It's Not Like I Want to Play the Role of a Misunderstood, Good-for-Nothing Prince in a Villainess Story! - Chapter 41 – Zeke Flies Through the Air

“Incredibly tight security.”

The grounds were more spacious than expected. High walls surrounded the area, and guard soldiers were posted here and there. Come to think of it, they said they brought soldiers for monster subjugation. Breaking through this seemed impossible.

“Zeke-sama, we’ve thought of something.”

“Hmph. We are thinking sneaking in is the best option.”

“True, that is the best option.”

A frontal assault was obviously impossible.

So, what had they devised? I wondered while watching—the two suddenly produced a thick rope.

“Zeke-sama, please hold this firmly.”

“Alright.”

Though I did not know why, I was made to hold the thick rope. Then Garim and Debut lifted me from the left and right.

—Hm?

“Wait a moment, really wait.”

“Here we go!”

“Hmph. Brace yourself.”

“You fellows… at least explain… uwaaaahhh!”

Just like that, I was thrown by the two.

The trajectory, drawing a high parabola, landed me successfully on the wall’s edge.

“Hah…”

I truly thought I would die.

“Zeke-sama! The rope! The rope!”

“Quickly!”

In short, they wanted me on top of the wall to lower the rope and forcibly pull them up. What unreasonable demands. Normally, you wouldn’t make a 12-year-old prince do such dangerous heavy labor, and even attempting it would be impossible.

Well, if I were truly just 12, that is.

I firmly gripped the thick rope.

And then…

“U-ooooooh!”

With my trained, strong right arm, I gripped the rope and first pulled up Larba. Then next, cooperating with Larba, I pulled up Debut and Garim.

“Alright, we did it! As expected of you two with that strength.”

“Hmph. We knew you’d succeed. Throwing us big men would have been difficult.”

“It’s nothing, thanks to you two’s wisdom.”

While the three, including Larba, praised each other, I voiced something that bothered me.

“…Hey, Larba has more strength than me, so didn’t I not need to be first? I mean, why was there no explanation?”

A natural question, but the two shook their heads.

“What are you saying? We have a tacit understanding.”

“Hmph. Because we’re Zeke-sama’s close aides, we had a flash of insight. We conveyed it without words. This is the bond.”

“…………”

When I looked at them with a fixed stare, the two who had been spouting convenient nonsense mumbled.

“Honestly, we were anxious if it would succeed.”

“Hmph. We can’t gamble with someone who must absolutely be delivered.”

“Ho, so anything’s fine for me? So you did it on impulse without explaining?”

“No, but… if we told you, Zeke-sama would hate being thrown first. It would be troublesome if you struggled, too.”

“Um… Zeke-sama has magic at worst, so… right?”

While being thrown in midair, what could I possibly do with Darkness magic to somehow manage the situation?

“Zeke-sama. The idea was Garim’s, and I said we should stop.”

“Ah, that’s unfair! You’re the one who recommended it, saying Zeke-sama would be fine when I was worried!”

“Wrong, it was you.”

“Hmph. How unsightly.”

“Shut up!”

I clapped my hands sharply to silence them. On top of this wall, in this narrow width, do not argue standing side by side!

“I’ll get angry later. The problem is from here, right? How do we get down?”

“Huh?”

The two looked at each other’s faces before looking down.

“True, climbing was fine, but descending is also tough. But well, can’t we go with the same approach as before?”

“Eh, you mean throw Zeke-sama down?”

“Hmph. Larba-sama also thinks of cruel strategies.”

“No, no, doing that has no meaning, right?!”

Really, what did they think I was?

“For now, Larba and I will hold the rope, and you guys descend first. Then next we’ll jump, and you catch us below… is that acceptable?”

“Let’s try it.”

Using that strategy, everyone landed safely on the ground.

“So it comes to this, huh.”

And when the four of us arrived below and attempted to head toward the mansion, soldiers who had been lying in wait around us appeared in droves.

“Thinking rats had entered, but it’s you fellows. Though the reveal is last, I’m troubled if you interfere.”

The one who appeared from within the formation was Giyal.

“Were we expected?”

“Zeke-sama, it seems our strategy was read.”

“Hmph. The enemy seems cunning.”

“I don’t think there’s any cunning when you infiltrate, shouting loudly and making loud noises.”

“Right…”

Unexpectedly, Giyal had a point.

No, I knew it. These guys had loud voices, I had shouted too, we had argued on the wall, and when descending below we made clattering sounds—I thought there was no way we wouldn’t be discovered.

Now then…

Just glancing around, about fifty soldiers surrounded us. Properly facing all of them would be difficult. In the first place, we only had wooden swords.

“Hmph. Quite a large number.”

“What should we do? Break through to the entrance?”

“No, a party seems to be held toward the front entrance, so better not go that way. Carelessly barging in and injuring nobles would make the aftermath incredibly troublesome. Rather than that…”

We needed to break through one point. Then, let Larba go to Driema alone while the three of us stalled—that was the best course of action.

Moving my gaze, what caught my eye was a half-open first-floor window of the mansion.

“Larba, when we break through, jump through that window. We’ll somehow hold these guys back.”

“The window?”

“Debut, Garim. We’re charging left-front. Three, two, one.”

“Move it!”

“Hmph. Out of the way!”

The two charged, with Larba and me following.

Though the total number of soldiers was large, since they were surrounding us from all directions, the human wall’s thickness was thin.

“Leave this to us and go, Larba!”

“Zeke, Debut, Garim. Sorry!”

Closing the window, the three of us defended with our backs to it.

“That was cool.”

“Hmph. We die together.”

“We won’t die!”

I was royalty, so at worst even if captured I should not lose my life, and I mean, could I possibly die leaving Misty behind?

—That said.

How were we going to stall this many people?

“Giyal-sama, what should we do?”

“Immediately break through to the window, no wait, going around would be… however, we can’t let the party guests notice…”

Seeing Giyal troubled about what instructions to give and the soldiers just waiting for orders—

“Ah!”

Divine inspiration descended into my head.

*****

The outside seemed noisy.

The party seemed lively.

My dressed-up gown made me more beautiful than usual by a notch.

But, in the mirror’s reflection, my expression wasn’t bright.

While sitting in a chair, the door opened.

“Oh my, Driema-chan. How beautiful.”

My mother, Hilma, came in.

I did not dislike my mother. Though she was a bit forceful and stubborn, I knew she valued me and Elliott.

“Mother, it’s noisy outside, but…”

I spoke while hanging my head modestly, but Mother sat in a luxurious chair before fanning herself with her fan.

“Driema-chan, are you perhaps thinking that boy will come?”

Hit on the mark, I was at a loss for words, and Mother laughed mockingly.

“But it’s impossible. I’ve told the current head over there that if anything else happens, I’ll vehemently protest him as unsuitable as the next head. He has his position to protect, so surely he can’t come. Unless the head position doesn’t matter to him.”

“Larba-sama doesn’t care about such things.”

“…Driema-chan, do you truly think so?”

Mother laughed through her nose while hiding her mouth with her fan.

“Driema-chan. Born at the pinnacle of proud nobles, how blessed do you think you’ve been? Have you ever lacked food, housing, clothing, or money? No, right? Of course. That’s what nobility is. And as head, you can use all the house’s wealth and power. There are rarely those who’d willingly discard that. That upstart is the same.”

Walking with a clickety-clack of her heels, she patted my shoulder.

“Give up. In the end, nobles have a strong desire for power, and self-preservation is everything. They love themselves. Just expecting—”

BANG! BANG!

I heard sounds violently knocking—or rather, slamming into the door.

“Oh? Is it already the reveal time? But that’s quite rough…”

While Mother was speaking, someone flew into the room, tumbling.

“………..?!”

Mother Hilma was speechless.

In contrast, I involuntarily placed my hand on my chest upon seeing it.

A soldier lying face-down—and Larba was on top of him.