What If the Strongest Villain from the Original Story Became the Protagonist's Ally? - Chapter 88 - Hostility, and Intimidation

“So? Why is the Empire’s third prince here with Princess Iris?”

A tense atmosphere spread.

Though she looked young in appearance, she was still an elf. She had enough aura to be chosen as an elder.

Well, she only looked young—she was probably quite old.

“You know about Iris in detail too.”

“Of course. I know enough to understand that you normally shouldn’t be working together.”

“As expected. But my answer is simple. I fell in love with Iris. That’s all.”

“Love!?”

“Oh my.”

Iris let out a voice of confusion beside me, while the female elf covered her mouth in surprise.

Meanwhile, I had a smug expression. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say I had no shame left.

“You abandoned your country for just that reason?”

“Got a problem with that? I already had doubts about the Empire’s ways. I feel refreshed being free like this.”

“Really… you didn’t seem like that type when I met you before.”

“What did you expect from a child?”

“Hehe. I thought you’d become a peerless beauty in the future. And I was right.”

“I wasn’t talking about appearance.”

“That’s fine. You’re factually handsome. How about it? Won’t you spend a passionate night with me?”

“Hoh? Not bad—not that it matters.”

Shink.

I heard the sound of Iris drawing her sword behind me.

“Yuu-san, we came here to secure the elf race’s cooperation, didn’t we? If you’re going to flirt, I’ll kill you. And then I’ll die too.”

“Heavy, heavy. Please live for the world’s sake.”

“Then Yuu-san, please live for my sake.”

Puff—Iris puffed out her cheeks and sheathed her sword.

I sighed in relief.

I could hear the female elf chuckling in front.

“Oh my. How passionate.”

“Right? It’s mutual love.”

“How enviable. A love romance between an enemy nation’s prince and princess… I don’t dislike it.”

“Hey! Stop this nonsense already! They didn’t come here to talk about such things, did they? Sylpheid-sama is also troubled.”

[I’m not particularly troubled. If Iris becomes happy, that’s what matters most. If she’s made unhappy, I’ll kill him.]

“You too?”

Why are all the women around me the type who immediately say they’ll kill people?

Nana was also a former assassin. Actually, she tried to kill me.

Lycoris was also a muscle-brained berserker. She almost killed me too.

…Wait? Could it be that there aren’t any normal people around me?

I’m the only normal one.

“A-anyway! Let’s move the discussion forward. We certainly got carried away with idle chatter.”

“It wasn’t really idle chatter though. I wanted to know Yuguram-kun’s inner nature.”

“My inner nature?”

“Yes. If Your Highness seriously rampaged, this village would perish according to Sylpheid-sama, right? If you’re that strong, I need to know. Like why you’re helping the Kingdom.”

“I see.”

So she had mixed that into our earlier frivolous conversation.

She really was a woman not to be underestimated.

I mentally added her to my list of dangerous people.

“Hmph. There are limits to what one human can do alone. I mean no offense to Sylpheid-sama, but I can’t believe that man could destroy our village by himself.”

“Hahah!”

Nice provocation.

If they could remain arrogant even in front of a spirit, I might as well show them my real power.

I drew out a massive amount of magical power all at once from the magic core in my body.

Without manipulating it, I simply released it.

It had no enhancement abilities, but magical power that should have disappeared filled the surroundings.

Whether they liked it or not, they could tell.

“!?”

Everyone present gasped.

Everyone except me was breaking into a sweat.

Quite a few were trembling.

“How’s that? Do you still doubt my power? Or would you be convinced if I cut down that World Tree of yours?”

[Don’t touch the World Tree that the Spirit King raised, you fool.]

Sylpheid, the only one besides me who remained calm, glared at me.

It was just a joke.

“Yes, yes. But you understand what I’m getting at, right? On top of that, I’d appreciate it if you’d listen to Iris’s proposal. Knowing that there are any number of unreasonable beings in this world.”

That should be enough for my role.

Iris, who was sweating like the other elves, smiled wryly and spoke:

“Really… Yuu-san is always so selfish. This makes it look like we’re threatening them.”

“It’s fine. Diplomacy? Let’s go with a strong approach. Our opponents are arrogant elves, after all. All the more reason.”

“Please don’t say such things in front of Sylpheid-sama and the people themselves… though I suppose there’s some truth to it.”

With a good grief, she shrugged her shoulders, then Iris stepped forward.

Making a crisp expression, she addressed the elves whose trembling still hadn’t stopped:

“Well then, I’ll make a proposal to all of you. To prepare for war with the Empire—I want to form an alliance.”