Thanks to Cyrill’s return, they were instantly transported to the vicinity of the royal kingdom. From there, Neigass transported them the rest of the way with her magic after she came to collect them, and they arrived at the royal capital in no time at all. They entered the capital from the skies above, as there was a risk of chaos due to the excessive number of people gathered at the main gate if they entered that way. Flum and the others were greeted by Slowe, who had become king. And for some reason, beside him was Y’lla, and also Satuhkie and Henriette. Slowe stepped forward with a nervous look on his face and tried to say something kingly, with a determined expression.
“Well done. I am glad to see you have returned safe and—” A head of red curly drills flew past him at incredible speed.
“Sisterrrrrrr!” Ottilie screamed and threw herself into Henriette’s arms, embracing her. Everyone was taken aback by her momentum, and Slowe’s expression went completely back to how it had been earlier. Even Ottilie wouldn’t normally do something like that in front of a king and a cardinal. However, even after she rescued her beloved Henriette, whom she proclaimed her love for, they had only been able to spend a short time together at the Demon Lord’s castle, so her feelings must have run wild. It was the sort of act where it wouldn’t have been surprising if she were punished, but…
“Ha ha ha, she’s the same as ever.” Satuhkie just laughed it off and left it at that. Ottilie was one of those who worked together with the heroes, so that meritorious deed counted for something. The atmosphere suddenly relaxed and Y’lla started talking to Flum in the same manner as she did before.
“Y’know, I’m really glad we were able to see each other face-to-face like this, safely.”
“It’s truly amazing that neither of us died.” Although Y’lla had come close to death many times, she had suffered almost no external injuries. And before she knew it, she was standing next to a king, which was more than just good luck.
“But what are you doing here, exactly, Y’lla? Slowe’s become king, but what’s your position?”
“I don’t know.” Flum and Y’lla both looked at Slowe for an answer.
“I don’t know, either…” Apparently, no one knew. Satuhkie had called her a “guardian,” but the fact that she was able to remain by the king’s side alone must be proof that this country really was in the midst of turmoil.
“In any case, I’m really happy to see you’ve returned. The residents of the royal capital will also be delighted, too.”
“Are you going to be using me and Flum to stabilize the country, like you did the others?”
Satuhkie couldn’t help but smile wryly at Cyrill’s blunt, honest words. “I wish you wouldn’t be so wary. Those who returned to the capital before you played that role in some small part too, but what’s important is that you are in the royal capital, and that’s the truth. Even though the church has been overthrown, the people are still gripped by fear, not knowing when another monster like Mother could appear next. In fact, a large number of the Chimera that have ceased functioning in areas such as the floating ruins of Tokyo have been spotted.”
“It’s reassuring to know there are people who can protect you.” When Herrmann said so succinctly, Satuhkie nodded in agreement.
“Gadhio is spending time at home with his family as usual, while Linus and Maria are acting as intermediaries between the guild and the church, but I am overburdening them with work to the point where they are overwhelmed. I intend to make arrangements so that you can return to your daily lives as soon as possible.”
“How is Eterna doing?”
“She is staying at my research facility with Ink, who is attending to Nekt. It seems that she hasn’t returned to the house where she lived, but she may have been waiting for you to return.”
“Meaning Milkit and I can go home right now?”
“Of course. Did you think that you’d be taken to the royal castle and be forced to do something?” It was understandable why Flum would have thought so, based on her past experiences.
“Master and Cyrill were both so anxious during the trip…”
“Yeah, we were. Right?”
“Yeah. I was thinking about what we’d have to say when you have Flum and me lined up on the balcony and introduce us to the crowd, before proclaiming ‘Here are the heroes’ in a loud voice in front of everyone watching.”
“Ha ha, it would seem I’ve made you waste extra energy. That time may come eventually, but right now, we’re busy preparing for our talks with the Demon Lord. We brought you to the royal castle to avoid confusion, and we’ve arranged for a carriage to take you from the castle to your homes.” Upon hearing this, Flum intuitively sensed that she was not going to be able to go outside freely for a while. However, it wasn’t so much that Satuhkie was placing her under house arrest; rather, since she had inadvertently become famous, going outside carelessly would result in her being mobbed by people. After thinking about it though, Flum suddenly realized something.
“I’m not as glamorous as Cyrill though. I don’t think that me walking around the royal capital will cause any chaos.”
Milkit spoke up before Satuhkie could, making a strong case against it. “Master, you are more beautiful than any flower!”
“Th-thanks…”
“Heh, it would appear your attendant is quite fond of you. However, you do assess yourself a bit too negatively.”
“After I became a slave, I walked around openly showing my face, but no one really noticed me.”
“Things are different now than they were then. The Mancathy Times has reported on your activities, too, saying that you are as accomplished as the hero Cyrill.”
“I was detained almost the whole time, though…”
It was hard to deny that the press coverage had been used as part of the plan to stabilize Slowe’s reign. But if Flum had gotten this famous, then it must have been even harder for Cyrill, who was already a famous person to begin with.
“That reminds me, where you are going back to, Cyrill?”
“I have…a room in the royal castle, but I have to wonder if it’s even okay for me to live there now that the battle is over.”
“We wouldn’t do anything like kick the hero out onto the street. But if you’re unhappy with that room, we’ll prepare something for you. Whatever you want. Even if it’s a mansion in the East District.”
“No, I don’t really need all that. I…”
“So in that case, you might as well move in together with us. How about it? We have a spare room, and—” When Flum casually started saying that, Cyrill leaned in close, bringing her face close to Flum’s without hesitation.
“Cyrill…?”
Cyrill stared intently at Flum, and while mindful of Milkit’s gaze, whispered something softly to her. “Flum, you don’t realize what you showed me while we were in the Demon Lord’s castle, do you?”
“Huh? Wh-what…?”
“I may be the hero, but even I don’t have the courage to jump into a place where there’s only two people.”
Cyrill had a very good idea of what was going on. She, Flum, and Milkit had stayed together in the same room in the Demon Lord’s castle. Flum and Milkit had been acting like they always did, but the physical intimacy between them was too close to be considered normal between a slave and master, or even between friends. Toward the end of their stay, Flum had the feeling that Cyrill had the same look on her face that Eterna had at home.
“Ah… Oh… Ah ha ha, I see. Yeah, I suppose.” Flum was cornered.
Cyrill looked into the face of her best friend, and giggled. “Pfft.” Then, taking a step closer, her skirt fluttering gently, she said, “You need to take responsibility properly, Master,” and lightly pushed Flum on the back with a warm smile.