Margaret’s Calculated Betrayal

Margaret’s Perspective

Ahhhh—!

The distant little maid suddenly shrieked, a sound so soul-rending it tore through the air.

Yet, more alarming than her cries was the sudden paralysis that gripped everyone, including the monsters. Our bodies were completely immobilized.

Our gazes remained locked on that streak of silver, unable to even twitch an eyeball.

‘Is this a Divine Authority?’ I mused. ‘A peculiar ability that defies human understanding and worldly logic.’

‘I yearned to know its driving principle, the energy that fueled such an extraordinary phenomenon.’

My thirst for knowledge stirred restlessly within me.

However, since I couldn’t move, research was, of course, out of the question.

****

‘Hmm? Why aren’t any of you moving?’

‘Well, there was one more individual, even more astonishing.’

Everyone, even the demons, had been frozen by this potent mental magic, yet she remained perfectly capable of movement.

‘Was this the power of the ‘Saintess of Light’?’

‘I had previously spoken to Eileen in private, learning that this was a game world, and Sophina was a ‘Player’ who had replaced the original ‘Heroine’.’

‘To possess rare talents and cheat-like abilities without any inherent power…’

‘It was truly infuriating.’

Still, if she was the only one who could move now, the situation became much simpler.

Seizing this chance, she could easily defeat these two dragons with a sneak attack, given her ability to inflict severe damage on monsters.

Afterward, we could join the two from the ducal house, creating a multi-on-one scenario that would significantly increase our chances of victory.

The outsider, Sophina, seemed to share this thought. My mana-testing goggles indicated that the surrounding mana was beginning to converge at a single point.

Just as I believed the plan would likely proceed smoothly, an unforeseen event occurred.

The little maid, Eileen, who had been lying prostrate on the ground, suddenly scrambled up and launched a surprise attack on me!

‘For the Young Miss’s lips.’

Her movements were swift and precise, clearly indicating she had been prepared.

“Ahhh?! What are they doing! It’s—it’s still broad daylight!”

Sophina was startled by this overly blatant display of affection.

This, in turn, caused the previously gathered mana to suddenly dissipate.

‘Weren’t you planning on building a reverse harem, you idiot? Why are you so pure, for heaven’s sake!’

‘Wait… setting aside these trivial matters, my body and vision were now free to move.’

Simultaneously, mana began to coalesce once more within my goggles.

This time, however, it wasn’t Sophina’s doing, but rather the little maid, Eileen, who usually seemed so easy to bully.

Her golden vertical pupils held a clear, undeniable killing intent. Her already formidable mana instantly surged several levels higher.

‘Was this the amplification granted by her ‘trait’?’

****

After that, the battlefield descended into utter chaos.

Various powerful spells were recklessly unleashed, thrown around as if they cost nothing, and incessant explosions rocked the academy grounds.

‘Seriously, sister, do you not need time to construct your spells?’

‘I recalled Olivia telling me that her mother was known as the Forbidden Sorceress…’

‘It seemed she had not only inherited her father’s traits but had also perfectly assimilated her mother’s.’

As I was lost in my thoughts, the little maid, Eileen, executed another grand maneuver.

‘Was that… a fire tornado?’

Despite my considerable distance, I felt myself slowly being pulled towards it.

‘What immense pulling force!’

The little maid herself seemed unharmed, likely protected by some kind of defensive barrier. In any case, the two from the ducal house would probably be safe.

‘But we were different! We would be sucked in!’

‘Especially my small frame; I couldn’t possibly withstand it!’

In desperation, Elizabeth grabbed my hand, while her other hand gripped the ground, attempting to resist the tornado’s suction.

But it was utterly useless!

The fragile rock layer beneath us couldn’t possibly withstand such immense pulling force.

‘Oh no… now even Elizabeth was going to be swept away!’

“Everyone…!” Elizabeth cried out, just as a magical grip encircled our ankles, pulling us to safety.

Upon looking, it was Young Miss Luomei who had saved us with her magic.

‘Hmm… besides us, that large ape-like creature and Sophina were also saved.’

The bad news, however, was that Young Miss Luomei’s delicate face was scrunched up in a grimace. Saving so many people at once had clearly pushed her beyond her limits.

“Miss Eileen’s magic… it’s far too powerful!”

“I… I can’t hold on any longer!”

“Zzzzt—!”

Just then, the Thunder Dragon moved.

It shot a bolt of electricity towards the base of the fire tornado… and incredibly, the fire tornado actually vanished!

Though I hated to admit it, it had indeed saved our lives.

‘In return, allow me to send it on its way!’

****

After the Thunder Dragon used its lightning attack, its scales would slightly part, revealing the skin beneath.

Normally, these would be insignificant tiny gaps, but because this dragon was larger than an average Thunder Dragon, the gaps were proportionally wider, allowing ample room for a crossbow bolt to be shot through.

Conveniently, it had its back to us, presenting the perfect opportunity for a sneak attack.

Nocking a bolt, I loaded a specialized tranquilizer bolt, designed for large creatures, into my crossbow.

While the dosage was significantly higher than that of a regular crossbow bolt – enough to instantly kill most other creatures – this colossal beast surely wouldn’t have any issues, right?

“Roar!”

The Red Dragon noticed my movements and attempted to stop me by spewing flames.

‘But we still had our overpowered young lady on our side.’

“Attack the fuel sac beneath its throat! That’s its most vulnerable part! Especially now, as it prepares to breathe fire!”

“I understand! Ray of Light! Pierce through it!”

A high-concentration mana ray pierced the Red Dragon’s throat, igniting its stored fuel.

“Boom!”

An explosion erupted within its body. Even a dragon with the strongest physique couldn’t withstand such an impact. Spewing black smoke, it toppled straight to the ground.

Noticing the disturbance, the Thunder Dragon finally remembered it still had to deal with us and began to turn.

But it was too late!

The crossbow bolt had already been fired, accurately piercing through the gap between its scales and embedding itself in its flesh.

Within seconds, the colossal beast crashed to the ground.

‘…Success! My invention truly is remarkable!’

“Miss Sophina! Finish it off quickly!”

“Understood!”

At my call, Sophina hurried forward and unleashed a ray of light upon the now-helpless Thunder Dragon.

Its head pierced through, the creature died on the spot.

‘Hehehe… now I can acquire the ultra-rare power-generating material – the Thunder Dragon!’

‘Due to environmental restrictions, Thunder Dragons rarely appear in our region, making their materials even rarer than those of Red Dragons!’

‘Ahem… let’s talk about materials later.’

For now, a more crucial task lay ahead.

Observing that the other side also seemed to be nearing a decisive conclusion, this was the perfect moment to act.

****

“Hmm… it seems they’ve been successfully vanquished.”

‘The clueless one… was still checking if the two dragons had any vital signs.’

“At a time like this, we should high-five…”

She turned around, smiling, only to come face to face with me, who had just pulled out the ‘Casket of Confinement’.

Upon seeing what I held in my hand, a clear look of astonishment crossed her face.

“My apologies.”

With that said, I pressed the button on top of the box.