After rescuing Aqua and defeating yet another wave of monsters, Nero's group gathered to regroup.
"Why did so many monsters suddenly show up?"
Alice's question made everyone exchange uneasy glances.
"It is strange," someone muttered.
"This is the royal capital—right in the city center, no less. How could so many monsters appear without any warning?"
Even if Elroad's knights were incompetent, it was inconceivable that they would allow monsters to infiltrate the city without notice.
And if the monsters had come from outside the city, there should've been chaos on the outskirts. Instead, the attack began near the center of town.
Unless…
An unsettling possibility crossed everyone's mind, their expressions growing grim. Everyone, that is, except Aqua, who remained clueless, standing out like a sore thumb.
By now, the knights had formed a perimeter around the area.
It made sense—after all, the commotion had been too loud to ignore. Even Elroad's lackluster knights had to take notice eventually.
"You… are you all right?!"
The line of knights parted to make way for two people rushing toward the group.
One was Prince Levy, panting heavily and leaning on his knees.
The other was the Prime Minister of Elroad, his face stern and serious.
It was clear that Levy had rushed over as soon as he heard about the attack. Upon arriving and seeing the carnage of monster corpses strewn everywhere, his face turned ashen.
He didn't vomit, but he was visibly shaken.
The Prime Minister, too, examined the scene with a furrowed brow. When his gaze fell on Nero and her group, his frown deepened.
Alice noticed Levy and spoke up, surprised.
"Prince Levy… you came here yourself?"
At Alice's question, Levy seemed to remember himself and turned his attention to her group.
"I… I only came because I heard you were under attack! If something happened to the envoys of an allied nation, it would damage our reputation!"
The heavy tsundere energy in his tone was palpable.
Realizing how he sounded, Levy quickly added, "It's not like I'm apologizing for the attack or anything! Don't misunderstand me!"
The tsundere vibes only grew stronger.
Nero and the others stared at him, their expressions turning increasingly strange. Clearly, they all shared the same thought: What's with this guy?
Still, despite his reputation as a "foolish prince" who neglected state affairs for frivolous pleasures, Levy's actions showed he was, at his core, a kind-hearted person.
"I didn't expect you to have such an adorable side," Megumin said with a teasing smile, patting Levy's shoulder.
The others chuckled as well, causing Levy to bristle in irritation. Just as he was about to retort, Alice spoke.
"Apologies, Prince Levy. It seems we've caused too much damage. We'll compensate for the destruction of the inn."
Alice bowed her head sincerely, but her words only made Levy's brow twitch.
"Hah?! Are you looking down on us? Do you think we can't afford to pay for a measly inn?"
"Uh… no, that's not what I meant—"
Alice waved her hands in a panic, but Levy interrupted her with a disgruntled huff.
"Letting envoys from an allied nation face a monster attack and then making them pay for the damages? What kind of shame would that bring to our reputation if other nations found out?"
Crossing his arms and turning his head away, Levy added, "If you're so broke you need our support money, then just stop meddling in unnecessary matters."
Still, he couldn't resist sneaking a quick glance at Nero. When he saw the amused expressions on Megumin and the others' faces, his cheeks flushed red, and he quickly averted his gaze.
"Humph!"
Yep, confirmed. The guy was a total tsundere.
Darkness stepped forward, her tone serious as she addressed the group.
"The sudden appearance of monsters in the city center, and their ability to attack us without being detected, is highly unusual. I suspect someone in Elroad's capital may be breeding or controlling these monsters and orchestrated this attack on us."
Her words mirrored what everyone else had been suspecting but hadn't voiced aloud.
"What?! That's ridiculous!" Levy's eyes widened in shock.
"So you're saying…"
"That someone set up this noble goddess to be swallowed by monsters, covered in their disgusting saliva, and almost crushed by their corpses?! It was all on purpose?!" Aqua yelled, her voice filled with righteous fury as she clenched her fists.
"This is unforgivable! Hey, Prince Whatever-Your-Name-Is! Drag that person out here right now! I'll show them the wrath of a goddess and make them regret crossing me!"
Although Aqua's words were incredibly rude, Levy couldn't help but pity her after hearing about her ordeal.
The Prime Minister, however, remained calm and interjected.
"Your Highness, we should exercise caution before jumping to conclusions. This is only their side of the story. It's possible that they brought something into the city that attracted the monsters. Or perhaps… they staged this attack themselves in a ploy to secure funding."
The implication hung heavy in the air.
"You're saying," Darkness said, her voice cold, "that we orchestrated a fake attack on ourselves to get financial support?"
The others, including Megumin and Yunyun, glared at the Prime Minister with clear hostility.
"No, no, of course not," the Prime Minister replied, waving his hands dismissively. His tone was still calm, but there was an undeniable edge of condescension in his words.
The tense atmosphere left both Alice and Levy flustered, unsure of how things had escalated so quickly.
And then, everyone felt it—a weight pressing down on their shoulders.
That familiar sense of overwhelming pressure returned.
"Foolish self-staged drama ends here."
Dragging her greatsword behind her, Nero stepped forward, her emerald-green eyes glinting coldly in the moonlight.
"The stage beneath my feet has no room for such boring theatrics."
---
...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—meant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your time? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into something beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
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Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next time—read well, rest often, and maybe come visit me at the Hostess of Fertility sometime.
– Syr ✨