I Favor the Villainess - CH 253

※ From Rodd Bauer’s perspective.

“This isn’t looking good…”

The Naa Empire’s throne room had become a wasteland.

As I watched the fierce battle taking place in that very spot, I couldn’t help but feel ashamed.

“Rodd-sama, I told you not to move!”

“If you don’t stay still, even wounds that could heal won’t!”

“My bad, my bad.”

Though I kept it smug in front of Mei and Alea, internally I was a mess.

(At this rate, Rei and them will lose.)

Because of my carelessness, our trump card, the Magi Shibley, had been broken.

As if that weren’t enough, the Demon Queen’s barrier was even stronger than it was last time.

It appeared as though Rei and Claire were still looking to try something, but it didn’t seem that was going well either.

Things would only get worse for us as things dragged on.

“Something… isn’t there something…”

My brain, which I was decently confident in, was desperately trying to spin ideas, but all of the conclusions were dark.

At best, I thought that perhaps we could do the same to the barrier as we had with Rates and disperse the wall’s magical energy with the same part of the Magi Shibley.

That being said, that had only worked because it was a surprise attack.

The Demon Queen had seen that last fight.

It wasn’t likely that the same tactic would work again.

“What should I do…”

This feeling of powerlessness tortured me.

This wasn’t the first time that I had felt this way either.

When Mount Sassal had erupted in Bauer, I had sustained a serious injury.

I had gone to a village at the base of the volcano to recommend they evacuate, but I collapsed there.

Until that point, I didn’t think there was anything that I couldn’t do.

However, bearing a heavy injury, losing my arm, and being almost out of magic, it turned out that there was almost nothing that I could do.

Fortunately since the evacuation had all but finished, there were no casualties amongst the villagers.

However, the small village didn’t have any proper medical facilities.

This was something that I heard afterward, but for quite a while it seemed that I was wandering between life and death.

What saved my life was the devotion from the very villagers that I was meant to be saving.

Though the villagers were still alive, they had lost their homes and had nearly no food.

To them, my existence should’ve been nothing but a hindrance.

However, the villagers did not forsake me.

As for why,

It was because I was one of Bauer’s princes.

At the time the village was still quite a conservative place.

I had only viewed that place as anachronistic, but it was only because they had retained the kingdom’s traditional values that they saved me.

If I had just been some traveller, they likely would’ve abandoned me long ago.

I had been saved by the very values that I had dismissed.

That fact brought me much conflict.

I had been too full of myself.

Believing I could do everything was but a bad assumption.

I was only alive thanks to the people.

Society only forms when countless people holding countless values come together.

Thinking back, it seemed that Sein had realized this from very early on.

For him, it was more often the case that things didn’t go the way he wanted.

That was why he was especially sensitive to people’s differences.

As for Yuu… she’s a prodigy, so I think she already had a grasp on this as well.

I was the only one that was ignorant.

I was the Naked Emperor.

Part of the reason why I cast aside my royalty, was because I felt Sein was more fitting to rule during these times.

However, the biggest reason was because I had become painfully aware that I was not fit to stand above the people.

(Isn’t there anything… that I can do?)

After the revolution, I entered the army.

It was because I felt that position fit me best.

The army’s training regimen was tough.

In mock fights where magic wasn’t allowed, the veterans made me taste the floor many times.

However, only in that position did I come to see the limits of what I was capable of.

(Think. Don’t give up. They haven’t given up either.)

Rei and Claire, Manaria and Lily―the women I had once thought required my protection, were now fighting for the sake of humankind’s future.

If they had yet to give up… as a guy, there was no way that I could be the one whimpering.

(It’s frustrating, but there’s no way I can continue fighting. Then, these two…? Absolutely not.)

I looked at the small figures who were desperately treating my injuries.

Normally there was no way that it was okay for them to be on this battlefield. They were both still mere toddlers.

In my current situation however, they were still capable of far more than I was.

(No, it’s not that bad of an idea, Rodd Bauer.)

Suddenly a voice echoed from within my head.

It was a very calm, monotone voice.

(TAIM?)

(That’s right. I can’t borrow Lily Lilium’s body at a time like this, so I am calling out to you directly.)

(Enough of that. What do you want?)

I urged it to continue.

(Substitute the twins for the Magi Shibley.)

(What was that?)

(The magic that you gathered is still stored within that magic gem. All that’s left is to convert and bind it together.)

I looked to confirm, and as stated, the magic gem was still intact.

Though it was buried under the other debris, it had not lost its brilliance.

It almost looked like it was saying,

―It’s not over yet. Now, go.

Carrying a message from everyone back in Bauer.

(You say all that’s left is to convert and bind, but that’s the most difficult part. Do you know how much it took to complete―)

(These two can do it.)

TAIM stated it as fact.

I doubted my ears.

The Magi Shibley, which I had conceived and borrowed the wisdom of many magic scholars to fully realize, could be replicated by those two…?

(Explain it to them. Just say that they can apply the same principles as with the Magic Sword.)

Leaving those words behind, the voice disappeared.

As usual, it says whatever it wants to without caring to listen.

I hesitated.

However, if there was a chance then I wanted to bet on it.

It didn’t sit well with me to rely on kids this young, but at this point I had already let go of my worthless pride.

Perhaps if I was still the previous me, I would have given up without trying to rely on them.

“Mei, Alea, that’s enough healing. Instead, I have a request.”

“What?”

“What is it?”

“It’s about the Magi Shibley, it’s a magic artifact―”

I explained just as TAIM had told me to.

I had no idea what the Magic Sword was, but I included that and explained as simply as I could.

“Sure, got it!”

“I understand.”

“… Hey, do you really get it…?”

The twins had nodded so easily, I became worried.

“Simply put, we need to take magic from that gem and slam it into the Demon Queen’s black wall, right?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Then, just leave it to us.”

“…”

As TAIM had said, it seems that the two understood.

“Rodd-sama, just watch from here.”

“S-sure…”

Without waiting for my response, Mei gently dropped her purse on the ground.

“Relaire, you watch over us from there as well.”

“Off I go then.”

As though to respond to the twins’ voices, the water slime peeked out to offer a wobble.

“Alea, are you ready?”

“Yes, whenever.”

Mei retrieved the Magi Shibley’s magic gem from the debris. Holding it in both of her hands, she closed her eyes.

Alea took stance with the sword that she had inherited from Dorothea and locked her sights on the Demon Queen.

And then―.

“Alea, go!”

“Yes!”

At an unbelievable speed for a toddler, Alea began running.

Keeping her sword pointed low, she rapidly approached the Demon Queen in a fluid motion.

“Hey, that’s too reckless!”

“No, this is fine!”

Panicked, I called out to stop her. When I turned to face Mei, her body was enveloped in a four-colored light.

Earth, water, fire and wind. Lights representing each of the major elements.

It was proof that she had drawn out the gathered magical energy and was controlling it.

“No way…”

“Uu… gh…!”

Mei’s expression however, revealed she was in pain.

It was understandable.

Even now, magical energy gathered from all across Bauer was flowing into the magic gem.

Even I, who was considered to have exceptional magical capacity, could not hold all of that magical energy within my body.

“Don’t push it!”

“My mothers are still fighting! Mei and Alea are going to fight with them!”

Mei shouted.

I was forced to realize.

I was still leagues away from fully comprehending how resolute women and children could be.

The age where only men fought, had come to an end long ago.

“Rodd-sama, move!”

“!”

In response to the sharp voice, I reflexively opened the way.

At the same time, a white―no, a near invisible, pure light gushed out of Mei’s body.

“Take it, Alea!!”

Like a shooting star, the light blazed a trail through the battlefield.

Just in front of it was Alea, brandishing her sword.

“Haaaahh…!”

The light enveloped Alea.

Then, as though it had exploded, a bright light flashed. The next moment, the light had converged onto Alea’s sword.

As light and sword became one, Alea left everyone awestruck as she became the battlefield’s shooting star.

“Yaaaahh…!”

Alea’s sword made contact with the Demon Queen’s barrier.

Sparks flew between the light and the dark as they clashed.

“Why… you…!”

The light was being pushed back.

Is it not enough?

Having come this far, is it not enough?

“!?”

After a sudden flash of surprise, Alea’s expression changed.

Right after, she very subtly changed how she held her sword.

“This was it, wasn’t it, teacherー!!

Alea screamed something.

The next moment―.

A thunderous roar and light filled the area.

“Guh…!”

I involuntarily protected my head.

This storm-like moment lasted but a few seconds.

“Kyaa!”

I heard a shrill voice right next to me.

When I looked, Alea was there sitting on her behind.

“Ouch… I seem to have failed my landing.”

“Alea… you…?”

“What are you spacing out for, Rodd-sama, Mei and Alea, we did our jobs, you know?”

“!?”

As Mei said that, I hurriedly turned back to the throne room.

What I saw was―.

“… You’ve really gone and done it.”

The sight of the Demon Queen. Having lost her magic barrier, she was kneeling on one knee.

“… Seriously?”

“Alea, good work!”

“Good work to you too, Mei.”

“Haha… Fuhahaha…!”

Ignoring the adults who were still awestruck, the twins innocently high-fived.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

It seems that even Rei and Claire were surprised this time.

“Your daughters, they’re really something.”

Like mothers, like daughters, or something like that.

They really were something else, that much was certain.

“Haah… I’m tiredー…”

“I as well…”

“Yeah? If you’re tired go ahead and rest.You’ve already done more than enough. Leave the rest to your mothers.”

“I’ll do thatー”

“I think I shall as well.”

The twins lay themselves right on the ground.

And almost immediately nodded off.

They were real bigshots.

“By the way, Alea. When you changed your stance in the middle of all that, what was up with that?”

“Mmー… I heard… a voice…”

“Voice?”

“My teacher… scolded me… Not like that, like this…”

Leaving those words behind, this time Alea drifted into sleep.

“That kind of thing… happens I guess…?”

To name people that Alea had learned combat techniques from, there was Rei, Claire, and me, but of course, the first one that came to mind here was her.

To me she had just been the object of my father’s revenge, but to Alea she had surely been a good teacher.

“Well… I guess I’ll give you my thanks, Dorothea.”

To the woman, once praised as the God of the Sword, I sent a bitter smile.

For a moment I thought that I had felt someone’s gaze.

But when I looked, there was no one here but us three.

“I wonder if I’m growing old…”

Laying my exhausted body on the ground, I felt a refreshing breeze.

Without resisting it, I allowed my consciousness to sink.