The Abandoned Saint I Picked Up is a Side Character in an Otome Game and Turns Out to Be the World's Strongest Mage. I Plan to Rescue the Heroine Who Couldn't Achieve Her Happy Ending in a Dungeon. - Chapter 15

“Roland! Do you realize what you’ve done!?”

“B-But, Father!”

After Christiana and Endo’s group stormed the royal castle of Andarencia Kingdom, the king summoned Roland from the academy to explain the situation.

Upon hearing the full story, the king erupted in anger and berated the crown prince.

Roland hastily tried to defend himself.

“B-But, Father! Ariel is a witch! If we leave someone with such terrifying magical power unchecked, it will bring harm to the kingdom!”

“Which is exactly why we should have brought her under our protection and placed her within our care! And yet, you exiled her without consulting me and didn’t even bother to report it!”

“T-That’s…”

“Not only that, Roland, but you intentionally silenced the academy staff to ensure they wouldn’t inform me of your actions, didn’t you!?”

The truth was, the king had been completely unaware of Roland’s activities at the academy.

To be frank, the king wasn’t particularly competent.

However, the kingdom thrived because his advisors and subordinates supported him, ensuring the stability of his reign.

This time, that system had backfired. By controlling the flow of information, Roland had kept the king in the dark, resulting in the chaotic ambush on the royal castle.

“You are to be placed under house arrest for the time being!”

“F-Father! What about Angelica!?”

“…We’re assembling a rescue team as we speak. Christiana mentioned a dungeon. She was likely referring to the sacred dungeon created by the first king to honor the spirits.”

“Then allow me to lead Angelica’s rescue!”

“Don’t be absurd! That dungeon isn’t something a mere student like you could ever conquer! Listen well—you are forbidden from returning to the academy until further notice!”

Shouting his final order, the king stormed out of the room, still brimming with fury.

Roland stood silently, watching his father’s retreating back, his fists clenched and trembling with frustration.

Moments later, a young man entered Roland’s room without so much as a knock. He approached the crown prince casually, speaking to him as though addressing an equal.

“You really managed to tick off His Majesty this time, didn’t you, Roland?”

“Jail… You again.”

The young man’s name was Jail.

He was the heir to a duke’s family that had supported Anderencia Kingdom for generations. A year older than Roland, he was both his childhood friend and confidant.

Jail was notorious for his womanizing tendencies, but his academic achievements and magical prowess were undeniable.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean, are you going to rescue Lady Angelica or not? She’s been abducted by a mage, hasn’t she?”

“Of course I’ll rescue her. As her brother, it’s my duty. No matter what.”

At Roland’s firm declaration, Jail chuckled wryly.

Jail was well aware that Angelica didn’t see Roland as just a brother—she harbored romantic feelings for him.

But Roland, oblivious as ever, had no clue.

If Roland succeeded in rescuing Angelica, her feelings for him would undoubtedly deepen.

She would likely grow even more possessive, warding off any women who dared approach him.

The king doted on Angelica to a fault. If she disapproved of a potential partner, Roland might very well remain single for the rest of his life.

Jail couldn’t help but wonder, with a mix of amusement and concern, what he would do if his dear friend ended up living his days as a bachelor.

As Jail entertained his idle musings, he turned to Roland, whose resolve was clear, and offered his support.

“Then I’ll help you. I’ve already reached out to a few people.”

“W-What? That’s… surprisingly prepared of you.”

Jail’s words made Roland blink in surprise.

“Knowing you, I figured you’d insist on rescuing Lady Angelica, even if the king ordered you into house arrest.”

“…Who’s coming with us?”

“First, there’s Hayden and Eric. Then there’s me, of course, and my fiancée, Curia.”

“That’s… all students.”

“Figured you’d say that. That’s why I also asked Eric’s older sister—the captain of the Mage Corps. She was surprisingly eager to join.”

Roland was taken aback by the unexpectedly large number of allies, but at the same time, he was thrilled.

Now, he had a real chance to rescue his kidnapped sister.

Moreover, with the captain of the Mage Corps in their ranks, there was a possibility they could bring Christiana back to her senses and defeat the evil mage.

Fueled by a sense of righteous determination, Roland could barely contain his excitement.

“We’ll defeat the mage and the witch, and I’ll make sure to bring Angelica back!”

What Roland didn’t know at that moment was this:

The mage who had abducted Angelica had already defeated the dungeon’s guardian spirit and begun remodeling the dungeon.

And, to make things worse, a humanoid fox monster—strong enough to require significantly leveled-up opponents—was lying in wait within the dungeon’s mid-levels.

Meanwhile…

Deep within the dungeon, at Endo’s hideout, an unexpected incident was unfolding.

“Endo, what exactly are you doing?”

“I-I mean, I didn’t… not do anything. It’s just, before I realized it…”

Endo’s gaze shifted to Angelica, who was sitting nearby with an utterly dazed and blissful expression.

“Lord Endo, Let’s continue, shall we?”

“So… you’re saying that, before you realized it, you ended up doing something… intimate with the princess?”

“…Yes.”

It appeared Endo had crossed a line.

To understand how things reached this point, we must rewind to when Endo, following Christiana’s insistence, returned to the hideout…