Chapter 13: The End of the Book  

Stepping out of the café into a deserted part of the street, Heidi was seething, her pent-up rage boiling over. She raised her fist and slammed it into the nearby wall.  

A hero’s strike made the entire building tremble, leaving a massive dent in its wake.  

“Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it—those two… they deserve to die!”  

It wasn’t just that Eze had been away for a few days—that wasn’t a big deal.

What truly infuriated Heidi was that Eze dared not to back her up.  

Since their superficial engagement, this was the first time.  

Injured and crippled, shouldn’t he be more low-key, more cautious? 

Instead, he was blatantly disloyal!  

And that woman.  

Who the hell was she, showing no respect even after learning Heidi’s identity? 

Were minor nobles now so clueless about basic courtesy?  

Even the scheming archdukes, always plotting to replace her, at least gave her surface-level respect.  

But her?

After hearing Heidi was a princess, she doubled down, daring to steal her man. 

Did she think the Yarte royal family was an easy target?  

Heidi shook her head.  

“Tch, forgot to ask her name—”  

At first, Heidi hadn’t taken her seriously, planning to humiliate her while dragging Eze away and call it a day.  

So she didn’t care about her name.  

But things spiraled out of her control. 

Maintaining her persona took all her effort, leaving no room to ask for a name.  

In the end, she failed to take her fiancé back and left like a kicked dog.  

The more she thought about it, the redder her face grew, her blood pressure spiking until her vision blurred, nearly fainting. 

She steadied herself against the wall.  

Clutching her forehead, she took deep breaths:  

“Huff—calm down, calm down, Heidi Yarte, it’s not time yet—”  

Eze had agreed to rest for a few days. 

Clinging to him now would make her seem petty and untrustworthy, like she couldn’t live without him.  

For now, she had to return to Anlin Plain.  

For one, she’d left without telling Liya, chasing after Eze who’d fought with her. 

If Liya found out, she’d resent Heidi.  

Plus, she needed to clean up the mess there—Liya couldn’t be trusted with that.  

Just two or three days, enough to sort things out and head to the Holy Capital. 

She could deal with those two on the way back.  

If they still didn’t know their place—  Heidi sneered, her lips curling.  

Don’t blame her for getting a little ruthless.  

Eze, you didn’t really think you could escape, did you?  

And that woman, did she think latching onto a hero would elevate her?   

Eze wasn’t surprised by Velrian’s proposal.  

She could kill him with a flick of her wrist, yet she treated him to coffee, chatted casually, and helped send his former teammate away.  

The only logical explanation was that she wanted to recruit him.  

The witch continued:  

“Your so-called teammates’ nastiness is pretty infamous on our side too. Those kinds of companions—nothing worth sticking around for, right?”  

“On our side, though, you’ve got plenty of admirers. Even the Demon King acknowledges your strength. Join us, and you’d start as one of the thirteen leaders—maybe even higher. Isn’t that better than eating dirt here?”  

Eze lowered his head, silent. Velrian studied his face, probing:  

“So… what do you say?”  

“Hm…”  

Eze closed his eyes. 

The past two years flashed through his mind, raising his blood pressure.  

Velrian was right. 

Given his teammate’s potential for future chaos, joining the demons was indeed his best option.  

But—  

“I’ll pass.”  

Eze opened his eyes, shaking his head firmly.  

His resolve surprised Velrian, who was practically pressed against him:  

“Why?”  

“I don’t betray. That’s… cough cough—that simple.”  

He’d left his team, cutting ties for good, no going back—that was certain.  

But over the past two years, it wasn’t just his three teammates he fought alongside.  

The subordinates who respected and trusted him, willing to die for his strategies; the partners who supported him; the civilians who backed him to the fullest—they never betrayed him.  

So Eze would never betray them.  

Besides, the past two years of suffering were for returning home and for the world’s greater good, not really about Liya and the others.  

If he ran to the demons out of spite after leaving, wouldn’t that make him look like a scorned simply turning traitor?  

Pathetic.  

His refusal left Velrian stunned, unsure how to respond.  

If it was about post-defection treatment, there’d be room to negotiate. 

But Eze’s stance on principle shut the conversation down.  

Velrian gave a soft laugh:  

“Hm So that’s your thinking. Impressive. But you know what this means, right?”  

“Of course.”  

“Heh, good.”  

She let go of Eze, stood, and paced to the door, smiling as she raised her hand. 

With a surge of mana, a black orb formed.  

“Know what this is?”  

“Of course.”  

Velrian’s instant-death curse, the same one that crippled him on Anlin Plain.  

Last time, his blessing cushioned it. This time, he had no such protection.  

Touch that thing, and he was dead.  

Velrian seemed to make one final push:  

“The Hero Eze, feared by half the world, ending like this? Such a pity. One last time—really not coming to my side?”  

“No need to ask. Just do it.”  

Eze replied coldly.  

From the moment Velrian caught him—no, from when he started this reckless plan—he’d been ready to die.  

Even now, getting killed didn’t feel like a big deal.  

At least when his eyes closed, he’d be free of this world’s messes, finding peace.  

Thinking this, Eze smiled faintly:  

“Also, I should thank you.”  

Velrian blinked.  

“What?”  

“In this situation, you’re giving me a quick end. Don’t I owe you thanks?”  

“You…”  

Velrian sighed, shaking her head.  

“Fine, so be it. Goodnight.”  

With her words, the black orb shot toward him.  

The moment it hit, Eze’s vision was swallowed by darkness, his consciousness slowing as if sinking into a swamp, then stopping.  

Not bad. No pain, and his old wounds didn’t hurt anymore.  

With that thought, Eze lost consciousness.