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I carefully laid Daisy, who no longer moved, down on the floor.

The ground around us had completely collapsed, forming a deep pit. The warehouse had left no trace at all, and of course, any stairs had long since vanished.

I lightly stomped the ground. After soaring up into the air in one go and landing softly, Captain Hermann stood before me.

Hermann gaped in astonishment at the armor I was wearing.

“H-H-Huh?! The Faceless Hero… the real Faceless Hero’s armor…!”

He seemed to tremble with exhilaration, and soon tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke with a quaking voice.

“Huh, Faceless! Do you remember me? Ah, no, of course, you wouldn’t… During the battle with the Dragon Legion, when I thought I was about to be done for after being caught in the jaws of the Dragon! You saved me by cleaving the Dragon’s neck…! Since then, I’ve dedicated my life to you as my savior—”

“Were you in the Prairie Plains?”

“Yes, yes! That’s right…! You remembered!! My squadmates also owe their lives to you, Faceless. Although I’ve been serving as a captain due to a knee injury from that day, my heart is always on the battlefield where you were—”

If I kept listening, this would never end.

I raised my hand to interrupt Hermann’s words. Instantly, as if my gesture was an absolute command, Hermann’s mouth was promptly sealed.

He struck a pose of immobility, as if to say he wouldn’t lift a finger until I commanded him to.

With a short sigh, I asked.

“What happened to the kidnapped people?”

“Oh, yes! As per your orders, we rescued them all. Unfortunately, they’re all in poor condition, so I’ve sent them off in a carriage to the nearest temple. However…”

Captain Hermann cautiously turned his gaze around to survey the area.

Following his line of sight, I understood. There were not only Hermann but also other people revealing themselves one after another.

Knights clad in pure white cloaks, with the emblem of a dragon starkly engraved upon them.

That was the symbol of the Royal Guard, the empire’s elite knight order.

Each individual boasted skills rivaling that of a sword master, and the overwhelming presence of the empire’s strongest forces cast a heavy atmosphere in this place.

Even though it wasn’t a combat situation, the Royal Guard’s tense demeanor indicated that the person they were escorting was of utmost importance.

Amidst the stern protection of the Royal Guard stood a woman whose face was very familiar to me.

“…Elizabeth.”

She was the empire’s one and only princess, Elizabeth von Galatea, and also a student of the Opal Black Class.

At my words, a Royal Guard who was loyally escorting Elizabeth stepped forward and replied.

“How rude! How dare you call the princess by her first name. Faceless, no matter how much of a hero of the continent you are, if you are a subject of the empire, you ought to show the proper respect before royalty.”

“Enough.”

As Elizabeth raised her hand to stop him, the Royal Guard who had blocked her path lowered his head deeply and stepped back.

Elizabeth gently raised her red lips into a smile.

“Please forgive my subordinate’s rudeness. It seems he showed excessive loyalty because I was present. Usually, if Faceless appears, he would be eager to exchange a word. Perhaps that’s why he overreacted?”

“Y-Your Highness, do not say such things…!”

The young Royal Guard’s face flushed with embarrassment at the princess’s teasing remarks.

I took a cursory glance around. Although their stiff expressions made it hard to recognize, all the Royal Guards present were shining their eyes while gazing at my spear and armor.

Although they couldn’t exhibit it openly due to being on duty, the excitement and curiosity of actually having seen the Faceless Hero were palpable in their expressions, big or small.

But I didn’t care about that.

In a voice different from usual due to my armor, I indifferently stated.

“If there is no business, I will pass.”

“Oh my, how cold. Since we just met, we could chat a bit more, couldn’t we? Or do you prefer to meet not as the empire’s princess, but as someone else?”

Seeing Elizabeth giggle behind her hand, I became convinced.

She knows who I am. And has known for quite a long time.

Though we had only met a few days ago, my appraisal of Elizabeth was that she was a student whose inner thoughts were utterly inscrutable.

Even though she fulfilled her duties as class president and followed the instructor’s orders faithfully without complaint during lessons, her occasional glances at me, as if judging my worth, made it difficult to guess her intentions.

Elizabeth looked around the devastated District 20 and spoke.

“I want to invite you to the palace and properly express my gratitude for single-handedly crushing the treasonous group that dared to defy the imperial will and preventing a disaster that nearly struck the capital… Will you accept my invitation?”

Being personally invited by the Empire’s princess was an honorable matter. No one would think of rejecting such an invitation, and even if someone did, outright refusal would risk the dignity of the princess, making it very delicate.

But I replied in a nonchalant tone.

“What if I don’t want to?”

All the Royal Guards, along with Captain Hermann in the back, looked at me in disbelief, while only Elizabeth smiled gently as if she had expected this.

“Well, that would be a shame for me. I wouldn’t punish a hero of the continent for refusing an invitation, though… unless it’s my brother.”

Elizabeth continued.

“However, I am curious. Where are you in such a hurry to go that you would decline an invitation from the Empire’s princess?”

“I don’t have a reason to tell you.”

“Hmm, that’s true. But I’m a bit worried, you see.”

Elizabeth squinted her red eyes mischievously and smiled.

“If rumors spread that the Faceless Hero has killed a high-ranking noble of the empire, whether it’s justified or not, it would surely have an impact on your reputation… As a fan of the Faceless, if such a thing were to happen, it would indeed be unfortunate.”

“…….”

This girl. Did she know I was planning to kill Marquis Eainheyar?

“If you knew, why didn’t you act sooner?”

“Just because it’s the Imperial Intelligence Bureau doesn’t mean we know everything. I can only speculate. Given that this degree of deception has happened in the capital, it’s certain there’s someone backing it….”

Elizabeth began counting off suspects with her slender fingers.

“Marquis Eainheyar, who has profited from the war? Duke Eisenfeld, who leads the local aristocrats to counter the powerful imperial authority? Or perhaps the archmage Runehart, who usually treats non-humans as less than human?”

Elizabeth smiled softly as she spoke.

“I don’t know which of these you think is the culprit, but they are all people you shouldn’t kill lightly.”

I crossed my arms and answered casually.

“Someone who deserves to die will die.”

“You care solely about doing what needs to be done, regardless of honor? Quite as the rumors say.”

Elizabeth smiled at my response, then continued with a serious expression.

“However, there’s no need for the Faceless to get his hands dirty. Let the royal family handle this matter.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“There’s no need to resolve every issue by force. Now that we have sufficient justification and evidence, the traitors who defy the royal family’s will will receive the punishment they deserve. If during that process other crimes are uncovered, they too shall face judgment.”

I fell into thought for a moment.

It was certainly cleaner for the royal family to take direct action in punishing the criminals rather than me directly killing Marquis Eainheyar.

From the royal family’s perspective, they wouldn’t want to escalate tensions with the elves, so they would deal with things appropriately to avoid making the situation worse.

All I wanted was for those targeting Titania to vanish.

“If the problem isn’t settled properly…”

“I’ll do my best to avoid incurring the wrath of the Faceless.”

I nodded in agreement.

“About Marquis Eainheyar.”

Upon hearing my words, Elizabeth signaled to the Royal Guard beside her, who nodded and signaled to other members waiting in the background.

Immediately, several Royal Guards here quickly left the location.

Elizabeth gracefully lifted the hem of her dress as she bowed.

“Thank you for your cooperation. Now that the urgent business has been resolved, let’s relax at the palace—”

“I refuse that.”

“What a pity. Would you meet me if I wore my school uniform instead of a dress?”

“……”

I made a disgusted expression, though my helmet concealed it.

Seeing my silence, Elizabeth covered her mouth and giggled.

“Are you sure you don’t need anything else?”

I was about to reply with a quick “no,” but paused suddenly due to a thought that came to mind. While I contemplated, Elizabeth patiently respected my silence.

I slowly opened my mouth.

“There’s the last princess of a fallen nation down there.”

Elizabeth understood what I meant and nodded.

“I will ensure she receives the proper respect.”

“Okay.”

With that response, I promptly left the scene.

*

Elizabeth watched as the silhouette of the Faceless Hero slowly disappeared into the darkness of the night.

The Royal Guard who had been escorting her cautiously spoke up.

“Is it fine to let him go like this?”

“Are you really okay? You’ve been singing for a chance to meet the Faceless one day.”

“I-I didn’t sing! I merely hold admiration for a heroic figure on the continent—”

As the Royal Guard rambled on with excuses, Elizabeth couldn’t help but burst into a laugh.

“What does it matter if you’re not okay? After all, it’s the Faceless.”

“…Even so, the princess is the most noble being in all the continent. It wasn’t necessary to bow so low.”

“I believe I showed the proper respect to the continent’s hero. And the Faceless is even more special among them.”

“Special, you say?”

At the guard’s question, Elizabeth turned away without replying. Since this wasn’t the first time it happened, the guard followed her as if accustomed to it.

Elizabeth smiled brightly and thought to herself.

Yes, the Faceless is special.

Because, unlike anyone else among the continent’s Seven Heroes, he asks for nothing from the empire.

Everyone has their own desires. The Seven Heroes of the continent are no exception.

The saint wishes for humanity’s salvation, Jihan seeks the honor of his family and the empire’s glory, and the great warrior venerates the goddess’ will. The other Seven Heroes each have their goals.

And the empire’s immense power can fulfill everything they desire.

But the Faceless, uniquely, neither wants power nor seeks honor, nor demands massive wealth.

He is the last hero, who, having contributed to humanity’s victory more than anyone else, has chosen to quietly live in seclusion without asking for anything.

The Faceless, Ion Graham.

My father and brother fear the Faceless. Because, apart from his strength, they cannot discern what he truly desires. This means that even with the empire’s power, they cannot control the Faceless.

For those in power, there is nothing more frightening than an uncontrollable force.

However.

“Today was an unexpected harvest.”

The Faceless defeated the empire’s enemies today to protect his student.

That indicated to Elizabeth that the Faceless had started to cherish his students, something he had never done with family or lovers before.

And now, she was his student.

Cheerfully humming a tune, Elizabeth quickened her steps.

 

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