The Abandoned Prince Heals an Enemy Soldier on the Frontlines, Only to Discover She’s the Seventh Imperial Princess - Chapter 42: Side - Rosemary

Chapter 42: Side – Rosemary

“Princess Rosemary!! We can’t get in! There’s no entry point from anywhere!!”

“Tch… Understood! First unit—descend and wait for further orders! Second unit—stay airborne and continue surveillance! If you find even the slightest opening, report it immediately!”

Riding atop her wyvern, Rosemary let out a frustrated sigh.

It had all started half a day ago—when the girls’ dorm at Violetta Academy was suddenly sealed off by a mysterious dome. The strange barrier completely blocked visibility, making it impossible to see what was happening inside

Some students and older teachers had been expelled from the dorm, while the rest were trapped inside.

When Rosemary questioned those who had been pushed out, she learned something bizarre.

Apparently, out of nowhere, the dorm had been flooded with tentacles. They’d started throwing people out—or capturing them.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Rosemary had declared a state of emergency.

She even tried destroying the dome with the wyvern squad’s flamethrowers—but every attempt failed.

“Kuh… What in the world is going on in there…?”

Grumbling under her breath, Rosemary descended to the ground to let her wyvern rest.

Crowds of curious onlookers had already gathered around the girls’ dorm, drawn by rumors and the chaos. The soldiers were having a hard time keeping them under control.

“I hope Reyshel’s okay…”

The person Rosemary pictured in her mind was the one she loved more than anyone else in the world.

Thanks to a certain scheme cooked up by her mother and older sister, he was currently living in the girls’ dorm for some reason.

But among those who had been expelled from the dorm… he wasn’t there.

That alone was enough to make Rosemary uneasy.

“Rosemary.”

“Huh? Ah—M-Mother!?”

A sudden voice made her turn around—and there stood her mother, Alcarion.

Although… she was smaller than usual.

She now looked more like a young girl wearing a maid outfit.

Rosemary instantly realized that this wasn’t her mother’s true body, but a clone.

Standing beside her was someone even smaller.

“Salion’s here too~”

“Indeed! I’ve arrived! I was beginning to think I’d been forgotten with how little screen time I’ve had, so I figured it’s about time I got my moment to shine!!”

“I… have no idea what Grandmother is talking about, but honestly, I’m just glad you both came. We’ve tried everything, but nothing we do can break that dome around the dorm.”

Rosemary bowed her head to her mother, Alcarion, and her grandmother, Salion.

With these two on the scene, there was no problem that couldn’t be solved.

Just their presence brought color back to Rosemary’s face.

“Fumu… I see…”

“Ah… this is… interesting.”

“Did you figure something out!?”

In response to Rosemary’s question, Salion gave a nod while Alcarion’s expression turned unusually serious.

“Well now, this is unexpected. This barrier… I can’t see through it. Or rather, is it… dissolving the very concept of light? This is a first for me. What about you, Alcarion?”

“…I just received a visual feed from my main body. I’m angry.”

“M-Mother?”

“O-Oh dear. I can hear this ominous ‘rumbling’ noise coming from her direction.”

Alcarion’s face remained as unreadable as ever, but Rosemary broke out in a nervous sweat.

She could feel it—her mother was definitely furious.

Unable to hold it in, Rosemary asked what was happening inside. Was he okay? Was her beloved safe?

“The plan to have the boy father children with every female on the planet and become a god of the new world is excellent. However—it only works if it’s built on his love. It should only happen if he wishes for it, if he truly wants to share that with the world.”

“Mother? What are you talking about…?”

“Salion. Rosemary. We’re breaching the barrier. Now.”

““WHAT!?””

Without a second of hesitation, Alcarion began walking straight toward the dome.

“S-She got through!?”

“Hmm… It appears that women—especially those with a certain level of attractiveness—are allowed to enter freely. Let’s go after her.”

“Wait, Grandmother too!? Aren’t you both charging in a little too boldly!?”

Salion responded to Rosemary’s completely reasonable concern with just one blunt sentence.

She said it without hesitation—

“If we don’t go in, we can’t save the boy, right?”

“!?”

“Then I’ll go on ahead.”

With that simple remark, Salion casually stepped through the barrier.

Rosemary found herself ashamed of her own hesitation.

She was right—if she stood around second-guessing everything, she wouldn’t be able to protect the one who mattered most.

With a sharp slap to her cheeks, Rosemary gathered her resolve and followed through the barrier herself.

On the other side, she saw the familiar building of the girls’ dorm still standing.

At first glance, everything looked normal, and Rosemary let out a breath of relief.

But the very next second, a strange chill hit her skin—and when she looked down…

“Wha—!? M-My clothes!?”

The armor she had been wearing… had completely melted away.

Her curvy body was now embarrassingly exposed, and she instinctively covered herself with both arms.

“Oho! So the barrier digests the concept of clothing! But it still leaves behind certain items like underwear and socks—the bits that add just the right amount of lewdness!”

“G-Grandmother! You’re in your underwear!?”

“Hm? Oh, you’re right. But it seems you got the short end of the stick, Rosemary.”

Compared to Rosemary, Salion—who had entered first—still had a few scraps of fabric left.

The absolute essentials were covered, at least.

Salion looked Rosemary up and down with curious interest, then gave a slow, thoughtful nod.

And then, she said—

“Hmm… I see. Looks like it judged you as being the lewdest when completely naked.”

“!?”

Rosemary had no idea how to even respond to that, so she quickly tried to change the subject.

“W-What exactly is this place?”

“Hmm… Feels like we’re inside the stomach of some living creature. Probably a slime, or something like that.”

“A slime!?”

Rosemary couldn’t believe her ears.

Slimes were supposed to be the weakest of all monsters. There’s no way one could pull off something this ridiculous.

“It’s likely a mutated variant. One that’s evolved to digest not just physical matter… but even concepts.”

“Digesting… concepts, too? T-Then why are some clothes still left behind?”

“I don’t know for sure. But I have a theory. Lewdness ties directly to one of the three primal desires—sexual desire. It’s a fundamental part of what makes a human… human. If it tried to digest that, it might erase something essential.”

“U-Um… okay…?”

“In other words, it’s like trying to digest metal bones. Can’t be done.”

Just then, Alcarion—who had gone in ahead of them—called out.

“You two, hurry up. We’re moving.”

“!? W-Wait—Mother!? Why are you still fully clothed!?”

“Maid outfits are considered lewd.”

“Apologize to maids everywhere!!”

And so, the three of them began exploring the dorm.

But soon, they came across something they never expected to see…

“W-What is this!?”

“Oho… Now this is quite the sight.”

“Looks like something the boy would be very excited about.”

As soon as they stepped deeper into the girls’ dorm, it became clear that the building itself was pulsing—like it was alive.

And all around them, dozens of female students and teachers were entangled in wriggling tentacles.

One student had been half-absorbed into the wall, with only her butt sticking out. Another was partially swallowed by the floor, her lower half gone.

That said—it wasn’t some gruesome horror scene.

The students and teachers all seemed to be alive, and there were no signs that their lives were in danger.

Still, it was a weird enough sight to throw Rosemary into a mild panic. She rushed forward to try and rescue them—only to be stopped by Salion.

“Don’t. Best to leave them be for now.”

“W-Why!? Grandmother!?”

“Seems like these tentacles are set up to capture anyone who tries to help. A trap designed with cruel precision.”

The horrifying efficiency of it all sent a chill down Rosemary’s spine.

“My dear appears to be this way.”

“M-Mother! It’s too dangerous to go off on your own!”

“Don’t worry. It’s just a clone. I’m much more disposable than you two.”

“R-Right… You have a point.”

And so, Rosemary, along with Alcarion and Salion, headed deeper into the dorm toward what seemed to be the source of it all—the grand hall.

And in that massive hall, they found—

“Wha—!?”

“Ohoho!! Things are absolutely wild in here!! Youth, I tell you!!”

“…”

There he was—her beloved.

Lying atop a massive, writhing slime like it was a bed… completely swarmed by countless female students.

―――――――――――――――――――――

[Afterword]

A Random Tidbit

Author: “Maid outfits are sexy. No matter what anyone says—they’re sexy.”

R: “I get it.”

Author: “Also, I’ve started posting a new series on Nocturne! The title is: ‘I Got Reincarnated as the Best Friend in an Eroge, So I Stole the Heroine—But That Somehow Broke the Protagonist’s Kinks!?’ If you’ve got time, check it out too!”

If you found yourself thinking, “Hey! Salion’s finally back!” or “Maid outfits are 100% sexy!!” or “I’m definitely reading that new series!!” —then please leave a comment, bookmark, ★ rating, or review!