Crushing flags and claiming the Villainess

"You…want a blueberry sandwich?"

"No."

"Some black coffee?"

"No."

"Maybe a back rub?"

"No, thanks."

Austin heaved a sigh. This was one of those rare occasions when Valerie was ignoring him on purpose and even reluctant to look at him.

They were in his room, doing nothing.

Valerie was reading a book by the window, her back facing him. Austin was feeling helpless in the situation.

They had been like this ever since he forced her to drink the pregnancy-prevention potion.

It was, surprisingly, available in a huge amount in the infirmary. And the nurse was so understanding that Austin didn't have to explain anything.

Valerie was reluctant to drink it, tried to escape, and even fought him. But in the end, Austin made her drink it.

And now, she was giving him the cold shoulder, as if he had killed her unborn baby.

He knew her cycle, so he was aware that she wasn't ovulating around this time. But still, he didn't want to take risks.

And now that he had dealt with the possible pregnancy, he had to coax his beloved somehow.

Slowly approaching her, Austin hugged her neck and closed her book.

Softly, he whispered, "Are you really going to be angry with your Lord? I feel lonely, you know."

She still didn't turn to look at him. Being stubborn.

Austin kissed her cheek tenderly, "You know why you can't have a baby, right? You are my comrade and my teacher. So until we don't get rid of the only threat that could destroy our livelihood, we should refrain from having an addition to this family."

Tilting his head to look into her eyes, he added, "After all, we don't want our little one to face the plague of the world, right?"

What he said was rational and practical. The war was looming over their heads, and any day now, they would be facing the demon lord on the battlefield.

Valerie was also a part of the group that would be trespassing into their territory with William and the others. So, she has to maintain her health for the time being.

Valerie acknowledges that but still, "Couldn't you have let me live with that sensation for at least a day? You brought the potion right away." She complained, her thin brows drawing closer.

Austin chuckled, "I promise once we end this war, you can live with that sensation for nine months."

Valerie blushed at those words but still moved her eyes away from him. Still upset.

Austin exhaled a sigh and got back up.

Valerie thought that she might have annoyed him but before she could have turned to look, she found him kneeling before her.

Austin held her hand and told her, "I promise this on my life, Valerie, that after I erase the being named Astaroth from this world, I will make a peaceful world for you. Not a single extra person, just you, me, and our children."

He kissed her hands and looked up at her.

He found elation and excitement in her eyes.

Austin could feel how much she was looking forward to that day when they could stop being warriors and enjoy their time as a normal couple.

However, to reach paradise they have to cross several hurdles and overcome dozens of obstacles.

The violette cupped his cheeks and told him, "Sorry for troubling you. I won't be mad anymore."

Austin moved and Valerie leaned forward.

Their lips met in a gentle kiss. It was nothing like last night. Their lips met in a few gentle kisses before Austin got up and took the role of brewing coffee for his beloved.

As he rested the pot on the boiler, he asked her, "Does it still hurt?" Although they did it only once, it was her first time, and Austin could tell that Valerie was in quite pain in the morning too.

Valerie felt slightly shy remembering last night, as she softly shook her head, "Not much. I will recover by night."

Austin grinned, "But then...I might make you relive the pain again tonight."

Her blush intensified as she moved her gaze away, this time in embarrassment...and excitement.

....

A few days had passed since then.

Austin had been waiting to hear from William.

The Hero wanted to make sure no other battalion had crossed over while they were preparing. So he was taking his time to confirm everything.

But Austin was getting a little impatient. Yesterday, he sent a letter through WarpMail, urging that they attack while the Queen was still weak.

They still didn't know the Demon Lord's current state. A week ago, Selner mentioned that his upper body had healed and he was able to speak again. For all they knew, he could launch some indirect attack while they were focused on the Succubus Queen.

Austin had a feeling things wouldn't go as planned. So they needed to stay ready for anything.

Currently, Austin was on his way to the arena where his rank evaluation was about to begin.

The Headmaster had arranged everything, and the council had quickly sent their officers for the assessment.

"Nervous?" asked a soft voice beside him—Valerie.

Austin gave a faint smile. "I would've been… a few months ago."

Valerie smirked playfully. "Because you're confident in your skills now?"

He shook his head. "No. Because I just don't care

anymore."

To him, ranks meant nothing. What truly mattered was what someone could give back to the world—and Austin knew his worth.

This evaluation was just to remove the D-rank label, making it easier to buy potions and weapons in the future.

As they stepped into the indoor gymnasium, Austin suddenly stopped.

He blinked in surprise.

"What...the...hell?"

This wasn't some quiet, standard test. The stands were packed. The noise was deafening. Students filled every seat, buzzing with excitement.

Valerie grinned at the sight. "Looks like everyone wants to see their savior's big moment."

Austin let out a low grumble. Great. Now the pressure was even worse.

He sighed and walked toward the officials waiting near the Headmaster.

Valerie stayed behind, stopping a few steps away.

Austin turned back, leaned in, and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "Wish me luck."

A beautiful smile lit up her face. "Do your best."

The crowd roared, their cheers shaking the arena.

A year ago, he had been a nobody—aside from being a prince. No one came to watch his spars. Students hated being paired with him in duels.

But now... everything had changed.

Austin stopped in front of the two men who would be conducting his assessment.

They exchanged polite greetings before the Headmaster took a few steps back, joining Valerie at a safe distance.

The first officer, a man with light brown hair and glasses, stepped forward. "Can we see your Shard? We'll start by checking how much Soul Energy you possess." He gestured toward a device they had brought with them.

It was a clear, cylindrical tube connected to a meter. One simply had to insert their Shard inside, and the device would measure the Soul Energy stored within.

Austin noticed the rankings marked on the meter—0 to 25 were labeled 'E,' while the highest, 3000 to 5000, was marked as 'S.'

Out of curiosity, he asked, "What was William's score?"

The second officer, a younger man, replied, "When we tested him, we had to upgrade the machine. The new limit—five thousand—was set because of him."

Austin sighed. "Then you might want to again raise that limit," he said as he summoned Scar.

The moment he placed the sword inside the device, the arena fell completely silent. The meter began to rise—fast. Eyes locked on the needle as it shot upward at a furious pace.

Then—

BZZZZT

The machine flickered, turned red, and stopped working altogether. It had overloaded.

Austin looked at the two officers. Their mouths were slightly open, eyes wide in disbelief, still staring at the now-useless device.

He calmly retrieved his Shard and said, "There's no device that can measure Scar's potential, sir. It grows with every battle. So... let's move on to the next test."

The officers exchanged glances, then gave a slow nod. "Alright, then."

Austin was asked to wait a few minutes while students helped set up the next challenge—forty advanced battle dolls, each placed at a fair distance from one another to prevent him from striking multiple targets at once.

The crowd buzzed with anticipation, eager to see how many of them their favorite warrior could defeat.

Austin moved to the sidelines where Valerie stood.

"How many did you take down, Val?" he asked, glancing at her.

She hummed in thought before answering, "Twenty-six."

"Hm? Just that? Are they really that tough?"

Valerie nodded. "They're built from much stronger materials than normal ones. Plus, they're enchanted to boost their senses and defense systems. It's no joke."

Austin grinned, "This sounds fun."

He stepped forward, Scar appearing in his hands as he decided to let others witness a glimpse of his true strength.

°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.