episode_0021

During my orphan days, rumour had it that was often heard on the alleyways.

It was a story about the Kinel Kingdom, known as a different world from the Maragal Kingdom.

“They say everyone can live happily in the Kingdom!”

“I heard they take in even parentless children and raise them without envy.”

“Oh, how envious! I want to go to the Kingdom too!”

Warm soup every morning, a kind and compassionate orphanage director, a wealthy donor who consistently helps the children.

For the kids living in the shabby alleyways, it was an environment that made them smile just thinking about it.

I, too, had thought it would be nice to live in such a place.

But I didn’t believe there could be such a perfect place.

“I will explore elsewhere, Fabiel. Crowded places are too overwhelming for me.”

“Understood. I’ll be enjoying the festival in the Kingdom with Rama, so feel free to spend the day as you wish.”

“Yes.”

If you want to escape the Kingdom without revealing your identity, it’s best to spend your time quietly in your room.

But I didn’t want to waste time like that when I had come prepared and determined.

I wanted to resolve all the unanswered questions I had about the Kinel Kingdom.

[Innkeeper. First time in the Kingdom?]

“Yes, I had some trouble related to the hero and the Holy Sword before visiting this place. My face was plastered all over, so I couldn’t come back.”

“Even now?”

“Well…! I’m not sure, but probably.”

Not long ago, I met a woman who seemed to be from the Kingdom.

She recognized me immediately, even though we had never met before, so there was no mistake.

Eight years had passed, and my fate was unknown, but the Kinel Kingdom still hadn’t forgiven me.

I adjusted the mask on my nose once again.

Just in case the mask came off and my face was revealed, it would be troublesome.

“Where are you going?”

“To the orphanage.”

“Adoption recommended! One son! One daughter!”

“I’m not going for that. Just going to satisfy my curiosity.”

Are the orphans in the Kinel Kingdom truly happy?

I just want to know the truth behind the rumors I heard in the past.

Raising a child is a distant story even for me, who can’t even manage myself properly.

“I’m bored! Where is the orphanage? Curious!”

“Just hold on a bit. Keep going straight ahead and turn right at the corner you see.”

After wandering through the strangely complex streets, I finally found the location of the orphanage.

Thinking that I could finally find out the truth behind the rumors, I was about to turn my body at the corner.

At that moment, I felt someone approaching from the right.

I stopped my steps to the crossroads and quickly took a step back.

The person, as if predicting my movement, followed me in the direction I had retreated.

Is it an assassin?

It was a movement that could only be thought of as such.

However, there was no dagger piercing my body, and the person who collided with me was pushed back, hitting their buttocks.

“Ouch!”

A thin voice echoed as their buttocks hit the ground.

Their physique was relatively slender, and most importantly, the chest of the assailant that had touched my abdomen was soft, indicating that it was a woman.

As I finished deducing, the hood that the assailant was wearing came off, revealing their face.

“Oh?”

A rare owner of platinum hair and sharp eyes that are not easily found in the world.

The woman who had been hidden under the hood was surprisingly someone I knew.

She was the woman I had encountered when dealing with Rich before.

I remembered her noble appearance and dignified demeanor being incredibly beautiful, but this time, she caught my eye for a different reason.

“Um….”

Due to falling back, the skirt was lifted, revealing the woman’s underwear in a provocative manner.

It was a sight that couldn’t be overlooked as a man, but my gaze had to shift elsewhere.

That was because she was holding a dagger in her mouth, not a piece of bread.

“Crazy woman….”

***

“Ahem! Ahem! I’m sorry, I must have shown you an unsightly appearance.”

“It’s okay. It happens.”

The woman fixed her disheveled appearance, holding the dagger in her hand.

As she tried to bow to me, I waved my hand to stop her.

It wasn’t really a difficult situation.

Apologizing politely to a wanted criminal felt oddly strange.

“It’s nice to meet again. You… are Lian, right?”

“You knew all along.”

“You’re quite famous.”

“Not in a good way.”

Her eyebrows twitched.

The slight downturn of her eyes made her look somewhat melancholic.

Was she feeling sorry for me being a criminal?

It was a thought and emotion that I couldn’t understand.

“You seem to know my identity, so why are you so nonchalant? When you meet a criminal, aren’t you supposed to be scared or run away to report to the authorities?”

“A criminal? Who’s the criminal?”

“Who else? Obviously, it’s me.”

“You calling Lian a criminal is quite an amusing joke!”

“Huh?”

The conversation with her didn’t seem to align.

In the past, I had become a notorious criminal in the Kinel Kingdom for defeating a hero and stealing the Holy Sword Alaina.

As a result, I had to flee from countless holy knights and the pursuit from the kingdom never ceased, even when I left the continent.

That’s why I detested the Kinel Kingdom to the point of nausea.

“It seems you don’t know how the world has changed. Lian was cleared of all charges three years ago.”

“I was cleared?”

“Yes. Exactly three years ago, the Holy Sword Alaina, bestowed by the gods, returned to Kinel after defeating a false hero.”

How could a sword defeat a hero and return to the kingdom on its own?

It would have sounded absurd under normal circumstances, but now I could understand.

Just a few days ago, a polymorphed demon had embraced me, so I could easily comprehend the story.

“When Alaina returned to Kinel, she immediately began purging. She stood against all the corruption and crimes in the kingdom and punished those involved.”

But why was the corruption still prevalent?

I wanted to ask, but I held back.

It might have been a difficult issue to give up on financially.

“Do you know who Alaina punished the most forcefully?”

“I don’t know.”

“It was the group that slandered Lian and labeled him a criminal.”

“What?”

It was a story that left me puzzled.

Stealing the national treasure, the Holy Sword, from a hero was indeed a serious crime.

So, while I found it difficult to evade the pursuit of the holy knights, I never felt unjustly accused.

Alaina must have been aware of that as well.

But the fact that there were forces slandering me and that Alaina had punished them was quite perplexing.

“Alaina was involved in all matters related to Lian and rectified them all. The accusation was false, and he is not a criminal.”

“I understand how the situation has unfolded, but I can’t understand why Alaina is advocating for me so much.”

“Well, that’s because Lian is a true hero, of course!”

“Me?”

With a rough mouth and light actions, there was nothing dignified about me that could be found, yet I was considered a true hero.

If my master had seen me, they would have burst into laughter, clutching their stomach and rolling on the floor.

The title of hero didn’t suit me at all, so it seemed like Alaina was just forcing it.

“Ah…! Alaina, are you somewhere in the Holy Kingdom right now?”

“Of course.”

“Then I should meet Alaina and have a conversation. I had no intention of becoming a hero, I tried to convince myself of that, but that damn sword…!”

“Yes, I knew that, but I did it on purpose. To meet Lian and give everything to Lian…♥”

“Huh?”

A woman who blatantly ignored the Holy Sword in front of her and smiled happily.

Carefully bringing her hand to her chest, she began to unbutton her clothes.

Two prominent breasts and a sternum in the shape of a straight line were revealed.

And above that sternum, a mineral that seemed familiar to me was embedded in her skin.

After a brief moment of recollection, I realized it was a unique sacred stone.

“You, you can’t be…?”

“You finally realized, huh? That’s right, the Holy Sword you were looking for was right in front of you!”

“Are you Alaina?”

“I’m sorry for hiding my identity until now. I hesitated for a moment because I couldn’t muster the courage.”

Alaina slowly approached me.

She pressed her transformed female body closely against me.

Just reuniting with Alaina was complicated enough, but accepting the transformation of the Holy Sword made me feel overwhelmed.

“Ah…! Ah…! Oh, it’s been a while since I smelled Lian’s scent, it’s truly sweet!”

Alaina hugged me tightly, burying her face in my chest.

After sniffing my scent, she blushed and giggled.

I felt like something was seriously wrong.