A Hero's Party Without the Hero
The imperial capital of Caulan.
The city was swept up in a festive mood.
Although the Hero was absent, the remaining members of the Hero's party had returned safely. They announced their victory to the public, displaying a sacred casket containing the Demon King's single horn as proof of the subjugation.
"...And so, the Hero, Luciena Estelle, perished alongside the Demon King for the sake of her noble mission. We, the Hero's party, did nothing more than retrieve the Demon King's horn and the faded Holy Sword she left behind."
In the glorious plaza where the Emperor himself stood, Reinhold stood at the center, announcing the deaths of the Demon King and the Hero to the citizens.
On the high dais behind him sat the reigning Emperor in all his majesty. Beside him stood Crown Princess Linasien, and slightly further to the sides, the other members of the Hero's party stood in alignment.
"This is it! The single horn left behind by the Demon King, who tormented humanity for a thousand years!"
As he raised the glowing, sacred casket high, the crowd erupted into a deafening roar.
Having learned from childhood fairy tales and the Holy Kingdom's sermons that the glow emanated from the sealing of wicked demonic energy, the citizens were convinced that peace had finally arrived. They embraced the joy wholeheartedly.
"And this... is the Holy Sword of our hero, our savior, Luciena Estelle."
Ah... The Crown Princess let out a deliberate, sorrowful sigh, and a solemn hush fell over the crowd.
The Holy Sword, which had always radiated a brilliant reddish-gold light, now looked like nothing more than an ordinary iron blade.
Having lost the master it chose by the Goddess's will, the Holy Sword appeared completely dead, turned a pale, lifeless white.
"We will now observe a moment of silence for her."
"All rise, attention!"
The Commander of the Imperial Guard echoed Reinhold's words, shouting with solemn authority.
Although they were ceremonial weapons, the sound of the guards snapping to attention in unison overwhelmed the crowd, causing them to hold their breath.
"Begin the moment of silence."
Everyone in the plaza, even the Emperor, stood up and bowed their heads.
It was a moment of silence for the hero who saved the Empire, the savior of humanity. Yet, within that silence, everyone harbored their own distinct thoughts.
"Reinhold! I joined your plan on behalf of the Elven Senate and as the representative of our people. I demand the promised reward."
Before the announcement in the plaza, Nydrian had shamelessly demanded her reward.
It was neither honorable nor successful, but Nydrian had no choice.
The threat of her race's extinction was drawing closer by the day.
"Don't you think that's an absurd request, even by your standards?"
"What?"
"Our plan was to incapacitate the Hero and escort her to the capital. I cannot accept you demanding a reward simply for participating."
She wondered if the man standing before her was truly the same kind and considerate Shield Knight, Reinhold, from their journey.
Ever since they lost the Hero, his actions and speech had been laced with a cold, overbearing authority.
His oppressive attitude made not only Nydrian but everyone else feel a deep sense of estrangement.
"Simple participation? No, that's not it. Because we joined, you and the Crown Princess had the backing of the entire Elven race and the Holy Kingdom. That alone is more than enough to warrant a reward."
"Arciel, that was a remarkably astute political observation, coming from you."
"You bastard...!"
Arciel was anxious.
She hadn't cared much about Lucy being betrayed, believing it was largely Lucy's own karma.
But in the process, the baggage handler had been sacrificed.
The baggage handler, whom she had never paid any mind, had suddenly made an unexpected move to rescue the Hero.
In the end, they had jumped off the cliff because there was nowhere else to go, but his actions had deeply shocked both Arciel and Nydrian.
Originally, they were the ones who should have helped the Hero.
Under normal circumstances, they should have returned to the capital together without any betrayal, and then parted ways.
They should have blessed each other's futures and set off to build a better tomorrow.
To emphasize once more, betraying the Hero, who had always gone too far, hadn't weighed heavily on them.
Or rather, it hadn't back then.
But the baggage handler's actions had forced them to feel shame.
For the first time, they realized they had committed a sin.
They had rationalized their actions by claiming there was a greater cause, but it had only resulted in failure and a dishonor that could never be revealed to the world.
It was shameful.
And behind that shame came fear.
If this incident, this truth, ever leaked out, both Nydrian's and Arciel's positions would be ruined.
If they lost their current standing, neither of them would be able to save what they desperately needed to protect.
Thus, the choice they made was yet another cowardly compromise.
It meant keeping quiet about betraying the Hero and continuing to cooperate with Reinhold.
But this man...
...was impossible to trust.
Rather than just feeling unfamiliar, Reinhold's sudden, drastic change in attitude made them highly wary.
"Reinhold. Unreasonable behavior."
"What do you mean by that?"
"The escort of the Hero was merely a performance you wished to stage. Ultimately, you wanted her eliminated. The Hero fell from the cliff with the baggage handler and died. The final objective has been achieved. Therefore, I demand the reward."
Wow, she speaks well, Arciel thought.
Although they weren't close due to Tigria's quiet nature, Arciel admired her for speaking up in their favor.
Even so, Arciel didn't clumsily chime in.
She knew all too well how foolish that would look, and how foolish it actually was.
"How can you be so sure the Hero is dead?"
"The Hero's limbs were severed. The one who fell with her was an incompetent baggage handler. First, the probability of surviving a fall from that height into water is low. Second, the probability of escaping the water is low. Finally, even if they escaped, there is nothing the baggage handler can do for the Hero. The forest is near the Demon King's castle, a habitat for powerful magical beasts. Furthermore, the baggage handler exhausted all food supplies for the final battle. In every aspect, the environment guarantees death."
"Hmm."
Reinhold didn't dispute her logic.
It seemed reasonable to him as well, though it was a premise he wasn't entirely pleased with.
Unfortunately, while Tigria's prediction was perfectly logical, that area happened to be the starting point of DLC Chapter 1.
Thus, a mere creation like Tigria could not possibly know the convenient setting of the game: that all the surrounding magical beasts had vanished in the aftermath of the Demon King's death.
As a side note, the Demon King in this world was also a concept of authority, meaning that while magical beasts might remain, the demon race itself would completely vanish upon his death.
"The Demon King is gone, and so is the Hero. The Crown Princess's ascension is as clear as day. So, fulfill your promise already."
"Well, we won't know for sure until we get there, will we?"
"You bastard...! Your tongue is getting awfully long. Shall we test just how tough our Shield Knight really is?"
"If you're prepared for the consequences, be my guest."
Nydrian stepped between the two, who were glaring at each other with burning eyes.
"Stop it. I know this situation is frustrating, but we must avoid a rift at all costs."
"Tsk! He's the one causing the rift!"
Neither of them crossed the final line.
Their desires were too tightly bound to each other's influence to allow them to do so, even if they wanted to.
"Reinhold. Too overbearing. A carrot is required."
"Ha, I gained nothing from this, yet you keep demanding things..."
"If you maintain this attitude, I will find another way on my own."
"Do you really think you can achieve your wish without me?"
"It will be difficult, but not impossible."
Tigria's wish had the weakest connection to Reinhold.
If he really put his mind to it, he could have granted it, but Reinhold had no intention of doing so in the first place.
However, he needed the mage's absolute power.
A mage was not merely a weapon of war with high firepower.
If used correctly, magic was a Pandora's box that could integrate into daily life, bringing all kinds of conveniences—and various unfortunate, unavoidable "accidents."
"...Fine. I will at least make preparations so that I can pay you immediately upon completion."
"The elves need it right now."
"Same here."
"I am satisfied. I will depart."
"Huh? Hey! Wait!"
Arciel called out urgently, but Tigria vanished on the spot.
Having lost a powerful ally, Arciel bit her lip.
"What you two want cannot be done overnight. It requires proper procedures and a suitable plan. Surely you don't want your wishes to be granted in a slipshod manner?"
"...Of course. Sigh, I'll take my leave for today. Call me when the plaza announcement ceremony begins."
Nydrian also withdrew.
Arciel had no reason to stay either.
"...Hmph."
But for some reason, she wanted to linger a bit longer.
"That baggage handler guy... he was on my mind."
"How unexpected. Did you have feelings for him?"
"It wasn't feelings. I just wanted to find out what kind of guy he was, but you ruined it."
She added a parting shot.
"I'll add this to your tab, Shield Knight."
Stepping out of his room, she finally realized how stifling it had been inside.
As she sighed and let the cool breeze wash over her, she noticed the Crown Princess watching her from a short distance away.
Arciel strode over to her.
"No attendants, no hidden guards nearby... Is it really alright for the Crown Princess to walk around like this?"
"Because I know you'll protect me."
"Not me. You mean Reinhold."
Surprisingly, their conversation was informal.
Yet, there were thorns in their words.
"You were the one who ordered Lucy to be eliminated, wasn't it?"
"I didn't go so far as to say 'eliminate'."
"It's the same thing."
"Oh, please. The meaning changes entirely depending on how you phrase it."
"Ha..."
Arciel's eyes narrowed.
The words the Crown Princess had just spoken were a habit of someone Arciel could never forget.
Lacking patience, Arciel immediately sneered.
"You've changed a lot. The upright girl you used to be has become someone who hides, bends, and ultimately stabs people in the back."
"You've changed quite a bit too, haven't you? The honest and devoted girl you used to be has become someone who makes deals and cuts corners."
The two glared at each other, smiles plastered on their faces.
They were filled with resentment toward one another.
"I wonder what Lee would say if he saw you like this."
In the end, Arciel was the first to look away.
After double-checking that there were indeed no guards around, she clicked her tongue and walked away.
"Lee..."
Linasien muttered bitterly as she stared at the Saint's retreating back.
"He had the name Rin, too."
Then, looking forward once more, she walked toward Reinhold's office.
"Though he's an old connection I can barely remember now."
Wearing a doll-like smile, she stepped inside, calling out the name of the man who would become her fiancé.