562: Daddy and His Princess
“Princess-huff-why are you still here!?” Belmot asked as he hurried to his little girl, struggling for breath, surrounded by dozens of guards.
“I couldn’t just leave without you,” “Ophelia” answered. “Also, there was a small situation…”
“H-huh!?” Belmot finally noticed an unfamiliar face. And between the wounded unfamiliar girl, two charred corpses, wounded cat girls, and damage all over the hall, the “situation” was not hard to figure out. And then he saw the fresh blood stain just under Ophelia’s chest armor. “Your wounded!? Kill that woman at once!!”
“Wait, wait, it’s alright! I’ve got this under control!” Ophelia called out to the guards that already ran to apprehend Olivia.
“You do!?” Belmot in disbelief. “But the blood! She dared harm you!”
“Most of it isn’t even my blood, she barely scratched me. Don’t worry!” Ophelia smiled and hid Olivia’s bloody dagger behind her back. “I don’t want to kill her.”
“Is that so? But why? Who is that!?”
“It appears it’s one of those poor commoners that lost their minds to Black Pixie Dust,” Ophelia said, feigning pity.
“Is that so?” Belmot asked. But even while their lord was indecisive, the guards made sure to surround him and slowly encircle Olivia from two sides.
“Absolutely!” Ophelia nodded. “I heard that drug ran rampant in the city, and I want to help—”
“BULLSHIT!” Olivia shouted. “That girl is not your daughter!”
“What!?” Belmot asked if he heard that nonsense correctly.
“Her real name is Emily! She’s my sister!” Olivia continued. “She used Shadow Body Swap to change her appearance and replace your daughter!”
“S-shadow body… Huh?” Belmot was even more confused.
“See!?” Ophelia pointed at Olivia. “Her sister, ha! What nonsense! You should have been here when she claimed that the demons are controlling everything. Raging lunatic! Completely out of her mind! What sane person would run into a collapsing building, attacking and antagonizing everyone they could?”
“T-that does seem to not be something a well-adjusted person would do,” Belmot said while scratching his double chin. “And the heavy addicts have been known to fall into hallucinogenic madness… But all the more reason to bind the crazy person before she does harm to my precious little princess or to herself!”
“I promised to help this poor druggie, if she promises not to hurt anyone again,” Ophelia spelled it out while throwing glances at Olivia.
The guards had already completely surrounded Olivia.
“I know how you like to try and help,” Belmot looked at the huddled kids and wiped away the sweat from his forehead. “It’s just that it doesn’t always work out…”
“Some are beyond help,” Ophelia gestured dismissively. “But I have a good feeling about this one! Please~, daddy, make sure that the guards don’t harm her yet!”
“Oh, if she doesn’t resist,” Belmot sighed. “But we can’t stay here for long! Who knows if the earthquake happens again. Guards!”
The dozen Purple Capes that encircled Olivia pointed their swords and spears at her and slowly encroached on her from all sides.
“As if!” Olivia dropped two smoke bombs at her feet.
“Again!? Sofia!!” Ophelia yelled.
“R-right! At once!” the cat girl responded from somewhere within the smoke.
Once Olivia realized that just trying to explain things would be pointless, her course of action was obvious. She had to show it.
“Princess!?” Belmot shouted for his daughter.
“I’m here, I’m fine!” Ophelia answered.
“I’m coming, princess!” Belmot ran to the voice of his little girl.
Perfect! Olivia thought as she ran in the same direction. The ninja girl would have found Ophelia through the smoke regardless, but this situation was even better. The visibility was near zero, but if Belmot stands right next to Emily, he’ll see it before that cat girl even undoes the smoke. Shadow Body Swap requires concentration, even for someone who used as religiously as she has.
“Princess!” Belmot ran up to his daughter and hugged her.
“I said I’m fine!” Ophelia didn’t seem thrilled about the embrace. “Sofia! Hurry the fuck up!”
That was when Olivia ran up behind Ophelia and, with the pommel of her dagger, struck Ophelia’s funny bone.
“Ghyah!?” Ophelia yelped and twitched from the sudden jolt in her elbow.
Olivia expected the dagger to be knocked away right after contact, but either the barrier still hadn’t been restored or Ophelia turned it off to avoid electrocuting lord Belmot.
“W-WHAT IS THIS!?” Belmot screamed just as the rapid vacuuming of the smoke began.
Perfect! Olivia smiled. Though she could only make out Emily’s back and pink hair through the smoke, she knew that her face was revealed. Even if it was for just a second, there’s no way Belmot will ignore that. I might have more luck dealing with Emily now that the fat bastard knows she’s not his daughter. As long as she loses her position here—
“KYAAAAAAAAAAA!?!?”
“Ghuh!”
When the smoke cleared, Belmot was on the floor with a dagger sticking out of his bleeding neck.
“DADDYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!” “Ophelia” fell on her knees and wept with her face covered.
“Kill the bitch!!” the guards screamed and rushed at the only possible culprit that stood right next to Belmot and his daughter.