The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

176 – 176. Beyond the New Era (3)

From the moment I returned to the Hoenberk family, the tasks at hand had significantly increased.

The weddings of the Second Princess, the Third Princess, and the First Saint.

As soon as March arrives, the likelihood of the weddings taking place is high.

It’s due to the strong will of the Emperor, who has a spinster turning twenty-eight under his care.

Since the promise of marriage, countless disasters have followed in the Baltaria Empire. Fearing that any new calamity might delay the weddings, they planned to hold the ceremonies as soon as spring began.

‘While rescuing the saint party isolated in the demon realm, I lost my right arm in a fierce battle against the archdemon, the mastermind behind the resurgence of the demon army.’

That’s how it would be known to the world.

The end of the world.

And the demise of the one true god.

If all truths were to be revealed, chaos and turmoil would ensue.

As soon as I notified the Baltaria Empire, the Emperor, sporting a sharp mustache, rushed in a flurry. He was so frantic that he brought only about ten knights with him.

“Son-in-law! What on earth is this calamity! You lost your… your arm!!”

“I’m sorry.”

The flat sleeves fluttering in the wind.

Seeing him, Barbarossa’s voice, tinged with despair, revealed her wretched feelings.

The thief who stole my daughters.

He’s still an utterly detestable fellow, but after all, he is my future son-in-law.

He has lost an arm.

Barbarossa, who had been throwing a fit, insisting, “It can’t be! It must be a mistake!” upon hearing the news from the Hoenberk family, now swayed as if he might collapse at any moment.

“Father!”

Ludmila reached out desperately to support her father.

Barbarossa let out a heavy sigh and nodded.

“I’ve heard. He lost his right arm while trying to save the Saintess Party… They say he fought against the great demon of the demon realm, who led the revival of the Demon King’s army.”

“…Yes.”

“It was just a moment of chaos. So lift your head. Did he not defeat all the remnants of the great demon who sought resurrection and save humanity? You are a noble hero who has given everything to save humankind.”

“……”

A noble hero who saved humanity.

As Barbarossa’s words sank in, Edanant pondered in silence, brushing his sleeve.

“W-would it be better to postpone the wedding? Yes… that’s only natural. Having sustained serious injuries in battle, the wedding we had planned for next spring will have to be delayed.”

No.

How much longer must I wait?

I’m already twenty-eight.

In just two more years, I’ll be thirty.

Was there some ill fate refusing me the fortune of marriage? Just months before the wedding, a disastrous situation had arisen. Barbarossa, fearing that the wedding might be called off, expressed his anxiety in a trembling voice.

“No, it’s fine. If a prosthetic arm can be arranged, the wedding will be no problem.”

“R-really?! That’s a relief! Truly a relief!!”

I’ve never seen him so joyful.

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Anyone would think he was the one getting married.

The sight of the Emperor, jumping up and down in pure childlike joy, left the bride and groom-to-be feeling utterly bewildered.

“Do not worry! I will gather prosthetic technicians from all over the continent!”

“Thank you.”

“No, I should be the one thanking you! You’re going through with the wedding despite the inconvenience… How could I not be overjoyed?”

“…Yes.”

How desperately must he have wanted to marry off his unmarried daughter?

Ludmila felt a deep embarrassment at her father’s over-the-top behavior and lowered her head.

* * *

I strolled through the garden alongside Barbarossa.

At the same time, Elizabeth, who had been waiting, came running.

Could it be because of the wedding?

The beautiful princess, with her luscious blonde hair cascading down, wore a somewhat agitated expression.

“If Father tries to call off the wedding… I will marry Ethan!”

“Hmm?”

“It’s no use trying to stop me! Even if I have to give up my status as a princess, even if I become a commoner…! I will marry Ethan no matter what!”

“I think there’s been a misunderstanding…”

It seemed that her father had visited the Hohenberg family to announce the cancellation of the wedding, thinking, “I cannot give my daughters to a one-armed man!”

What a sharp misunderstanding.

It was a plot straight out of a melodrama.

Barbarossa couldn’t hide his bewilderment at the sight of the youngest daughter, tears brimming in her eyes, shouting defiantly. And the daughter-thief caught in the middle of this father-daughter relationship was sweating profusely.

“His Majesty did not come to oppose the wedding.”

“Hmm?”

“He came to confirm the wedding scheduled for next spring.”

“Uh, huh…! R-really?!”

Ethan nodded.

At that, Elizabeth, her face flushed bright red, stammered in a flurry.

“Didn’t the Hohenberg family announce the wedding? Even though Sir Edanant lost his right arm, there’s no intention to cancel the ceremony.”

“W-wait…! I-I’m so sorry! I misunderstood on my own!”

“It’s alright. I can see how passionately you care for Sir Edanant, enough to give up your status.”

“Please forget it! Just please forget!”

The Emperor burst into hearty laughter.

In response, the youngest princess clung to his arm, squawking like a bird.

“Now that I’ve received a firm answer, I can rest easy and take my leave. Please, do not overexert yourself and take care of your health. I will send you some tonics that are good for your body later.”

“Thank you.”

It seems he is quite eager to marry off his daughters.

Especially the second daughter, who has just turned twenty-eight.

Having confirmed that Ludmila and Elizabeth still loved Edanant, Barbarossa left with the knights after giving them a few words of advice.

“Haha, I understood Lisa’s heartfelt feelings towards me. Hearing it directly makes me feel embarrassed.”

“Quiet down! Shut up! Don’t say another word!”

“If you refuse to marry, I’ll give up my royal status…! I want to make it known to the servants of the Mila and Hohenberg families.”

“Gah! You said it’s noisy! Just talk to someone else! I’ll really get angry then!”

As Edant continued to joke around in a playful tone, Elisabet jumped up and down, showing a startled reaction.

She stretched out her hand.

And pulled out the beautiful vampiress, embracing her.

When Elisabet’s startled expression appeared, Edant responded with a passionate kiss, expressing his all-consuming love. He wrapped his lips around hers, inserting his tongue with a hint of sweetness.

* * *

As the era of the one true god came to an end and the divine power was extinguished, the secret society, which had been hiding from the persecution and oppression of the Sacred Kingdom, gained strength.

The Great Prophet had died.

The great prophets and sages had finally dealt with the false pretender.

The followers of the secret society, including Ariel, who was a apostle of the blood, were swept up in a frenzy of excitement. Finally, the false pretender who claimed to be the one true god fell, and the evil ascended, and they cried out in joy and shed tears of ecstasy.

“The highest honor of the secret society, the Great Prophet, has arrived!”

A beautiful vampire with black hair exclaimed.

And the hundreds of followers, stretching out their hands, cheered.

“Great Prophet! Great Prophet!”

“Ah! Take me!”

The old high priests, who had inherited the prophecies, had fulfilled their predictions.

War. Tyranny. Famine. Death.

The peak of the calamity god had brought down the one true god.

As the one true god was extinguished, the foolish followers of the Sacred Kingdom lost their divine power. The priests who had lost their faith and the knights who had lost their will began to collapse, and the Sacred Kingdom began to decline. When they heard the news, the frenzy reached its peak.

“Great Prophet! I have always been devoted to the exclusive use of the Great Prophet.”

“What do you mean? I don’t understand the meaning at all.”

Ariel coyly cooed while wrapping herself around Edant’s left arm.

The soft and sweet scent of the female vampire’s skin wafted in.

Edant, who was afraid of being discovered by Rudmila and Jeblin, tried to ignore it.

“I have a token of respect for the Great Prophet on my lower back. If you summon me to the bedroom today, I’ll show you the token on my lower back.”

“…”.

Ah, please.

Is it possible that it’s not a tattoo?

Given the sultry smile in her eyes, the likelihood was exceedingly high.

“Since ten days ago, the breast angel hasn’t shown her face. Could she have run away? The divine realm must have been thrown into chaos with the disappearance of the one true god.”

“…I only entrusted her with a task for a moment. She’ll be back soon.”

“Tch! She’s still an undertrained pup. How about humiliating her as a trainer and breaking the fierce pride of the breast angel? Heh, completely corrupting the leader of the archangels!”

“I’m afraid Rudmila and Jeblin might hear.”

Belashiel.

The archangel of the divine realm must be busier than anyone else at this moment.

Is it alright?

Suddenly, I found myself lost in thought, recalling Belashiel.