The Protagonists of Romance Fantasy Novels Have Escaped

2 – The Disappearance of Protagonists (2)

Tomorrow morning was feared immediately.

Breaking News) Warrior Maximilian declares divorce from the Valtaria Royal Family.

Breaking News) Holy Maiden Party, whereabouts unknown. Suspicions of rebellion for escaping the harem.

If the newspapers that blindly pursue exclusives catch the scandal of the Holy Maiden Party, it was sure to unleash a concentrated saturation. The Holy Maiden Party, which had defeated the Demon King, boasted the highest level of fame.

Damn it.

How did it end up like this?

He sighed while scratching the back of his head.

‘Seriously, did the sequel start right after the epilogue? Surely, the author announced the serialization of part 2 as soon as the epilogue ended. And as soon as I saw the serialization notice, I fell into a romance fantasy world.’

Usually, there is a gap of several months or even years between Part 1 and Part 2.

But

Not all works follow that pattern.

The progression of the work is solely at the discretion of the author.

It wouldn’t be strange for Part 2 to start right after Part 1 ends.

If it were just from the reader’s perspective, they would have accepted it willingly. Unfortunately, I was in a state of being possessed by the extras of the work. Since fate was determined by the development of the work, I could only be annoyed.

“It seems you’re deeply troubled.”

“Your Highness.”

The woman with flowing blonde hair approached, wearing a subtle smile.

Taking the cue, I bowed my head.

“I’ve been concerned about the aftermath of the incident.”

“I’ve been worried about it too.”

The void left by the Holy Party – how far would it extend? It was a situation that couldn’t be predicted.

The pride and hope of humanity.

The mighty punitive force that achieved numerous heroic tales.

The illustrious reputation built up until now might turn into a storm of repercussions.

Anticipating a whirlwind of unprecedented chaos, Ludmila, the Countess of Hohenberg, had personally come to seek my assistance under the imperial decree.

“Has there been any communication from the Holy Kingdom?”

“Continues to remain silent. But they’ll probably send an envoy soon. The Second Saint has gone missing in imperial territory.”

Ludmila’s voice carried a sharp thorn.

It was only natural, given that, to her, Beatrice was the scheming cat who stole her younger sister’s fiancé. Perhaps deep down, she secretly wished for Beatrice to disappear forever.

“I’m relieved that you willingly accepted the request.”

“It was a natural decision. It involves the reputation of the empire and the honor of our family.”

The emperor’s wrath was likely raging due to the breakup of his youngest daughter. He must be thinking of those troublesome ones to be swatted away.

On top of that, if I responded lukewarmly to Ludmila’s request, I would receive a dubious package from the Valtaria Imperial Family.

A decision for survival, you could say.

Right now, blind obedience is the only way to live.

Therefore, I looked at Ludmila with a resigned expression.

“As I mentioned before, I have no intention of taking out my anger on you.”

“Ah, I apologize.”

“There are only those scoundrels who engraved the pain of separation on my one and only younger sister like sworn enemies. I want to send them to the gallows immediately, except for him.”

“…”

Among those ‘scoundrels’ was our own brother.

Well…

Once he’s disowned, he won’t be a brother anymore.

“Now, I’ll take my leave. When you arrive at the imperial capital, send a letter under the Countess’s command.”

“I understand.”

With elegant grace in her steps, Rudmila turned her back.

She would send a letter.

Probably with the intention of summoning the emperor.

Now that they had agreed to cooperate for a common purpose, the immediate crisis was averted. However, she couldn’t completely relax, knowing that the fate of the family would ultimately be determined by the emperor’s intentions.

—

The urgent flames were extinguished.

Exhaling a sigh of relief, she clenched her left hand.

The red dragon of Valtaria.

Recalling the imposing and graceful figure of the imperial princess, she sighed heavily.

“What do you do when the strongest in the world suddenly appears… It’s a ruthless development, really.”

Rudmila Drag Valtaria was a character destined for defeat, indirectly mentioned during the confrontation between the imperial princess Elizabeth and her fiancé Maximilian, who was in conflict with Beatrice.

– Our sister will not stay quiet, right?!

– Valtaria’s red dragon will consume your friends.

– No matter how much of a saint she is… she can’t beat our sister, the empire’s guardian!

It might sound like a childish and dazzling display of power, but Rudmila, who inherited protection from the red dragon, was one of the Seven Masters of the continent, belonging to the National Seven Rivers.

Even Maximilian, the strongest among the male protagonists in the story, couldn’t determine the outcome against this monster. That’s why Elizabeth had threatened Maximilian, her beloved fiancé, with Rudmila’s power, likening it to a tail-raised cat.

“But at the age of twenty-seven this year… Why is she still single?”

27 years old.

No prospects for marriage.

A complete old maid.

Even on the verge of being classified as a mature woman.

Thinking about Rudmila’s figure, with striking beauty and dignity, she wondered about the reason for her becoming an old maid. There must be some story behind it. Otherwise, how could the emperor’s daughter be unmarried at the age of twenty-seven?

“If I call her an old maid to her face, I might get killed, right?”

The probability was high.

Either be killed.

Or be killed in the most painful way possible.

Old maid… mature woman…

It was an absolute taboo to say such things in front of the 27-year-old imperial princess this year. Saying it recklessly would cost not just one, but ten lives.

“Edan!”

“Father.”

While reminiscing about the trivial jokes with Ludmilla,

Father, who had been absent, returned.

Confusion was etched on his face.

He seemed to have heard about Princess Ludmilla’s attack on the Hohenberg Viscounty.

“I heard the news from the steward! Princess Ludmilla has arrived…!”

“Yes, she just left.”

Father’s complexion turned ashen, as if he had heard about the attack of death up close and barely managed to swallow the empty air, surviving against all odds.

The crimson dragon of Baltaria.

The majesty wielded by the guardian of the empire was enough to unsettle even the overseer of the East.

“Did the princess find the overseer’s absence problematic? In that case, I intend to go after her immediately to offer apologies.”

“She responded indifferently. I had duties to attend to.”

“Did she speak to you…?”

“I was ordered to assist in tracking the missing Saintess Party.”

Where should I start explaining?

It’s perplexing.

Surely, the explanation would be quite detailed.

Glancing at Father’s face, clouded by his unfamiliarity with the language, I briefly organized my convoluted thoughts like tangled threads.

* * *

The next day.

Was it luck or the effort of spies trying to conceal the truth?

The newspaper delivered at dawn was filled with mundane headlines that made the subscription seem unworthy.

-“Elven Forest: Prosperity Depends Solely on Plunderers’ Inclination.”

-“Unified Empire Series… Serialization Delayed Due to Low Popularity.”

-“Goralni of NobelPie Unearths Crops, Resulting in Millions in Damages.”

Nothing unusual happened.

Today, like any other day, was calm.

The sky was clear, and the sun was warm.

It was a weather suited for the recurring mild climate of the East.

“Today, I should peacefully enjoy a nap. Eventually, once news of the disappearance of the saintly party spreads, it will be swept into countless scandals.”

Let the worries of the following days be deferred to the next me.

While recalling the tradition that followed the Hohenberg family, Huwan deliberately turned away from the aftermath.

“Young master! Young master!”

“What’s the matter?”

The vigorous knocks resounded three times in succession, simultaneously opening the study’s door.

It was Knight Elliot.

On his youthful and robust face, there was a sense of bewilderment.

Even with Elliot’s breathless appearance, Huwan remained unfazed. Elliot always liked to inflate things, hence, he was notorious for being boastful. Therefore, he only regarded this as another one of his boasts.

“A peculiarly speaking kid… suddenly came asking to meet the young master.”

“Me?”

If it were a noble from the tumultuous castle walls, upon hearing the report, they might have suspected an illegitimate child while reminiscing about their chaotic life.

However, Huwan was a knowledgeable person who maintained a healthy private life.

It couldn’t be me….

Then, could it possibly be Father?

Contrary to how he had become a warm father figure now, in his youthful days, he was known to be quite a libertine according to what he had heard from his mother. Therefore, he immediately suspected his father. It wouldn’t be strange for a hidden illegitimate child to suddenly appear.

“Could it be that you are Edan?”

“……”

Following Elliot, he headed towards the entrance.

As he had been told.

The girl with emerald-colored hair was shining her eyes brightly.

Had she come from a long distance?

A large travel bag was held in the girl’s small hands.

In such a situation, she appeared like a runaway girl chased out due to an unfortunate family environment. The sight of the girl leaning on her travel bag caused the servants of the Hohenberg family to start murmuring one by one.

“Edan…? Oh yes, my name is Edanthe von Hohenberg.”

“Ahem! Arrived as Max commanded! Indeed, you are clever!”

After various twists and turns, she finally arrived.

Emotions of excitement and joy were visible on the girl’s face.

“I am Rue! Rue Louisim!”

“…Oh my goodness, it’s the mascot.”

A fairy guarding the journey.

A supporting character for the hero, Maximilian.

With a unique way of speaking and a cute appearance, this character rose to the pinnacle of popularity alongside the female protagonist in the popularity vote.

The little one was undoubtedly the symbol of the Holy Party and the mood maker.

But why did she come here?

The fact that “Max ordered it”… that definitely means my brother sent her.

Conflicting emotions surged in the sudden situation.

“Who is that girl?”

“I don’t know, maybe she’s Lord Ethan’s hidden daughter.”

“He’s been unmarried until now… I was sure it was him.”

The friendly behavior of the audacious girl began to deepen the misunderstandings among the servants.