Side: Hero Party
The Hero Party, after suffering several battles against a dark sorcerer near the Great Forest, finally found respite within the elves’ domain.
“Recently, we’ve been through quite a lot, haven’t we?”
The Hero gathered his party members together.
However, today, there was an additional person among them—a figure who had just saved the Hero during the last battle with the dark sorcerer.
Ella and Siriana were uncomfortable with a non-party human being present.
While they were grateful for being saved by this person in a moment of crisis, they couldn’t ignore the fact that he was a complete mystery.
The Hero Party was a group of the Hero and his companions dedicated to saving the world.
Keeping an unknown, hooded human so close was out of the question.
“Right. Thanks to someone weaker than our party’s mage,” Ella snapped at the Hero.
“If they hadn’t entered the Great Forest, who knew what other attacks might have awaited them?”
“Let’s stop with that. After all, you and Siriana joined me with your own motives, didn’t you? In the end, you blurred my vision and clouded my senses.”
Truthfully, the Hero, Eugene, also suspected that Ella and Siriana were following him for their own reasons.
He was the Hero.
There were always women who wanted to be with him.
In some villages, there were women who even offered themselves, betrayed their husbands, or abandoned their poor lives to be with him.
Each time, Noah would lecture him.
[Isn’t it only fair to accept when they offer themselves willingly?]
[Do you even know how hard it is to clean up after you every time?]
Those were memories of sorts.
Despite being a real handful, it was as though Noah had been like a mother, cleaning up after a reckless child.
Since Noah’s declaration to leave the Hero Party, things like that had stopped happening.
Growing angry as she listened, Ella raised her voice.
“Why are you blaming us for that?”
Ella scowled.
As a proud member of the noble lineage of the Great Forest, she couldn’t believe she was being treated like a prostitute by a Hero with barely any talent.
Eugene signaled to Siriana to calm Ella, but Siriana had long since turned away from Eugene.
If that’s how they were going to be, he had other methods.
Eugene sought help from the ominous woman in the black robe who had followed them and joined the meeting.
“Alright, then let’s ask the mage who’s officially joining the party. What do you think?”
The woman opened her mouth, as if she had been waiting.
“Honestly, as a fellow woman, I’d like to take their side, but, in most cases, men end up broken because of women.”
Nodding in agreement, the Hero thought, ‘Yeah. This isn’t all my fault. It’s these women, who are useless except for their bodies, who are to blame.’
Ella and Siriana turned their anger from the Hero to the ominous woman.
“So, you’re saying it’s our fault?”
“Honestly, how much have you two blinded and deafened him?”
With no hesitation, the woman drove a nail into their hearts, causing Ella and Siriana to flush with anger.
“Did you just say that?”
“How rude!”
Ella and Siriana growled at the robed figure. Fair enough, even if it was true, how could this unrelated human be so bold as to interfere?
“Can you honestly deny it?”
“That’s…”
“It seems you both are quite adept at shifting blame, as if the Hero should be able to do everything on his own.”
Ella and Siriana caught a familiar scent from this robed woman.
Her ominous robe, her tone, and her blame-shifting reminded them of someone familiar.
[You crazy fools, as bad as the Hero may be, how could you stand in his way?]
[Why should we handle things he can do alone?]
[Right. And if he can’t, blame the mage.]
[Who do you think you’re pushing blame onto, you fools?]
Realizing this situation mirrored the past, Ella and Siriana decided to respond with a meek resistance.
“Isn’t that natural? Don’t you agree, Siriana?”
“Y-Yes. A chosen Hero should…”
Just as Siriana began to support Ella, the robed woman shook her head.
That wasn’t entirely wrong.
A chosen Hero was supposed to be strong alone.
But, according to ancient records, their words could be refuted.
“According to ancient records, a Hero is a true Hero when they unite with their companions. That kind of attitude, throwing everything on him, is inherently flawed. In the beginning, you did this to Mage Noah too.”
“So, the Hero also relied on the mage!”
To mention the mage now of all times…
The robed woman sneered at the elf.
“Were you two constantly wiggling your hips around him? How would a strong man respond to such seduction? A man ultimately reacts depending on how a woman behaves.”
“Yes. Exactly that.”
The Hero nodded in agreement. “It’s true. Just look at how the elf and the saintess have seduced me countless times. As a man, it would be unnatural to resist.”
“The two people sent to aid the Hero ended up blocking his growth instead? This is hopeless.”
The woman was a master at mocking people.
“Ugh. And you’re so great yourself, right? You’re just a fangirl of the Hero, aren’t you? Am I wrong?”
“Perhaps my brother left the party because he was sick of women like you.”
“Brother? What did she mean by that?”
“Did this robed woman’s brother have something to do with the Hero Party?”
“Was this a calculated, malicious approach?”
“Brother?”
“I am the Archmage Noelle, younger sister of the Mage Noah!”
“This is insane.”
“Noah had a younger sister?”
The two women, who had often been scolded by Noah, looked to the Hero in disbelief.
“Hero… Is that true?”
“There’s no way, right?”
If she truly was Noah’s sister, it would be terrifying.
“It’s true. Noelle is Noah’s younger sister. Her attire resembles that of the secluded tribe in the land of destruction, and her use of magic is similar. Also, she has saved us numerous times, hasn’t she?”
The nightmare of another mage had just begun.
“Noelle, then what should we do now?”
“I suggest you head to the Empire and seek the assistance of a new saintess.”
“Let’s do that.”
Hero Eugene did not particularly doubt his new companion.
After all, right now, this mage was his only ally.
To maintain the party, he had no choice.
***
Claire is suspicious of my identity.
Well, things have changed since then, so I suppose it’s reasonable for her to be suspicious.
Since I’m in an assassin’s guild, she’ll find out eventually.
I don’t have to tell the whole truth, but maybe mixing it halfway would be wise.
“Well, if you really want me to explain, let’s just say it’s a side effect from five years ago?”
“So, what happened back then…”
“Things from before the enchantment. All true. A minority tribe from the land of ruin helped me dispel the dark magic, but maybe due to its influence, I easily fell under another spell, and by the time I came to my senses, I ended up like this.”
“I see.”
In short, Olivia hadn’t been herself ever since she was rescued from the land of ruin.
“There’s no reason for Claire to be so gloomy about it. If anything, it’s thanks to that experience that Olivia is who she is now.”
“I understand. However, you’ll eventually need to speak to the Mistress about it. She suffered greatly over what happened at that time.”
“The head of the assassin’s guild? I doubt Katarina would take it that far.”
‘If she truly cared for her child, Olivia the First wouldn’t have died like that.’
***
“Surprising.” Oh.
“Pardon?”
“No, it’s just that I’ve always thought noble ladies were seen as mere tools.”
“Is that so?”
Claire gave a bitter smile.
At least, that’s what I know.
In nations ruled by royalty and nobility, everything exists ultimately for the sake of the family.
“Honestly, if I hadn’t become a saintess, if everything had ended in a bad ending according to Lily’s will, would I really be okay?”
“My lady…”
“It might have been me thrown into the river instead of Lily.”
“That’s…”
It would be hard to deny.
If I hadn’t appeared back then and the First had continued, she would’ve been purged eventually.
“You can’t be entirely sure otherwise, can you?”
“My lady, I think you may have misunderstood.”
I can see why Claire feels this way.
She must hate hearing her master get cursed by her daughter.
“Misunderstanding or not, it doesn’t matter to me. In the end, reality is what matters, isn’t it? Anyway, I’m the saintess, and I’m cooperating with the family. Isn’t that enough? Let’s drop the subject.”
Anyway, I am the saintess.
I’m gradually establishing a foothold in the church.
I resolved the Lily incident, and all the families that could hold Ashtar in check have fallen.
In this current situation, Olivia as the saintess would be a highly desirable asset for Ashtar.
“…Yes, understood. So, what is your ultimate goal, my lady?”
What I ultimately want to do, huh.
“What do you think?”
‘Why is she asking something like this out of the blue?’
“My lady, you said you’re cooperating with the family. Doesn’t that mean there’s something you want to achieve beyond just supporting the family?”
“Oh, there is.”
She’s quite perceptive.
That’s just like an assassin guild.
“Would you tell me what it is?”
“Even if I did, you’d have a hard time helping.”
My objective is ultimately to suppress the Four Heavenly Kings, who’ve become more unruly with the Demon Lord dead.
Ultimately, I want to establish a legacy as Olivia the Archmage.
“The Mistress might be able to assist you.”
‘Why is Claire being so annoying today? I was hoping to live quietly as Olivia while handling the Four Heavenly Kings since the Demon Lord is fully gone.’
But openly declaring I’m going to hunt the Four Heavenly Kings would raise eyebrows.
After all, it’s not like the Empire’s military is so incompetent that they need a duke’s lady to step in.
“If anything, it’s finding Master Noah.”
I decided to request something currently impossible.
“Master Noah? The one who went missing after fighting the Demon Lord?”
“Exactly.”
People are divided on whether Noah is dead.
Academia also has mixed opinions.
But the reason it’s unresolved is that Noah, being a sword saint, divine archer, and high priest, was considered capable of fighting the Demon Lord alone.
“So the rumors circulating are true.”
“What rumors?”
“That Master Noah is someone Olivia admires.”
“What the…?”
“What’s the source of that rumor?”
“It’s said to come from Syria, the puppet master of the Magic Tower.”
She’s really asking for trouble.
“That’s not true at all.”
“But when compared to other noble ladies your age, they talk about which noble’s young master is charming or how great the crown prince is. Isn’t your lack of interest in men because of him?”
“Noah is me, and I am Olivia. I’m not some narcissist who’s into myself.”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“In that case, I’ll look into Master Noah for you.”
Damn that Claire.
She definitely thinks I have a thing for Noah.
Women are so troublesome. They try to tie everything to romance.
Talking to men isn’t an option either, since I’m a noble lady, and all potential friends of similar status have been wiped out.
And those around me will just link it to romance again.
***
“Saintess, are you here?”
Just as Claire and I were wrapping up our conversation, a holy knight arrived.
“What is it?”
“Someone from the Imperial Palace is here. His Majesty wishes to meet you, Saintess.”
‘The Emperor?’
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