The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

125 – 125. Interlude (1)

Humans are bound to learn lessons from the same mistakes.

Of course, most humans tend to repeat the same mistakes regardless.

Where does Ludmila truly belong?

Even as the imperial princess headed to the sanctuary like Edanant and Jeblinne on their honeymoon, she appeared no different than usual.

“They say the restoration work on the palace has finally been completed.”

“The reconstruction of the capital, which was engulfed in flames, is also progressing smoothly.”

As the imperial capital gradually regained its vitality, the traces of the upheaval quickly healed. The charred castle walls, along with the buildings that had fallen like dominoes, were being rebuilt one after another.

The situation is favorable.

It should be completed within the year.

Before the biting cold of midwinter sets in, the citizens needed a safe place to stay. Thus, Ludmila spent her time busily overseeing the restoration work herself.

“Ludmila seems no different than usual. Quite unexpected.”

“Indeed. Edanant might have eloped with the saintess in love.”

“How long will she keep smiling like that?”

“She’s playing the role of the heroine who gets eliminated early in the competition for the main consort in a novel.”

The thirty-year-old unmarried princess.

In contrast, the first saintess of the Holy Kingdom was a fresh, youthful maiden.

An overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation.

Surely, the prince of the Hoenberk family wouldn’t choose a stoic old maid. Naturally, he would welcome a young and charming maiden as his partner.

Ludmila’s subordinates sighed as they watched their superior, who was engrossed in her work as usual. The saintess must be sweetly melting Edanant’s heart by now… Yet, the princess, who should be the most proactive of all, was complacently focused on her duties.

“Ahem!”

The second princess of the Baltaria Empire was a formidable force on the continent, having risen to the ranks of the Seven Great Nations.

And she had awakened as a harbinger of tyranny.

Naturally, the whispers of her subordinates in the corridor reached her ears vividly, as if they were speaking right beside her.

It was only natural for the subordinates to misunderstand, given their lack of detailed knowledge. Ludmila wore a benevolent smile as she ordered her subordinates to march in full gear until the sun completely set.

‘Edanant is merely heading to the sanctuary to thwart the wicked schemes of the Holy Kingdom. The idea of eloping in love with a cunning and brazen saintess is utterly absurd!’

I received the wedding ring passed down to the mistresses of the Hoenberk family.

And we promised to marry in the spring of next year.

During the process of pledging our engagement, a somewhat violent incident occurred, but I didn’t mind. The fact remains that I received a formal proposal.

—I can’t fathom why you’re so anxious all alone. If you see something you like, take it. If anyone disobeys your command, kill them. Isn’t it simple enough for even a foolish child to understand?

The voice of a monster disguised as a guardian dragon echoed.

A full-length mirror adorned the wall.

The gilded mirror reflected the monstrous figure of the hideous assassin.

Since the rampage in the Hoenberk Marquessate, it had occasionally appeared alongside the unpleasant voice whenever Ludmila was deep in thought. It sought to seize the body of Ludmila, who had awakened as the Apostle of Tyranny.

“I warned you not to show yourself without a word, didn’t I? If you commit the same rudeness next time, I’ll shatter all the mirrors I’ve set up around here.”

—What a laughable warning. Do you think my power is limited to mere mirrors?

“For you to manifest, you must have a medium nearby. Then I’ll simply remove all objects that could be misused as a medium.”

—Hmm.

The victor of the argument was Ludmila.

The tyrant’s essence had no choice but to retreat in the face of Ludmila’s resolute declaration.

“I’m busy with my duties. I have no time to indulge in your wordplay.”

—Wordplay, you say… How disappointing. I merely intended to convey some rare news.

A cold rejection was evident.

At that, the essence of tyranny let out a meaningful laugh and continued speaking.

—Just now, Kia has been resurrected. Finally freed from the wretched curse of the Earth Mother.

“…What?”

Kia.

The essence of innocence sealed within Jeblinne had been resurrected.

Startled by the sudden shocking news, Ludmila sprang to her feet.

Her face was a mask of confusion.

Seeing Ludmila’s reaction, the essence of tyranny burst into laughter.

—The one who accepted the essence of war has awakened the essence this time as well. Truly a remarkable being serving the essence of innocence. Where on earth did the essence of war find such a creature?

“Be quiet! More importantly… is it true that Kia’s essence has been resurrected?”

—If you don’t believe it, you can verify it yourself.

“Ugh!”

As the mocking voice faded, the hideous assassin that had manifested through the mirror left only confusion in its wake before vanishing abruptly.

The full-length mirror, now returned to its original state, reflected the distorted expression of Ludmila.

* * *

The incident that had unfolded in the sanctuary came to a close with the defeat of the archangel Belashiel, who had conspired with the cardinals of the Holy Kingdom.

However, it was not completely resolved.

Countless troops of the Holy Kingdom would soon gather upon hearing the news of the sanctuary’s fall. For Edanant, who had exhausted most of his strength in the battle against the archangel, this was a situation he must avoid at all costs.

‘I wonder if Jebeline’s family managed to escape safely…’

His family, who had come from the Verus Kingdom, were staying at the Februa Cathedral. Therefore, he had done everything possible to ensure that the cathedral would not be caught in the bombardment.

As if to prove this, most of the buildings located in the northern part of the sanctuary remained intact. This was in stark contrast to the central area, which had been reduced to ashes.

Edanant lifted his gaze to look at Jebeline. He found himself meeting her green eyes, burning with jealousy.

“Ariel should join us soon… Otherwise, we won’t escape safely.”

The apostles of the calamity god, who were struggling against the forces of the Holy Kingdom trying to enter the sanctuary’s center, would begin to regroup once they recognized that the battle had ended.

While waiting for the apostles to join, Edanant kept an eye on Jebeline.

“Who would have thought we’d achieve victory against the archangel of the celestial realm… You’re far more remarkable than I expected.”

If she were a vampire with a level of faith bordering on fanaticism, she would have rushed over like a puppy the moment the battle ended. As he thought this and looked up at the sky—

A beautiful woman with flowing emerald hair descended from above.

Surely, the only eccentric who would insist on flying through the sky on a broomstick was the master of the magic tower. Edanant struggled to maintain his composure as he gazed at the owner of the red magic tower.

“Congratulations on your victory, Edanant von Hoenberk.”

“I don’t have time to deal with you, old hag.”

Fighting against a grand sorcerer who had reached the pinnacle of magic in a tattered state was nearly a suicidal act. Even with Jebeline’s assistance, the master of the magic tower was an incredibly formidable opponent.

Damn it.

In the midst of battling the black cardinal and the archangel, he had momentarily forgotten about the master of the magic tower.

Edanant swallowed hard, acknowledging his grave mistake. If the master of the magic tower unleashed a large-scale magical bombardment as she had done during the skirmish in the city, there would be no way to escape.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of fighting. Rather, I want to make a deal with you.”

“…A deal?”

Did she sense the anxiety and fear filling Edanant’s heart?

Querisa smiled brightly as she spoke.

“I want you to contract with me and become my new employer.”

“…….”

It was a suspicious proposal.

Surely, it couldn’t stem from pure intentions.

Eda Nante hesitated to respond, casting a dubious glance. In response, Querisa pulled out the hostages she had imprisoned in the pocket dimension to urge for a definitive answer.

“W-well, Prophet!”

“……”

As the rift in space opened, a multitude of figures poured out.

They were the apostles of the calamity gods, led by Ariel.

They must have been captured by the tower master during their skirmish with the forces of the Holy Kingdom. Quickly assessing the situation, Eda Nante realized he had completely fallen into the trap set by the tower master.

“What does the tower master want? Should I save a handsome old man or something?”

“Well…”

Querisa turned her head away as she gave an ambiguous answer. It was because she had witnessed a scene that was more concerning than securing a contract with a definitive answer.

A beautiful woman completely bound by chains radiating a brilliant glow.

The woman with flowing orange hair was undoubtedly the archangel overseeing the seraphim. Why was such a seraph being subjected to a ‘shell binding’ that seemed fit for a risqué magazine?

Her ample bosom was being firmly pressed.

And that wasn’t all.

The chains were gradually burrowing deeper between her secretive lower abdomen.

As she struggled, her shoulders heaving, the chains binding her body tightened their grip even more. Her slender figure was laid bare, showcasing the evidence of her continued resistance.

“You seem to be enjoying this. You’ve made a seraph with such large breasts your slave.”

“……”

Of course, it’s enjoyable.

Is there a man who dislikes large breasts?

Not for you.

Swallowing the words that rose to his throat with a fierce warning from Jeblinne, Eda Nante held back his tongue. He knew that a careless slip of the tongue would surely bring down the wrath of hunger upon him.

Bellashiel. Kimono version.