Episode 114
The figure tied to the tree, though covered in dirt, was undoubtedly the Second Prince.
‘The Second Prince really is here.’
“…That person tied to the tree is His Highness the Second Prince, right?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you eliminate him already?”
If they had the upper hand in the fight, wouldn’t it be easier to eliminate the enemy before they could cause more trouble? What if he escaped and caused more chaos?
Even in the original story, the monster had been released because of the Second Prince’s last-ditch effort.
“He has crimes to answer for. He’ll be interrogated with the Empress and then publicly executed as an example.”
The execution would surely be public. It would prevent the Empress and the Second Prince’s faction from causing further trouble and serve as a clear warning to others.
Of course, the Crown Prince would deal with their remaining followers before that.
I had rushed here, worried about Cesar, but it seemed like he was doing fine on his own.
It was a relief that the number of monsters would be drastically reduced once the wide-scale magic was cast. And the Crown Prince and the knights could handle the rest…
As I continued that thought, I suddenly felt a strange presence and looked up. I saw several pairs of eyes watching me from a distance.
And the tremors intensified. The monsters’ roars grew louder, as if they were approaching rapidly.
The Crown Prince was supposed to be dealing with only the smaller monsters.
“Why are high-ranking monsters gathering here…?”
Their size and the menacing aura they exuded were clearly not those of low- or mid-ranking monsters. A chill ran down my spine.
The Crown Prince had already drawn his sword, ready to fight. But he also frowned, as if puzzled.
“High-ranking monsters don’t usually form groups, so they avoid interfering with each other’s territories, even during fights.”
“Then why are they gathering here?!”
“Perhaps they’ve lost their minds due to the side effects of the tranquilizer the Empress used on them. And they seem to have found a delicious prey.”
‘What did the Empress use on the monsters?! And a delicious prey?’
I looked at the Crown Prince questioningly, and he met my gaze and spoke,
“I’m guessing that prey is you. The monsters started gathering after you appeared.”
“No way.”
He shrugged as if asking if there was any other explanation.
Come to think of it, even when I was quietly sitting in the carriage, a monster, drooling, had targeted me.
And the monster sealed in the Imperial Palace had enthralled me into releasing it and then tried to eat me.
‘Have I become some kind of monster bait?’
I seemed to be attracting unwanted attention.
“It seems you have a guess. Here, take this.”
The Crown Prince tossed something to me. I caught it, and it was a jewel, just like the one Cesar gave me.
“Why are you giving me this?”
“So you can escape to safety after I’m done.”
“Escape to safety?”
“The Duke is preparing his magic in the north. Lead the monsters there. Then he can eliminate them all at once.”
“Are you asking me to be bait?”
“You came here to help, didn’t you? I have to stay here and deal with the remaining monsters and take those criminals back to the Imperial Palace for interrogation.”
The remaining low-ranking monsters around us lunged at the Crown Prince. He swung his sword, and they disappeared with pained cries, but there were too many of them.
“Will you be alright alone?”
“The Imperial Knights will arrive soon. And although my knights are tired from dealing with the Second Prince’s men, they’re unharmed.”
I had been wondering about the noises around us; it seemed like his knights were exterminating monsters nearby.
“Then alright! I’ll be the bait!”
If I was only going to be a hindrance here, it was better to do something helpful.
I hurriedly moved away from them and headed towards where Cesar was.
“The ground will glow where he’s casting his magic! Don’t get hurt and come back safely. If the Duke finds out I asked you to do this, he might kill me.”
Shouting that, the Crown Prince turned his attention back to the monsters.
‘So that’s why he was suddenly being considerate.’
He seemed to be worried about what Cesar, enraged, might do if I got hurt. It wasn’t an impossible scenario, which made the Crown Prince’s warning quite credible.
‘I have to be careful not to get hurt. And I shouldn’t tell Cesar I led the monsters there as bait.’
Things were going smoothly; it would be troublesome if he found out, got angry, attacked the Crown Prince, and then we all died. That wasn’t what I wanted.
But my thoughts changed as I was chased by monsters on my way to Cesar.
“Kieeek—!”
“I don’t taste good! I said I don’t taste good!”
‘How am I supposed to lead them there like this?!’
I ran as fast as I could, but the monsters were too fast. And they were spitting some kind of liquid that sizzled and melted the trees it landed on.
“Eek! The trees are melting!”
If I got hit by that, I would be in big trouble.
‘It would be better to transform into a bird and fly. My feet hurt.’
The forest path was rough and uneven. Running in heels was difficult, and I kept tripping over tree roots and rocks.
As I stumbled, the liquid the monster spat landed on my dress. It melted away, as if burned, and I cursed,
“Ugh! This cumbersome dress!”
‘This won’t do. I’ll be monster food at this rate.’
I hurriedly focused my mind.
It was difficult to concentrate with monsters closing in from all directions, but I had no choice. To survive, I had to transform into a bird and lure them away.
‘Focus. Focus!’
My legs disappeared, replaced by flapping wings, and my vision darkened.
“Beep!”
‘I did it!’
I quickly squeezed my way out of the neck hole of the dress. The monsters, seemingly confused by my sudden disappearance, looked around.
I had to prevent them from targeting others.
I spread my wings and chirped loudly,
“Chirp!”
‘I’m here! Monsters!’
They immediately lunged at me. I swallowed my tears.
‘Ugh. To think I’ve become monster bait.’
Still, luring them away was much easier without the cumbersome dress and heels.
‘And it’s easy to dodge their attacks with this small body.’
At this rate, leading the monsters and having them eliminated would be a piece of cake.
It seemed like I had almost reached the place the Crown Prince mentioned.
I looked down as I flew, and I sensed a surge of mana in the distance.
‘Ah! This is it!’
I saw the ground shimmering, and I was certain.
Clutching the jewel tightly in my claws, I flew towards my destination, determined to complete the Crown Prince’s task. If it weren’t for the sudden voice, I wouldn’t have stopped.
“Lily!”
There were only a few people who called me that. And this was deep within the hunting grounds.
The person calling me now was…
“Beep!”
‘Cesar!’
Seeing his face, I felt a wave of relief and joy. And it seemed like I had successfully led the monsters to where he was casting his magic.
Just as I was about to crush the jewel in my claws and escape to safety, my vision suddenly shifted.
I was now right in front of Cesar.
‘Huh? I didn’t crush the jewel?’
The jewel was still clutched tightly in my claws.
“What are you doing in your bird form? What if you were hunted?”
I thought he was going to scold me, but his voice was filled with concern.
‘Ah. Cesar summoned me here.’
I wanted to explain, but it was difficult to communicate as a bird. So I showed him the jewel the Crown Prince gave me.
Cesar’s expression hardened.
“…Did you come here as bait?”
His eyes, as if he would kill someone, made me shake my head. It was true, but I felt like something bad would happen if I nodded.
And having seen the sheer number of monsters, I didn’t think I could eliminate them all with my divine power. And using it in this situation, with so many things to be wary of, would leave me vulnerable.
I had followed the Crown Prince’s instructions, thinking it was the right thing to do, but… seeing Cesar’s expression, I felt like I had made a mistake.
“Hmph. I’ll ask you later, after you transform back, so just stay on my shoulder for now. I’m ready.”
I hopped from his hand to his shoulder and looked ahead.
The monsters, confused by my sudden disappearance, were looking around. Their drooling, hungry gazes were chilling.
“Beep.”
‘I recklessly led them here.’
Cesar started chanting a spell. It was in a language I had never heard before, so I just listened quietly.
‘Is it ancient magic?’
Cesar usually cast magic instantly, without any incantations, but this time, it took quite a while, so the mana consumption must be immense.
‘I hope this eliminates all the monsters.’
The ground shook and cracked, as if an earthquake was occurring. A fierce wind ruffled my feathers, and the monsters’ pained cries were deafening.