Blood Princess, Kill them All

Dark Clouds Looming

The young girl tightly held Mary’s hand as they ran together. It appeared that she lived in a small house with her parents, a small family of three.

“First, could you tell me your name?”

“I’m Ami Hedira. Twelve years old!”

She seemed to be around the same age as she claimed.

The wound on her cheek marred her face, appearing quite painful. Unfortunately, as the Death Arcana, Mary lacked the ability to heal others’ wounds.

After a short while, they reached Ami’s house, and coincidentally, her parents were in the living room. When they spotted Mary, their reaction was nothing short of astonishment. Both of them almost toppled off their chairs at the same time.

“A-A-Ami, is that person…”

“She’s Lady Mary!”

“S-She’s… an actual princess is here! Ah, first…”

“Tea!”

“Yes, we must serve tea!”

“Please don’t worry too much. I don’t plan on staying for long.”

“My Lady, even if you say that, we can’t just offer nothing to a princess… Oh, even if it’s just something simple.”

“Let’s bring out everything we have!”

“Got it!”

As Mary witnessed the couple’s flustered state, a twinge of guilt washed over her. It was her first time visiting a commoner’s house, and she observed the interior with great interest.

“Here, please take a seat!”

“Thank you, Ami.”

“Ah, Lady Mary said my name…” Blushing, Ami fidgeted shyly. Energized by the joy, she hopped lightly towards the kitchen to help her mother.

“She’s such a lively child.”

“I’m honored to receive your kind words, My Lady. Despite our limited means, it’s a blessing to see her grow up cheerfully.”

As Mary settled into her chair, her eyes caught sight of the newspaper resting on the table. The headline on the front page read, “Bloody Princess Slaughters All.”

“Is this… today’s newspaper? It seems like things have already spiraled into chaos.”

“T-That’s only natural! The heir of Duke Slaver has died. Our village’s already in a celebratory mood!” Ami’s father spoke nervously, his shoulders tensed.

Mary could only let out a wry smile. “A celebration, huh? Is Romeo’s death really something to rejoice about?”

“Of course! My Lady, you must’ve seen how this village has deteriorated. The Slaver territory’s been amassing power, to the extent that it’s rumored to soon become an independent kingdom. And as you know…”

“Their military might, I presume.”

“Exactly. Duke Dugan only focuses on military affairs, neglecting us farmers. In line with that, Lord Logan, who governs this village, exploits us. He’s the type who wouldn’t hesitate to resort to violence! Even if we revolt, we can’t oppose him since we can’t even afford firearms.”

While soldiers naturally possessed magitech firearms, they were quite costly for ordinary people. If it was the latest model, its price might equate to that of this house.

“They even built such an imposing tower to look down on us…”

Mary nodded in agreement. She too thought the building was excessively grand, and it seemed that the nearby commoners shared the same sentiment. However, it might have been purposefully designed to assert authority, aligning with Dugan’s intentions.

“And then you showed up there, Princess Mary…”

“I was merely seeking revenge…”

“Even so!” The man’s eyes were bloodshot, and his voice grew stronger.

Startled by his forceful tone, the mother and daughter, who were busy preparing sweets in the kitchen, turned their heads in surprise.

“Could you see the courage Lord Romeo’s death instilled in us?! The hope it brought! Oh, Princess Mary, when you finally eliminate Duke Dugan, could you lead us? Surely, you would understand our suffering. Please, oh please!”

“Dad, it’s not polite to talk like that to Lady Mary!”

“But Ami, we’ve got no other choice! We must take action now, or else…!”

Ami’s father pleaded desperately, tears welling up in his eyes, his determination unwavering.

I had a hunch it’s going to be like this when I heard Ami’s story.

I’m well aware of the growing wealth disparity in this country. But I have my own mission. I won’t let sentimentality hinder me.

“I understand how you feel.”

“Princess Mary…!”

“But I won’t become a hero.”

“Why not?!”

“Because this is about revenge. My sister was murdered. That’s why I killed Romeo. And I will also take down Duke Slaver, the one who ordered my sister’s death. But that’s where it ends. I don’t know what will become of the Slaver territory once its rulers are gone.”

“T-That’s… irresponsible…”

“Yes, it is irresponsible. Taking a life is exactly that.”

It may come across as blunt, but it’s far better than being falsely idolized as a hero. If, by chance, they could be of use in seeking revenge, then it would be worth considering. However, they are commoners.

If they were to idealize Mary as a hero, it would only lead their downfall. In that case, she believed it’s best not to get involved.

“Please don’t have any expectations. After I’m done with Duke Slaver, it’s up to you to decide what to do. I won’t be involved.”

“But princess, even if you say that… in the end, another noble will do the same…”

“Dad, it’s impolite to burden the princess.”

“But…”

“It’s not right to impose on her.”

Ami’s surprisingly understanding words caught Mary off guard. As she looked at her, Ami revealed her crooked teeth and chuckled innocently, saying, “Sorry for my dad, he’s always like this, hehe.”

◇◇◇

Afterward, the father, who managed to regain his composure, apologized to Mary. As Ami had pointed out, they had been too forward for a first meeting.

Mary, on her part, had no intention of getting angry. She recognized that they were genuinely good-hearted people for readily accepting their mistake.

Taking their words to heart, she was treated to a lunch. It was a simple simmered dish made with potatoes from the field—not extravagant, and the flavor was mild, but there was an ample portion.

Mary devoured the dish in one go, surprising Ami and her family.

Later on, Mary, though feeling somewhat ungrateful, had planned to leave the village as soon as possible. But it seemed that Ami and her family had different intentions in mind.

“We were planning to have a feast tonight. Please stay and celebrate with us!”

“Everyone would be delighted to see Lady Mary! Isn’t that right, Mom?”

“Yes, we can’t guarantee that the food will meet your royal taste, but we’ll prepare the best dishes we can. Please, we insist.”

The family appeared carefree—or rather, they were filled with excitement. Meanwhile, soldiers were currently scouring the area in search of Mary.

“I can’t stay for long. If the soldiers were to discover my presence, it would put all of you at risk,” Mary explained. She noticed a bruise on Ami’s cheek, despite her smiling face. It must still be painful.

“But it’s something we need! Just catching a glimpse of you would be enough. Please, we beg of you!”

“Even if you plead like that…” Mary struggled with her decision.

Ami looked at her with teary eyes, her father clinging to Mary’s words, and her mother bowing her head to the ground.

Mary had a naturally gentle nature. No matter how consumed she was by revenge, she couldn’t simply brush off the plea of those who had provided her with a meal.

“…I can’t attend the feast.”

“Princess Mary…”

“However, if you only want me to be present, then bring them here. Once it’s over, I’ll leave the village. Can we consider that as a gesture of gratitude for the meal?”

“Oh… that’s more than enough! Please wait here, we’ll go and gather everyone right away!”

“Just to confirm, none of you will inform the lord of my whereabouts, will you?”

“There’s no way! Everyone here holds a grudge against Logan. Who would ever try to win favor with such a man?”

“In that case—please ensure that you don’t attract too much attention.”

“Of course, of course! Let’s hurry and call everyone!”

The three of them rushed out of the house.

As Mary observed their departing figures with a tinge of concern, she let out a sigh and turned her gaze to the outside view through a gap in the curtains. A small portion of the field was visible, and while it might appear fertile to the untrained eye, Mary couldn’t help but feel uncertain.

“When it comes to governing a nation, ensuring food supply is of utmost importance. Yet both Duke Slaver and my father seem to neglect the farmers…”

Even though we haven’t experienced major crop failures recently, the country is somehow managing to function. But what will happen when that time comes?

Suddenly, Francis’s words came to her mind. “Yeah, I agree that it’s a problem. But I don’t believe The Duke hasn’t considered anything. I hate to admit it, but being a ruler means being cunning, just like Father.”

Francis’s self-deprecating tone resonated with Mary. She shared the same sentiment.

“There’s no way that person hasn’t considered it. Does he have alternative measures, or does he believe that bolstering military power is more important than addressing the food issue?”

Regardless, Mary’s only task was to kill. But the growing presence of military power each passing day could become an obstacle for her. If she could understand the underlying reasons, it wouldn’t hurt to know.

Lost in her contemplations, Ami quickly returned with the villagers in tow.

“Look, it’s the real Princess Mary!”

“Oh… Oh, it’s truly Princess Mary…! We’re grateful, so grateful…!”

They worshipped her as if she were a deity. Bewildered by their reverence, Mary initiated a dialogue with them to fulfill her duty.

◇◇◇

“Here’s a little secret—Princess Mary, she’s taking shelter with us, you know?!”

“Really!? The same princess who offed Lord Romeo?”

Ami’s father had been spreading the word about Mary to their neighbors. When they heard the truth, everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment. But soon after, their eyes began to sparkle like those of children.

Mary’s presence was a glimmer of hope that tore through their mundane, impoverished lives.

“Oh, I’m sure you want to meet her too, right?”

“Of course. But it’s a right bother to do it now, can it wait?”

“Sure, but it seems that she wants to leave the village as soon as possible, the sooner, the better.”

“I-I understand.”

After hearing the story from Ami’s father and bidding him farewell, a middle-aged man immediately dashed away. There was a flicker in his eyes, but it was dim and murky. He hurriedly moved his thin legs, gasping for breath, occasionally stumbling along the poorly maintained path.

“Heh heh, well, that’s what one would do. After all, the early bird catches the worm.”

And so, he arrived at the grand estate of Lord Logan. The gatekeeper, clad in a suit of outdated armor, pointed his spear at him.

The man raised both hands to show he meant no harm and spoke up. “Please hold on. I’ve come to inform Lord Logan about Mary’s whereabouts!”

The gatekeeper, with a disdainful glare at the man’s servile smile, either received permission from Logan or made the decision himself, gesturing to let him inside.

The man was escorted by soldiers as he stepped onto the premises. He entered the mansion, passed through the doors adorned with gilded decorations, and faced the lord himself.

Logan, a man adorned with jingling gold rings on both hands, dressed in flashy attire, sporting blond hair and a slightly overweight physique. With the lavish interior and his ostentatious taste, it was clear to anyone that he had newly acquired wealth.

Seated with his legs crossed, Logan chuckled scornfully as soon as he laid eyes on the disheveled man entering the room. “So, it seems you know where she’s hiding.”

“S-She’s holed up at the Hedira residence.”

“I see… but that’s odd. Mary, the one who murdered Lord Romeo, is supposed to be a savior to you, isn’t she?”

“Not at all! We owe our livelihood to Lord Logan and Lord Dugan. Heh heh.”

“But you’ve shared Mary’s whereabouts with me, expecting a reward, right? Isn’t that the case?”

“W-Well… heheh. If there’s somethin’ to gain, I wouldn’t mind… heheh.”

“Hahaha, you’re an honest one. So lacking in pride, truly miserable, just like a commoner. Ironically, I quite like someone like you.”

“H-Heh heh, hehehe, th-thank you kindly…”

Despite being looked down upon and insulted, the man continued to grovel shamelessly.

Like Ami and the others, he harbored a dislike for Romeo and Logan. However, unlike the residents of the Hedira household, he didn’t find any solace in Mary’s existence. Instead, he made the calculated decision to sell the info and line his own pockets. Naturally, Logan wasn’t blind to his motives.

Logan’s gaze towards the man revealed a complete disregard for human dignity, seeing him as nothing more than a despicable piece of trash.

“By the way, can you… use Analyze?”

“Do you mean the spell? Yeah, I can do a bit of that.”

“Use it and take a look at me. Come on, what does the magic evaluation say?”

“…It says 1574. Haha, that’s impressive. As expected, My Lord is a proper noble. You’re a top-notch mage.”

“That’s right. I’m no run-of-the-mill grunt. I’ve got noble blood running in these veins. I can use magic without relying on those fancy magitech guns. Watch this…”

Logan pointed his hand at the man and shot a beam of light. It grazed his cheek and scorched the wall behind him.

“Huh… Haha, Lord Logan sure got a taste for jokes.”

“The noble light I emit, it’s as valuable as gold bars.”

“Huh… What?”

“Don’t you think it’s a reward too good for the likes of you?”

“W-Wait…”

The second shot—this time, it hit the man square in the face. In an instant, his skin melted, and his flesh decayed. With only his skull showing from the neck up, the man keeled over, his life snuffed out without even a scream.

“Hey, someone, get rid of this trash!”

As Logan gave the order, soldiers came quick to haul the corpse away. Then he turned to another soldier and said, “Oh, and prepare that weapon we discussed.”

“Understood. But that weapon…?”

“Using it would mean the annihilation of the villagers, right?”

Logans grinned, revealing his white teeth. “That’s fine. If Mary dies, Lord Dugan will shower me with praise. I’ll get a reward worth some spare change, and then I can finally escape this godforsaken backwater village and set up my own fancy mansion in Captis.”

Despite the capital being just a stone’s throw away, he finds himself ruling over this forsaken farming village—a complex that swirls within his heart.

His indulgence in newfound wealth is likely an expression of that insecurity.

“But hey, if it means achieving all that, I’m not too bothered about sacrificing a bunch of commoners. They can be my stepping stones, happily weeping tears of joy in the afterlife. Kukukuku.”

Logan contorted his mouth, his belly trembling with laughter as he let out a heartily chuckle.

***