After offering my advice to Hero Eligion, some time passed, and Holy Knight Canaria and Warrior Gorgano arrived. In previous timelines, only Holy Knight Canaria had come to this location alone, but this time, both of them arrived together. The change in the future must have been due to Warrior Gorgano's increased wariness of me through the parasitic scythe puppeteer.
"Your Highness, we apologize for the delay. We're sorry for not being by your side during this crucial moment."
"Both of you, great job. Canaria, there's no need to apologize. We've successfully defeated the Demon Lord."
"What? Is the Demon Lord already defeated? You've taken all the credit, Hero!"
Warrior Gorgano's laughter echoed.
The content of their conversation seemed ordinary, and it appeared that neither of them had hostile intentions in front of the Hero. It would be best if things continued this way, although I knew that such a peaceful outcome was unlikely.
"Phew, I finally made it! I thought I was going to die!"
"…"
After a while, Elf Nyau and the hooded man Noct arrived. Their actions were no different from the previous timeline, but in reality, I couldn't determine if these two were friends or foes.
In any case, with everyone gathered, we used Nyau's teleportation magic to return outside the dungeon. Then, we were welcomed by the villagers of Katarov and a celebration was held in honor of our victory over the Demon Lord, just as it had unfolded in the previous timeline.
"Hey, Kiska, are you enjoying yourself?"
As I sat in a chair in the square where the celebration was taking place, Hero Eligion approached me and spoke.
"No, I'm not enjoying myself. I'm constantly on alert."
I chose not to participate in the celebration and instead kept Hero Eligion in my line of sight, remaining vigilant.
"Honestly, I thought you were overthinking it. I spoke to them, but there wasn't any difference from their usual selves."
"Hero, my future predictions are always accurate."
"I see. Well, when the time comes, please protect me."
"Of course, that's my intention, but…"
Honestly, Hero Eligion was much stronger than me. I didn't think I needed to protect him.
"Canaria is my most trusted subordinate. If she were truly a traitor, I'd be in shock, and I wouldn't be able to focus on fighting."
"I see…"
Indeed, in that case, it might be necessary for me to protect the Hero.
"However, I still believe that your future predictions might be wrong. So, relax and enjoy the celebration."
With those words, Hero Eligion left for another place. After all, he's a hero, and he probably has many other people to talk to.
"Hey, buddy, mind if I sit next to you?"
After being alone for a while, I was approached once again.
As I looked at the person who had approached me, my heart began to race.
The reason was that the person who had approached me was none other than Warrior Gorgano.
Without waiting for my response, Warrior Gorgano took a seat right next to me.
"What's your intention?"
Not understanding his motives, I questioned him.
"Don't be so wary. I don't intend to fight here."
Saying this, he brought the tankard in his hand to his lips and downed the drink in one go.
"Hey, buddy, who are you exactly?"
Warrior Gorgano asked such a question.
"I'm adventurer Kiska."
"I don't want to hear that kind of stuff," Gorgano replied with an irritated click of his tongue.
"Well, I don't know," I replied.
In response, Gorgano clicked his tongue again.
"You see, we have been planning meticulously and executing carefully for years, even decades. Finally, as our plan is approaching its final stages, suddenly, an irregular like you inserted yourself into our midst."
"You're quite open about sharing various information," I replied sarcastically.
Gorgano sniffed unhappily and continued, "Well, fine. The world is full of things we don't understand. You are just one of them."
As he spoke, Gorgano took another sip of his drink.
"But you know, we won't give up. No matter how cunningly you all try to obstruct our path," he declared, as if they were the champions of justice.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked, puzzled.
"We're doing it because the Master desires it."
"Who is this 'Master'?"
As I asked this, I recalled that Holy Knight Canaria had also mentioned the existence of a 'Master' in a different timeline. So, who is this 'Master' exactly?
"The name of the Master is a privilege only for the members of the organization to know. I won't tell you."
"What if I said I want to join your group?"
"Idiot, there's no way I'd believe that. You are already considered an enemy by the organization."
Well, it wouldn't be that easy.
"But I'll tell you one thing. The final battle is tomorrow. So, sleep well tonight and prepare for tomorrow."
With those words, Gorgano stood up, headed somewhere to get more drinks, and left.
◆
"Why are you here?" Holy Knight Canaria asked, standing in front of Hero Eligion's room.
"No, why are you here in front of Hero-sama's room?" I replied.
"I need to discuss tomorrow's plans with His Highness. Now, answer my question. Why are you here?"
What should I answer? Is Holy Knight Canaria trying to enter Hero Eligion's room to assassinate him? Or is she genuinely here to discuss tomorrow's plans? What does she think of me? Most likely, she, like Warrior Gorgano, considers me an enemy, but I'm not entirely sure.
"I also have matters to discuss with Hero-sama," I replied.
"What matters are those?" Holy Knight Canaria inquired.
"I don't think I'm obliged to answer you," I said.
"I also have a role in protecting the Hero. It's only natural that I remain cautious about anyone approaching the Hero."
What she was saying made sense, but I had my own reasons for not backing down. How could I navigate this situation? As I contemplated my options, the door creaked open.
"What are you both doing in front of the door?" Hero Eligion appeared, questioning our presence.
"Forgive the disturbance, Your Highness," I said, taken aback by his sudden appearance. "I had some important matters to discuss regarding tomorrow's plans, and I was about to visit Your Highness's room."
"I also came to discuss an important matter with Hero-sama," I added.
"I see. Well, both of you, come inside," Hero Eligion readily agreed.
"Your Highness, I believe inviting him into Your Highness's room might be unwise. I don't trust him as a reliable individual," Canaria suggested, attempting to distance me from Hero Eligion.
This was problematic. If Hero-sama heeded Canaria's advice, I wouldn't be able to serve as his guard.
"Canaria, I've given my permission," Hero Eligion's words carried an undeniable weight, as if he allowed no room for dissent.
"I may have overstepped," Canaria realized, quickly retracting her objection.
With that, I was able to enter the room with Holy Knight Canaria. The future was uncertain, but perhaps I could protect Hero Eligion from whatever might unfold.