Ch.144Chapter 144. Thump Thump

It had been nearly four days since I was suddenly summoned to the imperial palace and forced to stay.

During that time, what I’d been doing wasn’t much different from when I first met Vivian.

I cleaned her messy room, prepared meals in place of the imperial chef when it was mealtime, made coffee for her when needed…

Though the palace had many servants who could do such tasks, ironically, Vivian had refused all their services since I joined.

I quickly realized the reason after arriving at the palace—she had been suffering from poor appetite and depression before I came.

“Thanks to you becoming the witch’s personal attendant, we’ve been able to breathe easier.”

“Was it that serious before I arrived?”

“She barely ate anything we prepared. Honestly, we worried she might get angry if the food didn’t suit her taste.”

The head chef explained the situation to me when I visited the kitchen to prepare food.

Though he was responsible for cooking for the royal family, he apparently couldn’t make dishes that suited Vivian’s taste.

That was understandable. Vivian’s refusal to eat wasn’t because the food didn’t taste good, but more likely due to psychological reasons.

“Did Vivian ever get angry about the cooking?”

“No, nothing like that. She would just ignore food she didn’t like, and when servants came to clean her room, she would simply order them to clear it away.”

Fortunately, it seemed Vivian hadn’t harmed any of the servants, but when I cleaned her room, I often found bloodstains that couldn’t be completely removed.

Clearly, someone had been killed in that room.

Just like what I had witnessed in the banquet hall.

“Though we weren’t directly harmed… we still hesitated to visit her. There were several incidents where nobles or heroes who annoyed her went to see her and met with misfortune.”

“Ah, I see.”

So that’s who died.

Come to think of it, before the incident at the banquet hall, everyone seemed unaware of who she really was and what position she held in the empire.

…It’s ironic that such an absurd being is now fixated on me.

“By the way, what is that dish you’re making? It smells spicy from the start.”

“It’s nothing special. It’s just ordinary home cooking where I’m from…”

“Ho ho, ordinary, you say? It might be common sense to you, but it’s a concept unknown even to me, who has studied all kinds of delicacies in this world. I’d like to learn various things from you while I have the chance…”

“That wouldn’t be bad. I was actually curious about what kind of dishes are made in the imperial palace.”

Well, staying in the imperial palace is quite a unique experience in itself.

While gathering information, I often formed connections with the palace servants, and when possible, we chatted or exchanged techniques.

Fortunately, there were no differences in perception or class divisions among us.

We just worked in different places, but ultimately, we were all laborers under the ruling class.

*****

“…Hero Hyoseong Woo.”

Yes, the problem isn’t with the servants, but with those in power.

After following the soldiers who came for me after I served Vivian her meal, I soon saw the person who had summoned me waiting in front of the audience chamber.

A magnificent golden throne befitting the name of imperial seat, and Orion Seis sitting demurely upon it, looking down at me.

Except for the guards and vassals around, it was essentially a private audience, but my first reaction to his words was more confusion than pressure.

“Hero? What do you mean by that?”

“You didn’t know?”

Prince Seis immediately responded to my spontaneous exclamation.

Then he gestured to a vassal nearby, who silently brought a golden box before the prince.

“Given the circumstances at the time, there wasn’t a proper opportunity to discuss this, but considering the achievements you’ve made, even detailed verification or examination would be meaningless. In fact, every soldier who participated in the war with you has unanimously credited you with the victory…”

-Click.

The case opened with the touch of slender fingers.

Inside were a medal and a document.

None other than a certificate bearing the imperial seal, which held absolute power and value in this empire.

“Though you failed to fully recover the dragon’s bones, you helped deal with a calamity that threatened humanity, didn’t you?”

“…It wasn’t an achievement I accomplished alone.”

“But it was a war that couldn’t have been won without you. It was a war that couldn’t have been won if any single person who was there had been absent.”

The crown prince acknowledged my sacrifice and that of others, albeit in a dry voice.

Though there was hardly any emotion to be felt, at least he didn’t overtly dismiss me like the nobles did.

Even if only on the surface, he at least showed some intention to recognize me.

“Normally, the appointment of a hero is conducted by His Majesty, but coincidentally, His Majesty is unwell and can barely participate in events unless they are official ceremonies. So, as his representative, I will personally bestow upon you the title of hero.”

Then the vassal, responding to Prince Seis’s gesture, approached me.

He opened the box and placed the medal on my chest, and quietly put the accompanying appointment letter in my hand.

“Otherworlder Hyoseong Woo.”

Prince Seis declared.

“From this moment, I appoint you as a hero for humanity. As long as you prove your abilities, our empire promises to spare no support for you, which I pledge here and now.”

The moment the crown prince himself held a private audience and proclaimed me a hero with his own lips.

It meant I had finally reached what I had been pursuing all this time.

From being a Foreign Laborer to gaining power, and finally becoming a hero I could proudly call myself.

“Do you have any objections to this decision?”

But why?

Unlike what I initially expected, I don’t feel any sense of pride right now.

“…No, I don’t.”

“For someone who doesn’t, you don’t look very happy.”

Yes, there was no way I could be happy.

Through what I’ve experienced since coming to the imperial palace, I’ve realized how small the concept I’ve been pursuing really is.

“I am happy, but I ask for your forgiveness for not being able to express that feeling in this place.”

I thought everything would end once I became a hero, but in reality, I’ve learned that even being a hero is just a new starting point.

Yes, when a frog leaves the well, what awaits is an even bigger world.

To survive from now on, I’ll need to shoulder more burdens and make more efforts than ever before.

“I vaguely feel that Your Highness, who has bestowed this honor upon me, bears even greater responsibilities than I do.”

And it was Orion Seis, the crown prince before me, who made me realize this fact.

For someone in his position, the existence of a hero probably isn’t considered that special.

Even though heroes are used for propaganda purposes by nobles in this world, it’s easy to imagine that someone who has risen above them would have a low regard for heroes, no matter how grandly the appointment ceremony is conducted.

“Are you saying you’re hiding your joy out of consideration for me, who granted you this position?”

In response to my flattery, which cleverly mixed in such thoughts, I heard the crown prince murmur from his throne.

“That’s probably not the whole truth, but it’s quite an unusual reaction. Most people I’ve seen in such situations tend to be intoxicated with their own achievements…”

After trailing off, for just a brief moment.

A moment so brief, but with a strangely excited voice.

“Just as I thought.”

“…Pardon?”

“How is Vivian doing?”

Before I could question this, the crown prince suddenly asked.

It felt a bit evasive, but I intended to answer his question without concern.

After all, even though I had become a hero, it was by his appointment, so I couldn’t rashly ask questions to satisfy my personal curiosity.

“Yes, yes. She’s doing well.”

“Good, it seems her condition has improved considerably thanks to your presence.”

A tone suggesting relief.

Indeed, she was considered the most important figure for current humanity, to the extent that he, a royal, would humble himself.

It was because of her research that otherworlders could be summoned even at this moment, and her current research aimed to increase the stability of hero summoning to call forth those with even more formidable powers.

“Please watch over her well.”

Emphasizing her importance, the prince looked at me through his mask and said:

“You, who bring stability to her heart, might be the person who can be called the hope of the ‘new era’ to come.”

While maintaining an extremely cold atmosphere, making me think the excited feeling I sensed earlier was just my imagination.

****

After finally leaving the audience chamber, as usual, I headed toward where Vivian was and reflected on the crown prince I had just met.

Orion Seis…

Authoritative as befitting royalty, and seemingly cold-blooded enough to immediately order the purge of those who displease him, yet unlike the nobles I encountered at the banquet, he recognized my achievements and even personally summoned me to bestow a position.

He might have just shown such an appearance on the surface, but in a world where even heroes can be mass-produced, it’s impossible to regard just one person like me as special.

Nevertheless, the fact that he arranged a private audience might be because he values principles or has a utilitarian way of thinking, regardless of good or evil.

Excluding personal emotions and trying to identify what is necessary for the collective…

I even thought he might have a personality befitting a leader.

‘Just as I thought.’

Such an emotionless person showed a hint of emotion in his words…

It might have been my imagination, but I couldn’t shake the thought that it might not be.

After all, he was the one who invited me to the banquet hall, which means he had been watching me to some extent even before meeting me.

Whether it was recognizing my achievement in defeating the Red Knight, or perhaps earlier… for instance, when I made a name for myself as a hero killer or Hero Hunter, I’m not sure.

“Have I met him somewhere before?”

It didn’t seem like an entirely baseless speculation.

No matter that he was royalty, my innate ability was to make people who met me never forget me.

Though I might not be aware of it, if there had been even a trivial encounter, he would surely remember me…

“Ah, Housekeeper, you’re back.”

While pondering this, I arrived at the library.

Vivian, who had already arrived there as usual, turned to me and expressed her delight.

Using the same title as when we first met, rather than my name.

“Yes, Vivian. I’m back… GACK!!”

But before I could feel any disappointment about that, I let out a violent gasp.

Then I stood frozen in place, staring at her appearance.

“V-Vivian, wait. That outfit…”

“Hm? Ah, I-I just took a bath while waiting for Housekeeper to return…”

Yes, she had bathed and come here.

Since everyone feared her, there would be no one to encounter her on the way, so there would be no problem even if she walked around the imperial palace naked.

Except for me, who had become the only one able to stand by her side.

“I-I’m sorry. Showing you such an appearance suddenly… Are you a bit surprised?”

Vivian cautiously asked me as I stood frozen.

Along with her hesitant gesture, the towel in her hand wavered, almost revealing parts of her body it was covering.

As if she had no awareness of how her sensual body might appear to me.

“I-I’m sorry. I’ll leave right away!”

“No, don’t go!”

As I panicked and tried to quickly leave, her cry stopped me.

I instinctively sensed danger and halted my steps.

It couldn’t be helped. No matter how much goodwill she had toward me, if I accidentally upset her, my neck might be severed by her power.

“It’s… okay if it’s Housekeeper, so just stay here.”

Vivian tried to dissuade me again as I stood still.

I could hear the dripping sound of water still on her body, but she didn’t seem to care that the droplets were wetting the books left on the floor.

“S-stay here?”

“Yes, it’s fine, so look at me. There’s nothing much to see, but…”

She even urged me to turn my head toward her.

Unable to ignore her words, I forcibly moved my stiffened head toward where she was.

The thought that I shouldn’t upset her was stronger than the guilt that I shouldn’t be doing this.

“B-before Housekeeper came, I hardly ever bathed, so I thought I might smell bad while we’re together…”

What I saw was Vivian wrapping her body with the towel in her hand, as if trying to hide her unsightly parts.

But there was no way a single towel could hide her distinctively voluptuous body.

Instead, the moisture remaining on her body soaked the towel, making the curves of her body even more pronounced.

“Uh, hehe… D-do I look a bit better now?”

A body so attractive that one could forget she was an object of fear.

The contrast with her innocent face created a sense of perversion.

-Thump, thump.

Yes, isn’t this situation enough to make one’s heart race?