Chapter 27
“…Damn it.”
Inside the sprawling mansion.
Eric, exhausted from returning to his room after meeting the Grand Duke with the order he had received from Malefica, lingered at the door, a troubled expression on his face as he recalled what had just happened at the castle gate.
“A hero of the Church… What nonsense is that…?”
He couldn’t understand why anyone would make such a commotion in front of everyone.
A hero of the Church.
That title wasn’t something one lightly throws around just to put an incompetent person in their place.
Even if it were merely a “hero” talked about among the people, being officially declared a hero by the Church was not a position that could be attained by strength alone.
“Did the Church mean to publicize my accomplishments this way? They could have just told the Grand Duke quietly… Why in front of everyone at the castle gate?”
No matter how much he wanted to fix the situation, the damage was already done.
It had come from none other than a priest of the Goddess herself—a person influential enough within the Church to meet the Grand Duke in private.
“Ha… I can’t pick this up now. Isabella… What the hell possessed her to do something like this?”
Of course, being recognized as a hero of the Church wasn’t inherently bad.
In fact, it was such an honorable position that even renowned heroes would compete fiercely for it.
Even the most prestigious heroes, who had saved countless lives and slaughtered monsters throughout their lifetimes, couldn’t even be considered if they didn’t pass the Church’s rigorous evaluation criteria.
For someone like him, who needed to secure the position of the Duke’s heir, it wasn’t a bad thing at all.
From the perspective of the elders who had influence over the heir selection, Eric the Rogue was a pawn not worth considering. But as the Church’s hero, Eric Ather might appear as a decent candidate in the eyes of these elders who valued family honor.
“But that’s only if people could somewhat accept it.”
Even such an honor, when taken to excess, would only arouse resentment.
Even if the rogue, who constantly tarnished the family name, were suddenly elevated to a Church hero overnight, those who normally looked down on him wouldn’t simply accept it.
Instead, during his brief absence, they might suspect some secret deal with the Church and investigate further.
It was laughable to think that a mere prince—especially one far from the line of succession—had connections to the Church. But at least that story was more plausible than the idea that an incompetent had become a Church hero.
“…Damn it. Ever since I defeated Ivan, the family elders have probably been keeping a close watch on me. Things will only get tougher from here.”
“Have you heard? That rogue prince has become a hero of the Church!”
Eric narrowed his eyes at the voices of the servants echoing down the hallway.
“What? Rogue prince? Not Prince Allen or Prince Ivan, but the rogue prince?”
“Yes! There was a huge scene at the castle gate! A priest from the Church declared him a hero!”
“No way, you must have heard wrong. That damn rogue a hero? Hopefully, he didn’t cause more trouble elsewhere.”
“No, it’s true! Several people saw it with their own eyes. The rumor has already spread across the city!”
Had they forgotten they were walking past the rogue prince’s room? Or had they become so accustomed to treating him this way that they didn’t even notice their surroundings?
Eric clicked his tongue bitterly at their thoughtless gossip.
“If the servants react like this, I can only imagine what the elders think… Well, I never expected to overturn the old men’s judgment anyway.”
Even after enduring hardship in the mountains, it was disappointing to remain sidelined—but there was no reason to be defeated by something like this.
One or two fortunate events could be considered coincidence, but if repeated, even the most stubborn elders would have to acknowledge it.
“Three years until the heir selection ceremony. Not very long, but enough to turn the elders’ opinions around. Even before the real war with monsters begins, there are plenty of deeds to be accomplished nearby.”
“Eh, I’d say the priest probably got tricked by the rogue… ahem!”
Eric, regaining his composure, paused as someone approached, interrupting the conversation with the sound of retreating footsteps.
“Your Highness, the Grand Duke summons you.”
At the steward’s voice outside the door, Eric finally stepped out, as if expecting this moment.
Knock, knock.
“Enter.”
Standing before the Grand Duke’s office, he cautiously stepped inside after receiving permission.
Creak—
Eric, standing slowly before the Grand Duke, cast uneasy glances at him as he silently examined the letter on the desk.
“…I hope I didn’t say anything foolish here too.”
Malefica remained against the wall, waiting silently, watching him. Their eyes met briefly, and Eric quickly turned his gaze away, unsettled by her inscrutable smile.
“I heard you solved a troublesome matter. The Church had been struggling for months, but thanks to you, they were relieved.”
“Is that so? I always feel like I only bring shame to the family, but I’m glad I could help this way.”
He nodded humbly to the Grand Duke, who spoke quietly while looking at him.
Whatever they had discussed before, as long as he remained calm, there was no risk of giving them a reason to criticize him.
He didn’t know why the Church was pursuing the overpowered spirit, but taking only the corpse and sending Malefica to guarantee his achievement meant… at least for now, he had made a favorable impression.
‘Of course, it’s still suspicious that an incompetent discovered the spirit the Church knights couldn’t and even handled the named enemies there. But if I coordinate with Leona and Lilian, I can smooth things over. Isabella didn’t witness the cave incident firsthand anyway.’
“…What wind blew you all the way to the Nibosus Mountains? I thought you were only going for a short trip.”
Momentarily concerned about avoiding suspicion, Eric explained the excuse he had prepared before leaving the mansion.
“I heard from the knights at the training grounds. They wanted to visit their hometown during the break, but the path was blocked by an avalanche, so they gave up. I went to check briefly in case there was a way to help. Helping with any difficulties is a noble duty.”
It wasn’t a grand excuse for traveling several days by carriage, but there was no problem. Neither the Grand Duke nor Malefica would take it entirely at face value, but there was no evidence of malicious intent.
“And here it says you handled the named enemies. Is that true?”
Lowering his head slightly, the Grand Duke tapped the letter on the desk.
The question itself wasn’t important. What mattered was why the rogue of the family had suddenly been elevated to Church hero—a status directly tied to this matter.
‘Me, handling named enemies…?’
Eric noticed the Grand Duke subtly observing Malefica behind him.
Malefica.
He gave her a meaningful glance before returning his attention to the Grand Duke.
“Of course not.”
An incompetent handling named enemies?
Becoming a Church hero unexpectedly was already overwhelming. A sharp-edged stone inevitably gets struck.
“I only assisted slightly since I was nearby. Most of it was handled by Lady Leona and Lady Lilian.”
With the Church’s endorsement, it would have been tempting to claim the rewards, but he didn’t need them. Their success was effectively his success, and their growth meant his own growth.
“…Understood. You may go.”
With the Grand Duke’s command, Eric bowed and left the office.
Creak—
“You’re very skilled at lying.”
Malefica’s voice followed quietly as the door closed.
“…Lying?”
“The named enemies. I heard you handled them.”
Her calm tone belied the suspicion in her eyes. After a moment, he answered with partial honesty.
“I only finished off the dying enemies, so it’s not exactly false. Why would I lie about something so trivial?”
If suspicion was already present, the best tactic was to hide his intentions within the truth.
Leaving some room for her to probe was safer. It allowed him to subtly guide her suspicions in the direction he wanted.
“Then, until next time.”
After some time, Eric naturally left the mansion. He gestured to the adjacent cathedral while moving, guiding Malefica.
Managing what this paranoid individual could suspect wasn’t easy, but his extensive experience in this kind of “game” helped.
A Church priest’s duties weren’t idle—tending to the wounded, managing donations, coordinating prayer schedules. If he ensured she only moved outside the cathedral cautiously, there would be no major issues.
“The cathedral is this way, Priest.”
“Yes.”
“No, I said this way.”
“So?”
After guiding her to the cathedral, he tried to return to the mansion, but Malefica continued to follow.
“…Weren’t you assigned to the Grand Duke’s household?”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“Specifically, I was ordered to assist the Church’s hero.”
“The Church’s hero?”
Eric blinked in surprise. He had thought he only needed to watch her when she left the cathedral—but now he was stuck with this paranoid woman all day.
“…Really?”
She pointed at him incredulously. The answer made cold sweat run down his back.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Under the crimson glow of the setting sun, her sly, crescent-shaped eyes gleamed with bluish light.
