Ghislain turned his head and asked, "Erenes, what do you think about those words? Do you understand what they mean?"
Ghislain hesitated to add more words but stopped. Erenes's expression looked somewhat awkward.
However, Erenes quickly twisted her lips into a mocking smile as if nothing had happened.
"I heard you two are quite close. You must really be best friends."
"What do you mean?"
"It's just amusing how you both spout nonsense. The delusions are too severe. Is that something contagious between friends?"
"...."
"I'm at a loss for words. How am I supposed to react? The saintess who saved the world suddenly appears before you guys and starts speaking nonsense. Does that make any sense to you?"
At those words, Ghislain shrugged.
They had too little information about the war from a thousand years ago. They could only make judgments based on what they observed.
"Well... we don't know much."
"I have nothing more to say. Investigate the energy with the mages. If it truly flowed out from Artherion, then it's probably not a good energy."
Erenes rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. She looked extremely tired.
"I'd prefer it if you all left now. My head hurts from listening to such absurdities."
"Erenes."
"Enough. I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"......."
"When you overthink, you fail to see the essence of things. Find the adversary and kill him. That will end everything. That is the 'only' way to protect peace."
With those final words, Erenes turned back toward the window, signaling that she had no intention of continuing the conversation.
Ghislain smacked his lips for a moment before speaking.
"Since everyone's gathered, why not join us for the banquet?"
"I'd rather rest."
"There seems to be plenty of fresh vegetables."
"... Just go."
Shrugging as if there was no other choice, Ghislain stood up. For some reason, Erenes seemed deeply upset.
As Ghislain turned, his expression hardened.
'Her reaction is sharp.'
Erenes always became more sensitive whenever past events were brought up.
Her logic wasn't wrong, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she was still hiding something.
That's why his doubts remained.
'The only way, huh?'
It almost sounded as if there were other methods. There was no need to emphasize that it was the 'only' way.
Erenes seemed desperate to find and kill the adversary to end everything as quickly as possible—just like Artherion had been.
Yulian followed Ghislain as he left. Since Erenes claimed ignorance, they had to look for other methods.
For now, the assumption that it was the energy that had restrained Artherion seemed the most plausible. They decided to investigate further based on that.
As Yulian was about to step away, Erenes spoke.
"Yulian."
Yulian stopped and turned his head. Erenes was still gazing out the window. Without looking at him, she continued.
"I haven't completely dispelled my suspicion of you."
" .... "
"If that energy... tries to consume you, come to me immediately."
" .... "
Erenes slowly turned her head, staring at Yulian with indifferent eyes.
"The others are too soft-hearted to kill you... so I will do it myself."
"…..... Fine."
Yulian replied plainly, as always, and left the room.
Even after the two left, Erenes continued staring at the door for a while before closing her eyes and pressing her forehead.
"I'm exhausted..."
She didn't want to discuss the past anymore.
And...
She wished the remnants of the saintess would disappear from this world.
***
The banquet for the returning heroes had quickly turned into a welcoming feast.
The nobles of the capital tried desperately to attend, and the event grew larger as a result.
Though the kingdom's circumstances were not yet prosperous, preventing them from setting a luxurious table, no one cared.
They weren't gathering for the food but to see the heroes who had returned.
"Oh my! I'm certain the goddess's blessings will fall upon Your Grace, who has spread Her greatness far and wide!"
The archbishop and now officially a 'Saint,' Forisco, bustled around Ghislain, making a scene.
He approached Ghislain before anyone else to flaunt his close connection.
"Ever since we received the goddess's 'revelation' together, I knew this day would come!"
"Haha... ha...."
"And remember! We were the first to 'capture' the Arbiter of the Salvation Church together!"
"Well... I suppose so."
Forisco had indeed been present during the fight with Ravier, the Arbiter of the Salvation Church, when they first appeared in the capital.
Although they hadn't truly captured Ravier together, Forisco cleverly twisted his words.
Forisco was ecstatic. The terrifying war had ended, and he had become both an archbishop and a saint.
Ever since he unintentionally saved orphans during Berhem's tyranny, he had been endlessly praised by the people.
He even excommunicated the fleeing archbishop and high priests. Nothing could block his path now.
'I made the right call partnering with Duke Fenris! What a brilliant move! I really outdid myself!'
Though he had been practically forced into the partnership, it had transformed his fate.
A skilled manipulator, Forisco had taken advantage of the situation to rise to power, solidify his authority, and claim his new titles.
Only after Forisco finally left Ghislain's side could the other nobles approach him.
"Congratulations, Your Grace."
"We were so anxious for your safety."
"I always knew Your Grace would emerge victorious."
Countless nobles offered compliments and flattery to Ghislain. Many of them had previously despised him.
'Damn it! I have no choice but to acknowledge him now.'
'How did it come to this?'
'I need to get closer to him right away!'
Those who had insulted Ghislain behind his back during previous banquets now dared not speak ill of him.
Public sentiment overwhelmingly favored the new dynasty. Neither power nor justification could stand against Ghislain.
One noticeable change was that noblewomen no longer swarmed around him.
'Damn... I should've grabbed him back then....'
'Ah, he is too far out of reach now.'
'I should've forced him into marriage when he was still a northern nobody.'
Many had tried their luck when he was only a count, but now that he was a grand duke, approaching him seemed too intimidating.
Instead, their gazes turned elsewhere. Both noblewomen and noblemen did the same.
After all, the banquet honored not just Ghislain but other renowned heroes.
Unsurprisingly, Yulian drew the most attention. However, his cold demeanor discouraged anyone from approaching.
'What's with that face... how can someone look like that?'
'Just looking at him makes my heart explode!'
'A fallen prince of Turian? My God, what a status.'
People gathered around Yulian, holding their breath, making the space around him feel otherworldly.
Meanwhile, Yulian quietly sipped his drink, uninterested in the attention.
As he briefly glanced around, his eyes met those of a noble lady.
"Ah.... "
Overwhelmed by his gaze, the noble lady fainted on the spot. The sheer thrill had pushed her past her limit.
"What's going on? Someone fainted! Get help!"
"Why did the young nobleman next to her faint too? What's wrong with this guy?"
Yulian's charm captivated everyone, regardless of gender or age.
Though Yulian's presence was overwhelming, others were also receiving plenty of attention.
Around Gillian, nobles eager to propose remarriage swarmed, hoping to form ties with the superhuman.
The same was true for Tenant, a prominent noble from the west, who skillfully handled the nobles in the hall.
Jerome, too, enjoyed considerable popularity.
"Aww, how adorable."
"I can't believe someone this cute is an 8th-circle mage!"
"He looks like such a prankster."
Jerome, not yet immune to such attention, turned bright red and stiffened like a statue.
"Uh, um, uh, thank you."
"Oh my, why are you so nervous?"
"Uh, um, I-I'm not sure."
"You must be new to gatherings like this, right?"
Particularly, older noblewomen flocked to Jerome. Dragged along by their refined aristocratic mannerisms, he had no choice but to follow their lead.
Belinda, on the other hand, faced a flood of noblemen.
"Lady Belinda, would you grant me the honor of dancing with you?"
"I am honored to behold someone more beautiful than the roses in the garden."
"Your beauty truly lights up tonight's banquet. Hohoho."
"......"
Belinda stepped back with a disgusted expression. Their advances were far too blatant.
Once, they would have ignored her as nothing more than Perdium's head maid.
Now, however, she was one of the heroes who had won the war and a superhuman. Most nobles couldn't even compare themselves to her.
Countless nobles invited Belinda to dance, crowding her to the point of suffocation.
'Damn it.'
Pressing her temples, Belinda massaged her forehead.
Their eyes burned with desire. She and Vanessa were the only two superhuman women in the kingdom.
Marrying either of them would elevate a family's prestige beyond imagination. It was no surprise that unmarried nobles flocked to them.
Belinda struggled to reject them, but the proposals showed no sign of stopping. There was nowhere to escape.
Vanessa faced the same situation. She, too, was surrounded by nobles vying for her attention.
However, when someone asked her a question about magic, the atmosphere shifted instantly.
The noble had intended to use a common interest to spark conversation, but Vanessa, as always, gave a sincere answer.
"Oh, that? Well, you see, mana waves are captured and transmitted through vibrations in space, and their periodicity within time and space operates from a single point..."
"...."
"Are you having trouble understanding? Then let me explain. Depending on the direction of propagation, they're categorized by particle movement within the magic transmission method...."
"...."
Vanessa unintentionally launched into a full-blown lecture on magic. The nobles around her didn't dare interrupt and had no choice but to listen.
No one here was bold enough to cut off a superhuman's speech.
While many nobles struggled in such situations, one person was having the time of his life.
"Hahaha! So I just swung my twin blades and—snap!—off went the dragon's head!"
"Wow, that's so cool!"
"Sir Kaor, you're incredibly strong. I wish I could be like you someday."
"Of course! I'm the strongest! Even the old man can't beat me!"
Kaor reveled in the attention. He drank heavily, bragged about himself, and thoroughly enjoyed the festivities.
He was easy to approach, readily answering questions and laughing along, making nobles eagerly gather around him.
Nobles also approached the other key figures from the war. Although not all were superhumans, they were still honored as heroes and contributors to the kingdom.
An exception, however, was made for the priests Parniel and Piote. Most nobles simply exchanged greetings with them without making any advances.
For priests, maintaining amicable relations was enough.
Of course, there were exceptions.
"Lady Piote! How about we head to the terrace and enjoy a drink under the night sky—"
"No, no! I'm much better than him! Spend the night with me instead—"
"Lady Parniel! I've always preferred taller women...."
A few drunk noblemen crossed the line and were promptly dragged away by temple knights.
Ghislain, sitting beside Zwalter, watched the scene with amusement as they caught up on their conversations.
"Fighting is great, but you need moments like this to relax too."
Though everyone seemed a bit overwhelmed, it was still a worthwhile experience.
Then Ghislain suddenly tilted his head, sensing something was missing.
"Huh? Why hasn't that Alpoi shown up yet?"
With his fame and popularity soaring, he should've been here flaunting himself and gathering nobles by now.
"Claude isn't here either?"
Ghislain had expected to see them at the banquet but hadn't spotted them at all.
Zwalter cleared his throat as if to bring up something important.
"Ahem, Ghislain. About that mage Alpoi."
"What? Did he cause trouble again?"
"Well... he's so notorious that people are struggling to deal with him. He's been causing too many problems."
"...Ah."
"Even the Tower Master can't control him. He may be a hero, but you'll need to have a word with him."
"Haa...."
Leaning back in his chair, Ghislain sighed. As expected, Alpoi caused trouble whenever left alone.
Zwalter quickly changed the topic, perhaps to lighten the mood.
"But at least you have your head butler."
"What about Claude?"
"He's remarkably diligent."
".....Huh?"
"As soon as he returned, he started working tirelessly. He's already out leading expeditions, hunting bandits, and maintaining order. I authorized his deployments before you came back."
"...That guy?"
"Yes. I always thought he was a slacker... but I never expected him to work this hard."
Ghislain frowned and folded his arms. Claude was competent, but he wasn't usually that dedicated.
Beckoning one of his aides, Ghislain listened as they whispered.
"We were going to report this after the banquet, but the investigation is complete."
The aide handed him a stack of papers, which Ghislain quickly read through before smirking.
In summary, Alpoi caused trouble, and Claude cleaned up his mess while working tirelessly to replenish military funds.
Ghislain instructed the aide,
"Leave them be for now. Let them struggle a bit longer."
"Understood."
Alpoi would toil in the eastern territories, while Claude would scramble to restore order and finances.
In short, the two fools were suffering from their own actions, and Ghislain decided it was best to let them be.
As Ghislain and Zwalter continued talking, Zwalter asked about his future plans.
"I heard you're forming a pursuit team to track down Duke Delphine and Gartros. It'll take time to find them. What will you do in the meantime?"
Ghislain already had a plan and grinned.
"I'm going to clear out the Forest of Demonic Beasts."
That ominous forest, once called the Demon Realm a thousand years ago, had plagued his lands for too long.
Ghislain was determined to erase it completely.