Chapter 180

Chapter 180
## Chapter 180

Operation: Escape from the Demon King’s Castle (2)

Siana held authority over the residential district of the Immortal Fortress, yet she had not completely discarded her status as a noble of the empire.

In truth, her initial reason for seizing control of a minor aristocratic house was simply to streamline her interactions with high society. Now that she had joined the ranks of the immortal army, there was no practical reason to hold onto that title.

Still, discarding an asset she had built up with such meticulous care felt wasteful.

Fortunately, her liege, Immortal King Hans, shared the view that her position remained advantageous, granting her permission to return to her family from time to time.

These brief departures served as a genuine holiday for her—a welcome opportunity to flee the cramped, foul-smelling corridors of the castle and indulge in high society once more.

“Hmm, hmm~♪”

A cheerful melody slipped from her lips without her realizing it.

‘The moment I arrive, I’ll begin by unwinding with premium black tea and pastries. Next, I’ll head out to the shops and indulge in a bit of extravagance. Finances are no longer a concern, so I can spend without restraint. To start, I will expand my footwear collection…’

Siana moved through the bleak, shadowed fortress with a spirited stride, organizing her upcoming itinerary in her mind.

Just as she was making her way toward the teleportation array that the Immortal King had uniquely crafted for her use, she decided to perform one final sweep of her assigned territory before her departure.

That was when she crossed paths with a rather bizarre-looking undead in the dining quarters of the residential district.

“My goodness, Andrew? Is that truly you?”

“Eh? Ha, haha… It has been quite some time, Sis.”

No—looking more closely, it wasn’t a reanimated corpse at all, but rather a living human. It was Andrew Weber, the awakened individual from Earth who had been abducted alongside her.

His complexion was bloodless and drained, his hair clumped with grease from a long absence of washing, and deep purple shadows hung beneath his unfocused, glazed eyes.

He was mechanically shoving food into his mouth simply to sustain his life, turning his head sluggishly toward her when he recognized her voice.

“…Asking if you are doing well feels entirely redundant given your appearance. You look absolutely dreadful.”

“Ahaha… Well, it is comforting to encounter a familiar face after so long. I honestly assumed you had forgotten all about me, since you haven’t been around.”

“Ahem, you understand that my schedule leaves me little choice. Still, I did drop a subtle hint to Olivia during our last conversation…”

She averted her eyes slightly under his gaze, which carried an underlying bitterness despite his exhaustion.

In truth, she had briefly considered checking in on him a while back, but the thought had completely slipped her mind.

‘Well, these things happen. Besides, it isn’t as though I’ve committed any great offense.’

Naturally, any lingering guilt vanished rapidly—a typical trait for a demon.

Their dynamic had always been one of ruler and subordinate, and he was merely a fellow captive, meaning she was already displaying excessive kindness by showing any concern for him at all.

“Is your assignment truly that agonizing? I assumed someone with your capabilities would find a way to ease the burden with a few clever shortcuts.”

He could easily fake compliance and rest using his traits, given that his abilities weren’t easily monitored by the naked eye.

She found it puzzling that he was being driven to exhaustion by a task that didn’t even require physical labor.

“…Do you think I didn’t attempt that? But that woman—she perceives it instantly. She claims she can read my exact internal state just by looking at my vital signs…”

“Ah, that explains it.”

The inherent capacity of the undead to detect life signatures.

For a creature like Olivia, utilizing that trait to monitor an individual’s physical condition would be effortless.

She was, after all, a literal spirit.

“Once she caught me a couple of times… she implemented a strict production requirement. I wasn’t even permitted to return to my quarters until the quota was satisfied! Forcing me to labor without adequate rest in an environment saturated with corpses and dark magic—she behaves like an absolute monster!”

Andrew’s volume steadily escalated, fueled by deep-seated resentment.

Hearing this, Siana—an actual demon—felt slightly slighted.

While being compared to a demon was normally viewed as high praise within her species, utilizing the term as a vulgar insult was an entirely different matter.

“Yes, yes. I suppose it’s a positive sign that you still possess the breath to complain. But do you really have leisure time to engage in idle chatter? Your priority should be finishing your meal and getting some sleep.”

“Ugh! Q-quite right. I lost my temper for a moment. Though, you were the one who initiated the conversation…”

He muttered under his breath at her reprimand before slumping back into his seat, aggressively resuming his meal.

Siana gave a subtle shrug and turned away to continue her rounds.

Having offered her greetings after such a long interval, she now wanted to conclude her duties swiftly and depart from this repulsive environment.

Because of her impatience, she completely overlooked the peculiar demeanor of Andrew, who remained behind in the dining hall.

“Whew—”

He watched Siana’s departing form with a mixture of relief and bittersweet sorrow, letting out a brief exhalation as he turned back around.

‘Considering how rare it is to cross paths with her, that was likely my final encounter with Sis Siana. It feels somewhat melancholy to separate in this manner… but there is no alternative.’

More than nine full years had drifted by since his sudden arrival in Auterica.

The moment of his return was finally within reach, and he forced the food down with renewed intensity to survive what little time remained.

‘Only… only a fraction more… I merely need to hold out just a bit longer.’

He kept his focus entirely on escaping this living nightmare.

—

The secondary residential quarter of the Immortal Fortress was an area where all communication with the external world remained heavily restricted.

“…It takes place today, correct?”

“Yes, today is the day.”

Princess Riley and Hesperon, who were occupied with their routine magical training, conversed in hushed tones.

The opportunity she had anticipated for so long was finally at hand.

The day she would break free from the shackles of the Immortal King and reclaim her sovereignty.

“The timing works in our favor. Lilith, the one tasked with monitoring us, is currently away, meaning their capacity to detect our absence and react immediately will be significantly delayed.”

Just the previous day, she had provided them with a massive supply of provisions, instructing them to feed themselves because she would be unavailable for a period of time.

Under normal circumstances, sharing such tactical details with captives would be out of the question, but given that this location defied conventional security measures, it wasn’t deemed a significant risk.

However, an unforeseen complication had presented itself…

“I was initially thankful to be spared from looking at that face, but this complicates things.”

“What are you two murmuring about, Riley? You appear remarkably unbothered. You must be enjoying your comfortable lifestyle here, consuming whatever scraps they toss your way. Just like domesticated animals.”

The issue was that the Crown Prince, who had previously been confined to his quarters by exhaustion, was now moving about freely.

Simon Carte Azeria, the heir to the throne, had initially been broken by Andrew before transitioning into a personal plaything for Siana.

The relentless torment had left him so entirely drained that he typically chose to remain shut inside his room even when left unsupervised, but a full day of undisturbed rest yesterday seemed to have restored enough of his vitality to allow him to wander.

‘As expected of someone raised on luxury and fine dining. His physical resilience is remarkable.’

Furthermore, he was a trained warrior who had conditioned his physiology thoroughly, making his quick recovery somewhat logical.

Of course, Siana would view his returning vitality as a welcome development for her own amusement.

“My, look who it is. Greetings, brother. Have you completed your required cleaning and chores for the day? Neglecting them even once might result in a severe reprimand. They might decide you require further compliance training.”

“Ugh! Y-you…!”

His face flushed crimson as he stumbled over his words, his pride deeply wounded by her direct counterattack after he had initiated the conflict.

She found it utterly baffling that he continued to provoke confrontations he possessed zero capability of winning.

“…Ha! The two of you truly deserve one another. Associating with a complete non-entity like that. It seems a vulgar lineage cannot be concealed, regardless of circumstances.”

He ultimately redirected his malice toward Hesperon, who had been standing silently by her side, casting a direct insult at her mother’s side of the family.

Riley’s brow furrowed tightly.

While her maternal family held noble status, they carried the social disadvantage of originating from a mercantile background with a very brief history.

Her maternal grandmother had also been born into a wealthy merchant household, making her lineage a perpetual target for the kingdom’s traditionalist factions, which were spearheaded by the Crown Prince.

Just as she prepared to strike back verbally,

“Honestly.”

Hesperon, who had been silently evaluating the exchange, scratched the back of his neck and calmly positioned himself in front of her.

‘Even in a petty argument, crossing the boundary to insult someone’s family is going entirely too far.’

Moreover, that comment regarding a ‘vulgar lineage’ technically applied to him as well, didn’t it?

He had been raised as a highly cherished, single child, making such condescension entirely unacceptable to him.

“It is truly pitiful to witness a Crown Prince speaking to his own sibling in such a manner. To lecture others on honor after that is nothing short of a joke.”

“…What? Who do you think you are? How dare a peasant like you interject?”

Demanding to know why he was involving himself when he was the one who initiated the hostility in the first place.

It provided a transparent look into his entirely self-absorbed worldview.

It appeared the corrective measures he had undergone had failed to yield lasting results.

‘I ought to mention this to Siana. It seems she has been far too lenient with him because he is her preferred amusement.’

Despite enduring daily torment for more than a month, his arrogance remained completely intact, indicating his inflated sense of self-worth had not yet broken.

To properly domesticate an individual of his temperament, unceasing supervision and discipline were mandatory.

“I really must bring this to the attention of the handler. Due to a severe lack of discipline, the beast they keep has wandered out of its enclosure and is snapping at everyone. It reflects poorly on the trainer’s capabilities.”

*Crack—!*

“…Heron?”

Simon’s jaw clenched tightly as an individual he viewed as an insignificant commoner openly mocked his situation.

Riley’s expression shifted to one of genuine concern.

Such hostile interactions were routine for her as a member of the royal bloodline, but she could easily anticipate the explosive reaction that would occur when someone the Prince deemed socially inferior dared to insult him.

Worse still, the warden capable of keeping the peace was currently absent from the sector…

“Heh— Very well, a physical lesson seems entirely appropriate. My frustration has been building significantly of late… The authorities won’t object so long as I ensure he survives, correct?”

His response aligned precisely with her fears.

“Hold on! Are you actually contemplating violence within these walls…!”

She attempted to step in and defuse the escalating tension, but Simon’s restraint had completely evaporated.

He had ventured out into the common areas specifically to find an outlet for his suppressed rage, making this turn of events an ideal pretext.

*Wooong—*

A shimmering layer of Aura manifested through sheer force of will, instantly augmenting his physical form and reawakening his dulled instinct for combat.

While he hadn’t dedicated himself to constant magical refinement like Riley, his physical maturity in his late twenties combined with his natural aptitude made him a formidable warrior.

“Hehehe— Let us discover if your combat prowess can back up that arrogant mouth of yours.”

He was not an adversary that a pair of individuals who had only recently grasped the basics of spellcasting could realistically hope to defeat.

Even taking his diminished physical state into account.

Crown Prince Simon, having evaluated his opponents’ capabilities through his enhanced perceptions, was acutely aware of that reality.

They possessed no means of halting his advance!

“Heron! Get back…!”

He completely drowned out Riley’s frantic warning.

*Boom!*

“I will force you onto your knees! You insolent wretch!”

He lunged forward directly at Hesperon, his features contorted with malice.

His clenched fist tore through the air, aimed squarely at shattering Hesperon’s face.

And yet, the youth…

*Thwack!*

“Ugh!”

*Thud—*

Following a precise, fluid evasion and a swift counter-blow, the Prince took the strike directly and rolled violently across the floor.

Sprawled flat against the stones, precisely as he had threatened to do to his opponent.

“Ugh, what… how?”

“…Huh?”

Both Simon, reeling from the impact, and Riley, who had been frantically gathering her mana to cast a spell, stared blankly in absolute shock at the sudden turn of events.

While he might not have been a legendary master warrior, he still ranked quite high among standard military combatants.

Knights, after all, were living instruments of destruction who spent their entire lives perfecting the art of close-quarters engagement.

He was not an opponent an unseasoned, lower-tier mage could hope to counteract without extensive preparation…

“You are entirely too reckless. To think someone of this caliber is the heir to the throne. The future of the Empire appears incredibly bleak.”

Hesperon merely muttered a casual complaint, completely indifferent to their stunned expressions.

A subtle radiance of mana began to emanate from his entire frame, revealing that protective reinforcement magic had been quietly operational for some time.