𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
Albero was hopping from one rooftop to another in the castle town.
The castle town was bustling at night. People strolling the streets with summoned beasts, others drinking in eateries, a band playing instruments in the plaza, and the calming sound of singing could be heard from somewhere.
While catching glimpses of such a scene, Albero heads towards the castle.
Seeing the railings of the clock tower near the royal castle, he reached out his right hand to grab and pull. His right arm was very useful for climbing high places.
“There. . . . . .good, I can see the castle. I don’t really want to use it but. . . . . .”
Albero removes his hood and focuses energy into his right eye.
“『Nether Eye Balor』. . . . . .Activate.”
He activates his right eye.
The world turns sepia-toned, and the glow of meridian threads can be seen throughout the castle.
At the same time, he can sense the presence of summoned beasts.
Holding several anaesthetic needles, he takes a deep breath. . . . . .What Albero is about to do is undoubtedly a crime. Even for him, it’s nerve-wracking.
“I can use Barol for about two minutes. . . . . .Let’s go.”
Albero, with his right eye still active, heads towards the castle.
With people’s presence appearing as lights, sneaking around becomes easier. Plus, Albero can scale the castle walls using jumps and the extendable nature of his right arm. Perhaps they never expected someone who could climb the walls, as some areas were poorly guarded.
The problem was the presence of the summoned beasts.
Inside the castle, he sensed the presence of many summoned beasts.
Companions, Equipment-types, Pet-types. . . . . .Their sizes varied, but all had strong auras. At least they felt like C to A-class.
“━━Ugh.”
Suddenly, his right eye pained him.
Albero moves along the castle walls towards the northwest tower.
Skillfully avoiding the presence of humans and summoned beasts, he reached directly below the tower. . . . . .Inside the tower, there were signs of many summoned beasts.
“. . . . . .I have to climb.”
Fortunately, the tower was made of stone with several handholds.
Albero extends his right hand, grasps a handhold, and uses the extendability of his arm to climb.
The tower is tall. He has to extend and retract his arm several times to climb.
“Deactivate the right eye. Didn’t even need the anaesthetic needle. . . . . .alright.”
Deactivating his right eye, he continues climbing.
There’s a window at the top of the tower, and it seems to be open.
Taking a deep breath, Albero slowly extends his arm to grab the window ledge and slowly, without making a noise, pulls himself up.
“. . . . . .Okay.”
He quietly checks the room inside━━there was Yorha, sitting on a sofa in her nightwear.
Albero squeezes himself through the window frame and enters the room.
“Eek?! No way! You, from the outside. . . . . .huh?!”
“As promised, no one saw me.”
“I can’t believe it. . . . . .I thought you’d come fighting the tower’s royal guards! Just like a knight rescuing a captured princess!”
“What kind of story is that. . . . . .Anyway, my apologies, Princess.”
“Ah, you can speak normally. I don’t like formalities.”
“. . . . . .Understood.”
Yorha sits on the sofa, swinging her legs.
Then. . . . . .crossing her legs, she looked at Albero the same way she did when they first met.
“For now, you’ve passed. It’s quite difficult even for an A-class Summoner to make it here without being detected.”
“. . . . . .Passed?”
“It means you’ve earned the right to listen to my story. Now, according to my personal intelligence organization, there are several sightings of demons. Specifically, two of them.”
“Wait, an intelligence department?”
“Yes. An organization I’ve nurtured myself. I don’t trust my Otou-sama, the knights of this country. Although the special A-class are an exception, they’re bound by the royal family’s curse and can’t move freely. So isn’t it natural for me to have my own organization for gathering information?”
“Natural? Aren’t you a princess?”
“Is there a problem with a princess having her own private squad?”
“N, No, I didn’t mean that. . . . . .”
Yorha recrossed her legs, wearing a bewitching smile.
“I’m different from peace-loving folks like Onii-sama or Otou-sama. I always plan several steps ahead. My private force is just one of the things I’ve put in place for when the need arises.”
“. . . . . .So you’re telling me this because you want to make me one of your pawns?”
“Exactly. Isn’t a demon subjugator the perfect piece on the chessboard? In fact, I’m currently proposing to Otou-sama to make the S-class Summoner exclusively mine.”
“. . . . . .What?”
“I’ll be taking command of the demon subjugation. My intelligence team will find the demon’s whereabouts, and the S-class will subjugate it. When I take command, it will be my accomplishment. . . . . .Don’t you think the future would be brighter if I, not my naive and incompetent brother, became the ruler of this country?”
“So your goal is the throne!”
“Yes. Between you and me, Otou-sama doesn’t have much time left. Probably about three more years.”
“. . . . . .?!”
Yorha shifted her legs again. She seemed restless.
“This country grew rapidly because of the achievements in subduing the Demon Emperor. However, it’s grown so much that it’s become hard to manage. Corrupt nobles, arrogant lords, and inept aristocrats spend their days in meaningless tea parties. My father and brother, instead of addressing these issues, keep chanting about peace. They know the Demon Emperor is resurrecting and gathering strength but they hesitate to take adequate measures.”
“. . . . . .”
“I’m different. I can make this country even more prosperous. Just like Okaa-sama. . . . . .Sorry, I misspoke. Now that we have the power to counter the threat of demons, I’ll prove my capabilities and become the next queen.”
“. . . . . .So you’ve always been this ambitious.”
“Fufu, of course. By the way, it was my informant who found the demon of 『pride』.”
“Really?”
“Yes. It was me who passed the information to Garnet.”
Yorha was overflowing with ambition, unlike someone her age.
To be honest, it’s hard to know whether to trust her or not.
“Of course, I’ll reward you. Money is a given, and when I become queen, I’ll grant you some lands. What do you say? Will you make a contract with me?”
“. . . . . .”
Although he came to get information about the demon, things had escalated.
Albero was in a dilemma.
“. . . . . .What about the demon’s information?”
“I’ll tell you once the contract is sealed.”
“Fine. I’ll make the contract. Give me the information about demons.”
“It’s settled! And if you betray me, you’ll be executed for treason♪.”
“You’re quite a scary princess. . . . . .So, the reward is money, right?”
“Yes. Or. . . . . .I could pay with my body, if you prefer?”
“What?!”
Yorha flutters the front of her pajamas.
She sports a bewitching smile. . . . . .seems serious.
“I’d do anything to become a queen. I’d risk my life, even offer up my purity.”
“Do, don’t talk nonsense. I’d rather be paid in gold.”
“Fufu, such a coward.”
“Quiet. Let’s get to the main point.”
Yorha leans against a sofa, crossing her arms and legs.
“We have two sightings of demons. One in the slums of the town below the castle, and the other in the main street shopping district.”
“Huh? Slums, shopping district. . . . . .I thought demons didn’t approach the Asgard Kingdom.”
“I think they’re trying to catch us off guard. We think that demons won’t come to Asgard Kingdom where the 21 strongest are. They’re probably gathering information too.”
“Come to think of it, Hubris mentioned. . . . . .the demons of 『Sloth』 and 『Envy』 are twins and also liaisons.”
“Hmm. . . . . .”
Yorha ponders.
“With two of their demons taken out, they might be getting desperate. If they’re gathering, they’re targeting the summoner who killed the two demons. . . . . .meaning, you S-class. Mmm, you might be targeted.”
“Wait, targeted?”
“Demons might be gathering information in the Asgard Kingdom, where 21 summoners reside. Information about you can be found even in a downtown tavern. With their magic and abilities, they could sneak into the dormitory at night and strike a heart.”
“. . . . . .”
Albero had a very bad feeling.
Kid, Ashe, Lapis, Ridelle.
If something were to happen to those four. . . . . .
“. . . . . .I have a bad feeling. Sorry, that’s all for now.”
“Yes. And, in the future too, include me in the S-class. I want to talk to S-class as well.”
“Okay, but. . . . . .aren’t you a princess?”
“Well, I’m technically an A-class Summoner. I don’t attend the academy much though.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ll let Garnet know. Come to the classroom after school tomorrow.”
“Alright. That’s it for today. . . . . .”
“Ah, wait a moment.”
Yorha approaches the standing Albero.
As she grabs Albero’s right hand, she unexpectedly presses it against her chest and then moves closer to plant a kiss on his cheek.
“Wha?!”
“I don’t have money right now, so consider this an advance payment.”
“Wha-wha-wha. . . . . .”
“As I said earlier, for my goal, I’d offer both my life and my body. This is my determination, do you understand?”
“. . . . . .”
To escape from Yorha’s seductive smile, Albero jumps out of the window.
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