The Strongest Dull Prince’s Secret Battle for the Throne

Chapter 244: Help

I appeared behind Zandra as Grau.

Finne did well in creating this situation.

It will cause problems if I use magic as Grau but it is still a hundred times more preferable than appearing in the castle as Silver for no reason.

Thinking so, I gather magic power into my right hand.

However, at that moment.

Naive!

Zandra turned around and attacked me with her whip.

The whip that was imbued with magic power possesses unusual speed and power.

I took a step back and avoided it.

You cant take me by surprise that easily!

As expected of the former candidate for the throne. Even rotten as you are, it seems that the Imperial Family cant be looked down huh.

Former candidate..? I will kill you! I am the future empress of this Empire!

I cant say that I am impressed with someone who set such a goal without taking a look at reality though.

Angered by my provocation, Zandra repeatedly attacks me with her whip.

While avoiding it, I look for a chance to counterattack.

As I am not fighting as Silver right now, I cant afford to defeat her in one blow.

Now, how should I defeat her?

When I was thinking about how to take her down, Zandra ran out of patience and used her magic.

Its the wind magic that Zandra is specialized in.

The wind that was refined into a sharp blade was thrown at me.

Evading it by a hairs breadth, I took a step forward.

Zandra is good at magic battles and medium-range combat but she is weak in close quarters.

If I strengthen my physical ability with magic, I should be able to handle her.

I judged so and approached her.

However, my body stopped moving.

What!?

HaHaHaHa!! Did you think that I never took any countermeasure against that ages-old conception that a mage is weak in close combat!? Of course, I wouldnt be so careless!

Looking down, there is a shadow binding my legs.

Clicking my tongue, I tore off the shadow but at the same time, it also created a fatal opening.

Its over!

Kuh!

It was the wind blade that Zandra released earlier.

It was flying back from behind me.

I twisted my body to avoid it but my left arm got cut off by the wind blade.

Seeing blood spurting out from my arm, Zandra loudly laughed. However, I grin at her.

Did you find something funny? The pain got to your head or something?

Pain? Whatever are you talking about?

I paid the injury no mind and proceeded towards Zandra.

Seeing me ignoring my missing left arm like it was nothing, Zandra took a step back. In the meantime, I regenerated my left arm.

No way!?

Unable to hide her surprise at how I immediately regenerated my left arm, Zandra took 2-3 steps back.

Whats wrong? Is that all you got?

Kuh! Dont mess with me! Even if you can grow your arm back, you cant survive if I cut off your head!!

Saying so, Zandra cut off my neck with another wind blade.

Seeing my head dropped to the floor, Zandra was convinced of her victory.

Serve you right! You died because you were overconfident in your regeneration!

Overconfident? What is it that I am overconfident at?

My head responded to Zandra from the floor.

The head that should have been cut off is still being able to speak.

For the first time, fear can be seen in Zandras expression.

No..way.

Whats wrong? Is this your first time seeing someone still alive after you cut their head off?

Its a lie! This is impossible! You are not human, arent you!? A Dullahan!?

No. I am human. Im just a little bit different from others.

Saying so, my body picks up my head and holds it in my arm.

Then, I slowly approach Zandra.

Afraid, Zandra created a sphere of light and threw it at me.

If you turn into dust then you cant regenerate yourself!!

As Zandra says, when the light touched me, I turned into dust.

On the other hand, Zandra doesnt smile at her victory this time.

It seemed that she was still wary of me.

However, after she saw that I didnt revive even after she waited dozens of seconds, she finally calmed down and smiled.

What a mess.

Are you talking about yourself, Princess Zandra?

I called out from behind her.

Zandra turned around in fear but I wasnt there.

What was there was only black smoke.

However, it gradually gathered and took the form of a person until it eventually became me.

Impossible

Now..Princess Zandra. Are you good at playing tag?

The moment I said that, a large amount of smoke spewed out from my body.

Sensing the danger, Zandra bolted out to the corridor at high speed.

Haa Haaaimpossible, Impossible! Its a lie! Theres no way thats real! There must be a trick to it! No one can survive my forbidden art! Impossible! Impossible!

Your Highness Zandra! Are you safe!

How do I look safe to you! You damn trash! Hurry up and kill that monster!

It was the soldiers and mages who rushed to Zandra.

Reunited with her allies, Zandra regained a little of her composure.

She probably thought that at least now we will be at a stalemate huh.

But, the moment their bodies touched by the smoke, they melted. Not metaphorically, their bodies literally melt away.

HII!?

Theres no escape, Princess Zandra.

Kuh! Damn it!! Someone! Is there someone around here!? Hurry up and help me! I am a princess you know!! I am Zandra Lakes Adler! I order you to help me! If you help me I will raise your position! So help me already! HELP ME!!

Zandra screamed.

After she looked at Zandra, Finne raised a question.

Grau-samawhat is this.?

Illusion. She will have to play tag with me in the illusion for a while.

Saying so, I glanced at Zandra who stood there and kept muttering to herself.

When I appeared behind her earlier, I cast an illusion spell on Zandra.

I made the illusion at the level where she can break it by herself but even among all the illusions I have created, that one is quite well done.

The reason I dont want to use illusion magic to show others such nightmares is that peoples minds can be broken with it. Well, it should be fine in Zandras case.

Even like this, she is still one of the Imperial Family and a great mage herself.

She should be able to break out of it with her own power.

What are you going to do with Her Highness Zandra?

She has no worth as a hostage and even if I killed her Gordon would just absorb her subordinates to serve under him. Its easy to kill her here but.it would bring more benefits to us if we make them fight each other instead.

Her subordinates will probably not abandon Zandra even while she is in this state.

They will surely think of a way to get her to a safe place and that should delay them enough for us to reach the throne room.

Hearing my words, Finne exhales in relief.

She probably thought I was going to kill her huh.

Killing her is an option. It was an easy and simple move.

However, nothing can be solved that way.

The root of the problem right now is not Zandra. We cant get anything back even if we take her life now.

Plus, it wouldnt be worth killing her in front of Finne.

I think that a crime should be punished by the law. After all this is over, I think that it would be better if His Majesty passes down his judgment for Her Highness Zandra himself.

Right. Given that Zandra survived until then that is. Leaving us aside, Lize-aneue wouldnt forgive this pair of mother and daughter after all. There is no evidence but these two are in some way involved with the death of the Second Consort. Once they showed that they are willing to become our enemy, Lize-aneue probably wont show them any mercy.

Theres nothing we can do about that anymore.

Its not that I personally dont want her to die but right now the demerit of killing her simply outweighed the merit of leaving her alive.

In any other situation where there is no disadvantage of taking her life, I wouldnt show her any mercy.

Im sure Finne doesnt want her killed but she is a special case.

Those who fall prey to Zandras plot and the people who suffered from this rebellion will surely call for a death penalty and that is probably the punishment Father will give her after this is over as well.

It is only a matter of sooner or later.

Rather, Zandra might be happier dying right here right now rather than facing her punishment.

After all, she will have to receive the grudge of our people as she dies.

One could say that it is a suitable end for Zandra though.

For the time being, she will stay like this for a while. Let us hurry to the throne room.

No, I only took Mitsuba-sama and Gianna-sama out of the inner palace. We collapsed the path connecting that place to the castle so they should be focusing their efforts there. We should use this opportunity to take the secret passage to get Third Consort-sama and Therese-sama out while we can.

I smile bitterly at Finnes words.

Although it is dangerous, she still thinks about them huh.

She grew up.

However,

Thats a good idea but both the Third Consort and my sister in law are already in the throne room.

Eh? How

They used my mother as a decoy and escaped the inner palace. I cant say I like their method. Thats why everyone beside you is already in the throne room now. Mothers group should be almost there as well.

Using a detection barrier, I confirmed that my mothers group is already near the throne room.

The reason the soldiers movement is sluggish is probably Zandras presence on this floor.

Zandra is not Gordons subordinate but a collaborator. Still, She has no intention to let Gordon win and Gordon doesnt trust Zandra either.

They put constraints on each other, and they have to be vigilant of one another. Thats why they are dragging each other down.

They are like water and oil. They cant work well together.

Then everything went well right!

Yeah, thanks to you. You did well. You really helped me this time.

No, I only imitated Al-sama. I didnt do anything great at all.

I dont think that it is that easy to imitate me though.

While smiling bitterly, I pull Finne toward myself.

Then I open a  transfer gate.

If there are no people around then there is no need to sneak around in the secret passages. Lets just teleport there.

Alright, its time for us to make our exit.

Yes!

Saying so, I and Finne teleported to the upper floors of the castle.