Chapter 17: An Audience with the First Princess (The Flag of Ruin)

I was invited to the royal castle to have dinner with the Queen and her family.

Normally, this would be the pinnacle of honor. However, the feeling I had was exactly like that of a debtor being hauled into a yakuza office.

“I apologize, Alvart. You must be troubled by such a sudden summons.”

Sitting across from me at the dining table was a beautiful woman who stared me down. If I had to describe her in a word, she was an adult version of Clarice. She possessed an overwhelming beauty matured by age, eyes shimmering with vitality, and...

A pair of breasts that boasted the same incredible scale as Clarice’s.

She wore a fairly revealing dress, and under normal circumstances, I’d have trouble knowing where to look. But right now, I didn't feel a shred of eroticism.

Why? Because the sultry older sister sitting across from me was Sierra Ringveid—a Doom Flag unique to this world, nowhere to be found in the original game.

“How is it, Alvart? The meal. I had one of our best chefs prepare it.”

“...It is most delicious, Lady Sierra.”

“Hehe. I see, I see. So it tastes good to you, Alvart.”

With a pleasant face and a gentle aura, the words Sierra uttered next were nothing but pure poison.

“Because of you, my meal tastes like ash. Honestly, what are you going to do about it? Hmm? You little Zesphiria shit.”

She kept that gentle smile on her beautiful face, but her voice was freezing cold. Sierra looked at me, then at Clarice—who was sitting with us—and spoke.

“It stinks. The Night King really does have a nauseating stench, doesn't he?”

“...!”

Clarice’s eyes sharpened as she glared at her sister. That comment had clearly stepped on a landmine. But even under that sharp gaze, Sierra’s smile didn't waver.

“I’ll tell you both. I absolutely despise things that don't go my way, and people who show me defiance. Oh, and while I’m at it... I find it incredibly unpleasant when trash that’s no better than filth is being needlessly hyped up.”

Lust for blood and pure hostility. Both were being poured onto me and Clarice. To Sierra, that was clearly what we were right now.

Unpleasant filth that didn't obey and showed defiance. Such a characterization was, of course, incredibly rude in every sense, but...

“...Don't you think that’s enough?”

Even Her Majesty the Queen, who should have been the supreme ruler of everything, couldn't exert her authority over her daughter’s behavior.

“Huh? Since when were you in a position to tell me what to do, you old hag?”

Right now, at this table... no, in this entire country, I had almost no allies. To Sierra, the few I did have were no more than dust. Her next words made that painfully clear.

“For now... I think a demotion is in order for Elise and her family, the Lucifors. And of course, I’ll be handing down a suitable punishment for you, Alvart, so be ready for that.”

Her one-sided demands left no room for negotiation. But if I gave up and accepted it here, it would be the end in many ways. My goal of living a peaceful life, and my pride as a proper salaryman-turned-mob.

“—Lady Sierra, I believe you may be under a misunderstanding.”

Getting a person who has no intention of negotiating to sit at the table... I’d done that countless times in my previous life. So, I would do it again.

“Hmm? And what exactly do you mean by that?”

“If you took the commotion at the orphanage as a sign of my defiance... then I must say it is indeed a misunderstanding. Miss Elise and I were merely brushing away the sparks that fell upon us.”

“Oh? And in the process... you uttered words that were tantamount to picking a fight with me?”

“Those were entirely for the sake of convenience, Lady Sierra. In that situation, I judged that they wouldn't back down otherwise. We do not harbor even a shred of defiance toward you.”

“Hmm. ...So that means you don't care what happens to the orphanage, then?”

“Regarding that... would you be willing to forgive us if we presented you with something of equal value?”

Come on. Take the bait.

“And what exactly would you be offering?”

Yes.

“As you know, my family conducts business in various places across the country. Our main focus is the sex industry... but we also perform various other trades to fulfill our loyalty to the state.”

“Yes, yes. I know all about it. Especially... your assassination business. I’ve made use of it a few times myself. ...And? What of it?”

In the next moment, I stated the terms that would be most advantageous for me.

“I wish to offer... all of my family’s vested interests to you, Lady Sierra.”

“............Oh?”

One of Sierra’s eyebrows twitched slightly. The others at the table were all staring in shock. Of course, Clarice was no exception.

“L-Lord Alvart...! If you do such a thing...!”

Clarice went pale, which was understandable. After all, what I’d just said was essentially—

“The power of life and death over the Zesphiria family. You’re saying you’ll hand that authority over to me?”

“Precisely, Lady Sierra.”

For a typical noble, this would be an unthinkable choice. But from my perspective, I was just throwing away things I wanted to get rid of anyway. My status as a noble, my interests... I didn't need any of it. In fact, if I could become a commoner through this, that would be ideal.

“For this incident... I would like you to forgive me and Miss Elise.”

I waited for her reaction.

“Hahahaha. I see, I see.”

Not bad?

“Right. Well, this whole thing was just a little spat inside an orphanage... your demands are amnesty for the Lucifor family and the land around the orphanage. Those two things, right?”

“Yes. That is correct.”

“Then... sure, why not. I’ll forgive you,” Sierra said with a cheerful, upbeat tone.

“I certainly did misunderstand you, Alvart. Until a moment ago, you were just a shitty dog baring its fangs at me... but now? You’re just a spineless piece of garbage who’ll sell anything to save his own skin. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“...Indeed. As you say, I am a man of that caliber, Lady Sierra.”

Don't underestimate a Japanese corporate drone. This level of verbal abuse doesn't even tickle.

However, while I was taking zero damage, Clarice was...

“...!”

She gritted her teeth in frustration. There was something dangerous dwelling in her eyes. In the next moment—

“Sister. I have a request.”

“Oh my. What is it?”

“That marriage talk... I will accept it.”

I had no idea what they were talking about. Sierra, on the other hand, curled her lip into a smirk.

“Oh? So you’re saying you want me to lighten Alvart’s punishment in exchange?”

“...Yes.”

I didn't understand. I didn't understand, but... I had an intuition that if I let this go, something terrible would happen.

“Please stop, Lady Clarice. You shouldn't bend your own will for my sake—”

“To me, you are my hope.”

H-help. Her eyes are terrifying.

Actually, the emotion I could sense in Clarice’s gaze was... well, it felt exactly like a hardcore fan who refused to accept any interpretation of their idol other than their own.

“I believe in you, Night King.”

Wait. Just hold on a second.

Before I could call out to her, Clarice spoke again.

“I will marry into the Brownie family... become a Baroness, and renounce my right of succession to the throne. If I do that, return half of what Lord Alvart offered.”

Her resolve was, in short, equivalent to giving up everything. Her dreams. Her future as a royal. Clarice was trying to save me in exchange for all of it. Just as I was processing the complexity of my feelings toward her—

“Hmm. I see, I see. You really do love him, don't you, Alvart?”

With a trace of madness in her jewel-like eyes, Sierra turned to me.

“Hey, Alvart. What would you do if I told you that everything could be resolved by your will alone?”

Some kind of invitation. The details weren't clear yet, but I could tell. It was going to be something awful. Apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought so.

“Lady Sierra.”

The old butler who had been standing by Clarice’s side finally spoke up with a grim expression.

“Please, do not toy with—”

As he was speaking, he was suddenly blown back by what was likely Sierra’s magic, slamming into the wall.

“Demitru...!”

Clarice went pale and screamed the butler’s name. As if mocking her, Sierra asked again.

“Alvart. Let’s play a game.”

“...A game?”

“Yeah. The moment you agree to participate, I’ll drop the charges against you and Elise... and the talk of Clarice’s marriage will be wiped clean.”

If she was offering such incredibly convenient terms just for participating, then the content of the game had to be twisted. But in reality, I only had one choice. If Clarice was going to suffer because of me... even if I knew it was a trap, I had to jump in.

“...Understood. I would be honored to participate.”

In that instant, a smirk spread across Sierra’s face.

“You said it, Alvart.”

A chill ran down my spine. But it was too late to take back my words. In the next moment, the situation shifted drastically.

Whether it was Sierra’s magic or not, the surrounding space was dyed pitch black... and the royal dining room was transformed into a spacious, love-hotel-like room.

At this point, I understood. Ah, so this was a Correction Force event. If so, then the development that awaited me was inevitable.

“This is my inherent territory, created by 《False Realm Magic》. Within this space, I can manifest various phenomena at will.”

As Sierra finished speaking, a bracelet was snapped onto my right wrist.

“Now then. Regarding the rules... well, it’ll be faster if we just do it.”

As soon as she said that, for some reason, she walked up to me and...

“Mmm... chu...”

She pressed her soft lips against my neck.

“...?! Sister! What are you doing?!” Clarice screamed in disgust.

But Sierra ignored her.

“Chu... nnh... lick... mmm...”

She licked and sucked at my neck, leaving a mark. The sensation was... well, it was incredibly pleasurable.

In the next moment, the center of the bracelet on my right wrist began to glow—and as the light completed a full circle around the band...

“Let’s start with the first punishment, shall we?”

Suddenly, a giant slime appeared behind Clarice. Without a moment's delay, a part of the slime’s body split off—and the instant the lump of slime touched Clarice’s body...

The clothes protecting her soft skin began to slowly dissolve.

“────?!”

Clarice struggled frantically to remove the slime, but her efforts were in vain. She was forced to expose her naked body to everyone in the room.

“Sister...!”

“Oh my. Why are you so angry? Wouldn't you be happy to show off your lewdly grown body to everyone?”

“You are just as disgusting as always...!”

Clarice tried to hide her breasts and private parts with her arms, her face a mask of rage. Seeing her tremble with humiliation and shame was a far cry from her usual self.

Perhaps moved by her daughter’s plight, the Queen tried to order the servants...

“E-everyone! Close your—”

“Hahaha. I won’t let them close their eyes, Mother dearest.”

The inherent realm created by 《False Realm Magic》. The scene was now entirely under that spell’s influence, and therefore... the rules Sierra set were the absolute law of this space.

“I won’t allow anyone to look away. Every single one of you must watch. You will witness the spectacle of this fun, fun game we’re about to play.”

Just as she said, everyone present—mostly servants—was forced to stare at us.

“L-Lady Clarice...!”

“Please, forgive us...!”

To see the bare skin of a noble they were supposed to respect was the height of disrespect. The heart-wrenching guilt the servants felt must have been immense, but... it was likely nothing compared to what Clarice was experiencing.

“...Please, do not... let it trouble you,” she managed to say.

The consideration she showed was likely genuine, but... having her body stared at without permission was undoubtedly an unbearable humiliation for the noble Clarice Ringveid.

And that was exactly what Sierra wanted. That was the point of the game, and the reason she had set this up.

“Now then, Alvart. From here on, I’m going to do various things to you. If the bracelet detects even a hint of positive emotion toward the pleasure I give you... Clarice gets punished. If you can endure this seven times, or survive for thirty minutes, the game is over.”

It was simple. Oh, it was so incredibly simple... it made me want to vomit.

“Then let’s begin, you two. I call it... the 'Losing the Moment You Fall to Pleasure'