The Master's Entrance
The Royal Capital was a place where news traveled faster than in any other city on the continent. With so many people coming and going, it was only natural. Because of that, the members of the Royal Knights were well aware of what had happened in a certain city. They knew about the sudden attack on the Holy Hero, Lily Hyacinth, and about the other powerful figure who had appeared and single-handedly repelled the assailants. They even knew the shocking detail that this powerful figure was, in fact, the master of the Heroes.
"Vice-Captain. Just now… I must have misheard…"
"No. I heard it clearly too. He definitely called him master."
It was already common knowledge that the Heroes knew one another. More than mere acquaintances, they were fellow disciples. Therefore, the man whom the Guardian Hero had addressed as "master" was most likely the one who had trained and raised every Hero—from the Sword Hero all the way to the Poison Hero.
Gulp.
The vice-captain swallowed dryly without realizing it. If there was only one Hero, the entire capital might just barely manage to deal with them if everyone joined forces. But with two, the odds dropped below fifty percent. With three or more, it was simply impossible. That was how overwhelmingly powerful the beings called Heroes were. Even high-ranking knights, who were said to have transcended human limits, had no choice but to bow their heads and step aside in their presence.
'But the master of those Heroes…? This is truly…'
He would be an unfathomably distant existence. Just imagining how strong and exceptional a person must be to teach such remarkable Heroes made the vice-captain feel as though his breath had caught in his throat. Even though the man looked far too young, he did not let his guard down. He had already learned from the Sword Hero "Sword Emperor" Garam, the "Spear King" Jenia, the "Limitless" Airis, and others that one must never judge by appearance alone. They might look like nothing more than delicate, peerless beauties, but the number of nobles who had tried to wag their tails at them and ended up ruined already exceeded double digits. Most of them had reportedly been left in a state where they were better off dead.
Given that precedent, no one would dare doubt or underestimate the Heroes' master simply because he appeared to be a young man. After all, it was obvious what would happen if anyone tried.
"Ahem."
He cleared his throat and tried to steady his nerves. Whether there were three Heroes or four, whether the master of the Heroes or the master's master was inside, they were ultimately "guests" visiting the Royal Capital. His duty was to receive them while also remaining vigilant in case they turned out to be uninvited. He could not afford to shrink back. He had to display the authority and strength of the royal family here. That was why he had been chosen as their representative to face them.
"Welcome to the Royal Capital, Gerard Geranium and Airis Freesia."
The moment the vice-captain spoke in the most courteous tone he could manage, Gerard and Airis suddenly turned to look at him. Their heads whipped around so sharply that a whooshing sound seemed to echo.
"…"
"…"
Their gazes were so murderous that one might wonder if beams of light were about to shoot from their eyes. It was the kind of look people gave when they intended to kill someone with nothing but their stare.
'What did I do wrong?'
The vice-captain, thoroughly tense, racked his brain. But no matter how hard he thought, he could not find any fault. He had greeted them properly and called their names correctly. He had stripped every trace of arrogance from his voice and expression. Yet they were still glaring at him like that. It felt as though he had been thrown before a man-eating monster with his limbs bound. He wanted to say something, but his lips, let alone a single finger, refused to move. All he could do was breathe and watch their reactions nervously.
Trickle.
Feeling cold sweat running down his back, the vice-captain barely managed to part his unmoving lips.
"Um… the two Heroes. Why are you suddenly staring at me like that…"
"Isn't the order wrong?"
"Why did you call me and my senior out first?"
Gerard and Airis spoke at the same time in response to the vice-captain's words. Only then did he realize his mistake. He had been waiting for the Heroes' master to introduce himself first before formally greeting them, but the two Heroes were clearly very displeased about that.
Before he could become the first Royal Knight to be murdered by a Hero, the vice-captain hurried over to the man and bowed his head.
"We sincerely welcome you to the Royal Capital, honored guest. I am John Reston, vice-captain of the Royal Guard Knights."
"Ah, so you're the vice-captain. A pleasure to meet you. Quite the high-ranking official came out to greet us."
The man extended his hand casually as he spoke. Fearing that something terrible would happen if he did not take it immediately, the vice-captain quickly grasped it and observed the man's reaction.
"Namgung Hyeon."
"Ah…"
"My name is a bit unusual, isn't it? I came from a distant place."
"I see. In any case, it is an honor to meet you again, Sir Namgung Hyeon."
Only after the greeting did the murderous gazes directed at the vice-captain finally withdraw. Seeing the Heroes' reactions, he let out a sigh of relief. If he had been a complete weakling who knew nothing, it might have been different, but as someone with the strength of a high-ranking knight, enduring that pressure had been excruciating. It was not just cold sweat; his skin itself felt prickly.
"As I mentioned beforehand, we'd like to enter the Royal Capital. I've been living in such a remote place that my disciples insisted on seeing their master's face. Since I'm already out in the world, I thought I'd take a look around, and they told me the Royal Capital is a must-visit."
"Ah, an excellent choice. It is the most beautiful and majestic place on the continent. The Heroes—your disciples—gave truly wonderful advice."
Even as he spoke, the vice-captain continued to watch their reactions carefully. There were not one but two Heroes, and the atmosphere was far from calm. One wrong word and they looked ready to tear him apart alive. Even though the royal family and the Heroes maintained a certain distance and treated each other appropriately, and even though the Royal Knights were supposed to act with dignity while serving the royal family, there was nothing they could do when the Heroes behaved like this.
"…"
The vice-captain was completely overwhelmed from the very beginning. Thanks to that, not only the other knights but even the soldiers of the Royal Capital were cowed. On one side stood fewer than five people, while on the other there were well over a hundred, yet they could not even make a sound and had to hold their breath.
"Ah, the atmosphere seems rather stiff. It's not because of me, is it? Hahaha!"
Namgung Hyeon deliberately burst into an exaggerated laugh. Half of it carried a hint of apology, while the other half was meant to convey, "If you feel the gap in strength, know your place." Until now, the Heroes had taken a step back to avoid conflict with the royal family, but he was not a Hero—he was the master of Heroes, standing above them. And since the royal family was on equal footing with the Heroes, he had no intention of yielding to them either.
"Are we going to keep standing here like this? At this rate, the sun will set."
"Pardon? Ah, yes. Of course. We only meant to greet you before escorting you inside the Royal Capital."
"I see. Then I'll be counting on you. My disciples have told me so much about the royal family that I'm quite looking forward to it."
He wondered whether those stories had been good or bad, but it was something he could never ask. Normally, he would have laughed it off and casually remarked that he was curious about what they had said, but he had already been completely overpowered in the battle of wills from the start. The vice-captain sensed that things had gone terribly wrong right from the beginning.
"Ah, and one more thing."
He had planned to lead them inside the Royal Capital first. After all, no one expected them to overpower these people by force. Since the visitors had lowered their heads and come forward, it was enough to respond appropriately. Just as John, the vice-captain, was steadying his resolve with that thought, Namgung Hyeon's sudden words made him wait for what would come next.
"This isn't the end of our group."
"…Are there more people you've brought with you?"
"Not many. One of them is my disciple. To you all, that would make her another Hero."
At the word "Hero," the vice-captain, along with the other Royal Knights and soldiers, flinched in shock. A single Hero was already an extremely burdensome existence, yet now not two, but three of them were entering the Royal Capital?
"Wait, Sir Namgung Hyeon? Are you saying there's one more Hero…"
"Hm? Did I need to mention that in advance as well? How strange. I was told that simply saying a group of Heroes wished to enter the Royal Capital would suffice. The Heroes aren't servants of the royal family, after all. They're just saying they'd like to go in—doesn't it seem a bit too strict? Hahaha."
"That's… well, even so…"
"Don't worry. She's not as formidable as the other Heroes. She's still in the middle of training. I mentioned it beforehand because you all seemed overly concerned, but she absolutely won't cause any major problems."
The moment Namgung Hyeon finished speaking, a woman emerged from the carriage. She still carried traces of a young girl, possessing a peculiar beauty where cuteness and purity coexisted. Her slightly nervous, fidgety demeanor and darting eyes made the vice-captain realize that Namgung Hyeon's words were true. There had been no mention of bringing three Heroes into the Royal Capital. There was already the Magic Hero inside, and the master of the Heroes was an existence on par with—or even stronger than—a Hero, so he was no different from one himself. That meant four Heroes would already be staying in the Royal Capital. Adding one more who had only recently become a Hero did not seem like it would cause any major issues, at least in the vice-captain's opinion.
If Iris had known his inner thoughts, she would have been furious and vowed to make him regret it, but that was another story.
"…Understood. Then I shall overlook that matter in my capacity as vice-captain of the Royal Guard Knights. It is an honor to meet you, new Hero."
"My name is Iris."
After a brief greeting with the Hero who introduced herself as Iris, John the vice-captain turned a cautious gaze toward Namgung Hyeon. From the way he had spoken earlier, using words like "for now" and not denying the plural "them," it was clear there were more in their party.
"The other one is…"
"How stuffy. As expected, carriages are unbearable for long journeys."
Along with a clear, elegant voice, another woman appeared. Should he say she resembled a crimson moon hanging in the pitch-black night sky? The moment he faced her, the vice-captain let out an involuntary sigh. Her skin was as flawless as jade, her beauty beyond what words could describe, and she exuded an enchanting aura that seemed to draw people in. She was a woman who could not possibly be considered the same species as ordinary humans.
"What are these?"
Even when those words left her lips, the vice-captain could not bring himself to feel offended in the slightest.