The Queen and the Princess.
Both were the most noble in the nation.
The King had passed away early, and there were no other siblings.
Yet, they were excellent royalty and politicians, ensuring no issues in governance.
But even their expressions were not bright today.
“Eventually, it has come to this.”
The Princess sighed deeply.
Even the Queen, who would normally insist on royal dignity, made no comment.
Her face, still unbelievably youthful and beautiful despite having an adult daughter, was now marred by worry.
“I never thought we’d worry over the Hero Party’s affairs, Mother.”
“Sigh… Indeed. The absence of one person can be so significant.”
The Hero.
Chosen by the ‘God of Heroes’ and receiving divine protection.
Their powers were exceptionally remarkable.
Especially the ‘Hero’s Blessing’, which was overpowered, and they were eligible to wield the holy sword.
This was true for the current Hero, Leon, as well.
“There was controversy among the nobility about why such a blessing went to a noble young man without notable achievements.”
“Perhaps the problem started then. We should have prepared in advance.”
“I thought there were no issues initially. Mother and everyone thought so because ‘he’ was part of the party.”
At the Princess’s words, the Queen smiled bitterly.
“Right, in this Hero’s team was ‘Hyun-woo’, his long-time companion. And he was more outstanding than anyone.”
“Yes, his talent was overwhelming. I saw it just once, but it was chilling.”
The Princess’s face became distant as she remembered the genius magician.
Her eyes seemed to picture Hyun-woo’s overwhelming abilities.
She first saw Hyun-woo at the capital’s festival demonstration.
She couldn’t forget the brilliant magic she saw then.
“With him there, I thought even the Demon King wouldn’t be a problem. He was that great.”
“Ha, there were even rumors that the God of Heroes intended to choose Hyun-woo but picked Leon instead because Hyun-woo contracted with the God of Magic.”
“Was there such a rumor?”
“Well, it’s just a rumor. Only the gods know the truth.”
The Queen inwardly wished it were true.
But now, such wishes are in vain.
“Not just losing such a great magician, but to exile him with his own hands.”
“… It’s just stupid.”
The Princess clicked her tongue lightly.
“Honestly, including Leon, this Hero Party is far inferior compared to past Heroes.”
“Yes, it was the magician Hyun-woo who forcibly boosted their lacking strength.”
Thanks to him, the Demon King’s subjugation was progressing smoother than ever.
Who would have thought it would end like this?
‘Really, what was the Hero thinking?’
Of course, it’s not like they couldn’t guess his feelings.
Hero Leon was often compared to Hyun-woo in many ways.
Even the royal family supporting the Hero valued Hyun-woo as a more important force.
He must have felt inferior and jealous.
‘But this shouldn’t have been the way.’
The shock wouldn’t have been this great if Hyun-woo had simply left.
But whatever he did after his exile, Hyun-woo completely disappeared.
Eventually, the kingdom lost an immense force in Hyun-woo.
“If so, even without the Hero Party, he would have been a great help anywhere.”
“Exactly. We lost such a valuable talent.”
The loss for the royal family wasn’t just that.
Regardless of the process, the Mage Tower lost its most valuable talent due to the Hero’s affair.
The royal family was responsible for handling the aftermath and issuing apologies.
After all, ‘managing’ the Hero was a role of the royal family.
Ultimately, the royal family had to repeatedly apologize to the Mage Tower and promise substantial support.
This debt would surely become a greater burden later.
“With such an incident, it’s now even harder to get support from magicians.”
That Hero Party even drove away Hyun-woo.
There was already dissatisfaction for taking away a genius, and now this outcome.
Who would want to join such a party?
The Princess still felt the cold gaze of the Mage Tower’s master.
“The future is the real problem. We have to fill Hyun-woo’s vacancy somehow.”
“…The Hero must be taking our royal support lightly. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have done such a thing.”
The Queen gave no response.
But her silence affirmed those words.
If even the royal family, who should trust and support the Hero the most, was like this.
It was obvious how the other nobles viewed the Hero Party.
“Still, try not to show it too much in front of them. We have to at least hear them out.”
“Understood, Mother.”
Then, they heard a servant’s voice.
Soon, the Hero Party entered.
Apart from Hero Leon, all were female.
They approached and knelt down.
“Hero Leon, we have come in obedience to your command.”
“Good, you’ve worked hard in coming.”
The Queen nodded lightly, welcoming them.
Then she looked at the Princess.
“Due to Mother’s business burdens, I will speak on her behalf.”
It was already decided that the Princess would speak here.
Because it was better for it to come as her personal opinion rather than from the Queen herself.
Of course, it was just a formality.
Everyone knew that whatever the Princess said was the royal family’s intent.
This, too, was the best consideration for the Hero.
“I trust you know why you’re here. It’s about the magician Lee Hyun-woo’s issue.”
At the immediate mention of the name, Leon’s shoulders twitched.
“Currently, the royal family deeply regrets the departure of magician Lee Hyun-woo from the Hero Party. Moreover, Hero Leon’s opinion was deeply involved in this matter.”
It was almost a direct reproach about why they drove away Lee Hyun-woo.
So, the following words would be nothing but criticism and excuses.
“Certainly, you must have a way to compensate for his absence, right? I’d like to hear how you plan to fill that gap.”
They probably anticipated this question.
So, they would likely have a decent response, even if just for show.
Based on that, the royal family could advocate for the Hero to extinguish the immediate fire.
…But the Hero’s response far exceeded the Princess’s expectations.
“Thank you for your concern. However, we believe we are sufficient without any additional forces.”
The Princess frowned at the immediate response.
If it truly were sufficient, there wouldn’t have been a need to secretly summon the Hero Party here.
“…You mean there’s no problem?”
“Yes, as the leader, I do not see Lee Hyun-woo’s presence as greater than myself, the Hero, and my companions. The royal family need not worry about his vacancy.”
“Since the disappearance of magician Lee Hyun-woo, I’ve heard you’ve failed to deliver proper subjugation results. Are you truly sufficient with this force?”
The women behind him seemed eager to speak.
But they dared not.
Reporting to the royal family was the Hero’s role.
They feared how interjecting might be perceived by Leon and the royal family.
“It’s just an adaptation phase. It’s natural to have some gaps when a force is missing. With a little more time and support, we can show results.”
“Time and support…”
The Princess tried to maintain her composure.
But her clenched fists trembled with anger.
How much more support should be provided?
It was all the royal family’s resources and, further, the people’s taxes.
‘How can they be so bold after squandering so much…’
The reason the Hero Party received substantial support was because of the belief that they would subjugate the Demon Army.
It was also the trust built by the sacrifices of previous Heroes.
What if they failed to subjugate the Demon Army?
Did they still hold any value?
‘Even if they do, others won’t see it that way.’
There was still a convention of patience.
But soon, the discontent of the nobles and others would reach its peak.
That dissatisfaction will quickly turn towards the royal family, who were supporting the Hero.
The royal family could no longer afford to bear such losses.
In short, it was time for results, not just words.
“Very well.”
The Princess made a purely political judgment.
It was not a vindictive response to the expulsion of the magician Lee Hyun-woo, whom she admired.
“If you’re so confident in your force, there should be no problem in subjugating, right? As the royal family, we command Hero Leon’s party to subjugate the Dark Forest within a month.”
“Pr-Princess… That’s a bit difficult in just a month……..”
“I will not hear objections. Our royal family has waited long enough.”
The Hero couldn’t say anything.
Because the Princess’s words were true.
The subjugation she now mentioned should have been completed long ago.
It was delayed due to Hyun-woo’s expulsion.
The result was this unprecedented situation of the Hero receiving condemnation from the royal family.
Therefore, there was only one response possible for Hero Leon.
“We will obey the royal family’s command.”
The women behind him closed their eyes tightly.
They seemed to already envision the outcome of the subjugation.
And this was no different for the Princess and the others involved.