It was clearly the head of a high-ranking demon.
"…"
It was a sudden event, and Hedera needed time to assess the situation, so
she reviewed it from the beginning.
Valcon's achievements, over 100 monsters.
Jaekiel's achievements, identifying and purifying the cause of the erosion.
Jaekiel's victory was overwhelming.
"…"
For a moment, there were no words due to the unexpected result.
However, Hedera knew what she had to do now. As the 2nd Princess, she
had to maintain fairness, so she had to keep calm with all her might.
It was the first time she felt so unfamiliar with herself.
'Was I… cheering for him this much?'
For someone whose heart was always calm, the fact that she felt so relieved
now was very strange to Hedera.
Meanwhile, unlike the 2nd Princess, the magicians could not hide their
shock. The grand hall became noisy in an instant.
"The Auditor… The Auditor won!"
"N-no way! He achieved all those results and returned on the day of the
expedition? How on earth?!"
"He is a noble man. Truly a noble man has taken the Auditor's position."
Everyone had been filled with worry until just now, so the unexpected joy
was even greater. They all began to express the shock they felt.
"Oh, my…"
"Widro, please get a hold of yourself!"
Widro shook his head urgently.
All the excessive worries were resolved in an instant, and he felt as if his
soul was leaving him, but that wasn't important now. The fact was that they
had won.
"Is what I'm experiencing right now really real?"
"Even hallucination magic would be ridiculous at this level!"
"Right. Really. How could this happen…?"
Widro stared blankly at Jaekiel.
Until now, the auditors of the Imperial Tower had mostly been people who
left all the work to Widro and Nox while they indulged themselves. No, that
was all of them.
Widro had never seen such an active and competent auditor before. He
could only admire him.
"This Tower… We were the ones who were wrong after all."
All this time, including Widro, everyone had been incompetent.
Beyond that, it was true that they couldn't trust the new auditor, Jaekiel.
Although it was hard to understand him with ordinary eyes, they had
doubted him excessively.
"Everyone, we should apologize to the Auditor later."
Widro stroked his beard and looked around.
The faces of the magicians were filled with joy. It had been so long since
they had heard good news and were all happy together that Widro couldn't
remember the last time.
"Is the Auditor going to visit the Royal Treasury now?"
"What will he bring to the Tower? What?!"
The place was getting noisier with mixed excitement.
2nd Princess Hedera watched the scene for a while, then slowly opened her
lips with a controlled voice.
"Enough."
It wasn't a spell, but it had the same effect.
The commotion stopped instantly, and everyone focused on the Princess.
"Imperial Tower Auditor."
The 2nd Princess quietly looked at the Auditor.
"…You did well."
Jaekiel, he smiled faintly.
"You're too kind."
Helplessness.
Wanting to do something but being unable to do anything.
Or no matter what you do, it was of no use.
Valcon knew well how tragic helplessness was. Since the day he was beaten
in an alley just because he was a beastman.
─Dirty beastman brat.
─Won't you get out of the village?
His parents died due to discrimination and power struggles, and young
Valcon could do nothing but hide in the closet.
If his life were a book, Valcon's first chapter always began with that part.
He decided never to be weak again because he was attacked for being weak.
Yes, if he became strong, everything would change.
Of course, there was a difference as vast as heaven and earth between
deciding and achieving. A very huge gap.
Just thinking about those times made Valcon's hands shake, and he often
woke up in the middle of the night, drenched in sweat.
In the end, Valcon chose the sword.
He lacked the money to practice magic, and more importantly, wearing a
helmet could hide his beastman ears. He swung his sword like a madman.
Of course, it was not an easy process. Unfortunately, Valcon had no talent
for the sword, and he often despaired at the slightest obstacle due to his
learned helplessness.
So, he created fuel to burn himself.
Inferiority complex. Anger.
That was the fuel Valcon chose. To trample those who trampled him and to
stand above those who looked down on him, he really burned his soul.
Fortunately, sweat did not betray Valcon.
─Congratulations on joining, you are now an Imperial Knight.
He joined the Imperial Knights, bearing fruit. That day, Valcon was also
able to sleep happily.
Yes, just that one day.
From the next day, Valcon thought of only one thing.
…But, what should I do now?
He was so caught up in that thought that he couldn't do anything.
He always compared himself to others, burning his life with inferiority and
anger as fuel, but now what would move him?
He wasn't as happy as he thought.
This was a temporary fix, not a solution. It wasn't like his family would
come back to life now.
He lost his goal. He became helpless again.
Meanwhile, there was a rather enticing opportunity.
─It seems they are selecting an escort knight for the Princess.
A chance encounter, a turning point in Valcon's life.
2nd Princess, Hedera.
The moment he first met her, he shuddered. She was a perfect person,
completely different from Valcon. From her birth and lineage to her
abilities.
Her existence was the complete opposite of Valcon's life, which was
humble in both origin and talent.
Valcon quickly came to a conclusion.
Yes, let's make Hedera the goal of my life.
Let's use loyalty to my lady as motivation.
─There will soon be an Ascension Ceremony.
─A mere human challenging the position of a dragon.
Valcon could never be perfect.
However.
If he, full of inferiority and flaws, could contribute to the perfection that
was Hedera? If someone as humble as himself could stay by perfection?
Just thinking about it made Valcon's heart swell. It was a very powerful
motivation for life.
─Report.
─Understood.
─Wait.
Of course, Hedera treated Valcon very officially and showed no special
interest in her escort knight, but Valcon didn't mind at all.
Valcon, born as a beastman, was very familiar with disregard and contempt.
Rather, Hedera's official attitude towards him felt almost affectionate.
Of course, there were times he was greedy.
Valcon supported Hedera while also depending on her. There were times he
wished she would give him more attention, and craved even one more word
from her.
But even that, he could endure very well.
Because the 2nd Princess was originally an emotionless person.
Because the 2nd Princess handled everything officially.
That premise was so firm.
Would he be upset if she treated everyone the same way?
Yes, that premise that had been so solid until recently.
─Can we talk?
The day he faced Jaekiel, a crack appeared.
…What on earth was going on?
Valcon knew well. Hedera's heart had never wavered, even in the face of
various crises in the Celestial Realm.
She was calm in any crisis and a calculating person who never trusted
others to avoid losses. The 2nd Princess Valcon served was synonymous
with perfection.
It must have been so.
In that sense of crisis, Valcon took it upon himself to make a bet. He tried to
completely destroy Jaekiel so he would never appear before Hedera again.
Defeat.
But Valcon was defeated.
It was a defeat with no excuses. He had underestimated Jaekiel, and Jaekiel
had won perfectly.
The performance report began with such a miserable heart.
But then.
─I will give you a chance.
Why? Hedera suddenly offered a chance just before hearing the
performance report. The content was very absurd.
─Let's give rewards to both sides and finish.
"…!"
Valcon was filled with joy. He couldn't help but be moved.
He thought he knew why Hedera was offering a chance.
She must have already known the result of the bet. The 2nd Princess didn't
want her escort knight to be embarrassed. She was considerate of him.
For such a humble person like Valcon.
The 2nd Princess was considerate of him.
She was secretly concerned about Valcon…!
Valcon immediately raised his voice with all his might.
─Your Highness, absolutely not!
As long as Hedera was there, Valcon was okay with anything.
As long as he could remain her escort knight, he could endure any great
humiliation and was willing to rise from any tremendous failure.
Yes, thinking that Hedera was concerned about him gave him a surge of
strength. It was as if he were born again.
But then.
However.
─The Luiple region has been purified.
"…"
When the result was announced, an unbelievable scene unfolded before
Valcon.
2nd Princess Hedera had emotions.
A gaze directed solely at Jaekiel.
The type of emotion.
It was clearly relief.
"Why on earth…?"
He gritted his teeth. His body trembled.
It wasn't concern for him.
Hedera was concerned about Jaekiel.
"Why on earth…?"
Valcon couldn't understand.
Wasn't Hedera a perfect being devoid of emotions? Why was she showing
such clear emotions?
But what truly surprised Valcon was that the emotion he felt towards
Hedera now was not betrayal.
Envy.
This was clearly immense envy.
He had rolled and devoted himself countless times over the years but never
glimpsed Hedera's emotions. Yet, Jaekiel drew out her emotions so easily
and simply, making Valcon envious.
Envious.
Oh, truly envious.
He wanted to feel Hedera's emotions too.
Even if it was faint, just once.
No matter how much he tried, admired, and was loyal, he couldn't even
imagine it… Why was it so easy for someone else?
Why on earth was it so unfair?
"You did well."
Hedera's one sentence to Jaekiel.
At the same time.
Valcon felt his body shatter in pain.
His world crumbled entirely.
The next day, I prepared to leave for the Imperial Palace.
"Shall we go?"
It was time to visit the Royal Treasury with Hedera.
However, unexpectedly, it was Solana who came to see me.