The Empire's Hero
Einhat, called the heart of the empire.
And within Einhat stood a certain grand estate.
It was a mansion bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor, Val de Magstitia—the great sun of the empire—in recognition of a hero's achievements.
There, as on any other day, a middle-aged man named Bordin sought out his master.
In his hands he carried news that might catch her interest.
Hoping, above all, that she had not yet lost her curiosity in the world.
"My lord. It is Bordin."
"Come in."
Receiving permission, he opened the door to find her seated in a chair, the picture of languid boredom.
In her hand she held a jewel that glowed with a luminous blue light, like a sapphire.
"It seems you've taken down a blue wyvern this time."
At Bordin's words she tossed the jewel into the air a few times, caught it, then—as if already tired of it—flung it carelessly onto the desk.
"The gem embedded in its forehead looked pretty, so I caught one. But looking at it now, it's nothing special."
"Haha… The only person in this world who would hunt a blue wyvern for a reason like that is you, my lord."
Her gaze shifted from the jewel to Bordin.
"So. Have you found any trace of a dragon?"
Dragons. Near-omnipotent beings called the rulers of the sky.
It was said that a single beat of their wings could birth a typhoon, and that their breath could erase a nation.
"My lord. A dragon is not a creature one simply finds by searching."
"Hmm. I've heard that a dragon's nest is filled with every kind of jewel imaginable."
"That, too, is nothing more than rumor."
At Bordin's words, the interest in her eyes drained away at once.
A smile touched her lips—something close to a sneer, almost mocking.
"Did you come all this way just to announce your own incompetence, Bordin?"
Unfazed by the aggressive remark, he approached her slowly and set an iron object down on the desk.
"Nothing of the sort. I've brought news that I believe will interest you, my lord."
"A recording magic tool. Something entertaining on it, I take it?"
"My lord. Do you remember the city of Drax?"
She toyed with the magic tool as if kneading clay, then paused at Bordin's words, considering.
"Drax? Don't know it."
"It is the region where you once subjugated the monster Argentina, my lord."
"Ah. That oversized lizard."
"Yes. And it is the territory His Majesty the Emperor granted you as a reward for that subjugation."
"Granted? He just dumped it on me because it was a hassle."
If you're going to give me something, give me jewels.
Bordin heard her muttered complaint and laughed softly.
"Half a year ago, I received word that a girl of considerable strength had appeared in Drax."
"Hmm."
She let Bordin's words drift in one ear and out the other, clearly uninterested, and activated the magic tool.
Bright light poured from the device.
"It didn't seem important enough to report at the time, but she turned out to be more remarkable than expected."
When no reply came, Bordin simply continued on his own.
"She has conquered both the western and eastern districts of Drax and eliminated every monster in the surrounding area. At such a young age she possesses considerable magical power, so I investigated further."
"…"
"And astonishingly, there was no trace of her ever having studied mana application in the past."
As if this were the crucial point, he widened his eyes and pressed on.
"Therefore, this Bordin is certain that she possesses a unique ability."
He raised one hand high in a slightly exaggerated flourish.
"The empire's third unique ability user, following the Crown Prince and the Saintess! If this is—"
"She's as pretty as a jewel. I want her."
"—true… Pardon?"
Bordin stopped mid-sentence. Glancing carefully at his master, he saw that she was staring fixedly at the light pouring from the magic tool, as if entranced.
Following her gaze to the light, he recognized the recording he had already viewed once before.
On the display, a black-haired young woman was seizing a monster with her bare hands.
"Bordin."
At the seriousness in her voice, the head butler immediately bowed his head in respect.
"Yes, my lord."
She pointed at the girl in the recording and gave her order.
"Where did you say this one is?"
And the eyes of the master who spoke those words—
were greedy eyes that hungered deeply for something.
Eyes he had never once seen in all the years he had served her.
"The hero of the empire, Lady Athena, is looking for you."
At first I thought I had misheard.
So I asked him to say it again.
"Lady Athena is looking for you."
His words repeated exactly, as if to insist it was no mistake.
"Come on… what kind of joke is that?"
"Pardon…?"
The thoroughly flustered look on Charlson's face seemed to say this situation was no lie.
No. There's no way it's true.
What possible reason would Athena have to show up here?
But no matter how many times I checked, the answer I got from Charlson remained the same.
"You're serious…?"
"Yes. She is waiting in the city right now."
Serious?
Athena? Looking for me? All of a sudden—why?
Every kind of question tangled together in my head until the whole thing started to feel unreal.
Athena. A character of overwhelming power, and the one I had deduced to be the mastermind.
She was absolutely not the type to take an interest in other people.
It hadn't been covered in the story yet, but after a certain incident in her past she had lost all interest in human relationships and begun to covet beautiful jewels instead.
That's why she took an interest in Robin.
The protagonist's golden eyes, shining like gold itself. When Athena first met him, she had been curious about those eyes.
After that she watched his progress from a distance, occasionally helping him whenever he fell into danger.
But that was all. She never showed any deeper interest than that.
Someone who hadn't even shown much interest in the protagonist—
What reason could she possibly have to come to a discarded city like this?
Is this a story that never appeared in the novel?
Just as Drax had been a city bound to the empire by a secret alliance for catching criminals—
there were events that never appeared in the novel but still arose naturally, like gears meshing with the flow of the world.
In other words, plenty of things not written in the novel could still happen.
Even so, the reason I had decided to stay in Drax was Athena's exclusive nature.
A city she had abandoned from the start as if it were a nuisance. Why would she suddenly take an interest in a place like that?
Just worrying about it won't get me anywhere.
I didn't know the reason, but once she had started looking for me, there was no way out.
I would have to go and talk to her first.
"Please let this be something unrelated to the original story…"
I prayed to the Goddess who must exist somewhere in this world.
With heavy steps I returned to the city, and at the entrance I ran into Dania, who had been waiting.
"Lily!! Hera!!"
"Unnie."
Deep bewilderment was written all over the face of the woman who came running toward us.
"Hera… right now, in the city… that person is…"
"I heard from Charlson."
After Dania's words, I could no longer tell myself it was a lie.
"Why is she looking for you?"
Dania watched me with a worried expression.
"…I don't really know either. I think I'll only find out once I meet her."
The moment I said that, Lily tightly clasped my hand from behind.
"Unnie… I have a bad feeling…"
I stroked Lily's hair gently.
"It's all right. She's a hero. She won't hurt us."
After reassuring Lily, I headed deeper into the city.
A crowd had gathered.
And within it, I found her.
Seated elegantly in a chair, wearing the expression of someone waiting for something.
Dazzling white-gold hair, and golden eyes that seemed sharp enough to see through anything.
The strongest human in the novel The Indomitable Hero—and at the same time, its mastermind.
Athena Caladbolg.
What is this atmosphere…
An aura radiated from her surroundings that made it feel impossible to approach.
With heavy steps I slowly drew nearer.
As if sensing my approach, she turned her head toward me.
Then, in a single instant, she vanished—and reappeared right in front of me.
"Eut!"
And then, almost as if cradling me, she lifted both hands to my cheeks and stared straight into my face.
"Pretty…"
An instinctive terror rose from deep inside me under those golden eyes that gazed at me as if they meant to burn me up.
"What do you think you're—!"
On pure reflex I slapped her hands away and stumbled backward.
Athena looked blankly down at her own hands, then shifted her gaze back to me and let a small smile touch her lips.
"Ah. Sorry. Did I startle you? I zoned out for a second there. Nice to meet you, Hera."
She spoke my name—which I had never told her—and held out her hand.
But the inexplicable dread rolling off her made me ignore that hand entirely.
"…Why did you come here."
At my words, her eyes went wide.
"Your voice is pretty too…"
"I asked why you came here."
Like a hedgehog bristling its quills before a predator, a sharp tone left my mouth on pure instinct.
She smiled faintly, as if she found me adorable, and raised one hand toward the sky.
"Mm… there are a few too many people here, aren't there?"
Golden mana spread from Athena's hand and gently wrapped around the two of us.
Then she snapped her fingers, and in an instant the surroundings changed.
What met my eyes were countless trees and plants.
A dense forest, as thick as a great woodland.
"In… instant transfer?"
I stared blankly up at the sky as I spoke, and Athena let out a soft laugh.
"No. This is a space I created. Think of it as a barrier—it'll be easier."
She began walking toward me, one slow step at a time.
"Don't come any closer."
Ignoring my warning, she came right up in front of me.
"…Do you not know who I am? It's been a long time since anyone spoke to me so casually."
"I talk casually to people who talk casually to me first."
"Heh… but hearing it from you, casual speech doesn't sound so bad."
"…What is it you want to say."
"You asked why I came here, didn't you?"
She pointed at me as she spoke.
"You. Become my slave."