The Melancholic Princess

"Ei!"

Crush.

"Yah!"

Crush.

"Toh!"

Irina swung her greatsword, crushing the bandits.

"H-hiii! What the hell is this woman!?"

It was terrifying. They might have expected to be cut by a greatsword, but being crushed by one was utterly absurd.

The bandit group that had started with fifty members was quickly reduced to half. Fireballs rained down on those who tried to flee.

"Did you really think you could escape?"

It was Serge's magic. In the end, the large bandit gang that had been targeting travelers on the road was wiped out to the last man.

"You're terrible at using that sword."

Shizuna said in exasperation. Irina herself looked puzzled by the comment.

She couldn't align the blade properly when cutting. To think she was using such a precious orichalcum greatsword like a blunt weapon.

Though it couldn't really be helped. Dragons don't use bladed weapons to begin with.

"Ria, you should teach this kid."

When Shizuna called out to her, Ria stood before beautifully sliced bandit corpses scattered around her.

But something felt off.

Carlos was the one who noticed it.

The number of bodies Ria had killed was too few.

"Ojou, what's wrong…?"

At his voice, Ria turned around. An unusual expression was on her face.

"It seems there's no mistaking it…"

Resignation mixed with anxiety.

"I seem to have gotten weaker."

Her words weren't very convincing.

"In other words, your senses haven't caught up with your body's sudden growth."

Carlos understood immediately. It was something that commonly happened to boys during their growth periods.

"Yeah, I'd been thinking something felt off ever since I was training, but…"

It felt like gripping a katana while wearing thick gloves.

Even when cutting someone, it only felt like striking with a bamboo sword.

It needed to slice through more cleanly than this.

"Also, these breasts are, well…"

The law of inertia existed in this world too.

By the great laws of physics, the fatty masses on Ria's chest were hindering her movement.

"Hey Serge, is there a spell to shrink breasts in your grimoire…?"

"I haven't looked, but I can say with certainty there isn't…"

Serge had no intention of looking for one either.

Ria's melancholy continued.

Upon arriving in Labyrinth City, they visited Klaus's mansion and learned of Casalia's current situation.

An important minister in the royal court had been assassinated, and suspicion for the crime had fallen on a different high-ranking noble.

In simple terms, the royal court was in chaos.

"It's Cordova's doing."

Ria declared. She had no evidence, but she believed it. Everything bad was Cordova's fault.

"No, assassinating a minister would require considerable preparation…"

Carlos, who was familiar with the security situation within the royal court, objected.

"Hmm, maybe the demon tribe?"

Some nodded at Serge's suggestion. But there were objections.

"Would the demon tribe infiltrate Casalia's royal court to carry out an assassination?"

Ria thought that would be even harder than assassination by humans.

Lulu, who knew about Anise's magical security, also nodded in agreement.

"Well, they could have manipulated someone into doing it."

"Without knowing the power dynamics within the court, an effective assassination would be impossible."

In any case, they lacked information.

"I could tell if someone was lying with Lie Detection."

Serge could already use that magic. But it was no good.

Revealing the truth through magic was impossible.

"What if the person using the magic is lying? What if they use magic that counters Lie Detection?"

Back when Rufus was alive, Lie Detection had been used as a last resort in trials.

But that was only because Rufus himself was an authority.

Even if Princess Ria vouched for him, who would believe what an eleven-year-old child said?

"Magic may be nearly omnipotent, but humans are not."

"Why don't we return to Anise?"

Carlos was the one who suggested it.

It wasn't as though Ria hadn't considered that option.

A princess who had conquered the Immortal Labyrinth and the Dark Labyrinth, forged connections with influential people across the land through her own power alone, and defeated even the kingdom's strongest knight—she was practically a legendary hero.

If such a person returned to court, she would surely command a significant presence. She might receive the support of court mages who had been trained by Rufus, as well as the knight order led by Reyas.

"But, honestly, I really don't want to get dragged into the court's political scheming."

"Why don't you just become king, Nee-chan?"

At those words, Carlos and Lulu froze.

Serge, who had been Japanese in his past life and a farmer's child in this one, didn't understand, but the two who had served in the royal palace knew—that was something one must never even consider.

"Yeah, that sounds good. Anego would make a perfect king."

Gig agreed easily. Maal nodded repeatedly as well.

"Come to think of it, Casalia's founder was a queen, wasn't she? Wouldn't it be fine if it was you?"

Even Shizuna said such things, in a tone as if it were someone else's problem.

"You people…"

While massaging the wrinkles that had formed on her brow, Ria explained.

Ria was an illegitimate child. Her mother was a commoner.

If one were to speak of her power base, it would be her fame as a labyrinth conqueror and her connections to influential people outside the country.

Now, her father the king had legitimate sons—Ria's younger brothers—born from his official wives. Those mothers were naturally nobles with strong backing within the country.

Would anyone accept Ria becoming queen? No. Absolutely not.

Even her father the king would not support that.

If—and this was purely hypothetical—Ria were to try to become king, she would have to eliminate the entire royal family, including her younger brothers.

And even if she eliminated the royal family, there were nobles who carried royal blood, so Ria's throne would never be secure.

Moreover, there were royals who had married into other countries. What would happen if those countries claimed Casalia's throne based on their bloodline?

It wouldn't be just civil war. It would be all-out war.

It would become a situation no different from Istria's current civil war.

"That's how it is."

"Hmm, but if things stay like this, the power struggle will continue, right?"

Serge crossed his arms. Recalling history from his past life, he considered various scenarios.

"Wouldn't it be bad if Cordova attacked?"

"It would be bad, but… well, Father would probably find some resolution."

Casalia's King Neyas was capable. An excellent, fair, and cool-headed king.

No matter how much he doted on her, the fact that he hadn't given Ria succession rights showed his political sense was sound.

"Is Nee-chan's dad a wise ruler?"

"Well, yes. He's probably not great at warfare, but he can leave that to his vassals. As long as Father is there, Casalia will be safe…"

Saying that much, Ria realized.

Casalia was stable because her father was there.

What would happen if her father were assassinated right now?

"Do you think there's an assassin skilled enough to assassinate Father?"

Carlos and Lulu froze again.

"I don't… think so. Reyas-sama is there, and even without Master Rufus, the magical defenses are ironclad," Carlos said, but Ria felt uneasy.

"For instance, if I tried to assassinate Father, could I be stopped?"

"We couldn't stop you, but that's because Ojou can approach His Majesty closely."

Suspicious individuals approaching would be stopped. The security measures were in place for that.

"Then it really is better if I don't return. I should help some country take the lead in unifying this region."

This conversation was taking place in a room of Klaus's mansion.

She had asked the mansion's owner to clear the room for a while, saying she would speak with him later.

"I've heard everything! The kingdom will fall!"

BANG! A single girl burst through the door.

Everyone in the room froze. It was so sudden.

None of them had sensed her presence until the door opened.

She was a beautiful girl with flaxen hair. But the overwhelming presence she radiated told them she was no ordinary person.

How in the world had none of them noticed her until now?

"No, it's not falling."

A silver-haired elf entered, lightly tapping the girl on the head.

Or rather, a dark elf with white skin.

"Ah…"

Serge recognized her, but Maal did not.

Due to racial characteristics, changing skin color made her unrecognizable.

"Rei… san?"

"Hey, it's been a while. By the way, Casalia isn't going to fall. At the very least, we have nothing to do with it."

Demon General Rei said this with a friendly smile.