Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: "I Shall Kill Every Last One of Them"
Gokigenyou. I am Violia Nico Fortesia. I have been splendidly imprisoned.
I've gone and done it. I had assumed they wouldn't put a noble, much less the former fiancée of a prince, into a common cell, but I was spectacularly thrown into the dungeon.
There are guest cells for nobles who have committed crimes or for high-ranking officials of enemy nations captured as prisoners. It seems they were quite afraid of me.
Even the soldier who brings the food is terrified. Apparently, they think they'll be cursed just by coming into contact with me. What an insolent bunch. If I could curse people, I would have cursed them all one by one by now.
Regardless, it makes me furious. Me! Do they really think I would assassinate a member of the Royal Family in such a stupid way!? Their looking down on me has its limits!
No, really, are they idiots? Is there any merit to killing Prince Dactor at this timing? There isn't, is there? In the first place, if I were going to kill him for some goal, it would normally be after we were married, wouldn't it?
Even for a farce, I wish they'd come up with a better false accusation! As expected of a King who is soft from peace, even his thinking is senile!
...However, it was unexpected.
I had heard the Royal Family's finances were in danger, but I never imagined they would destroy House Fortesia just to immediately seize its assets. That is beyond my expectations.
And... Dactor-sama might have been in a situation where he had no choice but to follow the powerful. But seeing him do it so easily makes me strangely sad.
Even though it was a political marriage, I have put in the effort to be a daughter worthy of being the Prince's fiancée. I was always a top student at the Academy. I mastered several types of magic, and I won the Martial Arts Tournament by a landslide every single time. I did all this thinking that one who marries into the Royal Family must always be excellent. ...It seems these feelings didn't reach Dactor-sama.
...Furthermore, even if it was a loveless marriage, I didn't think he was such a fool as to renege on it so quickly. Did that idiot even understand the meaning of a political marriage?
...Now then. What shall I do from here?
If I could curse them, I'd like to curse every single one of those freaks in the throne room to death.
...I no longer have a home. I have no status. Now that I've been framed, I am a fallen noble. With that many nobles conspiring together, House Fortesia will never see the light of day again.
I know the faces and names of the rotten nobles who trapped me this time.
First, those who were present as 'witnesses' were House Clarino, House Fruitier, and House Hornbone. All of them are top-tier nobles currently in the middle of a downhill rolling stone phase after being utterly defeated in business by House Fortesia. It's quite an amusing spectacle to see nobles whose only merits are 'noble blood' and 'heavy history' becoming unable to maintain their lifestyles.
So, well, all three of them have plenty of motive to set fire to the mansion or frame me and have me imprisoned. They probably think that without House Fortesia, they can make small change with their petty businesses again. Or perhaps they set fire to the Fortesia mansion out of mere harassment. Either way, I truly won't forgive them.
...And then, House Orchesta. The house I was supposed to marry into... in other words, the Royal Family. They are a moronic Royal Family in the middle of a financial crisis.
They are moronic enough just for approving the engagement with House Fortesia out of greed for money, but to crush House Fortesia right before the marriage to steal only the money—well, they certainly have some nerve!
...I am a noble too. I have no expectations left for the noble world, which is a swirling vortex of conspiracies.
But... even without a noble backing, who could have imagined they would crush House Fortesia entirely just to steal our fortune?
It is unforgivable.
If we had been defeated and fallen as a result of market competition, I could accept it. But this is just too much.
A fall not by a battle of ability and reading the situation, but by illegal violence using power and numbers—such irrationality must not be permitted!
But there is no way to judge them.
Naturally, the rotten judiciary will side with the Royal Family, as will the other nobles. And I have never expected divine judgment from the start. If God existed, this country should have perished long ago.
And as a human, what can I do? Information warfare using spies? Market domination? A clash of capital against capital?
...None of those are possible for me right now. I have no money to hire spies, no money to dominate the market, and no capital. For me, alone with no house or parents, all of those are dreams within dreams. It is far too difficult to crush those hateful scoundrels.
...But, in reality, it is much simpler. Because they are human!
In other words, if I kill them, they die!
So, I have decided.
The only thing that can counter irrationality is irrationality! The only thing that can counter power is violence! Control poison with poison! Now is the time for violent non-submission!
"I shall kill every last one of them!"
I cannot afford to kick the bucket in a place like this without clearing this grudge!
I have nothing left to lose! So with this body alone! The people who stole the honor and property of House Fortesia and myself! I shall kill them all!
Phew. I feel refreshed after shouting. Now that my head and heart are clear, I must make plans for the future.
First, if I go out into the world like this, I am a criminal.
I cannot go and beat those hateful scoundrels to death immediately after leaving prison. A single delicate maiden like myself would be easily handled by the security guards.
I am aware that I have enough skill to have won the Martial Arts Tournament every time. However, I can only demonstrate my maximum ability when the opponent is a single living being. If I could also include a surprise attack, I am confident I would win for sure, but it would be a bit difficult if I were pushed by numbers from the front.
In other words, fighting against a large number of soldiers is far too disadvantageous. This Royal Castle is a bit difficult to use as my battlefield.
And I want a weapon, at the very least. I can fight with bare hands, but still. If I'm going to do various things, I need tools.
...Yes. I need weapons and tools. And if I'm going to be thorough, I need preparation. And above all, I want to change the location and opportunity. To do that, I absolutely need time.
As time passes after leaving prison, the number of people pursuing me will naturally increase, so I need some kind of proper new identity and a place to live. Otherwise, I'll be right back in this prison.
For that, I first need the means... the capital (power) necessary for me to run wild.
Earning small change should be manageable. I am a daughter of House Fortesia, after all. As a requirement for a noble, I have naturally mastered both martial arts and magic. Then, for a while, I suppose I'll hunt monsters to sell their furs and fangs, or earn bounties while staying in hiding. I won't be able to keep a fixed address. So for the time being, it'll be sleeping outdoors or living in inns.
Now then. My goal is set, and I feel refreshed.
Then the first thing to do is one thing.
Prison break! I'm saying goodbye to this dump and heading out into the world!
"Food's here. ...Hm?"
One of the soldiers peeks into the cell through the iron bars. What enters his sight is... the inside of the cell without me.
"Wha—what happened!?"
The soldier immediately opened the cell door and stepped inside to check the room.
...Now!
"Gomen asobase!"
I, who had been clinging to the ceiling, plummeted down toward the soldier. I gave him a strike to the medulla oblongata with the intent of snapping his spine.
The soldier collapsed on the spot without even having time to see my figure. I did it.