Lin felt quite refreshed.

The breeze, still carrying a hint of salt, along with the passing scenery, was invigorating. Perhaps because he had slept deeply for a long time, Lin felt in excellent condition. This might explain why he was able to guide the carriage through sharp corners smoothly without reducing its speed.

“Wow, Lin, that's amazing!”

“Huh? This?”

“You turned through that alley without tilting at all.”

But Lucy had exaggerated her movements on purpose, leaning heavily toward Lin during the turn. Even now, she was clinging to his shoulder, resting her head against him.

[How pathetic.]

“Shut up.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Nothing!”

As the Abyss, strapped to her waist, mocked her, Lucy immediately stiffened. This damn demon sword only talked to Lucy, sometimes eerily silent, and other times chattering non-stop, driving her nearly to the point of neurosis.

“Lucy, it might be a bit late to ask this, but…”

Another ship had arrived at the Zramun Archipelago, and the Hero Party had set off toward the port town, receiving a grand welcome.

“Why?”

Lucy had thoroughly ignored the Hero Party on the ship, staying locked in a room with Lin until they reached their destination. After arriving at the port town, the Hero Party had boarded a carriage driven by Lin, heading to a nearby city where a teleportation circle was located.

“Why didn’t you sit inside the carriage with the others? Why sit here?”

“I like being next to you.”

“But it’s more comfortable inside.”

“I like being next to you.”

“But…”

“If I stayed inside, I’d be the only one left alive when we arrived.”

“Hmm, sitting next to the driver does have its perks!”

“You’re amazing!”

The Abyss wasn’t happy with Lin's attempt to humor her in this situation.

“Lucy, want to come a bit closer?”

“L-Like this?”

Seeing her blush as she scooted closer made him want to gag.

“I need to tell you something important.”

“L-Lin, I’m not ready, and I don’t have the qualifications yet…!”

She was saying that, but her tongue was already wetting her lips as if she wanted to kiss him. Even her thick thighs were squirming, making it clear she was excited. With eager anticipation, she leaned even closer, waiting for Lin to speak.

“Lucy.”

“Yes, Lin…”

They say a woman in love is beautiful, but her cutesy voice sent chills down his spine. What would Lin say? “You did well”? “Thank you for saving me”? “Thank you for protecting me”? Or maybe… “You’re the best”?

Suppressing her eager fantasies, she leaned closer, and Lin whispered seriously.

“What are you going to do about your engagement to Reinpolt?”

Snap.

The smile on the Hero’s face froze instantly. Her body didn’t move, but her eyes shook violently.

“Even though it was declared that you perished alongside the Demon Lord, the engagement is still technically official…”

“I… see…”

The Abyss smacked its lips. This wasn’t the highest-grade regret, but it was still deliciously salty. A perfect appetizer—neither too salty nor too bland.

“If you still have feelings for him, I could think of a way to keep the relationship going…”

Now, this was spicy. The once frozen smile turned into a pout as Lucy lowered her head. The past, like a shackle she couldn’t escape, weighed heavily on her. Worse than the wrongs she had done to Lin was the guilt of having looked at another man in front of him. That wound would never heal, not as long as that man lived.

“Lin, if I kill Reinpolt here and now, will you believe me?”

“Lucy.”

“Please believe me, Lin. I’ve never… liked that guy…”

“Lucy.”

Lin’s cold gaze made the Hero swallow her breath.

“Don’t run away from your past.”

Lin kept his eyes on the road, speaking softly.

“Everyone has a past they want to avoid, but it’s that past that shaped who we are now.”

“I… I’m sorry…”

She covered her mouth with her hand, stifling her sobs. After a moment, Lucy spoke to Lin, her voice trembling.

“I don’t love the shield knight anymore.”

I love you.

My only ally, my best comrade, my Lin.

But she couldn’t bring herself to say it, and her feelings seemed further away than ever.

“I understand. I’ll help you with that.”

All Lucy could do was gently play with the red string tied around her pinky.

Teleportation is something that only a grandmaster mage can perform from anywhere, but the result is unpredictable. Considering the safety of the destination coordinates, most people travel between cities via connected magic circles, which is just an in-game shortcut explained in detail. What RPG game would make you run through every map on foot?

“Ready, initiating the teleportation.”

As the Hero Party took their positions, Tigria infused the circuit with her magic, causing the magic circle to glow brightly.

“Infusing, activating.”

It wasn’t necessary to speak during a pre-cast spell, but Tigria was committed to her concept. With idle thoughts, Lin stood in the corner. Lucy, standing at the front, swallowed dryly as the distance between her and Lin grew.

“Casting.”

There’s no sound during teleportation, but they added some runes to the circuit for the illusion of sound, just to make it clear that the spell was working.

Flash!

As the sudden burst of light faded and their vision returned, Lin found himself surrounded by nobles. And by her.

“Hero Luciena Estell! Welcome. Hero of the Empire, Hero of the Continent! I, Linasien Carlune, Crown Princess of the Carlune Empire, sincerely welcome you.”

She was still beautiful. Her golden hair, long eyelashes, and emerald-like eyes. It wasn’t a sharp pain but rather a dull, heavy feeling like the ashes left behind after a fire. Five years had passed since he had spoken so rudely to her. Yet here he was, still a lowly porter. Not embarrassed to face her, but to face himself, to the declaration he had made that day. Did I like her? Yes, very much. Was it a foolish love? It was unrequited. Foolish? No, it was just youthful. He was too young to understand his place or to be dignified in the face of unrequited love.

Even with the mask on, Lucy could tell. Lin was staring at the Crown Princess. Even without seeing it, Lucy could sense the longing in his gaze, and she felt jealousy. Not anger, but jealousy toward the princess who had once tried to harm her.

“We have prepared a banquet to honor the world’s savior. I hope you all will join us in celebrating the return of our hero.”

The Crown Princess’s awkward finishing tone made Reinpolt raise an eyebrow. After all, Gyanal Protect had a much more dignified and graceful way of speaking. Witnessing Reinpolt’s slight sigh, Linasien swallowed nervously. He wasn’t satisfied, and that made her feel small. Lin saw all of this. Lucy, feeling a surge of anger, stepped forward. The simplicity yet decisiveness of her movement caught everyone’s attention.

“Hmm.”

Clearing her throat, Lucy surveyed the surroundings with an air of boredom. Feeling that she had waited long enough, the Hero finally spoke.

“I, Luciena Estell, hereby declare the annulment of my engagement to Sir Morgan Reinpolt.”

How’s that, Lin? I did as you asked. Finally, I’m cutting ties with that bastard completely. Now, I can stand proudly before you.

The crowd murmured in shock. Reinpolt and Linasien were both taken aback by the unexpected announcement.

“Through the subjugation of the Demon Lord, I realized many things.”

I’m sorry, Lin. I should say “we,” but I said “I.”

I made a mistake.

…Lin?

“Even though the Demon Lord was defeated, I sustained significant injuries that required extensive recovery. Before I could fully heal, I learned that demons still linger in this world. Therefore, I…”

Lin, I’m speaking, see? I’m doing as you told me.

“I must… dedicate myself more to my duties as a hero and…”

I see. You’re upset because I made a mistake just now, right? But other than that, I haven’t deviated from the script you gave me.

“Therefore, I will break off my engagement with Morgan Reinpolt and become a hero to save the world…”

…Lin?

“…a hero to lead the world through this crisis…”

As she gestured with simple but effective motions, Lucy slowly lowered her arm. Like a broken doll, she walked over to the porter, who had been staring at someone else the entire time.

“You should look at me.”

Her voice was tinged with sorrow. When the porter finally turned his head toward her, Lucy didn’t know what to do and let out a deep sigh.

“Not at another woman, but at me, look at me.”

Lin snapped out of his reverie. Realizing his behavior had been too harsh, he opened his mouth to apologize, but the Crown Princess signaled to someone with her eyes.

Smack!

“You insolent scum!”

“…?!”

A knight standing next to the magic circle struck Lin with his gauntlet. As Lin fell to the ground with a crash, Lucy froze.

“How dare you be distracted while the Hero is speaking!”

The knight didn’t stop there; he continued to kick Lin several times, berating him. Lin curled up as much as he could, trying to endure the blows. Lucy stood frozen, watching this. The Hero Party was also shocked, with even Tigria standing agape.

“Hero! What shall we do with this insolent man?”

The knight proudly proclaimed as he grabbed Lin and lifted him. Lucy immediately tore the knight’s arm off.

“…Gah?”

Realizing too late that his arm had been torn off, the knight was already sent flying as Lucy struck him in the face with his own arm.

“You wretch…! How dare you…!”

Smack! Thud!

“You dare lay a hand on him… how dare you!!!”

The knight’s skull and the armor on his arm were both crushed, yet Lucy didn’t stop the beating.

“Lucy! Stop it!”

It was only when Lin intervened that Lucy tossed the torn arm aside.

“Now, you’re finally looking at me…”

Lucy, with a deranged expression, alternated between a sorrowful look and manic laughter.

“Good, good… It’s nice when you look at me. My only ally.”

She took his hand.

“My best comrade.”

And nuzzled her cheek against his.

“My Lin…”

Lin? Is that what she called him?

For some reason, that common name tickled the Crown Princess’s ears.

“You there, remove your mask—”

“As you can see, the Hero is in a very unstable state. This shows just how intense and scarring the battle with the Demon Lord was. Regrettably, we must postpone the reception to a later date.”

Reinpolt hurriedly stepped in to silence the Crown Princess. No one dared to rebuke him for such rudeness. The Hero’s behavior was shocking enough.

“Are you hurt? Is there any bleeding? What if it’s swollen?”

“Lucy, I’m fine.”

“Fine? You’re injured!”

With that, Lucy burst into tears again. As Lin cradled the sobbing Hero, trying to comfort her, he urgently spoke to Reinpolt.

“Apologies, but we’ll head to the room first. We’ll send word as soon as she calms down.”

The way Lin spoke made it seem like he was almost an equal, but Reinpolt had no choice but to nod in agreement. As he watched the two walk away, led by the attendants, he discreetly glared at Linasien, who had ruined everything.