After Clara’s provocation, what followed was merciless violence. Literally, Ruby beat Clara as if she were a dog being caught on a hot summer day. They had been fighting evenly before that.
Was it thanks to a rage beyond imagination? This time, Clara was unilaterally beaten by Ruby. The more surprising fact was that even her mother, Cluna, merely stood by and watched.
Is this what they call growing together while fighting as friends? But usually, wouldn’t you stop such a fight at that level? Hans thought so, but he didn’t point it out. It seemed like it would just be a hassle.
Anyway, only one member was left now. Helia, the only one Hans interacted with before he joined the Royal Knights. Hans’s apprentice. Just that made her unpredictable.
At least until they parted ways, thanks to training, things had calmed down somewhat. But now, three years later, Hans didn’t even want to imagine what had become of Helia.
There’s no way she’d become a betrayer like in the original story. It probably wouldn’t go that far. But he couldn’t afford to be optimistic. After all, Bayard and Yuren were no easy opponents either…
“Is there something you want to say?”
“Nothing at all.”
Hans couldn’t shake off the increasing anxiety as he turned his gaze away from Cluna, who was tilting her head as if she knew nothing. Those two, who were decent enough, had gone berserk like this.
How could Helia, who was far from normal, be doing? At least the fact that she was in the human kingdom, unlike the others, was some consolation.
After sitting for a moment, Hans rose to his feet again. He had to meet the last member, Helia, before it got too late. But he couldn’t let his guard down. He had no idea how things would unfold.
[Helia, that girl gives off an ominous feeling.]
“An ominous feeling?”
[Yes. She was obsessively drawn to something.]
“It’s surprising that you know about that girl.”
[We’ve been watching together for a long time.]
The Divine Sword had witnessed and heard many things while being with Hans over the past three years. Among them were comrades as well. Every single one could have been hailed as a hero in the past.
They were all qualified to be his rightful masters. It’s just that the most outstanding hero had appeared and overshadowed them. The Divine Sword burrowed further into its master’s embrace.
In a way, it was acting like a spoiled child. But from Hans’s perspective, it was a bit scary that the sword was moving on its own and rubbing around. However, he didn’t show it.
“I’m the Commander of the Royal Knights.”
If he were startled by such trivial things, it could shatter his illusion. Of course, he wasn’t that helpless now. But maintaining the illusion was the best approach.
No sooner had Hans spoken than the squabbling Clara and Ruby, as well as the remaining members, finished preparing to leave. Now, all that was left was to decide the treatment of the Dragon Lord and the Sky Island.
Right now, Hans had managed to prevent the Sky Island from falling through his efforts. But there was no guarantee that someone with evil intentions wouldn’t invade and make it crash.
“What are you thinking of doing about the Dragon Lord and the Sky Island?”
[The Sky Island is going to be brought down to the ground.]
“What?!”
[Of course, it’s not the way Yuren envisioned it.]
Yuren flinched at the Dragon Lord’s words. Anyway, the Dragon Lord explained that he planned to slowly lower the Sky Island to merge it gently with the ground.
“So what kind of impact will that have on the ground?”
[I think a massive mountain will be created.]
“Why did you suddenly make such a decision?”
[Because we realized our mistakes.]
In the past, they thought that just watching was an act of love and protection. After all, if they interfered because they were too powerful, they would only end up wielding them like tools.
But now, their perspective had changed. The race they once thought was the weakest had grown over time and had eventually become strong enough to surpass even dragons. Though, currently, they were still few in number.
At least they now realized they couldn’t just stand back and watch. Therefore, they decided to bring the Sky Island, the home of dragons, down to the ground. No longer looking down, they chose to face them directly.
[Of course, most dragons are currently resting underground because of injuries.]
“Uh, I’m sorry about that.”
“Yeah, what matters is that you realize your mistakes.”
Before long, the Dragon Lord had returned to his elderly appearance.
Then, smiling, he said to Hans, “I entrust you with my daughter.”
*
How should he get to the Human Kingdom? He didn’t have to worry about that. With a flick of the Dragon Lord’s finger, Hans and the members had already arrived at the Human Kingdom.
Hans clicked his tongue. If teleportation magic was something anyone could use instead of ancient magic, that would have been nice. But anyway, they arrived comfortably, and now he just had to find Helia.
However, Hans quickly realized there was no need to. The place they had arrived was the capital of the Human Kingdom, and he discovered a portrait of Helia hanging on the castle wall.
[Hero of the Nation, the Crimson Knight Helia.]
“…?”
“Puhahaha!”
Because of the huge picture hanging like a poster and the text next to it, Clara, who spotted it right after Hans, burst out laughing, and Ruby was rolling on the ground.
Bayard, Yuren, and Cluna could only hold back their laughter. Their reactions weren’t much different. It was understandable; it simply didn’t suit her at all. What? The hero of the nation? That Helia?
“Indeed, this is a bit shocking.”
Hans couldn’t hide his surprise for once, as the title of hero of the nation didn’t quite match Helia’s image. If anything, it was more like a swordsman or dragon hunter?
But thinking about Helia settling down and finding a place somewhere was also something he couldn’t even imagine. However, Hans felt a sense of relief thanks to that.
If she was being called the hero of the nation in the Human Kingdom, it meant she probably wasn’t up to anything like Bayard or Yuren. But he still couldn’t let his guard down.
After all, the opponent was Helia. She could suddenly deal a heavy blow to him at any moment. But, if—really, if—Helia had adapted well to the Human Kingdom without any issues?
“Then there’s no need to bring her back.”
“Hmm?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
[Master…….]
The Divine Sword cautiously called out to Hans, but he just moved forward without answering. The members quietly followed behind him. The streets were more vibrant than he expected.
The faces of the people were full of life, blessed with the hope of living for the future. The reason? It was all thanks to the hero of the nation, Helia. Three years ago, she had appeared out of nowhere.
The Human King gladly welcomed her, a former member of the Royal Knights, as a talented individual. Since then, victory cries echoed where she participated in battles. Thus, she became a hero.
That was the information Hans heard directly from a street vendor. Just then, while he was astonished, the sound of cheers and applause washed over him like a wave. He shifted his gaze toward that direction.
A clean road leading to the Royal Castle. Knights on horseback marched proudly along it. At the forefront, a woman with red hair was leading the well-trained knights.
She still had a hint of her childhood appearance, but she was undoubtedly a beautiful woman with well-grown red hair. Riding her horse, she continued forward with a stoic expression.
“Isn’t that Helia?”
“I think it is…”
“…”
They glanced at Hans, wondering if it might upset his feelings. At least in their eyes, it looked like Helia had forgotten the death of her commander and chose a new path.
But surprisingly, Hans didn’t feel hurt at all. On the contrary, he watched Helia’s back until she completely entered the Royal Palace, feeling a sense of pride.
Maybe it was because he had raised her since her childhood. Even though she wasn’t his biological child, he had come to think of Helia like his daughter. With a soft smile, Hans said, “Yes, that’s enough.”
“Commander, then…?”
“We’ll set out ourselves. There’s no need to cause confusion for Helia, who has established herself…”
“Whose story are you talking about?”
However, before that sense of pride could fully fade, everyone was startled by a voice that came from behind. The once red-haired woman, who had disappeared into the Royal Palace, was now fluttering in the wind.
“It’s been a long time, Teacher.”
Helia greeted with an unnervingly calm voice.
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