Chapter 89

When I returned to the battlefield, things were somewhat organized. Unlike the previous chaotic battles where I had to focus all my magical power, care was being given to the soldiers, so the casualties weren’t as severe as I expected. However, Cardinal Besalon mentioned that such methods couldn’t be used frequently.

“Why is that?”

“It’s because your presence on the battlefield influences the morale of the soldiers. This battle was bearable since many of them witnessed you vanish with Hret, but if that hadn’t happened, things could have been dangerous.”

“Is morale really that important, Cardinal Besalon?”

The only royal present in this war, Jeron, removed his helmet as he spoke. Now that I think about it, he was also here. His impressive swordsmanship was why he had chosen to fight directly against the opposition from the nobles. Of course, they must have had their motivations behind that, but from my perspective, I had no reason to feel uncomfortable around him.

“Of course, it’s important, Your Highness. In strategic terms, this war is essentially a holy war. I don’t think those who’ve witnessed the horrors thus far will easily abandon their posts, but the very absence of a symbolic figure like the Hero on the battlefield could undermine morale.”

“Sounds like a troop of misfits.”

“Well, they aren’t properly trained soldiers. Each country might have its own training methods, but they’ve never fought together like this before.”

That’s true. The soldiers here hail from different nations. They wouldn’t unite unless the sky was falling. Hence, everything from their organization to their command structure was a complete mess. Luckily, Cardinal Besalon was dispatched by the Church; otherwise, I doubt we’d have made such good progress.

From my viewpoint, that was a relief.

“By the way, are you hurt anywhere?”

“Nope.”

“You sure ask quickly. Besides, that’s for me to decide.”

“Come on,” Yulia said, grabbing my hand. She then began checking my body thoroughly. I wasn’t about to say I felt embarrassed, but this was a little much, wasn’t it? It was my first time being inspected so closely by someone else.

Until now, such things hadn’t happened because there had been no injuries. But this time’s enemy, Hret, was a rather strong demon. Of course, it wasn’t enough to actually wound me. After all, my bragging about dodging his black flames easily hadn’t been an exaggeration.

“Hmm. You’re unscathed.”

“To have caught Hret without a scratch… Indeed, you’re the Hero after all.”

“Well, that’s not too bad. Hey, are you thinking of joining my guard once this war is over?”

“Oh, but Catherine will become a guard knight for the Saint!”

“You sure have a good sense of humor, Saint. Why would someone who never leaves the Church need a guard knight?”

It’s weird how they’re talking about this when they don’t even have anyone to offer. I quietly sighed and sheathed my sacred sword. Watching the transformation back into its original state was always amazing.

“Alright, enough of this. You should take a break. We’ve only defeated one of the Four Heavenly Kings, after all.”

What to say? Hearing the term “Four Heavenly Kings” reminded me once again that this world is someone’s creation. It had been easy to think of it as a medieval scene because of the absence of magical power. It was just waiting for the original story to kick off.

After all, black hair with red eyes could exist. But when I think of Lilian’s almost snowy white hair and blue eyes, and of Yulia’s blonde hair and golden eyes, or those purple locks of the prince and princess, it feels quite artificial. Thinking of that just amplifies the perception that this is a fabricated world.

Not that realizing that makes me lose my cool or anything.

“Honestly, Catherine wouldn’t have a male guard knight anyway, right?”

“Hmm, what’s that got to do with it? A Hero has the right to choose where they want to be.”

“Well, that’s true but….”

Despite Cardinal Besalon’s attempts to intervene, I left them to continue their fight. Since I was the maid of Lilian Beon Portus and nobility made the idea of being a guard knight for the prince or princess impossible.

Stepping into the royal palace of the Kingdom of Altain, I entered a reasonably suited bedroom. It was probably a chamber reserved for at least members of the royal family.

Just when I was about to strip off my sweat-soaked maid outfit and even my underwear, I suddenly noticed a presence and grabbed the sacred sword I had laid aside, pulling it out towards the direction of the sound.

“Yikes?!”

“…Who are you?”

“I-I’m sorry!”

As a silhouette of a woman crawled out of the closet, covered in dust with a terrified face, I thought, who the heck is this? I covered myself with a blanket and, using magical power, lit a candle to approach her. Her hair and eyes were of a blue hue reminiscent of the sea. This appearance… somehow felt familiar.

“Um, hello?”

“You seem to have the leisure to greet me.”

“Well, to be honest, you’re the intruder here…”

“Ah, ah. I’m a royal of the Kingdom of Altain, you know?”

Did she understand the meaning behind my words? The color drained from her face.

“I, I’m….”

What does “I’m” even mean? Even if one of the royals from Altain remained alive, the Church and Empire wouldn’t recognize the Kingdom of Altain.

“Ugh… If I had known it would come to this, I would have fled sooner.”

“However, I hadn’t heard there were any royals left in the Kingdom of Altain.”

All the royals had fled to the Demon King’s Castle. Why on earth was a royal who should have been in the Demon King’s Castle in a capital guarded by a lousy like Hret?

“Um, you see, I’m not one of the publicly acknowledged children.”

“Aha. A bastard child?”

“….”

She looked fine and had a normal appearance, but there was only one reason for her to not be publicly acknowledged. A bastard child. In a world where nobles see “noblesse oblige” as their first virtue, a bastard child is nothing less than a stain on that principle. How could a royal commit such an act? A royal who should set an example for the noble class? The fallout from that would be ridiculous. Thus, they must have kept it under wraps.

“Hmm, how did you manage to survive?”

“What?”

“Usually, the royals eliminate bastards.”

Even if she wasn’t recognized, anyone with strong royal characteristics would be noticed as a royal. Therefore, royal bastards typically die right after birth. The princess in front of me certainly had the royal characteristics in abundance.

“…This generation of the Kingdom of Altain has mostly been born without those royal traits.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“My brother… kept me locked away. He said he’d let me out when I was able to bear children.”

“That’s insane.”

My expletive escaped involuntarily. They must have been out of their minds. I mean, they couldn’t have allied with demons otherwise.

“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of those bastards nicely.”

“Um, I’ve been meaning to ask. Are you the Hero?”

“…Yes. That’s right.”

“I knew it.”

“You knew?”

What’s this? She seemed awfully certain. Confused, I tilted my head just as the princess’s eyes sparkled, and she leapt to her feet. I almost bumped into her as she stood, but she didn’t mind and continued talking.

“This generation’s Hero is said to be incredibly beautiful. With ebony hair and red eyes, at first glance terrifying, but that occasional smile of yours is like that of a celestial goddess!”

“Uh, uh…”

I wasn’t used to compliments about my appearance, so embarrassment flushed my face. As I stood there in silence, the princess added one more thing.

“Oh, and they say certain parts of you are impressively large. Although I can’t see much since you’re in a maid outfit….”

“What are you looking at to say something like that?”

Come to think of it, I was only in my undergarments. Panicking, I grabbed the blanket tighter, and the princess, giggling, returned from the closet with some clothes.

“Here, wear this for now. It’s mine; well, it should fit except for the butt. I brought the baggiest one.”

“Oh, thank you.”

“No problem! So, are you planning to stay here? There are better rooms available.”

“I wouldn’t take someone else’s room; could you guide me to another one?”

“Of course!”

As the princess turning towards the door, she suddenly spun back around as if she remembered something. I silently watched her as she flashed a smile.

“Speaking of which, I forgot to introduce myself. Unofficially, I’m the third princess of the Kingdom of Altain, Lin Altain.”

“…Nice to meet you, Lin. I’m Catherine.”

“Ahaha! Only now are we introducing ourselves after I’ve lent you my clothes. This is quite amusing.”

With that said, Lin turned again and opened the door.