“We shouldn’t keep the Duke waiting too long.”
Kate nodded, then turned to Eileen. “Eileen, do you want to come with me to see the Duke?”
“No no no…”
Eileen shook her head like a rattle drum. “It’s been five years. It would be way too awkward…”
The real reason was that she didn’t want to meet anyone she knew. What if Duke Navora told other people that she had returned? Her horde of ex-girlfriends would probably come running the moment they caught wind of it…
But Kate had no idea what was going through Eileen’s mind. She simply assumed Eileen was still too embarrassed to face the Duke because of the way she had publicly scolded Cassandra five years ago.
“Don’t worry, Eileen. The Duke stopped caring about that incident a long time ago. He even said that if you hadn’t been so sharp with your words that day, he probably still wouldn’t truly understand his own daughter even now. He’s actually quite grateful to you.”
“Gr-grateful to me?”
Eileen pointed at herself, her face full of disbelief.
Was Kate trying to trick her into going over there just to get her killed?
“That’s right.”
Kate continued, “Now he’s already canceled the engagement between Lord Wesley and Lady Cassandra. He’s also allowed her to become our country’s diplomat so she can do what she wants. All of this is thanks to you.”
“Huh?”
Eileen was completely dumbfounded.
If she remembered correctly, hadn’t she cursed them out pretty viciously back then?
In any other game, she probably would have been muted for that.
“Um… Kate, I don’t really remember what I said back then. Can you give me a quick summary?”
“Well…”
Kate lowered her head and thought for a moment. “Something along the lines of saying Lady Cassandra was hypocritical and cared too much about appearances. You also said you weren’t her emotional punching bag or her dog, and then you scolded the Duke as well, saying he wasn’t doing this for his daughter’s happiness but for his own pride…
I was so moved at the time that I didn’t remember the details very clearly, but that was basically the gist of it.”
Eileen: “?”
Had she really been that eloquent and well-reasoned back then?
Hadn’t she just straight-up roasted the entire Duke’s family?
Something’s not right!
Was her memory faulty?
Or did the game automatically turn her curses into polite language?
If that was the case…
“Kate, do you remember what I said to you the second time we met? When I scolded you?”
The second time they met, Eileen had discovered that Kate was a romanceable character. She had invited her to form a party to take down an A-rank magical beast that was part of the main storyline.
But back then, Kate had only just stepped into A-rank, and her level wasn’t particularly high. They had wiped several times while trying to defeat the beast.
After one particularly frustrating failure, Eileen had flown into a rage. Since it was a single-player game anyway, she had cursed Kate out until she was blue in the face. The affection she had worked so hard to raise had dropped quite a bit as a result.
If Kate’s memory of that scolding was also softened or turned into something milder, then it would confirm that the game automatically filtered her harsh words.
“Huh? Miss Eileen, y-you… you actually scolded Miss Kate before?”
Before Kate could even answer, Atia became agitated.
At the same time, everyone else in the church hall wore expressions of disbelief.
Even Mia, the white-haired expressionless loli, showed clear shock in her eyes.
Kate was someone even Duke Navora didn’t dare to offend lightly. And Eileen had actually scolded her?
Even back when Cassandra and Kate were on bad terms, Cassandra had only dared to trip her up behind her back. To openly provoke Kate was practically asking for death…
Although Kate acted gentle and soft in front of Eileen, she had a very real violent temper. If you pissed her off, your life could genuinely be in danger.
“Uh… I guess so?”
As an experienced netizen, Eileen had gotten into plenty of keyboard wars online. While she wasn’t quite at the level of a master keyboard warrior, her attacks still packed a punch.
“That… counts as scolding?”
Kate scratched her head. “Didn’t you just tell me not to be so reckless and to pay more attention to the monster’s movements? Your tone was a bit harsh, but calling it ‘scolding’ feels like a stretch.
It’s embarrassing to admit, but I was young and hot-headed back then. Even though you were pointing out my mistakes, I still got angry at you.”
As expected!
Eileen had already reached a conclusion in her heart.
This game really did automatically convert her curses into something milder. No wonder the Duke’s family was grateful to her instead of furious, even though she had roasted them so badly back then.
But the moment Kate said that, everyone else instantly lost their composure.
This was way too much information!
Who was Kate?
The strongest S-rank adventurer in the Navora Principality. The youngest adventurer recognized worldwide.
And yet this legendary figure had not only been scolded by Eileen, but after being scolded, she had even reflected on herself…
Just who exactly was this Eileen?
Dong…
While everyone was still in shock, the church bell suddenly rang.
Kate immediately snapped back to reality. “Eileen, it’s getting late. Are you sure you don’t want to come with me to see the Duke?”
“I’m sure. Absolutely sure. Also, don’t tell the Duke that I’ve already returned.”
Even though she now knew from Kate that the Duke’s attitude toward her was positive, she still decided to play it safe to avoid running into Cassandra.
“Why?”
Kate looked confused.
If the Duke knew Eileen had returned, he would definitely be overjoyed.
“It’s inconvenient to explain the reason right now. Just don’t tell him for the time being.”
“…Alright.”
Under Eileen’s firm insistence, Kate finally agreed. She turned to Mia and said, “Mia, take Eileen and Atia to my place to rest first. I’ll come back after I finish reporting to the Duke.”
“U-understood, Lady Kate.”
Mia nodded stiffly, her eyes constantly drifting toward Eileen.
Judging by the magic power emanating from Eileen, she was clearly an E-rank adventurer—probably at the very bottom even among E-ranks.
But how had someone like her ever teamed up with Kate to hunt magical beasts?
Five years ago, Kate had been in a class of her own among A-rank adventurers. What right did a mere E-rank adventurer like Eileen have…
After all, even Mia herself—as an upper-tier mage of the Duke’s Knight Order—had been rejected when she tried to invite Kate to hunt beasts together.
After Kate left, Eileen and Atia followed Mia out of the church.
According to what Kate had said, after settling down in the capital, she had bought a small villa located in the southern part of the city.
“Wow, so this is the Royal Capital? It’s so lively…”
Atia looked around like an excited child, constantly exclaiming in wonder.
Eileen didn’t react as dramatically, but she was still shocked by how prosperous the capital had become.
In the game, Eldorado had been the capital of the Navora Principality. But since the Principality itself wasn’t a major power, the capital hadn’t had a very large population and wasn’t particularly bustling. At best, it had been slightly better than a small city like Crisel.
But now, the streets of Eldorado were filled with the sounds of people, and there were so many stalls and shops that it was impossible to count them all. It was like a completely different scene compared to the game.
“The reason the capital has become as prosperous as it is today is all thanks to the friendly relations between the human and demon realms.”
Mia took the initiative to explain. “Four years ago, the Demon King proposed peaceful coexistence between the two realms and voluntarily opened the entrance to the Demon Realm. Since the Navora Principality is very close to the Demon Realm, any trade with them has to pass through our country. Combined with the Duke’s open policies, the capital has flourished in just a few short years.”
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