Chapter 69: Townsperson A Desperately Wants to Save the Villainess

As I crept down the hallway, keeping to the shadows, two well-dressed men approached from the opposite direction, deep in conversation.

“How is her condition?”

“A little longer, I should think. Normally, the ego collapses within a single day.”

“I suppose that is only to be expected of the daughter of House Ramslett.”

My hand twitched toward my gun. I wanted nothing more than to corner them and force the truth out, but I bit back the impulse at the last possible second. I needed to grasp exactly where she was and what they had done to her. I couldn’t afford to let another fit of rage ruin everything now.

“Indeed, Your Highness. However, she had weakened quite nicely, so I had her hold the Demonic Sword of Absolute Ice last night. It is only a matter of time now.”

Your Highness? And given his age, does that make this guy the Crown Prince of the Est Empire? And a demonic sword? Then Ana is—!

An image from the game flashed through my mind: the fallen Villainess, her expression frozen in a mask of ice as she laid waste to the Royal Capital.

“Still, it was quite unexpected that the daughter of a Ducal House would actually have a paramour.”

“She was wearing an engagement ring, after all. I assume she had a fiancé. I’m told she refused to remove the ring or her hair ornament even when bathing.”

“I heard that pampered brat of a Crown Prince cast her aside... but she was likely playing around with some servant anyway. When I told her the man had died in the war, the look on her face was priceless.”

“I see. Can we capture the man as well?”

“Once we break her heart and have her under our thumb, we should be able to pry the information out of her.”

You absolute scum! Ana isn’t an object!

“In that case, it might be amusing to make her spread her legs for us right in front of the fellow.”

“Conditioning her to that extent will take more time. For now, our priority is dominating her heart through the despair of the demonic sword. She is a one-of-a-kind vessel, possessing the dual Divine Protections of [Ice Magic] and [Knight]. She was born to host the Demonic Sword of Absolute Ice. We cannot afford to fail this time.”

These bastards... what do they think people are?

“Tch. Fine. Regardless, those spineless cowards in Centlaren seem to have stayed true to form and made no preparations whatsoever. The conquest of the entire Bruseni region should be reaching its conclusion about now.”

The conversation shifted from Ana to the war. They were operating on the assumption that Centlaren’s defeat was a foregone conclusion. But they were in for a rude awakening—the ones who had lost the entire Bruseni region were the imperial forces.

“Quite right. Though, I must say, I never imagined he would actually agree to such a preposterous deal.”

“Because that Crown Prince is a genuine moron. He only managed to keep up appearances because that woman was backing him; there’s nothing but air inside his head. Apparently, he even stole the Royal Seal and used it without the Duke’s permission, convinced that Bruseni would be returned to him in exchange for the girl.”

“Good grief. His stupidity truly knows no bounds.”

What?! Did that idiot really think a deal like that was possible? That absolute bastard!

“By now, the forces from Zaus should be invading the Ramslett Ducal Territory. No matter how elite the Ramslett Ducal Army may be, they won’t survive being severed from the rest of the kingdom.”

“And then there is the question of whether Norsane in the north will mobilize.”

“They’ll move. I’ve already reached an agreement with Westhadel. Once that idiot Crown Prince takes the throne, we’ll have a nation of fools that’s easy to control. With the Ramslett Ducal Territory carved away, they won't be able to feed their own people. They’ll collapse on their own after that.”

I see. So Westhadel really was working with Est behind the scenes. In that case, Claude probably won't be returning to the stage.

And it seemed Centlaren was viewed as nothing more than a joke. This country was already... No, wait. Now wasn't the time for politics.

“Ah, here we are.”

The man who wasn't the prince cast a spell on the wall. Suddenly, the masonry vanished to reveal a hidden staircase. A magic-triggered secret passage. No wonder I hadn’t been able to find it, no matter how hard I searched.

The Crown Prince and his companion lit a lamp and began their rhythmic descent. I followed immediately after them. I’d originally acquired [Stealth] just to get my hands on a Scroll of Appraisal, but I was damn glad I had it now. Without this skill, I never could have infiltrated a place like this alone.

At the bottom of the long spiral staircase, they reached an iron door. It was secured by a heavy external lock, clearly designed to keep someone in. The man slid back the peephole and peered inside.

“Ah, it looks like she’s coming along nicely. Let’s give her a little stimulation.”

He turned the key and pushed the door open. I slipped inside right behind them.

The lamplight spilled into the room, revealing Ana. She was unrecognizable.

What on earth had they done to her?

They had dressed her in a provocative, revealing outfit, but her face was a total void. Her eyes were hollow and vacant. Her face was a mess of tears and snot, and she was drooling slovenly. The stench of human waste hung in the air.

“Ah, she must have put up quite a fight. In this state, she won’t be able to use the magic she was born with. We’ll have to start her re-education from scratch.”

“What? Tch. Can’t you fix her?”

“Impossible. It’s far too late for that. It only means her deployment to the front lines will be delayed by a few years.”

They spoke of her as if she were livestock. No—as if she were a machine. Ana turned her head toward us, but I knew nothing was actually registering in those eyes.

“Ah... ah...”

Ana let out a small, broken sound. Her expression held no hint of intelligence. There was nothing left in her that reminded me of the Ana I knew.

The Ana who had looked like a sleeping angel in my arms. The Ana who spoke with such a sweet, endearing voice. The Ana who was terrified of her first flight, only to end up frolicking like a child. The Ana who accepted my proposal and cried with pure joy. The Ana who was so stiff and nervous when holding Milly for the first time, terrified she’d drop her. The Ana whose ears turned bright red with embarrassment whenever I carried her. The Ana who got jealous whenever she suspected something between me and Sherilralra. The Ana who sighed and told me that there was a fine line between a genius and a madman. The Ana who beamed with pride when her exam scores finally caught up to mine. The Ana who worked herself to the bone trying to create something wonderful. The Ana who got angry at me for volunteering to be her proxy in a duel because she was so worried about my safety. The Ana who was still fuming and red-faced when we reunited afterward. Even the Ana who had frozen her heart to endure the weight of her duties with a cold, desperate mask.

Every single version of her was precious to me. But the charming girl I loved was nowhere to be found. Maybe that man was right. Maybe it was already too late.

But.

Even so.

...Even so!

I! Will! Save her! No matter what it takes!