I Reincarnated as a Mob Villain Prince Who Dies Before the Game Starts ~ In Order to Be Happy with My Favorite Heroine's Younger Sister, I Overcame My Weakest Magic [Dark Blade] with Excessive Effort, and It Became the Strongest Broken Power ~ - Chapter 12: S-Rank Adventurer, The Mob Prince's True Strength Shocks Everyone

Chapter 12: S-Rank Adventurer, The Mob Prince’s True Strength Shocks Everyone

[S-Rank Adventurer Gain’s Perspective]

“What… what are you?”

I grabbed the dress-clad girl’s kick and hung her in the air.

What shocked me was her monstrous physical ability. Her movements were like lightning-fast wind.

If I hadn’t grabbed her, that kick could have hit my side, causing some serious damage.

“Let me go! Let me gooooooo!”

My hand was numb from holding onto her kick. Even now, I was struggling to keep the girl under control.

She’s a crazy wild one.

“Dear!? What are you doing to Master Gain all of a sudden!? Have you forgotten the promise?”

“But that man hit my brother hard with a sword…!”

“This is sword training! That’s normal, isn’t it?”

“It’s not normal! Mother and I are so worried because every day, my brother comes back all covered in wounds!”

The girl managed to force herself free from my grip and, like a cat, bristled her hair and glared at me.

“I’ll beat you! Prepare yourself!”

“…So, you’re the monster princess who’s descended from the Dark Elf royal family.”

She’s Princess Diana, rumored to have been born with magical talent, raised as the Empire’s ultimate weapon.

It’s said she even repelled an Archdemon when she was only four years old, and now she’s known as the “Monster Princess” in the streets.

I had heard she was restricted from using magic outside the prison tower with a “Magic Sealing Collar”…

But this girl isn’t just magically gifted. Doesn’t she have strength that could rival an adult?

“Master Gain, please don’t call Diana the Monster Princess. She’s my cute little sister.”

At that moment, Luke released an aura that made my spine chill.

What…?

For a moment, I felt like this kid was even more of a monster than my sister, but was I imagining that?

“Ah! Brother, I’m so happy! Yes, let’s both beat this guy up together!”

She spoke politely, but what she said was seriously dangerous.

“No. I need to defeat him by myself for it to mean anything, so you go home first.”

Luke approached Diana and gently patted her head.

Diana, feeling pleased, snuggled up to her brother.

Looking at them, I realized they were about the same age as my daughter, Lena.

“…Sorry, Luke. That was an inappropriate comment.”

I apologized to Luke.

“I’m glad you understand, Master Gain. Now, Diana, apologize to Master Gain.”

“Muu… But, this man hit my brother…”

“Diana!”

“I’m sorry for attacking you, Master Dandelion.”

Diana reluctantly apologized. Now she seemed like just an ordinary girl her age.

“…Wait, what’s this ‘Master Dandelion’?”

The strange name threw me off a little.

“Your alias is ‘Dandelion,’ isn’t it? That’s why I call you Master Dandelion.”

“Well, yes, that’s true. But it sounds so weak, stop it.”

“Dandelion! Dandelion! If you’re so tough, try and catch me, Master Dandelion!”

“You… unlike my brother, you’re kind of a jerk.”

Diana clapped her hands and cheered.

“Listen, if you bully my brother, I won’t forgive you! I’ll call you ‘Master Dandelion’ forever and mock you!”

Diana pointed at me.

I couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle.

“I see. I understand now that it’s scary to upset a princess. But I still have to do my job properly.”

“Of course, Master, please don’t hold back during sword training.”

“…Muu. Since I’m worried about my brother, I’m going to watch every day from now on.”

“What…? Are you serious?”

“I’ll come, even if you tell me not to, Master Dandelion.”

“Hey, are you going to keep calling me that?”

As I made a remark to Diana, I started thinking.

If she’s coming every day, it’ll be difficult to stage an accident and kill Luke inside the palace.

Wait… hold on.

If I use this as an excuse to delay Luke’s assassination, maybe I can rescue Lena in the meantime…

For me, who doesn’t want to kill Luke, Diana’s appearance is a blessing.

“Alright, Diana, I’ll let you watch from the best seat every day. Go get a chair.”

“Why are you suddenly acting so sweet… it’s creepy, Master Dandelion.”

Diana looked at me with a suspicious face.

※※※

Four days later, at night, I snuck into a villa owned by Empress Camilla to rescue Lena.

I had asked Zyras multiple times to check on Lena’s well-being and had gathered clues about her confinement location.

I was sure this was the place.

In Zyras’s crystal ball, Lena had always been in a noble-looking place.

Empress Camilla owned multiple villas. I bribed a servant working at one of them to get information about a little girl being brought there.

It took a while, but I finally found Lena. I couldn’t wait to get her out.

Trying to calm my excited feelings, I placed my hand on the basement door when suddenly a voice came from behind me.

“I’m not impressed by this illegal break-in, Gain. Have you become a thief?”

“What!?”

I turned around to see the elderly maid, Zyras, standing there.

I didn’t even sense her presence… she’s like a ghost.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on your movements. It’s better for your daughter if you don’t do anything rash.”

“Sorry… I just wanted to see for myself if Lena is really alive.”

I shrugged.

“If she’s here, can I meet her?”

Once I know where Lena is, I just have to beat this woman and save her.

“You’re a suspicious man.”

Zyras took out her crystal ball and showed me.

Lena’s sleeping figure appeared in it, but her confinement place had changed. In a modest room, Lena was sitting on a shabby chair, looking asleep.

…Dammit, was I played from the start, or did she move the place after learning I was snooping around?

“Are you satisfied now? There’s no daughter here.”

Zyras laughed through her nose.

“Stop poking around and focus on your work. If you do anything weird again, you’ll meet your daughter’s corpse.”

“Ugh…”

I grit my teeth.

Three more days passed without me finding any solutions.

That morning, Empress Camilla called for me.

“You’ve earned Luke’s trust, haven’t you?”

She must have received reports from Zyras about me. Knowing I had no more moves, she wore a satisfied smile.

“…Yeah.”

“Hehehe, well, now for the final stage. I’ve called a skilled beast tamer from my family. Lure Luke into the forest under the pretext of combat training, and let the magical beasts have their way with him.”

Though it was too soon for a 7-year-old to deal with magical beasts, no one would object if I, an S-rank adventurer employed by the Emperor, went along.

“If you have the beasts kill that kid, no one will ever find out I was the mastermind.”

“If I do this, you’ll lift the magic seal on Lena and release her safely, right?”

“Of course. I’ll give you the rest of your payment as well.”

It all sounded suspicious, but I had no other choice.

…Sorry, Luke, Diana. Hate me.

The next day, I told Luke we were going to hunt magical beasts and took him into the forest.

Camilla had arranged for the beast tamer to bring six griffins, B-rank magical beasts that could fly.

They controlled wind magic and were capable of tearing a person apart from a distance. Six of them was an extravagant number.

Unbelievable, just to kill a kid, they went to such lengths.

Luke had grown incredibly strong, but since he only had a sword as his means of attack, surviving against six griffins was impossible.

That’s what I thought…

On the second day of searching the forest—

Six griffins appeared from the shadows of the trees and attacked Luke.

Three of them charged at him in the front, while the remaining three used wind magic to attack from behind in a perfect formation.

Luke hadn’t been taught how to deal with magic yet. I thought it was over for him.

But then…

“【Titan’s Great Sword】Titan’s Sword!”

The three griffins in front were sliced in half by a massive sword that looked like it belonged to a giant.

“What!?”

I was forced to realize Luke’s true strength.