The Invincible Aloof Yandere Princess Falls in Love with Her Younger Court Mage's Fatherly Warmth! ~She Clung to Him So Much That the King Fired Him. When He Made Marriage His Official Reason for Resigning Under Royal Order, the Light Vanished from the Princess's Eyes~ - Volume 1 - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Lightning Strikes Twice

A fierce light dyed the entire hall white.

Even so, everyone kept their eyes fixed on it, refusing to look away even as the glare burned their vision.

And then, the moment I quietly released the arrow I had nocked with my right hand, all sound vanished from the surroundings. The magic pouring from the thunder arrow writhed and spread outward.

Several mages, overwhelmed by the sheer magical pressure, lost consciousness and crumpled to the floor.

“H-Hey, you lot! Is that thing going to be all right…!? You’re supposed to protect me, aren’t you!? Court Mage Commander—!”

“—Shut up for a moment! All hands! If you value your lives! Pour every last drop of power you have into this! Intercept it with everything you’ve got…!!”

His Majesty looked shocked and had ended up falling flat on his rear. The commander’s face showed panic he could no longer hide. His hands were trembling a little, weren’t they?

…Well then. Please do your very best.

The moment I muttered that in my heart, I released the control I had been holding over the lightning with my right hand.

“It’s coming! [Black Flame]!!”

Freed from my restraint, the lightning bolt closed the distance between us in an instant. It gouged a deep furrow into the floor along its path, carving a perfectly straight line.

And at the end of that line,

“Guh—kugh, this…!!”

A towering wall of black flame rose up, burning fiercely and scattering sparks. Somehow, it managed to hold back the massive bolt of lightning I had unleashed.

“As expected! With that outstanding power, you protect me—”

“—I told you to be quiet! You incompetent fool who doesn’t know the first thing about magic, stop breaking my concentration! I’m putting my life on the line here…guuuuuh!”

“In…incompetent…”

Incompetent, he says. A king like that should just sit quietly and wait for the end.

While I watched coldly, the other mages began activating their own spells one after another, trying to push my magic back. The court mages poured everything they had into their techniques.

All sorts of people, all sorts of attributes, all sorts of magic. Each carried different backgrounds and personal convictions. His Majesty had his. The commander who followed—no, used—His Majesty had his. So did all their colleagues.

I have no right to judge who is good or evil. Even so, there are a few things I can say.

As objectively as I can manage, the princess is far better suited to rule than His Majesty. Her record proves it.

I’m not trying to measure a ruler’s worth by popularity alone. Still, there are people who have seen what His Majesty and his circle have done.

The matter of Call Village is one example, isn’t it?

But right now, the feeling I’m about to hurl at them—

“I’m not going to spin fancy justifications like some smooth-talking somebody. I’m empty inside, but thanks to the princess, I finally realized there are still things I won’t give up. That’s all.”

“…What nonsense is this! You became a court mage because of me, you ungrateful—”

“That’s true. Because you didn’t fail me in the exam, I got to meet the princess and people like Maguire. I suppose I can be grateful for that much.”

The princess goes without saying. Maguire, even if it was mostly for her sake, was willing to throw his life away for a stranger he had just met. He’s a good man.

“Then…! You will atone with your life for the grave sin of turning against me—and by extension His Majesty, the kingdom itself!”

“Heh, trying to talk your way out of a losing fight. It really makes the title of the kingdom’s greatest mage cry.”

“Don’t get cocky, you insolent brat! …But that arrogance will cost you your life before the pride of us court mages…!”

What…? That was the moment I thought it.

Until now our spells had been dead even, but theirs began, just slightly, to push mine back.

“Hahaha! Fighting all of us elite court mages alone! If that isn’t arrogance, what is?”

“…”

“I’ll admit it. Albert Call, you are the finest mage I’ve ever seen. In certain fields you may even surpass me. But a mage’s strength isn’t decided by technical skill alone! Tactics, command, mentality—countless elements intertwine to make a truly first-rate mage!”

The commander shouted triumphantly, as if his earlier panic had been a lie.

How quickly people change. Still, I might have misjudged their overall strength.

The commander alone seemed equal to twenty average court mages, and there were about thirty others stronger than average. By normal reckoning, that’s a formidable force. Maybe several dozen lightning spears weren’t enough.

As I reflected on that, a voice called from behind me.

“—Papa…! Please, don’t push yourself too hard! If having you beside me is enough, I’ll give up being princess! So let’s go together…!”

“How touching. Unfortunately, if the princess quits, the rest of us are in trouble. …Leave it to me. I’ll make sure the two of you get away safely, and I’ll take care of your life afterward too—”

To those worried voices,

I simply glanced back and gave them a small smile.

Then, the moment the magical reactor inside me roared to life,

“—Morning Star. Double.”

“——…Wha…!?”

I drew my bow again and spoke to the stunned commander.

“One didn’t seem to be enough. Here’s the second.”

“I-Impossible…!? Two of these at once!? Wasn’t simultaneous control already your limit!?”

“I never said anything like that. Well, this ends our conversation. As mages, let’s settle the rest with magic.”

“—!! W-Wait! Wait! …Fine, what do you want!? Status, fame, money!? Whatever it is, I—no, His Majesty over there—will grant it! I swear, so—”

No more talk was needed.

To the commander frantically waving his arms to stop me, to His Majesty curled up on the floor clutching his head,

I smiled and said,

“Go to hell, monster.”

“S-Stop—aaaaaaaaah!!”

Dazzling light filled the hall once more.

The violent thunder tore apart the commander’s lingering scream. Soon, sight and sound—everything—was painted pure lightning.

When vision cleared again, the only ones still conscious were those on the princess’s side. No…there was still one more.

Whether he understood I had held back or not, the kingdom’s highest authority sat pathetically on the floor, tears and snot running down his face.

His Majesty looked at me as though I were a monster and stammered through his trembling,

“H-Hii… I-I’m sorry. No, I’m truly sorry…!”

The once-dashing middle-aged king groveled on the floor, rubbing his forehead against it as he sobbed.

While I waited for the princess running toward me,

I let out a slow breath.

And so,

Though it had lasted only a few days, the upheaval in the palace surrounding my resignation, for the moment, reached its conclusion.