Somehow,
I found myself miraculously escaping the clutches of death, now gazing into the countenance of a breathtaking young woman who seemed no older than twenty.
Adorned with white hair, golden eyes, and fair skin, she wore elegant attire befitting a high-class individual, possibly a noblewoman.
However, in the Herssian Kingdom, a noble house with white hair and golden eyes was unheard of.
Above all, a peculiar white light emanated from her, possessing the extraordinary ability to heal wounds that not even high-level magic Total Cure or an Elixir could mend.
"Who are you?" I queried, locking eyes with the golden gaze.
A moment of silence passed as she contemplated her response. "...My name is Iris," the older sister replied.
"My name is Franz Alexander. I'm the Herssian Hero. Nice to meet you again," I responded, attempting to unravel the mystery surrounding Iris.
Interrupting our exchange, the younger sister inquired about the duration of my peculiar state. It was then that I realized I was still reclining on Iris's lap, prompting a hasty rise. Both Iris and I blushed momentarily.
"Isn't it rude to just ask my name?" Iris retorted.
"A-Ah, right, please forgive me. May I know the name of this beautiful lady?" I redirected the conversation to the younger sister, Hally.
"M-My name is H-Hally!" she stammered with a hint of embarrassment.
Expressing my gratitude for saving my life, memories of the bizarre group that had attacked us resurfaced. Approaching the corpses for examination, I was met with a macabre sight – the bodies rapidly decomposing and disintegrating.
'This is reminiscent of the unknown attack that nearly claimed my life before...'
Initially, my plan was to glean information about the highly trained enemies by examining their bodies. However, their corpses disintegrated in real-time, leaving no traces behind.
The mystery deepened, surpassing my initial expectations.
Turning to the sisters, I suggested, "It would be better if we first meet with the army forces until the whole situation is under control. I'm going to escort you both."
***
Three hours had passed since the army intervened in the capital, and the situation was finally under control. I found myself inside the royal palace, which served as the command center for the army.
More specifically, I was surrounded by a group of mid- and high-ranking female officers, all wearing clearly angry expressions.
"You sure have the guts to drag everyone into your mess and then expect them to clean it up for you," Lieutenant Colonel Angelica chided with a cold voice.
Angelica, a 27-year-old officer with long straight light blue hair and matching eyes, was known for her serious demeanor. However, she was currently in a very bad mood.
"Hahaha, to think that you would run away in the middle of the night and then suddenly summon us to the capital and meet all of this," Major Eva added, her laughter lacking sincerity.
Eva, a 25-year-old with short red hair and a more youthful appearance, seemed equally displeased.
"Come on, girls, shouldn't we at least give Franz some chance to explain himself before the Colonel gets here?" Captain Jessica suggested, her arms crossed.
Jessica, a 24-year-old officer with long straight green hair and matching eyes, was the youngest but cared for the others like an older sister.
Surprisingly, all three women, who typically maintained a good attitude, were upset with me.
"..." I was left speechless as my hands trembled.
In fact, I had abruptly disappeared without informing anyone, using teleportation to reach the capital faster than anyone else. They had every right to be mad at me.
But that wasn't even the biggest problem I had caused...
As mentioned earlier, thirty percent of the missing forces of the Alliance army were actually members of the Herssian army who committed treason by joining me in the coup.
Yes, they committed treason on my orders.
Orders that I reported without prior notice shortly before invading the Demon capital. I had convinced, or rather, coerced the army officers to follow me by revealing numerous illegal and unethical activities committed by nobles and the Royal Family.
The biggest revelation, however, was a terrible truth about the Royal Family.
But none of that seemed important right now because, even though I had just escaped a life-and-death situation, I found myself in another one right away.
Glup.
I swallowed nervously.
As I debated what to say to navigate this precarious situation, the bedroom door opened.
"Hello, Franz. It's been a short time, but from what I can see, you caused quite a show in the royal capital," Colonel Samantha greeted as she took a seat.
Colonel Samantha, in her early thirties, was the youngest person to rise to that position in such a short time. With long straight jet black hair, pale skin, and bright red eyes, she possessed a tall stature and a breathtaking figure, rivaling even Princess Elizabeth's renowned looks.
Samantha was also known for her serious demeanor, never showing a smile, and always remaining focused on her work.
"Breach of your duties as a Hero and Brigadier General, poisoning, incitement to commit treason, and above all..."
"Assassination of all the important figures of the nobility and the near annihilation of the Royal Family," she listed my supposed crimes.
As soon as she finished enumerating my transgressions, the room's temperature seemed to drop several degrees.
"Th-That was actually necessary for-" I began to explain.
However, Colonel Samantha didn't let me continue.
"Furthermore, you blamed the Jacinto Royal Family for your crimes, so our friendly relations with them have been severed forever. And given this, you think that you can't be declared a traitor and sentenced to death because you are one of the few pillars that still hold up this kingdom as the only Hero."
Regarding all of this, all I can tell you is..."
"Good job, Franz," the Colonel said, sipping tea with a cheerful expression and a bright smile on her beautiful face...
...
???
Hmm???
'WAIT, WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!'
"WAIT, WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" I exclaimed in my mind and out loud.
Did I hear that correctly?
And what is with that bright smile on your face!?
It's completely out of character!
"I said you did a good job, Franz, although the last part wasn't executed so well, considering the material damage in the city," Samantha said, her smile still present.
Nope.
Seriously,
'That smile is kinda creepy,' I thought, feeling an even greater chill than before.
I had never seen her smile, not even once.
In shock, I heard unexpected laughter around me.
Hahaha.
It was laughter.
"Come on, Eva, don't laugh so hard... Hahaha," Angelica tried to say but ended up laughing.
"Even though I can understand the feeling of you two, it's a bit rude to laugh in Franz's face without giving him a proper- Hahaha.-" Jessica also laughed.
It can't be...
Even Jessica, who always acts like everyone's big sister...
Is laughing at me right now?
Seeing how the situation had taken a complete 180-degree turn from what I expected, I decided to ask:
"Weren't you guys mad at me?"
To which Colonel Samantha replied:
"Why would we be? We've been waiting a long time for something like this to happen, you know? If we had really opposed your act of treason, we wouldn't have followed you in the first place."
"Then why didn't you guys tell me anything and pretend to be angry!" I exclaimed.
The girls exchanged glances for a moment and all said at once:
"Of course, it's because seeing you completely freaked out is kinda fun!"
"..."
I was utterly speechless.
Just as I was about to respond angrily to being made fun of...
"Please think of it as reasonable payment after forcing us to help you without consulting anyone beforehand and then running away," Colonel Samantha said, her smile disappearing as if it had never existed.
Okay,
Just for this time.
LET'S SAY WE'RE ALREADY EVEN, D*MN IT!
Ah, really, army girls are scarier than a dragon.