“Rules of the Aristocracy”
“No.”
“Why not?”
As we discussed the future handling of the Second Princess, there was a difference of opinion between me and the Demon Lord. I believed it was better to apprehend the Second Princess immediately before she could cause any trouble, while the Demon Lord advocated waiting until she actually committed an offense.
“At present, Saniya hasn’t done anything wrong. If we restrain her without a valid reason, we’ll be the ones blamed.”
“It’s because of the intricacies of the aristocracy… That’s why dealing with you aristocrats is such a pain.”
In essence, unless the Second Princess committed an act that clearly violated the demon laws, it would be difficult to apprehend her. It was similar to cases of molestation or voyeurism in my previous life. These acts were challenging to prove because the evidence was often lacking. Even if a victim claimed, “This person molested me,” the accused could counter with, “Do you have clear evidence that I did?” Presenting evidence was usually difficult.
That was why law enforcement agencies, like the police, primarily focused on apprehending criminals in the act. Of course, this approach didn’t always prevent molestation or voyeurism from happening in the first place, leading to victims.
A bit off-topic, but the same principle applied to the Second Princess in this case. Unless she violated the laws of the demon realm, we could not convict her.
It was crucial to clarify this point because, without it, she could potentially use false accusations as a shield and make unreasonable demands. In the past, some nobles even used baseless false accusations to push for impossible requests.
“In this case, unless the other party exposes themselves, we cannot apprehend them. Of course, it’s better to prevent any incidents before they occur.” the Demon Lord said.
“In that case, to ensure nobody finds out, we should eliminate the Second Princess—”
“You don’t need to say the rest! I already know what you’re thinking!”
The phrase “It’s okay if nobody finds out” had been used, implying that if we assassinated the Second Princess and nobody knew about it, we could avoid the trouble. However, it seemed even that was unacceptable. Honestly, for a demon, he was quite concerned about such details.
As I pondered this, a tremendous tremor suddenly shook the ground. I instinctively tensed my lower body and managed to avoid falling.
“W-What in the world is happening?”
“Could it be that the Second Princess is resorting to the use of force? Well, now we have a reason to eliminate her.”
“Again with those thoughts… Anyway, there’s no choice but to go outside and check.”
As I contemplated the assassination of the Second Princess with enthusiasm, the Demon Lord, who disagreed, and I rushed out of the room together.
*****
—A little before Rolando and the others rushed out of the room upon hearing the commotion
~ Side Cham ~
“…”
I was kneeling in Princess Sanya’s room. Despite her childlike appearance, she was incredibly powerful, and I couldn’t do anything to stop her. I had already failed my mission, and I felt utterly worthless. However, there was no time to lament my powerlessness.
“I need to report it.”
I couldn’t afford to dwell on my own weakness now. I had to return to my master and report what had happened. Even if I were blamed for the mission’s failure or even killed, loyalty meant serving faithfully.
I whipped my still sluggish body, a result of her magic, into action and hurried back to where my master awaited.
“Oh, you’re later than usual. So, how’s Sara?”
“Well…”
As I was about to make my final report to my master, a sudden flash of light emanated from my body. The light was infused with magical energy, and it was a kind of magic I recognized instantly. It was his magic.
The released magic circulated around my body, trying to activate a particular spell. It was likely the magic called Condition Contract, which he had used.
This was a type of contractual magic that bound the spell’s target to fulfill the terms stipulated by the caster. Breaking the contract would result in specific penalties.
I braced myself, wondering what kind of punishment awaited me. However, the light gradually weakened and disappeared completely in the next moment. Yet, my body underwent a sudden transformation.
“Ahahahaha!”
“W-what are you laughing at!? Stop it!”
“Ukiyakiyakiyakiya! Not there!”
I couldn’t stop laughing, and it felt like someone was tickling me. Saniya-sama ordered me to stop, but I couldn’t obey. If this was the magic he had placed on me, what kind of diabolical curse had he imposed? I shivered at the thought.
If the penalty he had mentioned, “death would be preferable,” was anything like this, then indeed, death would be preferable. In death, there would be no more suffering, a genuine release. But this curse offered nothing but endless torment, and the only way to break free was to adhere to the conditions he had set.
“Please stop laughing!”
“Hey, it’s getting quite lively here.”
As Saniya-sama raised her voice, Gregory-sama arrived. He had contributed to this incident in some way and was a collaborator, but he was also someone whose trustworthiness was questionable.
“Hmm, it seems she’s under the influence of some strange magic. This feeling is likely related to contract magic.”
“What do you mean!?”
“Most likely, when she tries to disclose the information, the contract obstructs her. It seems like a form of punishment where she can’t stop laughing. In a way, it’s hell.”
Gregory-sama explained in his usual nonchalant manner, while my laughter echoed throughout the room. However, in the next moment, Saniya-sama took an extraordinary action.
“Indeed, so that means this child failed his mission.”
“That seems to be the case.”
“In that case, it’s quite simple. A pawn that’s no longer useful needs to be disposed of! Die. [Blow Cutter].”
Upon learning of my mission failure, Saniya-sama cast magic at me. However, strangely, her magic never reached me.
At that moment, I was unaware that the magic he had cast included a provision preventing harm to third parties. My demise was shielded by the appearance of an invisible barrier.
“What is this supposed to be!?”
“Hmm, it seems the person who cast this contract magic is quite malicious.”
I agreed with Gregory-sama’s assessment. This detail was omitted from the explanation I had received earlier, and it clearly reflected a sinister personality.
“Damn, damn, damn, damn it! Why isn’t everything going my way!? …Fine, it’s a bit early, but let’s use this.”
“Wait! Hold on, Princess. Don’t use that yet.”
Saniya-sama, who had become hysterical, seemed to regain her composure as she retrieved a necklace from somewhere and put it on. Suddenly, an enormous amount of magic power surged, unlike anything I had felt before.
Seeing this, Gregory-sama appeared unusually anxious and tried to stop her, but she paid no heed to his warnings. Instead, Saniya-sama gathered that magic power in her hand and unleashed her magic.
“Destroy everything! [Chaotic Catastrophe]!”
The next moment, my field of vision turned pure white, and when I came to my senses, there was a massive explosion, obliterating everything in the vicinity.
“Rules of the Aristocracy”
“No.”
“Why not?”
As we discussed the future handling of the Second Princess, there was a difference of opinion between me and the Demon Lord. I believed it was better to apprehend the Second Princess immediately before she could cause any trouble, while the Demon Lord advocated waiting until she actually committed an offense.
“At present, Saniya hasn’t done anything wrong. If we restrain her without a valid reason, we’ll be the ones blamed.”
“It’s because of the intricacies of the aristocracy… That’s why dealing with you aristocrats is such a pain.”
In essence, unless the Second Princess committed an act that clearly violated the demon laws, it would be difficult to apprehend her. It was similar to cases of molestation or voyeurism in my previous life. These acts were challenging to prove because the evidence was often lacking. Even if a victim claimed, “This person molested me,” the accused could counter with, “Do you have clear evidence that I did?” Presenting evidence was usually difficult.
That was why law enforcement agencies, like the police, primarily focused on apprehending criminals in the act. Of course, this approach didn’t always prevent molestation or voyeurism from happening in the first place, leading to victims.
A bit off-topic, but the same principle applied to the Second Princess in this case. Unless she violated the laws of the demon realm, we could not convict her.
It was crucial to clarify this point because, without it, she could potentially use false accusations as a shield and make unreasonable demands. In the past, some nobles even used baseless false accusations to push for impossible requests.
“In this case, unless the other party exposes themselves, we cannot apprehend them. Of course, it’s better to prevent any incidents before they occur.” the Demon Lord said.
“In that case, to ensure nobody finds out, we should eliminate the Second Princess—”
“You don’t need to say the rest! I already know what you’re thinking!”
The phrase “It’s okay if nobody finds out” had been used, implying that if we assassinated the Second Princess and nobody knew about it, we could avoid the trouble. However, it seemed even that was unacceptable. Honestly, for a demon, he was quite concerned about such details.
As I pondered this, a tremendous tremor suddenly shook the ground. I instinctively tensed my lower body and managed to avoid falling.
“W-What in the world is happening?”
“Could it be that the Second Princess is resorting to the use of force? Well, now we have a reason to eliminate her.”
“Again with those thoughts… Anyway, there’s no choice but to go outside and check.”
As I contemplated the assassination of the Second Princess with enthusiasm, the Demon Lord, who disagreed, and I rushed out of the room together.
*****
—A little before Rolando and the others rushed out of the room upon hearing the commotion
~ Side Cham ~
“…”
I was kneeling in Princess Sanya’s room. Despite her childlike appearance, she was incredibly powerful, and I couldn’t do anything to stop her. I had already failed my mission, and I felt utterly worthless. However, there was no time to lament my powerlessness.
“I need to report it.”
I couldn’t afford to dwell on my own weakness now. I had to return to my master and report what had happened. Even if I were blamed for the mission’s failure or even killed, loyalty meant serving faithfully.
I whipped my still sluggish body, a result of her magic, into action and hurried back to where my master awaited.
“Oh, you’re later than usual. So, how’s Sara?”
“Well…”
As I was about to make my final report to my master, a sudden flash of light emanated from my body. The light was infused with magical energy, and it was a kind of magic I recognized instantly. It was his magic.
The released magic circulated around my body, trying to activate a particular spell. It was likely the magic called Condition Contract, which he had used.
This was a type of contractual magic that bound the spell’s target to fulfill the terms stipulated by the caster. Breaking the contract would result in specific penalties.
I braced myself, wondering what kind of punishment awaited me. However, the light gradually weakened and disappeared completely in the next moment. Yet, my body underwent a sudden transformation.
“Ahahahaha!”
“W-what are you laughing at!? Stop it!”
“Ukiyakiyakiyakiya! Not there!”
I couldn’t stop laughing, and it felt like someone was tickling me. Saniya-sama ordered me to stop, but I couldn’t obey. If this was the magic he had placed on me, what kind of diabolical curse had he imposed? I shivered at the thought.
If the penalty he had mentioned, “death would be preferable,” was anything like this, then indeed, death would be preferable. In death, there would be no more suffering, a genuine release. But this curse offered nothing but endless torment, and the only way to break free was to adhere to the conditions he had set.
“Please stop laughing!”
“Hey, it’s getting quite lively here.”
As Saniya-sama raised her voice, Gregory-sama arrived. He had contributed to this incident in some way and was a collaborator, but he was also someone whose trustworthiness was questionable.
“Hmm, it seems she’s under the influence of some strange magic. This feeling is likely related to contract magic.”
“What do you mean!?”
“Most likely, when she tries to disclose the information, the contract obstructs her. It seems like a form of punishment where she can’t stop laughing. In a way, it’s hell.”
Gregory-sama explained in his usual nonchalant manner, while my laughter echoed throughout the room. However, in the next moment, Saniya-sama took an extraordinary action.
“Indeed, so that means this child failed his mission.”
“That seems to be the case.”
“In that case, it’s quite simple. A pawn that’s no longer useful needs to be disposed of! Die. [Blow Cutter].”
Upon learning of my mission failure, Saniya-sama cast magic at me. However, strangely, her magic never reached me.
At that moment, I was unaware that the magic he had cast included a provision preventing harm to third parties. My demise was shielded by the appearance of an invisible barrier.
“What is this supposed to be!?”
“Hmm, it seems the person who cast this contract magic is quite malicious.”
I agreed with Gregory-sama’s assessment. This detail was omitted from the explanation I had received earlier, and it clearly reflected a sinister personality.
“Damn, damn, damn, damn it! Why isn’t everything going my way!? …Fine, it’s a bit early, but let’s use this.”
“Wait! Hold on, Princess. Don’t use that yet.”
Saniya-sama, who had become hysterical, seemed to regain her composure as she retrieved a necklace from somewhere and put it on. Suddenly, an enormous amount of magic power surged, unlike anything I had felt before.
Seeing this, Gregory-sama appeared unusually anxious and tried to stop her, but she paid no heed to his warnings. Instead, Saniya-sama gathered that magic power in her hand and unleashed her magic.
“Destroy everything! [Chaotic Catastrophe]!”
The next moment, my field of vision turned pure white, and when I came to my senses, there was a massive explosion, obliterating everything in the vicinity.
