Chapter 8 The First Princess and the Manipulated Heroes of Emmeld
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Mond,” I called out, letting my voice ring with a polished, crystalline clarity. “Tell me, how are our Heroes progressing?”
The man whose name I had spoken—Mond, the Commander of the First Knight Order—stroked his thick, graying beard as he offered his reply.
”They are well-instructed, Your Highness,” he rumbled, his voice deep and gravelly. “The indoctrination has presented no issues. We have ensured they are under the firm impression that the Egdia Empire is a land of pure evil, ruled by a savage Demon Lord.”
”But of course,” I purred, a slight, smug tilt to my lips. “Is it not, in fact, a nation of pure evil?”
”Hah! My apologies, Princess,” he coughed out a chuckle. “You speak the truth, of course, absolutely.”
I, Viorga, the First Princess of the Emmeld Kingdom, had performed the Hero Summoning a mere five days prior. I confess I never imagined such an ancient magic circle would actually function, but the sheer astonishment when the summoning succeeded truly took my breath away. However, that old circle is now damaged beyond all repair. No amount of utterly insane Magic Power resources poured into it will ever get it to activate again.
”And what of their actual strength?” I inquired, leaning forward in my ornately carved chair.
”Ah, that is where they live up to the title of Hero, at least,” Mond admitted, his brow furrowed slightly. “The Healing Hero is completely useless in a direct fight, possessing zero experience in close combat, but the raw Magic Power she wields is immense.”
He then reported that this Healing Hero can instantaneously mend any injury. The sorcery of healing is something only a handful of people on the entire continent can use, as it’s tied to a specialized bloodline. Still, none of them could boast the restorative power of this supposed Hero. A vulgar woman, certainly, but a Hero nonetheless, rotten as the title may be.
”The Magic Staff Hero has mastered a variety of attack sorceries, making a fool of our nation’s most esteemed Arch-Mages,” Mond continued, a hint of professional exasperation in his tone.
That loud woman. So long as she can be counted as a fighting force, her noisiness is irrelevant.
”The Great Tree Hero is the one with significantly enhanced physical abilities. The strengthening he’s achieved would be impossible even with my own secret treasure artifact.”
”Oh? That significant?” I challenged, my blue eyes narrowing slightly.
”Indeed, Your Highness. And the Holy Sword Hero is close to the Great Tree Hero in physical strength, yet he also commands attack sorceries.”
”……”
Legend says the Holy Sword Hero could summon a Holy Sword just by raising both hands to the heavens. If Muro-dono continues on this path, he will surely be able to manifest such a sword eventually.
”Speaking of which,” Mond casually brought up, a wry look in his eye, “Muro-dono and Your Highness appeared quite… close at dinner yesterday, didn’t you?”
”Hee hee,” I giggled faintly, covering my mouth with a delicate hand. “Yes. He propositioned me quite clearly, I must say.”
”Haha! To attempt to court the First Princess of our realm… I should like to see the faces of the nobles when they hear of that, I truly should!” Mond bellowed with a deep, chesty laugh.
Muro-dono has apparently been propositioning the maids, as well. If it helps to keep his motivation high as we look toward the Imperial campaign, then assigning him a few women is a negligible cost.
In any case, they are a valuable military asset. We cannot allow them to be lost easily. We need them to fully realize the power of a Hero, after all.
”What has His Majesty the King said about deploying the Heroes?” I asked, changing the subject back to matters of state.
”He intends to observe them for one month, and if they prove useful, they will be sent straight to the front lines,” Mond stated, his voice turning crisp once more. “Depending on their merits, His Majesty is willing to grant them titles of nobility.”
”Nobility, you say…”
It is only natural that once we deploy the Heroes to the front, other nations will immediately take notice. Enclosing them within our own nobility before anyone else can snatch them up is merely prudent statecraft.
”The Knight Order certainly anticipates great deeds from the Heroes, Your Highness. …However, there are two points of concern I have.”
”And what might those be?” I asked, impatience lacing my tone.
”The first is their method of return. They all genuinely believe that if they defeat the enemy, the summoning circle will be recharged with Magic Power. If they ever learn there is no way home…”
”They won’t, unless someone tells them,” I interrupted, my gaze locking with Mond’s, sharp as shattered ice. “Unless someone decides to be a tattletale, eh?”
We shared a meaningful look. Indeed. The Heroes will never find out unless one of the few who know the truth is foolish enough to speak.
If the lie were to be exposed by any means other than a leak, it would be when they supposedly defeat the Emperor of the Egdia Empire. That is the scenario we have fabricated for the summoning circle’s final, complete recharge. However, the probability of that is almost zero. No matter how powerful they are—a force of a thousand men, each—four people alone can only accomplish so much.
Besides, if they ever grew powerful enough to actually defeat the Emperor, the Heroes would likely already have been eliminated by us, well before they could march on the Empire. Though, perhaps Muro-dono would be spared if he pledged unconditional loyalty.
”And your second point?”
”The fifth one, Your Highness. The Heroes believe we have merely moved him to a safe location.”
”…Ah. That utterly hideous beast,” I grimaced, fighting back a wave of genuine revulsion. “The sheer struggle of breathing the same air as that thing… even recalling it makes my stomach turn.”
The Hero Summoning was meant to bring four people from the other world. Yet, for some reason, a fifth beast appeared directly above the magic circle, soaking wet from head to toe. The number of times I had to suppress the urge to vomit… to banish that creature, I even used a precious Skygoon—a rare magical bird—to dump it into the Demon Forest.
The Demon Forest is the buffer zone surrounded by our kingdom, the Egdia Empire, and the Great Shaitar Republic. Its depths are inhabited by vicious demon monsters, and the concentration of miasma is so thick that even a Skygoon can only approach certain areas. It’s a special territory that no nation can truly claim or develop.
…Now that I think of it, I had exiled my sister and her faction to that very forest previously. I caught them plotting a rebellion and awarded them a death sentence under the guise of ‘territorial development’—no, wait. I granted them a pardon by ennobling them as the region’s new lords, didn’t I?
I understand perfectly well what fate awaits them if they fail to develop the area and try to return with their hostage. Much like that beast, they have probably already perished within the forest by now.
”Keep telling the Heroes that the beast is in a safe location far from the capital. That will solve everything.”
”Understood, Your Highness. I shall see to it.”
”And yet… I am profoundly relieved that creature was not a Hero. If that thing had been one… my daily life would have surely devolved into sheer despair.”
”…Speaking of which, Your Highness,” Mond noted, his brow furrowed in concentration. “That man also showed no reaction to the Servitude Mark.”
Everyone summoned by that circle is supposed to be branded with the Servitude Mark on the back of their right hand. All four Heroes displayed the Mark’s reaction, but that beast did not.
”An error in the summoning circle, then,” I decided, dismissing the thought with a flick of my wrist. “An ancient device like that; it would be rarer for it to function perfectly. In any case, that beast is surely dead now. It’s irrelevant.”
”The lie about the return, and the lie about the fifth one’s location,” Mond mused, summarizing his concerns. “And even if the lies are exposed, we can still compel their obedience with the Servitude Mark…”
”Precisely,” I declared, standing up with a rustle of fine silk. “I don’t want to dampen their enthusiasm unnecessarily, so we haven’t informed them of the Mark’s existence yet. But if necessary, they can be used as slaves. Heh. For now, treat them as the great Heroes they believe they are.”
”As you command,” Mond acknowledged, bowing low.
Now then… I must consult with my father to advance the strategy for receiving financial aid from the Great Republic. The value of that other hostage is probably diminished by now… it’s time to ensure my troublesome sister and her entire faction vanish for good.
—
Summary:
In a scene of cold, political cunning, First Princess Viorga reviews the progress of her newly summoned Heroes with Commander Mond. She reveals the shocking truth: the ancient Hero Summoning circle is broken, making their ‘return home’ a complete lie. Viorga confirms their plan to deceive the Heroes—the powerful Healing Hero, Magic Staff Hero, Great Tree Hero, and the charming Holy Sword Hero, Muro—to keep them motivated for the war against the Egdia Empire.
Her ultimate leverage is the secret Servitude Mark branding them as potential slaves. The recap ends on her dismissal of the mysterious, hideous fifth summon, the ‘beast,’ who she ruthlessly abandoned in the deadly Demon Forest and whose sister is also banished there.
—
Character Insight:
Princess Viorga is exposed as a truly ruthless political mastermind, viewing the isekai Heroes as tools to be used in her war and as pawns for advancing her own nobility. Her disdain for those she considers beneath her, including the ‘ugly beast’ and her own sister, reveals a chilling lack of humanity. The insight centers on how she uses charm (Muro) and lies (the return lie) as weapons, all while knowing she can activate the Servitude Mark to turn them into her slaves at any moment.
—
Behind the Scene:
The scene confirms that only a few people know the complete truth about the broken Hero Summoning circle and the existence of the Servitude Marks. The mystery of the fifth, unbranded, beast-like summon is deepened, suggesting the summoning ritual had a major, unexpected error. Viorga also casually plots a final, definitive action against her troublesome sister and faction who were previously exiled to the deadly Demon Forest, tying their fate directly to the beast’s location.
Notes:
• Mond – The grizzled, mature Commander of the First Knight Order. He has a thick, streaked beard and a powerful, armored build. He is utterly loyal to the Emmeld royal family, specifically the Princess Viorga, and handles the practical military matters of the court. Looks like Doranbolt from certain series.
• Viorga – The First Princess of the Emmeld Kingdom. She is a beautiful, young woman with long golden hair and sharp blue eyes, always dressed in an elaborate crimson and gold royal gown. She is utterly ruthless, viewing all people—including the summoned Heroes and her own family—as disposable assets in her political games. Looks like Aileen Lauren from certain series.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply