It's Not Like I Want to Play the Role of a Misunderstood, Good-for-Nothing Prince in a Villainess Story! - Chapter 54 - Never Approach a Spinning Shell

We slowed down after arriving at the forest.

Though there was a reasonably maintained path, it was dense and gloomy.

While staying alert to our surroundings and slowly heading deeper, I felt restless hearing wild bird calls from somewhere.

I have to protect Misty without panicking if anything happens.

As I was thinking such things, I noticed Ted up ahead kept glancing back at us.

“Ted, is something wrong?”

“N-no!”

“…?”

What a strange guy. That’s too much looking back for just a rear check.

“Zeke-sama, what is that beautiful plant?”

“Hm? Ah, that’s Senju. It doesn’t grow in the capital, but it apparently grows normally in some forests within the kingdom and can be seen year-round.”

“Is that so? Then what about that one?”

“That’s Capella. It’s a flower that comes in various colors like red or pink. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“You’re quite knowledgeable about flowers, Zeke-sama.”

“Well, I saw them in picture books. I like beautiful things.”

“…………”

The moment I said that, Misty fell silent.

Did I step on a landmine?

“I’m sorry!”

While I was feeling anxious, Ted was being hit on the head by Debut and Garim.

“What happened?”

“Hmph. Ted kept looking away, so when we asked what he was doing—”

“When you asked?”

“He said Lady Misty riding behind Zeke-sama was so beautiful that he was mesmerized.”

What excellent taste!

Ted was barely in his teens, right? So age-wise, they’re not that far apart.

“Of course I wasn’t just looking at Lady Misty, I was looking at Zeke-sama too! You two are both so attractive that you make a picture! You look so good together that watching you two is a feast for the eyes!”

“What the heck?”

So that’s why he kept glancing over.

Well, setting me aside, it can’t be helped that Misty is beautiful enough to mesmerize someone.

Plus, if he says we look good together, I can’t really blame Ted anymore.

“Ted.”

“Yes, I’m sorry.”

“I’m not angry, so it’s fine. More importantly, make sure to properly watch our surroundings so this nice picture doesn’t disappear.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best!”

Good grief. But looking good together, huh? Ehehe.

Forest exploration like this once in a while isn’t bad…

I unconsciously smiled as I slowly looked deeper into the forest—

“…………”

—and was at a loss for words.

Wait, that’s strange. Is it an optical illusion?

I just saw a giant shell spinning at incredible speed.

Is someone racing in the forest?

“Everyone! Retreat! Leave the horses and regroup!”

Following Tarsen’s instructions, we left the horses in a safe place and came back.

“Hey, Tarsen. What was that?”

“Prince, it’s the master.”

“What’s a master?”

“Mm, it’s shaking.”

“Hmph. It’s approaching.”

“Wh-wh-what should we do?!”

“It’s a Brachiotortle! Everyone, scatter!”

From the direction Tarsen pointed, a giant turtle approached, mowing down trees.

The knights hurriedly scattered in a semicircle formation, and I joined one section with Misty.

“A big turtle…”

Misty murmured in a small voice.

Yes, a turtle. Unmistakably a turtle with a shell on its back.

However, its size appeared to be about twenty meters in length and width combined.

The Brachiotortle lumbered toward us, then slowly turned sideways and began spinning in place.

Isn’t this bad?

“Everyone get away!”

“‘Uooooooh!‘”

With cries from everyone, we scrambled to escape from the large turtle that was mowing down trees while spinning around.

That Beldiha! What good forest air? There’s no time to savor anything like that!

“Shield team, ready!”

“Ted and Kite got blown away!”

“Are they injured?!”

“They’re covered in blood, but they’re conscious!”

“Then it’s fine!”

Is it really fine?!

“Remaining shield bearers, change its angle!”

Thanks to Tarsen giving instructions and slightly changing the turtle’s direction, Ted and the others avoided being crushed between trees.

However, we were rather stuck.

The speed itself wasn’t that high, but with that incredible spinning and rampage, we couldn’t get close.

“Zeke-sama, what should we do?”

“Hmm…”

If I stab it with my sword, maybe somehow… but if the spinning doesn’t stop.

“It’s come this far out, this is bad.”

“Hmph. And it’s already in an excited state…”

Oh, perfect timing.

“Garim, Debut. Can you two stop that thing for even five seconds?”

“Five seconds?! You’re being unreasonable as always.”

“Hmph. If we stop it, you’ll finish it off, right?”

“Y-yeah!”

I’ll just try. I don’t know if I can finish it off.

“Alright, hey. You guys, lend us your shields.”

“Hmph. Two big ones.”

While the two borrowed large shields from two nearby shield team members, Misty spoke to me from behind.

“Um, are you going to defeat it, Zeke-sama?”

“Of course I’m going.”

I answered immediately while running blood imbued with magic along my sword, but Misty looked at me with a confused expression.

Hm? Did I say something strange?

“Alright, Garim, let’s go!”

“Hmph. Debut, don’t screw up!”

“‘Uooooooh!‘”

The two turned and jumped in with their shields in front, arranged in two rows.

The thick metal parts of the shields scraped away with a grinding sound, but the spinning seemed to weaken somewhat in return.

“Well done! Leave it to me!”

“Prince! Don’t kill it under any circumstances!”

“What?!”

Tarsen shouted loudly.

Don’t kill it? You’re telling me that now?!

I, who had been charging, stabbed my sword in with about half my strength.

I stabbed it, but—

“Oh?”

“Ah.”

“Mm?”

“Ooooooooh!“

The sword pierced it, but immediately after, the spinning speed returned to normal.

The turtle’s shell was surprisingly bumpy with many places to grab.

I instinctively let go of my sword and grabbed onto a protrusion on the shell.

While spinning, since I moved toward the center rather than the outside, even when hitting trees I only grazed them, but this is bad.

The feeling was like being stuck to the outside of a coffee cup ride spinning at high speed in an amusement park.

I was about to be flung off by centrifugal force, I felt like vomiting, and if I flew off I’d definitely die crashing into a tree.

“Zeke-sama! What are you doing?!”

“It’s Tarsen’s fault! Not mine!”

I was planning to stab the sword all the way in and make it explode from the inside!

“Hmph! This shield is done for. Zeke-sama, just keep holding on, at least don’t let go.”

“I know! But I’m about to get flung off! Someone stop thiiiiiis!”

My anguished voice echoed.

“That was close! The sword that was stuck in it flew at me!”

“Shut up, more importantly, bring a replacement shield!”

“Squad leader, we don’t have any more shields! They got scraped away.”

“Tarsen, the assistant commander’s side might have some left.”

“Hmph. There’s no way we can get to that side.”

I could hear voices, but my vision was spinning and I couldn’t see clearly.

Far from protecting Misty, I’m going to die if I get flung off!

“Zeke-sama! Use magic!”

“There’s nothing in dark magic that can break through this situation!”

I considered blocking this turtle’s vision, but the moment it got pitch black, who knows what kind of movement it would make.

“Assistant Commander Tarsen, we’re out of shields on this side too. What should we do?”

“It’s my responsibility. I’ll block it with my body.”

“That’s impossible!”

“Uooooh!“

Panic.

As everyone’s heartfelt screams resonated, a calm voice could be heard.

Ice Pillar.

Suddenly, several thick transparent pillars erupted from the ground.

The turtle scraped away at them with a grinding sound after hitting them with a thud, but its rotation speed gradually calmed down.

“Haaaaah!“

With Misty’s voice, ice surged up from the ground, and by the time it had frozen the creature up to about mid-body, the turtle—or rather, the Brachiotortle’s—movement finally stopped.