Chapter 63

It's a bit short.

This is what happened after the third rampage.

Please bear with it as a connection to the first three chapters (laughs).

The figure that melted into the darkness of the forest seemed like the last scene of the Moon Goddess.

No, it wasn't such a sad and fantastical thing.

For Ophia, it was a back she had seen many times in the shadows of history.

A back that had been trampled for the sake of the country's authority and turned away from the country.

A back that had turned away from people after enduring unbearable injustice.

After living for 450 years, she had seen such backs so many times that they became familiar.

And Ophia, too, had her share of bitter memories.

Recalling them, Ophia almost looked up to the sky, but she couldn't take her eyes off the back of the man. After all, she had a part in the cause of this back, even if it was inevitable.

Not only Ophia, but Akari, Maxim, and Aoi also watched the back of the man as he disappeared into the forest.

Maxim clenched his back teeth, Akari looked like she was about to cry, and Aoi regretted her own powerlessness.

"――Well, Hayato. Please let me treat you quickly. I'm just closing the wound and alleviating the pain."

Alice ran to Hayato, who could only stand there in a daze, with an indescribable expression.

However, Hayato didn't look at Alice but turned to Ophia and the others.

"…I'm going to the prison. I'll make Kuu and Erica keep their promise too."

Upon hearing this, Kuu and Erica looked dejected but didn't oppose it.

"I think it's too late."

"…Too late?"

Yes, even if you think they are insignificant, you have completely made an enemy of a person.

Ophia felt sentimental and almost said it, but she managed to restrain herself.

There was no need to warn this hero.

"It's already gone. Opportunities for atonement are not something that always come easily. I, too, cannot speak about others."

Upon hearing Ophia's words, Hayato didn't know what to say.

"…Well, there are envoys from various countries. It will be a lot of work. —And, Alice Kingston."

Alice, who was behind Hayato, glared at Ophia.

"I am disappointed in you."

"…Hmph, disappointed in me—"

"I will make sure to talk to His Majesty."

"What, what are you going to talk about? If that man's information is leaked, it will be—"

"―It would be better not to say anything more."

Ophia was no longer smiling.

Even though she was young, this princess needed to think a little.

"Even without mentioning Mr. Kuro, it won't be difficult to convey your deeds. There's the summoning, and your usual behavior has been too bad. I will have you punished… no, we will take care of you."

"No, I don't want to. I am with Hayato—"

"Mr. Ito is going to the prison. It wouldn't be allowed for a royal to go to the prison."

"But there's no need for Hayato to go to the prison."

Alice looked up at Hayato, clinging to him, but Hayato shook his head.

Saying, "No, no," Alice collapsed to her knees.

"I will have His Majesty accept it as your bride training."

For the next two days, Ophia worked to resolve the situation.

She told the envoys from various countries that the lightning strike was due to a battle between Hayato's party and the remaining monsters they had discovered, and that Hayato had rushed to his companions upon realizing it.

Hayato and his party didn't deny this.

Hayato's reputation rose even higher, but he himself had a grim expression throughout.

Ophia completely kept the existence of the hero without a blessing, Kuro, a secret and manipulated the information to make it seem as if Kuro, a wanderer, had been living in Elipsis all along.

While major countries might be different, in smaller countries, the people are not always accurately tracked by the state. With a little manipulation, it wouldn't be difficult to prevent Kuro from being known as a summoner through the guild's information.

After all the envoys had left, Ophia, along with Hayato and his party, the "Wings of Dawn," and the "Attendants of the Moon Goddess," headed to the old capital of Albaum.

Although she had contacted the guild in advance, the king of Albaum readily accepted Ophia's proposal.

It seemed the king of Albaum was aware that he had allowed his youngest third princess to be too spoiled.

The king even bowed and entrusted Alice to Ophia.

Ophia smiled, and Alice collapsed weakly.

After that, Alice witnessed Hayato and Erica's imprisonment, Kuu's permanent imprisonment, and received Ophia's… bride training.

The use and contact with magic were strictly forbidden.

At Ophia's words, Alice protested.

"To this Alice Kingston—"

"You are just Alice."

"But—"

"You are just, Alice."

Under Ophia's silent pressure, Alice couldn't argue.

Seeing Alice turn away, Ophia said,

"Do you not want to become a bride?"

Alice couldn't understand the words of this fossil-like elf at first.

But as she pondered them, she realized something.

Becoming Hayato's bride.

This gave Alice the motivation.

"It can't be helped. I'll do this bride training until Hayato comes out. Yes, there's nothing impossible for this Alice Kingston."

From then on, Alice, who had no opportunity to learn magic, was trained by Ophia in cooking, washing, and preparing for camping as a subordinate of the "Attendants of the Moon Goddess."

When asked about this time later, Alice stiffened for a few seconds but didn't change her expression or say anything.

However, her hands were trembling slightly.

Maxim resigned as the captain of the "White Spear" as he had declared.

Of course, there were attempts to retain him, but there were also many who disliked Maxim, so his resignation went relatively smoothly.

However, it was a miscalculation for the Kingdom of Elrodiana that four high-ranking hunters, including the deputy captain, resigned from the "White Spear" and joined Maxim's party.

The hunter management department of Elrodiana was at a loss.

It's not easy to find skilled high-ranking hunters.

Furthermore, they were criticized for trying to abandon the hero Akari. Especially from Albaum, which had sent the hero, they were strongly criticized and hinted at recalling other heroes.

While it was self-inflicted, the Kingdom of Elrodiana's influence in the international community diminished for a while.

Due to the severe impact, the central council finally launched an investigation.

They interrogated the surviving hunters from the battle against the Great Thorned Spider.

In the trial, the charges of conspiracy, incitement to murder the hero, and obstruction of international hearings were confirmed, and Zaur Dymitry Bregoi was sentenced to life imprisonment and sent to the worst prison in Elrodiana.

The council also reversed its initial decision, stripping the Bregoi family of their noble title and ordering them to pay one million rods in compensation to the hero Akari Fujishiro.

This was unprecedented.

Initially, fearing Dorgon's backlash, the cause, Zaur, was expelled from the Bregoi family and made to disappear, and the head of the Bregoi family retired, with his eldest son taking over.

Regardless of Zaur, this was the first time a noble title had been stripped in such a case.

The Kingdom of Elrodiana needed to show a clear punishment to the international community, especially to Albaum.

However, Dorgon naturally opposed it.

Due to Dorgon's opposition, the Kingdom of Elrodiana fell into deeper confusion.

The back of Kuro, disappearing into the forest, was burned into Akari's mind and wouldn't leave.

Akari, sitting on the bed in the inn, looked at the picture Kuro had given her.

He is not a hero.

Nor is he a villain.

In terms of category, he is just an ordinary person like herself.

That's why Kuro looked so battered.

His blessing was stolen, he was ignored by the summoner, and as a wanderer, he was shunned by the people of this world.

Yet, he still had to live.

He wanted to live.

Akari might have ended up in the same position as Kuro.

If she hadn't been judged by the facts, she might have been pursued as a criminal.

Heroes are in a very unstable position.

That's why, to survive, she made Kuro's existence disappear after the summoning and didn't make Hayato's scandal public.

To live.

To keep living.

But she couldn't keep relying on that.

Kuro's existence might be revealed someday.

If it were used, the heroes might not be united.

For now, most heroes are following the largest faction centered around Hayato's "Wings of Dawn," adapting to Elipsis while searching for a way back.

However, it's undeniable that there are those who oppose Hayato, those who hate the summoning country of Albaum, those who want to return at any cost, those who seek allegiance to other countries, and ambitious people aiming for advancement.

She didn't want to fight with other summoners, but she couldn't afford to.

This time, she was made painfully aware of that.

She had to live firmly.

Akari put away the picture and put on the deep green robe given by Ophia.

She put on the white breastplate with the "White Spear" emblem removed over it and carried the ice warrior's staff and her belongings.

Then, Akari left the inn room.

As an "Attendant of the Moon Goddess," she would live.

With this resolve, she headed downstairs where Ophia was waiting.

Hayato was in the prison of Albaum.

Erica was also imprisoned in the women's prison in the same place.

It wasn't comfortable.

But compared to other prisoners, his treatment was better, so he couldn't complain.

He had entered the prison of his own accord, after all.

This led to conflicts with other prisoners, but after stopping a fight, they surprisingly became very obedient.

There were some good guys.

But he was annoyed by those who stared at his butt with hot eyes.

He didn't have that kind of fetish, even if one side was crushed.

Today, after finishing forced labor and heading back to his cell, the guard said there was a visitor.

Thinking, "Again?" but unable to refuse, Hayato followed the guard.

In the special visiting room used by nobles, a general with a large scar over his left eye was sitting.

The guard bowed to the general and left after leading Hayato in.

"Again, you have a lot of free time."

"Don't be so cold. How are you doing?"

"Well, it's not that bad. The food is terrible, though."

"Ha ha ha, you're still the same."

"So, what do you want? I don't plan on leaving here yet."

The general stopped laughing.

"No, I want you to come out."

"―What?"

Hayato glared at the general, but surprisingly, the general bowed deeply.

"There's a fear of a rampage of monsters in Ankwar."

"A rampage of monsters?—"

"―There are reports of signs of simultaneous and widespread monster rampages, and several kings have emerged from some ruins."

Hayato thought about it. He had never heard of such a thing, and it had never happened in history.

A "King" is a monster that has survived in a ruin that has become a vessel of worm poison. The "King" becomes a powerful leader, emerging from the ruin and growing its horde by subjugating surrounding monsters.

While it doesn't specifically target human communities, it won't avoid them if they are in its path. The horde, organized like humans, easily devastated entire cities.

The more external access to the ruins, the harder it was for a "King" to be born, and it was said that no "King" would be born from a completely cleared ruin.

It was rare for "Kings" to be born frequently, and it was unheard of for multiple "Kings" to emerge simultaneously.

Especially, the simultaneous occurrence of multiple "Kings" and widespread "monster rampages" had no record in history.

If the "Kings," as leaders, each controlled a "monster rampage," it would be an unprecedented disaster.

Many people would die.

He wanted to prevent that.

"…I see. Let Erica and Kuu out."

"That's—"

"Kuu can be limited. It's fine if he returns to permanent imprisonment after it's over."

If he didn't go all out, he might be overwhelmed.

It had only been about a hundred days in prison, but it couldn't be helped.

Since coming to this world, he had been doing such things.

He was forced to make decisions without time to think.

If he didn't choose something, he would lose something.

Then, he would bear as many sins as needed.

If it could protect people, it would be a cheap price.

Erica, who had been in prison for about a hundred days, was terribly worn out and flew into his arms.

"Strange women came at night, and a scary female guard happily whipped me, and black things crawled on the ground, eeeeeeennn."

Stressed, Erica burst into tears.

When they left the cell, the other prisoners bowed in unison, which surprised him.

One person, who had been staring at his butt, he ignored.

There were some tough guys, so he thought it wouldn't be bad to scout them after his release, and he left the prison.

After Hayato and his party entered the prison, they met up with Fon and Kaede, who had been training together, and went to the cold desert to pick up Kuu.

Aoi wasn't there, and they took advantage of the situation to show Kuu the temporary release permit from Albaum.

For Kuu, who had been in the dark world, permanent imprisonment wasn't that harsh, and it had been about a hundred days since their last meeting, but his expression was the same as always.

However, his black rabbit ears were moving happily.

Thinking about Alice, they first headed to the capital of Albaum, where Alice was.

Led by Ophia, her eyes had no light.

But when she saw Hayato, her eyes lit up