Chapter 5 The Price of Betrayal
Chapter 5: The Price of Betrayal
The summoned Hero from another world, Yu Ji-hu.
He had finally defeated the Demon King—and the truth that followed was now laid bare for all to see.
"Good heavens, the oracle was fabricated by the Demon King?!"
"W-what does that mean? We were deceived by the Demon King?"
"Even the divine oracle from the temple was tampered with?! How... how could this happen...?"
Even the Rusjerg Empire, renowned as the most prosperous nation on the Terra Continent, was thrown into chaos.
"What did you say?! Is this true?"
"Yes, Father."
The princess of the Rusjerg Empire, the radiant golden-haired beauty Iris, spoke with tears streaming down her face.
Her sapphire-blue eyes, like precious gems, were endlessly wet with sorrow, and her pale, trembling form looked as though she might collapse at any moment.
The emperor, watching his daughter in such a state, pressed a hand to his forehead as a throbbing headache set in.
"How could something like this have happened?"
This was no ordinary matter—it concerned an oracle.
In the history of the continent, oracles had always been sacred and inviolable, absolute in their authority.
An oracle was divine counsel—or a warning—bestowed by the gods. Since it was delivered within the sanctity of the temple, no one had ever imagined it could be manipulated by evil hands.
But now that the Demon King had done exactly that, the absolute trust in oracles would never be the same again.
"The real problem begins now."
The emperor lowered his gaze to his daughter, who stood before him, drowning in tears.
Through sheer effort, she had earned her place as one of the members of the Hero's party, a swordsman of exceptional skill—a pride of the imperial family.
And now, having fought alongside the Hero to bring down the Demon King, she should have been a celebrated hero, a shining beacon of the empire's glory.
But in this state—weeping uncontrollably—there was no trace of that heroism left.
"Iris."
"Father... I... I stabbed him. Sob!"
To the emperor, it was clear that his daughter was no longer in her right mind. The once confident, vivacious princess had spent days repeating these words, drowning in guilt and tears.
"W-what should I do? How... how can I ever be forgiven? Sob... Ji-hu..."
Seeing his daughter like this, the emperor felt the weight of his responsibilities—both as a father and as the ruler of the empire—pressing down on him.
How had things spiraled so far out of control?
What had been done to the Hero who saved the world was unforgivable. And yet, part of him couldn't help but think it would have been better if the truth—that the oracle had been fabricated—had remained hidden.
But now, with every member of the Hero's party tearfully confessing the truth, there was no way to contain the fallout.
The credibility of the oracle had crumbled.
The heroes who should have been praised for saving the world were instead consumed by guilt.
This was a disaster beyond anything he could have imagined.
"Iris, go back to your chambers and rest for now."
"Rest? Me? What right do I have to—?"
Watching his daughter mutter like a madwoman, the emperor could only sigh and summon her handmaidens to escort her away.
'This is truly a catastrophe.'
The emperor sank deep into thought, agonizing over how to salvage the situation.
Iris had always believed she lived a blessed life.
As the first princess of the Rusjerg Empire, she held the second-highest claim to the throne, right after her elder brother, the crown prince. But from a young age, she had publicly renounced her succession rights, declaring her support for her brother's ascension—a decision that kept their relationship amicable.
Moreover, she had been born with extraordinary talent in swordsmanship. Her rapid growth had earned her a place in the Hero's party, a group whose members grew stronger the deeper their bond with the Hero who wielded the Holy Sword.
Under that influence, Iris's swordsmanship had advanced at an unprecedented rate, soon surpassing all but the most legendary warriors on the continent.
And after spending six long years fighting alongside Yu Ji-hu, the Hero, it was only natural that feelings had blossomed within her.
"Ji-hu, what are you thinking about?"
One night, Iris approached him as he stood alone, gazing up at the starry sky.
"Just... looking at the night sky for a bit."
He smiled faintly, but the shadow in his expression didn't escape her notice.
"Is something troubling you?"
"Hm? Why do you ask?"
"Your face looks a little dark."
At her words, Ji-hu chuckled softly.
"It's nothing like that. I was just thinking about my sister back on Earth."
"Your sister?"
"Yeah. She's incredibly beautiful, strong, and kind. The only family I have left."
The way he spoke carried a deep longing—one that made Iris's heart ache just a little.
"She must be very precious to you. Come to think of it, you always look happy when you talk about her."
"Yeah. After I lost my parents at ten, she was the only one left for me. She always took care of me."
There was something undeniably sorrowful in his voice, and it stirred an inexplicable sympathy in Iris.
"Someday, I'd like to meet her."
"If you do, I'm sure she'd welcome you warmly."
"Really?"
"Absolutely. I guarantee it."
The way he smiled as he said those words made Iris smile back.
Half a year later, as the final battle against the Demon King loomed—
"This can't be real."
"It's wrong. Something's wrong."
Scarlet and Mine muttered in shock, their faces pale.
Yenia, too, stared at the vision shown by the oracle with disbelief. But Iris had no room in her mind to spare for their reactions.
The scene before her had struck her like a physical blow.
How could this be?
Oracles were divine counsel—warnings from the gods themselves. What she was seeing now had to be a revelation of truth.
[I'm sorry, everyone. But I have no choice. For my sister's sake, I have to return to Earth—and this is the only way.]
[Why?! You promised we'd go together!]
[I'm sorry. But even returning alone is already pushing it. And right now, using the Heart of the Demon King is my only chance.]
[N-no! If you do that, the explosive energy clash will endanger the entire Terra Continent!]
[Not my problem. I've fought for this world for six years. Now it's your turn to sacrifice for me.]
The coldness in Ji-hu's voice.
The despair in their own screams.
Iris couldn't believe any of it.
Ji-hu... betraying us? No—was he always just a hypocrite?
She couldn't believe it.
She didn't want to.
No. Ji-hu would never do this.
The man she had known—the kindness he had always shown—couldn't have been a lie.
She refused to accept it.
Clenching her teeth, Iris fought against the blasphemous thought of doubting the oracle.
Maybe she was just running from reality. But she couldn't stop herself.
It's not true. It can't be.
Even as the final battle against the Demon King approached, she clung to that hope, comforting herself.
But then—everything unfolded exactly as the oracle had foretold.
The battle between Ji-hu and the Demon King.
Its conclusion.
Every detail matched the vision perfectly.
And then—Ji-hu stood over the Demon King's corpse.
The oracle was real.
Everything was happening just as predicted.
If this continues...
Iris realized that her comrades, too, were staring at Ji-hu with eyes full of betrayal.
If they waited even a second longer, he would use the Demon King's Heart to forcibly open a Dimensional Gate—returning to Earth while dooming the Terra Continent to destruction.
With that thought, Iris drove her sword into him.
"Ghk—!"
Ji-hu twisted at the last moment, narrowly avoiding a fatal strike to the heart—but the blade still pierced deep, and blood gushed from his lips.
The horror of what she had done—of stabbing the man she loved—was unbearable. Seeing him cough up blood felt like her own chest was being torn apart.
But she gritted her teeth, forcing down the pain, and glared at him with pure revulsion.
"...Why?"
"Shut up, you traitor. No—hypocrite."
She could never forgive him.
Not for pretending to care about them while planning to abandon and sacrifice them.
Not for being willing to risk the annihilation of the entire continent.
But most of all—
He played with our hearts.
It was already too late, but in the days to come, she would regret not realizing the truth sooner.