“Wha…?”
“…The Demon King is dead?”
Hearing those words, it wasn’t just Beatrix, who stood at the very front of the group, but even the heavy knights in the back who had been whispering and pointing at Amir who froze in their tracks.
That was the Lord of Calamity, a terror who had stood upon this continent for hundreds or thousands of years, inciting countless battles, and conflicts, and striking fear into the hearts of every major kingdom.
He was the terrifying Demon King who possessed the power of immortality.
And coming from the Hero…
He had died just like that?
“…That has to be a lie, right? How could she have done it alone?”
“But in His Holiness the Pope’s oracle, she is indeed the strongest Hero in 1,000 years…”
“Lady Hero, are you… serious about this?”
Beatrix subconsciously looked Amir up and down, trying to find a trace of mockery on her frost-cold face.
However, it was clear that this Hero did not seem to be someone who enjoyed joking around.
Amir produced a pitch-black dragon scale from somewhere, flipped it like a coin with her fingertip, and then tucked it back into her pocket.
“The Demon King’s corpse is still lying on the top floor of the Demon King’s Castle. If you don’t believe me, you can go see for yourselves.”
“…”
Watching the members of the Knight Order stand there like wooden chickens, Histori, hidden beneath her oversized cloak, silently rolled her eyes.
‘Heh, never mind them not believing it; even as an eyewitness, I feel like everything from last night until now has been a dream.’
Not only was the Demon King dead, but he had died in such a sloppy manner.
One second she had been cheering for him, and the next, he had been skewered through the heart.
If this plot were written into a bard’s story, that bard would probably be torn apart by his audience.
“…Regardless, before you head out, leave two horses for me,” Amir said casually to Beatrix.
Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she turned her head and looked at the silent, petite girl beside her with those pitch-black eyes.
“Histori, do you know how to ride a horse?”
“…Eh? M-me?”
Histori, who had been trying her best to lower her presence in front of the Knight Order, was stunned for a moment.
Then, she subconsciously looked at the tall horses beneath the knights.
Although they each looked quite sturdy, they carried the scent of leather and a wild animal musk unique to their kind.
Just getting close to them made the pampered Histori furrow her brows.
‘Moreover, it isn’t as if I don’t have wings; I have absolutely no need for such low-level transportation.’
Despite her intense internal repulsion, Histori put on a timid expression.
She stood on her tiptoes, leaned close to Amir’s ear, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“Um, Lady Hero, I was abducted by the Demon King a long time ago. Besides, my parents weren’t wealthy people, so I never had the chance to come into contact with such noble animals…”
Amir glanced at Histori and nodded slightly, accepting the story quite easily.
“Then just one horse.”
“…Very well, I shall follow your instructions.”
As the commander of the order, Beatrix’s mental fortitude was tough.
After the initial shock, she quickly forced herself to calm down and nodded mechanically to Amir.
She turned around and whispered a few words to her adjutant.
A moment later, a knight arrived leading a tall, pitch-black, purebred warhorse.
The horse had clearly undergone rigorous training.
Although it looked somewhat temperamental, it obediently stopped in front of Amir and lowered its head under the knight’s guidance.
“…”
Beatrix took a deep breath, casting a rather complex look at Amir, but she quickly straightened her back again, returning to her usual calm and capable demeanor.
“Lady Hero, although the results you have achieved are indeed somewhat unbelievable, as a member of the United Kingdom’s Holy Knight Order, my subordinates and I will trust your instructions unconditionally.”
She clenched her right hand into a fist and struck the armor over her left chest once more, giving Amir a flawless military salute.
“We will immediately dispatch a reconnaissance squad to the Demon King’s Castle at full speed to clear the battlefield remains and confirm the Demon King’s death. Once confirmed, we will immediately use the highest level of communication magic to report this good news to the royal capital.”
Having said that, she bowed deeply to Amir, her tone finally carrying a hint of heartfelt respect.
“Additionally, congratulations on your triumphant return, Lady Amir. If this is true, your name will surely be recorded in the annals of the United Kingdom.”
“Mm.”
Seeing that the other party had no intention of stopping her or lingering too much, Amir nodded to the Knight Commander and grabbed the horse’s reins.
Her long black hair traced an elegant arc in the air as her body settled firmly onto the horse’s back.
After that, Amir looked down at Histori on the ground and extended her palm toward her.
“Let’s go, Histori.”
“…O-okay!”
Although neither riding a horse nor sticking close to the Hero was what she wanted, staying beside a group of knights who were glaring at the Demon Race and might draw their swords at her at any moment was clearly far worse.
Therefore, it was better to prioritize leaving this troubled spot…
Histori swallowed hard, suppressed her disgust for the horse, and prepared to take Amir’s hand.
However, at that exact moment, an arm wearing a silver gauntlet suddenly cut in, blocking the space between Histori and Amir.
“…Miss, please wait a moment.”
Commander Beatrix, who had been respectful and compliant toward Amir, suddenly donned a different, icy expression when facing Histori.
She scrutinized Histori’s exposed skin with a searching gaze, then looked up at Amir on the horse.
“Lady Hero, if I remember correctly, you supposedly rejected everyone’s requests to accompany you and went to the Demon King’s Castle all alone, did you not?”
She reached out and pointed at Histori, who was cowering under her cloak and looking frail.
“And now, by your side… there is someone of unknown origin, hiding their head and tail in front of the Knight Order. This is the Demon Territory, the area closest to the Demon King’s Territory. While I don’t wish to speculate maliciously, the only ones living in the Evernight Territory, aside from those low-intelligence orcs…”
Beatrix’s voice suddenly rose several decibels, and the surrounding knights all tightened their grips on their weapons.
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
” — should be the Demon Race, right?”
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