I Was Just a Losing Jail Guard, but When I Was Kind to the Captured Heroines, the Game’s Story Fell Apart. - Chapter 25: The Losing Jail Guard Says Something Harsh

Chapter 25: The Losing Jail Guard Says Something Harsh

After defeating Baulnout, the Guardian Dragon, the rebel army surrendered almost immediately, and the royal army reclaimed the capital.

One month later.

I originally planned to head back to the Demon Lord’s castle right away, but Katiana’s father —the king we rescued— insisted on thanking me personally, so I ended up staying in the capital.

Now, we were at a party.

Apparently, suppressing a rebellion and being in the middle of a war with the Demon Lord’s forces didn’t stop them from throwing a lavish event.

Is this really okay?

I mean, sure, maybe it’s meant to show, “Oh, we’re totally fine despite the rebellion,” but still…

Isn’t this the kind of thing that makes the people rebel in the first place?

From what I heard, Katiana and the king were against hosting this party, but the nobles pushed for it and forced it to happen.

What are they going to do if another rebellion starts because of this?

But honestly, that’s not the only problem right now.

“You were absolutely incredible, Sir Lugus!!”

“Uh, t-thanks…”

“Would you mind sharing the details of your heroic exploits?”

“W-Well, maybe if I have time later…”

“If you don’t mind… could we maybe have a drink together over there, just the two of us…?”

Great. Now I was being cornered by nobles trying to get close to me.

For some reason, everyone at the party kept gravitating toward me.

No, this wasn’t some kind of popularity phase.

It was painfully obvious they were trying to win me over for their own agendas.

And yeah, I knew why.

Elette had been going around hyping me up like I was some kind of legendary figure, and Laecia backed her up by singing my praises every chance she got.

In reality, I was just a lowly jail guard with decent cooking skills and some quick hands… nothing more.

“Sir Lugus.”

Just as I was feeling cornered, Katiana arrived at the perfect moment.

She wasn’t dressed in her usual knightly attire but in an elegant princess-style gown.

As expected of a heroine, she looked absolutely stunning.

The partygoers surrounding me quickly dispersed when they noticed her presence.

“My apologies for dragging you into a party like this.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it. Though, this whole thing does feel a bit too carefree.”

“Agreed. Oh, by the way, Sir Lugus, I’d like to express my gratitude. Is there anything you desire?”

“Not really. I only came to help out a friend.”

“…You’re, um… quite blunt, aren’t you?”

“Eh?”

Did I say something bad?

I meant it in a casual, “You don’t need to fuss since we’re friends” kind of way… but maybe it came off differently?

“By the way, I haven’t seen Lady Elette. Where is she?”

“Oh, Miss Elette took Laecia and went off somewhere. She didn’t tell me where—said it was a secret.”

“…Hmm? Where could they have gone?”

At that moment—

“Emergency!!”

“What’s going on!?”

A group of castle guards burst into the party hall, looking panicked.

Katiana raised her voice, her expression tense.

Could it be? Were the remnants of the rebel army causing trouble?

But my assumption was quickly proven wrong.

“T-The Guardian Dragon Baulnout, which was supposed to be dead, has started moving again!!”

“““““!?”””””

Baulnout was moving again!?

Rushing outside, I saw the massive dragon lumbering toward the castle —right in front of where the party was being held.

With Elette nowhere to be found, the Strongest Golem couldn’t be deployed.

If Baulnout unleashed its breath attack, it would be all over.

The tension in my body rose as I prepared for the worst, but… it seemed my fears were unnecessary.

“Heyy, Lugus-suss.”

Eh? Baulnout just spoke —with Elette’s voice.

While my brain struggled to process what was happening, a sharp clunk echoed, and Baulnout’s head opened up like a mechanical hatch.

What the—!?

Inside the dragon’s head was a cockpit.

It looked exactly like the one in the Strongest Golem.

W-Wait… what!?

“Miss Elette? What… is this?”

“I’ve been curious about Baulnout since I first saw it. After investigating, I discovered that apart from its internal organs, its body tissues were made of metal containing orichalcum and mithril.”

“Uh… okay. And that means…?”

“You said it yourself, didn’t you? Giant mechas modeled after living creatures are the ultimate dream. So… I gave it a shot.”

You gave it a shot!?

“I removed all the internal organs and turned the interior into living quarters. Added large cannons to the back, missile pods to the wings, and weaponized other areas as well.”

“Uh… wow.”

Now that she mentioned it, I could see that Baulnout’s body had been heavily mechanized.

Admittedly, it looked insanely cool.

But seriously… turning the corpse of a nation’s Guardian Dragon into a weaponized mecha? Isn’t that crossing some kind of line?

“L-Lady Elette!! I must remind you that this dragon once served as a protector of my kingdom!!”

“What are you saying? This dragon attacked the royal army, didn’t it? That makes it a part of the rebel forces. So modifying its remains is perfectly fine.”

…Oh no. She has absolutely no sense of ethics.

The Elette from the game seemed like a more reasonable heroine…

Whose fault is this?

…Yeah, it’s mine. Definitely mine. I’m the one who taught her all this stuff.

“Well then, Lugus-suss. Shall we head home now?”

“Uh, yeah.”

And so, after (somehow?) saving Katiana from her crisis, I returned to the Demon Lord’s castle.

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[Afterword] 

A Random Tidbit

Author: “When I was in elementary school, I thought a paint set with a picture of a mecha dragon on it was super cool. Honestly, I still think it’s cool now.”

L: “Your taste is still stuck in elementary school…”

If you thought, “Poor Katiana,” “Elette is totally unhinged, lol,” or “Hey, mecha dragon-themed paint sets are cool!” please leave a comment, bookmark, give a ★ rating, or write a review!