〜〜〜 [Imperial Capital of Laxlard Empire] Emperor of Laxlard's Chambers 〜〜〜

"What!? Is that true?"

"...Yes."

"Is that a genuine account?"

"Yes, it indeed happened on the plains of the Kingdom of Liedgarm, and I witnessed the scene myself."

In the chambers of the Laxlard Empire's Emperor, only two individuals, an elderly man and a masked figure, conversed. The masked man kneeled before the elderly man.

"Hmm, I wonder if our continent's heroes have returned here?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. It is still early in the morning, so I believe they are still asleep in their chambers."

The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his fingers tracing the contours of his beard.

"I find it hard to believe, but is it possible that the rumors are true? Twenty-seven heroes summoned to a different continent have come here, defeated a demon and zombies, and returned. Can such a thing be possible?"

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, I believe it to be highly unlikely."

"Indeed, you share the same opinion."

"Yes, there are no magic circles connecting that continent and Liedgarm, and furthermore, even after two days since the incident, there has been no communication, so the likelihood is low."

"Hmm. The more I ponder, the deeper the mystery becomes, and the fewer answers I find... Very well, Chief of Intelligence. Listen to me carefully."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The Chief of Intelligence responded just quietly enough for the Emperor of Laxlard to hear.

"Send a letter to Liedgarm requesting details of the incident to be conveyed to our country, and dispatch a hero as the messenger."

The Chief of Intelligence remained silent, but even from beneath his mask, his surprised expression at the Emperor's words was evident.

"Is it permissible for the heroes to leave our country?"

"It's fine. They will eventually need to visit other nations. Moreover, the distance from here to Liedgarm is a suitable journey for practice."

"It takes about a week by carriage, so I understand your point, but..."

"Besides, they possess the power to confront demons on equal terms. They should be able to handle any bandits along the way, and besides, Liedgarm is a nation formed as an alliance between our three countries. They would not misuse the heroes. I will inform the others about this tomorrow."

"...Understood. I will convey the message to those in Liedgarm."

"Right, and regarding that matter we discussed earlier, has there been any progress on the whereabouts of the lost hero?"

When the Emperor asked, the Chief of Intelligence shook his head before beginning to speak.

"We have dispatched search teams to the other continent as well, but there's been no sign of him. There's a possibility that he may have already passed away, but..."

The Emperor shook his head, denying his words.

"No, that possibility is slim. The fact that the country that summoned the hero is still searching is evidence enough.

Furthermore, if any nation other than our three countries... no, if some wretched nation were to capture that hero, the consequences would be unimaginable... You understand, right?"

Upon hearing those words, the Chief of Intelligence bowed slightly, then looked straight at the Emperor and began to speak.

"My apologies, Your Majesty. I had a careless thought. We will continue the search. Is there anything else?"

"Nothing. I leave the rest to you."

"As you wish."

After responding, the Chief of Intelligence disappeared to somewhere.

"I hope he is safe... Well, it's time for me to change and get ready."

The Emperor rang a bell, summoning a servant into the room to prepare for official matters.

〜〜〜 Kingdom of Liedgarm, Northern Gatekeepers' Perspective 〜〜〜

"We're done here. Welcome to the Royal Capital of Liedgarm! Please proceed!"

The gatekeepers of Liedgarm's eastern gate, adhering to their motto of humility, usually conducted inspections of those entering Liedgarm from early morning. ...However, today was unusual.

"Next, please... WHOAAAA!!?"

The gatekeeper was taken aback and recoiled in astonishment upon seeing the person standing before him.

"Oh my, what's the matter, Mr. Gatekeeper?"

"W-Who are you?! W-What... What business do you have here in the Royal Capital?!"

The gatekeeper exclaimed while reaching for the sword at his waist.

"Oh dear me~ Mr. Gatekeeper, I've just returned to my hometown. Sooo... could you please not reach for such a dangerous thing?"

"H-Hometown? This place?"

"Yes, indeed~ This. Place. Is. My... Hoooome~!"

As he watched the person in front of him strike a mysterious pose, the face of the gatekeeper tightened in confusion.

"...Uhh ...what?"

The gatekeeper couldn't help but wonder as he looked at the individual before him. Is this really where this person is from?

"W-Well, never mind. Do you have any identification?"

"Of course I do~ Here. Is. My. General Guild Caard~!"

"A-Alright! Let me take a look."

Taking the card, the gatekeeper furrowed his brow as he checked it, but his expression turned to surprise halfway through.

"Y-You're Ed-...?"

"Peach!"

"...Huh?"

"My name now is Peach!"

"P-Peach? No, you're E-..."

"Peachh!!! Can't. You. Understand. My name?"

Taken aback by Peach's assertiveness, the gatekeeper stumbled. It was understandable. The gatekeeper knew about him, or rather, her?

"Eek! My apologies, Lady Peach! There's no problem at all, please proceed!"

"Ufufu! Thank you. Keep up the good work, gatekeepers!"

After saying so, she(?) entered the Royal Capital.

"...So the rumors were true..."

The gatekeeper bid farewell to the man claiming to be Peach with an incredulous expression on his face.

〜〜〜 Elaina's Perspective 〜〜〜

"Achoo!? ...Mmm? Ahh~..."

Ugh, I woke myself up with my own sneeze. Did someone mention me in their gossip? Nah, that's unlikely. Let me just check the time just in case.

I brought up the menu and glanced at the time in the upper right corner of the screen.

Hmm, let's see... it's... just before five in the morning. Well, I can still catch some more sleep.

"...Since I still have a bit of time, I'll go back to sleep. Goodnight..."

She began to pull the covers over herself once again.

This inn's bedding is really nice and fluffy, isn't it?

She thought to herself before quickly drifting off to sleep once more.