70 – Princess, Alice Tantallota 12 –
“Princess…?”
The words that escaped my lips bewildered everyone.
And all were astonished.
Above the princess’s head, an angel was there.
And around the princess were the cult of demon’s followers, kneeling before her.
The situation was entirely out of the ordinary.
In such a situation, the Princess’s lips parted.
“Surely, you said I would be useless unless I could wield the power of control.”
“Yes.”
“You’re quite confident.”
“Well, it’s a similar logic to saying that I should be a man, Your Highness. Even if you claim the Princess has mastered strengthening magic, the difference in practical experience is overwhelmingly in my favor. So, it’s a fact that I must protect you, Your Highness.”
The ones who had attacked the Princess had a vast difference in skill, which is why the Princess could have apprehended them. If I were to face an opponent of similar strength, I would easily be rendered powerless. Practical experience is that crucial.
I responded out of sheer incredulity.
It seems that Alice Tantalota might be right after all.
The people behind me were also taken aback, and the bishops who were panicking.
“Surely… the Princess can’t control the power!”
“How…! Is that even possible?”
“Why are you all following this guy’s words? Why aren’t you coming over here?”
The bishops were flustered.
The worshippers standing behind were even more bewildered.
And as soon as the Princess spotted those who were not yet controlled, she extended her power to reach them.
A golden light radiated from the center of the Princess’s body.
As that light reached them, the eyes of the others began to shine with a golden hue.
“What’s going on?”
“Hey? Are you all listening?”
“Unbelievable…”
Whether they were Korean or foreigners, it’s hard to tell, but there is an old saying that goes, “Unbelievable catches people.” It really did.
They started walking towards us slowly, without any resistance.
I couldn’t help but be amazed by the extent to which the Princess had reached, and I immediately asked her.
It was such a shocking sight, after all.
“How… did you succeed? No, surely it wasn’t that you could wield the power of domination so well…”
“The angel named Petriel, who stands above me, informed me.”
“Huh? But that’s not an angel, is it?”
“I’ve heard that. But from the outside, it looks like an angel, so I consider it one.”
The princess seemed to want to boast, explaining how much effort she had put in for me.
And the expression with which the princess looked at me changed slightly.
Previously, she had just looked at me. Now, when she looked at me, she appeared to be genuinely happy.
Her giggles blended awkwardly with the military-style surroundings, creating an indescribable sense of alienation.
Why is she like that? What did I do?
But there was something even more important than that.
The fact that we had made a promise.
“If you can control this, it would be easier for you to just stay still, right? After all, you haven’t had any practical training, have you?”
“You saved me back then. So it’s only right for me to save you.”
“By that logic, serving the nobility is a noble’s duty.”
“You can’t apply the obligations of imperial nobility to someone born in a different world.”
“So, can I use informal language? Alice?”
“hehehe…!”
I tried a rude joke out of sheer incredulity.
Alice Tantalota’s expression brightened even more, as if she found it amusing.
But there was something more important, so I got back to the main point.
“Let’s discuss your situation once you’re back on your feet.”
“Yeah, that makes sense… after I’m back on my feet. Hmhm, that’s right.”
There was no time to quibble over such matters.
After all, our enemy, the one we needed to defeat, remained unchanged.
“The aura of domination…! The power that surpasses a certain threshold… it’s why the nobility had absolute power, I think.”
“It’s a power passed down through bloodlines, so their descendants might possess it for generations.”
“In that case, the operation becomes practically meaningless. If they can control faith beyond the level of belief, the faith of those with lower standing becomes meaningless.”
“Since it’s practically decided by the will of one person…”
Our opponents, seeing us like this, seemed to be making their final preparations.
They must have anticipated what would happen if we were set free.
However, at the present moment, there haven’t been many changes. The princess is still in power. It is difficult for the Petroel to interfere in the material world. I remain the same. In reality, there are just a few more believers. There is no significant difference.
“The fact that there is internal conflict increases the likelihood of a possibility, but it doesn’t mean that we can actually win if there is internal conflict. That being said, there is no better alternative.”
So, it is the right thing to do. If it doesn’t work out anyway, I can at least inflict serious wounds on them at the cost of my life.
However, while we were having this conversation, it seemed like they had a different idea and were looking for a new path.
“But first… we need to ask if they will follow us.”
“No, the Jae were resistant!”
“That may have been to protect the Second Princess. So, if there is a condition that saves both of them… we might be able to negotiate.”
“There is a possibility. If those two are negotiated with… we can obtain sacrifices in a different way.”
Even in the midst of that, they were considering negotiation once again.
Upon reflection, it is natural. Even though it hasn’t been more than 15 years since Sung Hwangcheong’s decline, they have built up this level of power.
In just a few years, this is an incredible level.
On the other hand, to build up this scale, they would need to show an enormous degree of expansion.
“Haven’t you also experienced many things at the hands of Sung Hwangcheong? Sung Hwangcheong boasts about being righteous but it cannot truly be righteous. Cheonshin simply abhors evil, it is not an existence that follows righteousness.”
“Isn’t not committing sins considered righteous?”
“Donating is considered righteous, but not donating does not make it a sin. However, Sung Hwangcheong expects the wealthy to donate and also collects taxes separately. The royal family is not exempt from this, right?”
“I see. So, the various support to the people by Sung Hwangcheong working without pay has no meaning at all? I’m sure everyone was paying money to Sung Hwangcheong as insurance, right? Recently, I don’t know, but if disasters occurred in the past, the disaster areas would become relatively wealthy, so Sung Hwangcheong wouldn’t receive a single penny and would work without pay.”
Sung Hwangcheong has an oppressive element.
However, there is a reason why we cannot abandon Sung Hwangcheong.
Firstly, Sung Hwangcheong itself has power.
There are cases where various undesirable elements are resolved with the help of the Prosperity Bureau.
Even when earthquakes and various other incidents occur, Prosperity Bureau issues evacuation orders directly.
With a few exceptions, there are no individuals who genuinely want to destroy the Prosperity Bureau.
Of course, they offer assistance even if you don’t pay your taxes.
The poor are helped as a matter of course.
For the wealthy who do not contribute, they are given nothing but the preservation of their lives.
A major conglomerate once disregarded the Prosperity Bureau and eventually lost all their wealth due to a volcanic eruption.
Even though the Prosperity Bureau could have saved their assets, they silently preserved only their lives.
The head of the conglomerate ultimately took their own life.
Since then, they think of everything as an insurance concept.
To the Prosperity Bureau, wealth is just a means to live.
“Of course, right now, the Prosperity Bureau’s political standing has narrowed due to its resurgence…”
That’s not a problem; it won’t matter when the Prosperity Bureau revives.
As long as I’m alive, I’ll make it so.
There is no absolute good.
Just as there was no policy in Korea that satisfied everyone.
There can be no absolute good either.
The reason the Prosperity Bureau is called good is because it’s somewhat reasonable.
If you start scrutinizing everything, it’s absolutely impossible.
“So you’re saying you’ll oppose us to the end.”
“No, we never intended to go that far. This is just the minimum we can do. If there are no people who follow, it’s meaningless. The seal is still intact, so as long as we can somehow kill the adults, it’ll be fine.”
“Hmm. I don’t know where the information leaked from, but… it’s truly remarkable intelligence. However, it’s still insufficient. Ultimately, you’re underestimating our power.”
“This should be enough, right? With pure power, we’ll probably be on par with you.”
“Even if the complete strength of a bear is five times that of an untrained adult male… there’s no way five untrained adult males can defeat a bear.”
“I can’t argue with that.”
Useless consumption continues.
We don’t want to fight, and they don’t want to fight either.
Our goal is to escape.
Their goal is us.
My Dragon Heart and the Power of Domination. As I don’t know when I can acquire these two things again, I will do whatever it takes to obtain them.
However, it has become too difficult to capture us alive.
Even if the strength of a bear is ten times that of a human, ten humans cannot defeat a bear.
But at most, only two humans can be attacked by a bear. The remaining eight can at least inflict wounds on the bear.
That is the current situation.
Those under the control of the princess are beings who are willing to sacrifice their lives, even more so.
As the standoff continued…
“Ah! I’m annoyed! Just kill them all! Why hesitate!!!”
A child who was in the position of a bishop suddenly started getting angry and fur started growing on his body.
His joints twisted in reverse.
His teeth enlarged.
His eyes were torn apart.
At the end, what remained was a lone wolf.
It looked similar to the creatures we had seen in the Moon’s Rift.
But it was not an ordinary wolf.
It was so huge that it could be called an elephant based on its size.
“Kyaahhh!”
A tremendous sound echoed from its mouth.
An ultrasonic wave of unknown origin made my eardrums tremble.
Instinctively, I knew.
The battle had begun.
“Princess! Do you know what a human shield is?”
“I also had the same thought. It’s fascinating.”
The princess and I reached a rare moment of agreement.
Let’s say it’s been a long time since a rare moment like this.
The wolf approached and swung its front paw.
We decided to use humans as shields to evade this attack.
Whack!
Two people rushed at the wolf and took the full blow.
Of course, the wolf was powerful, and its body bore no visible wounds.
But it was still of some use.
Just that tiny gap was enough.
Blood, viscera, and the stench of death, remnants of the fallen.
Through that opening, I thrust the celestial sword.
Swoosh…
The sound of the blade slicing through flesh could be heard.
The transparent blade, once only outlining the wolf, was now stained with the bishop’s blood, becoming vivid.
The little wolf, seeing the weapon that had injured it, quickly recoiled and growled.
The wolf was in retreat, a momentary respite.
The sudden turn of events caught the other bishops off guard. They all had bewildered expressions.
But there was no room for joy.
“If only it had gone a bit deeper…”
The situation just now was an opportunity.
They may be bishops, but they weren’t invincible.
In a one-on-one duel, there was a chance for harm, if not victory.
And with Alice on my side, if that strike had succeeded, the wolf would have fallen under her control.
The wolf, too, seemed to realize this and hastily avoided my blow.
“Shallow… The reason for this situation is the absence of efficient swordsmanship…”
At this moment, the absence of my swordsmanship skills was a bitter disappointment.
But there was no time to dwell on it.
Other attacks were starting to pour in on us.
The archbishop’s violet-hued attack became a barrage of brilliance.
The corpse legion of the archbishop’s body threatened Alice’s controlled disciples as a bargaining chip.
The young bishop could only watch the situation unfold, but he would intervene if circumstances turned against us.
Amidst the chaos of the relentless assaults, I shouted to increase our chances, even if only slightly.
“Your Highness… Please stay away from us as much as possible!”
“I know…!”
After exchanging a brief word with the princess, we formed our own defensive formation.
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Numerous workshops came and went.
There were attacks and defenses.
They carried out surprise attacks using believers.
It worked.
But it was useless.
“Oh my, those little bastards were priests, right?”
They were priests who believed in demons.
That’s why they can use holy energy.
Even if it’s lacking, they surpass us easily in endurance.
That’s why we should have attacked all at once.
I didn’t have the skill to blow away a whole room.
“My swordsmanship…is lacking. In terms of skill, I far surpass Alice…but the problem is the technique. I only have strength and lack finesse…so there’s no way to win…”
In the current situation, we need to go for burst damage, not sustained damage.
If they weakened past a certain point, Alice’s control would take effect.
They can heal themselves, so in order to control them, we have to lower their stamina without giving them a chance to heal.
Even though they have overwhelming power, they chose a war of attrition instead of attacking recklessly.
No matter what, avoiding failure is the right move.
“Is there no way…? Is my awakened state really the only solution?”
Alice has grown in order to save me.
And yet, I die again here?
At the very least, it wouldn’t be good for Alice’s mental health.
“Should I go to Fertil and learn techniques in the shadow world? No. Fertil isn’t that skilled in techniques. Techniques are created to compensate for a lack of power. The messenger of God doesn’t need techniques…”
Countless thoughts brush by me.
Conclusions are made and discarded repeatedly.
And in the end, I reach the fundamental cause of this situation.
The biggest reason for me to be like this.
Weakness.
It was a problem that I went through while weakened, with the intention of learning techniques from the demon.
“I am weak…if I had at least learned swordsmanship, I could have fought alongside these priests and achieved victory, but it’s impossible.”
I do not have any hobbies that involve suicide.
If I could, I would want to live.
But since living is difficult, I must die in order to be saved.
And that ending was a hypothetical assumption that could never happen.
“If only I had learned swordsmanship…If only I could use the princess’s skills…”
Countless regrets gave birth to hypothetical assumptions.
Those assumptions even led to thoughts of what it would be like if I could utilize the princess’s skills and my own body.
“Just a moment…!”
A thought brushed through my mind in an instant.
Right now, Alice Tantalota is controlling others.
Other people’s bodies, according to my will.
How are people’s actions composed?
They are judged through cognition and expressed through actions.
Just as one cannot walk if both legs are amputated and one knows the sensation of walking.
Even if I have cognition, it is meaningless if my body does not follow.
I become the body.
The princess becomes cognition.
It would be great if th
Albert, the escort of Eperento Tantalarota. A presence that, despite being stronger than his master, was under the aura of domination due to his unwavering loyalty to his master.
If I could be subject to Alice’s domination like that…
“Let’s give it a try.”
The feasibility doesn’t matter.
What matters is the truth.
The fact that there is a possibility.
“Your Highness, I’ll explain it briefly. Sir Albert was known for his loyalty to the First Prince, which surpassed even his loyalty to the First Prince himself, but it’s said that he was under the aura of domination.”
“It’s a famous story. It would be nice if we could assemble only those individuals, but because there were no individuals who enjoyed having their own bodies controlled, I only felt that his loyalty was remarkable.”
“But what we need to focus on is that aspect. The ability for the power of domination to work against someone who is not inferior to oneself in rank. And also, my skills are weak, and Your Highness, your physique is weak.”
“Surely not…”
As Alice predicted, it was true.
I am going to be dominated by Alice.
“Is it… possible?”
Nothing else matters.
If this can truly happen, the chances of success increase significantly.
But the question is whether it’s possible.
If it’s not possible, the chances of success are still zero.
‘I need to seriously consider this.’
Can I trust someone who was just a game character with my everything?
Can I trust the person who first approached me for political reasons?
‘Of course.’
I was someone who was willing to die for a game NPC.
That person is me.
In the past, I might have pondered the philosophical question of whether this was reality or a game.
Unfortunately, it’s too late for that now.
If it’s not reality, I’ll come back to life even if I die.
And if it’s reality, my actions will have meaning.
So I believe.
I, Abraxas Mentuthotep, believe in Alice Tantalarota.
“I believe you. Because you’re the one who came to save me, even if it means escaping for yourself!”
He left Alice with words that would inspire trust and admiration.
Alice’s expression showed a deep impression, more than I had expected.
There was a moment of questioning as to why she would react that way.
However, in the current situation, Alice immediately went into action.
A golden energy began to gather from Alice’s body towards me.
The power of domination was only at a slight level.
Because my status was higher than Alice’s.
But here, I think differently.
I trust Alice.
I believe she won’t harm me.
I remind myself of the fact that this is different from a contract.
Even if Alice were to kill me, I could die with a happy heart.
As long as she becomes my trace.
“This is…”
I begin to feel weaker in my body.
An unknown force wraps around my body.
It was similar to the suppression of contract magic but different.
I felt like I could move with my own will, but I didn’t want to.
It wasn’t as unpleasant as contract magic.
Instead, it was a comforting feeling.
Alice’s golden aura, emitted from within me, permeates my body.
“It seems like… success…!”
I can still think clearly.
But I didn’t have any other thoughts in particular.
I had the desire to do as Alice suggested.
There didn’t seem to be a reason to do anything else.
I couldn’t see my own face though.
Looking at the faces of the other bishops, they were extremely bewildered.
“This is absurd… How could something like that possibly work…!”
“Was I really her lover?! If that’s the case, I need to rethink my strategy from the beginning…”
“What’s going on here? Are we losing?”
From the reactions of the bishops, I could discern one thing.
My pupils were now shining with the same color as Alice’s.
“Who are you…”
The Archbishop asked me with a serious expression.
He must be inquiring about my true nature.
Attempting to blur my identity to undermine their trust.
Because if Alice gains complete control, I won’t be able to leverage my advantage of real-life experience.
But what can I do?
I’m already a body confused about my identity.
I’ve been denied as my former self and reborn with a new status.
My mouth, unsure if I’m speaking or acting at the princess’s command, gave the answer.
“I am…”
I am.
“Abraxas Mentuthoteb.”
Someone who has lived two lives as different individuals.
The self remains unchanged.
The soul remains unchanged.
So I am Abraxas Mentuthoteb.
As always.