Royal Princess of Blood

We followed the targets towards a particular building, it was a bit big. From the looks of it, it must be some kind of abandoned warehouse. It was a desolate building, the stone walls were cracked, everything around it was dirty, metal doors were rusty, and the brick roofs were partly collapsed. A good place to hang out with friends.

As we stood at a building corner not far from the target warehouse, I noticed a few people staring at us. They were curious about what we were doing — well, we were acting a bit suspiciously. But they were irrelevant. That said, they might become a bother. Usually, in neighborhoods like this, they wouldn't want to get involved in any trouble. And so, they'd just leave, as long as they had an idea of what was going to happen.

That was why, as I stood, I faced a group of staring eyes nearby, and pulled out a dagger. I pointed the dagger sideways, and the observers quickly started leaving the area. Those who saw the others leaving followed. It would seem my message got through.

Taneva narrowed his eyes, staring at me. "You know, for a sheltered princess, you seem to know what you're doing around this place."

Oh well, maybe because I'm more than a sheltered princess.

"How did you expect me to act?"

"At the least be oblivious and start fumbling around."

I supposed that was what you would expect from a sheltered princess. I had always been naïve, fragile, or whatever else. But I had gradually drifted away from that act, it had no place here.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"What?"

"I'm just doing what I think is the right way."

He raised an eyebrow. "... Huh, is that really the case though? You seem to have an idea already of what to do."

"I was thinking overnight."

He slowly nodded. "I guess that makes sense. But I swear I've been noticing this about you since the beginning, there's something else with you. You are full of surprises."

"Uh-huh. Overthinking is a bad drink. I'm not a completely clueless princess, Taneva. I'm not stupid."

"... Sure."

It was understandable that Taneva would have that kind of strange, yet not so strange, suspicion. He had been observing me, and he had seen my actions in the darkness. Actions that a sheltered princess should never be able to do. A sheltered princess could never kill the uncle of her friend, a sheltered princess could never kill a beastman, or a group of imperial soldiers alone.

To be honest, I was quite surprised he barely questioned or brought up those parts.

"Anyway, Nira." I turned to Nira. "Check what's inside that building."

"We're not attacking now? I'm sure we can handle them," Hartwin said.

Feeling impatient, are we?

The downsides of having an emotional teammate.

"I don't want surprises. Go, Nira."

When attacking a building you had no idea of, we must first get whatever information we can. So there wouldn't be surprises. Any surprise could kill you in an operation. Just like how I fucked up on my last mission before dying. But to be fair, there was no way to overcome that. In short, there were just surprises that we would never discover.

It would suck if there were more than five people there. They were perhaps enemies we could handle, but we must at least know what enemies to expect.

Nira turned into a fog and hovered around the building. There were gaps in the rooftop, so she should be able to see what was inside quite easily. I looked around, it would appear that everyone in the vicinity had left. Good.

"As we're killing them," Taneva said. "What are we going to do with the bodies after?"

"We can leave them as they are."

"Huh. Are you sure?"

"If the authorities didn't care about taking Mayumi's death seriously, no way they would care much about a bunch of thugs."

After a while, Nira returned.

"Goddess, there are eight men inside." More than the number the witness said. "They are armed, there are swords inside."

"Do you think we can easily defeat them?"

Nira nodded. "I think so."

"Alright then. We'll want to talk to them first. So no killing. Just restrain them. We attack through the front door. But follow my lead. Is everyone ready?" They all nodded. I faced Hartwin. "Are you ready for this, Hartwin?"

"Yes."

I nodded. "Let's go."

We moved to the side of the building and quietly walked up to the front door. It was fortunate that there was no one guarding the place outside. I stood by the door. I held out my palm, and a magical black ball appeared.

After slowly and slightly opening the door, I threw the ball inside.

"What the hell is that?" A voice from inside asked in confusion.

A second later, a bright flash of light exploded. It was so bright that the light peeked through the gaps of the door.

"Aah! What the fuck was that?!"

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"I can't see!"

"My eyes!"

The people inside screamed after my magical flashbang, except for the bang part, I didn't add a deafening bang. I didn't want them too out of it. I swiftly entered the building as I saw people wobbling around, putting hands on their blinded eyes. Approaching one guy, I kicked him in the face. The rest of my crew rushed inside and started beating the hell out of the thugs.

Velar grasped someone's face and slammed him to the ground. Taneva dodged someone trying to swing his sword but missed, and kicked him in the stomach, leaving the man wheezing. Nira started choking one guy's throat with her monster hands. Hartwin was doing well controlling himself and just neutralizing the enemy.

I faced the one with the wound on his face. He glared up at me, forcing his reddened eyes open.

"W-Who are you?"

"Did it make you feel powerful? Superior?"

He grasped his sword. "What…?"

"Killing a defenseless girl, robbing her of her possessions. Did you find it fun?" I really had no stake in this, and I had seen plenty of evil people who would kill for no reason at all. But I just wanted him to realize why he was about to die today. I wanted him to realize the consequences of his own actions. His own evil. And that it was his turn to be the victim.

He charged towards me, and I easily dodged him and hit his solar plexus. He was a big guy, and I used physical enhancement on that hit. He knelt on the floor, trying to gasp for breath. Afterward, I kicked him in the kidney. He groaned in pain.

"Not so tough now?"

I looked around, and every enemy was now sprawled on the ground, moaning in pain. Waving my hand, shield constructs appeared and wrapped around the limbs of all eight enemies. My shields shifted, making them all kneel on both knees.

The leader slowly looked up at me. I pulled up a chair in front of him and lowered my hood.

"So, where did you get that scratch on your face?"

"..."

"I didn't rob you of your ability to speak. So tell me, where did you get it?"

"I don't need to talk to a bitch like you!"

I tapped my foot, and one of his friend's arms was severed by my ice blade from the floor. Blood gushed out as he cried in agony. The man before me widened his eyes as he witnessed the bloody sight. I crossed my legs and leaned back in the chair. The thugs looked on with fear on their faces.

"Did you kill a young woman yesterday?"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" the leader said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Lying?" I was actually surprised at how pathetic he was.

I noticed Hartwin walked up to a corner and picked up an object. He froze in place, his hands trembling. He turned towards me slowly, in his hand was a stringed instrument. There was a hole in it now.

I shifted my eyes back to the leader in front of me. "To think you were bragging about the kill, and here you are lying about it. All to save your miserable and pathetic life."

To be honest, it was a bit disappointing. But I suppose trash would always act like trash.

Hartwin slowly put down the broken instrument.

"Tell me, which are the five that ganged up on the poor girl?" I asked. "Raise your hands, or I'll cut your limbs one by one."

With that warning, four of them slowly lifted their hands. I used the barriers on their limbs to drag them to the center, lining them up next to their leader. They were so weak, like a bunch of dolls. I got out of my seat and moved behind the enemy leader.

I pulled him by the hair and whispered in his ear. "You lie about your kill, and yet proudly spread your story and display your wound like a trophy. I expected a bit more from you."

"They broke her instrument!" Hartwin walked up in front of him and pointed his rapier at the leader. "Why?! Why take it if you'd only break it!"

The leader stared at him for a moment with a defiant expression. "I… I didn't know how to use it."

So their robbery was ‌pointless‌. Stealing something that they had no use of. That would truly piss someone off. Why bother stealing and killing in the first place? When all that girl could offer was an instrument gifted to her? An instrument that none of them could play. They could have sold it, but in the end they fucking broke it.

"So you threw it away?!"

"An accident. Was drunk."

"You…!"

I kneeled beside the enemy and grasped his head, making him face Hartwin. I directed the bard with eyes filled with empty darkness. A glimpse of my true self.

"As I said, Hartwin. You will take their lives. You will take the lives of five people today. Kill them however you want."

I wanted him to kill them all. That was what we were all here for. He must be committed. Otherwise, I would feel quite disappointed, tremendously so.

The leader was a man in his thirties, a man who had lived plenty. A man who had committed an unforgivable crime. A man who had no sympathy for any of his victims.

"Have your revenge."

They were served to him on a silver platter. Killing five people at once, those that could no longer fight back. Prisoners. Would he be able to do it? Something as dishonorable? Could he perform this execution?

Hartwin's hand trembled as tears flowed down his eyes.

"N-No, wait! P-Please don't kill me!" The leader struggled, writhing around to break free but couldn't. "Just take us to jail! We'll suffer for our crimes there!" He looked at Hartwin with pleading eyes, he was their executioner after all.

"That's right! Please spare us!"

"We regret what we did!"

"We'll suffer in prison!"

"Anything but dying, please!"

They pleaded with him, all in desperation. But were they being genuine in their words? We would never know. Some people could never change. This was the life they had lived, it would be hard for them to stray from it. And ultimately, people would say fucking anything to save their lives. These people, who would lie about their kill after bragging about it, could never be trusted.

Velar stepped beside Hartwin. "If this is too much, perhaps prison is an option for them. Turn them in."

No, no, no, no. We came all the way here. If Hartwin doesn't commit, then I'll ‌fucking do it! I'll kill all five of them.

No fucking sweat.

Indeed, even I would never change in my willingness to kill. For killing was the life I had lived.

"Prison isn't forever," I said. "Not in this place. So make your choice."

"P-Please…!" the leader begged, moist coming out of his eyes.

How irritating.

Hartwin glanced at the broken instrument before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. Holding his weapon firmly, he pushed his rapier into the enemy leader's heart. The leader froze in place, in shock.

The bard pulled out his blade and swung his weapon sideways in a flash. All the other four's throats were cut open, their blood started spilling out onto the floor. Sounds of choking faintly echoed in the warehouse, with bubbling sounds as air escaped from their lungs, mixing with their escaping blood.

It all happened so swiftly. No savoring or anything.

Hartwin's hands trembled as he slowly lowered his rapier. His eyes were closed. I sensed no anger in his attack, no hatred. In the end, it was not those that drove him in this vengeance. It was justice.

Justice…

Justice for the one who died… I could never do it for that.

My vengeance would not be for justice…

That was why… I felt nothing. I didn't feel fulfilled. Watching someone get their revenge was a dull experience.

I was disappointed.

Once the five had stopped moving, I dispelled my magic, and their bodies dropped to the floor of blood.

Velar patted Hartwin's shoulder, and the latter let out a sigh.

"What do we do with the other three?" Taneva asked.

I turned to Nira. "Nira, feed while we have some."

She nodded and immediately bit one guy's neck. The man screamed in terror and confusion.

"W-What?! H-Help! Stop!"

"What the hell's going on here?! Monster!"

"Fuck, let's get away from here!"

Of course they could not escape my restraints.

I pulled out a dagger and slit the two's throats. They were still part of their gang, so it was only expected that they wouldn't get to live.

A moment later, Nira was done. I picked up a sword and stabbed it into the part where Nira bit him. Best not to give a sign that there was that type of death.

"Let's leave," I said.

And everyone started leaving the warehouse.

I looked back to see Hartwin retrieving the broken instrument. It was a beautiful instrument, a lute, like Hartwin's. I waited for him to come up to me, he was staring longingly at the lute.

"How does it feel?" I asked him.

"Princess?"

"How does it feel to have your revenge? To avenge your friend."

His eyes slightly widened for a moment before a small smile formed on his lips. "... I feel… relieved."

Relieved…

I lowered my gaze.

Relief…