Chapter 385: If You Aren't Convinced, I'll Go Have a Seat in Northern Europe
"I shall not easily forgive your rude behavior. Are you even a man?"
"Whether I'm a man or not, why don't you find out for yourself?"
La Folia was instantly rendered speechless by his shameless remark.
Perhaps the grilled meat was too delicious, or perhaps this princess had abandoned all restraint, as she resignedly plopped down opposite Mahiro.
She directly snatched Mahiro's bowl and chopsticks, and with no regard for etiquette, picked up the meat he had just grilled and stuffed it into her mouth.
Just by looking at her eating manner, one could tell she was starving.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have been lured by the aroma of grilled meat to hide in the bushes and peek.
Mahiro was well aware of this, so he said nothing, instead taking out a new pair of chopsticks and placing raw meat slices on the grill.
"Um... may I ask what your relationship with Kanon is?"
Yukina had never seen La Folia before and thought the silver-haired girl before her was a castaway stranded on the deserted island.
But noticing she bore a sixty to seventy percent resemblance to Kanon Kanase, she couldn't help but ask.
By this time, Sayaka had regained her composure, her lips trembling slightly as she uttered the silver-haired girl's name.
"Princess La Folia..."
Hearing this, Yukina glanced at Sayaka, then couldn't help but look at the silver-haired girl opposite her, her expression gradually shifting to astonishment.
"Huh? You're that princess?!"
"Indeed, I am La Folia, eldest daughter of Lucas Rihavein, King of the Northern European Kingdom of Aldegyr—holding the title of princess in the Aldegyr Kingdom. As for the Kanon you mentioned, she is, in principle, my relative. The purpose of my visit to this artificial island is to bring her back to our country, though I am currently unclear about her situation."
As she spoke, La Folia set down her bowl and chopsticks, stood up, and—adhering to etiquette—gracefully lifted the hem of her skirt, offering an elegant curtsy to everyone, her youthful face blooming with a smile befitting her age.
However, when her gaze fell upon Mahiro, that smile vanished instantly, replaced by a pout of annoyance.
This detestable man...
And when she noticed the green-haired woman seated on the other side of Mahiro, she paused slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing her mind.
Her face looked somewhat familiar, yet she couldn't quite recall who it was...
"So it really is the princess..."
Yukina's mouth hung slightly agape as she stared dumbfounded at La Folia.
No wonder she was so surprised.
Although La Folia's attire was exceedingly luxurious, her behavior bore no resemblance to that of a so-called princess.
And most crucially—
"Generally, when a guest of princess-level status visits the artificial island, the Japanese government would arrange a welcoming party, including our Lion King Organization handling the princess's itinerary. But Princess La Folia, how did you end up on this deserted island?"
Yukina's question was directed not only at La Folia but also at Sayaka.
She had come here with Mahiro to deal with the Fake Angels and knew nothing about La Folia's situation.
Sayaka, however, was aware of some of the circumstances.
Just as she was about to explain, La Folia spoke up with a hint of irritation:
"Please call me La Folia. I'm tired of hearing 'Your Highness,' 'Princess,' and 'Imperial Princess.' At the very least, I don't want friends from other countries addressing me with such rigid titles, or I won't speak with you."
"..."
Yukina shook her head in apparent surprise. As a public servant, she likely felt it was inappropriate to be overly familiar with a distinguished guest of the government. Moreover, she was a serious and rather rigid person by nature.
Unfortunately, La Folia happened to be the type who did as she pleased, making her the polar opposite of Yukina.
For instance, at this very moment—
"Come to think of it, nicknames are an option too," La Folia muttered to herself, lost in serious thought before smiling triumphantly. "For example, if you changed my name to something with a Yamato-style flair, like 'Fuu-chan' or 'Fuu-sama,' that would be acceptable, right? Hehe, don't judge by appearances—I'm quite familiar with Japanese culture too."
"Pfft, don't tell me your knowledge of Japanese culture was taught by a sunglasses-wearing guy named Tsuchimikado Motoharu?" Mahiro teased with a laugh.
"Hmph, not at all. I don't know any man named Tsuchimikado Motoharu. And you, sir, are quite rude—not a gentleman at all. You should be kneeling on one knee before me, respectfully kissing the back of my hand."
Clearly, La Folia was still upset about the earlier teasing.
But Mahiro was like a fish with a seven-second memory—he wouldn't remember such trivial matters.
So he turned to Giada with a serious expression and asked, "Europe is the Lost Warlord's territory, right? Are all princesses there this arrogant? Do they really expect me to kneel?"
Giada covered her mouth and chuckled in response.
"Giggle, although that fellow Juranbarada holds the title of Europe's ruler, the Warlord's Empire hasn't quite managed to dominate the entire continent yet. However, a princess with this level of arrogance does fit the bold and fierce character of the Kingdom of Aldegyr."
Hearing their conversation, La Folia's attention was drawn, especially to the woman with emerald-green hair. Though she couldn't quite recall, she asked with a hint of displeasure,
"Might I ask who you are?"
"Me?"
Giada raised her eyes and smiled.
"I am the ruler of the Chaos Zone, the sovereign of North and South America—Giada Kukulcan. I wonder if Princess La Folia is satisfied with my answer?"
"..."
The Third Progenitor?!
La Folia's eyes widened in disbelief. The woman's appearance gradually overlapped with the peerless beauty she remembered of the Third Progenitor.
But the question was, why would the esteemed Third Progenitor appear on this desolate island?
And this man was actually chatting and laughing with the Third Progenitor?!
For a moment, La Folia began to speculate about Mahiro's identity.
But for now, she softened her tone toward Giada and said,
"My apologies, Lady Giada. That was rude of me earlier. Please forgive me."
Giada didn't speak, merely waving her hand to indicate it was nothing to worry about.
La Folia, now somewhat subdued, refrained from teasing Mahiro further and instead turned to explain to Yukina.
"You just asked why I appeared on this deserted island—it's because my ship was shot down while on its way to visit Itogami City."
"Shot down? Could it have been done by Magecraft Industry?" Yukina exclaimed in surprise.
"That's right, it was them. But their objective was likely to kidnap me."
As if mourning her fallen subordinates, La Folia bowed her head slightly.
Her armored airship had been shot down several days earlier, on the day she was heading to Itogami Island accompanied by her guard knights.
Later, as the ship passed through this area of sea, it was suddenly attacked.
Without warning, the assailants launched a surprise attack on the airship flying at an altitude of one thousand meters. The final blow was delivered by a winged, masked monster.
The overwhelmed knights lost most of their combat strength. Recognizing the unfavorable situation, the attendants shoved La Folia into an escape pod.
Before she could resist, the escape pod was launched and fell into the ocean...
If Mahiro hadn't come to this deserted island, she likely would have starved to death due to lack of food supplies.
After all, several days had passed since the incident, and the food in the escape pod had long been exhausted—otherwise, she wouldn't have been drawn here by the scent.
"No way... Could Magecraft Industry be planning to demand a ransom?"
Yukina asked with deep suspicion.
As a private enterprise, Magecraft Industry actually hiring members of the Demon Race to attack a ship belonging to a royal family—it was hard to think of any other reason.
"They covet my body, the bloodline of the Aldegyr royal family. Because almost without exception, women born into the Aldegyr royal family are powerful spirit mediums."
La Folia, however, shook her head quietly, a faint bitter smile on her lips.
"..."
Yukina murmured to herself, as if realizing something.
After all, the reason she herself became a Sword Shaman of the Lion King Organization was precisely because she was an excellent spirit medium. Even Sayaka remained in the Lion King Organization due to this talent.
Moreover, upon careful sensing, the spiritual power within Princess La Folia was indeed significantly stronger than her own.
But just then, La Folia spoke again:
"Actually, this matter isn't solely the work of Magecraft Industry. The main culprit is Kanase Kensei. He is employed by Magecraft Industry and once served as a court magic technician for the Aldegyr royal family. Many of the profound magic secrets he knows require the spirit medium abilities of royal family members. That's probably why they took the risk to try and abduct me."
La Folia stopped short of saying that Kanase Kensei kidnapped her to transform her into a masked monster like the artificial angels.
But even without saying it, everyone present understood clearly.
All the clues connected.
The technology for creating artificial angels originally came from the Deva. Later, when the Deva fell into demonhood and perished, this technology was passed down to the Aldegyr Kingdom, where Kanase Kensei learned it.
Kanase Kensei attempted to create angels using human power, thus requiring a large number of spirit medium girls.
Hence, he set his sights on the bloodline of the Aldegyr royal family.
"If that's the case, Kanase Kensei is Kaori's uncle, and he previously targeted Kaori. They also look so similar, which means..."
Yukina stood with her mouth agape, unable to voice her conjecture for a long while.
Instead, Mahiro took over and nodded:
"That's right. In fact, Kanon Kanase is a lost bloodline of the Aldegyr royal family. Moreover, she isn't just a distant relative of this rude and ill-mannered princess—they are genuine blood relatives."
"Who are you calling rude and ill-mannered?!"
La Folia was furious.
But Mahiro ignored her and continued on his own:
"To put it plainly, Kanon Kanase is actually La Folia's aunt—her biological aunt."
"Huh?!"
Yukina gasped in shock, while Sayaka furrowed her brows, her expression one of disbelief.
"Doesn't that mean the Kanon Kanase you're talking about is actually the daughter of the previous king of Aldegyr?! But isn't she a classmate of Yukina's?"
"That's correct."
Mahiro nodded, then spread his hands as if weighing a scale.
"But being a classmate and being the daughter of the previous king aren't mutually exclusive. Ultimately, this matter stems from a scandal within the Aldegyr royal family."
After hearing his words, Sayaka felt her head spinning.
Giada, on the other hand, wore the expression of someone thoroughly enjoying the drama.
Indeed, only entities like royal families could provide her with more amusement.
La Folia, however, grew even more alarmed.
She hadn't expected this rude and utterly ungentlemanly man to know so much, even being so well-informed about the scandals of the Aldegyr royal family.
Nevertheless, in an attempt to salvage what little dignity she had left, La Folia chose to speak up before Mahiro could continue.
"Let me explain this matter."
Instantly, everyone's attention shifted to the princess.
La Folia cleared her throat and continued:
"This man is right. Kanon's father was indeed my grandfather, and she truly is my aunt. About fifteen years ago, my grandfather had a daughter with a Japanese woman living in Aldegyr—that child is Kanon Kanase.
Of course, to my grandmother, this was an affair, so after Kanon's mother gave birth, she returned to her homeland, Japan, not wanting to cause trouble for my grandfather. Later, when my grandfather learned of this, he ordered the construction of a convent to raise Kanon."
"Huh?"
Yukina and Sayaka were stunned by this royal scandal, their minds even feeling a bit foggy.
Calculating by age, fifteen years ago, the former king of Aldegyr would have been around fifty years old.
Meanwhile, Kanon Kanase's mother, as a woman of normal childbearing age, would have been around twenty years old.
In other words, there was a thirty-year age gap between them, and they gave birth to Kanon Kanase?!
This truth was truly shocking for the two girls!
But just then, Mahiro spoke up softly:
"So? I don't quite understand. Why did you neglect her all this time, only to want to bring Kanon Kanase back now?"
His tone was far from pleasant—it was icy cold.
La Folia could sense it, so this time she didn't argue. Instead, she gave him a helpless look and sighed:
"Because there's no other way. Although she has no right to the throne, she is still a member of the Aldegyr royal family.
Recently, a close confidant of my grandfather passed away, and his dying words brought Kanon Kanase's existence to light.
My grandfather is too afraid to face this matter, while my grandmother flew into a rage, causing quite a stir in the palace.
On top of that, after hearing certain rumors, I came specifically to take her back to the country..."
By the end, La Folia had completely lost her momentum.
Mahiro, however, let out a cold snort.
"In the end, you just want to use Kanon Kanase as a sacrificial tool to quell the royal family's conflicts, right? You think that by taking her back and handing her over to your senile grandmother and cowardly grandfather, you can put an end to the royal disputes?"
La Folia neither denied nor confirmed it.
But her silence spoke volumes.
"Hah, in that case, let me make this clear: as long as I'm alive, no one from your Aldegyr Kingdom will lay a finger on Kanon Kanase. If you're not satisfied, I wouldn't mind taking a trip to Northern Europe and paying a visit to your palace."
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
Yukina had initially wanted to intervene, but when she opened her mouth, she found herself at a loss for words.
Because she too felt that the Aldegyr royal family was acting far too absurdly, placing all the responsibility on a fifteen-year-old girl who knew nothing and understood nothing...
"This is going too far!"
It was Sayaka.
She was already filled with righteous indignation.
Although she didn't know Kanon Kanase personally, she could tell from Yukina that this was a very kind-hearted girl.
Yet she was being treated so unfairly!
La Folia pursed her lips, still wanting to say something.
But the next moment, everyone's gaze suddenly turned in the same direction.
In the distant night sky, illuminated by the clear moonlight, a figure with wings spread wide appeared in midair.
La Folia's pretty face turned pale, and her expression grew increasingly grave.
"Be careful, it's that masked monster!"
At the warning, Sayaka had already picked up the Six-Type Heavy Anti-Demon Bow, Lustrous Scale, beside her.
Although she had never fought this monster before, just from its dangerous aura, she could tell that its power far surpassed hers!
"Oh, not bad at all. It's already been nurtured to this level. With one more excellent spiritual medium, this monster could officially ascend and become an angel."
Giada's voice carried a strong sense of interest, but her gaze drifted toward La Folia.
La Folia couldn't help but tremble slightly.
It was as if she were about to be thrown over, fed to that counterfeit angel, and observed for the results.
As a former member of the Deva royal family, Giada was naturally a researcher, just like Cain.
So she was quite interested in such matters.
"Alright, let's set aside the main course over there for now. The appetizer has arrived."
Mahiro first glanced directly beneath the angel, then turned his head, his gaze piercing through the dense layers of forest to fix on the coast.
Suddenly, a row of lights illuminated the sea beyond the beach as speedboats and transport vessels raced toward the small island.
Yukina, with her Spiritual Sight, naturally saw the armed forces appearing along the coast. Their bodies were concealed in black armor, neatly lined up on the approaching vessels.
Searchlights lit up one after another, enveloping the forest in daylight-like brilliance.
The landing crafts that reached the shore opened their gates, and soldiers clad entirely in black armor, wielding large military rifles, charged into the woods.
"The mission target is La Folia Rihavein alone. Kill everyone else!"
"Roger!"
Squad after squad of assault teams had already vanished into the mountainous forest.
The moment they spotted Mahiro and the others, they raised their gun muzzles and pulled the triggers.
Specially designed bullets poured toward them as if they were free!
The instant the bullets were fired, Giada sprang into action, swiftly weaving through the mountainous terrain to evade them, even closing in on the approaching squad at an even faster speed.
Crack!
In the next moment, a severed head was already in Giada's hand.
The spurting blood splattered onto Giada's fair face, adding a touch of bewitching allure to her smile.
"Hah... I've really been underestimated, haven't I?"