Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 629

"Johan. What is the meaning of this?"

Sekhmetos appeared at the venue, glancing at us in astonishment before advancing toward the martial stage with a demonic expression.

Meanwhile, Johan flinched and muttered, "Th-this is bad..." as his eyes darted around.

"My, my. How adorable," Rafa chuckled, shrugging her shoulders and releasing her beast form.

All the bravado from earlier had vanished.

Even so, why did I feel not only a sense of déjà vu but also a strange familiarity with the exchange between Johan and Sekhmetos?

"What do you mean by 'bad,' Johan?"

"N-no, well, it's just..."

As Sekhmetos closed in on him, Johan's pale face grew even paler.

"Y-you see, during the meeting, it was decided that Rid and I would face off in a preliminary match for the Beast King Tournament. I’ve heard some rumors about his strength, but Rid knows nothing about mine. As the prince of the Beast King, I thought it was only fair to let him know my true power, so I challenged Rafa to a match. That’s all, Mother. Ah, ahaha..."

"Oh? A fair match, you say?"

Johan, struggling to explain, began to laugh awkwardly.

But his expression was clearly strained.

Sekhmetos, frowning deeply, turned to me.

"Is what Johan said true, Rid?"

"Y-yes. That’s right."

Her sharp gaze, as if she could see through everything, made me flinch. For some reason, my father’s demonic expression overlapped with Sekhmetos’s in my mind.

Ah, I see.

So this is the source of that déjà vu and familiarity.

Perhaps the way I interact with my father looks like this to others too.

There’s a saying, "Learn from others’ actions to correct your own." Maybe I should be more careful with my words and actions.

As I chuckled wryly at the realization, Johan peeked out from behind Sekhmetos.

He looked at me with a pleading expression, shaking his head desperately and gesturing as if trying to convey something.

*"Please, Rid. Back me up here. I’ll owe you one. My mom is really scary when she’s angry."*

Summarizing Johan’s frantic gestures, that’s probably what he was trying to say.

"Your response seems rather hesitant. Is Johan telling the truth?"

Sekhmetos’s face was smiling, but her eyes were not.

I scratched my cheek and forced a wry smile.

"Well, how should I put this..."

Johan’s explanation wasn’t a lie.

It wasn’t a lie, but his actions were largely responsible for the "ruckus" she was referring to.

Tis had pointed something out, Johan had made an outrageous proposal, and Rafa had gone along with it because it "sounded fun." That’s how we ended up in this situation.

If not for his "proposal," this commotion wouldn’t have happened. And it was Johan who suggested using the martial stage in the castle.

We had repeatedly warned him that it would cause a huge uproar, but Johan insisted it would be "fine" and didn’t listen.

On the way to the martial stage, we even ran into Vené and the other tribe leaders, which only made the situation worse.

Now, what should I do?

As I pondered, Johan’s face appeared again behind Sekhmetos.

The image of a cat peeking through a door crack overlapped with his expression in my mind, and the absurdity of it made me burst out laughing.

When I let out a chuckle, Sekhmetos turned around suspiciously and stared at Johan.

He immediately straightened up and stood at attention.

"...Must be my imagination."

Sekhmetos tilted her head and turned her gaze back to me.

Behind her, Johan resumed his frantic gesturing with a pleading look.

I almost said, "Sekhmetos, behind you," but I decided to let Johan owe me one.

Watching their interaction, I couldn’t help but feel like it wasn’t someone else’s problem.

Next time, I’ll tell my father, "Thank you for everything."

"Rid. You seem to be laughing. Is everything alright?"

"Ah, my apologies."

I glanced at Johan out of the corner of my eye, cleared my throat, and looked back at Sekhmetos.

"Yes, what Johan said is true. If you’re angry about the 'ruckus,' then everyone here who went along with his proposal should share the blame."

I bowed slightly, and Sekhmetos’s expression softened as she nodded.

Her smile was still concerning, but it seemed she was satisfied for now.

When I subtly glanced at Johan, he was nodding repeatedly with a look of pure relief on his face.

*"Thank you, Rid. I won’t forget this."*

That’s probably what he was thinking.

"I understand. As for the incident of causing a 'ruckus' in the castle without permission, I will let it slide for everyone here, including Rid."

At Sekhmetos’s words, I let out a sigh of relief.

Looking around, even the tribe leaders—Vené, Asteca, and Jeti—seemed somewhat relieved.

If word got out that we had caused a commotion on the castle’s martial stage without permission, even as tribe leaders, they wouldn’t have been able to avoid Sekhmetos’s reprimand.

There could have been fines or some other form of punishment, but since Sekhmetos declared it "unquestionable," this incident shouldn’t be a problem.

If my words helped them avoid punishment, then I’ve effectively earned their favor.

In the end, this might have set a good tone for the individual meetings with the various tribes.

"However."

Sekhmetos suddenly spoke up.

Her commanding voice made everyone shiver, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.

What was she going to say?

As I braced myself, she turned to Johan with a demonic expression.

"You’re an exception, Johan."

"Wha—?! W-why?!"

Johan’s expression, which had just relaxed, instantly drained of color.

"First of all, you used the castle’s martial stage without permission, blurring the line between public and private matters. On top of that, you openly discussed the beast transformation of the cat tribe in front of a large audience. Such behavior is unbecoming of a prince. As both a king and a parent, I cannot overlook this."

"B-but, Mother, you told me to get along with Rid and the others, right? So I thought this would be a good way..."

"I did say to build relationships, but I never told you to cause a ruckus on the martial stage."

"Ugh..."

Johan, glared at by Sekhmetos, had his excuses cut short.

His face was already pale.

It seems the beast transformations of the various tribes were supposed to be kept secret.

It makes sense, since it’s related to the nation’s military strength.

"Now, Johan. Brace yourself."

"W-wait, Mother, hold on—"

As he stepped back, Sekhmetos vanished from our sight.

"Huh...?!"

Before we could react, she reappeared behind Johan.

Her upper body twisted to an extreme degree.

"Naughty children need to be punished."

With Sekhmetos’s roar, a deafening sound like a giant balloon popping echoed, and Johan, tears in his eyes, was sent flying into the sky.

"Nyyaaaaaaaah?!"

"That’s a spanking, huh."

As Johan’s pitiful cry rang out, Tink muttered, causing a stir among the onlookers.

The Beast King Sekhmetos’s full-powered slap to the rear.

Just how powerful was it?

The mere thought made my own backside itch.

"Wait, but if this continues..."

I quickly calculated Johan’s trajectory and where he might land based on the force of the blow.

Glancing at Sekhmetos, she flashed a white fang as if to say, *"The rest is up to you."*

With a sigh, I slowly spread my arms.

Moments later, Johan landed butt-first right into my arms.

In other words, a princess carry.

"Nyaah... It hurts..."

Johan was dazed and didn’t seem to realize he was in my arms.

His usual carefree demeanor was nowhere to be seen.

"Johan, are you okay?"

When I called out to him, he responded with a groggy "Huh?" but his eyes soon began to focus.

"Ah..."

As his consciousness cleared, our eyes met.

"Good, you’re awake."

I smiled, and for some reason, Johan’s cheeks turned red.

"Thank you, you saved me. But still, you’re amazing."

"...? What do you mean?"

Tilting my head, he scratched his cheek shyly.

"Seeing your smile up close is devastating. Combined with your scent, I might just fall for you."

"Looks like you’re still half-asleep."

I smiled and let go of him.

"Ouch?! Rid, that’s mean! What was that for?"

"I just woke you up in a slightly stimulating way since you were still groggy."

Johan, having fallen from my arms, writhed on the ground in tears.

After being hit that hard by Sekhmetos, even a light impact would be excruciating for his backside.

It was the perfect way to wake him up.

As I shrugged, Citri approached.

"Ah, Citri. Were you worried about me?"

Johan smiled happily.

But seeing him on all fours, rubbing his butt, Citri’s eyes lost their sparkle, leaving only a cold gaze.

"Prince Johan. You look utterly pathetic."

"Wha...?!"

Perhaps the mental shock was too much for Johan, as he turned completely pale and crumbled into a pile of white sand.