kscans

Chapter 96 - The King of Castrato and the Little One

"I’m telling you, the princess from Frontier is coming! She’s a demon lord! She has a carriage led by monsters, with more than ten guards riding inside it...!"

"Alright, calm down a bit, Fel."

The Crown Prince, unable to comprehend even a tenth of the words being hurled at him, offered his younger brother some tea to calm him down. Augfel nodded and gulped down the tea in one go, then took a deep breath to organize his thoughts.

"My apologies, I was getting ahead of myself... The thing is..."

The third prince, his head finally clear, began his explanation, starting with his recent discovery of Hyrulia. The cause of it all was an anomaly that occurred in the Lord's forest west of Frontier. When Augfel witnessed this anomaly and went to the Frontier royal capital to report it, he learned that Hyrulia was serving as the princess’s lady-in-waiting. He wasn't sure of the exact circumstances, but he couldn't simply take Hyrulia, who was rightfully under the princess's protection. So, he tried to persuade her, telling her about the current state of Castrato in hopes she would escape with him, but the conversation took an unexpected turn.

"To allay Hyrulia’s worries, the princess is now heading for Castrato."

"Well now..."

The Crown Prince was at a loss for words.

She was coming to a country with which they had severed diplomatic ties, all for a single lady-in-waiting? The story sounded utterly unbelievable. Augfel gave a firm nod to the Crown Prince’s dubious gaze.

"It is perfectly understandable that you cannot believe it. But Her Highness is not someone who can be measured by ordinary standards."

According to what he had heard, this princess commanded monsters as her servants and traveled in a rather large carriage carrying several dozen people. She was incredibly mobile, and what’s more, due to past grievances, her escorting knights apparently made no effort to hide their brimming murderous intent.

The Crown Prince swallowed nervously, his face growing pale.

"I stayed in Frontier for a long time and witnessed their magic and technology. To be honest, I believe a single spell could destroy our country."

The only reason Castrato had survived this long despite such a hostile relationship was simply because Frontier had no interest in them. That country was a rare one that had declared both at home and abroad that it would not invade other nations. This was also a sharp, unspoken warning not to bring any trouble their way. Thanks to this, Castrato had been spared from falling into a crisis, but now an unexpected connection had been forged.

The Crown Prince held his head in his hands.

Augfel had seen it with his own eyes. There could be no mistake. In past battles, Castrato had been continuously repelled by the long-range attacks of mages alone. Ever since the large-scale battle over a decade ago, Castrato had been waging foolish fights, poking at Frontier only to get burned. While Castrato sent several battalions, Frontier countered by deploying just a few mages. The Castrato army was forced to retreat, helpless against the offensive magic that spread across the entire wasteland. They were no match for Frontier’s mages, each of whom was literally a match for a thousand.

The Crown Prince had come to keenly feel this in the few years he had been involved in politics. It was due to his counsel that Castrato had finally given up on dispatching troops.

Though, his father the king didn't seem to have given up at all.

The memory of their defeat still smoldered. After Frontier severed diplomatic ties, Castrato could no longer obtain food, technology, or even magic stones. In a panic, Castrato had clumsily attempted to negotiate, only to be curtly turned away.

It was only natural. There was no room for negotiation.

Until the Crown Prince began participating in governance, the king had persistently engaged in foolish battles, poking at Frontier only to get burned. If they could seize the area around the western forest, the situation would be overturned. The bounty of the rich farmland was certainly appealing. While it was near the Lord's forest, the Lords' Kin generally did not leave the woods. Moreover, western Frontier was about a week's journey by carriage from Castrato, making it much closer than other countries. He understood that its location made it an easy target, but picking a fight with a world-renowned magical nation was madness. The Castrato army was forced to retreat, helpless against the wide-area magic that filled the wasteland, facing a Frontier regular army where each soldier was literally a match for a thousand.

Putting a stop to these foolish expeditions that only led to attrition, the Crown Prince advised the king to focus on domestic affairs.

Things had calmed down for now, but he wondered just how great their anger was. The Crown Prince couldn't help but hold his head in his hands.

"So, what have you done?"

"For now, I have given instructions to treat the Mononoke Squad’s carriage with the utmost courtesy on its way to the royal palace. As for the rest, I thought I would consult with you and Father first..."

"I see."

The Crown Prince, grateful for his brother’s judgment, began to think. Could the arrival of a Frontier princess in a country with severed diplomatic ties be a stroke of luck? It wouldn’t be a bad idea to gently surround her, place her under house arrest without her knowing, and see if she could be won over. If she was a young child, a warm welcome and kind treatment might be enough to successfully manipulate her. If she returned home with a good impression, they could expect a relaxation of the import ban. No matter how many knights who were a match for a thousand or monsters she had, they had the Castrato regular army on their side. If it came down to it, he wouldn't hesitate to extend a forceful invitation.

Sensing an unpleasant premonition from the Crown Prince's various schemes, Augfel instinctively leaned over the table, placing his hands on it.

"Brother, whatever you do, do not even think of capturing or confining the princess. I believe you will understand if you see her up close, but that young lady is a monster."

A monster?

The Crown Prince’s eyes widened, and he blinked repeatedly. Augfel gave him a solemn nod, recalling the count's daughter he had witnessed.

The count’s mansion was within the royal palace grounds. Monsters roamed freely everywhere as they pleased. The palace staff remained completely unfazed, as if their presence was the most natural thing in the world. The young lady napped soundly, susu, using a squirrel as a pillow. The monsters loitering around her were also either sleeping or playing. Augfel had been astounded by the leisurely, idyllic scene. The monsters blended in, perfectly at ease. They each had their own unique forms. Though their colors and sizes differed, he could tell they were of the same species. They were undoubtedly the Lords' Kin. Most monsters in Arcadia were chimeras with no fixed species. While there were wolf-types or bat-types, they were all hybrid chimeras with no two individuals being identical. The only monsters in this world with unique forms were the Lords of the Forest. Led by the bees, who were considered disaster-class, they were all rare monsters with specialized abilities.

If even one of them went on a rampage, a city would suffer a fatal blow.

"The monsters that follow the princess are not tamed pets. They are monsters who show the same loyalty and reverence as her knights."

Yes, just like family. They were completely different creatures from the monsters of Castrato, who were chained and tamed, their eyes clouded with despair. The Mononoke Squad frolicked happily around the young lady, full of life. It wasn't hard to imagine that they would bare their fangs ferociously for her sake, tearing the country apart with nonchalant faces as if it were the most natural thing to do.

Listening to Augfel’s explanation, the Crown Prince’s face turned deathly pale. He couldn't help but shiver, goosebumps covering his entire body. Realizing that an intense, explosive, and utterly bizarre powder keg was slowly approaching the Castrato royal capital, the brothers urgently requested an audience with the king.

Into the great uproar of the Castrato royal palace, the Little One arrives.

Munching away, magu magu, on the various prototypes Zakk had prepared to win her over, she comes, techi techi. The Little One arrives.