‘What… what just happened?’
Ruel stared at the square now bathed in radiant light, eyes wide with confusion.
A mass healing spell—at this exact moment, just when the dimensional rift was supposed to open?
Then, among the crowd still looking around in surprise, voices started to pop up.
“Huh? My wound is gone!”
“Mine too! I cut myself earlier.”
People with minor cuts and bruises began murmuring, realizing their wounds had healed.
Soon they recognized what the light had been.
“It was divine magic!”
“I’ve never seen healing magic on such a scale!”
“It’s like the gods themselves are blessing the rise of a new hero.”
As their pain faded, the crowd began to react more positively toward Elsez.
Cheers and applause erupted from all directions.
“Congratulations on becoming a hero!”
“Long live the Hero!”
Even though Elsez hadn’t cast the spell, the crowd, healed and joyful, naturally welcomed her with warmth.
She gave a graceful bow to them, then lifted her head again, smiling.
Watching Elsez steal what should have been her moment in the spotlight, Ruel bit down hard on her lip.
‘That mass healing… don’t tell me…’
Looking across the square, she spotted Cassian and Tezette—but Astaire’s place beside them remained empty.
Just then, Elsez approached, having stepped down from the stage, and asked coolly,
“What’s with the face? You look like a villain whose plan just flopped.”
A smug smile curled at her lips.
Only now did Ruel realize Elsez had seen through her plan and acted to stop it.
Astaire, who had pretended to side with her, had been working with Elsez all along.
Ruel’s face twisted with fury.
‘They knew. They knew the rift was going to open today.’
When Elsez raided the cult’s hideout, the sacrifices had already been moved, and no clues about today’s plan had been left behind.
‘Then how…?’
She didn’t know how Elsez had figured it out—but it didn’t matter now.
The plan was ruined.
And now the cheers for Elsez grated on her ears.
If not for her, those cheers, that applause, would have all been hers.
Still, one card remained.
No matter what, a hero who returns from death shines brighter than a newly appointed one.
Especially one celebrated for defeating the Demon long ago.
Ruel turned toward the stage, waiting for Dike to call her name.
Dike, who had been speaking with a holy knight, stepped forward again.
And then—
‘…Astaire?’
Astaire finally appeared beside Dike, clearly the caster of the mass healing.
He glanced briefly in Ruel’s direction, his face stiff, then whispered something to Dike.
Dike’s face hardened as well.
She passed a command to her aide, then quietly descended the stage.
Just as Ruel began to feel something was off, a holy knight approached her.
He wore a troubled expression.
“Miss Ruel. A suspicious group was found nearby. Today’s ceremony has been postponed.”
“Pardon…?”
“I apologize for the inconvenience. But for the safety of the people, we ask your understanding.”
With that, the knight turned back toward Astaire.
As murmurs spread through the crowd, a priest stepped up and made an announcement.
“There’s been an urgent matter within the temple. We regret to inform you that today’s ceremony will be canceled. We offer our sincerest apologies.”
He didn’t go into detail.
But the implication was clear—any threats had been dealt with. The public was no longer in danger.
And more importantly, Ruel’s plan to open the rift had failed—and her allies had been caught.
That expression says it all.
Elsez looked at Ruel’s twisted face and smirked.
What she had found at the cult’s hideout were signs that people had been imprisoned.
Given the cult’s history, it hadn’t been hard to guess they were intended sacrifices to open the rift.
But when exactly the rift would be opened was unclear.
Still, once I considered the goals of both Ruel and Dike, it all made sense.
Ruel wanted to become the “real” Ruel.
Dike wanted to revive the Demon to strengthen her and the Holy Nation’s authority.
The best day to accomplish both?
The Hero Appointment Ceremony on Founding Day.
A perfect occasion to expose Elsez as the Demon by forcing her power to erupt—making Ruel look like the true hero in comparison.
After realizing this, Elsez and Astaire mobilized Lancelot and the holy knights without warning, searching the area.
Just in case, they even prepared the mass healing spell to protect the crowd.
Didn’t expect Dike to cancel the whole thing, though.
Regardless of her intentions, as a saint, her image demanded that she prioritize the weak and innocent.
Too bad we don’t have proof to expose the fake just yet, but as far as comebacks go—this was a big win.
As Ruel trembled in rage, Elsez stepped closer and said in a light, almost teasing tone,
“Too bad things turned out this way. But people’s safety comes first, right? More important than your dramatic return.”
“You…!”
“If you’re a real hero, you’d agree. Wouldn’t you?”
Her feigned innocence scraped at Ruel’s nerves.
She instinctively raised a hand—then caught herself, noticing the many eyes watching.
She forced herself to lower it.
Elsez gently patted her shoulder and whispered,
“Fix that face. You’ve still got a reputation to keep—as the righteous hero.”
Even with such blatant mockery, all Ruel could do was bite her lip, hard enough to taste blood.
And just like that, the Hero Appointment Ceremony came to an end.
****
Before the Hero Appointment Ceremony began, under Astaire’s orders, Lancelot and the holy knights searched the area around the plaza and successfully captured all of the Demon Resurrection Cult’s followers who had been lurking nearby.
They also managed to rescue the civilians who had been captured and were about to be sacrificed to open the dimensional rift.
Among the rescued were many from other nations.
After arranging for their safe return to their homelands, Astaire headed to Dike’s office to report the situation.
Knock knock—
“Lady Dike, I’m coming in.”
But even after waiting a moment, no voice came from inside. Nor was there any sign of someone being there.
‘She must be out.’
As Astaire hesitated outside the door, he heard footsteps coming from the adjacent hallway.
It was a priestess who served closely under Dike. He didn’t know her name, but he recognized her face.
“Lady Dike had to leave due to an urgent matter. She said you may leave any documents in her office.”
“Ah… understood.”
The priestess passed along the message and quickly walked away.
Astaire watched her go for a moment, then stepped into Dike’s office.
As always, the room was neat and orderly.
After placing the documents on her desk, he checked that both the window and door were fully closed, then slowly began searching the room.
‘There are only implications that Lady Dike is working with the fake, but nothing concrete.’
Which meant he needed proof.
Astaire started with the nearest bookshelf.
He ran his fingers carefully along the spines, checking for any books that might be hiding a false back or hidden compartment—but found nothing suspicious.
‘Not the bookshelf, then.’
Next, he checked the desk drawers.
Like the rest of the office, the drawers were organized. Among simple personal items like a comb and mirror, Astaire found a single key.
It had been tucked against the top of the drawer, in a spot that couldn’t be seen—only felt by running a hand along the inside.
He pulled it out.
As he examined the key, he noticed a cabinet standing along one side of the office.
Next to its handle was a keyhole—just about the same size as the key in his hand.
‘So it belongs to this cabinet.’
Astaire approached, inserted the key, and turned it.
It fit perfectly.
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