Three Days Only! (1)
“How is she…?”
The day after, the moment I returned to the Royal Palace, King Carlos II came looking for me. He seemed to expect that, as the master of the Heroes, I might have some way to help. Unfortunately, I could only shake my head slowly.
Princess Catherine. The kingdom’s heir, blessed with both beauty and talent. From what I’d seen through my special ability, she was clearly a capable person. She possessed her own political philosophy and was well-prepared to rule. If Carlos II passed away, she would likely have become a fine queen. That is, if that damned prince hadn’t shattered her so thoroughly, leaving her trembling and wrapped in her own isolation.
“I’m sorry.”
Right now, the princess’s mind was like a shattered vessel barely held together. Any careless touch would send it crumbling again. She needed more time. I couldn’t rush her. I had to watch and wait.
She was aware of her position—that much was certain. I’d confirmed it with my ability. If Carlos II could no longer hold on and death drew near, she would force herself to stand, no matter how painful it was. But until then…
“Still, I saw potential.”
“Potential… you say?”
“She’s exactly as Your Majesty described—a good person. Let me correct myself. She isn’t some cracked pebble by the roadside. She’s still a proper gem. She could become an excellent queen.”
“Thank goodness… At least there’s that…”
“But she needs time. She knows that if Your Majesty falls, she’ll have to step forward. Even so, it will be difficult. After all, her only brother tried to commit such atrocities. We can’t push or rush her. We must wait until she breaks out of her seclusion on her own.”
Cases like the princess’s only worsened when forced or pressured. She wasn’t a fool. She knew what she had to do. She was simply fighting that trauma every single night. Once she fully grasped the gravity of the situation, she might pull herself together. Until then, Carlos II’s only task was to wait—and to cling to life as long as possible.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t be of more help.”
“Not at all… Hearing even that much from the master of the Heroes… gives me hope…”
“If you truly want to see that hope realized, then endure. You must hold on until the princess emerges.”
If the king died before she regained her senses, chaos would follow. Distant relatives would rise up, each claiming the throne. Nobles would flock to them like flies, and the kingdom would tear itself apart. The atmosphere was already uneasy after the attack on the Royal Capital. If a power struggle erupted now, security would collapse, giving the Demon God Worshippers the breathing room they desperately needed.
“On that note, the Divine Hero, Lily Hyacinth, will remain in the Royal Capital. The Magic Hero, Daisy Blossom, will also stay for a while longer.”
“…Oh? Could it be…”
“Daisy is here to prevent any possible attacks by remaining cultists. Lily will tend to Your Majesty and the other patients while also keeping an eye on the princess.”
Honestly, Lily’s powers wouldn’t do much for the princess’s mental wounds. But Lily had a remarkable talent for such matters. The title of Saintess wasn’t for nothing. She would be a great help.
“The other Heroes will continue sweeping the kingdom, hunting down any Demon God Worshippers who might still be active, along with any monsters. I’ll be moving as well.”
“…Thank you. Truly… thank you…”
“Which brings me to a suggestion. From now on, when I bring my disciples to the Royal Capital, please stop treating them with suspicion. We must cooperate fully. The time has come for the kingdom to accommodate the Heroes, not the other way around.”
With the king himself weakened, ambitious nobles could emerge. And those nobles were exactly the sort the Demon God Worshippers loved to manipulate. In this situation, the royal family and the Heroes couldn’t afford to keep circling each other warily. One side had to yield. I intended for the royal family to be the one to step back and give my disciples a more favorable environment.
“Treat the Heroes with the respect they deserve. Provide direct support to those who follow them—money, resources, whatever is needed. And don’t bring up nonsense about their personal armed forces. Let me be blunt, Your Majesty. If the Heroes hadn’t intervened, this kingdom would have fallen long ago. Until now, my disciples have made concessions for the sake of the people. That ends here. If you don’t properly honor your saviors, they—and everyone around them—will eventually lose faith. I sincerely hope that never happens.”
Was I threatening the king? If I had to put a label on it, then yes. But this wasn’t mere intimidation. It was a necessary step. True cooperation only happened when both sides accepted that one would have to give more than the other. Right now, the most valuable force in this kingdom was my disciples. Therefore, the royal family had to make concessions. That was my conclusion, and the reason I spoke so firmly.
“…Understood. I… will do so…”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“However… in exchange for the kingdom’s concessions… you must give your all… You understand, don’t you… If the kingdom falls… the greatest victims will be… you and the Heroes…”
As expected of a king with political acumen. He’d instantly identified our weakness. In the end, even Heroes were made of flesh and blood. Without rest, they grew tired. Fighting while exhausted led to injury. Injury meant pain and blood. There was no meaning in protecting a world already doomed to burn. Fighting atop the ashes only returned more ashes.
“…Where will you go now?”
“I have a few things to check. I’m thinking of finding somewhere quiet.”
“I see… If it takes long… this may be our last meeting…”
“I already told you. Endure. Hold on as long as you can.”
“Cough, cough. It feels like my son keeps beckoning me…”
“Ignore it. That’s not a son. That’s a demon.”
“You’re right… A demon… But he was still my child…”
I couldn’t listen any longer without my blood boiling. I took my leave of Carlos II. When I returned, I hoped to see him improved. Or perhaps I would find the king lying in a coffin. Honestly, I wished for the former, but the latter seemed just as likely. All I could do was hope he endured as long as possible. Even a dying king still made an enormous difference compared to a dead one.
“We only just met, and now we’re parting again?”
Garam’s ears and tail drooped as she whined pitifully. Normally, Jenia would have snapped at her to stop overreacting. But this time, Jenia looked just as disappointed. The thought of being separated again after only a few days clearly weighed on her.
“We’ve gained some breathing room after repelling the enemies’ trump card, but that doesn’t mean we can waste it. This is the perfect time to hunt down the Demon God Worshippers like rats.”
“I understand. Their forces have been halved, so they won’t be able to move freely. But… that doesn’t make it any less disappointing. I thought we’d finally get to spend some time with Master…”
The reason they were sulking was because of our upcoming plans. Lily and Daisy would remain in the Royal Capital to stabilize the situation. Once things settled, they would head east to eliminate monsters. The other disciples, who had been operating individually until now, would switch to two-person teams. If a Fragment of the Demon God launched a surprise attack, at least one of them needed to be able to retreat.
Gerard and Iris would form the first team and head north. Garam and Jenia would take the west. The south would be handled by me, my master, Iris—who still needed more training—and Ester, who needed to overcome her shyness and open her heart.
I knew Garam and Jenia’s relationship was strained. But even if they didn’t get along, they wouldn’t let it affect them in a real crisis. During the fight against the Fragment, they’d bickered constantly, yet they’d understood each other’s attack patterns better than anyone and supported one another perfectly. Their long time under my tutelage had given them deep mutual understanding. The same applied to Iris and Gerard. As for Lily and Daisy, Lily was the only one capable of keeping Daisy’s clumsiness in check, which was why I’d paired them together.
“Master, Master. Can’t you stay in the Royal Capital just a little longer?”
“Garam’s right, Master. Please. Just three days. Three more days.”
“You brats… Do you have any idea how precious three days are to our enemies right now?”
“Please, Master. You spent several days with Daisy and Iris, didn’t you? You have to give me a chance too!”
“What chance?! Nothing happened, you idiots!”
“Liar! Iris already told us everything. You went sightseeing in the Royal Capital together!”
“Huh?”
“And… you even went to a dress shop!”
“Kaang?! J-Jenia! I-Is that true? A dress shop?! A dress shoooop?!”
“…”
I quietly glared at Iris. Why had she opened her mouth and caused this mess?
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
Of course, Iris had no idea what she’d done wrong. I sighed inwardly. I knew full well how Garam and Jenia felt about me. I’d thought keeping some distance would help, but it seemed to have only made things worse.
“…Fine.”
What could I do? I’d brought this on myself.
“Three days. Just three days. We’ll rest in the Royal Capital until then.”