Chapter 516: Chapter D191: Single-Minded and Unwavering

The Victory Banquet for my brother ended peacefully, and six days have passed in the blink of an eye.

During these six days, the Hero has been quite fulfilled.

Although she still rarely talks to her family at home, her days are not lonely.

She often drags the Fourteenth Princess around the city, just as her dearest friend once did for her, leading her out of a dull world into the bustling streets and the warmth of the sun.

The Fourteenth Princess does not stay at the Viscount Mansion, but is hosted by the City Lord, so the Hero leaves home early each day, heading straight for the City Lord Mansion, much like she used to visit her close friend.

Even though she really cannot get what she wants from her family, she has a loyal Familiar, dear friends, and people who get angry for her when she is sad.

If she thinks about it, perhaps the reason she feels out of place in this home is that during her first runaway, she met that girl as bright as a clear sky.

If she hadn’t met her, she might still be suppressing her emotions, gloomily staying in her room.

“Is that so… so that is why you became a Hero…”

In a small shop by the street, the Fourteenth Princess quietly listens to her story, observing the Hero’s smile tinged with a trace of loneliness and nostalgia, and her eyes inevitably show some heartache.

She opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but ultimately did not speak.

Seeing her hesitation, the Hero gently shook her head.

“It’s okay now. Even though the goal to eradicate Goblins hasn’t changed, I have decided to live well.”

If she kept fighting in despair, would she one day come to regret it?

Not only regret her own misery and foolishness, but perhaps even regret meeting her.

To avoid becoming like that, she must strive to move forward.

Ten years from now, thirty years from now, even a hundred years later, she hopes to look back and think:

——Because I met you, I was able to see so many beautiful landscapes.

The Hero lifted her head, revealing a bright smile to the Fourteenth Princess. That expression, devoid of shadows, seemed to bring springtime prematurely, warming one’s heart from within.

The Fourteenth Princess also smiled at her.

“As expected of the Knight I bestowed the honor upon.”

“Hehe.”

In the following days, the two roamed the streets and alleys, not like a nearly legendary Hero and the kingdom’s Princess, but more like two ordinary girls, enjoying a peaceful and leisurely youth.

The two girls walked together, their faces full of laughter, always capturing the attention of passersby, some even forgetting to look ahead and crashing into obstacles only to be healed by the hurriedly arriving Hero, who then returned home marveling at having met the Lantern’s Saintess.

If the Fourteenth Princess had known the Hero from the past, she would surely notice that the Hero now closely resembles her state when she was with her close friend back then.

However, compared to before, there have been changes in the Hero’s life.

Although her father and mother remain the same, showing no more attention due to her achievements, at least they no longer impose restrictions on her, and she can now freely enter the study that was previously off-limits.

At the dining table, her father even asks her details about her battle with the Great Demon.

“I see… it was sealed above the earth’s core then, no wonder…” Listening to the Hero’s recount, her father showed a thoughtful expression, his lip curling into a smile that sent a chill down the girl’s spine.

“Father…?”

“Ah, it’s just a thought on my topic, nothing that needs your concern.”

Even though he did not answer directly, there was a bit more patience in his usually cold demeanor, and he was even willing to give an explanation, making the girl feel somewhat unexpectedly favored.

In any case, although their attitudes are still not as warm as the Border Count’s, at least the present Hero no longer finds the Viscount Mansion to be a place of discomfort.

All these changes have been noted by her brother.

Observing the interaction between the Hero and her father, her brother appeared thoughtful, with a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Finally, on the sixth day, after the Hero and the Fourteenth Princess had agreed on their next travel plans and were preparing to leave the following day, he stopped the Hero as she was about to go out.

“Are you planning to leave?”

For the first time in so many days, her brother initiated a conversation with her. The Hero turned around, responding with some surprise, “Yes, brother. We are leaving tomorrow, is there something wrong?”

Her brother paused for a moment, his brows slightly furrowed, his gaze fixed on her, as if searching for some sign.

“Are you really unaware, or are you pretending and trying to numb us?” His tone carried a hint of ridicule, “You don’t intend to just run away, do you?”

The Hero was momentarily at a loss, unsure of his meaning.

“You became a Hero, right? That’s why you became stronger in such a short time.” His deep green eyes showed a scrutinizing look, the young man said indifferently.

The Hero hesitated before gently nodding.

“Obviously, you’re not a Hero trained by the Church. In other words, you’re an Avenger, with Goblins as your target for revenge.”

Her brother’s words implied something that stirred unease in the Hero’s heart, but she continued to nod.

“And the reason… although you never explicitly said—it’s because of that friend of yours, right?”