Chapter 7: The Indigo Mage and the Golden Temptation

The bottom of the cliff, shrouded in thick fog. Hidden there was a sturdy, stone-built room, once used by coal miners as an emergency shelter.

Luna lit a magical light, laid out her magic robes on the cold stone floor, and set the “Golden Beast”—Allen—on top of them.

“…I can’t believe it. It’s really you, Allen, in this form…”

With trembling fingertips, Luna touched his golden fur.

The Second Prince she had studied alongside at the Royal Academy, the one she secretly harbored feelings for—his dignified visage had now transformed into an adorable, palm-sized small animal.

However, the moment she saw the “Curse Chains” wrapped around his neck, the sharp light of a mage took residence in Luna’s eyes.

“Elizabeth-sama, and Sylphi-sama… What a horrifying spell formula. To convert love into energy, completely freezing the target and turning them into a pet… This is no longer something as simple as a curse. It’s the obliteration of an existence.”

Luna immediately deployed an Uncursing formula. Clear indigo mana was spun from her palms, seeping into the golden collar.

However—

Screeeeeeech!!

The wave of rejection released from the chain scattered Luna’s mana like mist.

“…Ngh! It recognizes all external interference as ‘hostility.’ Furthermore, it recorded my mana wavelength and is trying to repel it even stronger next time…”

Even Luna, hailed as a genius, could only be astounded by this double and triple-layered “cage of monopolization.”

(…Nn, ngh…)

Along with a faint telepathic murmur, the golden furball stirred.

His azure eyes slowly opened, capturing Luna’s face.

(…Luna? …This isn’t a dream, is it?)

“Allen! You’re awake! Thank goodness… I’m really so glad…”

Luna couldn’t help but hug Allen tightly.

If he were his former prince self, embracing him like this would never have been permitted. But right now, he was “fluffy.” The sensation was surprisingly soft, and the golden mana comfortably blended into Luna’s skin.

(Luna, thank you for saving me. …But touching me is dangerous. This chain goes out of control if anyone tries to claim ownership over me.)

“I don’t care about that! I don’t want to hand you over to those monsters… No, to those two crazy women or those unknown beasts!”

Allen gasped at Luna’s words.

(…You know about the monsters?)

“Yes. I sent out a familiar with shared vision during my pursuit. I saw everything… how you were surrounded by that lewd snake woman and those wretched bird women, being so… so spoiled like that!!”

Luna’s voice rapidly took on heat.

The joy of their reunion was instantly painted over by a murky, viscous jealousy.

“Allen, you… You were so terrified of the ladies’ gazes at the royal castle. And yet, at the frontier, you became the King of such… such filthy females! And on top of that, getting brushed with such a happy look on your face… How impure! How unfaithful!”

(N-No, Luna! That was their way of repaying a favor, or rather, a part of their survival strategy…!)

“I don’t want to hear your excuses! …Listen here. Returning you to your original form is the duty of none other than me, Luna Alma. Your lawful wife… I mean, your Head Guardian Mage! So I won’t ever let you go back to those monsters.”

Luna tightened her embrace around Allen.

At that moment, Luna’s scent tickled Allen’s nose—the intellectual smell of paper and the clean scent of soap.

(…Ahh, it’s calming. …This is the scent of a human girl.)

A rational and earnest scent, completely different from the wild, heavy scent of “arousal” from the monster girls.

Without realizing it, Allen buried his face into Luna’s cleavage.

“…Hya, hyaun!? Allen… Just where are you putting your face right now…?”

(Ah, sorry! My mascot instincts just…!)

“……….I never said I hated it. …It’s fine, do it more. …I’ll overwrite the scent of those snake women completely with my mana.”

Luna’s cheeks flushed deep red.

Placing Allen on her lap, she began stroking his golden fur with trembling hands.

But that peaceful time didn’t last long.

The stone walls of the shelter began to vibrate eerily.

Rumble… r-r-rumble…

“…!? The barrier is being eroded!? Don’t tell me those two—Elizabeth and Sylphi—are already here!?”

Just as Luna instinctively tried to chant a defensive spell, the shelter door “melted” from the outside and crumbled away.

Green smoke billowed inward.

Crawling out from within it was a massive lump with a translucent, liquid body.

“…Fouuuund… you… Our Allen-sama…”

It was Sui.

Relying on the scent of Allen’s mana, she had pushed her way underground, melting the bedrock as she came.

Next, Misha’s cold voice echoed from the darkness behind her.

“You thieving cat… No, thieving human. …Let go of him. …He is our King.”

Misha, Pee, Kuu, and Sui.

The four monster girls had chased Allen all the way to the depths of the earth.

There wasn’t a shred of their former affection in their eyes—just a near-insane obsession swirling with the intent to take back the one they loved.

“…You filthy monsters! Allen is a treasure of the Kingdom. He is not someone beasts like you are allowed to touch!”

Luna readied her staff, generating indigo lightning.

The monster girls opposite her made the golden mana bestowed upon them by Allen boil over, entering a combat stance.

(Stop it! Everyone, stop fighting!)

Allen’s voice did not reach them.

The “love” of the women clashed violently inside the narrow shelter.

Luna’s jealousy, Misha’s obsession, Pee’s possessiveness, Kuu’s desire to serve, Sui’s craving.

The moment those negative emotional energies swirled together, the chain around Allen’s neck released its greatest brilliance yet.

“–Ngh, aaaaaah!!”

Along with Allen’s scream, the chain explosively elongated.

The chain forced its way between Luna and the monster girls, becoming a physical wall that split the room in two.

And then, through the chain, Allen’s “will” was forcefully slammed into everyone’s brains.

(–Listen to me! I won’t belong to anyone!!)

From the recoil of the chain, golden light overflowed from Allen’s body.

Struck by that light, Luna and the others could only drop to their knees under its overly noble pressure.

However, the price Allen paid was heavy.

By forcefully controlling the chain, the curse eroded his mind even further.

(…It’s no good. …My vision is going pure white…)

Just before Allen’s consciousness faded, he saw Luna and Misha—though glaring at each other—simultaneously reach out their hands to support his body.

“…Allen. …If you say so, I will join hands with these beasts for just a short while.”

“…Yes. …If it is to protect Allen-sama from ‘those two’… I am not entirely opposed to a temporary alliance.”

The royal childhood friend, and the frontier monster girl.

These two, who should have never been compatible, were about to form a bizarre united front through the “wedge of love” named Allen.

But they did not yet know that even this coalition was nothing more than an event playing out in the palms of the two heroines smiling far away in the royal castle.