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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Hey, Hertlocker. Look at this.”
“Leave me alone…”
“What? Schlus was hiding in his room, scared? Bwahahaha!”
“I don’t want to hear it…”
“Meanwhile, he was fighting two thousand rebels single-handedly in the Great Forest? What the hell happened?”
Eric’s prodding was met with stony silence.
The newspaper article he was waving in front of Hertlocker’s face featured none other than Schlus Hainkel, detailing his solo battle against the rebels after concluding his negotiations with the Great Forest.
Hertlocker, who had been defending the Fourth Castle at the same time, had assumed Schlus was cowering in his room.
The reality was far different.
“I knew something was off. It didn’t make sense. That crazy bastard, hiding behind a woman because he was afraid of assassins?”
“So, you’re saying he’s the type to sacrifice himself?”
“Of course.”
Eric’s immediate response left Hertlocker speechless. Even without his personal feelings towards Schlus, objectively, Schlus wasn’t the type to hide behind others.
He would face danger head-on.
The thought made Hertlocker’s blood boil.
Everyone had moments of weakness, times when they had to run and hide. Those who let pride dictate their actions, who couldn’t discern when to fight and when to flee, died quickly.
That was the rule of this world.
Yet, Schlus, despite his recklessness, seemed to defy death.
“It seems Emilia was the prophet after all.”
Eric chuckled, folding the newspaper.
Emilia had vehemently denied the reports of Schlus hiding in the hotel. She had insisted he wasn’t that kind of person, that there must be a misunderstanding.
She had even questioned the veracity of Hertlocker’s account, demanding to know if he had actually seen Schlus hiding.
“Prophet? She always defends Schlus Hainkel, no matter what.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“Emilia is becoming a liability. She’s getting too emotionally invested in her surveillance target.”
“So? What’s wrong with that? The more infatuated she becomes with Schlus, the easier he is to control.”
“That’s true, but—”
“What? Are you jealous?”
“Enough! This conversation is pointless…”
Annoyed, Hertlocker stood up.
Eric, simply grinned and folded the newspaper.
As Hertlocker turned to leave, he paused.
“There’s one thing… one thing that worries me.”
“What is it?”
“Emilia’s feelings are unwavering. I know her better than anyone. I can’t, and won’t, try to change her mind. But I’m worried that if she’s hurt, if she’s disappointed… she might never recover.”
“Why worry about that? First love always fails. It’s a part of growing up.”
That wasn’t what Hertlocker was worried about.
He was worried about what would happen if Schlus Hainkel died. Or rather, what would happen if he was already dead.
The evidence was mounting, but he seemed to be the only one who suspected it.
He sighed.
“Never mind. I’ll be going now.”
“Be careful. Stay out of sight.”
Emilia hadn’t noticed yet.
Hertlocker left the shop, a sense of unease settling over him.
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“Nothing…”
Emilia rummaged through the stack of newspapers, sighing in frustration.
There was no news about Schlus. Or rather, there was plenty of news about the war, but nothing about his return.
It was strange.
It had been seven days since his departure. She had received reports from the intelligence agency confirming the return of Trie, Erica, Iris, and Ainz. But Schlus was still missing.
“What’s going on…?”
News about Schlus was conspicuously absent.
Even accounting for delays, it was too late.
Had there been some kind of media blackout?
If so, it meant the news was significant enough to cause widespread panic.
The death of a national hero, perhaps…
“No, that’s impossible.”
Emilia shook her head, dismissing the thought. Schlus couldn’t be dead. He was always meticulous in his planning. He wouldn’t have overlooked the possibility of his own death.
“Unless…”
A chilling thought occurred to her.
What if a situation had arisen where someone had to die? If a sacrifice was necessary, and Schlus had foreseen it, he wouldn’t have hesitated. He would have sacrificed himself to save the others, his death meticulously planned.
The pieces seemed to fit.
Emilia felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.
“The handkerchief… by now…”
The handkerchief she had given Schlus. She had kept another one, imbued with her mana, in her drawer.
She rushed to her room and opened the drawer.
“Oh… no…”
The mana within the handkerchief was fading.
After a week without contact with its owner, it was dissipating.
Schlus’s handkerchief, imbued with the same amount of mana on the same day, would be in a similar state.
“You promised… you promised to return before it faded…”
The handkerchief crumbled, reduced to a fine, invisible dust of mana.
Tears streamed down Emilia’s face.
“Liar…”
It had been a meaningless promise, a playful way to urge him to return quickly.
Yet, the sense of betrayal was overwhelming.
But betrayal quickly turned to fear. Perhaps he hadn’t broken his promise. Perhaps he couldn’t keep it.
“No… it can’t be… tell me it’s not true…”
Tears flowed uncontrollably.
She tried to wipe them away, but they kept coming, like a dam bursting. Her eyes felt broken. She hadn’t received any official confirmation, hadn’t seen his body.
He had even been resurrected once.
It was ridiculous to react this way to a mere delay.
“Ugh…”
Her attempts to smile turned into choked sobs. She hadn’t cried like this since the end of the war.
She knew she looked pathetic, but she couldn’t stop.
The Empire’s top spy, reduced to a sobbing mess, unable to control her emotions.
Fear, terror, and self-loathing consumed her.
Thump…
“Huh?”
Footsteps echoed from the entrance hall below.
The heavy thud of leather boots.
A familiar sound.
Emilia’s body reacted instinctively, preparing to run.
The faint creak of the opening door… Schlus always opened the door with a forceful tug, then eased it open slowly to avoid the creaking sound.
Just like…
“No way.”
She knew how devastating disappointment could be. She pressed her hand against her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.
It might not be him. It could be anyone.
She repeated this mantra as she descended the stairs. The open door cast a bright light into the darkened hallway.
“Ugh…”
She had forgotten to turn on the lights.
A dark figure silhouetted against the bright entrance… Her eyes widened as she focused on the shadow.
Her vision adjusted, and tears welled up once more.
“I’m home.”
It was him.
It wasn’t a dream or a hallucination. Emilia’s face broke into a wide smile. She ran towards him, throwing herself into his arms.
“Oppa!”
“Oof!”
[T/N: oppa is like big brother or a cute way for girls to speak to a guy in Korean ]
She wrapped her arms around his waist.
It was Schlus. A little thinner, perhaps. His voice, slightly strained with fatigue, was unmistakably his. And the gentle hand stroking her hair… that was Schlus too.
“Why are you so late?! You promised to be back in a week! Before the handkerchief faded! It’s been seven days and an hour!”
“Emilia.”
“Liar! You broke your promise! I was so worried! I missed you so much! I was so scared just now, wondering if this was a dream, a hallucination…”
“Emilia, could you please let go?”
Schlus’s voice trembled.
He sounded flustered.
Emilia noticed his unusual formality.
He was using polite speech, not the casual tone he reserved for their private moments.
“M-Mr. Bodyguard? Hello…?”
A woman with green hair stood behind Schlus, her expression hesitant.
Emilia blinked, taking in the scene, then—
“Oh! We have a guest!”
She quickly released Schlus and straightened up, her face burning.
“I was practicing my acting. How was it?”
“It was… wonderful. Like lovers reunited after years of separation…”
“Really? My practice is paying off!”
“Emilia.”
“I’ll go make some tea!”
Ignoring Schlus’s call, Emilia hurried away, her ears bright red.
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[Your Text Here]
Best girl Emilia is back! Thanks for the chapter!
Quiz : how many members will be in his harem?
Emilia,Erica,Trie,Iris, Beast woman Knight, Maybe Princess? Also his ex reincarnated. Up to 7