I wonder how many times I've been to Melromarc's castle by now. Fourth? Fifth, maybe, if I count the summoning? What was routine for the other Heroes still felt more like an exception for me.
I'd even dressed up for the occasion — swapped my usual armor and cloak for something more… aristocratic. Not exactly a three-piece suit, of course, but close enough in spirit.
The one who got the biggest transformation, though, was Night. Not that you'd know it from looking at her — she didn't seem bothered at all. I had her dressed up too, thanks to the only tailor in the city I was actually familiar with. A fanatic through and through, completely devoted to her craft — the girl took the idea of "formal wear" very seriously.
Night needed something special — magical clothing that could shift with her transformations — so naturally, the overall cost wasn't exactly low. Luckily, I could afford it by now without blinking.
And the result was more than worth it.
The guards at the castle gates first greeted us with wide eyes and stunned expressions — most of which, to be fair, were aimed squarely at Night — and then with a touch of caution, now directed at me.
It's worth noting that only a handful of people knew the details of my encounter with the Archbishop. Namely — the Shield Hero and his team, Melty (and by extension, the Queen), and partially Remus. From him, nothing was likely to leak beyond the Queen — and she already knew more than he did. As for the Shield Hero… well, there's no one he'd bother telling. He's definitely not the chatty type, and he's not about to have heart-to-hearts with his recent enemies — meaning the other Heroes.
And really… I couldn't care less. Like it or not, I matter to this world. As long as I keep doing my job, no one's going to care whether I have horns or not. And if I don't cross certain lines, then no one's going to give a damn about me at all — just keep killing monsters and fending off the Waves. That's all they expect, right?
"W-we welcome the Scythe Hero!" the guards stepped aside, opening the castle gates.
"Much appreciated." Smirking, I walked right through.
The reason for their reaction was simple: the public didn't know the full story. Obviously, hiding such a large-scale incident completely wasn't possible. So, what people did know was that the Scythe Hero had single-handedly wiped out over a hundred rebellious church fanatics — including the Archbishop himself.
In plain terms: I had soloed a small army.
"I'm glad you accepted my invitation, Nott-sama." The Queen, somehow managing to spot me in the crowd of gathered guests, greeted me with an elegant bow.
So, what could be said about the celebration itself?
Well… it was extravagant. Even more so than the one the king had thrown after repelling the First Wave. This one surpassed it not just in scale, but in sheer opulence. The hall was practically dripping with gold — the decor more flamboyant than ever, the tables wider, overflowing with all manner of delicacies. Even the servants looked more refined, as did the invited guests. The difference in "quality" between the king's faction and the queen's was hard to miss.
That said, unlike the king's earlier event, there were far fewer nobles among the guests this time. You saw more people dressed in modest clothing, with a bearing that suggested hands-on experience — active fighters, or maybe seasoned veterans.
"You don't have to be so formal," I said with a faint smirk, eyeing the Queen as she bowed her head slightly.
"There's no harm in bowing before someone who has done so much for the world — and for our country," Mirellia replied, shaking her head with solemn grace. "Thanks to you, I am still alive… and my daughter is safe. I owe you not only as a ruler, but as a mother. And, as I told you before, I will do everything in my power to repay that debt."
"Mm. Your call." I had no interest in arguing over something so trivial, so I just went along with it. "By the way — why isn't your daughter with you?"
"Melty is… occupied. When she realized I was heading toward you, she decided not to waste time and instead focus on establishing connections with the nobility, and—"
"So she's avoiding me," I nodded to myself.
"…"
The Queen said nothing, her eyes shifting awkwardly.
"Please, don't be angry with her. It hasn't been easy for her."
Yeah… Her father's a senile old fool who almost started an everyone-vs-us war, her sister's a deranged witch who cares only about herself, and to top it off, Melty herself was nearly assassinated just a few days ago. And as for me — I can't exactly say I held back when it came to reducing the number of enemies around.
"It's fine. Honestly, expected. At her age, I doubt many could've just accepted what they saw."
"Thank you for your understanding. On another note — I was hoping to get your thoughts on something."
"Hm?"
"As things stand, the current Heroes remain apart from one another. Their relationships, to put it mildly, have been strained from the start." Seeing me nod, the Queen continued. "So… what would you think of organizing a meeting of the Heroes? I'm sure this world's defenders have much to discuss."
"Hmm…"
I genuinely considered it. In the past, I might've done it more for show — but now? I actually wondered if maybe I should try speaking with them again. No, I still considered Motoyasu a lost cause, but what about the others?
Meeting with all of them at once wasn't a great idea. Someone would inevitably find something to take offense at, words would escalate, and before long we'd be back to shouting and finger-pointing. No — it'd be far more effective to talk to each of them one-on-one.
We could still hold a general gathering — but limit it to surface-level topics. Real progress could be made in individual conversations. Yeah, that sounded like a plan.
But Motoyasu? No thanks. To hell with him.
I laid out my thoughts to the Queen, who seemed mildly surprised — but ultimately agreed. I was sure her Shadows had painted her a vivid picture of each Hero's personality and adventures. The Queen, if I remembered correctly, was something of a legend enthusiast herself. No doubt she was fascinated by what the so-called "Sacred Heroes" were really like.
I could even imagine the glint in her violet eyes — one she couldn't hide behind her fan — as her mind thrilled at the thought of witnessing the emergence of an entirely unknown Fifth Hero in her own lifetime.
The laugh that slipped out of me earned a puzzled look from the Queen. But when I gave her no explanation behind it, she merely offered a polite apology and excused herself — apparently needing to go "properly organize the upcoming assembly." That's how she put it.
And just like that, I was alone again with my ever-faithful companion.
"What do you think — should I go find Naofumi?"
"Mmm… I'm not sure. Does Master need something from the guy with the shield?"
"Wouldn't say I need something, but still… Yeah, I should probably clear the air."
If I understood correctly, he'd been planning to use the Cursed Series. And odds are, everything that happened to me — he probably chalked that up to the same thing, especially given the circumstances. I'd thought about it myself, vaguely, in the back of my mind… but I didn't expect things to end the way they did.
The weapons in that branch raise a lot of questions. The fact that they draw power from specific emotions, while somehow surpassing nearly everything else in a Hero's arsenal — that's… logical, in a way. But also stupid.
The whole idea of power-ups from emotion, soul strength, faith, and so on… yeah, I'm skeptical. It sounds cool in a clichéd tale about overcoming adversity, but in reality, it's absurd. If Naofumi really did awaken that series, I should try to study it at some point. There has to be a reason behind it. In the real world, every form of power has a source. And even if that source is emotion — I need to understand how it translates into strength.
But that's for later. First, I need to finish dealing with the Church's Duplicate.
"…Nott?" Naofumi looked at me, drink in hand, a bit surprised — and a bit wary.
"Hey. How's life?" I gave him a casual wave and grabbed a random glass off the nearest table. Not like I was going to get drunk anyway.
"Now? A bit better." He paused briefly before adding, "How about you? No… side effects or anything?"
So I was right. Naofumi had interpreted what happened based on his own experience — and assumed I'd tapped into the Cursed Series too.
"Just some bruising to my pride," I said. "Still, I came to apologize, so I won't drag this out. I'm sorry, Naofumi." I bowed my head slightly. "I went too far."
"Yeah. My own fault," the Shield scratched the back of his head. "Though… if I hadn't known what you were up against, I probably would've hated you for it. And, Nott… try not to use what you've gained. That power… it comes at a high price."
"Yeah. I know." Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Raphtalia and Filo among the crowd — both fully absorbed in what the banquet tables had to offer. The only difference was in the level of enthusiasm.
"By the way — you heard about the upcoming assembly?"
"Assembly?"
"The Queen wants to gather all the Heroes so we can talk things over and try to improve our relationships. Sounds reasonable, but I doubt it'll work."
"I'd agree with that," Naofumi nodded, making a complicated face. "They're idiots."
"Yeah. Idiots."
With that shared moment of understanding, we chatted a bit longer before I excused myself. The formalities were over, and I saw no reason to hang around. Naofumi was a decent guy, sure… but I didn't think we'd ever truly understand each other.
I did feel a bit guilty. I really did think I went too far. But nothing more than that.
Naofumi brought his moral compass somewhere it didn't belong. I gave him fair warning the first time — deliberately. And then… well, I just let go of the leash altogether. The Shield Hero shared in the blame, even if I wasn't denying my own.
After wandering around in boredom a bit longer, I finally waited it out until the official announcement of the Heroes' gathering was made. The Queen, standing before the entire hall, declared the end of the banquet and spoke confidently of the upcoming talks between the Heroes — and how everything was going to turn out just fine.
Personally, the only thing I really took note of was her evident poise, charisma, and gift for public speaking. All things I'd already noticed, really.
After her speech, as if to make doubly sure, a servant approached each Hero individually to escort them to the designated room.
Which, following every cliché in existence, turned out to be a standard negotiation chamber with a large round table — where we all eventually took our seats.
"So then… Please, esteemed Heroes," the Queen said, motioning toward us with an inviting gesture, "take this opportunity to discuss any matters that weigh on your hearts."
Well… let the negotiations begin.