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A Laughable Move

“For example, even if they wanted to peek into the room, when the door locks, there is no gap.. They wouldn’t be able to see in at all.”

I plucked a juicy grape from the bunch in the basket and put it in my mouth. Squeezing the flesh in my mouth, I picked up the grape skin I had pushed onto my lips with my finger. As I did so, I felt the reverent gaze of the ladies-in-waiting surrounding us at a distance.

“Of course, they don’t have the keys. However, when they closely examine the door, they’ll find that part of the clasp mounting engraved relief to the door beside the handle is loose.”

I leisurely licked my finger stained with grape juice. The Adam’s apples of the temple knights, waiting under the arch that led into the courtyard bobbed up and down.

“With the tools at hand, they successfully remove the loose clasp. Once the metal fixtures are gone, the door is left with a small hole in it. The light in the room escapes through that the tiny hole. With one eye on the hole, they can peek inside. That’s where they’ll find a shocking secret.”

Wiping my hands again with the cloth Malacia held out, I grinned.

“I don’t think there are many who would doubt the information obtained in such a manner.”

“…I see. How cunning.”

It was a common feature in period dramas and mysteries. When they get exposed, the villain would carefully explain the modus operandi of his crimes for some reason. Well, it was for plot development. If they didn’t do that, the story would be difficult to understand.

“The plan Lord Anderheim had thought of beforehand turned out to be quite useful.”

“…I had already planned a way out in advance. It’s standard practice when doing something illicit. If you commit violence without any measures in place, you’ll only end up leaving your tracks behind.”

[I] didn’t make many moves when Morino desperately searched the royal family’s accounting lead. Those numbers were the result of Prime Minister Anderheim and Head Priest Malacia joining hands and performing dodgy dealings bit by bit over the years. Even if Morino found the trail of illegal gold and traced it back to its source, the culprits would already be six feet under before he reached them. And since the other party was the royal family, Morino would not actively pursue them due to the Crown Prince’s influence.

Moreover, Anderheim also had a hand in Malacia widely selling Suimo.

Other than the customers that bought Suimo simply for pleasure, he also found wealthy families with members suffering from severe illnesses. They needed its pain-relieving effects. He sold Suimo to them as a medicine that would ease pain. Their wish to see their family, who continued to suffer due to illness, have a peaceful death would be fulfilled. The remaining family often thanked Malacia with tears in their eyes.

We hid all the trails cleanly but left many minor clues on how the customers who bought Suimo to relieve the pain of their suffering family obtained it on purpose

And just as I predicted, Morino’s subordinate took the bait and sent the report in a panic. Confused regarding the information about the royal family’s operating costs for the shrine, Morino simply connected the dots and only to be met disappointment.

…All while he didn’t realize, the secret he’d spied through that tiny hole in the door was just a facade. The truth lay hidden behind it.

“Lady Julieta, let me carry your luggage.”

“No, I shall help you.”

“Thank you, but it’s fine. I wish to move a bit.”

“Your foot is injured. Please do not force yourself.”

At the garden table and chair set in the courtyard, I sat with my elbows on the table, accompanied by a relaxed Malacia. We were looking over Julieta, who was carrying her few belongings out from her room facing the courtyard in preparation to return to the Asbal residence. As she walked with the support of a stick, countless ladies-in-waiting gathered around her, repeatedly urging her to let them assist her.

Her foot was cast in a plaster brace, keeping her foot straight as if she was on tiptoes. It was all per my instructions. As the injury was my excuse to free her from house arrest in the royal castle, I couldn’t use recovery magic on her foot. However, the rupture of the Achilles tendon would naturally heal by itself even without immediate surgery to fix it in place.

Once her Achilles tendon healed, I would gently rehabilitate her ankle with stretches and massages. Incidentally, it was something I had learned when my younger sister in my past life ruptured her Achilles’ tendon and I had to tend to her for a long time.

The farce that unfolded at the banquet had spread throughout the capital in a blink of an eye.

It was to the extent that Julieta’s reputation as ‘Prime Minister Anderheim’s selfish daughter’ changed overnight into that of a saint.

A Dragon Priestess who endured excruciating pain thinking only of her love of ten years—the Crown Prince. With only half a year remaining she would finally be free from the pain, and yet, it was at that time, that the Crown Prince betrayed the Dragon Priestess and declared he would marry the beautiful Sacrificial Priestess instead. The Dragon Priestess was hurt, but even so, she accepted her fate of becoming the Sacrificial Priestess….

Once the rumors spread, the ladies-in-waiting serving the shrine rushed to Julieta’s defense. With both their hands and feet on the cold floor, the ladies-in-waiting apologized for their impoliteness. Julieta took their hands and bowed, saying she too was at fault.

“I was only a nuisance to you all. From here on, please support Lady Melia as the new Dragon Priestess.”

“Lady Julieta…”

“Nemo!? What happened to your cheek…!?”

Seeing the swollen cheeks of a lady-in-waiting she recognized, Julieta let out a shout.

Boosting the authenticity of the rumors were the violent acts of the new Dragon Priestess Melia.

Due to the effects on the ring, Melia was in a state of confusion and ferocity. She wailed, asking why it had to be her, hurling filthy words of abuse at the Head Priest. She exercised violence at the ladies-in-waiting who served her.

The Dragon Priestess’ body could not be hurt no matter what. The ladies-in-waiting had to endure in silence.

Compared to her, selfish Julieta’s actions seemed like a child’s tantrums. And despite her actions being due to the agony she withstood bin her role as the Dragon Priestess, she still courteously apologized.

They had been wrong.

A girl with such a pure body and heart was betrayed by the Crown Prince. Yet she had been ridiculed by those saying, “Serves her right!”.

How foolish they were.

“They seem to be in good spirits…the longer they are at a loss on how to deal with Melia, the better.”

At this distance, Malacia and my conversation couldn’t be heard in the room.

Taking advantage of the opportunity to spew venom, Malacia reached into his pocket and took out a small glass vial. In the vial was a light purple liquid containing a flower with round petals submerged at the bottom.

“I will use it at a suitable time.”

“That’s right. You understand the situation better, so I’ll leave it to you.”

“Mhm, I’ll use it when appropriate.”

“Also it’s about time the Crown Prince sends a spy here. According to my predictions, it should be the Knight Commander’s son.”

“That short-tempered brat, right?”

Malacia chuckled, remembering Lutora’s burning glare.

“It seems like he has some plans in mind for me It’s a rare opportunity. I should take the chance to get acquainted thoroughly.”

“Haha, I pity Lutora Well, I’ll be waiting for the Head Priest’s skills. I must be under watch too.”

“Leave it to me, Your Excellency”

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Hasr11: I won a bet with Grace and she’s agreed to PR this novel for a month…but that doesn’t mean I’m not looking for editors!

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The Pawns on the Board

“…They got us. We can’t arrest the Head Priest.”

In the royal office a few days after the eventful banquet.

Morino entered the office with a bitter look on his face. Immediately after, he placed the stack of accounting ledgers in his arms on the desk.

“No way!”

“Why not!”

Nasha was thinking of arresting Malacia and then exchanging his freedom for her sister, while Lutora held a grudge of her own against Malacia. They both protested in anger but were stopped by Sigurd.

“Calm down, Nasha, Lutora. Let’s listen to what Morino has to say first.”

“But, Sigurd…!”

“How could you stay so calm! Isn’t your lover in the Shrine’s hands!?”

“…It’s exactly because she’s in their hands. If we make a wrong move in haste, what if something even worse happened to Melia?”

Hearing Sigurd mutter reluctantly, Lutora regained his senses. He hung his head. The one who wanted to scream most was probably Sigurd. But he gritted his teeth and endured. Jolga patted Sigurd on the shoulder. He then met his gaze with Lutora, who was biting his lip and nodded silently.

“Don’t be too eager, Lutora. That is what the opponent wishes for. Sigurd…You did well.”

“…Thank you, Captain.”

“Sorry, Father…”

“Miss Nasha, you’re not the only one worrying about Melia. Let us remain calm.”

“Yes…”

The three of them regained their composure hearing Jolga’s matter-of-fact words. Morino, prompted by Jolga, retrieved a single ledger from the stack of accounting ledgers he placed on the desk earlier. He opened the ledger to where he had bookmarked and handed it to Vikram.

“Please take a look at this, Your Highness.”

“…This is?”

“It’s the total daily expenditure of the royal family over the past few years, excluding any official and diplomatic fees…It is the royal family’s ledger.”

From small expenditures for daily routine tasks such as the thread used for mending to the large expenditures like the carriages and precious metals the royal family bought, the numbers were neatly recorded in the ledger.

“When I compared the budget that was approved by the parliament for royal expenses to the actual expenditure recorded in this ledger, I found a discrepancy.”

“What…?”

Crown Prince Vikram’s expression changed.

Just from what Morino had researched these past few days, the difference seemed rather substantial.

“The sum recorded in the ledger is far greater than the allocated budget. If so, the compensation for the difference has to come from somewhere…tracing the castle’s flow of money, it led to the Shrine.”

“…What do you mean?”

“The determination of the budget requires approval from the parliament, where the Prime Minister holds a lot of influence. To reduce the Shrine’s influence on it, the approval of the budget was handed over to the royal family. However, that backfired. The portion of the budget meant for the continued operations of the Shrine was embezzled…by the former King, Queen, and their relatives.”

The Crown Prince and his aides were dumbfounded.

If that were true, it was a scandal of tremendous proportions. As a direct descendant, the standing of the Crown Prince would be in danger should the facts of this matter come to light.

“Since Malacia assumed office as the Head Priest, I found countless petitions to reconsider the Shrine’s budget, recorded in his name. Prime Minister Anderheim seemed to have planned to pass the petitions somehow…In the end, all the attempts were stopped by the royalty.”

“…How could that be…”

Vikram held his head. When his parents, the Royal Couple, were still alive, his enthronement was far in the future. While he had been formally educated in all the matters related to governing, he had no practical experience. Even so, it wasn’t a matter that could be brushed off with the excuse of “I didn’t know”. After all, Vikram was undeniably a descendant of the Hero Palcemith, a direct descendant even amongst royalty.

“…Additionally, although Suimo is mostly sold overseas, we managed to track down some leads. We investigated those customers and found something unexpected.”

“Unexpected…?”

Knowing Lutora’s past, Morino did not know how to reveal the truth and hesitated. Lutora grasped his hand and said, “It’s fine, please just tell me”. Morino pushed ahead, despite his hesitance.

“… All of the customers were families having someone with an illness without treatment. What is more commonly known as an [incurable disease].”

“An incurable…disease…”

“While Suimo does have narcotic effects like ecstasy, it also has pain-relieving, calming effects. Its effects cannot be compared to what is officially permitted in the country…And most incurable diseases happen to give intense pain in the final stages. And that pain…”

Morino let out a sigh.

“And that pain…is on par with the pain the Dragon Priestess suffers, or worse.”

Hearing Morino’s explanation, Lutora remembered.

When he lived in the same house as Fiona, her uncle suffered from an incurable disease.

He had a gentle personality despite fighting an illness. Whenever he suffered from fits due to his illness, the pain he suffered was unbearable to see. His family suffered as if they were the ones in pain. They wished to at least take away his agony.

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yes…It’s exactly what you’re thinking. The recipients of Suimo were all people who needed it. Whether to treat this fact as good or evil…my mind is in a mess.”

“…But isn’t it a fact that Malacia was selling Suimo illegally outside the country? Can’t we charge him with the crime?”

Nasha sent an entreating gaze at Morino, wanting to rescue Melia no matter what. But Morino could do nothing but shake his head quietly.

“It is unmistakably a crime. However, all the funds he got from selling Suimo were used for the operation of the Shrine. Should we prosecute him for his crime, we will then have to reveal the crimes of the royal family…If things don’t go well, the Crown Prince can be disinherited.”

“No…That can’t be true…!”

“Do you think I would lie in a situation like this?”

Back then, Head Priest Malacia had whispered in Morino’s ear.

“Investigate the royal family’s ledgers.”

Morino had thoroughly investigated his opponent, Prime Minister Anderheim’s accounting ledgers and company records. However, when it came to the royal family’s ledgers, he had overlooked them and the Crown Prince’s relatives. He thought there wouldn’t be a problem and left them untouched. It was frustrating, but Morino was thankful for

the fact that Malacia had whispered the warning only for him to hear, and not the other attentive nobles in the room.

“…Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do in this situation. With such sparse information

we can take no action.”

This was a development that even Morino, hailed as a prodigy, had not predicted.

In the silent office.

Lutora, slapping his face with both hands and standing abruptly from the sofa, came to a decision.

“If we don’t have enough information, we just need to go and get it. I’m going to the Shrine.”

“…Lutora!?”

“Didn’t Malacia say as he left? If we have any concerns, we should send someone to the Shrine. So I’ll go and squeeze information out of them. I’ll also be able to check on Melia’s situation. It’s hitting two birds with one stone.”

“Don’t do it Lutora, it’s dangerous!”

Unlike Jolga or Sigurd, who wielded a large sword to cleave their enemies, Lutora was more proficient in using daggers in a backhand grip and wore a military uniform that was tailored shorter to make better use of his nimble body. Nasha, who exclaimed reflexively, clung to his back. Lutora was briefly

surprised before he patted the teary-eyed Nasha on the head.

“It’ll be fine. Malacia had proclaimed so in front of countless retainers and nobles. If anything happens to me, the blame will immediately fall upon the Shrine so they will not do anything untoward. I’ll keep my guard up and send detailed reports.”

“Lutora…”

He was hurt, having lost his lover once. The girl who made love sprout in his heart anew, entered a relationship with his respected lord Vikram.

He could never express his feelings.

He would live his life hiding those feelings.

“I understand…Lutora, can we rely on you?”

“Leave it to me, Prime Minister. It’s in decent hands.”

“…Shouldn’t that be ‘in good hands’?”

“Isn’t that better than ‘in careless hands’?”

Lutora cheerfully winked.

The entourage finally broke into smiles.

That day.

Would be the last day that the entourage would ever gather around the Crown Prince.

Was something none of them could ever imagine.

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Translator: Aby

Editor: Hasr11

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The Second Accomplice

“This is a medicine I got through a certain contact of mine. While I do not know of its official name, it is called Suimo¹. In exchange for strong pain-relief and euphoric hallucinations, it is a highly addictive drug, almost a narcotic.”

To think that he even managed to get his hands on the real thing.

I secretly praised Morino in my heart.

That’s right. Suimo was one of the secrets of Head Priest Malacia.

Within [The Dragon and the Sacrificial Priestess] that Nasha was the heroine of; it was the greatest secret of the hidden capture target, Head Priest Malacia: the cultivation of the flower [Dragon Sleep], the main ingredient of that narcotic drug.

Malacia’s scenario was a branch route unlocked after capturing the Knight Commander’s son, Lutora. It was the direct opposite of the Crown Prince’s classic capture route. It shone a spotlight on the hidden darkness of the Kingdom and unveiled a degenerate, depraved story. Malacia himself was born of a prostitute in the slums. An abandoned son of unknown lineage who did anything he could to survive. Anything he could make use of, he did, deposing of others before he was killed. After living through such a childhood, Malacia awoke his healing ability and was picked up by the Shrine. There, he greedily absorbed knowledge, climbing to the position of Head Priest.

Having achieved authority, Malacia took over the management of Dragon Sleep, cultivated in secret by generations of Head Priests. With the help of Prime Minister Anderheim, he distributed the drug refined from Dragon Sleep to other countries, padding his coffers.

If the heroine entered the Head Priest’s route, in the bad end, the heroine would become addicted to the drug at Malacia’s hand. Even in the good ending, Malacia would spread the drug within Palcemith’s Capital, bringing about great chaos. The story ends with him fleeing the country, accompanied by(or followed by) the heroine. It was an ending that couldn’t be called satisfying.

And that Suimo was the very reason for the short lives of generations of Dragon Priestesses.

To those ladies of nobility or royalty, their lives as decorations in the Shrine were simply unexciting and boring. Even if it increased their standing in society, they could not leave freely, nor could they meet anyone without prior notice. As it was considered a holy job, even their food consisted of mainly vegetarian dishes. To those young ladies, raised being able to do anything they wanted, they couldn’t endure for long.

That is when the Head Priest would whisper in their ear. That there was a drug that could bring them pleasure.

Attracted by those words, the young Dragon Priestesses would become addicted to the ecstasy brought about by the drug, quickly becoming heavy addicts. After that, it was a matter of waiting for a suitable moment to withhold the drug, until the Dragon Priestesses sent for money from their family home.

And thus, the Dragon Priestesses’ bodies were deeply ruined by the drug, even if they quit being Dragon Priestesses, they would die one by one.

That was the truth behind the early deaths of the Dragon Priestesses.

By the way, Julieta’s engagement with the Crown Prince had been confirmed by the time she assumed the position of Dragon Priestess. In consideration of the Crown Prince’s future offspring, Prime Minister Anderheim forbade offering Suimo to Julieta. In any case, Julieta was only seven at that time, should she have taken Suimo, she would have immediately died.

Dragon Sleep was originally classified as a type of waterweed. Only the flowers that managed to bloom; watered using nothing other than the water of the underground lake the Ancient Dragon Kharis was submerged in; never having seen sunlight, could be used as the main ingredient for Suimo. While the effects were amazing, it was a rare drug with scarce production numbers.

As it was such a precious commodity, it had never been used on anyone apart from the Dragon Priestesses. However, a few years after Julieta became Dragon Priestess, Malacia became Head Priest and joined hands with Prime Minister Anderheim. As the drug was not being taken by the Dragon Priestess Julieta, there was an excess of Suimo, which was then smuggled out the country and sold at high prices.

Morino managed to trace their steps and somehow managed to confiscate the actual drug.

“This is something you created…Am I wrong, Head Priest?”

In answer to Morino’s question, without a falter in his smile, Head Priest Malacia carelessly replied, “Yes, that is correct”.

“So you admit it, Head Priest! The creator of this drug is you!”

Turning his head towards Lutora, who roared in place of the stunned Morino, Malacia nodded in affirmative.

“It’s true, I am the maker of Suimo. I had heard that our delivery to the neighboring Cemtoah had been forcibly seized. So it was done by you.”

“How impudent…!”

“Head Priest. How we managed to get this drug in our hands is of no relevance. If it is you who created this drug, then that is a serious crime.”

“…Oho?”

With a finger on his chin and a tilt to his head, Malacia showed no sign of unease, composed even at Morino’s dogged probing.

“Don’t act innocent! Because of the drug you created, just how many people…!”

“Head Priest Malacia. In the name of Prime Minister Morino, I take you into custody.”

“Hm…I refuse. You have no reason to do so.”

“What!?”

Holding back the agitated Lutora with one hand, Morino observed Malacia cautiously.

What he saw was Malacia’s calm smile.

Morino was truly a genius.

However, he has only ever lived in a beautiful world. He might have been of commoner birth, but both his parents were wealthy merchants. He could have never experienced eating moldy bread.

That is why, even if he was able to see through to the hidden vicious darkness behind his opponent’s smile, he was likely to misjudge the depth of it.

“…Please explain your objection, Head Priest Malacia.”

“You still want to talk…? I’m already of a mind to return to the Shrine.”

Shrugging his shoulders helplessly, Malacia sent a token glance my way and gave a bow as if requesting permission. After being assured with my nod in return, Malacia took out an old booklet from within his priest robes and extended it towards Morino.

“Your Excellency, do you know what this is?”

“……The Dragon God Record [Atrizia]…It’s a contract with the Ancient Dragon Kharis that is entrusted to the Shrine.”

“Exactly. It’s a contract signed when the kingdom was built, between Sage Asbal and the dragon he sealed, His Excellency Kharis. This contract itself is protected by His Excellency Kharis’ magic, making its destruction foolish, and the alteration of its contents impossible.

“I’m aware of that. What is your point?”

“The Head Priest has the approval to take any action to protect the Ancient Dragon Kharis. Regardless of the method, the Shrine will put in a continued effort to support the Sacrificial Priestess and the Dragon Priestess.”

“……That’s a statement about the Head Priest.”

“Yes, I have been abiding by this doctrine. If I say this, surely you would understand, just for whose sake I have created Suimo.”

“…!”

“Correct. Suimo was originally meant to relieve the Dragon Priestess of suffering from pain. It’s indeed a powerful drug. However, it is also true that without it, past Dragon Priestesses would have been driven mad. …..The only Dragon Priestess to be able to withstand the pain without usage of this drug, is also the youngest Dragon Priestess in history, Lady Julieta. She has such indomitable will..:

“……In that case, how would you explain the fact that Suimo is being smuggled out of our borders to be sold!”

Believing he is right, Morino continued to press for answers, unknowingly tightening the noose around the Crown Prince’s neck.

“This process only started after you became Head Priest. I know that Suimo is not a drug that can be mass-produced. That Lady Julieta not using the drug creates excess can also be predicted. However, to bring it out of the country, and selling it widely on top of that, is a crime you committed.”

“…Because of you, because of that drug…Fiona, she…!”

Five years ago, Lutora studied abroad for a year in the southern country of Sahana. There, he fell in love for the first time with a young maiden three years older, Fiona. However, she passed away. Leaving behind a light purple-colored drug, with a flower with round petals submerged at the bottom.

It was a sad past that’s revealed when the heroine enters Lutora’s route.

Lutora clearly remembered the traits of the Suimo he found at her bedside and traced it down, finally tracing it to Head Priest Malacia…Or so the scenario goes.

“Hah…Your Excellency, could you lend me your ear for a moment?”

“…You won’t be able to lay a spell on me.”

“What are you misunderstanding? Should I explain in a loud voice, the one who will suffer a heavy blow would be him over there. Be at ease. I cannot use any magic that could manipulate your mind.”

Beckoning with a hand, Malacia bent next to Morino, who approached him, and whispered something into his ear.

Morino’s complexion changed, and his round, feminine eyes widened even further.

“…Should I have explained it so that everyone can hear?”

“…No. That is unnecessary…I am grateful for your consideration, Head Priest.”

“Morino!?”

Right now, Morino probably did not have the composure to reply to Lutora’s surprised yell.

“Well then, I shall take my leave now. I will not run nor hide. If you have any concerns, do send someone you trust to the Shrine. As long as it does not disturb my work, I will hear you out.”

“…Then I shall return too. Julieta needs to undergo treatment all over again…Come, Julieta.”

“Yes, Father.”

I gave a sidelong glance at the flabbergasted Crown Prince and his friends.

Carrying Julieta in my arms, accompanied by Malacia whose smile never wavered, I left behind the dazzling banquet hall.

Come, the symphony of destruction has begun.

However, this is only the overture, nothing more than just the beginning.

I will allow you to experience that fact firsthand.

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A/N: The majority of comments: I forgot that this is BL!

Translator: Hasr11

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The Dragon Priestess

At the venue, a shriek resounded once again; followed by an angry bellow. But well, seeing such a young lady dressed to the nines with a beautiful dress and hair collapse in vomit foaming at the mouth was a sight to behold.

Nasha rushed to her sister’s aid. The Crown prince and his entourage all took their weapons in hand, ready to attack us.

“You bastard! What did you do to Melia!?”

I turned to face Malacia, still maintaining a look of composure on my face. The sword Sigurd swung down, was parried by the shield of the Temple Knight I had summoned.

“Hahahahahaha!!”

A lough laugh rang out as if to ridicule the tense situation.

The expressions of all present stiffened…and there attentively looked at me, the former Prime Minister Anderheim.

“At last! At last, you have been freed, Julieta! You and I, both have been freed from that hateful duty!”

“Father…!”

The former Prime Minister hugging his daughter while overwhelmed by emotions, without a shred of concern for the new Dragon Priestess who lay unconscious. I must seem insane.

In the meanwhile, the court doctor and healers rushed to Melia’s side.

Propped up by Nasha, Melia recovered her consciousness under the magic cast by the healers. However, it seemed as though she was tormented by intense nausea and tremendous pain. Her soiled face was pallid.

“Head Priest Malacia, what is the meaning of this…!?”

Despite the Crown Prince’s relentless pursuit and the tip of the rapier pointing at him, Malacia was undaunted. On the contrary, his lips curled upwards. Like that time when he spoke to the believers, he narrated to the Crown Prince with frightening calm.

“It is nothing of concern. It is only because Miss Melia became the Dragon Priestess.”

“Then why is Melia in such pain!? You must have poisoned her!”

“…Your Highness. With all due respect, that is impossible. As the Crown Prince aren’t you mistaken in thinking that the Dragon Priestess; who is guaranteed a high standing; has a role that is only in name?”

“What…?”

As expected he thought it was a role only in name.

The Crown Prince’s face was dyed with astonishment.

“The Dragon Priestess, just as the oath says, has the duty of supporting His Grace Kharis till the day the Sacrificial Priestess offers her flesh and blood to His Grace. It isn’t done by simply serving at the shrine. Acting as the bridge until the Sacrificial Priestess offers herself, the Dragon Priestess must pledge most of her Mana to His Grace Kharis. Miss Melia’s ill-health is due to an extreme deficiency of Mana.”

“…I never heard of this!”

Hearing Nasha, who supported Melia shout, Malacia let out a sigh and lightly shook his head.

“Of course you haven’t. The fate of those who become Dragon Maidens has been passed down by word-of-mouth; a hidden sin. Just because you were selected to become the Sacrificial Priestess does not mean that you can uncover the secrets of the Dragon Priestess.”

“Isn’t that strange!? Then why was your daughter unaffected?”

Lutora’s finger pointed straight at me.

In addition to his rude behavior, he seemed to have forgotten to be careful with his choice of words. But he had raised a valid doubt.

I had been waiting for that sentence. With impeccable timing, I lifted the veil covering Julieta’s face with both hands.

“Huh…ah…?”

Facing Julieta head-on, Lutora was dumbfounded.

Incomprehensible gibberish escaped his lips.

“My…!”

“No way she is…”

“Lady Julieta…!?”

“Impossible…”

“Ah, how beautiful…”

“It is as she is the darling of the spirits of moonlight.”

“As expected, she is the descendant of Sage Asbal after all…”

Words of praise and sighs of amazement spread like ripples.

Honorable nobles, thank you for making the correct assessment.

From under the veil appeared a beautiful Julieta in natural makeup. Her fine silver hair was pulled in an updo with a string that had pearls strung together. Eyes that sparkled like jade occasionally peeked through her trembling eyelashes. The slightest blush resided on her snow-white cheeks and her tiny lips were tinted a pale crimson. The slender arms gripping her father’s shoulders were smooth like porcelain. Her closet tightened around a waist thin enough for one’s hands to wrap around.

She would not pale in comparison to Miss Nasha, who stood beside the Crown Prince. Rather it was apt that she get a better assessment, being such fragile beauty.

When one sees a thing of beauty before their eyes, they forget all reason and position. It was exactly that situation now. Pressing Lutora; who seemed to have lost his reasoning; for answers, I continued to speak.

“Lutora Milca Oswein. Do I need to answer your question? No doubt, my Julieta also went through the same pain. She could more or less endure it having served a long time as the Dragon Priestess. Despite her ill-health, she did not faint like Miss Melia. However, she was tormented by her duty as the Dragon Priestess to an extent that she always had to hide the true color of her face under thick makeup.”

“…!”

“Lady Julieta took over the reins of the Dragon Priestess when she was seven… When she first began her duties, she too fell to illness many times, just like Miss Melia now. At that time I was but a mere Priest. I felt vexed and miserable at being able to do nothing but pray.”

“Hm, I see…”

Well, it was no doubt a lie.

The trick was simple. I requested the Ancient Dragon Kharis to bestow a negative status effect on the ring that was the symbol of the Dragon Priestess. In the game, when the heroine chose the Crown Prince route, there was a situation where she had to attend a feast no matter what. At that time she did not know if she would be poisoned by someone. Thus, Kharis bestowed a detoxification effect on the hair ornament the Crown Prince gifted her. I took a hint from that scene.

If he could bestow a detoxification effect on a hair ornament, surely he could also do the reverse.

Listening to the counterattack I had thought up of, Kharis was amused and promised his cooperation. He easily materialized it.

The effects bestowed on the ring were: Nausea, Pain, Anaemia, Fever, Confusion, Suspicion, Hunger, and Ferocity. The negative status effects were to the level that one would be suspected of demonic possession if they happened to contract it.

After we adjusted the ring such that it would only activate when “Someone other than Julieta wore it”, we entered the banquet.

To add in a false fate to the [Dragon Priestess] who was only in name.

“Ough…!”

The effects of the magic cast on her had weakened, and Melia once again covered her mouth with her palm. The healers panicked and once again cast healing magic. Although she somehow was at ease again, the fact that it was only a drop in the bucket was evident to all.

“N-No…! Don’t. Want. Dragon. Maiden…!”

Holding the teary-eyed Melia, Nasha gave me a pointed stare.

“Melia quits being the Dragon Priestess. Now hurry up and remove the ring!”

“…You jest.”

Malacia once again sighed, as if he wished to say something.

“The Dragon Priestess is different from the Sacrificial Priestess. It is a seat that cannot be left vacant. As Lady Julieta has served as the Dragon Priestess once, she cannot take up the seat again. If Miss Melia says she wishes to resign as the Dragon Priestess, please find a person as your replacement and get their approval to be the Dragon Priestess.”

“N-No way…”

“S-Somebody! Anybody! Will you help Melia!?”

As a stand-in for Melia who had lost her voice, Nasha raised her voice and asked the people around. But no noble would present their daughter after seeing Melia in such a state of frenzy. The young noblewomen attending the banquet slowly stepped away from Nasha’s side. Their parents too came closer and attempted to shield their daughters, hiding them from Nasha’s gaze.

“…If no one wishes to take over, Miss Melia shall continue to serve as the Dragon Priestess. You, please take Lady Melia to the shrine. She will have official duties starting tomorrow. Please request the ladies-in-waiting to purify her.”

“Hah.”

“…Stop!”

On acknowledging Malacia’s instructions, the Temple Knights took the powerless Melia from Nasha’s arms and carried her. Placing her on a stretcher, they quickly took her out of the venue.

“Don’t take her away! Your Highness Vikram! Morino! Stop them!”

“…”

“We can’t, Nasha…!”

The Crown Prince bit his lip in despair, while Prime Minister Morino clenched his hand so hard that his nails dig into his palm.

“Wh-Why…!?”

“The Dragon Priestess belongs to the Shrine. The Head Priest has more powers over her than the Royal Palace. As Melia is the Dragon Priestess, she has to stay in the Shrine.”

“I, I never heard of this!!”

“…You’re saying that again?”

Malacia’s tone seemed to say he had had enough of that line.

“The duty of the Dragon Maiden is beyond imagination. That is why, till now they had never been revealed to the public and only the one who would become the next Dragon Priestess would be told of it. If it wasn’t so, just like Lady Melia Just now, there would be no contenders for this position. Well, now it can be kept a secret anymore.”

“No way…You tricked Melia!? To get a substitute for Lady Julieta…!?”

“…How scandalous! To begin with, Lady Julieta became the Sacrificial Priestess as your substitute. She couldn’t possibly continue to also bear the painful burden of the Dragon Priestess.”

“I-I…”

As Nasha shook her head, a tiny shadow stepped in between her and Malacia, cutting off her words.

Spreading his arms as if to shield Nasha, Morino quietly looked up at the Head Priest.

“…I still have another thing to ask, Head Priest.”

Morino’s voice was strained as he made it obvious that he was making his next move.

As Malacia gladly gestured him to continue, Morino took out a tiny glass vial.

The glass vial was the size of a finger and was filled with a light purple liquid.

Submerged at its bottom was a flower with round petals, blooming.

---

Hasr: Today on the Japanese side of the internet, I saw someone giving the English names of game terms. They TLed petrified as stoned…Oh, Japan…

Also we got another TL for this series~

Welcome Aby! She’ll be doing Ch 8 and 9~

Become an editor for the Novel

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Translator: Hasr11

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The Truth Comes Out

“Eeeeeeek!!”

“Head Priest, what are you…!”

“The blood is- Lady Julieta…!”

A crime scene suddenly unfolded at the banquet where all nobles gathered.

Not minding the shrieks that enveloped his surroundings, Malacia once done with his measure, took out a hemostatic cloth and pressed it on the wound. Patting Julieta on the head while she bit her lip, he softly said: “You did well.”

“Wh-What…”

“Why…”

Unlike the Crown Prince and Nasha who were having trouble keeping up with the chain of events; Morino had already figured out my intentions.

That’s right, this step had precedents. Even in the past, there had been Sacrificial Priestesses examined to have a strong Mana but a weak constitution. When they were shut in a room in the royal castle, their poor physical shape led to the deterioration of their health. What I consider now is that it may have been some type of allergy. To recuperate somewhere with a better climate, the Priestesses would slash the skin between their heel and calf…severing the so-called Achilles’ tendon. This would let them leave the castle.

If the Achilles’ tendon was cut; while one could still walk, they would not be able to walk or run anymore. In other words, they couldn’t escape. Even if they used a horse or a carriage, in the event of trying to hide from their pursues, it wouldn’t go that smoothly.

For a woman, there were ways to be effective with only one health leg. Sex slaves in the past too were meted the same treatment.

“…I will permit you to receive treatment outside the royal castle. It will be packed with bodyguards instead of royal knights. I hope you will not mind.”

“Ah, that goes unsaid. I also request the same.”

“Huh, what does this mean…? I heard that as the Sacrificial Priestess, Nasha was shut in the castle?”

At Melia’s naive question, Lutora panicked and placed a finger on his lips, indicating for her to remain silent. But unfortunately, she did not stop.

“Isn’t this favoritism? If that person becomes the Sacrificial Priestess, she too should be placed in house arrest just like Nasha!”

With a strong sense of justice, she mustn’t be able to forgive Julieta, who harassed her sister. She spoke as if she were the only right one, however, she was sharply admonished by the new Prime Minister, Morino.

“That won’t do, Melia. There is no need to restrict Lady Julieta. All the more because she requested to recuperate.”

“What is with that…I don’t understand.”

“Melia, I beg of you, please remain quiet…!”

Although she shut her mouth when Lutora begged her, Melia seemed discontent, looking at her puffed cheeks. It was a childish action, a result of being under the impression that she was an ‘Outsider’. Well, it was to be seen how long she could keep up that expression.

“I repeat, I invoke the rights of the family of Sacrificial Priestess Julieta. Also, I transfer the duties of Julieta; who served as a Dragon Priestess for ten years; to the younger sister of the Crown Princess Nasha, Melia.”

“Huh, me…?”

“Rights of the family…?”

Seeing Melia in shock and Nasha repeat the words in wonder, Morino’s face changed colors.

Hahaha, this was bad. Making the Prime Minister, of all men, show such a shaken expression. Having said that, even I died at the age of twenty in my past life. Well, but in this life, although I may look young, I was already forty-two. Thanks to long years of serving as a scheming Prime Minister, I prided myself in not making my feelings evident on my face.

“My, did Miss Nasha not know of this?”

I shrugged my shoulders, pretending as if I were truly surprised. As I was about to open my mouth to explain the rights of the family to her, Morino replied to me as if he were shouting.

“Of course I recognize the rights of the family! As for handing over the Dragon Priestess’ role, if Miss Melia agrees, I shall approve of it in the name of the Prime Minister!”

…You dug a pit for yourself in a hurry, Prime Minister Morino.

The rights of the family were a secret of the Sacrificial Priestesses, kept hidden from Nasha. The secret was explained clearly when the heroine entered the Morino Route. Simply put, it was a matter of money. The heroine, Nasha, was kidnapped from Cofone village. Her younger sister Melia too thought that she was forcefully taken away by Temple Knights under the orders of the Head Priest on being chosen as the Holy Maiden. But that was a misjudgment. She was sold. By her parents.

It wasn’t just a single girl who possessed holy powers. Frankly speaking, one in every ten women in Palcemith who were around nineteen years of age possessed holy powers. This was because the citizens were raised receiving blessings of the spirits gathered around the Ancient Dragon Kharis. In reality, even Julieta; who had been ordered by the Crown Prince to become the Sacrificial Priestess, possessed those qualifications.

When the time to select the Sacrificial Priestess approached, the Shrine and the Royal Castle would begin gathering information about women who met the requirements. Amongst them, they would search for Sacrificial Maidens in families with financial burdens. In Nasha’s case, her parent’s needed money to treat her younger brother who had a weak constitution with surgery using magic. To pay for it, her parents decided to forsake Nasha.

It was foolish of her parents to not explain that she was to become the Sacrificial Maiden. Instead, they requested the Temple Knights to pretend as if they wanted to abduct her. They kept up the pretense of gentle and loving parents until the very end and threw their daughter under the bus without worry about their survival. Quite the sickening treatment.

In the Crown Prince’s entourage, the only one to know this truth was Morino; who carefully read the information he obtained about the Sacrificial Priestess upon looking up the people around the Head Priest, only to find a huge sum transferred out of the Royal treasury.

He did not wish for Nasha to know of this and interrupted my words. So that she wouldn’t be hurt. It was his first love, yet he would not admit his feelings for all of eternity. All for her sake.

All while not realizing that it was a decoy.

“Hey, Lutora. What does the Dragon Maiden do? Do I have to live in the Shrine?”

Melia tugged at Lutora’s clothes, speaking in a low voice to not anger him this time. But nothing escaped the ears of me nearby. No doubt Julieta could hear it too, but sensing my intentions, my daughter let it slide.

“The Dragon Priestess administers the festival. She manages the ritual and listens to the peoples’ worries. But in reality, she is simply a figurehead. That noble lady has served for nearly ten years. Her official duties were next to none.”

…Couldn’t Lutora sugarcoat it a bit more? Lutora was more or less talented at spying and was a knight conferred with decorations. The conversation could be heard by all around, to be more precise, Jolga could hear it. Wasn’t he too relaxed?

Although Jolga did not raise his voice, veins were visible on his broad forehead. I pitied him a little.

“But it raises your standing.”

“That is…!”

“Ah, it isn’t a bad thing to match statuses with Sigurd being a noble.”

“…!”

Melia’s eyes wavered with indecision. Sigurd, the descendant of Sage Asbal, and the commoner from a remote region, Melia. While she could be kept as a mistress, there was no way her status would let her be his wife. Nasha was lucky. The moment she became the Sacrificial Maiden, her status; at least on paper; was the same as the King. But she was nothing. She couldn’t possibly marry her beloved Sigurd. With such worries, I knew of Melia’s answer from the beginning.

“If that is so…I shall assume the role of the Dragon Priestess.”

“Melia…!”

“It is alright, Nasha. I might lose my freedom for some time. But isn’t as if I’ll remain unmarried forever, is it?”

In reality, Julieta was the Crown Prince’s fiancee as the Dragon Priestess, Melia muttered. Prime Minister Morino nodded in agreement.

“The current generation’s Dragon Priestess has the duty of offering the Sacrificial Priestess to His Grace Kharis. It was only a single task, but the noble peerage offered would not be lost even after the Dragon Priestess’ role was done.”

“Then, it is only half a year more. That long is fine”

“I accept it. In the name of Prime Minister Morino, I acknowledge Miss Melia’s consent…Head Priest.”

“As you will.”

Malacia politely waited upon Julieta who held my knees. After giving her treatment, he took her left hand and removed her evening gloves¹. He then took off the silver ring on her middle finger. Inlaid with a gem that sparkled with the colors of the rainbow, it was a symbol of the Dragon Priestess. Said to have been made with the same mechanism as the doors leading to the underground lake the Ancient Dragon Kharis was sealed in; the ring could only be taken away by the current Head Priest.

“On behalf of the citizens, I thank you for your long service from the bottom of my heart. Please rest to your heart’s content till the day you fulfill your duties as the Sacrificial Priestess.”

“…Thank you.”

Julita spoke, a little coy. Her father was no longer the Prime Minister, a future as the Sacrificial Priestess awaited her, and even her remaining position was stolen. Yet Julieta’s voice oozed of joy. Quite a few Nobles must have felt a sense of dissonance. …Julieta truly was an excellent child.

“Melia Laturi. Come here.”

On urging, Melia took a step ahead, her canary dress swaying.

Malacia’s hands gently approached her.

“From this moment onwards, you are the glorious Dragon Priestess of the Shrine. You shall dedicate your body to the service of His Grace Kharis and listen to the people’s worries, till the day your duty ends.”

“…I understand.”

Those words invoked an oath.

One could not break a vow uttered in the name of the Ancient Dragon Kharis.

Malacia placed the ring on the middle finger of Melia’s exposed hand.

At that moment.

“AAAAARGH!!”

Melia opened her eyes wide.

After raising a strange cry, she retched. Rolling on the floor soiled with vomit, Melia fainted.

---

A/N: The ML has already made his appearance!

Hasr11: Big oof~ My uni is starting in July…RIP my semester

Editors, where art thou?

Quick, go to Recruitment!

Translator: Hasr11

Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu! Support the Translator!

Thanks for the coffee!

The Capture Targets

In the Royal Family’s office situated at the center of the castle, sunlight poured in through the windows facing the courtyard.

With his back to the window; seated on a comfortable chair and elbows on the mahogany table; sat the Crown Prince Vikram with a pensive look on his face. Beside him was a lovable girl, her long black hair flowing down her back.

Her name was Nasha Laturi. Born and brought up in a village in the outskirts of the Kingdom of Palcemith, Cofone; she was the current holy maiden. Timid parents, two older sisters, a younger twin sister, and a sickly brother made up her family of seven. They were by no means affluent, in fact, they were poor enough to be hard-pressed for dinner on some days. Yet Nasha did not loathe her life in Cofone village and modestly lived her daily life.

One day, knights claiming to be messengers of the royal family appeared in her house and took her away to the capital in what seemed to be almost a kidnapping. She was shocked when the smirking Head Priest Malacia told her that she had been chosen to be the Sacrificial Priestess to be offered to the Dragon.

Even the luxurious room she was given, the luxurious food she was presented, and the position of being waited upon by even the royal family failed to comfort her. Even if she wished for a mere glimpse of her worried family, she could never do so.

Yet she did not give up.

She spoke to the Crown Prince and the Imperial Knights who came periodically to meet her in house arrest. She succeeded in building a relationship of mutual trust with them, and they would take Nasha outside at times.

In her world that had grown just the tiny bit wider, she desperately searched for a way to free herself from her predicament.

She knew lamenting would change nothing. She looked straight ahead, fighting against overwhelming powers and her sorry fate. Her figure touched the hearts of the crown prince and his aides.

Before long, Nasha fell in love with the crown prince; overcame the obstacles brought by the crown prince’s fiancee; the Dragon Priestess Julieta, and at last overturned her fate.

“But still, it’s unexpected…”

The one who broke the silence was a blonde-haired boy with a beautiful face that could be easily mistaken for a girl’s, sitting on the two-person sofa opposite the crown prince’s desk. Wearing an informal robe with a dragon-shaped brooch on his chest; his name was Morino Swettso. Despite having commoner origins, he was a child prodigy who had passed his bachelor’s examination, which was under the direct purview of the royal palace at only six years of age. He was currently the brains behind Crown Prince Vikram.

“Indeed. Even though the plan was to have her running around me.”

Sitting on the sofa beside Morino, was a youth seemingly lost looking up at the frescoes on the ceiling. His name was Lutora Milca Oswein. The most adept at scouting amongst the Royal Knights, he was a young man with short-cropped gray hair and a wise air around him.

“I never thought the Prime Minister would not respond to such provocation…we have to rethink our plans.”

“I was certain that he would be seething in rage and raising hell and then go to make necessary arrangements with the powerful nobles after that, but…”

“I intended to dig up the nobles with deep connections to the Prime Minister, but the results were contrary to our expectations.”

“Sigurd, do you have any idea? Why did the Prime Minister act in such a manner?”

On being called out and asked a question, the masculine-looking young man who was standing behind the Crown Prince, gazing at the courtyard beyond the window, quickly shifted his gaze onto Lutora.

“You think I understand that man’s thoughts?”

“Well…that is true, but-”

“Stop, Lutora. Sigurd must hate it.”

“Hehe, Morino sure is tough…”

Due to the pestering of his close friend, the Crown Prince, he, Sigurd Isys Asbal, became the Crown Prince’s Imperial Knight from the candidate to be the next Knight Commander. Sigurd was the eldest son of Prime Minister Anderheim and the Dragon Priestess Julieta’s older brother. At the back of his head, he carelessly bundled up his beautiful black hair that he had inherited from his mother, Yurikano. His hazel eyes seemed to hold a powerful light, an impression far removed from the gloomy Anderheim. Sigurd, who was turning twenty this year, loathed the prospect of being the successor to his father’s tyrannical rule and left home. After showing his talent in sword at the age of ten, he entered knighthood. Just when he had begun to learn the way of the sword, he met the crown prince. The two built up an unshakeable trust in each other. Even when the Crown Prince made moves to ostracise his father and sister, he was unwavering and promptly decided to ally with the Crown Prince.

Snuggling up beside Sigurd was a girl with a face that greatly resembled Nasha’s. She was Melia Laturi. She was a girl with a strong sense of justice who came to the capital to rescue her missing twin. On her way to the capital, she was attacked by some rouges and taken to their hideout. Just as she was about to lose her chastity, she was rescued by Sigurd and the others. Surprised to see a face the was the same as Nasha’s, Sigurd took Melia to the royal castle and the sisters had a reunion.

And as the two supported the Crown Prince and Nasha’s love from the shadows, Melia’s love for the honest and taciturn man awoke. Sigurd too acknowledged her feelings to cut off his faintly smoldering feelings towards Nasha.

“According to Thomas, Julieta returned to the shrine today with that man. I do not know of their conversation within the shrine, but there is no doubt that he met the Head Priest.”

“There is holy magic cast inside the shrine after all…it can’t be helped.”

“At any rate, it is a matter of great celebration for Nasha to no longer be the Sacrificial Priestess.”

“Yeah. With this, there should be no problems at the engagement banquet five days from now. Once Nasha’s safety is secured, we can look for evidence to drag the Prime Minister down.”

“That is true, but…I don’t want to suffer a disappointment.”

Vikram who had a pensive look all this while, took the hand Nasha had placed on his shoulder in his palms. He then looked at the man opposite Sigurd, standing at the door to the office.

“Knight Commander…Is my worry unwarranted?”

Facing the Crown Prince who had called him by his title on purpose, the handsome man, wearing a fleek outfit, showed a slight smile at the corners of his lips. The man, Jolga Von Oswein, hid a tempered body beneath his military uniform. He was Lutora’s father and the present Commander of the Knights of Palcemith Kingdom. On his waist was the sword that generations of Knight Commanders had inherited, the [Commander of Dragons], Questasis. For the Crown Prince, he was the man to have hammered sword fighting into him, his instructor.

“A king should consider every unforeseen possibility. You Highness’ worries too have a role as a statesman. However, this Jolga and the Knights that protect you will protect you from all perils that you shall encounter. Please go ahead with no fear.”

“Jolga…”

Hearing the words of the knight who had rescued him from countless emergencies from childhood, Vikram smiled at last. Nasha too was all smiles and slowly approached Vikram to cuddle with him. Morino and Lutora, who sat on the sofa opposite them, revealed a momentary sadness on their faces, but soon returned to normal. The conversation began flowing in the office once again.

“Hng…As expected of Esteemed Father! The weight of your words hits differently!”

“Please emulate the example of the Knight Commander a little more!”

Seeing Lutora playfully hook up his lips in a smile, Morino hit his head with the corner of the thick book he was holding in his hands.

“Ow! You- I’m still a nobleman! My status is different from yours!”

“If that’s so, behave more respectably! Look at Sir Jolga and Sir Sigurd! People like them, who value manners, are the ones who ought to be given respect!”

“I am also my father’s son!?”

Listening to the banter between Lutora; who screamed at being suppressed; and Morino, Vikram smiled as usual. Nasha and Melia glanced at each other and burst out laughing. Meanwhile, Jolga and Sigurd hid their urge to hold their stomachs and laugh under the pretense of frequent coughs.

Jolga and Sigurd’s pretense had a peculiarity.

Despite being completely unrelated, their pretense seemed oddly similar.

It almost seemed as if they were father and son.

Related by blood.

---

Hasr11: The Corona situation is getting worse in my city. Hopefully, I can get enough chapters in stock before it hits me.

Good news though, the plot picks up in a few chapters! And it’s a pretty tight plot.

This one’s an early release coz the Kofi goal was reached~ I’ll release the regular update tommorow

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Translator: Hasr11

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Sage Asbal

In the dim underground passage.

We followed Malacia, who led us with a lantern in hand. With her hand still holding mine, Julieta’s footsteps sounded joyful.

“You seem to be in great spirits, Julieta.”

As I smiled at her while swinging our interlocked hands lightly, Julietta replied mirthfully.

“You see, this is the first time Father has walked together with me like this.”

“…That is true.”

I gave a bitter smile. Though I had recovered my memories from my past life, it wasn’t as if I had lost the memories of my time as Anderheim.

Prime Minister Anderheim couldn’t be called a good father. Not to mention his only daughter Julieta, he did not even bother to pay attention to his eldest son Sigurd.

“The pain and despair of being abandoned still lingers in my heart… but if Father walks with me like this, I do not mind becoming the Sacrificial Priestess.”

“You’re such a…”

Nevermind, it’s pitiful.

I drew my face close to Julieta and dropped a light kiss on her silver hair. Malacia, who walked ahead, was round-eyed; but Julieta smiled bashfully.

At long last, when we reached the end of the underground passage, an enormous gate of steel towered over us.

Ahead of them with half of his body soaking in the underground lake; sealed with a part of his soul stolen was the Ancient Dragon Kharis.

Palcemith’s history dates back a thousand years.

Ruled by the Ancient Dragon Kharis it was situated at the northernmost tip of the continent of Yugena; a land where no crops grew, prey for hunting were few and far between and even the ground was frozen and barren. At the end of a fierce struggle with an army with the hero Palcemith and the Sage Asbal at its centre, a part of the dragon’s soul known as the ‘Core’ was taken away; his four limbs nailed to the ground and he was sealed in an underground lake. Just before he was sealed, Kharis placed a death curse upon the hero Palcemith who faced him. Sage Asbal protected him and received the curse himself. But utilising a secret spell that made use of the surface of the underground lake, he wrote his life of twenty-two years, into one that lasted fifty-five.

Since then, the descendants of Sage Asbal all died exactly at fifty-five, unless they met an unforeseen accident or injury. No doubt, Anderheim and Julieta were the exceptions. Incidentally, Julieta’s grandfather died at the young age of forty-two by being swallowed up by falling rocks on a visit to his domain. Whether it was an assassination or not, the truth was unclear. Anderheim’s fate was also partly due to his father imposing a heavy tax upon the citizens of his domain. With the changing of hands each generation, the taxes had kept on increasing and the accumulated profits turned into gold. The gold was stored in a treasury, hidden deep under my residence. I intended to make use of it later on.

“Let me go on ahead to Kharis’ side alone for now. You two wait here.”

“That goes unsaid…It is frightening being near a starving Lord Kharis.”

“Fufu, but leave the gates open. I want to see what’s going to happen very clearly.”

“Father…take care.”

“Ah, Julieta. Thank you.”

It was the duty of the present Head Priest to open the gates that led to the underground lake where the Ancient Dragon Kharis was sealed.

Malacia’s hands gently pushed open the gates that were to originally open only when a sacrifice was offered.

“…!”

“Oh…”

A presence full of mana appeared out of thin air.

Even Malacia and Julietta held their breaths in fear, but I took the lantern from Malacia’s hands and stepped into the gates unbothered.

It was a sight I had seen countless times in the game in my past life.

The cobblestone path under my feet led straight into the jaws of the Ancient Dragon Kharis. It was the path the sacrifice took. The ceiling of the enormous cavern that encompassed the underground lake was lit up with countless magical lights. They were the fairies that were led here, attracted by the ancient dragon’s mana. In the midst of the light; body half under the water of the lake; lay slumbering the lustrous silver-scaled ancient dragon.

The sound my leather shoes made against the floor, although faint, seemed to catch the attention of the ancient dragon. He shifted his blood-red eyes to stare down at the ‘Human’ that appeared after a long time.

Walking up to the point just below the sacrifice altar, I paid my respects to the ancient dragon. I then abruptly loosened the collar of my blouse.

“Your Excellency…?”

“Father, what…”

Ignoring the doubts raised from afar, I unfastened my jabot¹ and laid my neck bare. The ancient dragon extended his next and opened his mouth filled with sharp fangs wide at me under the altar. Before Julieta could even scream, a bulky tongue slithered out from in between the fangs and gently traced my neck.

“Do you know the spell to understand my words, man with the scent of that annoying blood?”

A low voice resounded in my head.

I, who smiled at the result being just what I expected, once again paid respects to the Ancient Dragon Kharis by prostrating in front of him.

“It is quite so, Your Grace Kharis. My heart trembles from the unexpected joy from the honour of waiting upon you. I am Anderheim Yucht Asbal. A descendant of Sage Asbal.”

“A descendant of that man I see…it has been a long time. Well, that’s great. More than a thousand years have passed since I spoke to a human. It is good to chat about something to kill time.”

That sentence too was within my calculations.

In the second half of the game, the main story unfolded. There was a part in it where the heroine who fell to Head Priest Malacia’s schemes would meet the Ancient Dragon Kharis for the first time. Trapped behind the gates that led to the underground lake, the heroine would panic on seeing the enormous dragon in front of her. But because the Ancient Dragon Kharis approached her and licked her neck, the heroine; and the hero who arrived later on; were able to converse with him. Head Priest Malacia expected the heroine to be eaten by the ancient dragon and locked her in the underground lake. But in fact, due to the impact of mana circulation in his body, the ancient dragon could not consume the sacrifice till the day the ceremony was set to be held.

“A maiden possessing the sacred power I see…it is quite unusual to meet one before they become a sacrifice. Well, that’s great. More than a thousand years have passed since I spoke to a human. It is good to chat about something to kill time.”

Originally, this was supposed to be the line when the heroine first interacted with the ancient dragon.

Later on, there existed a few scenes of the capture targets overcoming the unfolding trials and tribulations with the help of the ancient dragon’s power.

Firstly, I will snatch away the friendship with this powerful ancient dragon away from the protagonists. Originally in the story, because Julieta becoming the Sacrificial Priestess was not accepted, the heroine Nasha was treated as the Sacrificial Priestess till the end with no change. However, now, Nasha no longer had the shackles of the Sacrificial Priestess binding her. Moreover, she even became the Crown Prince’s fiancée. The chances of her visiting the ancient dragon at this moment were next to none.

“I’ll take you up on the offer. I wish to introduce my daughter and the current Head Priest, would you permit me to do so?”

“Oh, those two trembling by the gates? Interesting. Quickly call for them.”

“As you will.”

I temporarily returned to the gates and hugged a teary Julieta who rushed to me, and beckoning Malacia who had an expression of disbelief on his face; I once again returned to the ancient dragon’s side.

The two had seen me seemingly exchange words with the dragon after having my neck licked and timidly exposed their necks to Kharis’ tongue.

“Your Grace Kharis, I am the Head Priest Malacia.”

“I am Anderheim’s daughter, Julieta O’Shayne Asbal.”

Although corrupt, they were still the National Church’s Head Priest and a young noble lady who had received Queen training since young.

The two; now able to freely communicate; elegantly offered their respects, prompting a low rumble of satisfaction from Kharis.

“Great. The one who paid respects to me have all been sacrifices awaiting their death. I was getting tired of their whining.”

“I am flattered to hear that.”

“Speak. I can sense from your scent that pleases me. You wish to do something preposterous to shake up this boring kingdom…am I right?”

“Certainly. I believe Your Grace Kharis will greatly enjoy it.”

“Oho.”

Ancient Dragon Kharis ruled over a frozen land. He wasn’t an evil dragon, but he wasn’t a friendly neighbour either.

The factor that influenced his actions wasn’t the inherent good or evil of things but whether it gave him joy or not.

In the game, the existence that piqued his interest simply happened to be the heroine.

If the existence he met were of my camp, getting cooperation from him will be easy.

“Then, I shall explain now. Starting with the circumstances regarding the kingdom…”

Sage Asbal’s descendant will destroy the kingdom the hero Palcemith built.

What an irony it was for the beginning of the end to be right under the Royal castle.

---

Hasr: The plot thickens…Check out my new shoujo series When She Becomes a Witch if you haven’t already!

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Translator: Hasr11

Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu! Support the Translator!

2. The Ancient Dragon Kharis

The following day.

Taking along Julieta, who wore a white veil, I paid a visit to the chalk-white shrine beside the royal castle. The shrine was the centre of the kingdom’s state religion, the Dragon God faith, and was the [Dragon Priestess] Julieta’s home.

Confined deep under the Palcemith Castle was an ancient dragon named Kharis. The kingdom used the powers of the countless spirits gathered here, drawn to the dragon’s vitality and mana. This made it possible to live a prosperous life.

The Ancient Dragon Kharis, who had been imprisoned since the founding of the nation had a nearly eternal lifespan when compared to a human. But that didn’t mean he was immortal. Once every ten years, he had to consume the flesh and blood of a close relative of the sacred priestess. Otherwise, he would use up all his strength, even if he were an ancient dragon. And that meant the same as the downfall of the kingdom.

To prevent this, the kingdom made the Dragon God faith the state religion; and in its long history had put in place an arrangement to select a sacrifice. The priestess chosen to be the offering would be called the [Sacrificial Priestess]. Her standing was equal to that of the king. The role Julieta was given, the [Dragon Priestess], oversaw the rites in the Dragon God faith and was tasked with guiding the people. But that role had been a mere formality for a long time. It was now given to daughters from noble families or the youngest princess of the royal family to elevate their status. However, the fact that the women chosen to be the [Dragon Priestess] died an early death was a fact known to all. Julieta’s predecessor too was long dead.

I believed there was a reason for this, and I knew I could reach a common ground for my purposes.

To join hands with the so-called “reason”, I paid a visit to the shrine before calling upon the ancient dragon Kharis.

“…I am sorry to have kept you waiting, Your Excellency Prime Minister.”

At the chapel, in the waiting room that had been specially prepared for the use of nobility, I had requested an audience with the master of the shrine and at the same time Julieta’s guardian– the Head Priest Malacia. Making no effort to hide his evident displeasure, Head Priest Malacia did not even bother to warn the ladies-in-waiting, glancing at the veiled Julieta at a distance and animatedly gossiping in whispers. No sooner than he entered the waiting room, he ostentatiously let out a long sigh.

“I did not wish to see you again if possible.”

Straightforwardly speaking, he was implying “I don’t want to board a sinking ship.”

Head Priest Malacia a slit-eyed man who lent a hand to Anderheim, did underhanded dealings in the name of the Dragon God faith and successfully lined his pockets. He was extraordinarily clever and could accurately see through all the circumstances surrounding the kingdom. That must be the reason why he did not wish to see me. His wisdom was quite useful. If it had been the former me, I would have perhaps raised the stick in my hands high to crack his head open, but of course, I wouldn’t do such a foolish act now.

“Seeing how you are acting, it seems you must have already heard of the fuss in the audience room.”

At my words, Malacia gave a brief nod.”

“Yes, I have heard of it. The Crown Prince unexpectedly broke his engagement with Lady Julieta and appointed the Sacrificial Priestess, Miss Nasha Laturi as his new fiancee. On top of that, he also nominated Lady Julieta as the Sacrificial Priestess…It is so preposterous, I cannot even laugh. As for the Prime Minister, he accepted it without a single objection? You’re being seen as quite the fiend.”

“Kuku, that goes unsaid. If this continues, destruction is what awaits you, Julieta and I.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? I intend to somehow escape this kingdom. Well…it is quite an arduous task though.”

The collusion between Anderheim and MAlacia had been watched closely since the beginning. In the unlikely event that we try to escape the kingdom, it was obvious that we would be prevented from doing so.

“So, I have a suggestion…Malacia, will you hear me out?”

“…Huh?”

In front of the doubtful Malacia.

I gently lifted Julieta’s veil to reveal her face.

“…!?”

In front of my eyes, Malacia stiffened and was left speechless.

I added fuel to the fire.

“Is this…Lady Julieta…?”

“…Yes.”

“Ah… that voice certainly is Lady Julieta. But that… also…”

The recipient of what could be called an intent stare from Malacia, Julieta shyly looked down, cheeks dyed.

She must have been surprised.

Until now, Julieta had always been caked in thick face powder with garish lipsticks and heavy makeup. But today, she had been given light makeup that accentuated her natural beauty.

I took the pains to visit a salon that dealt with cosmetics and carefully thought over which colour scheme suited Julieta the best. Using the makeup I chose, I thoroughly guided Juliet on the art of natural makeup.

…I never thought that my experience helping my sister with makeup while cosplaying would come to use in such a situation.

Just as the official setting said, from a ghastly pale face caked in makeup; Julieta transformed into a beautiful girl who stirred up one’s protective instinct. The transformation was similar to a butterfly emerging from a pupa. This was to be the first weapon in my plan.

“Malacia. I want to make a storm rage across Palcemith.”

“…A storm, you say?”

“That’s right. Whether it succeeds or fails all depends on my visit to the Ancient Dragon Kharis… but I think my chances are pretty good. Rather than struggling till ruin like this, why don’t we give a real scare to that righteous Crown Prince?”

“…Oho.”

Malacia, whose gaze at long last left Julieta hooked up his lips and once again took a seat at the sofa facing Julieta and me.

“So you’re saying you will ally with the Ancient Dragon Kharis… sounds like something interesting is about to happen for certain.”

“No doubt it is.”

“…If that’s so, shall we test the skills of Your Excellency?”

“Ah, as you wish. I request your guidance.”

“Understood.”

I was led by the smiling Head Priest Malacia.

I, holding hands with Julieta, set foot into the long underground passage under the shrine that led deep into the royal castle.

---

Who needs a fiancee why you’ve got papa Anderheim to do your makeup?

I just shifted hosting yesterday haha, finally got some time to do it. RIP my two years of pocket money…

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Translator: Hasr11

Read at Watashi wa Sugoi Desu! Support the Translator!

Thanks for the coffee Kriwufei!

The First Accomplice

Amidst the unprecedented change of the [Sacrificial Priestess] that occurred during the audience in the Kingdom of Palcemith.

I quickly left the still chaotic castle; taking Julieta with me, and returned to my residence in a corner of the capital.

Both while boarding as well as alighting the carriage, I took care of the unconscious Julieta. Seeing me walk holding Julieta tenderly in my arms gave a considerable shock to the people around. At any rate, no one had ever seen Anderheim show any concern for his daughter until now.

For the ambitious Anderheim, Julieta was simply a tool to maintain relations with the royal family, a pawn. The people around too knew of the fact and truth be told, [I] before recovering my memories regarded her the same.

But it was different now. Julieta was a pitiful daughter. I always thought that even when I played the game in my past life.

The time when Julieta took up the duties of the Dragon Priestess, who was in charge of managing the festival, was ten years ago when she was ten.

Taking advantage of the former Dragon Priestess dying young of illness, Anderheim forcibly placed Julieta on the seat of the Dragon Priestess to further elevate the position of his daughter, the Crown Prince’s fiancee.

She lost her mother at a young age and was separated from her father at seven. Although there were people to serve her, it was difficult to guess Julieta’s emotions, being forced to live in a plain white shrine. Still, she passed her days looking forward to the day when she would become her beloved Crown Prince’s wife. But she was robbed of it by the inexperienced Heroine. It was obvious that her reaction would be extreme.

Julieta, not having any chance of interactions with girls of her generation, coupled with the role she had been given, made her grow up to be an annoying girl with selfish and haughty conduct. Her speech towards the heroine was unpleasant and her assessment by the maids of the shrine too was harsh.

While that may be true, do not believe it is a sin so great that it negates the ten years of education she acquired or the hard work she put in for her Queen training.

Surely, I mustn’t be the only one who thinks that the heroine lacked principle, falling in love with the Crown Prince despite knowing he had a fiancée?

After we returned to the residence, I put Julieta down on the bed and sat on the bedside, carefully wiping her tear-stained face with a damp towel.

Her real face, hidden under thick makeup was surprisingly more innocent than I thought.

Julieta never revealed her real face in the game until the end. But I, obsessed with [The Dragon and the Sacrificial Priestess]; bought the thick [The Dragon and the Sacrificial Priestess] Character Reference Collection that was sold afterwards, taking advantage of the game’s popularity, and read it from cover to cover. That is why I even knew of the rejected drafts that had not been featured in the game. Among them was “Julieta didn’t have confidence in her looks. She hid her face that was cute in reality with such thick makeup that her original face couldn’t be seen.” it must have been part of the setting of the [Reconcillation/Friendship Ending] that was to be originally included in the game. And even Anderheim, despite being drawn in the game visuals as a villain with bags under his eyes and silver-rimmed glasses that gave a sly impression; his setting was “The owner of a strikingly beautiful face without his glasses.” Perhaps, Anderheim too was a candidate for being a [Secret Capture Target].

In the midst of diligently wiping Julieta’s face, with a small groan, she regained consciousness.

“…Julieta, did I wake you up?”

I intentionally spoke with a soft voice.

Blink, blink. Her jade eyes repeatedly fluttered.

After she had properly captured my figure at the bedside, large teardrops gathered at the corner of her eyes.

“Fa…ther?”

“That’s right…my dear Julieta.”

Hearing my words, Julieta abruptly got up in surprise. I gently pushed her shoulders and once again spoke softly to tell her to rest. Julieta was dazed for a while, but before long began ruminating about the events just before she lost consciousness and cried with her face buried in a pillow. She faced me and apologised in a small voice with a “Sorry.”

“…Father. I apologise for not being of any use. …Julieta failed to capture His Highness Vikram’s heart.”

“…No need to bother.”

“…To receive so kind words from Father!”

She choked back a sob.

With tearful eyes, Julieta looked at me.

“Is there any use for me who was abandoned by the Crown Prince?”

“…”

“If His Highness Vikram desired the lowly woman as his new fiancee,”

“…”

“Surely that woman’s role has fallen upon me.”

“…You’re a clever child, Julieta.”

…As I thought, she is no ordinary foolish girl.

I narrowed my eyes and lovingly stroked Julieta’s forehead.

If it is her, with me she can bloom the brightest shining flowers of rebellion on this ridiculous stage.

Julieta quietly closed her eyes. Even in such a state, her greatest happiness was to be of use to her father and His Highness. Thinking so, I spoke a monotonous line with hints of resignation.

“…My cute Julieta. Until now, I thought of you as my tool.”

Hearing my words, Julieta once again opened her eyes and looked up at me.

Seemingly wanting to say she knew it, she returned a heartfelt smile.

Placing my lips close to her seashell-like ears, I urged her new role.

“You’re my dear daughter. And from today on, my most trusted accomplice.”

“…Fa…ther…?”

“Be at ease, Julieta. All the humiliation you faced, I will return it many times over.”

I held out my hand with a smile and asked her if she would join me.

My dear daughter was confused for a moment.

After that, firmly, she grabbed on to my hand.

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Oof, it’s only a chapter in and someone’s already hooked! Glad someone likes my taste in novels hehe…

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