My Beloved Princess ~The Boy Called Incompetent Rises with Only a Sword and the Princess's Devotion~ - Chapter 044: The Unending Nightmare

“Come on, kiss me. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

Turning away haughtily with a flushed face, Kōran said with trembling lips.

The tall girl had about the same height as Kishō. No need to force her to stand on tiptoes—if he pulled her close, he could easily steal those lips.

Her strong-willed face undoubtedly fell within the category of beauties. Moreover, Upper School first-year female second-ranked in ability. Looking at status alone, she was flawless talent. Plenty of male students in Upper School probably desired her. However, exchanging an unwanted engagement would only make both parties unhappy.

“I didn’t think Kōran’s resolve went that far. I’ll honestly apologize for underestimating you. But you shouldn’t do such things with someone you don’t even like.”

Kishō had intended to gently admonish. He’d intended to give Kōran an escape route after she couldn’t back down from lying. But,

“You’re so annoyingly long-winded. I’m saying I’ll grant permission to defile my lips. Consider it an honor.”

Still turned away bashfully, Kōran somehow sent back a defiant response. Faintly welling tears and trembling shoulders. No matter how you looked at it, her body showed rejection.

“Don’t magnificently flip the table on someone’s kindness!?”

“What, are you dissatisfied?”

“Wait wait, has my head gone crazy? I’m pretty sure there were only dissatisfying elements from start to finish.”

Kishō tried tapping his forehead as if tracing memories, but from the start of being attacked with a real sword, he’d been about 100% pure saturated with dissatisfaction. And now, even at this moment.

“What’s with ‘permission to defile’ anyway? If you hate it that much, just don’t do it.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not that you’re filthy—everything except Onee-sama is equally filthy. Even if defiled by you, I’ll have Onee-sama purify me, so it’s fine.”

Kōran stated arrogantly. Power returned to her tear-mixed eyes with a strong brilliance, conveying firm will. He understood intuitively that this woman was serious. And he felt something like madness that would twist everything through force of will.

“Argh, I don’t understand anymore! Fine, I lose. Is this good enough?”

“Right. Then hurry up and finish the kiss.”

“Why!? I admitted defeat, so we’re done.”

“We’re not done. If we don’t kiss, I can’t stay with Onee-sama.”

Kishō shuddered at that insane love impossible in human society.

“Urgent recruitment!! Method to silence Onee-sama-loving (insane person) character!!”

He tried shouting catchphrase-worthy escapism high to the heavens, but reality didn’t change one bit. And Ōka interjected from the side into this.

“Pull her close and silence her with a kiss.”

“That’s right. Hurry up.”

“I’m not hurrying!? And you two should be meeting for the first time. You’re in perfect sync!?”

“Don’t worry. Kōran is excellent personnel, so she’ll surely be useful to you.”

“What are you worried about, Kuroyō!? You’re way off the mark!?”

At the rude attitude toward the Princess, prominences called killing intent began generating from Kōran’s entire body. At those flames of killing intent that weren’t metaphorical, Kishō shuddered.

“What’s with those flames anyway? Killing intent is leaking out!?”

“This is my body’s flush. It’s my first kiss, so it can’t be helped.”

“Don’t lie, don’t lie!? I can’t bear being charred just from excitement.”

“I have no use for a man who’d die from that much.”

“At least pretend otherwise even if it’s a lie!?”

Ughhh—Kishō arched backward and did a bridge for no reason. Watching this, Ōka held her stomach laughing. Perhaps inverting his head did the trick, as he thought of the next move and sprang up his body.

“Even granting a hundred steps and acknowledging that insane seriousness, I don’t like you. You understand what that means?”

“I agree. We get along.”

“We don’t get along at all!? We have the worst compatibility.”

“Hmph. If I can follow Onee-sama, compatibility doesn’t matter.”

“What? I’m feeling déjà vu. This one-way feeling where conversation doesn’t work…”

Suddenly, he directed his gaze at the meager face standing beside Kōran. The foremost person conversation didn’t work with—the Princess made those knothole eyes sparkle:

“From now on, you can gradually understand each other.”

Everything went dark before Kishō’s eyes.

◇◇◇◇◇

Evening sunlight streamed into the room.

One shadow existed in the classroom emptied of students.

The shadow leaned forward with both elbows on the windowsill, directing its gaze toward the plaza in front of the main building.

In the plaza, one male student and three female students were making a commotion.

One among them. The person at the ring’s center possessed beauty that stood out clearly even from a distance. The shadow raised the corners of its thinly rouged mouth rapturously.

“Oh my, how lacking in tension. When told you could read touched magic formulas, I panicked, but apparently just bluffing. Seems I worried unnecessarily.”

The darkening classroom with evening sun streaming in.

While kicking legs back and forth, the shadow showed wild mirth.

That evil smile existed there without diminishing in the slightest, as if melting into darkness.

“Shall we say Round Two has begun? Though the gong already rang long ago, I wonder if you’ve noticed.”

Kukukuku, the shadow trembled with amusement and laughed with its whole body.

The commotion of students making noise in the plaza seemed finished, as they started heading home in a group. Then someone appeared blocking them, fluttering conspicuous dragon robes clearly visible even from afar.

“Oh my, that’s—”

The shadow knew Princess Kuroyō’s ability well.

But simultaneously, the shadow also knew that the academy’s greatest ability holder wasn’t Princess Kuroyō. The greatest user was undoubtedly that woman. Permitted to wear gorgeous, magnificent tri-colored dragon robes—the sole person in this academy. One of the six consorts, Alliance Consort Seiran.

“Clashing head-on with that wouldn’t end safely. I must proceed cautiously.”

Outside the window.

Students apparently receiving a scolding from Seiran. The shadow thought it unavoidable. Though past peak, they’d performed a grand spectacle with real sword in hand while students heading home were scattered about. Such dangerous acts couldn’t possibly be permitted.

“Though whether to punish depends entirely on the academy director’s discretion. Probably just ends with verbal warning.”

The scolding continued for a while, and the shadow could clearly see Kōran hanging her head dejectedly after being rebuked. A loud voice saying to choose time and place reached even the distant main building. Then Seiran, shoulders raised angrily, this time embraced Princess Kuroyō’s delicate body and began admonishing something. The embrace continued for a while, but Seiran shook her head regretfully and sighed. Then the students turned back toward the main building, led by Seiran.

“Oops. I’d rather not run into them.”

Swinging the dangling legs largely, the shadow lifted its body with arm strength alone and landed quietly from the tiptoes. Showing casual dismissal by brushing dust from the sleeve cuffs, it also left the classroom.

Midway, female students passing in the corridor bowed their heads to the shadow. The shadow returned smoothly to its usual expression and responded by waving hands lightly.

Main building first floor. On the north side was a back entrance for teachers only leading to the Magic Research Building. Opening the door, the Magic Research Building grounds spread immediately before.

There were two Magic Research Buildings: the Teacher Building, a facility exclusive to teachers, and the Experiment Building for conducting magic experiments. Between the back entrance and Teacher Building, a covered corridor connected them. The shadow proceeded through the corridor with unhesitating steps and entered the Teacher Building.

Compared to the Experiment Building, the Teacher Building’s structure wasn’t especially large. Though not a particularly important facility, who could imagine a secret space spreading beneath it underground? Not only students, but even among teachers, none knew of its existence.

“I won’t let my guard down again. Next time I’ll prepare thoroughly and cook you slowly.”

The shadow that was master of the concealed space showed a savage smile unsuited to that face.

A smile far more ferocious and cruel than any magical beast.

In the underground room, capsule-shaped containers covered in transparent glass were installed. Six capsules total, five empty. The remaining one at the very front. The container was filled with green liquid, and beyond the circular transparent glass, a naked girl could be seen placed inside.

Glub glub, the container expelled air bubbles, circulating the green liquid. The girl had her eyes softly closed, as if sleeping.

Matching small hands through the glass to the girl’s face, the shadow murmured adoringly:

“Good grief. Breaking it so spectacularly. Even though it was a favorite.”

The shadow gazed rapturously at the beautifully shining golden hair. Behind those closed eyelids slept clear blue reminiscent of fine weather. That doll-like beautiful girl’s name was—

“Alice, wasn’t it? The merchant’s daughter who came from Westport.”

Forcing down the frightened Alice, converting her into a vessel.

A vessel meant a receptacle.

A receptacle to accept the shadow’s soul.

“Soul Transfer formula. Seems you couldn’t see through it. Princess of the dragonkin.”

The shadow smiled bewitchingly.

Instantly, all candles in the underground space lit at once. Darkness was swept away in an instant, and the shadow also vanished as if purified. The mask called shadow peeled away, and what appeared there was the peerless mage Eleshia Ikhnosis herself.

◇◇◇◇◇

Lower School grounds, Magic Research Building to the north.

Students normally didn’t approach the Teacher Building in particular. One reason was having no business there, but the overall old-fashioned, musty atmosphere formed a barrier keeping students away.

For such reasons, the Teacher Building had become a desolate space with almost no foot traffic even during the day. Teachers were often out teaching classes, so unoccupied time was overwhelmingly more common.

Under such circumstances, one female student walked the dim corridor dyed in twilight.

Holding piled-up materials high enough to block her vision with both hands, occasionally twisting her neck to peek out from the wall of materials, confirming no abnormalities in her path as she proceeded.

Why had the female student entered the Teacher Building at this hour when afternoon classes ended and it was time to go home? Unknown. No teachers’ figures were visible, and she seemed to be the only one existing in the Teacher Building. The female student advanced slowly and carefully to avoid collapsing the mountain of materials.

Magic-activated lamps were placed in the corridor, lighting upon detecting darkness, but those flames were unreliable and couldn’t completely dispel the gloom. Dim. Just endlessly dim and musty. Perhaps sensing the eerie atmosphere, the female student stopped and turned around.

No one was there. Empty space, the corridor stretched straight. Beyond seemed like endless darkness opening its great maw.

Brr, the female student shuddered.

Then this time she began walking the corridor quickly. The piled materials swayed dangerously. She wanted to escape this eerie space as quickly as possible. Such psychology showed transparently.

Then suddenly a strong wind blew. The female student briefly cried “Kyah!” and crouched. Opening eyes she’d instinctively closed, she looked around. And the female student tilted her head dubiously. From her viewpoint, all windows were closed.

Then where exactly had the wind blown from?

Though the female student pondered for a while, regaining composure and murmuring “Oh well,” she resumed walking. Not noticing the black shadow different from her own clinging to her back.

That day, one female student vanished.