The Fallen Prince’s Pleasure Dungeon: I Won’t Let the Female Adventurers Leave ~ I Was Reincarnated as the Villain in an Eroge, and Even Though I Just Want to Live a Quiet Slow Life, Beautiful Girls Keep Gathering Around Me!?~ - 35

Chapter 35: Don’t You Feel Bad for Her? Doing It in a Place Like This?

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It happened while the village girl was busy working in the wheat fields.

“Hey, you there. Girl.”

Suddenly, a voice called out from behind her.

“Eh?”

Turning around, she saw an armored knight looking down at her from atop his horse. He wore magnificent plate armor that glittered under the sunlight, looking expensive at a single glance. He was a man with a bearded, warrior-like face, and his heavy gaze was fixed sternly upon her. Three other knights followed him, similarly mounted on horseback.

“Y-Yes, what is it?”

“Have you seen any suspicious individuals around here, or perhaps heard any rumors?”

(Suspicious?)

Even being asked that, it was too vague for her to have any idea where to start looking through her memories. Perhaps the man took that into consideration, for he continued.

“We are searching for the traitor to the state, the former Prince Alto Raymond. Even in a remote village like this, surely you have heard the stories.”

“That… yes, I have…”

If she recalled correctly, he had escaped before his execution and vanished somewhere. However…

“There were people who came to search a long time ago… but lately, nothing. I’ve never even seen a prince’s face before.”

Born in such a tiny village so far from the royal capital, a prince was practically a person from another world. She would likely never have anything to do with one for as long as she lived.

“Then, are there any suspicious places? Somewhere suitable for a person to hide and live in?”

“Suspicious places…?”

Involuntarily, she thought of that place she had been frequenting. The knight caught her expression with a sharp eye.

“…You know something, don’t you? Where is it?”

“N-No, I don’t know anything…”

Seeing the ominous air settling over the knights, she took a step back.

“Seize her.”

At the bearded knight’s command, two of his subordinates dismounted and approached, trampling through the wheat.

“I don’t know! No, stop…!”

While she cowered, her arms were suddenly grabbed with a firm grip. They used brute force to suppress her attempts to resist and pulled her down onto her back.

“Noo!”

“What are you doing?”

Another person on horseback appeared. From the corner of her eye, she saw a young man who was clearly of higher rank than the other knights.

“Prince Uber.”

The name the bearded knight uttered was that of the second prince of the Raymond Royal Family. Prince Uber dismounted and walked toward her.

“Don’t you feel bad for her? Doing it in a place like this?”

He had golden hair that caught the sunlight against the blue sky and sharp, beautiful features. However, his expression appeared to have nothing to do with mercy. On his twisted lips, frivolity and cruelty were plainly visible.

“There is a miserable little shack over there, isn’t there? If you’re going to play with her, do it there.”

“!! Please, stop!”

She screamed, but there was no one else nearby. Forced to her feet by the knights restraining her from both sides, she was subjected to the prince’s appraising gaze. They were powerful men, and she stood no chance, yet she struggled with all her might.

“Guh, stay still, girl!”

“What’s with her? She’s surprisingly strong… Is she a magic-user!?”

“? Just take this little girl and―”

As the prince reached out his hand, the village girl acted on instinct.

“Stay away from me!”

She kicked up her right leg, aiming directly for the prince’s crotch.

“―Hogwooh!? Oh, foo!?!?”

The golden-haired prince’s body doubled over and floated into the air.

“Prince Uber!?”

“This girl… Whoa!?”

She shook off the two men and bolted. Pushing through the stalks of wheat, she sprinted down the ridges of the field, running at full speed.

“Wh-What are you doing!? Catch that damn woman! U-Ugh…”

At the command of the prince, who was howling in pain, the bearded knight kicked his horse’s flanks and gave chase. No matter how hard she ran, she was ultimately just a village girl. Being chased by a warhorse’s speed should have meant it was over in an instant.

…Or so it should have been.

“!! Why can I not catch up!?”

The bearded knight’s voice only grew more distant.

(How come I…?)

She thought even as she fled desperately. Was she always this fast? Did she really have enough physical strength to throw off two knights by force, even if she was frantic? The knight had called her a magic-user, but she shouldn’t have such an impressive ability.

(My legs feel so light!)

She felt that her legs and back had certainly grown stronger thanks to her frequent visits to that dungeon. But even so, she was in too good of a condition.

(Is it… Thanks to that magic energy drink?)

That thick liquid she was served at the dungeon. She had become quite addicted to it. When she drank it, vitality surged from deep within her body. Right now, the feeling was similar to that. No matter how much she ran, she felt no fatigue, as if she could reach the very horizon.

“C-Curse you! Wait…!”

Finally, even the knight’s voice and the sound of hooves could no longer be heard.

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“I am terribly sorry, Prince Uber…”

Egmont, the bearded captain of the knights, returned to Uber, who was still moaning in agony. However, the village girl he was expected to have captured was nowhere to be seen.

“What happened to that woman!?”

“…I let her escape.”

Egmont wore a grimace. He was a loyal subordinate who had served Uber since childhood. He was a man handpicked by the Queen, Uber’s mother, and he would show no mercy even to women or children if it was Uber’s command. And yet….

“What do you mean!? …Ugh, uuugh…!”

“She moved at unbelievable speed. That was no ordinary girl.”

“Do you think such a stupid excuse will pass!?”

“…………”

The pain in his crotch caused cold sweat to pour down his face. Though he wore combat gear, his groin area was only protected by a simple covering. When he thought about what would have happened if he hadn’t even had that, he felt a chill. He had only intended to have a little snack while on the “Alto hunt,” and he had suffered this unexpected retribution.

“I… I won’t forgive this…! Catch that damn woman! If you can’t do that, then make a scorched-earth example out of the whole village!”

“That is…”

Egmont hesitated.

“Prince. Though this is a remote region, it is the territory of Duke Dietrich.”

“What of it!?”

“Handling one little girl is one thing, but such an atrocity will not be permitted even for a prince.”

“Don’t give me that!! Are you telling me to just take this lying down!?”

“…Let us return to our original task of searching for Alto. Or would you rather return to the capital?”

“Don’t… don’t be ridiculous!!”

Returning home after failing to find Alto would be bad enough, but to crawl back just because he had been humiliated by a village girl… He couldn’t possibly endure such a miserable display.

Why did he have to suffer like this? Whose fault was it?

“Alto…! I’ll tear you limb from limb to settle this score, just you wait…!”

Supported by his knights, Uber spat out those words.

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T/N: Wow, he’s master of blame shifting