novelz
Chapter 465: Side Story - The Battle Royale (10)
Chapter 465: Side Story - The Battle Royale (10)
Chapter 465: Side Story - The Battle Royale (10)
“Wow… so many stars…”
“…”
Inside the carriage running through the night streets of the empire, Roswyn gazed at the sky with sparkling eyes.
“It’s been such a long time since I last saw the stars…”
Considering her recent activities, it’s understandable.
She spent so much time alone in closed spaces that she likely didn’t have time to look at the sky.
For some reason, I felt a slight twinge of pain in my chest.
- Poke, poke…
As I quietly watched Roswyn from across, I felt a nudge at my side.
“Hero.”I turned to see Glare, her eyes wide open, staring at me.
“…Aren’t you supposed to be asleep? Good children should be in bed by now.”
“I’m not a child.”
I stroked her head as I said this, causing Glare to puff her cheeks and respond.
“So, why aren’t you asleep?”
“Because I’m curious about something.”
“About what?”
Then, climbing onto my lap, she asked a question.
“What are you planning to do next?”
“What do you mean? I’m going to establish my dominance, of course.”
“And do you have a plan for that?”
“I’m going to borrow the wisdom of the ancestors.”
Hearing this, Glare tilted her head in confusion.
“Did the first hero ever face a situation like this?”
“Well, it was somewhat similar. Though not as serious as now.”
Back then, my ancestor ran away to the world he originally lived in.
Maybe I should take them and escape to another dimension for a vacation.
“No, no, absolutely not.”
“…?”
I quickly shook my head, dismissing the thought.
These heroines would surely follow me to the ends of the earth.
Even apart from my lack of desire to leave, trying to escape would probably cost me ten years of my life—or worse, the freedom of my lower half.
“Hero, your face just went pale.”
“…Haha.”
That’s why I’m opting for a head-on approach.
“Do you know what this is?”
“This is…”
Determined, I pulled out the ‘secret weapon’ Serena had given me earlier and showed it to Glare.
“Do you remember the time a few months ago when we fought that massive eye in the sky?”
“…Ah!”
“It’s lucky you remembered everything from the First Hero’s chat back then.”
Glare shook her head quickly in response.
“I didn’t remember it myself. It was recorded in the Helper System.”
“…I see.”
That’s right—Glare has the Helper System.
It played a crucial role in saving Roswyn, and now it’s helping save me too. A truly invaluable system.
“Ah, ahem, well…”
“Anyway, I told Serena everything that was recorded!”
“Yes, and this is the translated version.”
As Roswyn, who had paused her stargazing, began coughing lightly, Glare and I continued our conversation.
“While reading this translation… there was a part that really caught my attention.”
“…Really?”
The wisdom the First Hero wanted to pass on to me but couldn’t because I couldn’t see the chat had now been delivered to me through Glare.
When everything is over, if you find yourself being troubled by the heroines over marriage registration,
Head to the secret vault in the Imperial Palace.
I’ve left a gift for you there.
I don’t know what the gift is, but since the ancestor left it for me, it’s bound to be something that will help me break out of this situation.
“So, we’re going to…”
“Yes, we’re going to raid the Imperial Palace vault.”
“…Gasp.”
“…!”
When I revealed the truth to Glare and Roswyn, their eyes widened in shock.
“This is so exciting!”
“W-wait, isn’t this a terrible idea?”
Glare clung to me with sparkling eyes, while Roswyn began trembling with fear.
“Hmm, but what should I do? Roswyn, you’re the key to this plan.”
“…M-me!?”
At my bombshell statement, Roswyn looked at me with a terrified expression.
“We need you for this plan to work.”
“…!?!?”
Her eyes grew impossibly wide.
.
.
.
.
.
“…So, do you understand why I brought you along?”
“Uh… ahhhhh…”
After explaining the plan, Roswyn looked utterly drained, her mouth agape.
“…But, why me?”
She then hastily grabbed my collar, asking her question.
“Hmm?”
“Why me, and not Clana or someone else…?”
She had a point.
We need ‘Solar Mana’ to open the Imperial Palace’s secret vault, and Clana could do it.
But this plan isn’t that simple.
“Entry to the vault is strictly controlled by time periods. Even the Emperor can’t enter at will.”
“Y-yes, I’ve heard that.”
“And the reason for that is, all the royal family members’ mana is registered in ancient magic. The moment anyone enters, a record of it will remain.”
“T-then isn’t it impossible to pull off the heist?”
Yes.
The Imperial Palace’s secret vault, known only to a select few in the royal family, has long been considered impregnable.
It only responds to Solar Mana.
“But what if there’s Solar Mana that isn’t registered?”
“That kind of thing… doesn’t exist… Oh.”
But the key to unlocking that impregnable vault is standing right in front of me.
“Roswyn, you’re the first person in a thousand years to awaken Solar Mana in the Sunset family. And most people don’t know that.”
“…”
“That’s why you’re perfect for this.”
After hearing that, Roswyn began fidgeting, her body curling up in tension.
“But… won’t there still be a record of the mana being used?”
“It’ll leave a record of unknown origin. As long as it can’t be identified, we’ll be fine. I can take care of the cover-up.”
“But… my mana is so weak…”
“Don’t be like that. I saw you use it before—you’re better than you think.”
“And… I… well…”
Still looking nervous, she suddenly pulled something out from her robe.
“…I-I’m scared.”
“Roswyn? What’s that?”
Upon closer inspection, I saw that she was holding something that looked like a brick.
“Oh, wait… it’s out of battery…”
“…?”
The object was rectangular, with a shiny black front and a white back from which a black orb protruded.
It looked intricately designed, but I couldn’t sense any mana circuits in it.
“It’s something I got from the debug room… It’s called a smartphone…”
“…Smartphone?”
“Yes, it… it gives me strength.”
“In what way?”
As I gazed suspiciously at Roswyn’s so-called ‘smartphone,’ she explained.
“It praises me!”
“…Praises you?”
“Yes! The reason I was able to try so hard in the last competition was thanks to this smartphone!”
“…”
Something about this didn’t sit right with me.
“How does a cold brick praise you…?”
“There are friends inside!”
“…What?”
My bad feeling grew stronger.
“Friends from the internet!”
“…”
“They praise me… sometimes we chat… They’re all so kind and nice…”
In the end, my fears became reality.
“…Hehe…”
“…I’m sorry, Roswyn.”
“Huh?”
I shouldn’t have left her alone like this.
“It’s my fault… I’m sorry…”
“W-wait, what?”
She must have been so desperate for praise that she created imaginary friends.
This is all on me.
I should’ve taken better care of her.
“You must’ve been so lonely, huh?”
“R-really, there are people inside it!”
“…I’ll do better from now on.”
“Uh…?”
Holding back my emotions, I hugged Roswyn as she clutched her cold brick with a smile.
“U-um…”
While I held her and pressed my cheek against hers…
“…Hehe.”
She put the brick away and snuggled happily into my arms.
“When this is all over, let’s do what you talked about before.”
“…W-what do you mean?”
I whispered softly in her ear.
“…You said you wanted to have a baby.”
“Ah.”
The moment I said it, Roswyn froze.
“W-wait… this is too fast. L-let’s start by holding hands…”
“…Hmm.”
I looked playfully at her as she fainted in my arms.
“…Hero.”
“…..?”
“What about me?”
Hearing Glare’s quiet voice, having been pushed aside when I embraced Roswyn, I smiled and tugged at her cheeks.
“Ow ow ow…”
“What’s the little one saying?”
“I-I want to join the competition too… I’m an adult…”
“Your academy enrollment got canceled, kid.”
The academy wouldn’t make her a real adult anyway, just a ‘legal’ one.
“…Grow a little taller first.”
“…”
Honestly, she’s such a cute little kid.
.
.
.
.
.
“Anyway, we’re almost there, huh?”
Giving Glare a playful tap on the forehead, Frey began preparing to disembark as he looked at the distant Imperial Palace.
“Alright, time to get ready to get off…”
If only Frey noticed…
“What do we do now, Hero?”
Glare, muttering quietly while staring intensely at a pocket watch identical to the one Kania had held,
“Not much time left…”
The second kidnapping incident could have unfolded differently.
“Roswyn, wake up.”
“Ughhhh…”
But by then, the carriage had already left.
“…Time to repay my debt.”
Glare’s repayment had not yet even begun.
***
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