[V11C30] The Pretty Boy Prince
Translated by Jodas 11: Envoy of the AbyssHeld at the waist by the Vampire Jill, the third-rate con man Smoke Fox’s arms and legs dangled in the air as he marveled at the sight before him. Faced with something so divorced from reality, he found human vocabulary insufficient to describe it.
Just about all of the lower part of the Third Spire, from the later additions to the first floor of the original structure, was coated in a black… something. According to Jill, all of this gooey black substance was actually the Font of the Abyss itself.
From time to time, the surface of that black muck would ripple, then a piece would detach and fall to the ground. That piece would sometimes take the form of a human or animal, or sometimes just a strange clump of meat.
But as time passed, those forms slowly began to change. Like a sculptor worked by starting from a vague shape then carving in each minute detail, those things born from the Font grew ever more detailed.
“Ah, the memories~ Was I like that as well when I was born?”
Jill gushed over the sight just as a human would admire a baby’s first milestones.
‘You looked like that?’ Hütter refrained from commenting, looking at the gooey black mass.
(But this is a problem, right?)
Whether they be Greater or Lesser Monsters, any ones born directly from the Abyss were unusually powerful. For instance, the Primordial Beast was technically a Lesser Monster who couldn’t take human form, but since he was born straight from the Abyss, his strength was on a whole different level.
And now Monsters like that were being born one after another.
(I thought there was a chance of winning if you added up the Wedge Tower’s survivors and the reinforcements… but no one told me Primordial-Beast-level ones would just start popping up out of nowhere!)
The first opportunity he had to make a break for it, he was going to run like never before. Right when he swore in his heart to make good on his escape, Jill waved his hand.
Hütter couldn’t really tell what he had just done, but Jill’s hand held a rock that hadn’t been there before.
(Someone through a rock at him and he caught it…?)
“Ah, damn! The bastard caught it! Give Mr. Hütter back!”
Hütter looked down at the ground and blanched. Of all people, that was Wren who threw that rock!
He thought Wren was supposed to be smart, but now he was clearly shouting to get the attention of a Greater Monster… Suddenly it clicked. Wren was the diversion; the real threat was coming from the other side.
Jill’s head rocked back with a satisfying thud. A stone came flying with tremendous force and smacked Jill right in the side of his head. Obviously whoever threw that one had a magnificent throwing arm.
“So even that wasn’t enough to take him down. He’s tough.”
It was Sevil. Taking advantage of the opening Wren made by drawing the enemy’s attention, Sevil threw the real stone.
Still dangling helplessly, Hütter held his head in his hands.
(I knew it, I knew it… The moment I saw Tia, I knew these guys had to be here… But still, they’ve got the worst timing…)
He had no idea what these two were doing here on campus, but whatever it was, they pivoted to a rescue mission once they noticed Hütter had been captured by a Greater Monster.
Jill’s hand brushed the side where the rock hit him. There wasn’t even a scratch.
“…Were you aiming for my face?”
His murmuring dripped with a silent killing intent that caused Hütter’s mind and body to quake.
(Shitshitshitshit!)
Jill would not hesitate to kill Sevil and Wren in the same way one might squish a bug. This Monster was more than capable of doing it.
Yet if Hütter were to scream and tell them to run, that would mean he was betraying Jill (for which he’d probably be killed). Besides, he didn’t think Sevil and Wren would even be able to run away from Jill if they tried.
Then should he try to play the role of a loyal servant and placate Jill’s anger? But if he was too obsequious to Jill, then there was now a chance Sevil might consider him a traitor to humanity. If it was Wren that would be one thing, but Sevil would show no mercy to Hütter if she thought he was a traitor.
(You’re asking me to stop him from killing Sevil and Wren without coming across as a traitor to both the vampire and Sevil… That’s impossible! Give me a break!)
Nevertheless, the third-rate con man thought as hard as he could. So much ran through his mind his brain just about short-circuited. ‘Ahh, I miss the peace, poppo.’
(I’ve already played the chantless illusion magic card, so I can’t get out of this as easily as I did with Tia. Instead… It’s risky, but…)
“Hey you! Don’t you know who this is! You’re addressing a true Greater Monster born from the Abyss itself, the great Vampire Jill!”
While he thought ‘What the hell is a true Greater Monster? As if there would be a fake one.’ in the corner of his mind, Hütter kept his mouth going.
Both Sevil and Wren looked to be taken off guard by Hütter’s tone. Hütter turned to Jill and, in a voice loud enough for Sevil and Wren to hear, offered:
“Lord Jill, that there is a human princess. Her Imperial Highness Adelheid Sevil Lamea Krewing, the Emperor’s sister.”
“Oh?”
Jill gave Sevil a curious look.
The majority of Monsters probably would show no interest in human royalty. Whether royalty or commoner, to a Monster they were all equally human.
But this Vampire was obsessed with human stories. If so, he should understand just how special the concept of royalty and the Imperial Family was to humans. In the tale of the Vampire Gilbert, it is the King who appears to order the vampire hunt.
Sevil’s face soured. He had sided with the Vampire and even exposed Sevil’s identity. No matter how you looked at it, this was Hütter betraying humanity.
(Please don’t throw rocks at me, hold on just a little bit longer…)
While panicking internally, Hütter put on a confident visage as he pointed at Wren.
“And this blond pretty boy over here is — would you believe it — the exiled Sixth Prince of Darwock, His Royal Highness Axel Olaf Dahlbeck!”
Wren’s eyes went wide and his cheeks twitched.
That was the face of someone thinking ‘A pretty boy and a prince. Not bad!’
Jill whispered, his curiosity piqued.
“Really? A prince from that palace? He ran all this way?”
“Indeed he did. I’m sure your name would be renowned around the world if you made a human Prince and Princess into your servants, Lord Jill!”
“Well done, servant! What a marvelous idea!”
Jill was positively giddy.
Hütter glanced down at the ground where both Sevil and Wren were looking up at him with faces deep in thought.
(Please take a hint, you guys aren’t stupid, right!)
Obviously, Wren wasn’t Prince Axel. If Hütter really had betrayed humanity, there would be no need for him to say such a lie.
Sevil and Wren were both perceptive individuals. Surely they would wonder why Hütter lied like that, consider his intentions, and come to the conclusion that Hütter was planning something.
Of course, he had no such plans. All of this was bullshit he came up with on the spot to stop Jill from attacking without coming across as a traitor.
Jill, however, was entirely on board.
“Very well, then I will do you people the pleasure of not killing you. I’m sure you’ll be delighted to become my servants.”
Still holding Hütter with one hand, Jill gradually drifted down to the ground as if descending an invisible staircase.
And then, with a flourish, he held a hand to his chest and sang.
“—We are the children of the abyss. That which was born from the works of humanity. Thus, we cannot help but desire them. Our wish will rot us, our wish will end us. Even if we are the last one remaining. Even if we are the last one remaining…OOF!?”
Jill’s song was cut short when something darted through the air and slammed into his head with a ferocious kick.
Sevil’s rock hadn’t done much damage, but this attack just now appeared to have quite the effect. Hütter slipped out from Jill’s grasp and fell. Fortunately, they had descended enough for him to safely landed on his ass, but a shock like that still wouldn’t be good for his back pain.
While Hütter nursed his aching back, Hütter heard a very, very loud voice up overhead.
“YOU SUCK! YOU SUCK!”
Screaming to provoke Jill was none other than Tia, with the wings of her Magical Flying Device spread behind her. She had pulled away when he showed her the ‘chantless magic’ card, but she must have sensed that Sevil and Wren were in danger and come flying back.
Jill’s face twitched as he looked up at Tia.
With a mighty “Pefun!” and a smile, Tia taunted him, then began to sing. Unlike Jill’s tone-deaf croaking, her voice was beautiful beyond compare.
“—We are the children of the abyss. That which was born from the works of humanity. Thus, we cannot help but desire them. Our wish will rot us, our wish will end us. Even if we are the last one remaining. Even if we are the last one remaining……”
A wonderful voice as always. She had the voice of a young girl, but it carried the sort of severity and pressure that made his spine tingle.
Whether it was the silly songs that Hütter taught her or austere hymns to ancient rhythms, she sang so perfectly the song’s mood weaved its way into his subconscious mind. Compared to Hütter, who was as much a third-rate as a performer as he was as a con man, her talents were enough to put food on the table as a singer.
And upon hearing her voice, Jill muttered with an understanding expression.
“Ah, I knew it. You’re the one from back then…”