Chapter 22: Overflowing Desires

“The Mirror of Grudges? There's no way such a thing exists!”

After last night’s meeting.

Berka pressed Luri-chan about why she had done something like that.

“Eh? It totally exists~”

“If there were a magical tool that could reveal the identity of an assassin, there’s no way its existence wouldn’t be made public! Spreading knowledge of it would be the best way to prevent assassinations!”

“Ah—you're right.”

“But that’s not necessarily true, you know.”

Berka instantly saw through my lie…

But I kept smiling, acting innocent without so much as flinching.

“The Mirror of Grudges doesn’t show the assassin, but rather the person the victim most deeply resented right before their death. If someone whispered false information to the victim as they died—something like ‘I was ordered to kill you by so-and-so’—it could lead to a complete misidentification of the killer.”

“Ngh… nghhhh…”

“That’s why its existence is hidden—to avoid countermeasures. It’s a state secret known only to royalty, so please don’t tell anyone.”

“What a conveniently useful little item… ngh, nghhh…”

It’s fun throwing up smoke screens with made-up nonsense, zoi.

“Anyway, now that things have come to this, we’re in this together. Berka, follow your convictions and protect Byuredesto.”

“I—I’ll do that, even without being told.”

“And in doing so, use me to your heart’s content. Take advantage of the fact that you have a royal ally.”

With that, I locked eyes with Berka.

As a royal—imbuing my gaze with firm resolve.

“Let’s speak plainly, Berka. Honestly, I hate you.”

“……”

“You kidnapped me out of nowhere, stripped off my dress, muzzled me without manners, and even planned to kill me. Just as you despise royalty, I hate you just as much.”

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

“However, our interests align. You and I both want to protect Byuredesto from the Yaiban invasion… don’t we?”

Now that I’ve shown him leniency, I must protect Berka.

But that doesn’t mean I’ll do so unconditionally.

“I trust your conviction to protect Byuredesto. So prove it—with results.”

“……”

“If you prove yourself a benefit to the Kingdom of Saripa, I’ll do my utmost to prevent your execution. …But if you turn out to be a useless fool, I’ll discard you without hesitation.”

Now that I’ve gone this far for him, Berka has no choice but to deliver results.

If he turns out to be nothing but a loudmouthed idiot, I’ll report everything.

“I’m merely fulfilling my duty as royalty. Understand that I’ll only help you because you’re useful.”

“……Ngh…”

After I gave that warning to Berka, he hung his head, looking as though he’d finally accepted things.

…Looks like he’s gotten his feelings sorted out.

“Is it really true that you’re the most useless one among the royal family? Even the letter from Count Zister described you that way.”

“Mhm. Totally true. My brothers and sisters are all way more competent than me. …Also.”

Good. This should mean there’s almost no risk of getting killed now.

Now then—

“Don’t call me ‘you’—address me as Lady Rishali. Since you’ve kissed the back of my hand, I expect your loyalty.”

“…Lady Rishali, huh.”

“Royalty must not be taken lightly. If we lose our authority, the nation falls.”

From here on, I’ll need to keep gauging what kind of man Berka truly is.

…If he turns out to be a liability to the state, I’ll have to steel myself and make a harsh decision.

“…Understood, Lady Rishali. I pledge my loyalty, of my own volition.”

“Good. You may rise.”

“In return… please. This town—Byuredesto—please protect it.”

“But of course.”

And with that, Berka—

“You needn’t even ask. It is my duty as royalty, after all.”

—truly became my vassal.

---

And so, after that exchange—

“They say the Yaiban army began crossing the border this morning.”

“…So it’s finally happening.”

When we returned to the barracks, a soldier with a grim expression was already waiting.

We were informed that the Yaiban army had begun an invasion into Zister territory.

“Their forces are several times larger than anything we've seen so far. Most likely, they intend to sweep through and crush the capital in one blow.”

“If the nation had remained soft, we would’ve already been destroyed.”

The territory of Yaiban is said to be seven to eight times larger than that of the Kingdom of Saripa.

The exact population is unclear, but it’s likely to be just as vast in scale.

“With an army that large, we must request reinforcements from the Deken Empire. Saripa alone can’t handle this.”

“Don’t worry. The defenses of Byuredesto are solid. If all we need to do is hold, we could last for years.”

“I-Is that really how it works?”

“It would be—if the regular army had been properly deployed. But we’re in this mess because they blindly trusted the reports from traitors and didn’t station troops where needed.”

“You’re always so spiteful with your remarks.”

There’s a saying that war is a matter of numbers—and a difference in troop strength isn’t something easily overcome.

Even the great Sun Tzu wrote, “If you are weaker in numbers, avoid battle.”

Victory in war is not decided after it begins. The outcome is determined in the preparations beforehand.

“Princess Rishali. Have you finished what I asked?”

“Yes. Letters addressed to Father the King and to the Commander, correct?”

“That’s right.”

It would take about a week for the national army to arrive in Byuredesto.

The Yaiban forces, however, would reach Byuredesto by tomorrow—meaning we’d have to hold the line ourselves for roughly six days.

“I’ve made sure to include details of the staged kidnapping, too.”

“…That helps a lot.”

“In return, you must hold this place to the end, understood?”

“I know. I have no intention of surrendering Byuredesto.”

To ensure the national army wouldn’t mistakenly attack Byuredesto, I prepared a handwritten letter to send to them.

To prove I wasn’t forced to write it under duress, I added a smiling self-portrait at the end.

People often joke about how bad my drawings are—so for verification purposes, it should work perfectly.

“So then, Berka. Is there anything else I can do?”

“…If royalty speaks to rally the people, it’ll raise morale. I’d like to ask you to give a speech before the final battle.”

“Consider it done.”

With that, Berka let out a deep sigh.

It seemed even Berka was a bit nervous with the decisive battle approaching.

“So now, all that’s left is to wait?”

“Yeah. Please rest, Lady Rishali. I’ll get some rest too, before the battle.”

The Yaiban forces vastly outnumber those of the Kingdom of Saripa.

Berka expected that this time, the death toll would be heavy.

…Perhaps that’s why. His face was somber and full of pain.

“Hey, Berka. I have a small favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“I’d like to walk through the town of Byuredesto. Would you escort me?”

“…Huh?”

Partly to help ease some tension, and partly to satisfy a small personal desire—

I suggested a short stroll to Berka.

---

“Waaah! Amazing, I’ve never seen a fruit like this before! What is it!?”

“That’s a lechakri. There’s not much edible part, but it’s a rare sweet around here.”

“I want to try it!”

Amid the tense air right before the decisive battle, the marketplace was crowded with people.

I strolled down the bustling main street of Buyuredesto with Berka and little Luri.

“If you’re going to eat it, try roasting it.”

“Roasting, you say?”

“Yeah. Hang it and lightly roast it.”

Lechakri looked like a red eggplant, but its taste resembled pumpkin.

Only the swollen part near the base was sweet, and the usual way to eat it was to roast it over fire and bite into it.

“It’s all gooey and the texture is interesting… it’s delicious!”

“It’s a specialty of Buyuredesto. If you liked it, maybe the royal family could start importing it.”

“Rishali, you’re like a child.”

The food culture in this world was very different from what I knew.

There were animals like horses that resembled ones from my previous life, but also strange, evolution-gone-wrong creatures here and there.

When it came to plants and insects, most of them were things I’d never seen before.

“Whoa, wh-what are they eating!? That’s a horse’s face!?”

“That’s bread shaped like a horse’s head. It’s considered good luck—eating it is said to ward off death.”

“Fascinating…”

Their culture was also full of things I’d never heard of.

Apparently, long ago there was a general who survived a losing battle by eating his beloved horse, and since then, “eating horse” became seen as a sign of survival.

That’s why before heading to war, families would bake bread shaped like a horse’s head and give it to the soldiers.

In Buyuredesto, a land often embroiled in war, it had become a popular item.

“…There’s so much I didn’t know.”

As royalty, one doesn’t usually learn about the food or culture of remote regions.

When walking through town, it’s usually only during parades with a large escort.

This was my first time actually experiencing the lives and customs of the townsfolk firsthand.

“Oh hey, Berka, is that the princess everyone’s been whispering about?”

“Nice to meet you all!”

“…Yeah, this is Her Highness Rishali. Mind your manners.”

“No need to be so formal!”

My world had ended at the palace gates, it seemed.

So now, being this close to the breath of the people—

I finally realized how little I actually knew.

“Talking with the princess’ll be a story I’ll brag about for the rest of my life. Thank you kindly.”

“Fufufu, if it brought you joy, then I’m glad.”

They say a princess is like a bird in a cage, and truly, that’s what I was.

The world is so wide, so full of wonder and beauty.

“I think I finally understand why Sister Lululu kept running away from the palace.”

“…Come to think of it, the First Princess does sneak out a lot.”

“To think… the world is truly a marvelous place.”

Berka bought me some hot wine, and I enjoyed the sweet taste of lechakri.

Then, in a corner of the open boulevard, I spent time talking with the people of Buyuredesto.

“This is our town. Do you like it?”

“Yes, I do. It’s a lovely place.”

Everyone here was living with everything they had.

But if we lost to the Yaiban army, the people here might have all been slaughtered because of a royal blunder.

“Yeah, Buyuredesto’s a good city. Everyone pulls together and helps each other.”

“…That’s right.”

────This must be what Berka wanted to protect.

Berka must be held responsible for ridiculing the royal family… but—

As royalty, I must also take responsibility for not seeing through the betrayal of Count Zister.

“I’m counting on you tomorrow. You must protect this city at all costs.”

“Got it.”

“If you do, then by my authority, I will pardon you, Berka.”

Berka will take responsibility by defending Buyuredesto until reinforcements arrive.

And I will take responsibility by shielding Berka.

…It’s almost like we’re partners in crime.

“Oh, what’s that over there?”

“Hmm?”

I looked up, and the sun was already starting to set.

At the end of the street, a dazzling butterfly danced—one unlike anything I’d ever seen in the palace courtyard.

It glowed with a mysterious pink light, giving off an otherworldly aura.

“So beautiful~”

“Geh!!?”

“…Ah.”

When we called out, the butterfly fluttered toward us.

Incredible… A butterfly that glows like neon at night? I’d never seen anything like it, not even in my previous life.

I found myself unconsciously drifting toward it—

“Stop! Don’t! Are you stupid!?”

“Gweh—!”

Berka rushed to stop me.

“You seriously don’t know what that butterfly is? Are you for real?”

“Uh… yeah, I don’t.”

“Man, no way…”

I had been thinking of catching it to show Luri-chan, but—

Judging by Berka’s reaction, this was definitely the kind of bug you don’t mess with.

Maybe it was poisonous.

“You really don’t know, huh. Well, uh, that butterfly’s bad news.”

“Poisonous or something?”

“...Yes! Exactly. Poison. So stay away and run, got it?”

“Heh…”

Berka stumbled over his words trying to explain it to me.

Well, it’s said that the more poisonous an insect is, the flashier its colors become.

They call it warning coloration—basically shouting “I’m dangerous, don’t eat me” through their appearance.

With colors that vibrant, that butterfly must be seriously toxic.

“Nii-san. Let’s go that way. They’re selling lechakri soup.”

“Good idea, Luri. Come on, let’s get away, Your Highness────”

“Oh no, a lustmoth got out. That’s awful.”

“So naughty~”

As I followed Berka’s lead to leave, I overheard some girls passing by say something odd when they saw the pink butterfly.

…Lustmoth?

“Ah…”

“…Berka? What is that butterfly, really?”

“Well, um, you see…”

When I pressed him again, Berka gave a reluctant, troubled look.

And finally, he told me.

“The scales… they, uh, have aphrodisiac effects. They’re kept in those kinds of shops.”

“…Ah.”

“This part of the street has a lot of that sort of business. It probably flew out a window.”

“If it comes near you, it makes you all… tingly.”

So basically, the thing’s used like an airborne aphrodisiac?

“…No wonder I didn’t know. We don’t have anything like that in the palace.”

“Of course you don’t. And even if one somehow got in, no way they’d let it near a princess.”

Berka must’ve felt like someone just pointed at something erotic and asked, “What’s that?” in front of royalty.

Poor guy.

“Father’s been complaining that he can’t have any more kids lately. Should I recommend it to him?”

“Please don’t. If his own daughter suggested that, he’d cry.”

“Oh, is that how it is…”

“It’s a filthy little butterfly.”

To think that neon-glowing butterfly was being used like that…

Still, learning about unknown cultures really is fascinating.