[This Is Not the End]
(Princess Mei Side)
When the door to the private practice room closed, it felt like all the strength drained from my body.
Facing a demonkin wasn’t anything new for me.
Demonkin clans were widespread, present in every country. It was crucial to discern their intentions and respond appropriately.
“Phew, what are your thoughts, Captain Yamato?”
“He was on par with, if not stronger than, the demonkins of the Dynasty.”
I touched my neck, still feeling the lingering effects of the energy used to strangle me, and let out a sigh.
I’d dealt with my fair share of demonkins, and I meant to provoke Luc Hugaro Deskustos to reveal the extent of his demonic power.
While I more or less achieved that goal, he proved to be even more formidable than expected.
“I see, I suppose Ducal House of Deskustos will prove to be quite troublesome foes.”
“Weren’t we expecting that already?” Yamato, who had been suppressed earlier, straightened his clothes as he rose to his feet.
“Yes, but they may be on par with the Elders.”
“That indeed will be quite troublesome.”
The Dynasty wasn’t a completely monolith entity.
House Kiyoi, the ruling family, were supported by five Elders.
We required their consensus when passing policies for the country.
Also known as the Council of Five Elders, they were responsible for overseeing the management of the Dynasty’s dungeons.
These Elders wielded powers unimaginable for their old age, as they were individuals who had been enthralled by demonic powers. However, their powers occasionally proved beneficial even for non-demonkin.
Onmyojutsu, the very backbone of the Dynasty, was one such power passed down through their lineage.
“Still, if I had my Battle Armor Kagura, I wouldn’t have been so severely suppressed by that demonkin.”
Battle Armor Kagura was a unique type of armor, theoretically capable of amplifying the wearer’s onmyojutsu potency by hundredfold. Of course, such enhancements came with a cost. You could be considered skilled if you could even enhance your onmyojutsu power by double to tenfold.
The armor was essential to combat demonkins.
“Onmyojutsu follows a different path from magic. It isn’t wise to reveal onmyojutsu to other countries over such a trivial matter.”
“I know, I know. But being defeated so easily by a demonkin stings my pride.”
“The truly powerful don’t flaunt their strength.”
I took a deep breath to calm myself, “You’re right. In any case, this is not the end. If he keeps using his demonic power, he will eventually be consumed by it and go berserk, bringing disaster to the Kingdom. At that time, I will have the perfect justification to fight and take him down myself.”
I took my gaze away from Captain Yamato and turned to my other aide.
“Kasumi, is our intelligence on the Kingdom actually lacking?”
“No. Instead, I believe the information on that person in particular deliberately obscured or manipulated.”
“That seems likely. It’s the only explanation for someone of such power remaining unknown to other countries.”
Luc Hugaro Deskustos. I would remember your name.
“I deeply apologize.”
“Don’t worry. I know you’ve done your best, Kasumi. Thank you.”
“You honor me too much, Your Highness!”
“Send my thanks to Oboro and Yuzuki as well. You three are invaluable to me, both as loyal servants and dear friends.”
“Understood, Your Highness.”
With that, Kasumi vanished into the air.
“I suppose I will go heal myself. Ah, where’s Kokoro?”
When I glanced at Captain Yamato, he shook his head.
Kokoro had the ability of fortune-telling, and she often slipped away from her bodyguards and disappeared who knew where.
Her rare talent made her a valuable asset in House Kiyoi.
She was sent abroad to keep her fortune-telling ability secret from Dynasty people.
I couldn’t help but worry about my cute little sister.
“I’m not certain. According to her samurai escort, she might have gone somewhere secluded.”
“Somewhere secluded? Haa, typical of her. When is she going to grow up?”
“It causes us, the bodyguards, troubles every time she disappears alone.”
“I’m aware, but please forgive her. Now that she’s outside the Dynasty with less supervision, she simply wants to experience some freedom.”
Kokoro was a bit of an airhead and easygoing. There were moments when even I, her elder sister, couldn’t fathom her thoughts.
Yet, her fortune-telling had saved me countless times from peril. I believed her abilities would be invaluable for our current mission as well.
“Aren’t you spoiling her too much?”
“I can’t help it. She’s still so young. And unlike the rest of my siblings, she’s uninterested in politics or inheritance issues. She is the only one I don’t need to be wary of.”
“I pray you stay strong despite the challenges you face.”
“Thank you. But I’m confident everything will work out. Akali is an incredibly gifted inventor. I will make sure to bring her back with us. With her talents, I’m sure she can make the Battle Armor Kagura even stronger.”
Among Akali’s inventions, I had stumbled upon something that closely resembled Battle Armor Kagura. She mentioned it was still far from complete, but the data was more complete than what was available in the Dynasty.
I still vividly recall my excitement upon learning of the potential to further enhance the Battle Armor Kagura.
“We show Akali the destructive path the Kingdom is heading down. That will surely convince her to come with us.”
“That young Deskustos couldn’t have possibly thought that everything was an act.”
“I wonder. I realized upon facing him, but his eyes were filled nothingness. He seemed indifferent towards me, as if nothing mattered to him.”
“Nothingness?”
“Yes, which is why I was taken aback when he showed affection to Akali. If I am going to take the Elders’ heads, he will serve as an excellent whetstone. Please don’t steal my prey, Captain Yamato.”
“As you wish, Your Highness.”
Returning to my assigned dormitory room, I awaited Kokoro’s return while strategizing our next moves. I couldn’t help but anticipate sharing a bath with my little sister.
However, when she returned that day, her mood was even brighter than usual. She even offered to scrub my back, something she had never done before.
Moved to tears by the gesture, and the pain in my back, I embraced Kokoro as we drifted off to sleep.
Until I had to leave the next morning, Kokoro continued to pamper me joyfully. Ah, today was definitely going to be a good day.
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what a dumb*** b**** 🙄she not even worth being called a whetstone for the MC with how trivial she is, seeing as he has to defeat the Demon King to enjoy his peaceful life😒
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