Princess Charlotte’s Scheme
Author: Unicoon
Raw: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n8138gc/12/
Translator: Lilia v4
Editor: Yuriko AYA
Parateno Forest.
Woodland adjacent to Romulus Academy.
On that wide forest as a stage, the last of the entrance exam—the field exam—was underway.
“Haa… they’re making us walk quite a way…”
A group pushed through brush, heading deeper into the woods.
Princess Charlotte and her team.
Walking at the front was one of her entourage, a boy named Beppo.
“Beppo! Are we not at the destination yet?”
“I’m terribly sorry. We’re being extra careful and making preparations deeper in the forest.”
Forced to walk so long, Princess Charlotte’s irritation mounted.
Beppo kept guiding the team, bowing and scraping.
After a while they arrived at a small clearing.
A man was waiting there.
“Young master Beppo. I’ve been waiting.”
“Sorry. We’re a little late.”
“Not at all. We’re always in your debt. Don’t mention it.”
Beppo and the man spoke like old acquaintances.
Princess Charlotte approached them.
“Beppo, who is that man?”
“The merchant Zanga. Someone my father uses. The underworld sort, so to speak.”
“Young master Beppo’s father has been a great patron. He has excellent taste in slaves…”
“Zanga! You don’t need to say extra things!!”
“Heheheh… Anyway, human slaves, monsters—if it’s a living thing, we handle it.”
Zanga rubbed his hands, laughing lewdly.
He looked every bit as shady as he sounded.
“Beppo’s house runs a trading firm, didn’t it? It seems you’re in quite a nasty business. Shall I tell your father?”
“Please spare me! I arranged this for the princess.”
“Fufufu. I’m joking.”
Teased by Princess Charlotte, Beppo looked troubled.
Zanga cut in.
“That’s enough talk from you two. I’ll hand over the goods.”
Where Zanga pointed sat a square object draped in cloth.
It was tall enough that even a grown man would look up at it.
“May I see inside?”
“Of course. Please.”
Zanga pulled the cloth away.
What appeared was a large metal cage. And then—
“Grrrr…”
A beast’s stench filled the area.
“Eek… it’s huge…”
“This is… a subjugation rank C monster…”
A huge body covered in red scales stirred inside the cage.
Sharp claws and fangs glittered in the sunlight.
“A dragon… magnificent! So it really is true that you can prepare any living thing.”
“A lesser dragon. Honored that it pleases you.”
Zanga bowed stiffly.
“We’ve used magic to make it obey human orders. You can move it however you like, Princess.”
“Well done. All that’s left is to set it on that insolent country girl—”
“Ah, um…”
Princess Charlotte had been in high spirits. A voice from behind turned her sour.
“…What is it?”
“I really think we should stop… it’s too dangerous.”
The speaker was Natasha, who had fought Lady Ulrika in the sword exam.
Princess Charlotte turned and glared.
“Natasha, were you not listening? It’s under magic control, so it’s fine.”
“But trading in monsters should be forbidden by law. If this gets out, it won’t end lightly…”
“Haa… Natasha. Do you intend to give me orders?”
“N-no…”
“I am the third princess, you know? Do you understand that?”
“I-I’m sorry…”
Cowled, Natasha shrank into herself.
Princess Charlotte snorted and turned toward the lesser dragon.
“I won’t let that country girl off cheaply… I’m counting on you, lesser dragon.”
Without flinching she approached the cage and tapped it with her staff.
The next instant—
“GROOOAR!!”
“Wha!?”
The lesser dragon suddenly went berserk.
It twisted the metal cage as if it were nothing and slowly crawled out.
“Eek!?”
“The lesser dragon’s out!”
“This is bad!”
The team members fled in a panic.
Beppo and Zanga bolted deeper into the forest.
“Wait, where are you going!? Come back! Do something about this!!”
“GROOOAR!!”
“—Kyaa!?”
Princess Charlotte was left behind.
The unleashed lesser dragon lunged at her.