7. The Trial of Heroes
Tracia greeted Elsez with a rare smile, rather than her usual sharp expression.
The reason for her good mood lay in the sales ledger she had received that morning.
Ever since Rashiel had been accused of treason, sales had plummeted.
But once Rashiel was cleared of all charges and Elsez’s group captured the true culprit—Cedric—business had skyrocketed.
More and more customers were coming to Fren Trading Company to purchase weapons and armor, including guild members and even temple knights.
Even though things hadn’t gone according to Elsez’s original plan to “capture the Tower Master,” in the end, the increase in profits made it a satisfying result for Tracia.
“So, you’re heading to the Holy Kingdom? I heard the saintess personally invited you.”
“You already know?”
“Already? I heard ages ago. I am a merchant—you think I can afford to be slow on rumors?”
Tracia took a leisurely sip of her tea and murmured,
“Guess I should start marketing our gear as ‘supplies trusted by the saintess-approved hero.’”
Unlike Tracia, who was thrilled at the prospect of making money, Elsez’s expression turned serious as she recalled the events of a few days ago.
“The Saintess wishes to meet the young lady who helped resolve this incident.”
Astaire had relayed Dike’s message.
From the perspective of someone dedicated to world peace, it was only natural for the saintess to want to recognize and recruit a promising individual as a hero.
After all, in the game, Dike had been the NPC who guided players toward heroism.
Nothing seemed unusual about that.
Now that the demon king had returned, it made sense for her to gather as many capable allies as possible.
But what if Dike really was the one who placed the silencing spell on me?
Elsez didn’t dwell on the thought for long.
Refusing an invitation from the saintess under these circumstances would look suspicious.
And more importantly—
‘I can’t find answers by running away.’
So far, everything pointed to Dike not being the one who cast the spell.
Besides, as the Holy Kingdom was an institution dedicated to opposing the demon king, they likely had valuable information collected from various nations.
With the demon king’s powers still not fully restored, this might be her last chance to get close to the Holy Kingdom.
That was why she had decided to face it head-on.
And today, she had come to Tracia with a request related to that decision.
“Actually, I have a favor to ask regarding this trip.”
Elsez pulled a small jewelry box from her inventory and placed it on the table.
Tracia eyed the box, then glanced at Elsez with curiosity.
“If anything happens to me, I want you to liquidate all my assets, including what’s in that box, and distribute the money to my servants.”
Elsez was referring to the worst-case scenario—if her identity as the demon king was exposed.
Of course, she couldn’t tell Tracia that, so she kept her explanation vague.
When she was Ruel, the only people she had to take responsibility for were the four heroes.
But as Elsez, she had people like Lenny and Mrs. Mars.
Even though she hadn’t known them for long, they had served her faithfully, and she wanted to leave behind some form of protection for them.
‘Of course, I’ll do my best to make sure that doesn’t happen.’
It was, in a way, a will—just in case.
Tracia frowned, looking as if she couldn’t understand Elsez at all.
“You were so confident about capturing the Tower Master before, and now you’re suddenly talking like this?”
“It’s just a precaution. Anyone taking on something big needs to plan for every possibility.”
“Well, I suppose preparing for the worst isn’t a bad thing.”
Though she agreed, Tracia couldn’t resist adding one more thing.
“Just don’t let those men push you around. I consider you someone with limitless potential.”
I have a good eye for people, after all.
Elsez chuckled at her words.
Tracia seemed to have more faith in her potential than she did herself.
Strangely, that gave Elsez a sense of confidence, making her feel like things might go well after all.
Tracia pulled the jewelry box closer and asked,
“But why give this to me? What makes you think I won’t just take off with it?”
“Because a major trading company like Fren isn’t likely to go under anytime soon. And even if it did, you wouldn’t bother running off with mere pocket change, would you?”
“Smart answer.”
Tracia opened the box and inspected its contents.
After a moment, something caught her attention.
“What’s this? It looks valuable.”
She picked up an engraved ring. Aged and worn, the ring carried an undeniable air of importance.
“Oh, that. I found it in my father’s study. Seems to be a family heirloom.”
“And you’re just giving it away?”
Most heirlooms carried the legacy of a noble house, often containing information about its origins.
Even when noble families perished, their heirlooms were rarely handed over to outsiders.
Yet here Elsez was, entrusting hers to someone else.
“If I’m dead, it’s useless to me anyway.”
She said it casually, but when she met Tracia’s sharp glare, she quickly backtracked.
“…I mean, only if something happens. Just as a possibility.”
Tracia studied the ring closely before asking,
“My instincts tell me this is worth looking into. Mind if I investigate it?”
Tracia had always been the type who couldn’t ignore her curiosity.
‘It’s probably just a regular heirloom.’
Even if there was something unusual about it, it would likely be related to Elsez Rohen—not to her.
Without much thought, Elsez nodded.
“Go ahead. I’m leaving it in your care anyway.”
“If I find anything interesting, I’ll let you know.”
Tracia smiled in satisfaction as she placed the ring back into the jewelry box.
The aged ring, resting inside, caught the light and glowed faintly.
* * *
“Be careful on your trip, my lady. We’ll take good care of the house while you’re away.”
On the morning of her departure for the Holy Kingdom, Lenny and Mrs. Mars stood at the entrance, their faces filled with concern as they bid Elsez farewell.
Having been completely unaware of what their lady had been involved in, they had nearly fainted upon learning that Elsez had captured Cedric.
However, their shock quickly turned into pride, realizing that the young lady they served was now a hero who had saved the empire.
Of course, that pride also came with increased worry.
“Above all else, remember—your safety is the most important thing.”
“Got it. Don’t worry.”
Elsez finished her goodbyes and turned toward the front door, ready to leave when—
“Ah! My lady, wait a moment!”
Lenny called after her, then reached out and placed a hat onto Elsez’s head.
“Safe travels.”
Elsez grinned and pulled the hat down snugly before stepping out of the mansion.
Waiting outside was the carriage sent by the temple.
Once Elsez climbed aboard, the carriage set off.
The journey from the Arthes Empire to the Holy Kingdom would normally take nearly two weeks by carriage.
Fortunately, a warp portal connected the two nations.
However, due to national security concerns, the portal to the Holy Kingdom wasn’t located in the capital—it was stationed far outside the city, requiring a three-to-four-hour carriage ride.
Elsez and her group had planned to meet at the temple that morning and travel together to the portal.
‘It’s been three years since I last went to the Holy Kingdom… and since I last saw Dike.’
The first time she had arrived in the Holy Kingdom in Ruel’s body, she had been filled with excitement.
She could hardly believe that she was standing inside a place she had only ever seen in a game—playing the role of the protagonist herself.
Even meeting Dike had been a shock to Ruel.
The Saintess, a woman said to have inherited the will of the gods and dedicated her life to world peace, was so beautiful and radiant that she could have been mistaken for an angel.
It wasn’t hard to understand why players had willingly followed her, choosing to become heroes at her side.
‘But that’s not the case anymore.’
Now, she had to be wary of Dike.
Even if Dike hadn’t cast the silencing spell, Elsez, as the vessel of the demon king’s power, was now her enemy.
‘…But is it really a good idea to bring him to the Holy Kingdom?’
Elsez lowered her gaze and stared at the small figure sitting across from her, munching on cookies.
She had originally planned to leave Reti behind.
Not only did he despise Astaire and the temple, but bringing him into the heart of the Holy Kingdom was practically begging for trouble.
However, Reti had stubbornly insisted on coming along.
“This involves my body. Why shouldn’t I go? I’m coming!”
Even when she tried to bribe him with an entire warehouse of cookies in exchange for staying behind, it didn’t work.
“We share a soul, remember? I’ll just enter your body and come along anyway.”
…And so, Elsez had ended up bringing Reti along.
Reti, oblivious to her worries, continued happily chewing on his cookie.
Noticing her troubled expression, he tilted his head, then held out a cookie to her.
“Do you want one?”
“You were just complaining that you didn’t have enough.”
“I can spare one.”
Amused by his generous offer, Elsez chuckled and shook her head.
“You eat. I don’t like sweets.”
Reti returned to munching on his cookies when, suddenly, a thought seemed to cross his mind.
“Human.”
“What?”
“When you and I are separated, what happens to us?”
“What do you mean?”
“Will you kill me again?”
Elsez froze, startled by the question as she met Reti’s pitch-black gaze.
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