The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

23 – The Princess about to be engaged (Part 2)

Amidst the expectations and concerns of many, the matchmaking for the third princess, Elizaveta, took place.

The first candidate.

Alex von Legmont.

At the age of 21.

He was only a year older than Elizaveta.

Among numerous candidates, the leading figure of the Legmont Viscountcy, a man with excellent learning and character, stood out confidently. Moreover, being a nobleman with handsome features, he undoubtedly enjoyed great popularity in high society.

“For a brief moment, it would be an honor to be the fiancé of the beautiful platinum princess. I am Alex, the eldest son of the Legmont Viscountcy.”

“Hmph, of course, it would be an honor.”

The blond nobleman smiled charmingly.

On the other hand, Elizaveta showed a disinterested reaction with her chin resting on her hand.

It was truly a drastic contrast.

Despite desperate efforts to control her emotions, all that came back was a cold response.

It seemed as if she was boldly asserting, ‘I came out here just for appearances, so stop making unnecessary efforts.’

If the Emperor and Rudmila witnessed the current scene, they would have surely let out a heavy sigh. Elizaveta’s blatant disregard for the situation would have prompted them to lash out at her, hitting her on the back with cold water.

‘My fortune is truly miserable. Witnessing the pitiful sight of an evil stepdaughter being openly ignored.’

I found myself participating in the scene where the matchmaking was taking place as the princess’s escort.

I resisted, but it was to no avail.

Since she was already caught in the clutches of the villainess.

Looking at Elizaveta, who thoroughly shattered the expectations of the suitor who sought a meteoric rise through a marriage proposal with the platinum princess, I sighed deeply.

“Edan, pretend your leg hurts.”

“Should I sit down for a while, then?”

Even if Edanant managed to push aside the Legmont family heir as a candidate, Elizaveta still had to face the new suitors waiting in line.

It would take at least a few hours.

No matter how much she was assigned as the escort, watching the matchmaking was quite boring.

“By the way, they’re all bachelors. Is it because of the romance fantasy setting? It’s a cheap setup assuming that all scions of distinguished families would naturally be bachelors.”

Commonly, even male antagonists in romance fantasies tend to possess outstanding plausibility. Of course, works targeting men might follow suit, but it was particularly noticeable in works aimed at women.

Look here, handsomeness abounds.

Look there, handsomeness persists.

Even older men held the position of ‘middle-aged handsome.’

As the patriarch of the Hoenberg lineage and the father of the male lead, naturally, he, too, was a well-regarded ‘middle-aged handsome’ among numerous noblewomen.

A man of ordinary appearance might find survival challenging in such extreme circumstances.

“I think even Ethan is quite handsome. He’s as impressive as a longevity grasshopper!”

“Really? Sweet words seized.”

“Heh…! Why torment yourself if it was a compliment? Bad Ethan!”

“….”

As Rue and Mal continued their banter,

The principled gentleman of the Legmont lineage, disheartened by the icy wall of the antagonist’s indifference, finally raised the white flag.

It’s futile.

Continuing this pursuit would only invite negative sentiments.

Alex’s decision was very wise. Had he clung desperately, he’d surely have felt the wrath of the antagonist firsthand. Recognizing the utter lack of possibility, he withdrew, eliciting sympathy.

“I’m tired. Since I’m already exhausted, tell everyone to take turns with the bachelors.”

“That won’t do.”

After the conclusion of the first pursuit:

Elisabeth, already displaying signs of weariness, simply slumped down.

Where did her dignity vanish?

It was a disheveled sight to the point where the illustrious reputation of the platinum princess seemed to falter.

Approaching closer, Elisabeth extended both hands. With a sigh, she then hugged the sprawled Elisabeth on the sofa. The faint blond hair fluttered, stimulating a faint scent.

“Did you hear the news? A fearsome mine appeared in the Pug Kingdom.”

“I heard just now too.”

“Hmph! I’m not particularly surprised. The maids trembled as soon as they heard the news.”

“Well, he’s a brave warrior’s brother.”

Truthfully, it was quite surprising.

A mine, you say.

Their lineage still holds strong, huh?

The Mages who sided with the Demon Army, becoming hostile towards humanity, were even considered taboo. Their reputation was so infamous that even mentioning them was forbidden. Consequently, people labeled them as “cult worshipers” and “monsters disguised in human skin.”

“I heard it myself! According to Max… Mages all have a strange smell!”

“A smell? Probably the foul stench or the scent of their victims’ blood, of course.”

“Not that. I heard each Mage has a unique smell.”

“Ah, it just sounds like a fabricated warning to scare kids.”

Rue and Elizabeth exclaimed about the forbidden existence with meaningful voices.

Observing in silence, they eavesdropped on the conversation between the fairy and the princess, resembling girls who enjoyed ghost stories.

They didn’t want to awkwardly interrupt and ruin the heightened atmosphere.

“Your Excellency, the sage of the Niaz family requests an audience.”

“Tell him to wait until I finish singing!”

After a brief pause,

Elizabeth had to face a new opponent.

The sage of the Niaz family.

He was a young man with a refined appearance, much like the suitor she had faced before.

She wondered how well this young man from the Niaz family would hold up, planning to report to Ludmila immediately after observing the situation in detail.

“You’re cute and charming, so surely the Mages will be after you!”

“Who said Mages are old grandpas.”

“Hehe… Anyway, Ethan, you have to protect your cute and charming self!”

“Of course.”

Nodding to the cheeky child with a pale face making funny gestures, he answered.

Mages are the subjects of nightmares.

Always present like nightmares, they tainted the world with fear.

Therefore, just as nightmares are bound to awaken at some point, bloodthirsty monsters also had to disappear. If monsters continued to threaten the world, true peace would never come.

Recalling the moments when she faced monsters on the battlefield with the Holy Maiden Party, she clenched her fist.

* * *

Mages are monsters disguised in human skin.

Outsiders who didn’t participate in the war would only see it as exaggerated propaganda.

It was nothing more than an inflated reputation.

A term coined to exaggerate the achievements of nations that won in the racial war.

The notoriety of the socialites was supposed to have been proven on the battlefield through the bloodbath that took place. However, there were still those who denied it. Even if one were to accept the idea that they embraced the protection of society, there was a cynical response questioning how a human could descend into a monster.

But indeed—.

Could one still utter such words after seeing this monster?

The nightmares that had been concealed through merciless punishment and oppression began to cast their gaze upon humanity once again.

“Offer the sacred and noble pure blood as an offering to welcome the arrival of the divine! Oh, great savior, the time has come for you to desire a new vessel!!”

An altar artificially carved from stone.

Sinister stone statues arranged in all directions.

In front of them stood a man wearing a tattered loincloth.

The unidentified man, with a bizarre voice, made the crowd that had gathered at the location pale with his cries for offerings. His continuous acts of worship with inverted eyes were truly eerie.

“He’s completely insane. I can’t make head or tail of the operation….”

“I find those who are that mad more trustworthy. Aren’t we the ones claiming that the Empire and the Prosperous Kingdom are lunatics?”

Through the conversation between a woman and an elderly man observing the lunatic, two things could be inferred.

One.

They were preparing for a sinister event.

Two.

They were the targets of a terror called “mine.”

As if to prove the earlier inferences, an atmosphere of negativity overflowed around them. And each of them had a different smell. It was evidence tainted with danger, corruption, and menace.

“It’s a series of shocks as soon as we return from the Chaos Realm. We returned, only to find that we had already lost in the racial war, the cities that worshipped their own gods had been destroyed by the Empire and the Prosperous Kingdom, and our compatriots who believed in and followed us all became the accursed….”

“The timing got messed up. Originally, we were supposed to return three years ago.”

They headed to the Chaos Realm to gain the power to tear apart the disgusting followers of the accursed goddess.

But,

They returned too late.

Three years had passed since the predicted moment.

As a result, the mines who had crossed into the Chaos Realm had to face the thoroughly fallen ruins. The demon army and the socialites who had lost in the racial war were now in a pitiful situation where they had to worry about their immediate survival.

“We must exact revenge. Even for the compatriots unfairly sacrificed.”

“Of course. We’ve never once forgotten about revenge for even a single moment.”

Upon returning to the hidden stronghold, they learned that the surviving compatriots were planning revenge against the Baltarian Empire and the Gael Prosperous Kingdom.

The mines who returned from the Chaos Realm naturally joined the plan.

It was indeed a well-thought-out plan.

The remnants of the demon army were also involved, so success was assured.

There was no shortage of signals to announce the new upheaval.