I Picked Up the Hero Who Banished Me - Chapter 63



62 – [A Brief Rest – 02]

“Titania, are you sure you don’t need to rest?”

“If the nation doesn’t rest, neither can I.”

Titania said, checking documents from her bed.

Titania’s condition was so poor that her waking hours were brief. It would get better with time, but that was the reality right now.

However, with the Demon Lord’s army’s attack, there was an especially large amount of work to be done, and since she couldn’t move directly and her working time was limited, she needed to work even during that limited time.

Her eyelids were heavy.

No, not just her eyelids, her whole body felt heavy, but Titania was deliberately pretending to be relaxed while reading the documents, so her subordinates wouldn’t notice.

“The summary of the current damage situation is complete.”

“I see, well done.”

“The funerals for the elves who died this time…”

“Hold them grandly. Their deaths were honorable. They risked their lives to fight for Elvenheim, so prepare a funeral befitting their honor.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

If her condition improved by then, Titania would go outside, but given her current state, that would be difficult.

In fact, Titania thought she was going to die.

She hadn’t been able to properly defend herself due to the surprise attack, and she had also used the Meteor Bow, so she figured her body wouldn’t hold up.

But thanks to a subordinate who healed her, she was able to stay alive, and on top of that, the World Tree’s blessing had returned, making it possible to save Titania, who was originally fated to die.

If even one of those things was missing, Titania would surely be dead.

“Then…”

“Why so?”

“What will you do about Lady Reina?”

“…….”

Even the soldier elf asking Titania this question felt his heart tear.

No matter the evil she had done, she had died for Elvenheim, and not only that, she was Titania’s daughter.

He knew that this question was cruel for the very sentimental Titania, but he couldn’t not ask.

Titania stared blankly at the landscape beyond the window.

Usually, even amidst crisis, she would answer while her hands moved, processing documents, but in this moment, her hands were still and she just stared blankly.

Had it been a blunder?

Had he asked too soon?

While he was thinking such things, Titania spoke.

“Exclude her.”

“…….”

“Judging from Royce’s and others’ accounts, Reina is likely responsible for this series of events. Even if she weren’t, the grave crime of assassinating a hero…as a human, I cannot overlook it.”

Even if she was her daughter.

“Cremate the body, and bring the ashes to me.”

“……Understood.”

She was certainly a criminal.

She had committed evil deeds.

But to Titania, she was a daughter.

The end was surely to save people, but that praise should have been kept within each heart.

What she had done was too immense, and in the end, she had died.

“Titania, the Hero Olivia Reinhart has arrived.”

“…So, she’s opened her eyes, a swift awakening indeed. Send her in.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

*

“Are you alright?”

“It seems my life thread was far longer than even I imagined.”

Titania looked unwell, but she addressed me normally.

“And what about you? Your body isn’t in good shape either, seems you pushed yourself quite hard.”

“Yes, with the curse lifted, the tension in my body released, and I was out longer than I expected.”

“For someone with that wound, to open your eyes in just three days, that’s quite unbelievable to hear.”

“Didn’t you open your eyes first, Titania?”

“I am an elf.”

“Ah.”

Was she trying to say that, being an elf, she had the World Tree’s blessing, thus she could awaken faster?

“So, is there any reason you called me here?”

“I called you because I have something to discuss about Reina and this recent attack.”

“…….”

“This attack is strange in many ways. Right now, we’re worried, no, suspicious that Reina might be involved…”

“The possibility… maybe, could exist.”

“You must have your reasons, right?”

I explained as I sat on the chair Sylphie brought.

That a Garfiel, a high-ranking Demon Army officer, used the power of a Death God, and that he was well-informed about my physical condition and curse.

When I mentioned the possibility that this attack was related to Alex, Titania’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Alex, Alex Reynolds… if that guy was the one who put a Geas on my child, then the story isn’t entirely absurd.”

“Perhaps Reina didn’t realize this would become such a big deal for her, it’s just a guess, but I think what Reina told Alex was probably something along the lines of ‘a Hero has arrived here’.”

“On that point, I agree. …Then, the kingdom itself becomes suspicious. Discarding a hero like trash, and on top of that, the power of a Death God and a Demon Army officer?”

“So, are we going to go confront them?”

“It’ll be difficult.”

“Uh, why?”

Titania looked at me and said,

“There’s no proof.”

“Proof? What we just talked about…”

“There’s no physical proof. What we just said is just a ‘story that can be interpreted that way’. That’s not enough to bring down the kingdom’s higher-ups. Much less the Reynolds family.”

The Reynolds family was already a prominent family, but after the previous Hero came from the Reynolds family, their honor rose even further.

“The traces of the Geas will already be erased, and it will be difficult to hold Alex Reynolds responsible for this attack itself.”

“…I see.”

“But the fact that they tried to discard you, that’s a different story.”

“……”

“Now, at least you don’t have to worry about dying right away. If you show up looking like that, and say you were betrayed by Alex Reynolds, the citizens will listen to you.”

“Hmm…”

I hesitated for a moment.

That was originally the plan, and Lois had said so too.

That, aside from the Reaper’s curse, I wouldn’t die, so it was okay to prioritize exposing Alex’s sins rather than getting the elixir.

Of course, Lois added that it was my body, so I could do as I pleased.

Anyway, that was originally my intention too, but this attack changed my mind.

Things looked more complicated and worse than I had thought.

“Is something bothering you?”

“Until now, I thought Alex had abandoned me for the sake of the kingdom and humanity. Even though it was inhumane and immoral, I considered it a twisted loyalty to the kingdom in his heart.”

“I see, but now you think differently?”

“I don’t know. If he really is working with demons and using the Reaper’s power, then no matter how you look at it, it’s not for humanity’s sake.”

I wasn’t one to divide good and evil by power, so using the Reaper’s power itself didn’t matter.

But the fact that he was working with demons and that he used that Reaper’s power to invade Elvenheim, I couldn’t possibly see it in a good light.

“We need checkmate.”

“…”

Titania was silent for a moment.

Did I beat around the bush too much, unlike myself?

“Indeed, you’re saying that if we push him too halfheartedly, we don’t know what he might do?”

“Of course, this is just my opinion, so I also plan to ask for Lois’s opinion.”

If I pushed them halfway, there was no telling what they’d do. Frankly, they were already exposed, the people’s hearts had turned, who’s to say they wouldn’t just decide to kill everyone?

I’m here, so I’ll save as many as I can, but I’m not all-powerful, I’m not a god.

Saving everyone was impossible, so like it or not, there would be sacrifices.

“It makes sense. It’d be great if we could somehow meet Alex Reynolds, but if I were him, I wouldn’t leave the kingdom.”

“I think so too. After coming this far, he’d know I’m the main issue, so he’d be cautious. He’d probably have a last resort, a terrible one, in case I expose everything.”

“I see.”

Titania smiled faintly.

“But are you sure? If you don’t reveal the truth now and deal with Alex Reynolds first, you might miss your chance to restore your honor, or even never be able to reveal the truth at all.”

“I’m only stopping Alex because what he’s doing seems dangerous, honestly, my honor is secondary.”

“You have no ambition. Given what you’ve done, you deserve to be honored.”

“Ugh, that’s uncomfortable. That’s part of why I didn’t want to stay in the kingdom. Anyway, that’s for later. It’d be good if we could lure Alex out of the kingdom…….”

“Hmm.”

Titania pondered for a moment.

“Come to think of it, there’s the Human Conference in the Water City in three months.”

“Human Conference?”

“The Demon Lord’s been captured, so humans are gathering to socialize and discuss the future. Important figures from each race will come, so Alex……and possibly Belita might too.”

“Indeed. Perhaps that’s an opportunity to approach him secretly.”

“Of course, Alex knows that too, so he might not come.”

“I do need some more certainty.”

The Water City, huh.

Is it even worth going?

If I went, even if Alex didn’t come, there was a chance Velita would.

It would be best if they both did.

“Anyway, let’s keep the fact that I, the hero, am still alive a secret. People’s lives are more important than restoring my honor. Ideally, it’d be best to surprise them and just cut off those limbs.”

“Unlike with Reina, you’re quite threatening.”

“It’s fine to tell Velita. I’d actually rather hear it from her. But Alex is probably the ringleader. We don’t know what he’s up to, or what he’s doing right this moment.”

While I’m trying to restore my honor by telling people the truth, Alex might do something messed up. So, for now, it’s best to let that ‘Alex Reynolds of the kingdom’ remain alive.

Reina and Velita likely wouldn’t know about the reaper’s power, or how this attack was carried out.

But Alex, who spearheaded it, couldn’t possibly be ignorant, even if he wanted to be.

He’s becoming a betrayer of humanity, and in some cases, might even be involved with the reaper cult.

In that case, it wouldn’t hurt to just cut Alex down without any questions and think about the problem later.

A guy like Alex, if you corner him, you never know what kind of disaster he’ll unleash.

“So, for now, I’m going to leave Alex alone. At least, if he’s holding on to his position as a kingdom noble, he won’t do anything unnecessary. Exposing his true nature will be when I kill him.”

“……”

“I’d like to at least give him a warning, but if he’s really the ringleader, there might be a problem in the time it takes to warn him.”

“So it’s not just that you were abandoned, huh? If the demon army’s officers and the reaper cult are involved, this isn’t a simple problem.”

“Yes.”

What should I do now?

“……Olivia.”

“Yes?”

“I plan to hold Reina’s funeral separately. Not with the other honored heroes who died this time, but personally, and I’ll reveal the truth among the elves.”

“……Yes.”

“I’m sorry.”

“She did terrible things, but she’s still your daughter.”

“Thank you.”

Even if someone is bad, it felt wrong to stop a parent from holding a funeral for their daughter, even if it’s just a personal one.

“Reina… I didn’t want her to become Titania. I thought it was a position that didn’t suit her well, and it’s not a pleasant position anyway.”

“Yes, it does seem that way.”

“But it seems that child wanted to become one… I didn’t teach her much because I didn’t want her to, and she became a child who didn’t know the ways of the world. If I had taught her more about the outside world, warned her more, at least she wouldn’t have fallen victim to a Geas.”

“Especially not on her neck, right?”

“Such a devilish act, indeed.”

Not anywhere else, but on her neck.

His taste was terrible, way too terrible.

“……Hmm?”

A strange stirring!

I quickly moved, poked my face out the window, and saw the figure of a man walking up.

“Royce!”

“……Livia? You’re awake?”

I jumped down from the window and ran up to Royce.

“I’m awake! I heard you went to the World Tree and back… huh?”

“Don’t you seem…kinda beat up?

Why is there so much bleeding?

“Aren’t those wounds a little much? Some of them even look fresh…what happened?”

Royce muttered, glancing at the World Tree as if in disbelief.

“Just…a lot happened…”

What the hell?

He said he was going to the World Tree, did he end up having a deathmatch with a spirit or something?

No, that can’t be it, so what the hell is it?