I looked into the princess's emerald eyes, which were sparkling with a strange light, and... answered.

"No."

"Eh? Why?"

"Putting everything else aside, why am I a hero?"

The princess tilted her head.

"Aren't you a hero?"

"Where do I look like a hero?"

At that, Dofang, who had been listening quietly, chimed in with a chuckle.

"That's right, Princess. This guy is quite far from being a hero."

But this stubborn princess stuck to her opinion to the end.

"No. In my eyes, you are a hero. The hero who will save our Maia Kingdom!"

"...?"

Save the Maia Kingdom?

What kind of nonsense was she spouting?

"Who decided that?"

"Uh... you decide, hero?"

"I have no intention of doing so."

"Don't say that, think about it carefully. Isn't there even a little bit of that feeling?"

"..."

"Just a tiiiny bit. Even this much. Huh? Even thiiiiis much."

"I told you, there isn't."

"Aww. You're not being honest."

"..."

Is this really a princess?

"Setting that aside. Save? From what?"

The princess's eyes grew slightly serious.

"From the magical beasts migrating south from the pure white, frozen lands."

"I'm not interested in saving anyone."

"Really?"

"How many times do I have to say it?"

"Uh... can't you do it even if I ask like this?"

As she said that, the princess made a flower cup with her hands under her face and blinked her emerald eyes excessively.

I shook my head like a grown adult dealing with a thoughtless child and looked at the incredibly audacious princess.

Why was she acting so fearlessly toward a ruffian who had just beaten up the Second Prince's knight a moment ago?

"Princess. I am not some hero-wannabe, I am a mercenary. For something like this, shouldn't the proper procedure be to make a request, not a plea?"

The princess's eyes widened.

"...A request?"

"Yes, a request."

I immediately held out my hand to Schmidt, and Schmidt, quick on the uptake, placed a request form and a fountain pen in my hand.

I immediately started scribbling down the details on the form.

"Hmm... so, Princess, you want me to go north and smash the heads of all the nasty magical beasts migrating south with the blizzard, right?"

"Yes, that's right!"

I quickly filled in the items and handed the request form to the princess.

"Here, you can sign here."

The princess took the request form and, without even reading it properly, picked up the fountain pen.

"Okay, I'll sign!"

"Princess, just a moment."

Just then, her guardian knight, Monde, quickly intervened, sweeping the princess up into his arms as if kidnapping her, and hastily took her to one side.

Then, with their backs turned, they began to talk amongst themselves.

"Princess, I don't care about the others, but not Sherwood."

"Why?"

"Because it's a den of madmen, Princess. Especially that man, not much is known about him. Did you see his eyes? He's particularly unhinged, even among the Sherwood crew."

"Huh. I don't think he's that bad."

"He's the guy who they say killed an A-rank magical beast, a Hydra, while smiling. He also caused a huge ruckus at the Richtiello family's place."

"So what? A man should have a wild and unruly side to him!"

"I'm saying it's far too excessive."

"I like it! I like him! I got a good feeling about him!"

"No, that's not the issue..."

I watched the two of them, then looked at Dofang, who was sauntering over.

"That knight?"

"That's Sir Monde, Princess Lily's guardian knight."

"His aura is extraordinary."

Dofang nodded.

"His skills are those of a true knight. He's not like that half-wit you beat up earlier. It's just that his disposition is rather far from that of a knight."

"...He looks it."

If not for the words 'guardian knight,' I would have thought he was just an overly strong delinquent.

How can a knight be so flippant?

His swaggering demeanor was like watching a ruffian from the back alleys.

[Still, he's better than the ones who just act all high and mighty.]

"That's true."

A short while later, the princess approached me with her guardian knight, who had a look of resignation on his face.

"You are Sir Ashuban, the captain of the Sherwood Mercenary Corps, correct?"

I nodded.

"That's me."

The princess opened her mouth in a tone much more subdued than before.

Her words carried the gentle dignity of royalty.

"I got ahead of myself and was rude. I would like to formally invite you to our residence. How about we discuss the details there?"

The princess is royalty.

An invitation to her residence.

It meant an invitation into the first and innermost wall of Milgard, where the royalty resided.

In other words, it was an invitation to District 1, the sanctuary of the royals.

Schmidt's eyes widened.

Dofang was just grinning, and the easily distracted Linda, having lost interest, was doodling on the ground with a stick on one side.

But I had no desire to know how the royals lived. I wasn't even curious.

"I refuse."

"Eh. Why?"

The royal dignity vanished in an instant.

"Just because. It's a hassle. I'm busy, too."

"I'll give you lots of delicious food."

"...Do I look like someone who would be tempted by such things?"

"Delicious food?"

Linda, who had been doodling on the ground, shot her head up.

It seemed Linda was tempted.

"I am not a hero, I am a mercenary. As you said, the captain of the Sherwood Mercenary Corps. Mercenaries carry out requests for a price. If you wish to hire me, make a request. Don't do anything pointless."

For words spoken to royalty, they were quite seditious, but neither the princess nor her guardian knight seemed to mind.

The princess met her guardian knight's eyes and let out a deep sigh.

"Yes, I understand. Then, could you give me the request form again? I'll read the contents carefully and sign."

"Do as you please."

The princess took the request form from me again and read its contents carefully.

Her guardian knight, Sir Monde, also leaned in beside her, his eyes darting around as he read.

...These two were quite the oddballs.

I had heard that nobles and royals live and die by their reputation.

For them to not say anything even when a mere mercenary spoke so rudely.

Seeing Linda, unable to bear her boredom, poking at a pile of trash in the back alley with a stick, I gestured to her.

"Linda. Stop messing around and come here. That's dirty."

"Mmm. Dirty."

Linda threw the stick away, came over to me, grabbed my clothes, and looked around.

Dofang, unable to wait, was trying to talk to the princess and her guardian knight as they were engrossed in the request form, only to be told by Monde to shut his mouth.

A moment later, the princess looked up at me with a peculiar expression.

"Sir Ashuban. The payment for the request is a bit unusual, isn't it?"

I shrugged.

"Is it difficult? I thought it wouldn't be too difficult for the princess of a nation."

"Of course, it's not difficult. But as the one making the request, it's a bit strange for me to say this, but... will this really be enough? I was expecting you to demand a huge sum of money."

Judging by her expression, she seemed prepared to pay even ten million gold, but I was, after all, the owner of Ophosis's legacy.

Money didn't hold much meaning for me.

Instead, there was definitely something of greater value that I could get from the princess of the Maia Kingdom.

I nodded.

"Yes, that will be enough. Will you sign?"

The princess raised her head and looked into my eyes.

I held her emerald gaze for a long time.

The princess, as if she had found something in my eyes, smiled brightly and nodded.

"Yes, I will!"

Then, she gestured to Sir Monde.

"Sir Monde."

"Yes, Princess."

"Could you bend down for a moment?"

"..."

The princess used her guardian knight's back as a writing board and signed with an elegant script.

I drew up another identical request form, got it signed, and then the princess and I each took one and shook hands.

"Is it done?"

"Of course, esteemed client. The request has been successfully accepted."

"Huh?"

"Thank you for trusting and entrusting this to us, Sherwood. We will escort you comfortably to the north, where the white blizzards rage."

The princess chuckled.

"Your tone has completely changed now that the contract is signed."

"Of course. You are our precious client. Please leave us a good review later."

The princess smiled playfully.

"We'll see how you do."

I mimicked the greeting of the nobles.

I waved my hands exaggeratedly as they did, stepped one foot to the side, and gave a polite bow.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself. I am Ashuban Sherwood, captain of the Sherwood Mercenary Corps."

The princess also received the greeting, lifting her dress slightly with both hands and curtsying.

"I am the third princess of the Maia Kingdom, Lilia Adrianne Maia. Please feel free to call me Lily. I look forward to working with you."

The third princess.

The Black Prince was the third prince.

The Heavenly Demon laughed lowly.

[It seems you have a connection with the number three.]

I smiled as I met the third princess's emerald eyes.

Since I was going anyway, there was no harm in extorting some extra payment from royalty.

* * *

On the third week after the Sherwood Mercenary Corps completed their long-distance request and entered Milgard, the capital of the Maia Kingdom.

The sun that had been watching over the city had set, and a quiet darkness had fallen.

A grand wedding was being held at the Temple of Ketel.

The groom, Arthur, and the bride, Ophelia, were dressed up beautifully and handsomely as the main characters of the wedding, but despite it being their own wedding, they had dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

At the appearance of the two main characters, the guests shouted and congratulated them.

"Hahaha! Look at that dazed expression!"

"Whew! Whew! You look good together!"

"Arthur! You lucky bastard!"

Among them were not only the hunter Camus and the mercenaries who had done the Saluki Merchant Guild's escort request together, but also the merchants of the Saluki Merchant Guild, and even the head of the guild.

Venter, who had come as a representative from the Mercenary Guild headquarters, kept smacking his lips, unable to smoke.

The bride and groom received the congratulations pouring in from both sides as they walked toward the center of the temple.

The men slapped Arthur's shoulder, and Ophelia bowed her head repeatedly at the pouring applause and congratulatory words as she moved forward slowly.

Flower petals were scattered before them.

Just then, the voice of the man on the officiant's platform was amplified by a magical device and echoed through the hall.

—Hey, hurry up and get over here. I'm dying of frustration.

At his voice, people chuckled and let the bride and groom go, and the main characters smiled faintly and hurried to the platform, stepping on the flower petals laid out on their path.

There, a man with blood-red eyes, looking uncharacteristically neat, had one corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk.

Arthur smiled faintly.

"Captain."

Ashuban grinned back at him, then stood before the platform, his gaze lowered, and began to officiate, reading something haltingly.

—Uh... so, bride and groom. First, greet each other. Yes... and next, we will have a congratulatory speech from the noble Princess Lilia Adrianne Maia of Maia.

At those words, not only the bride and groom, but all the guests were startled.

A princess?

Why would the princess of the Maia Kingdom come to such a shabby wedding and give a congratulatory speech?

Soon, when Princess Lilia really did appear, wearing a subtle green dress that wasn't flashy, the guests began to murmur.

"I was wondering how they managed to book the entire Temple of Ketel, so the princess was behind it!"

"How does the captain know the princess?"

"Did he have connections with the royal family?"

—Now, quiet! The princess is speaking!

At Ashuban's words, the murmuring died down, and Princess Lilia's congratulatory speech followed.

"Yes, I have heard the story of the bride and groom from our Sir Ashuban. What a romantic story it is! It made me think of a single flower blooming and bearing fruit in a desolate field."

'Our' Sir Ashuban?

At that choice of words, the guests' eyes widened as they looked at each other.

"After sorrow, there is only joy. It is darkest before the dawn. The most splendid and passionate time will pass, and a peaceful night will come. To the two of you, my sincerest congratulations. I hope your future is filled with only a happiness as calm as the night."

Clap, clap, clap!

After the princess's speech, a round of applause poured out.

Arthur still had a dazed expression, as if he couldn't believe the scene before him, and Ophelia was bowing her head repeatedly, as if she didn't know what to do with herself in her gratitude.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Regardless.

Ashuban's officiating continued.

—Uh... and next, a greeting from the parents of both families... huh? There are no parents from either family? Then we'll skip this. Next, we will have the officiant's address.

And then silence.

"...?"

A look of confusion appeared on the guests' faces.

Ashuban, who had been blinking, belatedly slapped his forehead.

—Ah, this is my officiant's address.

Laughter erupted in the wedding hall.

"Hey, Captain! What are you doing?"

"Is this your first time officiating?"

"Booo! You're trash! Get down from there!"

"Heehee! Even a flustered devil is cool!"

"Little brother, don't be nervous!"

Ashuban, his face slightly red, shouted.

—Shut up, you bastards! Who said I was nervous.

"Booo. He who smelt it, dealt it."

"Booo. Trash. Go dance naked."

The groom, as if used to this commotion, wore a calm smile, and the bride covered her mouth and chuckled.

Ashuban cleared his throat and continued the officiant's address.

—Ahem. So... in the season of fresh green, when all the plants are lush and green, with the elders of both families gathered... what is this. The season is completely wrong. There are no elders from either family here.

At that, a man who appeared to be a priest of the night temple whispered with a flustered face.

"Um, that was just for reference..."

—Ah, to hell with it!

"Ah, no!"

Ashuban threw all the papers on the platform and began to officiate as he pleased.

Naturally, a torrent of boos poured from the guests.

—Bride and groom, rely on each other and live well. The end.

"Booo! You're trash! Go die!"

—Who was that just now. Was it Miles? If you have a complaint, come on up. I'll physically remove your complaint.

"..."

Ashuban, having suppressed the complaints with force, moved on to the highlight of the wedding, the marriage vows.

—Groom Arthur, do you take bride Ophelia as your wife and swear to live a long life while being nagged by her?

Arthur replied, holding back his laughter.

"Yes, I swear."

—Bride Ophelia, do you swear to nag groom Arthur and torment him for a long time?

Ophelia smiled brightly and answered.

"Yes, I swear."

The bride and groom's eyes met.

—Then, on behalf of the will of Ketel, I solemnly declare that the bride and groom have become husband and wife.

"Waaaaaah!"

—The bride and groom will now smash their lips together.

The moment the bride and groom kissed, all the candles and magical lights that had been illuminating the darkness went out, and the hall was plunged into darkness.

"What!"

"What's going on?"

While people were panicking, the priests who were assisting with the ceremony knelt and prayed to the night sky.

"Ooh, Ketel has descended!"

"Ketel's gaze is upon this place! Ketel is watching over us!"

"It's a miracle of Ketel!"

"How could this happen in such a humble and shabby place...!"

"O, Ketel!"

When the guests, startled, looked up at the night sky, two moons were looking down on the earth like eyes.

"...!"

People were at a loss for words.

The moon had suddenly doubled?

It was clearly a miracle of Ketel, the god of the night sky, the moon, and the stars.

"Ooooh...!"

"To witness a miracle of a god with my own eyes!"

"How...!"

Ashuban, who was officiating, smiled faintly and looked at the two eyes in the night sky, murmuring softly.

"Thank you."

At those words, a crescent moon that looked like a smile briefly appeared below the two eyes before disappearing.

It was as if the night sky itself was smiling.

At that, the people went into an uproar once again.

"D-did you just see that?"

"A crescent moon appeared like a mouth and then disappeared!"

"Ketel looked at us and smiled!"

And so, the last night in Milgard was drawing to a close.

(End of Chapter)