[V10C14] A Princess Who Never Goes Back on Her Word
Translated by Jodas 10: A Job for a Con Man“So you’re saying now we’re all under arrest!? What are we supposed to do now!?”
Roswitha screamed and, with tears in her eyes, glared at Ella.
“Elllaaaa… You were with her the whole time!!”
“I– I– I’m sorry, Roswi. But, you know, there’s a reason.”
Wren then opened his mouth to follow on from what Ella said.
“It was a dude from the Finance Office who was keeping watch on this room. Didn’t you recognize him? Herr, the guy who wears a patterned shirt under his robe… You know, the guy who likes to hype up his bosses and says ‘This guy’s not kidding around!’ all the time?”
Julius had done his fair share of snooping around the Wedge Tower, so he could recognize a fair amount of the mages’ faces.
Herr, of the Finance Office. A younger man, around the same age as Frederik Lange. He’d heard once that the man wound up working for the Finance Office because he lacked the talent for magic.
Then, Gerald spoke under his breath.
“Um, isn’t that weird? Why would someone from the Finance Office be on guard duty?”
To Gerald’s question, Rose hummed nonchalantly. “Oh, I didn’t think of that…”
“Usually, you’d think it’d be the Protection Office doing this kind of guarding, huh~.”
“So does that mean… They’re short-handed?”
Wren nodded to Rose and Sophie’s questions.
“You’re half right. The other half is, well… I think even the Wedge Tower’s higher-ups can’t really agree on what to do with us.”
‘So that’s what’s going on?’ Julius quickly understood the implication.
Now that Headmaster Möbius and Assistant Headmaster Miriam were both out of the fight, command fell to the three Spiremasters: Abel, Lowein, and Alto.
At the minimum, Spiremaster Lowein of the Second Spire: Golden Needle opposed the idea of keeping the Apprentices locked away. Thus, he claimed to be too short-staffed as he refused to send anyone to stand guard.
Since Spiremaster Abel of the First Spire: White Smoke did want to keep the Apprentices confined, she must have sent someone from the Finance Office, which was under her purview.
Since the traitor, the Hundred-Eyes Witch Anneliese Röhm, was from the Guidance Office, she couldn’t have anyone from that office keep watch over the Apprentices. Thus, she had no choice but to find someone from the Finance or General Affairs Offices who had nothing better to do.
“In short, the higher-ups cannot decide how to punish us”
That did make sense. This wasn’t the sort of thing one could just make a decision about on the spot.
While Julius was a traitor to the Wedge Tower, his supporters were all people they couldn’t deal with lightly. For a start, there was Sevil, the Imperial Princess. Then, there was Rose, who was apparently an important figure in his home country. Gerald was the younger brother of a Margrave from the West of the Empire; Sophie was a once-in-a-lifetime Shaman with the aptitude for ‘Despina, the Chain of Fools’; Roswitha hailed from a prominent family in the Classical Magecraft world… Tia and Wren were just about the only normal people here.
Once Sevil summarized the situation, Wren spoke in a whisper beside her.
“…When it comes to Sevil, I think all the adults agree on one thing: they’re all thinking ‘Please just behave and don’t cause a fuss!’”
Wren’s quip couldn’t have been more right. That was precisely why Herr, the lookout, had allowed her into the room.
But, heedless of Wren’s point, said Imperial Princess showed not a shred of desire to behave as she smirked confidently.
“Now that the higher-ups are in a state of chaos, this is an opportunity for us to make our moves, is it not?”
In response, Sophie sheepishly raised her hand.
“Hey, Sevil… At times like this… Don’t you think that the higher-ups will feel better about us if we behaved…?”
“While your logic is sound, we don’t have time for such things now. Considering that the wall dissipate within three days’ time, I expect the higher-ups to launch their attack on the Wedge Tower either tomorrow or the day after.”
Everyone’s face went pale.
Julius could feel a chill run down his spine.
If they were going to launch an attack on the Wedge Tower… that meant Finn would get wrapped up in the ensuing battle.
“We must move with due speed and efficiency. Thus, we will start by… Hey, lookout! Can you hear me!?”
Sevil projected her voice, prompting a weak voice from the other side of the door.
“Ah– Yes, I can hear you. Yeah.”
While Herr was the kind of man who projected confidence when he was speaking with those younger than him, it appeared that he couldn’t help but shrivel in the presence of the Emperor’s sister.
Julius and the others had grown quite familiar with Sevil as of late, but usually the correct way to respond to a Princess’ presence was more along these lines.
“Since I’m your prisoner now, I demand you improve my treatment!”
Wren whispered his witticism.
“I don’t think prisoners are supposed to make demands of their guards.”
Naturally, Sevil paid him no heed.
It was easy to sense that the man on the other side of the door was at a loss.
Sevil turned towards the door and shouted.
“First, you should allow me to leave whenever I wish!”
“You’re not even a prisoner, then…!”
Wren made a valid point.
But the Barbarian Sword Princess was not one to bow to mere ‘logic’ or ‘common sense.’
“U– Um… I’m pretty sure they’re gonna get mad at me if I let you all go as you please… They’ll get real mad.”
“Then it need only be a few at a time. I don’t mind if you have a guard follow those of us who go out.”
“But, well, we’re really short handed right now…”
“Then call Mr. Hütter. I’ll obey any directions Mr. Hütter gives me.”
Wren remarked “Yeah, but you still won’t follow them when you don’t feel like it.”
All of the Apprentices wordlessly nodded in agreement.
“In exchange, I request improvements of our conditions. I won’t ask for luxury baths. But we need time to wash up — at separate times for the boys and girls — and warm food. I understand the situation is pressing, but I know that meals have already been distributed to everyone else who’s evacuated.”
“W– Well yeah… Of course the prisoners are gonna get fed last at times like this…”
“I see, you must be quite short-staffed indeed. In that case, I shall lend you the services of my cook. His name is Gerald. You can take him if you wish.”
“Huh!?” Gerald’s shoulders jolted up in shock.
Rose took the opportunity to join in on the bandwagon.
“Oh, if you need some work done in the kitchen, let me help too~! You can leave any vegetable soup related tasks to me!”
“Hold on, um, well, I don’t think I can decide these things… You’re making things really hard for me. For real…”
It was easy to imagine Herr’s troubled face on the other side of the door as Sevil impatiently spouted her demands.
Sevil stomped up to the door and ordered in a booming voice.
“Open the door.”
“Huh?”
“Are you expecting me to say the same thing twice?”
“Eek…”
Visibly trembling, the door opened ever so slightly.
Through the crack, he could catch a glimpse of a young man wearing a robe over a patterned shirt — Herr of the Finance Office.
Sevil stuck her hand through that crack and grabbed Herr’s chin with her fingertips. Wren whistled in amazement.
“You said you were Herr, from the Finance Office, yes? I’ve got your name and face committed to memory.”
“E– Eek…”
“I am one who shall some day stand above you. Would it not be wise for you to consider your future standing now? Hm?”
“Ah– Y– Yes!!”
Herr flailed as he jumped back, forgetting to lock the door as he clamored away down the hallway. Perhaps he went to go prepare the things Sevil asked him to.
“As you can see, it’s no hassle at all for me to secure free passage for us.”
Ella buried her face in her hands and spoke apologetically.
“I did think about relying on Sevil’s intimidation if push came to shove… I did think about it, but…”
“It’s less intimidation than aura, I’d say. That guy’d snapped before the door even opened, didn’t he?”
Ella and Wren, the Representative and Assistant Representative of the Apprentices, each gave their comments. Hearing them, Tia chirped “Piroro…”
“So Sevil’s… aura? can pierce doors?”
“It totally can. It’s kinda like your singing.”
“Piyopp! Sevil’s voice is so powerful!”
Despite everything, Hütter’s class were their usual selves.
Sevil looked around at everyone’s faces and, in the voice Tia had called ‘powerful,’ declared:
“Listen up! The Wall only lasts three days. Thus, either tomorrow or the day after, the mages of the Wedge Tower will likely launch an attack on the Monsters occupying the Wedge Tower. Their objective is the extermination of all Monsters. Finn will be included as a target.”
Indeed, once the battle between humans and Monsters began, the humans would only seek to kill the Monsters. They had no reason to leave any alive.
“If there is any truth you wish to learn, any glory you wish to earn, any score you wish to settle, or if you simply wish to meet with Finn once more… you need only lend me your strength.”
With a relaxed motion, Sevil tossed back her luscious black hair.
Those were the movements of a person who knew her own charm.
“I intend to use this battle to build accolades I will use to take control over the Wedge Tower. So long as I have that power, then I shall find an appropriate way to deal with the surviving Monsters.”
“Piyopp! Sevil, you’re so strong!”
Sevil smiled, her mood buoyed by Tia’s words.
“Indeed, I am strong! Now, every one of you, follow me!”