.
“That black sphere is transmitting the ‘Discord’ throughout the entire capital. It disrupts the normal life force of people without resistance and takes their lives two hours later.”
“The timing of its appearance was probably when etoile’s key pierced the sphere.”
“Yes. If etoile’s key can use the vast amount of mana it contains, this kind of feat is possible. After all, etoile’s key is the Sixth heaven Key.”
If she fully utilizes the power of the Sixth heaven Key, she can use magic that affects the entire capital. While each key has its unique ability, etoile’s key possesses the power to become vicious depending on how it’s used. This is the result of Elne using it.
The most sinister magic that brings death to all living beings within a certain range.
A magic capable of slaughtering tens of thousands of humans at once, rivaling the power of the Seventh heaven Key.
However, to unleash such a large-scale power, one must pay a significant price and take time. Overall, it may not be as powerful as the Seventh heaven Key… but it’s still an incredibly formidable force.
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