I Thought It Was a Fairy Tale but the Genre Is Strange

Episode 63 – Snow White (4)

Everyone’s eyes widened at Alice’s shocking statement. The dwarves looked like they wanted to argue how she could say such a ridiculous thing, but they seemed to shut their mouths, probably afraid of getting on her bad side.

“What are you talking about! Be the bait?! You know that Snow White is being targeted from all sides!”

I raised my voice in disbelief. But Alice just shrugged, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“What’s wrong with it? Siyu, think about it.”

Alice clapped a hand on my shoulder, continuing,

“Like you said, the soldiers are after Snow White. And we’re in a position where we have to kill the Count and also save that dumb hunter. So, if Snow White just shows up in the square, most of the troops will peel off to try and get her, right? That’s when we storm the Count’s castle and wipe them all out.”

“Ah, no, that’s way too risky. If Snow White gets caught, it’s all for nothing!”

[Right! That’s a reckless plan!]

Ariel and I opposed it, but Alice just patted my back, stubbornly pushing her idea.

“Hey~ What’s the big deal! This useless princess wants to take the lead, anyway. So, she’s the perfect bait. Plus, she’s got seven escort dwarfs to protect her, what’s there to worry about? Huh? Princess, what do you think?”

All eyes turned to Snow White. It was such a reckless plan. There was some logic to it, but if Snow White ended up captured, we’d only be able to rescue the hunter. Worse, what if we failed the rescue *and* didn’t manage to take out the Count?

It’d be the absolute worst-case scenario.

If we had a guarantee she wouldn’t get caught, it might be doable, but I seriously doubted if she could even run with those frail legs of hers.

“…I-I’ll do it.”

“Princess!!”

[No way, she’s crazy?]

Ariel and I simultaneously smacked our foreheads, and the dwarfs were horrified, trying to talk her out of it.

“Please reconsider! It’s too dangerous!”

“Yes, Princess! If they fail, we’re truly done for!”

“…It’s okay. I have faith that these people will definitely succeed. And… uh, I don’t want to just keep hiding, uselessly, forever.”

“But still…!”

At her answer, Alice grinned.

“That’s the spirit. So, we’ll go kill the Count and get the hunter out, and you all try to survive somehow. And while you’re running away, try thinking of what to do next. Alright, let’s get going?”

Snow White looked at the now healed Snow White and spoke. The dwarfs were gloomy, but Snow White resolutely nodded and prepared to leave.

“No, is this… right? Alice, you….”

That’s when it happened.

*BANG BANG BANG!*

“Open the damn door! You pathetic pieces of trash!”

Sudden, harsh knocking. The commotion outside wasn’t coming from just one or two people. Everyone here instinctively knew it. The hideout had been discovered. But how? So soon after arriving? Is this even real?

Adel shrieked, horrified.

“W-what is this! How was our hideout exposed? We, we were so careful not to be followed!”

“Damn it, how did this happen! This hideout has never been discovered once, how?!”

“Open the door right now! We know Snow White is in there!”

Snow White’s eyes widened, her face a mask of disbelief, full of question marks, as if she couldn’t possibly comprehend this situation. *Tch*, there’s no time. They were pounding on the door, ready to break it down any second. If we stay here like this, they’ll burst in!

“This isn’t the time for this, we should at least try to escape!”

“Yes, Princess, you must evacuate! We’ll buy you some time…!”

“No, no need. Hehehe, this is actually perfect.”

Alice, grinning from ear to ear, brushed past the panicked group and marched right up to the door.

Wait a minute, no way.

“Alice!”

*FLING.* The worst fear came to life. Alice just opened the door. And there, waiting in front of them, were countless soldiers.

“aaah! What are you doing?!”

[That crazy b*tch! She’s going to cause trouble again, isn’t she!?]

“Hehehehe! Trouble? No, this is flexibility. Flexibility to adapt the plan to the situation. Hello everyone~”

Alice grinned and waved at the soldiers. They were clearly taken aback by her appearance, blinking at her as she confidently opened the gate and even waved back at them.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

A booming voice echoed from behind. A man, seemingly their captain, shoved the soldiers aside and stepped forward. Unlike the others, this mustachioed man wore gleaming, ornate armor and drew his sword, aiming it at Alice’s neck.

“Have you ever seen such audacity? We received intel that Snow White is here. Move aside this instant, or I will execute you in the name of Count Vivid!”

“Ooh, really? How fun! Go ahead, try it! Aim for right here.”

Alice brazenly offered her neck, tapping her finger on her pulse point, a direct taunt. The captain’s face twisted, turning into a volcanic eruption of rage.

“Very well! If that’s your wish!”

*Thwack!* *Splash!*

The soldiers didn’t comprehend what had just happened. One second their captain was about to decapitate the brazen Alice, the next he was crumpled in the stream, impaled through the chest with a spear made of water. The spear dissolved, flowing back into the stream.

[Ugh, what the hell are you doing? Please, don’t make trouble!]

“Oh, but I was going to do it myself.”

“Ugh, Alice, please talk to us before acting. This is too much.”

“Hehe, I was just so frustrated~ But if it’s what you want, I’ll do it from now on.”

Alice winked at me, a cheeky glint in her eye.

“W-we’ve been had! Mr. Wilrump’s been hit!”

One of the soldiers cried out in terror. How carelessly they announced their dwindling morale.

“Ugh, who’s been hit?! You bunch of morons!”

The man, named Wilrump, struggled to his feet, clutching his chest wound. Alice snickered at Ariel.

“Oh, what’s that? You couldn’t even handle that pathetic excuse for a man?”

　[Unbelievable! Don’t talk nonsense! I was in shock so I didn’t control my strength!]

“Tee hee! Can’t control your strength~? Doesn’t look like it~? That’s all your power, is it~?”

Alice giggled, her face right up in Ariel’s. Ariel, thoroughly riled, was burning red.

“Hey, I don’t think this is the time for this, you guys.”

I gripped my scythe handle tightly, casting a worried glance ahead. The soldiers, as if they’d never been scared, suddenly had a savage glint in their eyes as they drew their weapons.

“Kill them all right now!!!”

With Willump’s roar, the soldiers charged at us, screaming bloody murder.

[YOU’RE the ones who are gonna die!!!!!]

Ariel, fuming, created a gigantic water lance, big enough to topple a giant, and swung it with all her might.

“Kuuuaaak!”

“Wha-what is that!!!”

The soldiers fell like autumn leaves. They were completely helpless against Ariel’s attack. Wow, there’s no way to block that. Even the soldiers with full-body shields who tried to step forward were tossed aside as if by a wave.

Beside her, Alice was carrying out a merciless slaughter. She’d snatch away an opponent’s weapon, snap it in two, and then smash their armor, fighting like a wild thing. But, perhaps not feeling the impact she wanted, she pulled out a mace and began to seriously bash in the soldiers’ heads.

“Kya ha ha ha!”

[I’M not weak!!!]

The two fairytale protagonists were almost rampaging as they mowed down the soldiers. I swallowed hard, feeling once again how incredibly lucky we were to have them on our side.

Whoosh-!

“Whoa!”

That was close! A sharp blade suddenly whizzed past my face, narrowly missing as I’d been gaping off into space.

The soldier who attacked me seemed to think I looked like the easiest target. He fixed his grip on his sword, a cruel smile playing across his face, like he was saying ‘I can handle this’. Ugh, ‘let’s try this’, huh? Fine. I’ve been through the wringer, too, you know. I won’t lose!

Clang!

The sharp sound of metal clashing rings in my ears. The soldier unleashed a relentless barrage of sword strikes upon me. Still, the experience gained from numerous battles seems to be paying off; I could roughly read the soldier’s sword path. I dodged what I could and countered repeatedly.

The opponent’s sword swiped wildly through the air.

Now!

I didn’t miss the chance and swung my scythe. But the opponent wore a relaxed expression. A confident smile, as if my flimsy scythe could never pierce his armor.

However.

*Shwick!*

The armor cleaved as easily as tofu, and the man’s blood splattered in the air through the gap.