episode_0035

“Tsk tsk…”

The porter, arriving at Blacksmith through the warp gate, clicked his tongue at the sight before him, visibly astonished.

“That Riel girl really went all out, huh.”

“She wasn’t this strong when we fought her.”

“She must’ve gotten her hands on a staff in the meantime. That’s why she came to Blacksmith. Right, old man?”

At Erwin’s pointed remark, the entire party turned their gazes toward the elderly blacksmith.

In the place where the Imperial Knights had been turned into ice statues, the entire Hero’s party—except the Saintess, who was overseeing the Holy Land—had gathered. Surrounded by superhumans capable of killing him with a single finger, the old man, bearing the brunt of their hostility, showed not a hint of fear.

“Hmm, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Got any proof that I did it?”

“Don’t play dumb! Among the blacksmiths of Blacksmith, who else but you would defy Imperial orders and forge weapons for Riel?”

“Who knows? Maybe she got her weapon before the decree was issued or paid someone enough to take the risk. I was even searched by Imperial soldiers. There wasn’t a staff among the weapons I made.”

Erwin glared at the old man’s feigned innocence with murderous intent. The suspicion was strong, but there was no hard evidence. While the Hero’s party could punish him without proof based on their authority…

“Hey, enough. Let the old man go.”

The porter intervened. He was the one who had stopped them from laying a hand on Daniel Haight, who had helped Arina, and the others. Erwin was visibly frustrated by this.

“Porter, you need to stop going easy on Riel too! This isn’t the time to fool around. Leona lost her father!”

At Erwin’s outburst, a shadow fell over Leona’s face, and the atmosphere turned somber. The porter hesitated before asking,

“Leona, your father… is he gone?”

“Not dead. He can move again if the ice melts, but only if Riel cancels the spell herself.”

Arina’s eternal frost couldn’t be melted by ordinary fire. Leona’s flames might do it, but there was a high risk of killing or severely injuring those trapped inside.

“Losing the Fire Knight Order’s strength is a huge blow. It creates a massive gap in the battlefield. We have to capture Riel’s allies before she runs!”

Erwin insisted on capturing Arina as quickly as possible. Given the urgency, none of the female party members disagreed.

“Still no.”

But the porter flatly refused.

“Why?!”

“Didn’t I tell you? We need to break Riel completely. And no, this isn’t just about my twisted tastes. Suppose we capture her and drag her to the Demon Realm. What if she suddenly betrays us and attacks us while we’re fighting the Demon King’s forces?”

With the full party assembled, they could definitely overpower Arina. Knowing this, she had gone into hiding again, planning to pick them off one by one.

But what if she ambushed them while they were fighting a Demon King commander? They might escape, but the odds of being wiped out were far higher.

“Then just tame her slowly after capturing her. Like you did with us.”

“True, but her willpower’s on another level.”

If given even the slightest opening, Arina would seize the chance to betray them. That’s why the porter was obsessed with breaking her completely.

Though she understood, Erwin’s clenched lips showed she still wasn’t convinced.

“Is our baby sulking?”

“…Stop treating me like a kid.”

When the porter hugged her from behind, Erwin’s face flushed red as if nothing had happened.

“No need to be jealous. Yeah, I see Riel as special, but I love all of you.”

“I know.”

“So you understand?”

The porter kissed the nape of her neck softly before turning away.

“Yuria. Think you can beat Riel?”

“Hard to say just from these leftovers.”

“So you aren’t confident either. Good. Let’s split up. I’ll track Riel’s traces with Yuria. Leona, Erwin, warp to the Holy Land and regroup with Marika.”

As the porter prepared to move, Leona grabbed his sleeve.

“Hey, Porter… After everything that happened today, I don’t want to be alone…”

She twisted shyly. After a pause, he replied:

“Take a day off first?”

“Hey, look at that.”

“That woman?”

Arina strode through the streets under the weight of countless stares. Even before, her striking beauty had drawn men’s eyes, but now, the sheer volume and nature of the gazes were entirely different.

A silver-haired, blue-eyed female mage—her features and likeness had already spread across the Empire, making her identity public long ago.

No longer able to hide as before, Arina walked confidently regardless.

“Halt!”

A noble and his private knights blocked her path. The armored man at the front spoke in place of his lord, shielded by soldiers.

“This is the territory of Count Keles. Why has the traitor Riel Frost come here?”

“Just passing through. Got a problem with that?”

Glaring sharply, she made the man flinch. Who’d willingly face the mage who had single-handedly annihilated the Empire’s strongest knights?

The noble couldn’t ignore a traitor in his domain, but the knight was just fulfilling duty under duress.

“Leave at once. Resist, and you’ll taste Imperial steel.”

Though he blustered, even the onlookers knew who held the upper hand.

Arina sighed. She had no issue crushing fools who overstepped, but tormenting those forced into this wasn’t her style.

“I’ll leave quietly once I get a carriage. Sir, know where the coachman is?”

“M-me? Are you talking to me?”

A bystander, suddenly addressed, panicked.

Opinions on Riel Frost, the Hero-turned-traitor, were divided. Those facing her directly were often left conflicted.

Should they help her? Condemn her? Plead for her to fight for the world again?

Faint admiration, deep disappointment—but fear weighed heaviest. Was the Archmage still on humanity’s side? Would she harm them?

In the end, the man could only comply.

“Dealing with this everywhere must be tiring. Fighting would be easier.”

“Who’d dare pick a fight with you? Even idiots value their lives.”

This hadn’t been the first time since her exposure. Maybe she’d have to hide in the mountains after settling her revenge.

Walking in frustration, the two arrived at the stables the man had pointed out.

The coachmen here operated an organized transport service. Among the absent drivers, only a young man remained, hauling straw.

“Are you the coachman, Laurent?”

“A customer? You’re… wait, could you be—?”

“Probably who you’re thinking. You picky about passengers?”

“Not usually, but you’re…”

Many still saw her as a hero, but legally, she was a criminal—an arch-traitor whose mereassociation invited punishment.

“Relax. My case is… special.”

Even Count Keles, who had confronted her, chose not to fight for the same reason.

If ordered to capture her on sight, every place she went would be reduced to ruins.

The Empire would bear the fallout alone, so while the Emperor mandated reporting her sightings, capture wasn’t enforced.

If she left quietly, those who merely transported her wouldn’t face execution if they reported afterward.

“Call it… an unspoken agreement between the Emperor and me. So I avoid using magic unless pushed.”

“What if I refuse?”

“Life goes on as usual. I’ll find another coachman.”

Laurent blinked, surprised.

“No force?”

“Coachmen aren’t exactly rare.”

She shrugged indifferently.

“But coachmen willing to ferry you might be.”

“Then I walk. My legs’ll hurt, but it’s manageable.”

“I heard Riel Frost fell to darkness, betraying the Empire and fleeing… But you don’t seem to have lost your goodness.”

The young man set down the straw and gestured.

“Follow me. But I’ll charge extra.”

“A friend gave me plenty. Money’s no issue.”

Helping her onto the carriage, Laurent said:

“Wait here. Need to pack supplies.”

“Weren’t you working? I can wait.”

His eagerness confused her. Was this really okay?

“If I don’t do my job, someone else will. And who’d blame me if I claimed Riel Frost forced me?”

He grinned, thrilled at the chance to slack legally.

Amused, Arina snorted.

“Hired myself a real slacker, huh.”

Meant as a mutter, Laurent turned sharply.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Oh, and grab some booze too.”