Vol 1 Chapter 20 – The Ones Who Lured Them【Vol 1 – Spoiled Princess Arc】

“…No way. They actually took down the master of the ‘Beginner-Killer’ Chamber?”

The man standing before the ‘Beginner-Killer’ Chamber muttered as he peered inside.

Moments earlier the entrance had been sealed tight, but the master’s death caused the exit to swing open.

The battle must have been brutal—dust still hung in the air, and at the back of the chamber a lone girl screamed “Erik!” at the top of her lungs.

The name Erik had appeared in the dossier he’d memorized.

They called him the Altruistic Charity Hero, a champion beloved by the common folk.

Yet the reports also claimed he lacked real combat prowess; that was precisely why they’d gone ahead with their plan to assassinate Princess Debora even though he was acting as her guard.

Using the ‘Beginner-Killer’ Chamber made pulling off a perfect crime easy.

In fact, had the ogre survived, the three of them would have become corpses, doomed to wander the dungeon forever.

“Princess Debora, certainly—but it looks like we’ll need to raise our estimate of that hero as well.”

He might well have died in the skirmish, though.

The man wanted to verify with his own eyes whether the Altruistic Charity Hero still lived, but the lingering smoke blocked his view. Entering the chamber would expose his presence, so he could only speculate about Erik’s fate.

“…No. First, I need to file my report.”

He withdrew from the chamber’s entrance and crouched at a bend in the corridor.

He produced a crystal and poured mana into it.

After a moment, a hazy silhouette appeared within the crystal, gradually coming into focus.

It resolved into the bearded face of a middle-aged man.

His bloated, repulsive appearance made it clear he had indulged in every luxury imaginable.

Yet his rank was so high that no one dared criticize him.

“Oh, it’s you. I was just savoring one of my peasants’ women… If I hadn’t given you this assignment, I would have killed you for interrupting.”

“Yes, sir. My apologies for disturbing you, but the situation has advanced and I felt it necessary to report.”

Despite the unreasonable outburst, the man knelt without protest.

A sideways glance at the crystal showed a woman’s legs behind the middle-aged man.

So he had abused his power again.

No wonder the people despised him so deeply…

Even so, he tossed scraps to his capable underlings, prompting the kneeling messenger to curl his lips in a sly grin.

“Progress, you say? Then—did you succeed in killing Princess Debora?”

“As planned, we lured her into the ‘Beginner-Killer’ Chamber without a hitch… but her escort interfered, and Her Highness still lives.”

“What?”

Up to the part about successfully luring her, the man had listened in good spirits; at the mention of failure, his brow twisted immediately.

“Her escort? I was told no renowned knight was with her.”

“Yes, sir. A hero named Erik.”

“A hero, eh.”

The man snorted.

“So the king made some nobody a hero. Are you telling me that a wretch of such low breeding—nothing like me—actually conquered the ‘Beginner-Killer’ Chamber?”

He didn’t recognize the name Erik, but he had heard of the Altruistic Charity Hero.

Lately, that hero had been quietly gaining popularity among the people of the Kingdom of Vilemse.

A hero who always put others first, showing compassion and acting for their sake.

If someone were attacked by monsters, he’d even throw himself into danger to save them.

The two men, who lived purely for their own desires and did whatever they pleased, couldn’t understand Erik at all, so they looked down on him as a fool.

“No, sir. From what I saw, Princess Debora likely struck the finishing blow. Erik doesn’t have the strength to defeat an ogre.”

“Hmm, yes, that makes sense.”

The man nodded in agreement with the messenger’s words.

He’d never once heard a rumor that Erik possessed any outstanding combat strength.

On the contrary, people likely praised him precisely because, despite his weakness, he still fought for others.

That meant the one who felled the ogre had to be either their target, Debora, or the girl clinging to Erik…

The clingy girl likely couldn’t fight at all.

Debora, on the other hand, wielded Explosion, the power that earned her the fearful nickname “Spoiled Princess.”

With strength like that, she might well have taken down an ogre.

“As expected of a princess—she won’t go down that easily.”

“My apologies.”

“No matter. Had the assassination succeeded under this plan, I’d have nothing to say—yet we still have backups, don’t we?”

“Yes, sir.”

The middle-aged man’s lips curled into a grin.

Had they managed to kill her with the ‘Beginner-Killer’ Chamber scheme, nothing more would have needed saying.

A perfect crime would draw no investigation and be chalked up to a guard’s failure.

Even so, they had planned carefully for the possibility of failure.

“But… are you truly certain about this?”

“Hmph, that’s none of your concern!”

“M-my apologies.”

The instant the words slipped out, a rebuke flew at him.

That short temper was one reason the villagers feared and avoided the man.

Yet, still mellow from the woman he’d just taken, he deigned to speak.

“I’ve grown bored of this backwater. The women are second-rate, and there’s no luxury to be had. A whole kingdom is more my speed.”

“Indeed, I couldn’t agree more.”

“Exactly, exactly.”

Even such transparent flattery made the middle-aged man beam.

“To that end, we must eliminate not only King Rei but also every last heir to the throne. Prince Orace is popular and tightly guarded. Princess Debora, on the other hand, is shunned as the Spoiled Princess, so her security is thin. She’s our first target.”

“I see.”

The subordinate had to admit the man had a point.

King Rei, of course, enjoyed the strictest protection in the land.

As the head of the Kingdom of Vilemse, that was only natural.

Prince Orace was equally well guarded.

Being first in line for the throne and the next king, it stood to reason.

Moreover, his stellar character endeared him to the people, boosting the morale of the knights who protected him.

Debora, by contrast, was different.

Though an heir of noble blood, her personality could hardly be called admirable.

She was the Spoiled Princess, bearer of the volatile skill Explosion—no one would risk their life to defend her.

Thus Debora was naturally the first mark.

Explosion was extraordinarily powerful. If she ever mastered it completely, killing her would become nearly impossible without massive support.

Right now, while she still lacked full control, was the perfect window for assassination.

“I’ll relay the orders to our people.”

“Good… and one more thing.”

“Yes, sir?”

As the messenger moved to end the call, the man stopped him.

His desire-clouded eyes glinted ominously as he stared.

“If this next plan fails, word that Princess Debora was endangered will reach King Rei. Then my own neck is on the block. In short, failure is unacceptable. You know what happens if you mess up… don’t you?”

“……!”

A shudder ran through his body.

This was no idle threat; the man would truly kill him if he failed.

Just as he said, another blunder would undoubtedly tighten the noose around his own throat.

With the ‘Beginner-Killer’ Chamber they could craft a perfect crime.

They could spin a tale that the useless Hero, acting as guard, foolishly entered the chamber and got the princess killed.

But the backup plan they’d saved was far less indirect—brutally direct, in fact.

Success would still let them pin the blame elsewhere, but failure would surely expose the middle-aged man.

And King Rei, who doted on Debora, would never let that slide.

At minimum he’d lose his lands; at worst, execution.

Such was the risk the man was now willing to take.

Because the reward was simply too great.

“I understand.”

The messenger nodded.

He knew full well how ruthless the man was—he’d served him long enough.

And he followed him anyway,

because it meant a share of the spoils: wealth and women.

To keep sipping that sweet nectar, he remained loyal.

Meanwhile, yet another hardship loomed on Debora’s horizon.