Chapter 34: The Attack of a Certain Demon General

--Lionetta Brunel--

She grew up as an assassin and has lived as an assassin since childhood.

The Brunel family has been a noble family with the rank of Viscount in the Holy Reema Kingdom for generations, and assassination has been their family business.

However,

One day, the Brunel family was cut off from the Reema Kingdom like a lizard's tail.

Every year, more and more people who knew the true identity of the Brunel family came to the royal court, and some began to accuse the assassination family and the Reema royal family of harboring them. As a result, the kingdom succumbed to these voices and decided to take action against the Brunel family.

Most of the family lost their lives in a surprise attack by the kingdom's army, and Lionetta was left alone with her sister to escape their pursuers.

She had the ability to bring down her pursuers.

At any rate, Lionetta's ability had been outstanding since that time, equivalent to a level of 45 in Final Quest.

But Lionetta was also human.

It’s not possible for them to live a life of constant vigilance. Eventually, they would get worn out and be defeated. That's why she needed to find a safe place to live.

But just when she thought she had finally found a safe haven in a small village on the Deltora Peninsula after wandering around to the point of feeling faint, her sister was cursed by Shade, the spirit of darkness, and fell into an eternal sleep.

For Lionetta, who had lost her family and her job, her sister was everything. She tried everything she could to save her sister from the curse.

But - it was no use.

No matter how many potions she used, or how many requests she made to the highest-ranking priest, her sister remained stubbornly asleep and would not wake up.

It was then that Beelzebub appeared.

Lionetta later decided to help the Demon Lord awaken in exchange for him lifting her sister's curse.

She then joined the Demon King's army and rose to become one of the "Four Demon Generals," and now she was very close to awakening the Demon King.

In order to awaken the Demon Lord, a huge amount of magic power is required.

　

And magic power is created by the flow of human emotions.

That's why, this time, while Lionetta had her sights set on killing her target, Brad, she was actually planning to wreak havoc on the royal capital of Pistel, Fall Flat, and shake the emotions of the people.

The magic power that could be generated from the people in the capital is enormous. If she could gain it, she would surely get closer to awakening the Demon Lord.

She had just encountered Brad in the royal palace when she was preparing for such a plan while watching the progress of the matches in the arena.

✳︎

(...... save my sister, he said?)

Thinking of the hateful face of Prince Brad, Lionetta grits her teeth.

This is the top of the clock tower in the central square.

After her encounter with Brad, Lionetta moved from the royal palace to this place and looked down at the arena while making the final confirmation of her plan.

The time was already past noon.

The preliminary battle royal had been completed in the morning, and the main battle tournament was about to begin.

(...... You don't know anything.)

The prince's manner of speaking suggests that he has some information about her sister's current situation, although the source is unknown.

But Lionetta, who has been by her sister's side all this time to save her, knows better than anyone how strong her sister's sleeping curse is. It's not something that the prince can just suddenly break and save her.

(Surely, you who are blessed don’t know this. You probably don't know that there are people who can't be saved even if they wanted to. I’ll teach you. Watch your loved ones die in front of you and feel your helplessness painfully.)

As Lionetta smiled coldly, a voice from the arena’s host reached her ear, thanks to her enhanced hearing.

“We’re about to begin desu! The role of explaining the qualifying round which would have been done by all three of the “Seven heroes” has been withdrawn due to the fact that Merlin and Glace had a job to do. Now the explanation will be done by Celie-sama alone desu!”

The smile on Lionetta's face deepened.

 (Indeed, I don't sense any signs of the Great Sage or the Demon Slayer. It seems the tide is completely in my favor.)

The plan for this show was based on the premise that the three heroes, Glace, Merlin, and Celie would be there. So as long as she could shake the people's emotions and collect magic power, she didn't necessarily need to win the battle.

However, if Glace and Merlin were not around, it might be possible not only to collect magic power but might even be possible to bring this country down.

If that happens, it will bring the Demon Lord's awakening even closer.

(In any case, it's time for a fun show. First, let's get the most obtrusive woman out of the way, the Saintess of Salvation, Celie.)

Lionetta raised her hand towards the arena.

"Shadow hunt.”

She chanted in a whispering bewitching voice.

　✳︎

In the arena, there is a back passage for the officials.

The players and their officials go through the back passage to get to the arena and the seats of honor. There were two figures passing through the back aisle right now.

They were Brad's fiancée, the fragile and beautiful duchess "Fairy Princess" Marie El Folktas, and her personal maid, Remilia.

After seeing Brad pass the qualifying round, she left for a while and came back to meet the start of the tournament.

"Marie… what will you do if Brad wins?”

Remilia asked and Maria looked depressed.

After a while of silence.

"You haven't decided yet that His Highness will be the winner, have you?”

"Of course it is not definite, but I'm asking you what you plan to do if he does win. Are you going to reconsider breaking off the engagement as you promised?”

Marie stammered again.

"I can't… do that."

she said after a moment's pondering.

"I will break off the engagement, even if I have to go back on my word. This is not just about me, it is a matter of His Highness's life. As his vassal and betrothed, it is my duty to protect him.”

Marie's eyes shone with the light of a strong will, as she said so.

Remilia, for her part, seemed relieved.

"I knew you would say that. If you break off the engagement, you yourself will be treated as a disgraceful daughter, and there will be no merit whatsoever. You really do love His Highness to an astonishing degree, don't you?

"It's not like that…”

Marie tries to make excuses with her cheeks flushed, but she stops halfway and says.

“I do, but…”

"You do… don’t you?"

Remilia giggles and Marie pouts her lips.

A lot of people think that Marie is unapproachable, but in front of the maidservants who are familiar with her, Marie's childish nature comes out.

As they were talking, the distant cheers grew closer and closer, and before they knew it, they were at the dignitary's table.

They bowed to the King Castral and took their seats.

(Oh? I see Glace-san and Merlin-san are not here.)

Marie looks at the commentary table and nods her head.

The two who had been chatting happily at the commentary table during the preliminary round were nowhere to be seen.

There was no sign of them in the dignitary's seat either, so it seemed that they were not in this arena at least. Aside from Merlin, Glace seemed to like Brad, so it was surprising that he wasn't in the main tournament. Or would he be back for Brad's match?

While Marie was thinking about it.

Finally, it struck.

"…!?”

Suddenly, from the commentator's seats, she felt magic so terrifying it stung her skin.

Immediately after. The shadow underneath Celie in the commentary seat grew and spread out like a large furoshiki (wrapping cloth), enveloping Celie's entire body.

Then, the shadow that had enveloped Celie became smaller and smaller, and then, to my surprise, it completely disappeared with Celie.

"Was that… ‘Shadow Hunt’?”

King Castral muttered in astonishment.

--Shadow hunt--

It's a 5th rank magic that envelopes the target in a shadow and traps them in a different space of total darkness.

Normally, the other space disappears and the target is released in just a few minutes, but the duration can be greatly extended depending on the power of the magician. I've heard that it is possible to completely isolate the target for several hours depending on the power of the magician.

“Huh? Celie-sama!? Where on earth...?”

It was when Brad's personal maid, Rosie, who was hosting the event, began to panic,

It was then that I noticed a figure above the arena.

"Ladies and Gentlemen. I am the puppeteer doll master Lionetta, one of the highest-ranking "four demon generals" in the demon king army. I'm here today to bring you a fun show.”

The woman in the bewitching dress, who called herself Lionetta of the "Four Demon Generals," slowly bowed her head with the graceful gesture of a noblewoman.

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