I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss, Vol. 4, page 8
Rachel nods obediently, then drags the grumbling Serena away. After she watches them go, Aileen sets off. Rather than circling in the opposite direction however, she pushes her way into the forest in front of her.
Far from objecting, Lilia follows her cheerfully. She knows.
If this is the event, the ghost will appear in the consecrated area adjacent to the lake of holy water. In the actual event, the heroine is summoned to that spot, but it will be faster if they just go there to begin with.
“Lady Aileen, do you think she’ll be there? The ghost—the previous Daughter of God.”
“That’s what we’re on our way to find out.”
The lake of holy water lies in the depths of the harem’s forest. A shrine at its center houses the holy sword. However, since it is consecrated ground, anyone who lacks sacred power will lose their way before they reach it. Being able to reach the lake is the first test any potential Daughter of God must pass.
The event itself is apparently over…but we’ll be able to confirm whether the holy sword is there or not.
Just then, the view abruptly opens up.
The lake is so wide and still it’s hard to believe it’s located in a desert. Its surface reflects the twinkling stars and crescent moon like a mirror. There is no ghost, which is disappointing. “We reached it without any trouble…”
“Of course we did. You and I are in what’s commonly known as ‘cheat mode,’ Lady Aileen. Even if we can’t repair the holy sword, the intensity of our sacred power should get us through all the conditional events easily.”
“Let’s go at once and see whether that sword is there.”
There’s a shrine in the very center of the lake. The holy sword should be inside it.
Aileen takes a step into the oddly bright lake, creating a widening ring of ripples. Her feet don’t get wet. Instead, she walks over the water’s surface, reaching the shrine in no time at all.
She sets her hand on the shrine’s door, which is made of sacred stone. When it detects her power, light races through its cracks, and the entire shrine dissolves and vanishes.
Then all that’s left is the timeworn holy sword—or that’s how it should be, but…
“It isn’t here.”
Looking at the now-empty surface of the lake, Aileen sighs. Lilia, who’s been watching from behind her, puts a finger to her chin. “Then she’s played through to the part where she takes the holy sword from the hallowed ground. I wonder where she’s keeping it. In the game, the ceremony to repair the sword is held quite soon after she removes it; then they go right into battle against the fiend dragon, so there’s no mention of where it was stored.”
“—Lady Lilia. I really don’t want to ask, but I’m going to: I’d like your opinion.” In the middle of the shining lake, Aileen turns to face Lilia. “What do you think of this situation?”
“Goodness! Hee-hee. Who would ever have thought you’d talk about the game with me, Lady Aileen? I’m so glad.” Aileen suspects the other girl will be evasive, but Lilia gives her a proper response. “People are calling Sahra the Daughter of God, but her parameters aren’t high enough. I doubt the holy sword has been repaired.”
It’s a levelheaded answer. Aileen sighs. “Agreed… I can’t sense that sort of power from her.”
“They’re only treating her as the Daughter of God because she removed the holy sword. It does look as if she’s managed to make her romantic conquests, though, so the conditions should be in place. She simply needs to complete the remaining awakening events.”
“Do you think she can, as things stand?”
She was only with them for an hour or so, but both Baal and Ares were terribly overprotective. No matter what approach is used, the events that trigger the Daughter of God’s awakening tend to be dangerous. If she’s surrounded by people like them, even attempting the events will be difficult. And in any case, Sahra doesn’t seem inclined to do so.
Leaving aside their methods, both Lilia and Serena had been proactive enough to do something about their situations on their own. As Aileen’s feeling keenly aware of just how helpful that was, one of those heroines makes an outrageous proposal. “In that case, you and I should romance Ares and Baal.”
“…Huh?”
“That way, they’ll stop being so overprotective. You’re Baal’s consort, so you work on him. I’ll go steal Ares!”
“Wait just a minute! I’m Master Claude’s wife; romancing another man isn’t—”
“You can’t do it?” Lilia closes in on her. Her eyes are sparkling brightly. “Just look at the enormous soft spot he has for the heroine, even now. If you romance Baal while he’s still the holy king, he’s sure to grant your every wish. You’ll even be able to save the demon king…”
“I-I’m not falling for that! Do you have any idea how angr— I mean, how hurt Master Claude would be?!”
“Aww. Don’t ruin our fun.” Lilia puffs out her cheeks, sulking.
Shooting her a sidelong glare, Aileen crosses her arms. “You have the right idea, though. Those two are far too blind where Sahra is concerned; we’ll have to open their eyes a bit. Ares in particular puts too much faith in the Daughter of God. If there’s a successful revolution and he becomes king, it’s going to be a headache.”
He’s sure to attack Imperial Ellmeyer without giving them any room to negotiate, then turn the holy sword on Claude.
“Do you want to adjust the situation so that Baal remains holy king?”
“Let’s see… It does look like he still has enough discretion to refrain from a relationship in order to keep the kingdom from being torn in two.”
“In that case, isn’t romancing him the only way? On the Baal route, even when he’s taken over by the fiend dragon, the power of his love for the heroine protects him. He’s treated as a hero who tried to seal the fiend dragon inside himself, and he remains the holy king to the end.”
The conversation’s come full circle. Aileen frowns, muttering to herself, before coming up with a desperate plan. “That’s it! He already has a principal consort. Let’s have Lady Roxane provide the power of love!” As she’s saying it, the plan strikes her as surprisingly ingenious.
But Lilia’s eyes are cold. “You’d assign the final boss to a villainess? This isn’t you and the demon king… All talk of the game aside, that couple is completely ignoring each other.”
“That simply goes to show they’re on each other’s mind. There is a way. Even I was treated coldly by Master Claude at first… My, this plan may actually be rather good.”
“Perhaps. If everyone were as brazen as you are.”
“Don’t be rude. We’ll just have to help out! Honestly… Were Ares and Baal always such pushovers?”
“Gracious, Lady Aileen. All love interest characters are like that.” Turning on her heel, Lilia sets off toward the shore.
Following her, Aileen suggests a possibility. “Could Sahra be conducting her romances based on the same sort of memories you and I have?”
“I really doubt it. No heroine would put herself in such an inane situation if she were self-aware.”
“Why? Her situation isn’t that bad. She’s managed to marry Ares.”
“—Oh, perhaps you don’t understand, since you’re a villainess.” A gust of wind sends ripples across the lake. “She is the heroine, remember? Her success is guaranteed. Why let that slip through her fingers? If I were her, I’d hurry and defeat the fiend dragon, successfully lead that revolution, and take over the kingdom myself.”
“…I don’t think everyone’s as bursting with ambition as you are.”
“If she has no ambition, then why do you suppose she carries herself like a superior to the principal consort, behaves as if she owns the harem, and has both her husband and the holy king waiting on her hand and foot?”
“She may just be innocent. The way you used to be.”
Lilia reaches the edge of the lake, stepping lightly, then turns. “I don’t believe I ever made you serve me at table, Lady Aileen. From start to finish, that heroine acted as if it was right and proper for everyone to treat her as if she were above the villainess.”
The low-ranking consorts had picked up on her attitude, and that had created this bizarre hierarchy.
“…True. On that point, you’re correct.”
“I’m glad you see it. Anyway, from now—”
Lilia stops in the middle of her sentence. Aileen also stiffens, staring at a spot on the lake.
Right in the middle, where the shrine had been, a woman stands listlessly. Her feet float above the water, and yet she casts no shadow. Lilia shrugs. “You and I really are cheaters. Too bad we can’t just become Daughters of God.”
“—…that…girl.”
A cracked voice drifts over to them on the wind. The woman’s eyes are hollow, and every time she speaks, waves rise on the lake.
“Tell…that girl—…king is…”
“The king?”
Did she mean the holy king? Aileen frowns. In the event, she tells you about the fiend dragon’s resurrection and the holy sword…
“—coming. As it is now, the holy sword can’t win aga…”
“…Lady Aileen. This isn’t what she says in the game.”
“Aaah… Coming… He comes…!” The woman clutches her head as if she’s frightened. Whipped up by her unease, the wind grows fiercer, building to a storm. Standing her ground, Aileen shouts. “What exactly is coming?! If you have something to say, speak clearly!”
“The demon king.”
Aileen freezes up.
Half-crazed, the previous Daughter of God screams. Her words are a prophecy. “The demon king comes! Tell that girl to make haste and restore the holy sword…!”
“……”
“Ohhh God, my God… The world will be destroyed… I beg you, protect us!”
Clasping her hands as if in prayer, the woman vanishes. Immediately the wind dies, the lake stills, and silence falls.
“…………………”
“That’s the demon king for you. He’s already on his way.”
“—That wasn’t like the event at all, was it?! She didn’t even mention the fiend dragon.”
“Probably because the demon king is coming, don’t you think? The demon king outranks the dragon. Oh, so that’s why she came to deliver a second warning.”
“Do you suppose ‘that girl’ is Sahra?”
“I wonder when he’ll get here. In a day? Two days? What do you think?”
“Be quiet!” Aileen shouts. Clutching her head, she crouches down at the edge of the lake. “He’s already located me…?! It’s too soon! It hasn’t even been a week since I disappeared!!”
“That’s the power of love. Ever since the other day, the demon king has earned my respect in that department.”
“Don’t! A love that you find impressive sounds terrifying! At any rate, we’ve learned that the holy sword hasn’t been repaired yet. If Master Claude is coming, what should our first priority—?”
Abruptly, her vision warps, and the lake vanishes. As if time has rolled back, the forest they passed through earlier is right in front of them again. This is where they parted with Rachel and Serena.
The event has ended. Feeling rather dissatisfied, Aileen has just gotten to her feet when she hears a woman’s ear-piercing scream.
Lilia murmurs, puzzled. “Was that Sahra?”
“But she shouldn’t be in the harem… In any case, let’s go!”
Aileen takes off at a run. Lilia follows her, looking perplexed. “The heroine, attacked in the harem at night… That happens after the ‘ghost’ event, doesn’t it? But the actual event is over already. What’s going on?”
“Never mind, just run! If it’s the fiend dragon, Rachel and Serena are in danger!”
The scream hadn’t sounded too far away, and as expected, it isn’t long before they see several human figures and hear the clash of swords.
“—Rachel! You’re all right?!”
“I—I am. But Lady Serena and General Ares…!”
Rachel, who has an arm around Sahra’s shoulders, directs her attention to Serena with a glance. Serena has just kicked an armed man and sent him flying. Beside her, Ares rams another man, stunning him. The fact that all the men are dressed like eunuchs makes Aileen frown. “Don’t tell me there’s been a rebellion…”
“N-no. They were all at work tending the lamps when they suddenly growled and attacked.”
“…Why is Lady Sahra here?”
“She says she was accompanying Master Ares on his patrol, since he doesn’t know his way around the harem.”
“He stopped her from going out at night, and then brought her along?!”
“I-it’s the fiend dragon,” says Sahra. Like Rachel, Sahra is standing a little ways from the action. Her face is dead white. “I-it really does control humans… What should I…? Ares…!”
“Argh, what a nuisance! What are these people? I thought this place was haunted by a ghost, not by these—!” Serena is irritated; she hits their assailants hard, but even when their eyes roll back in their heads, they get right back up. Aileen places her hands on the ground. Dealing with this situation comes first.
Sacred sword.
She shifts her attention from the stone-floored corridor to the ground below the fallen humans. The sacred sword won’t work on them, but she can dispel the magic that clings to them.
For a brief moment, a gust of wind blows up from the floor, and then the eunuchs begin collapsing as if they’ve been drugged. A step behind Aileen, Lilia smiles. “I’d expect no less of you, Lady Aileen. Although these are hardly worthy opponents.”
“Ares!”
Ares is scanning the now-silent corridor when Sahra runs to him and throws her arms around him, clinging. Wiping her brow, Serena turns back to Aileen. “You should’ve come help us sooner.”
“You are the one who’s supposed to guard me, remember? …Did this commotion break out with no warning?”
“Yes. Except I think I smelled demon snuff, just for a moment.”
“Demon snuff? But that’s strictly controlled by the church.”
“Don’t ask me. I only said I smelled it.”
Since the Kingdom of Ashmael had no demons, it didn’t see any value in kowtowing to the church. Their mutual dislike was notorious. More to the point, it was hard to imagine a nation this insular acquiring demon snuff on its own.
Still… If someone had that, they could lure the fiend dragon…
But the dragon’s resurrection was already public knowledge in this country, and even the Daughter of God was here. Why would anyone need to lure it out, if not to slay it?
Brooding, Aileen comes up beside Ares. “Do you happen to know anything about this incident?”
If reality mimics the game, this man is plotting to usurp the throne from Baal.
Ares answers indifferently. “Of course not. I can guess, but… What did Sahra say?”
“…That it was the work of the fiend dragon.”
“That settles it, then. Imagine allowing the fiend dragon to invade the harem… The principal consort has blundered.”
“Lady Roxane?” Aileen frowns; she hadn’t expected that accusation.
Ares snorts. “She rejected my proposal on the dubious grounds that the harem was under her jurisdiction and wouldn’t let me make any security recommendations. Now this happens. What would you call that, if not a blunder?”
“…Lady Roxane is your former fiancée, but she doesn’t trust you.”
“She’s probably holding a grudge over the broken engagement. She’s proud… I did my best by her, though.”
“Your best?”
“That’s right. She couldn’t have become principal consort if I hadn’t allowed it. She’s ungrateful, and on top of that, she flaunts it as if it was a personal achievement. She has no idea.”
Aileen’s fingers tighten around her upper arms. She doesn’t know Roxane well enough to deny any of this. However, the man’s attitude toward his former fiancée is his true nature. She’s certain of that.
“In the first place, the fiend dragon is active again, and I am a general. In a situation like this, no place should be beyond my reach. Surely King Baal won’t complain. Putting that aside, I thank you for your help. I’ll take care of the rest; you may go now. I’m sure you don’t want to draw baseless suspicion to yourself.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“You’re one of Roxane’s supporters, aren’t you? Although I can’t see why.” Quietly, Ares looks down at Aileen. “There’s a rumor that her grudge against Sahra is so great she’s secretly communicating with the fiend dragon.”
“……”
“Whatever the consequences, they’re no concern of mine. But know that I will not forgive anyone who harms Sahra.”
With that, Ares puts an arm around Sahra’s trembling shoulders and calls for someone to come tend to the fallen eunuchs.
The area is suddenly bustling with activity, and Rachel calls to her softly. “Lady Aileen. We’ll stand out here.”
“…Yes, you’re right. Let’s withdraw for now. There’s something I must take steps against, and quickly.”
“What, did something else happen?”
“Lady Lilia. I’m adopting your plan… We’ll avert that civil war.”
Lilia looks stunned. Then she smirks. “Hee-hee. I admire the way you deny the game yet continue to make use of it, Lady Aileen.”
“Only if that is how reality stands… May I leave the information gathering to you?”
“Gracious, who do you think you’re talking to?” Lilia’s smile is so dauntless it’s unsettling. She had never thought the woman would seem reassuringly reliable. Not that she’ll let her off the leash entirely, of course.
“Serena, you accompany Lady Lilia. I’ll pay you a special allowance.”
“—Fine. I plan to squeeze you dry.”
“Rachel, you’re with me. Hurry. There’s no time.”
Aileen turns on her heel. Behind her, Lilia claps her hands together lightly. “Very true. After all, the demon king will be here soon.”
