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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Yuziro
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The thought that crossed Esmée’s mind as Eldmia threw her towards the knight was one of pure bewilderment.
‘How could a demon be here?’
Despite outward appearances, the imperial family was firmly in control.
There was no faction that could challenge her.
Even her younger brother’s faction, which seemed to have some semblance of power, was merely a collection of disgruntled individuals that she purposely allowed to exist.
Above all, none of her siblings, including herself, desired the throne.
They might harbor ambitions for their own children after her death, but certainly not now.
“Your Highness! Are you alright?!”
It was her knight who pulled her from the depths of her thoughts, which threatened to consume her.
Esmée regained her focus and issued a command.
“Kill the demon and capture the traitor alive.”
She had initially considered taking the traitor alive for questioning, believing it to be solely the demon’s doing.
But if that wasn’t the case, there was no need to fixate on the demon.
It would be far more beneficial to interrogate the traitor who, even with Eldmia’s attack which severed his blood vessels, still tried to push her through the gate.
Esmée’s order, uttered in a low voice devoid of any heightened emotion, was quickly carried out.
And at that sight, the demon felt a surge of anger.
Of the five who had been engaging him, three retreated and charged towards Esmée.
It was a blatant display of disregard, and his fury was justifiable.
He had intervened openly because he was confident in his ability to escape unscathed.
It was infuriating that these humans would dare to be so complacent in the face of his presence.
“Hah! Do they believe they can easily defeat me if they wish to kill me…?”
However, the Imperial Guards were different.
They did not let prejudice or arrogance cloud their judgment when carrying out Esmée’s commands.
On the contrary, they were always prepared for the unexpected.
That was the reason why two remained.
And as if to prove this point, the moment the demon’s claws clashed with their swords, one of the guards’ blades slipped through, severing the demon’s head.
As the demon’s vision spun, unable to even utter a word in his astonishment, the first thing that came into view was his own back.
And in that final moment, amidst the dull thud of his demise, he saw the remaining two guards charging towards Esmée.
Esmée, who had been observing the scene with an air of indifference, finally reacted as she turned to examine the gate.
“To think they would use such a ploy…!”
The gate was distorting, on the verge of collapse.
The fact that it began to crumble immediately after someone passed through, without any magical attack, meant that it had been tampered with beforehand, like a trap.
Fury flickered in her eyes as she glared at the collapsing gate.
“We have the traitor secured.”
She responded without turning around, not wanting to show her anger to the voice behind her, which was shaking with rage.
“Hand him over to the Imperial Guard and summon the Dream Weaver for interrogation. Instruct them to use any means necessary to extract everything they can as quickly as possible.”
It was clear that the traitor would become nothing more than a lifeless husk, their mind shattered, but Esmée felt no sympathy.
And the same went for those around her.
Calmly surveying the academy professors and guards gathering around her, Esmée briefly collected her thoughts and issued her orders.
“Captain of the Guard, prepare my seal and a letter. Professor Wade, the event is over. Gather the students and ensure their safety. Guards, bring the Mages’ Guild to examine the gate. Inform everyone that anyone who questions or obstructs will be severely punished in my name.”
Those present knew better than anyone that Esmée, the Iron Blood Princess, favored action over words.
Despite the chaos that had just ensued, they moved with disciplined precision.
“Where is Margrave Levien?”
“She’s on her way.”
Following the voice of the Captain of the Guard, who was now by her side, Esmée turned her head to see Lagnis rushing towards her.
She must have been chasing after Eldmia from the moment he started moving, yet she was only just reaching Esmée now, indicating how far away he had been.
Eldmia had sensed something amiss from that distance and had come running. Esme realized once more that he had rushed to her aid with all his might, regardless of the circumstances.
“Lagnis, did Eldmia have any magical artifacts on him today?”
That was why Esmée was determined to find him, using all her resources.
Even if a demon was involved, the gate itself belonged to the Empire.
It wouldn’t suddenly transport them to another country, or even the demon realm.
If they had a magical artifact that could pinpoint its location, they could find it through magic.
“No, nothing at all.”
Despite the urgency and potential despair in the situation, Lagnis answered calmly before falling into thought.
However, all she could think about was how she should have bought him something as a gift sooner, making it difficult to focus.
Then, at the thought of a gift, something struck him.
Asirye.
“We need to find the one who made Eldmia’s earrings.”
“We need to meet the artisan who crafted Eldmia’s earrings.”
Lagnis felt a sense of relief as Esmée reached the same conclusion, her words mirroring her own.
And at the same time, despair.
Because Asirye resided in Ogwen, on the very edge of Itisiel.
“But the distance…”
Sensing Lagnis’s unspoken concern, Esmée placed a hand on her arm.
And with unwavering conviction, she replied,
“This, I will handle.”
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Human-made gates had a limited range.
That was the first thing that came to mind as I passed through the gate, recalling what Lagnis had told me before we left for the Empire.
It might have been wishful thinking, but I believed that the issue wasn’t solely about magic; it was also about the limitations of the artifacts that made up the gate.
Furthermore, due to the nature of a gate, which connected two points like a tunnel, having one high-quality gate wouldn’t increase the travel distance.
In other words, even if I didn’t know where I was headed, I wouldn’t be leaving imperial territory.
Relieved that I wasn’t in the demon realm, I landed in a low crouch as the world before me came into focus.
Without hesitation, I swung my sword towards the presence I felt, even though there was no visible presence.
The surprise attack was successful.
My blade sliced through the waists and thighs of the unidentified assailants standing before the gate.
“Aaaaagh!!”
“It’s not the princess… Argh!”
Gates weren’t some kind of all-powerful teleportation magic; they were merely tunnels.
It stood to reason that if those demon bastards intended to drop Esmée in the middle of nowhere and leave her stranded, they wouldn’t just leave the arrival point unguarded.
Everyone here had to be hostile.
There was no time to lose in assessing the situation.
My safety depended on taking out as many as possible, so I swung my sword relentlessly without hesitation.
“Damn it! What in the world happened on the other side?!”
“The plan must have gone wrong! Hold them off until the captain arrives!”
“Is he a warrior?!”
It was only after I had cut down the three who had foolishly charged at me that a wave of relief washed over me.
It wasn’t like my skills had drastically improved in just a few days, nor had I become incredibly powerful after five days of lectures in the Empire.
The only improvement was my weapon, while my armor was actually worse than before.
I had no other tools at my disposal.
If these guys were even close to the level of the demons in the abandoned dungeon, I would have been staring death in the face.
Fortunately, none of them were that strong yet.
And as if taken aback by the instant deaths of three and the near-fatal injuries of two others, the rest hesitated, buying me some time to observe them.
I finally had the chance to take in their most prominent feature.
“Life is truly unpredictable.”
Humans and demons, working together as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
This solidified my belief that my life was now somehow deeply entangled with demons.
In any case, now wasn’t the time to leisurely observe.
I seized the opportunity while they were still hesitant, and bolted without looking back.
“Huh?”
“H-He’s getting away! After him! Don’t let him escape!”
I had no idea what they had been expecting, but their flustered shouts reached my ears as I ran.
Did they think I was going to fight them to the death?
Well, I guess it made sense, considering I charged at them sword-swinging the moment I emerged from the gate.
They probably assumed I was here to kill them all.
In any case, thanks to their ridiculous misconception, I managed to break through before they could form a proper encirclement.
I made a mental note to be grateful for small favors.
“Seize him!”
I ran through the dense forest, the canopy so thick that I could barely see the sky.
Rocky terrain, streams…
I strained my ears, listening for the pursuers’ fading voices as I gathered information about my surroundings.
It was fortunate that I was in a forest.
If these guys were hiding within the Empire’s territory, they wouldn’t be able to establish themselves in an open area.
But a cave, or a dungeon were also possibilities.
Considering that, my current situation was lucky.
I might not know where I was right now, but at least I could retrace my steps later.
As this thought crossed my mind, I felt a sudden chill down my spine.
Instinctively, I ducked.
At the same time, the tree right next to me was sliced clean through, without a sound.
“Whoa, you dodged that?”
Yeah, I dodged that.
If I hadn’t heard his voice, I wouldn’t have even known where the attack came from.
I could feel my senses becoming almost animalistic.
Silently thanking him for underestimating me, I turned to face the source of the voice.
The figure standing there radiated a dangerous aura.
Two thick horns, not a single piece of armor, yet dressed in what resembled a military uniform.
He looked more like the demons I encountered in the abandoned dungeon than the ones who attacked the academy.
But somehow, he was suppressing his magical presence so effectively that I couldn’t sense any magic from him at all.
“Strange. You’re pretty strong, aren’t you? It’s hard to tell with humans because their presence is so faint.”
One thing was for sure: this guy was the most dangerous one I had encountered yet.
He had been lying in wait and attacked me the moment I arrived, as if he had predicted my every move.
Whether he relied on magic or physical prowess, his abilities far surpassed my own.
“This is odd. I was certain I had completely erased my presence, how… Oh?”
He had been studying me intently, and now his eyebrows shot up in surprise, a smile spreading across his face.
The smile was so wide it looked like it might split his face in half, which was rather unnerving.
Of all the ways to get caught, it had to be by a complete lunatic…
“Hey, little Eldmia. It is you, isn’t it?”
Well, shit.
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[Who’s this nigga and how does he know my little eldmia????]
You’re black? That’s a surprise.