Taming The Villainesses-Chapter 368: Peeling Off the Wrapping (2)

Mirna manipulated the crystal in her hand this way and that.

Then the projected footage on the wall distorted for a moment—before finally displaying a scene I remembered.

The moment I approached Ayra and lifted the crown from her head. And then, as I opened my mouth wide and shouted toward the crowd.

Yes, that was the last thing I remembered. What followed next was my body collapsing forward.

Just like an ancient tree with rotted roots slowly toppling to the ground, I faceplanted right into the center of the arena. No wonder my forehead hurt.

I opened my dry throat and said,

“...It hardly looks like the victor’s final pose.”

“But rules are rules. Sir Teo, you took the crown from the queen. That means you won. However, what matters is what came after that.”

The projection began to shake violently. It trembled like there was an earthquake, and Mirna explained, “The one who recorded this was an apprentice witch.”

Since it wasn’t filmed by a professional, the footage quality was poor. In the first place, these recording crystals weren’t even commercially viable yet, so they couldn’t record sound either.

So this must be what watching silent films felt like back in the day.

But what came next made all of that irrelevant.

What I saw with my eyes were people convulsing, twisting their bodies grotesquely as they went into spasms. And then, they shed their skin and began running amok in horrific, monstrous forms.

Thanks to that, the tournament arena fell into chaos in an instant.

Even without audio, it was easy to imagine how many people had screamed and fled. The shrieking seemed to play in my head instinctively.

“...What in the world happened?”

“They called it the Shadow Army. Professor Balan, your subordinate, said so himself. It seems the Demon King’s forces were hidden among the arena’s spectators.”

The moment I wondered why the Demon King’s forces had shown up, I remembered something. Solomon’s obsession with reaching from the past into the future—it must have been his doing.

“Fortunate or unfortunate, Queen Ayra responded quickly. She led the remaining conscious contestants and repelled the demonic horde.”

“I see.”

“Thanks to that, the casualties were kept to a minimum. But the fury of the people didn’t end there. Perhaps the queen anticipated this would happen from the start.”

Mirna’s ruby-red eyes reflected Ayra standing with her mouth wide open, delivering some kind of speech to the crowd.

Ayra had roused them.

As a result, she was able to rally support for her northward campaign beyond the barrier. Most likely with words like, “We can’t just sit here and take it. We have to strike back!”

I wouldn’t be surprised if Ayra had known all along that the Demon King’s corruption would reveal itself at the end of the tournament. She probably intended to use the fired-up contestants as her new army.

Feels like I got played right into Ayra’s hand.

I said,

“...But even so, I doubt that alone was enough to drag people beyond the barrier.”

People, after all, have a natural desire to protect what’s theirs and maintain peace. Charging beyond the barrier is like kicking a hornet’s nest.

To that, Mirna replied,

“She must’ve thought it was worth trying. I believe this tournament was the Queen of Tarantella’s stage to present herself. She made an effective public debut.”

“...Having a powerful queen by your side makes victory feel within reach, I suppose.”

“As expected of you, Sir Teo. You’re quick to understand. The queen was powerful. Even to laypeople with no knowledge of magic or martial arts, she must’ve looked like someone from another realm.”

You could say this tournament was Ayra’s PR campaign.

Sure, people had heard the rumors that she was a powerful mage. But at most, they were vague projections—“She’s supposedly capable of such-and-such.”

Like, "Queen Ayra can stomp her foot and cause an earthquake."

Or, "She can flick her fingers and summon a giant fireball"—just distant tales with no weight.

But having seen it with their own eyes, people would have realized just how powerful a weapon Queen Ayra could be for them.

If such a woman were to declare a retaliatory march with a valid justification like the Demon King’s invasion, then raising a banner to the heavens didn’t seem so far-fetched.

That was the story of the three days I had been unconscious.

Suddenly, a question surfaced.

“...So, what happens to me now?”

What’s going to happen to me? The dice has already been cast—there’s no turning back. All I can do is step onto the space the dice landed me on and read what it says.

Mirna read that space for me.

“You’ve revealed yourself to be a descendant of House Angmar. So, Sir Teo, you’ll now have to sit on the throne. You’ll have to become king.”

“......”

“In truth, that’s a lie. Some people are saying the Shadow Army’s invasion was orchestrated by you, Sir Teo, the grandson of the Demon King Solomon. The timing wasn’t great.”

“I see.”

It wouldn’t be strange for them to think that.

Mirna continued,

“Besides, right now the one in power is Queen Tarantella. This tournament was only to choose her husband. If Sir Teo wishes to be king, he’ll have to either seize the throne—or have it handed over.”

Mirna was right.

The world had rules and logic.

Even if I was a descendant of the former kings, the one who currently ruled this land was Ayra. All I had done was win the right to become her husband. Gaining the throne was a completely different matter.

“Then... am I officially Lady Ayra’s husband now?”

To that, Mirna let out a small hum.

“...That’s...”

Just as she was about to answer, the door opened.

“Teo, you’re awake! I brought you medicine!”

It was Narmee. Mirna gave a small sigh and stopped herself from saying more at the sight of Narmee’s cheerful energy.

***

“Your joints and bones are completely twisted! Sis, I’ll take the left side—you take the right!”

“Alright, Narmee. On three, we press at the same time.”

“Three!”

Crack!

Wait, don’t people usually go “one, two, three”? The sudden jolt of pain made me scream.

“Hiiieeek...!”

But Mirna and Narmee showed no mercy as they began resetting the wreck that was my body.

It felt... like my body had been disassembled and rebuilt from scratch. It was refreshing but also unimaginably painful—tears streamed down my face.

“It hurts...!”

“Seeing you whine means you’re getting better! Now lie down for a bit—I’m going to apply some myrrh! I’ll rewrap your bandages too!”

Rustle, rustle.

The Mirna-Narmee sisters expertly unwound my bandages. Their surprisingly deft hands made me marvel a little, and Narmee grinned.

“I’ve made a lot of mummies.”

...Let’s not ask any more about that.

Anyway, I ended up stark naked in front of the Mirna-Narmee duo.

Unable to move from the muscle pain, I was washed and treated by two women—an incredibly embarrassing experience. Fortunately, they tended to me with sincere care and professionalism as they rewrapped the bandages.

I was the only one thinking weird thoughts.

“You should be able to move a little now! But we only numbed the pain temporarily—it’s not like you’re healed. Once your nerves start regenerating, it’s gonna hurt like hell, so brace yourself.”

“I owe it to you ladies. Thank you.”

“Then, Sir Teo, please get some rest.”

The sisters left the room. There were still a lot of things I wanted to ask—like what happened at the Draco family’s estate.

Shame.

Just as I laid back down, the door creaked open again. Maybe the Draco girls forgot something? But then, I saw a shock of blond hair peek through.

“You could’ve just not opened the door if you were going to act like that.”

“What are you saying? I just came to see how you’re doing. Heard the Draco girls gave you a massage. They’re good at bone-setting, so you must be feeling better.”

Shff.

Elga stood awkwardly beside my bed like a friend making an uncomfortable hospital visit. She grimaced at the strong scent of herbs and incense lingering in the air.

Then she pulled something out from between her breasts and held it out to me.

“This is just for you. It’s a tonic my dad only ever gives to my little brother Richard. I had someone sneak one out for me. It should help. Open your mouth.”

Before I could say anything, she shoved it in my mouth like she was force-feeding a dog or cat.

“Blegh.”

“Don’t spit it out! Don’t even taste it—just chew and swallow!”

I chewed the round lump as ordered. It tasted like clumped-up mud. Bitter and acrid—my numbed taste buds kicked back into full gear instantly.

“Anyway, you don’t have time to be lying around. You need to get up and get to work. Got it? You really don’t have time to be in bed right now.”

According to Elga, the internal affairs of Angmar were in total chaos.

Reinhardt had sent word—ministers were flooding the royal court with protests, and nothing was getting done.

The scene practically drew itself in my mind.

Of course there’d be chaos. A supposed extinct heir of Angmar was alive—and on top of that, Ayra had launched a march beyond the barrier...

“I guess I really don’t have time to be lying around.”

“Exactly. Also, Professor Stella said she has something to tell you. Don’t ask me what—it’s your problem now. Still...”

Elga hesitated a little.

“Is there something else?”

“You did good. Honestly, I didn’t think you’d actually beat Ayra. I was half-skeptical.”

Her genuine compliment filled me with an odd feeling. If I told Elga that I burned a hundred years of my lifespan to win that match—what kind of face would she make?

“This is your reward.”

Ruffle, ruffle.

She gently stroked my head, and I silently promised myself not to tell anyone about the lifespan thing. I didn’t want to get punched.

I opened my mouth to change the subject.

“So, earlier I asked Lady Mirna, but didn’t get an answer. What’s the status of my relationship with Lady Ayra?”

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“...That’s up to you now. But on paper, it’s official.”

“On paper?”

“Your name is listed beside Ayra’s. You and Ayra are husband and wife. Legally, anyway.”

Elga’s expression was visibly uncomfortable as she said that.

“The last one to arrive ends up first on the marriage license. As one of your wives, I can’t {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} lie—I’m a little irritated. By order of entry or whatever, I should’ve been the first.”

“......”

I had nothing to say to that. But hearing Elga say it so clearly made the cloudy feeling in my heart lift a little.

So that’s how it is.

Ayra and I are really married now.

Even if it didn’t feel real yet.

Maybe I’d feel it more if I saw Ayra’s face again.

I slowly sat up.

“Hey, where do you think you’re going with that busted body?”

“Please take me to that outpost. I need to speak with her directly.”