<<<WHERE ARE YOU!? WHERE ARE YOU, WHERE ARE YOU, WHERE ARE YOU, MAD DOG PRINCESS—!!!>>>

Meanwhile.

Falweasel, the Weasel Medium Spirit, was barreling through the Spirit Forest at ferocious speed, chasing Luctoria’s footprints while roaring at the top of his lungs.

He sliced away the obstructing branches and leaves with the power of wind, snapped the grass and flowers swaying on the ground with sheer wind pressure, and just kept going, going, going!

Normally, even unnecessarily harming the plants of the Spirit Forest is a strictly forbidden act under the decree of the Forest Spirit King.

Falweasel’s violent search was a serious violation worthy of severe punishment.

But this was an emergency.

Exterminating the foolish humans who drew near the sacred ground of the spirits was the role Falweasel was meant to fulfill—and fulfilling that role was also the very means by which he could resolve the various problems currently weighing on him.

This was no time to nitpick!

As long as he exterminated the Mad Dog Princess Luctoria!

He could make an excuse for why he hadn’t joined the subjugation of that other... incomprehensible human!

And if he could just make that excuse, then with the Medium Spirits and Great Spirits alike having been slaughtered across the board, his own promotion would be guaranteed automatically!

A rosy future awaited Falweasel!

Honestly, when he thought about it like that, the fact that the others had been nothing but all-talk spirits who were inferior even to humans could only be called a stroke of luck!

By the way, circling back—Falweasel had always thought the rule set by the Spirit King, “Do not harm the forest’s plants as much as possible,” was utterly ridiculous.

Why did he have to be considerate over something as trivial as grass!?

That was the dissatisfaction he’d always carried.

So... by deliberately flying around roughly, venting that everyday pent-up frustration—

With those round, adorable eyes of his shining with a dangerous, blazing glare, Falweasel charged through the Spirit Forest at night!

<<<AH!?>>>

And then.

With the flower garden... the spirits’ sacred ground now only a short distance away.

Falweasel spotted the back of a golden-haired girl wearing tattered prisoner clothing!

Her steps were unsteady, and it was obvious she was nowhere near her best condition.

Her attention seemed scattered, too—she didn’t so much as hint that she’d noticed Falweasel approaching with a loud wind noise.

<<<KIKIKI! FOR A BRAT WHO EVEN STUCK HER NOSE INTO POLITICS, THIS IS HOW THAT “PRODIGY” ENDS UP!! KIKIKIKIKIKI!>>>

Her misery made Falweasel’s laughter unstoppable!

If he thought back, Luctoria had—again and again and again—ruined the “fun” he’d tried to coax his contractor, Count Brutom, into carrying out.

Even though she was a human!

Waving around “ethics” and “logic,” getting in the way of a spirit’s business!

Truly, truly... that brat had been a truly obstructive existence!

But!

<<<NO MATTER HOW SLY YOU ARE, IN THE END YOU’RE STILL NOTHING MORE THAN A LOWLY LIFE-FORM HUMAN, MAD DOG PRINCESS LUCTORIA—!!! YOU THINK YOU CAN ESCAPE FROM THE SUPER-ULTRA-ADORABLE, SMART, WISE, CLEVER, GENIUS, STRONGEST-TALENTED-WISE-BEAST MEDIUM SPIRIT SAGE FALWEASEL-SAMA—!? KNOW YOUR PLACE—!!!>>>

Certain of his hunt’s success—the very moment of it—Falweasel shouted in excitement, drool spraying everywhere!

And at the same time... inspiration struck.

<<<THAT’S IT!!>>>

That infuriating brat had finally fallen this far into wretched ruin.

Killing her easily would be boring!

He’d trample her dignity thoroughly—thoroughly!

He’d make her look even more miserable!

He’d make her beg desperately for her life, and then he’d kill her!

Because she had caused him an outrageous amount of trouble!

Even now, at this very moment, she was still causing him trouble!

So Luctoria had to pay Falweasel compensation for the nuisance she’d caused!

That thing had the obligation to become Falweasel’s toy!

<<<FIRST, THOSE LEGS THAT KEEP WANDERING AROUND ON THEIR OWN—!!! YOU DON’T NEED THEM, DO YOU—!!!>>>

One, two, three... four!

Blades formed of wind appeared around Falweasel!

They were dreadful blades that could fell even a great tree in a single strike, and they flew as fast as the wind itself.

It wasn’t an attack a weakened human could evade!

<<<NOW THEN... EAT THIS, YOU IDIOT—!!!>>>

Falweasel surged with magical power through his entire body, about to fire those wind blades... straight at Luctoria’s exposed back.

But then!

Right here!

Something happened that Falweasel hadn’t expected!

The Mad Dog Princess Luctoria suddenly spun around and looked back!

On her face was neither shock at Falweasel’s furious pursuit nor fear...

Only the right corner of her mouth lifted—

A brazen, insolent grin, as if she were mocking him.

<<<HUH!?>>>

Something was off.

What was with that look—like she was making a fool of him?

Even though she was a human!

What was with that face aimed at a spirit, a higher being!?

Fear him, revere him, fawn over him more!

But even after sensing the wrongness, Falweasel couldn’t act at once.

Without thinking, as usual, he kept muttering those complaints inside his head.

And because of that—

Before Falweasel could take the response he should have taken—

"【Fire Chain】"

Luctoria moved first. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

She murmured the “finishing” words of her casting.

Then, the very next instant—

Countless chains of flame appeared right before Falweasel’s eyes!

They crisscrossed like a net—and Falweasel, flying straight forward at tremendous speed, had no way to avoid that net!

Like a fish caught in a gillnet...

He was snared in the flaming net!

<<<GRAAAAAH—!?>>>

Unable to endure the torment of flames scorching his body, Falweasel let out a pathetic scream!

The wind blades he had deployed around him could no longer be maintained as his concentration broke, and they dispersed into mist in the blink of an eye.

...Now then, what exactly had just happened?

Maybe it didn’t need to be spelled out again, but... let it be written anyway.

In other ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ words—

...Falweasel had fallen into a trap!

A magical trap Luctoria had laid while making it seem as though she were merely wandering the forest.