Arthur Fontaine, the hero who became Count Fontaine after receiving both a title and castle, had been staying in the imperial palace for a week.
Ever since his return to the Empire, he had been thoroughly enjoying the festivities as the protagonist of a magnificent parade.
The Emperor granted him the title of count and personally bestowed upon him a respectable house in the capital, along with a butler and servants necessary for a newly elevated noble.
The Emperor had also offered to grant him territory in the south if he wished, but Arthur had politely declined as he had no intention of leaving the capital.
Given his achievements, there were no particular objections to such treatment, which would normally have been considered excessive.
There were complaints among the noble faction that the title of count was too much, but even those quickly disappeared, overshadowed by his status as the hero who had saved the continent.
However, Arthur did not stay in the capital residence personally bestowed by the Emperor. Instead, he had been staying in the imperial palace as an honored guest the entire time.
This would have been impossible for an ordinary noble, but he was the hero who had saved the continent, so there were no complaints about special treatment.
Arthur, lounging comfortably on a plush cushion, plucked and ate a cherry that had been placed beside him.
After savoring the fruit in his mouth for a moment, he frowned slightly.
“Hmm, it’s a bit astringent.”
The head servant quickly stepped forward and said,
“I’ll bring you another.”
“Hahaha, it’s fine.”
While saying it was fine, his casual gesture of holding out the plate of cherries indicated he wanted another. It was a servant’s virtue to quickly grasp their master’s tendencies, and the head servant had already learned quite thoroughly about Arthur Fontaine’s preferences in just a week.
He quickly took the plate and opened the door.
At the same time, a beautiful woman with short black hair entered the room. The head servant, familiar with her appearance, bowed politely before closing the door and leaving. As if passing a baton, she entered and approached Arthur.
Boram Evans.
The youngest daughter of Viscount Evans’ family and one of the heroes who had served as a great magician in the hero’s party.
The Emperor had offered her a title as well, but just as Augustine of Divine Power had done, she refused. After all, her parents already held multiple titles, so there was no need for her, even as the youngest daughter, to covet another.
Upon seeing Boram, Arthur waved his hand leisurely in greeting.
“You’re here?”
Boram nodded and quietly took a seat opposite him. Shortly after, the head servant returned with a new plate of cherries. Boram’s gaze shifted to the cherry plate.
Cold cherries piled high on a gleaming golden plate. Since the previous plate had been taken away with barely any cherries eaten, the replacement was likely due to Arthur’s taste or whim.
Boram inwardly sighed.
Despite staying at the imperial palace for nearly a week without anyone objecting, and without doing anything, everyone looked up to him with respect.
This average-looking man with brown hair and brown eyes, possessing neither remarkable physical abilities nor presence, was treated this way because he was the hero who had saved this world.
No, because everyone believed so.
Yet despite her close associate receiving such precious treatment, Boram felt somehow uncomfortable and said to the head servant and servants,
“Please leave us for a moment.”
They left the room without delay. This was partly due to the well-disciplined nature of the hero’s servants, but also because the request came from Boram—both a legendary hero who served as a great magician and the daughter of the prestigious noble house of Viscount Evans.
In the ensuing quiet, Boram naturally cast a spell to prevent eavesdropping. Meanwhile, Arthur leisurely ate one of the cherries the servant had newly brought.
“So, have you found Ketron?”
Arthur immediately got to the point. Boram shook her head.
“I’m looking.”
“Is this all your ability amounts to? I thought it would be quick.”
“Why don’t you look for him yourself?”
Boram’s answer was snippy. Arthur, who had an uncanny knack for noticing such things, smirked.
“What’s this? Why so aggressive?”
“…”
Boram made no reply. But Arthur stretched as if he understood.
“Is it because I got engaged to Laila?”
At those words, Boram’s face momentarily hardened. However, Arthur didn’t seem to care and shrugged with a nonchalant expression.
“Don’t be too angry. You know I need both justification and someone to fill in my lacking legitimacy.”
It wasn’t wrong. Even now, there were plenty who looked down on Arthur, who had risen from commoner to count.
Even becoming a hero who saved not only the Empire but the entire continent, making a commoner into a noble seemed to be another issue entirely.
Well, Arthur didn’t particularly care either way. No matter how much they protested, public sentiment was on his side, and the Emperor was on his side.
Especially the Emperor, who had shown excessive favor to Arthur, telling him to speak up whenever he wanted something. With the Emperor as his backing, how could he not enjoy such luxury?
With the Emperor’s full support, his legendary heroic achievements, and if he filled in the appropriate legitimacy, he would become a perfect noble.
For example, by becoming the spouse of the universally beloved Saintess.
“Besides, I had promised to marry her.”
Strictly speaking, it was she who had confessed, asking to be proposed to.
Of course, that wasn’t said to Arthur, but to the hero at that time.
To Ketron.
But what did it matter? Now the hero wasn’t Ketron but Arthur.
It wasn’t difficult for Arthur to inscribe himself into the vacant space left by the forgotten existence. People naturally filled the awkwardly floating empty spaces in their memories with Arthur’s existence.
More precisely, one existence was substituted for the other.
There were some cases of memory confusion in the process, but not enough to be concerned about. Oblivion was an excellent weapon.
Arthur spoke to the silent Boram.
“You need to find him quickly. Just try a little harder, please.”
Boram, who had been quietly listening, slowly opened her mouth.
“He might already be dead. His injuries were severe.”
He might already be dead.
That Ketron.
Perhaps it was possible. The possibility that Ketron, who was severely injured at the time, had died. His side was nearly torn away, and he was physically at his limit. Generally speaking, it would be more reasonable to think he was dead.
But Arthur shook his head.
“Well, I don’t think he would have died from those injuries. You know what kind of person Ketron is.”
“That’s… true.”
Boram readily agreed.
For some reason, Arthur thought Ketron wouldn’t have died. He was the type who, even with his side torn out and suffering life-threatening injuries with organs spilling out, would grit his teeth and endure to ultimately achieve victory. He wouldn’t have died from mere injuries.
So if Ketron had survived and noticed their betrayal, it would be one of two things:
Either he would become furiously angry and come after them, or he would be wounded and collapse. Ketron was strong, but at the same time, he was still young and had unstable aspects because he didn’t know how to depend on others.
The four of them had traveled together and risked their lives on adventures since before he became an adult. Because of this, Arthur knew Ketron well. That Ketron, in his own way, cared for his companions.
If he lost all of them at once, no, if he lost everything he had built up until now… he might collapse completely.
Regardless of his physical toughness, his mind was still that of a young boy.
“Haha, well, that might be the case.”
But either way, Arthur didn’t care. Whether he was dead or collapsed.
“I prefer certainty. I’m uneasy like this. Just the thought that he might be alive somewhere gives me chills.”
Having joined as the second companion when Ketron was just starting his adventure, Arthur was confident he knew Ketron better than anyone.
He was a monster. That must be how he accomplished the feat of killing the Demon King with a human body.
Is that even possible? He truly couldn’t help but be a chilling existence.
“…”
Arthur saw Boram silently closing her eyes. Watching her pupils disappear beneath her eyelids, Arthur smiled brightly.
“So…”
Arthur took a cherry and put it in his mouth. The juice that crushed in his mouth was very sweet without any astringency, unlike before. And it was refreshing.
Just like his current situation.
“It would be better if he disappeared.”
For everyone’s sake, too.
His voice carried not a single trace of doubt.