บท 133: The demon princess ponders

I have this inexplicable feeling that's been sticking to my mind. When did it start? I think it started a couple days ago. When I woke up in the morning, I had traces of mana on me. It was unfamiliar and strong. The mana disappeared soon after but what could have happened during the night?

I asked my maid and other guards who were on night duty but nothing of note happened according to them. They didn't notice anything. Who should I ask then?

I have a meeting after this. I prepare myself. Being an heir to the throne sure is tiring. My father who was the king has died and I am the only heir. I can't even abdicate the throne. However I am just 15 years old. How could I rule a country which is currently at war with a human country?

I know that a lot of factions have come together to overthrow me and usurp the throne. But as the current ruler of this nation, it is my duty to protect it from harm.

"Are you listening to me, my lady?"

My maid shakes me. I come back to my senses. Well, I totally forgot about her. I look at my maid. She does not look like a demon. I heard that her parents sold her to a demon soldier in exchange of money. But my father caught wind of this and brought her under his wing.

She has basically lived her entire life here and was raised to become my personal maid. But I think of her as my elder sister. She is 3 years older than me and has always took care of me.

"I am listening, Sasha. What is my next plan?"

"You have a meeting with the cabinet about the war. The humans have currently stopped attacking and backed off. They are seeking your advice." (Sasha)

"Such pretense. They would do as they please. They just want to use my name to keep attacking."

I sigh. Immature I may be, I am still the ruler of this nation and I am not an idiot. Anyone can tell what is happening in this nation right now.

I stand up. Sasha takes a step back. What should I do? I know that Sasha wants me to become the true ruler of this nation but I am spent. My mother is being pestered all the time to remarry a noble of this country so another heir can be born. I have heard rumors that they are trying to get me to marry a noble's son so another heir can be born.

These are taking a toll on me. But I push these thoughts aside and head out for the meeting.

Nothing changed. The meeting was an hour and half long and it didn't produce any results. Just old nobles arguing with each other whether to attack the humans or not.

It was not pleasant. In the end I had to intervene and I told them to reach a decision and present it to me. It's alright evening. I wearily return to my room and find my mother.

"Mother, what are you doing here?"

"Can't I come to see my daughter?"

My mother is like any other mother out there. She gets worried about me and will show up unannounced from time to time.

We take a seat and Sasha brings tea for us. After pouring us tea, she was leaving but my mother stopped her.

"Sasha, sit here."

She tells her to sit next to her. Sasha was trying to refuse but my mother got her to sit down.

"How are you, Delphi?"

She asks me. I haven't been able to spend much time with her. Because she has virtually given up her position and powers to me. But that just increased my responsibilities.

"I am tired. All this pointless stuff when I clearly know they will usurp this nation when the time is right. However, I am puzzled about a certain thing."

I am thinking about that mysterious mana trace again.

"Don't be so pessimistic. I am sure nothing like that will happen. If that ever comes to happen, I will just destroy this country and take you and Sasha somewhere else."

I wryly smile at my mother. When she says it like that, I can't help thinking. She might just do that. I fear at that.

Sasha was basically raised by my mother. My mother is something of an oddball. She never listened to anyone and did whatever she liked. The only one who could stop her was my father. But now he's gone too.

"You said something was puzzling you. What could it be?"

She asked me. Should I tell her? I described what I had conjectured and she gave it a thought.

"Maybe you were teleported to somewhere else."

That possibility did come to my mind but for that to happen, someone must pass through the barrier around the castle and affect me with their mana. I am not saying I am the strongest or anything but I do have a good amount of resistance.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. Because I am feeling someone who can pull if off."

My mother said that she is feeling someone. Does that mean such a being exists? Are they one of the summoned otherworlders? I did receive a report that the human nation we are at war with has summoned foreign beings.

Some of them were spotted at the battlefield but they are not a threat is what I was told.

"Was I actually teleported during my sleep? Then why am I back in one piece?"

If they could summon me, they could have killed me easily or at least sent a warning.

"I should check."

My mother closes her eyes and starts silently chanting. She is using a complex magic. After her chant is finished, a black screen appeared before us.

"Let's check what actually happened!"

She is using projection magic with divination. She can view the past and future until a certain period of time.

As we watched the projection, I was shocked. Three humans were talking while suddenly I just popped out of nowhere and then I disappeared as well.

"Mother, what was that?"

"It seems that he is the one who did it."

She points at one of the humans. He is nothing too special but looking at him, I shivered. What is he?

"Why not go see him?"

My mother stood up and clapped her hands. And before I could react, we were engulfed in light. When I opened my eyes, I was at the street I just saw.

We were at the human country with Sasha and my mother. The people just ignored us like they couldn't even see us.

"They can't see us as I am using perception blocking magic. Let's move."

She takes our hands and starts walking. Sasha is still recovering so she couldn't put up and resistance. I had basically given up.

I am the current ruler of the nation of demons, Baccara, Delphine McNair. But here I am, at my mother's mercy in a different land. What does the future hold for us?