The Unwelcome End to a Long Time at the Dress Shop
The long and unwelcome time at the dress shop had finally come to an end. We didn’t buy the dresses on the spot. Instead, we paid the commission fee for them to be made. The measurements for the ones the Grandmaster and Iris had tried on were slightly off. Expensive garments were almost always custom-made, so it was only natural. We left the order in the hands of the finest artisan, using the highest-grade fabric and the pinnacle of skill and effort. Along with a veiled threat that any visible flaws would cause problems. In the end, we paid more than the price they had originally quoted. Thanks to that, the entire staff saw us off with absolute devotion. I guarantee that just the cost of the Grandmaster’s and Iris’s dresses would equal several months of their salaries. After all, we had literally thrown around money that even nobles would hesitate to spend, so their behavior was understandable.
“Excuse me, sir?”
I had sent the rest of the group out first and was about to step outside myself when the most senior-looking employee caught my arm. I wondered what she wanted now. Was she trying to squeeze out even more money? The thought alone made my face start to twist into a frown.
“It might not exactly be a gift, but… please take this.”
What she held out was a small case. When I looked at her in confusion, she opened it to show me what was inside.
“…A necklace?”
“It’s for you, sir. There’s nothing strange about it. We also operate a jewelry workshop.”
“So this is some kind of gift for valued customers?”
“It could be seen that way… but honestly, I just felt like I had to give it to you. More precisely, I think it would be good if you gave it to the lady you called beautiful earlier.”
“…What do you mean?”
“While she was changing in the fitting room, she kept smiling. She wasn’t making any sound or grinning widely, but she looked incredibly happy. All because you said she was pretty. I know this might be overstepping, but…”
It was definitely overstepping. I had no intention of feeling grateful for this kind of meddling. But the moment I heard that the Grandmaster had been happy, my stupid heart softened anyway. I let out a light sigh, thanked her, and accepted the case. Whether I would actually put the necklace on the Grandmaster was still up in the air. What was certain was that my inability to reject it outright meant I was wavering again.
The situation was a continuous string of unknowns. Having the regressor Iris around at least made it a little easier to breathe, but far too many things had already happened that even she didn’t know about. Even if everything went well until the end, if we couldn’t stop the Enemy’s Will at the final moment, this world would be destroyed exactly as the damn game dictated. And everyone left behind would be swallowed by the shadows.
The Grandmaster had said it time and time again. Grow weak and you die. The moment your heart softens, a blade finds its way into your body. With that kind of philosophy, I had thought it would be fine to build some goodwill. That if I kept it moderate, it would end at the bond between master and disciple. That we could stop before crossing any further lines. I never imagined this would be the result. I never thought the Grandmaster and I would end up in a situation where we both felt conflicted toward each other.
“Hoo…”
I let out a sigh and stepped onto the main road, where Iris was already waving at me. The same girl who had said it was urgent was now complaining about how long I was taking. Let’s hurry up and go take care of Senior Daisy and Senior Gerard. She was an utterly oblivious fool of a disciple who had no idea what her master was feeling and remained cheerfully carefree about the world.
“What were you talking about back there?”
“They said to come again sometime.”
“Ah… well, after spending that much money… I guess that’s to be expected?”
“They’re probably thinking they’ve hooked a fat fish.”
I fiddled with the case rolling around in my pocket as we walked briskly and soon arrived at Daisy’s residence. The moment we opened the door, a loud crash echoed as something toppled over. Right after, Daisy appeared, breathing hard.
“Why were you so late?”
“There was a situation. More importantly, is something wrong? You look awfully rushed, Daisy.”
“Not at all? I just ran over the second I heard Master had arrived.”
At Daisy’s answer, I reflexively looked behind her. There was Gerard, tidying up the various items that had tumbled down. The constant heavy sighs suggested he was in considerable pain. Once he finished cleaning everything, I gathered all the disciples. It wasn’t something the Grandmaster needed to hear, yet she sat in the back, quietly watching us.
“The enemies are beginning to move. I believe it will happen today.”
“…Finally.”
“How large is their force, Master?”
“I don’t know. It could be stronger than I expect, or weaker. One thing is certain, though. Whether on a small scale or large, if anything happens right in front of the Royal Capital—or worse, inside it—the security and trust you’ve all worked so hard to build will be completely shaken.”
Gerard nodded most vigorously at my words. Iris didn’t care about such things, and Daisy had spent a great deal of time in the Royal Capital.
“Originally we should have stopped them before they reached the palace. But they’re already at our doorstep. When this happens, the solution is simple. Iris, you already know what it is, don’t you?”
“We smash them with everything we’ve got. To show them their little tricks won’t work on us.”
“Exactly. You’re right. Since we failed to prevent them from causing trouble, the moment it begins we’ll make sure the enemies understand. No matter what they try, we won’t care and we won’t be shaken.”
I then explained the basic direction of the operation. If the enemies were mixed in among the prince’s group, we would wipe them out. If the force they had prepared to overthrow the palace appeared, all the disciples would fight it while the Grandmaster and I handled everything else.
Iris briefly expressed doubt. Wouldn’t it be better for the Grandmaster and me to take on the strongest opponent when it appeared? Under normal circumstances, her judgment would have been completely correct. But if that strongest opponent turned out to be not a Demonic Human but a Fragment of the Demon God, the situation would become extremely difficult.
So I had no choice but to give a plausible reason.
“How long do you plan to keep hiding behind the Grandmaster and me?”
“Eh? N-no! I never said I was hiding behind Master!”
“It’s true that the Grandmaster and I are strong. Stronger than all of you—for now, at least. But that doesn’t mean you should have your duties taken from you. You are Heroes. You were born with the destiny to grow stronger as quickly as possible and return your world to an age of peace. The Grandmaster and I are merely helpers supporting you. It’s fine to have expectations of us, but do not rely on us too heavily. That only weakens you and is the fastest way to disappoint your master.”
I’m sorry, kids. The truth is that if a Fragment of the Demon God appears, neither the Grandmaster nor I can stop it. They probably wouldn’t understand such an absurd excuse, but I hoped they would simply take it as a master’s lesson and move on.
“Hmm, then we should decide on positions first. Gerard? You’ll naturally take the front line. The other seniors and juniors haven’t arrived yet. Iris, you take the main attack position.”
“Ehh? Daisy isn’t taking the attack position? She’s yielding it to me?”
“Since Lily isn’t here yet, it’s better for her to focus on supporting defense rather than attacking. Don’t worry. The moment I judge that Gerard can hold the line alone, she’ll drop the defensive magic and switch to offense.”
“Works for me. Then what about the youngest?”
“It might be dangerous, but this is a good chance for her to watch and learn. She is the Grandmaster’s disciple and a Hero just like us.”
The disciples immediately began deciding roles without being told. News had already spread, so the others would arrive one after another. Even so, they were preparing a battle plan using only the people currently present in case of emergencies. Although they sometimes did things that were hard to understand, when they judged a crisis had arrived, their true natures as Heroes created for such moments immediately surfaced.
“Um, Master?”
I was smiling inwardly with satisfaction when Iris suddenly raised her hand cautiously and called out to me.
“This is just in case, but… if support forces appear on the enemy’s side, what should we do?”
A group of people had reached the immediate vicinity of the Royal Capital. Some were nobles, some were knights, and some were ordinary citizens. People of completely different statuses and ages followed behind a single individual. The person at the very front was waving a royal flag he had made himself.
There were only two occasions when someone could wave the royal flag like that: when the king himself was present, or when an important member of the royal family was there.
At first, everyone had doubted his identity. Why would an unknown prince come to the remote borders and fight monsters? But as time passed, the thought of “could it be?” grew stronger in everyone’s minds. It was hard to imagine a mere con artist daring to falsely claim the title of prince. Moreover, his appearance and behavior were more refined than those of actual nobles, which lent him credibility. The decisive factor was how he threw himself into danger without regard for his own safety in order to protect the kingdom.
When he finally declared that he would return to the Royal Capital, many people followed him. Those who had protected their families, their villages, and their territories thanks to the man who called himself a prince. They truly wanted to confirm that the man who had stood with them was indeed a prince.
So they followed him without hesitation, never once dreaming that they were being used as excellent justification.
“Prince Vlad. The Royal Capital is just ahead.”
“…I see.”
“The moment for your revenge is right before us.”
“Is it only revenge? It is to reclaim what was mine yet remained beyond my grasp.”
To others, he was a prince who had left the capital of his own will for the sake of the kingdom. In truth, he was the infamous mad prince who had tried to violate his own sister, been stopped, and then pushed out to die. Vlad gazed at the Royal Capital visible in the distance and formed a faint smile.
Meeting the Demon God worshippers had been the greatest stroke of luck. Thanks to them he had survived, been able to pretend he was subjugating monsters, and even obtained justification to return to the capital. Even now, his sister’s face and her soft, fair skin flickered in his mind. This time he had risen to a position where even his father could not touch him carelessly. Everything was for the sake of his beautiful sister. Nothing else mattered.
‘Father. I am so very curious what expression you will make the moment you see me.’
It was thanks to the useless royal family that he had been able to come this far. Thanks to the father who had driven him out that he had been able to become a false hero. And with all of it, he would fulfill his desires.
Prince Vlad continued muttering to himself.
“…Prince.”
“Hm?”
“Look over there.”
Until a group of people suddenly poured out from the previously quiet Royal Capital.
“…Ha, haha. Hahahaha! Ahahahahaha!!”
It seemed the father he had thought was only weak-willed—the damn father who had stolen his sister from his grasp—had finally made a decision. One of the two would have to look down upon the corpse of the other.