Chapter 157 - Chapter 19: "Pardon Me for Being So Demanding!"
"Cannons?! What happened?!"
"Yes, cannons! From the entrance hall, aim straight diagonally up and blast the throne room!"
"What?! Well, fine, if that's the case, I'll fire immediately!"
I thought it would be very difficult to explain, but as expected of Onii-sama. There was already a cannon in the entrance hall, and Onii-sama began loading the shell without hesitation!
Confirming that, I'll hurry back to the throne room!
"Violia! What's wrong!"
"A huge blast is coming here, so everyone, dodge as best you can!"
Saying that to Doran and Chesta, I grabbed Keeb's hand and ran toward the throne room window!
Since the area behind the throne room is the courtyard, I'll jump out without worry—!
"Well then, pardon me!"
"Eh, wait, no, this is weird, right?! Why am I the one being dragged along!"
I kicked open the window and quickly left the throne room!
"Lital! Help me and Keeb!"
"Eh?! Eh, eh, eeee?! I-I understand!"
Yes. Thanks to Lital being in the courtyard, Keeb and I were able to land beautifully. It seemed difficult to float two people at once with wind magic, so there was some roughness, but it was more than passing. Yes.
...Following Keeb and me, the muscle monster Doran and the thoughtless drug addict Chesta also jumped down.
Doran is like the incarnation of body reinforcement magic, so there's no need to worry about him... Oh.
"Chris! You help Chesta!"
"You! What do you think I am!"
"A slave!"
Yes. I'm glad I have an excellent slave.
When Chris ran at full speed, he seemed to make it in time to catch the jumping Chesta. Ah, thank goodness.
...And immediately after we escaped.
A deafening roar echoed, and the throne room was blown away.
A single cannonball can really do a lot of damage...
All the window glass shattered, falling like fine blades. Well, Keeb and I were protected by Lital's wind magic, Doran wouldn't be hurt by this much, and Chesta was protected by Chris's body, so there was no problem.
...And just like the rain of glass, the ceiling of the throne room was pouring down into the room. Yes.
Onii-sama really has a good eye. He seems to have shot through a pillar or wall that served as the room's support.
Therefore... 'unconscious' rubble is raining down on the magical walls protecting the monster and the princes and princesses.
And so, once the rubble had settled to some extent.
"Violia! I thought you might have come out this way! Honestly, I was surprised when you suddenly told me to fire the cannons!"
"Ah, Onii-sama! That was a wonderful bombardment!"
Onii-sama had come around the side to the courtyard. Now all our forces are gathered.
...Now then.
"Shall we proceed with the cleanup?"
Before our eyes, from the crumbling throne room, the monster crawled out sluggishly!
"You lot... what on earth did you do...!"
"Oh my, pardon me. I merely used a bit of the 'conveniences of civilization'."
Answering the monster's words, I threw a stone that happened to be lying around.
...Then, that stone successfully left a wound on the monster's skin.
"I-Impossible! This magic should create a perfect defense! Why has the protection vanished?!"
"Well, back in the ancient days when your ancestors were starting wars all over the place, there were no 'cannons', were there? It's magic from an era when 'attacks could not be made without human intent'. Naturally, an attack in this form couldn't have been anticipated."
Whether the monster understood or not, it just groaned regretfully. But you can only groan for so long!
"Now! It's a slaughter! ...Let's enjoy ourselves!"
We took our weapons in hand and charged toward the monster all at once!
For now, it feels good to know that if I cut it, it will be cut, though that should be obvious. I slashed through the monster's tough skin. Of course, not enough for a finishing blow. ...Or rather, that was all I could cut. Yes. Its skin was so sturdy that my sword only managed to draw blood, so I suppose the magical reinforcement is still continuing.
But that hateful shield is gone! It feels good to be able to do as I please!
Doran is also going in for punches as much as he likes, and Chesta is laughing hysterically while firing the gun he seems to have taken a liking to. And Onii-sama, with an iron pipe he had in hand before I knew it, was beating the monster to a pulp while laughing loudly.
By the way, that iron pipe, where on earth did it... Ah! That's the Revolutionary Army flag! It's the pole the flag was tied to! Onii-sama had prepared a flag anticipating this! What a wicked man!
"You commoners, getting carried away...!"
"Oh my. I don't want to hear that from a foolish King."
Even just swinging its arms, the power was as immense as ever, but I dodged those arms lightly, and the next kick that came was pushed back by Lital's wind magic! Furthermore, an punishment of Keeb's lightning fell upon the disrespectful leg that tried to kick me! Ohohohoho!
"If only you weren't here! This wouldn't have happened! If only you weren't here!"
"From my perspective, if only you weren't here, I could have lived a bit more easily too."
As a King, he probably meant that his reign wouldn't have ended if we weren't here, but from my view, this was a country that was bound to end soon anyway.
In the first place, the moment he reached the point of poverty where he thought of destroying the house of the girl engaged to the prince and confiscating their property, it was already beyond saving.
Truly, he was a worthless King. Because of him, I was given a dishonorable reputation, my mansion was burned, and then...
"Ah, but... I am grateful to you."
...Thinking back, well, it wasn't bad. This past year and a half.
I don't think I've fallen into being a villain. I must have been this way by nature.
If I had lived my whole life without shedding my disguise, it surely would have been suffocating in its own way.
So, this was for the best.
"Because I was able to enjoy myself."
After all, it was fun.
Hearing my words, the monster distorted its ugly face even further. Feel free to regret making me enjoy myself! Ohohohohoho!
"Ah. Looks like he's out of mana."
And just as Keeb said... the monster gradually showed signs of running out of mana.
"Wh-what is this... you lot, what did you..."
The monster's swollen body gradually began to shrink.
The overextended physique slowly withered to a size not unusual for a human.
The tough skin that had stopped bullets also became completely shriveled, eventually drying up and peeling off like scabs.
Sharp claws fell out, and fangs also... Ah, the fangs were broken off by Doran and Onii-sama before they could fall out. Ohohoho.
Now then.
What remained afterward was just the original King alone.
"There is nothing left to protect you now."
I took a step closer to the King, who sat there in a daze.
"The magic is over. And with the magic over... well, naturally, all the princes and princesses who were in the throne room are likely already dead."
"I-Impossible! That can't be"
"Chris! Were any princes or princesses alive in the throne room?!"
I called out to Chris.
Chris hadn't participated in the attack on the King, but had followed the first order to 'find the hidden members of the royal family' and had been searching through the rubble of the throne room.
And Chris... had his shoulders slumped in disappointment!
"...There are no survivors... None of them died from external injuries... their life force was sucked out... damn it"
Oh dear. Chris's regretful expression adds another layer of color to this situation. For me, it's joy; for the King, it's the color of despair!
"I-Impossible... this wasn't supposed to... wh-why did they die, why..."
It's either because your skill with magic was terrible, or because you were in too much of a hurry. No, well, probably both.
Ah, such pitiful princes and princesses. Having their mana and life force sucked out by the King, only to die of exhaustion after going mad! They won't be able to rest in peace!
"That's how it is! Now, Your Majesty! The magic protecting you is gone, and the princes and princesses protecting you are dead! This is your end!"
Now.
I point my sword at the King.
The sword that should have been pointed at him much earlier, I have finally been able to point it at him!
"Wa... Wait! I shall apologize! We were wrong!"
But the King suddenly started saying such things.
"I have done a truly terrible thing to House Fortesia! To you too... yes, to you who was supposed to become my daughter-in-law, I have truly done something terrible..."
"Oh. You're going to apologize? Well, thank you."
Watching the King bow his head while crawling on the ground feels quite good. It makes me want to trample the back of his head.
...But the words I need to say are not many, and the things I must do are not many either.
The battle has been prolonged quite a bit. Therefore, the end should be swift and solemn. That is what beauty is.
"...In that case, Father-in-law. There is something I would like to have. Instead of an apology, could I have that?"
"Wh-what is it. Tell me anything."
Anything, is it? How generous. ...Then, let me be demanding!
"Your head, and this country—!"
And so, a moment after the King's face distorted in despair, my sword had cleanly severed the King's head.
With this, the King of this country is dead!
And from today, I am the new King! O-hohohohohohoho!