Trapped in a Game That Flopped

Chapter 147

Episode 147

I stood blankly at the tent entrance, fuming, and collected my thoughts.

I'd said that, but there was no way Elaine would defy my warning and go out alone in the middle of the night just to eat.

'No, it's not even midnight yet!'

I let out an annoyed sigh and trudged into the tent.

It was because I could feel the watchers' eyes fixed on me, perhaps because I had caused a commotion.

If it was following the scenario, it was obvious where Elaine had been dragged off to.

So, I had no choice but to take out and drink another miniaturization potion.

And a moment later.

"Pant, pant. Dammit..."

I, having snuck into the forest avoiding the watchers' eyes, drank a miniaturization antidote potion in a suitable spot and returned to my original size.

Because just like when I entered the Imperial Palace, it would take more than half a day to reach the lake while miniaturized.

'Why does it feel like the amount of physical labor is increasing?'

Using my body to fight monsters for quests was fine.

But I had no idea why it felt like I was increasingly moving beyond the role of a user and taking on all the clean-up for the main characters.

How long had I been running quickly through the forest?

Far in the distance, through the bushes, I saw a group of people gathered in front of the lake.

'As expected.'

It was just as I'd predicted.

In the midst of a dozen or so robed Imperial Mages, the Emperor, dressed in white ceremonial robes, was kneeling in front of the ritual altar.

I stealthily approached, hid my body in a suitable bush, and decided to grasp the situation first.

"Oh, great Shadow of the Magic Dragon, and deep abyss!"

The Emperor, who had stretched his arms out toward the lake, suddenly shouted, loud enough to make the forest ring.

"Please accept this offering, release your anger, and look down upon us, your humble servants!"

Behind him, I saw a green head, standing blankly, tightly bound in thin, glowing chains.

'Elaine!'

My wonder at why that colt-like bastard was standing so obediently without resisting was brief.

I soon understood the reason when I saw an Imperial Mage stuck right next to him, moving their fingers meticulously.

He seemed to be being mind-controlled.

Bwooooooooo.

Meanwhile, a couple of mages positioned near the Emperor suddenly blew horns.

Splash! Splosh!

And several of them alternately struck the water's surface with flat wooden sticks that looked like oars.

It seemed they were stimulating the monster inside the lake with sound, summoning it.

To me, that sight was actually welcome.

'Good. I'll wreck them all at once.'

With them gathered like that, it was easier to stun them, and since they were calling it themselves, I was also spared the trouble of finding the monster.

Earlier, I was pissed at Elaine for getting caught by the Emperor in the short time I was gone, but now it was actually a relief.

I felt sorry for him, but I'd have to use him as appropriate bait for the monster hunt.

Having finished that thought, I silently waited for the boss mob to appear from the lake.

It was at that moment.

"Your Majesty! Get back...!"

A mage, who seemed to be high-ranking, standing quietly by the Emperor's side, suddenly shouted urgently.

At the same time, Pyoooooong!

From somewhere in the distant forest, a massive flame was shot at high speed, like a firework.

And that flame, before anyone had time to react, struck the spot where the Emperor's group was.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

In an instant, a flash of light and a deafening roar, as if the heavens and earth were splitting apart, shook the entire forest.

From the explosion's aftermath, the ground vibrated like an earthquake, and a fierce gust of wind raged.

"Uuht!"

I instinctively raised my hand to block my front.

But perhaps because it wasn't the NPC-exclusive shabby robe, the fiery energy and debris tore right through the hem of my clothes.

However, perhaps because of the 'Luck +5', I fortunately didn't receive any injuries that reduced my HP.

'What on earth is this?!'

I was just dumbfounded by the event that had happened in an instant.

A short while later, the explosion and vibrations that had shaken the forest subsided.

After the hazy smoke cleared, the Emperor's party was revealed, frozen in shock.

"Wh, what in the..."

Although pale, the Emperor was quite alright in the explosion's midst.

"Uuuugh..."

However, the five or six mages who had been standing at the group's forefront were collapsed and unmoving.

It definitely wasn't an attack by a monster.

The boss mob in the lake was a water (水) attribute, so it would shoot water, not fire.

'Then who...'

To dare unleash such an attack against the Emperor inside the Imperial Palace.

While I was looking around to find the unidentified rebels.

Kkireuk, kkireureurik...

Without even needing to search, the culprit soon revealed himself of his own accord.

With only a couple of subordinates dragging a cannon behind him.

Crown Prince Kassel Ludwig

My jaw dropped at the white text, clearly visible even in the dark surroundings.

The traitor who had fired a cannon at the Emperor was none other than the Crown Prince.

"My. I was wondering what bastards were daring to use magic in the Imperial Palace, and during the sacred tournament, no less..."

"..."

"It was Your Majesty. My apologies."

Kassel, who had appeared confidently with the cannon, muttered with a face that wasn't the least bit sorry.

"Y, you crazy bastard! To fire a cannon at me, are you truly insane?!"

It was only natural for the Emperor to be furious.

"If it weren't for the barrier, you would have assassinated the Emperor! Are you trying to kill your own father?!"

"Is that so? What a shame."

"Th, that goddamned...!"

The Emperor, his face beet-red at Kassel's indifferent attitude, finally grabbed the back of his neck.

Thanks to their conversation, I learned one fact: the fallen mages had put up a barrier around the lakeside.

'If I had approached right away, it would have been big trouble.'

If I had rashly stepped out to save Elaine instead of waiting for the monster, it was highly likely things would have turned against me.

At Kassel's timely appearance, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

'Anyway, to think of breaking a magic barrier with a cannon.'

Should I call it ignorant, or novel...

Either way, it was clear that making that bastard an enemy was not good for my well-being.

While I was realizing the bitter reality, Kassel stared at the Emperor with sharply honed eyes and spoke.

"But what on earth are you doing in a tournament dungeon, even putting up a barrier, Father. You're even here without your proper robes; how could I not mistake you for a rebel."

It was a bit funny, hearing that from the bastard who was acting like a real rebel.

The Emperor, too, gaped as if dumbfounded, then finally answered gravely.

"...It is the time to offer a sacrifice to the Shadow of the Magic Dragon."

At that, Kassel's gaze slowly shifted downward.

Fortunately, perhaps because he was near the Emperor, Elaine was fine.

However, he was collapsed on the ground, an aftereffect of the mind control magic being broken by the cannon.

Kassel, who had glanced at the green head, looked back at the Emperor.

"My tournament hero, you mean."

"The stronger the sacrifice, the more the God of Darkness will be satisfied. It is all for the prosperity of our Empire and the Imperial Palace, so you, too, should assist."

"That's strange. I'm sure that until I was exiled to Hailey, you were worrying day after day about how to eliminate the monster nesting in the Imperial Palace..."

"..."

"And now you call it a god."

As if dumbfounded, Kassel suddenly let out a dry laugh.

"I don't know... if the god the Empire believes in has changed from Nisea-Liv to a monster in the meantime, or if I'm still the one who's crazy."

"Keuhm-heum! You talk too much!"

The Emperor gave a loud, dry cough, as if embarrassed by Kassel's self-talk-like muttering.

And he suddenly pointed his finger at him and said.

"In the end, isn't this all because of you! If you had accepted your fated destiny according to the prophecy in Hailey, the Shadow of the Magic Dragon would have long since disappeared from the Imperial Palace...!"

"As far as I know, Hailey was definitely not mentioned in the prophecy."

Kassel replied, snorting at the Emperor's words.

At that, the Emperor, veins popping on his neck, roared as if in a desperate struggle.

"A lowly village that was destined to disappear anyway because of the unsealed monster, what does it matter! When ruling a country, one must sometimes know how to sacrifice the few for the sake of the many!"

"So, was there even one thing the prophecy got right in the end? The disaster didn't happen, and the unsealed monster was also eliminated cleanly, without causing any harm to Hailey."

"Uht..."

"On top of that, that bastard of a Pope who gave the prophecy was recently arrested for embezzlement, breach of trust, child abuse, and so on, so in the end, doesn't it just mean the entire Empire was played by a mere con artist."

"..."

"As if that's not enough, the man who is the Emperor of a nation is even spoon-feeding it sacrifices and worshipping a monster as a god. Ha, it's a sight that would make a passing dog laugh..."

The Emperor, who had been stammering, at a loss for words at the stark facts Kassel kept spouting, finally just roared.

"You bastard! How dare you! Watch your mouth!"

Despite their intensifying conflict, I was busy organizing the new information I had acquired.

'So, that boss mob in the Imperial Palace was originally supposed to leave for Hailey when the disaster occurred, but because the disaster was stopped, it's still here?'

It made sense, since the setting was that all sorts of monsters swarm when the disaster happens.

And the Emperor, unable to just offer sacrifices to that boss mob, seemed to have now begun to worship it.

It was understandable.

The form of the monster in the lake did somewhat resemble the final boss, which was passed down as a legend in this game world...

I thought, anxiously watching the still-calm surface of the lake.

'It would be great if Elaine would wake up and run away around now.'

Elaine, who seemed to be unconscious, was still motionless.

Unlike my original plan, the situation was taking an unusual turn.

If it turns into a total mess where, on top of that Kassel-bastard, the monster also appears, it won't be easy to get Elaine out.

It was then.

"Prophecy, whatever, it doesn't matter anymore! The important thing is the fact that if we just offer a sacrifice, the monster won't particularly harm us!"

The Emperor suddenly snatched the horn from a mage standing next to him.

Bwoooooooooo, bwoooooooooo.

The horn sound, which had stopped for a moment, echoed across the lakeside again.

Splash, splosh!

The mages, who had been watching the Crown Prince, stealthily began to strike the water's surface again.

"That won't do."

Even in the urgent situation, Kassel walked quite leisurely.

"Because he is a talent I have been watching quite closely since the tournament began."

I was bewildered at the sight of Kassel heading toward the fallen Elaine.

'Talent...?'

Was it all just my illusion, that they were baring their teeth and growling at each other about being in their right minds or not, just this afternoon?

'Well... if Kassel saves Elaine here, that's a good thing for me, but.'

Was it just my feeling, or did the words 'watching closely' feel a bit unsettling.

Because my goal was to secretly raise his tournament rank without him noticing.

Since he had stuck Elaine in the Imperial Palace dungeon all by himself, not in Adam's party, I thought he wasn't really expecting much...

"It's, it's here, Your Majesty!"

However, before Kassel could even reach Elaine, one of the mages striking the water's surface shouted urgently.

Bubble, bubble.

Just as he said, the calm water's surface seethed with bubbles.

Soon, a massive shadow shimmered from beneath the water's surface.

Chwaaaaaaak!

The giant shadow surged up, spewing water like a fountain.

"Kkieeeeeeeek!"

And the form of a giant beast appeared, snorting and roaring fiercely.

[Lv.220 Chimera's First Head]

'Sigh.'

Ominous premonitions are never wrong.

The total mess I had briefly imagined earlier, had begun.