Chapter 141
The bandits.
They were the ones who had attacked the Golden Grail Merchant Company with the sole aim of stealing the “holy relic,” but thanks to Daphne’s help, who happened to be at the scene, they had been captured without causing significant damage.
The holy relic had also safely returned to the Grand Duke’s estate.
But.
“They’re all dead.”
Heros answered as if it were nothing.
“It’s been quite a while since they were brought in. Why would you think they’d still be alive?”
“Ah. I was too complacent.”
If they had been interrogated, she could have found out who was behind the collection of the holy relics… What a shame.
Daphne scratched her head with a groan.
“But why all of a sudden?”
Heros, who had been quietly watching her, asked.
“Did you have business with them?”
“If you call it business, then yes.”
After pondering for a moment, Daphne leaned toward Heros, her eyes sparkling.
“Warrior. Do you know anything about the ones stealing the holy relics?”
Heros tilted his head slightly as he looked at Daphne.
“So that’s why.”
He muttered to himself before letting out a faint chuckle.
“I do.”
“What?!”
Daphne sprang to her feet.
“Then tell me! Who are they? What purpose do they have for doing such things?”
Unlike the visibly excited Daphne, Heros remained calm.
He quietly watched Daphne, who looked as though she might start bouncing around at any moment, before lifting his teacup and crossing his long legs.
His pale blue eyes were filled entirely with Daphne.
“Before I answer that, there’s something I need to know from you first.”
He recalled what the Emperor had said before they left the Imperial Treasury.
‘Could you kill your daughter?’
He had asked why.
But the Emperor had not answered.
Instead, he had added something else.
‘Of course, I hope such a day never comes. I have no desire to test your loyalty.’
‘So try to persuade your daughter.’
The Emperor spoke with a gentle smile.
Yet his tone was sharper than ever before.
‘Make sure she does not stand against me.’
So Heros wondered.
‘Why?’
Why was the Emperor assuming a future in which Daphne might have to be killed?
‘Does that mean Daphne will become a threat?”
Of course, Daphne was growing remarkably well.
She was still just a child whose pronunciation occasionally slipped, yet she had already accomplished things no ordinary child could ever dream of.
Above all, she had shown exceptional talent when it came to dealing with dark mages.
And yet the Emperor, who was equally devoted to eliminating dark mages…
Why?
Unable to solve this mystery, Heros finally gave up halfway and asked Daphne.
“You.”
“Hm?”
“Have you ever tried to kill the Emperor?”
“…What?”
Leaving behind Daphne’s dumbfounded expression, Heros took a sip of tea before setting the teacup down with a soft clink.
“It sounds absurd, but… somehow, I feel like you might actually do something like that. Secretly target the Emperor without me noticing. Or have you already tried?”
Daphne’s mouth opened and closed.
What on earth was this crazy warrior talking about?
Sure!
She had thought about killing the Emperor.
But!
She had never acted on it.
She still didn’t know what the Emperor’s true intentions were, so she couldn’t make a reckless move!
I may look like someone who charges in and stirs up trouble without thinking, but I do have plans! I think things through! What do you take me for?!
Daphne glared at Heros, her clenched fist trembling.
“What are you talking about?! How could I possibly do that?! Yesterday was the first time I’d ever met the Emperor!”
“…Really?”
“Really!”
“Hmm.”
Heros stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Then why was the Emperor so wary of Daphne?
Was there something he himself didn’t know?
“Why? What did the Emperor say?”
Daphne looked at Heros with wide, bright eyes.
Heros wanted to tell her that the Emperor was strangely wary of her.
But he couldn’t.
“Ugh!”
A sudden headache slammed into his head.
Grimacing, Heros clutched his forehead.
It was always like this.
Whenever he harbored negative thoughts about the Emperor or tried to do something that might harm him, pain would strike his body.
Heros was convinced that this was because of the Emperor’s true nature.
Because he was a dragon, his words were no different from divine speech that could not be disobeyed.
“…How ridiculous.”
Heros looked down at his palm, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fist.
No matter that he was the continent’s strongest Swordmaster, before a dragon, he was nothing more than an insignificant creature.
‘If the Emperor orders me to kill Daphne… then I would have no choice but to obey.’
With a bitter smile, Heros raised a hand toward his forehead.
But his hand never reached it.
Daphne had already walked over and placed her chubby little palm on his forehead.
“What are you doing?”
“You looked like you were in pain, so I’m helping.”
“Helping?”
Heros frowned.
She looked as though she’d never had a proper meal in her life, yet here she was claiming she was going to help someone else.
It was absurd.
“Don’t do something pointle—”
“Warrior, you’re quite a pitiful human too. To end up caught by someone like that.”
Muttering words whose meaning he couldn’t understand, Daphne lightly patted Heros’s forehead with her palm.
She said she was helping.
Then why was she hitting him?
Heros stared at her in disbelief.
But his eyes were soon filled with shock.
The splitting headache that had felt as though it would crack his skull had disappeared in an instant.
Whenever he defied the Emperor’s commands, the headaches would usually last a long time.
The previous one had tormented him for over half a day.
Yet now it had faded so easily?
Unable to say a word, Heros simply blinked as he looked up at Daphne.
“How did you do that?”
Daphne tilted her head.
“Do you think I’d tell you?”
“No.”
“Then why ask? You’re only tiring your mouth.”
“Hah.”
Heros let out a laugh.
He wondered whether the Emperor was wary of Daphne because of this very ability.
And that suspicion gradually turned into certainty.
If she possessed the power to weaken the Emperor’s control so effortlessly, then from the Emperor’s perspective, Daphne truly was an unpredictable variable.
But even so, one question remained.
‘How does she possess an ability like this?’
Heros looked at Daphne with suspicious eyes.
The Daphne before him was undeniably different from before.
Not only had her personality and demeanor changed, but she now possessed abilities she had never shown in the past.
‘Just what is she?”
After thinking for a while, Heros shook his head.
There was no point asking now.
Daphne obviously wouldn’t answer, and it wasn’t something he absolutely needed to know at this moment.
“Phew.”
Now that the headache had completely disappeared, Heros gently lowered Daphne’s hand and raised one eyebrow.
“Now it’s my turn to answer your question.”
“That’s right. Tell me.”
“As for the organization stealing the holy relics, nothing has been conclusively proven.”
“But we do have a suspicion.”
“…”
“The Temple.”
Daphne’s eyes widened.
She slowly recalled the past.
The priests, who possessed the greatest resistance to dark magic, had not joined the subjugation force.
Even while dark mages were running rampant, the Temple had kept its gates tightly shut and refused to come outside…
Only now did everything make sense.
“Those crazy bastards….”
Daphne let out a long sigh and shook her head.
“This won’t do. I’ll have to go there myself. I’ll go and beat every last one of tho—”
“Daphne.”
Heros interrupted her determined muttering.
“I’ve already thought of everything you’re thinking.”
“So have the others.”
“Hm?”
Not understanding what he meant, Daphne tilted her head.
Heros continued.
“It means you don’t need to worry about it.”
“And you don’t need to step forward.”
“…”
“So quietly recover your health.”
“I neglected to keep an eye on you for just a few days, and you’ve become skin and bones again.”
“Uh… um…”
She hadn’t expected that kind of response.
Daphne’s eyes rolled around.
“But.”
“It’s an order.”
“No.”
“You don’t need to push yourself.”
“Before anything else, take better care of yourself.”
Daphne stared blankly up at Heros.
His expression was firmer than she had ever seen before.
And because of that, she couldn’t understand his words.
Ever since entering this body, Daphne had always been praised and cared for only after she had accomplished something.
So naturally, she believed she had to keep doing the same.
Whether it meant saving people, fighting dark mages, or anything else…
She had to achieve something.
But…
“Right now, you’re still a child.”
“And this is the time when everyone should be taking care of you.”
“…”
“So you don’t have to do anything.”
She didn’t have to do anything.
And that was still okay.
She didn’t know why, but Daphne suddenly felt her throat tighten.
“…I.”
Daphne clenched her fists tightly and bit her lip.
I… I…
Just as she stammered, unable to say the words that wouldn’t come out—
BOOOOM—!
A tremendous explosion echoed from behind the main residence.
“…!”
Daphne’s and Heros’s gazes met simultaneously.
“You weren’t the one who caused trouble again, were you?”
“You’ve stolen the words right out of my mouth, Warrior.”
And without another word, both of them dashed outside.
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