The Emissary from Jeremiah
"Yes, Lucia. Won't you join my hero party?"
"No... How could someone like me join such a party..."
"Someone like you? If it weren't for you today, Lucia, we wouldn't have been able to save those people over there."
I pointed outside the barracks as I spoke to Lucia. She replied, her face still filled with disbelief.
"I... I barely did anything... You did everything, Hero..."
"Barely did anything? You were a massive help today. More than my previous party ever was... That's why I'm asking. Lucia, won't you join my hero party?"
I asked her once more. She fell into deep thought for a moment before slowly opening her mouth.
"If I join the party..."
"Yes?"
"Can I be with you every day, Hero?"
"Well... yes, I suppose? We have to travel around to defeat the Demon King, after all."
"Until when?"
"Unless something unexpected happens, we'll be together until the Demon King is defeated."
"..."
Once again, Lucia fell silent.
Is she... uncomfortable being with me?
"Then I'll do it!"
"Thank you, Lucia. Joining the party comes with a lot of perks. A salary and retirement fund you couldn't earn in a lifetime, not to mention the honor..."
"I don't need any of that. I just want to be by your side, Hero."
"U-uh? What do you mean by..."
I asked, wanting to confirm even though I knew exactly what she meant. But Lucia's face flushed red, and she couldn't even bring herself to meet my eyes.
Afterward, I tried to leave the barracks to meet Jack and Jenny. However, the area outside was already crowded with people waiting to see me.
Even with the knights and soldiers trying to clear a path, there was no way to push through to the inn.
In the end, we decided that Lucia would go to the inn to fetch Jack and Jenny.
"Is... Is Karl really... the Hero?"
When Lucia brought them back, Jack and Jenny reacted exactly as I expected—their jaws dropped.
"Sorry for hiding it from you all this time, Jack, Jenny."
"N-no... you don't need to apologize... But I knew it. You were way too strong for a B-rank adventurer..."
"Ah... was I?"
Fortunately, the two of them weren't particularly upset about the deception.
Yet, having grown fond of each other over our brief time together, they bid me a bittersweet farewell.
"You worked hard, Karl... I mean, Hero."
"Just call me what you usually do."
"Uh, right. Karl... Thanks to you, we were able to complete our party requests so easily. Where are we ever going to find a party leader like you again?"
"It wasn't just me. You guys fought well enough on your own."
"Oh, what about Lucia? What's going to happen to her now?"
Jack asked, looking at Lucia who was standing quietly beside me, seemingly worried about the future of their party now that I was leaving.
"Ah, Jack. I think Lucia will be traveling with me from now on."
"What?! Does that mean Lucia is joining the hero party?"
"Yes."
"Wow! Congratulations, Lucia!"
Unaccustomed to such congratulations, Lucia buried her face in her chest, unable to hide her embarrassment.
"I'm so jealous~ Lucia gets to join the hero party~"
Jenny, putting aside the sadness of parting, looked at Lucia with pure envy.
Afterward, having ended my covert activities due to the Demon King's army invading the Horon Kingdom, I returned to the Arzen Kingdom with Lucia.
Having heard of my swift return and my exploits in the Horon Kingdom, Edwin came all the way out to the castle gates to welcome me.
"Carlos! I heard the news! I heard you did wonders in the Horon Kingdom!"
"Edwin, do you not see who's next to me?"
"Hmm? Ah! Is this beautiful lady the rumored new member of the hero party, Lucia?"
Startled by Edwin's boisterous welcome, Lucia stood frozen for a moment before stepping forward to greet him.
"Ah... Hello. I am Lucia."
"Hello. I am Edwin, Carlos's friend and the King of the Arzen Kingdom. As expected of an elf, your beauty is truly dazzling."
"Um... I'm actually a half-elf..."
"Ah... I see. My apologies. I'm not very good at telling them apart..."
"No, it's fine."
Following Edwin, a familiar woman in a white dress came running toward the gates.
"Hero!"
Princess Clara ran toward us, her golden hair and long dress fluttering in the wind, completely ignoring the maids trying to hold her back.
"Hero! I'm so glad you returned safely. Do you know how much I missed..."
Clara trailed off mid-sentence, her eyes locking onto Lucia, who was clinging close to my side and watching her warily.
"Ah, Lucia, let me introduce you. This is Princess Clara, Edwin's younger sister."
"Ah... Hello. I am Lucia."
At Lucia's polite greeting, Clara softened her sharp gaze, put on a smile, and accepted the introduction.
"Hello. I'm Clara. The Hero and I have known each other for a very long time, and we share a rather... special relationship."
"Ah... I see..."
A special relationship?
I looked at Clara, intending to ask what she meant by that, but...
"Let's not stand around out here. Please, come inside. I had your favorite lamb steak prepared to celebrate your return, Hero."
She suddenly slid next to me, locked her arm in mine, and dragged me toward the palace.
I sent a silent, questioning look to Edwin, asking what was wrong with her, but he merely shrugged his shoulders to indicate he had no idea either.
Watching me get dragged away by Clara, Lucia hesitated, feeling out of place. Seeing this, Edwin offered his arm to escort her, and they followed behind us.
"Um... Your Majesty..."
"Yes, Lady Lucia?"
"Ah... please, you can just call me Lucia..."
"Alright, Lucia. What is it?"
"And you don't have to speak so formally to me..."
"Hahaha, understood, Lucia. But why? Is there something you wanted to ask?"
"Yes... Um, what exactly is the relationship between the Hero and the Princess...?"
Edwin glanced ahead at us, then suddenly grinned and looked back at Lucia.
"They aren't in any relationship. It's more of a one-sided love."
"Who loves whom?"
"My sister loves Carlos."
"Ah... I see..."
Hearing Edwin's words, Lucia's mood instantly brightened. A smile bloomed on her face, and her pace quickened.
Watching her reaction, Edwin smiled as if he had just witnessed something highly amusing.
By the time we arrived at the dining hall, the long table was already laden with food, as if they had timed our arrival perfectly.
Maids were busily bustling in and out of the doors, bringing in even more dishes.
"Please, eat your fill, Hero. I personally requested these dishes from the head maid. You too, Lady Lucia, please help yourself."
"Thank you..."
Since Edwin was still unmarried, Clara effectively acted as the queen. She managed all the affairs of the royal palace.
On special days like today or when foreign dignitaries visited, she would redesign the gardens, redecorate the banquet halls, and carefully oversee the menus and room assignments. She supported Edwin exceptionally well.
"Hero, try some of this. I heard it's excellent for a man's stamina. I went out of my way to get it for your return."
"Ah... yes..."
The dish Clara pushed in front of me...
It was something I recognized.
It was a spiced freshwater fish dish known to boost male virility. I had heard that noblewomen practically fought each other to buy it.
"Ah, Edwin. How is the Empire doing? I heard the Demon King's army invaded there as well."
"Don't even get me started. They're suffering defeat after defeat and constantly being pushed back. And that's despite the fact that none of the Four Heavenly Kings are even deployed there..."
Losing battle after battle without even facing one of the Four Heavenly Kings meant the problem lay with the defending imperial army rather than the invading forces.
What was the Eryther Empire, after all?
Just three years ago, it was the undisputed hegemon of the continent, dominating the world in military, diplomacy, politics, and economics.
And yet, that very place...
Was now suffering consecutive defeats at the hands of a demon army led by mere grunts.
While it was unfortunate for them, it was nothing short of good news to me.
"Perhaps because of that, the Empire keeps sending requests for the Hero's support."
"Hmph..."
Requesting my help when they knew damn well I would never go...
The sheer absurdity of it brought a smirk to my face, and a dry chuckle escaped my lips.
"The Empire aside, do you know how many times the Jeremiah Kingdom has sent emissaries?"
"From the Jeremiah Kingdom?"
"Yeah. Since the imperial army failed to stop the invasion, the front lines have pushed right up to Jeremiah's doorstep. Their border is basically the front line now."
Lydia...
Lydia, the imperial princess and mage of the Eryther Empire, was now the Queen of the Jeremiah Kingdom.
Born to the Emperor and a commoner, she had used me to build her reputation as a member of the hero party, laundered her status, and married the King of the Jeremiah Kingdom.
How utterly hilarious was it that she had the gall to send emissaries begging for my aid?
"Hero! You must never help them! The northern continent is already united around you, so don't pay any mind to whatever happens to the western nations."
Unable to listen to Edwin any longer, Clara leaped up from her seat, venting her anger on my behalf.
Seeing her like that was both endearing and comforting.
"Haha, thank you, Princess."
"Hero, can't you just call me Clara now?"
"Ah... well..."
"You call my brother by his name, yet you address me as 'Princess' every single day... Please, call me Clara."
Edwin and I had bled on the same battlefields back when he hid his royal status from me, which made our casual banter natural.
But with Clara, I had known she was a princess from the start, making it difficult to speak to her informally.
Besides, if the nobles of the Arzen Kingdom saw me speaking so casually to both their King and Princess, they would view me with even greater disdain.
"Well..."
As I hesitated under Clara's persistent plea, the door suddenly opened.
Click.
A knight entered the room, approached Edwin, and whispered quietly into his ear.
"The Queen herself has come as the emissary of the Jeremiah Kingdom?!"
The Queen of the Jeremiah Kingdom as the emissary?
If it was the Queen...
Did that mean Lydia was here?