402 Finding the Saint

Chapter 402: Finding the Saint

"Nasus, are you alive?"

"Yes. However, although I shouldn't say this to outsiders, I'm not okay at all."

Prince Nasus was lying on his bed, looking critically ill.

The strangest part of it was that not even one attendant of his was female.

"Please review this document, Prince."

"This is no time to work, Prince. I insist you focus on finding yourself a good wife."

"Shall I prepare tea, Prince?"

"The people have submitted a petition. What would your verdict be, Prince?"

"Prince."

I kept hearing 'prince' all over the place.

Some of the people in his room were doctors and servants taking care of him, but the overwhelming majority were officials who kept delivering more work to him.

There was nothing I could do.

Someone had to run the state affairs in Elf King Elfheim's stead.

"Prince."

"Prince."

"Prince."

… Regardless, wasn't this a bit too much hard work for a recuperating patient?

This looked no different from abuse in my eyes.

They weren't just bringing matters to him for final revisions, reviews, or confirmation. Rather, they hung on to him like children who couldn't do anything without their parents.

His name kept echoing from all over the place.

Prince Nasus.

Having been ruled by the now-deceased Elf King for what seemed like forever, this country had become far too used to a government system that was essentially no different from a dictatorship. Hence, now that their leader was gone, they began to depend and rely on him even though he was still just a prince.

Not only his territory but the entire elven race now looked to him for guidance and leadership. They didn't bother themselves with politics, fully believing their 'handsome Majesty' was still the one ruling over them.

That was what made this country a little unique.

Their late king, having nigh-exclusive power over the governance and reformation of his nation, was at the very least progressive. However, the people he used to lead were very conservative and narrow-mindedly loved him from birth to death.

In other words, the Elf King just wasn't the ruler of a country. He was the leader of their race. That was why the distinction of nationality was meaningless to the elves.

"With you in that state, can you even lead your poor and foolish subjects?"

"I'm fine."

"This is just too irresponsible."

"The king, through a vision, told me he's coming back. That's why I know our race will survive. Still, now that I'm in his position, I've realized how great he truly was. As a result, I've concluded that the position of Elf King is too heavy for me to bear."

"Is that so?"

I thought the elves left everything to Elfheim simply because they refused to suffer from politics-induced headaches, but it seemed their desire to rely on others was just nearly limitless.

On the other hand, no one would want to become a king if they saw Prince Nasus's deteriorating health. It wouldn't even be strange if he died from overwork right this instant.

"What did the Hero come to see me for?"

"I heard you're having difficulties coping with your newly regained memories, but… I don't think you have time to even look back into the past."

"Hahaha…"

His dry smile touched me deeply.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed a bunch of his hair had fallen all over his bed.

Swish.

Considering he had one of his servants silently swiping them away, he was most likely frequently shedding hair.

Was he suffering from hair loss?

Elves, as laid-back as their lifespan, were immune to stress-related hair loss, but he seemed to be an exception.

Was this actually going to kill him after all?

He lived in a very different reality from Princess Sylvia.

"What about your sister?"

"… A child who has no interest in politics. She left it alone after trying her hands on it a few times."

"I see."

Sylvia wasn't as flexible as her fellow elves.

In the past, she was an idiot who believed her race reigned supreme over others, and now she had fallen into a great delusion…

She didn't fit in with politicians who had to adapt quickly to changes.

"What do you really need from me?"

"I'm just worried."

"… I know this will come across as disrespectful, but as far as my memory serves, the Hero isn't the type to worry about others."

"Then what?"

"He's the type to grab others by the neck and tell them they'd be fine."

"Hmm… I think you're prejudicing me. I don't do that."

"You do, but since this isn't important right now, let's move on. I'll ask you again. Aside from your concern over my well-being, what brought you here?"

He was making this conversation really difficult for me.

I wanted to argue against him, but I suppressed my urge to do so, thinking it would be too harsh for someone as overworked and ill as him.

"I heard you met a Saintess recently."

"Ah, so you're here because of that after all. I found it hard to talk to her due to my phobia of women. Ironically enough, though, she made me feel a lot better."

"Is it love?"

"…"

"Are you a lover of big breasts like Elfheim was?"

"Hmmmm! Our meeting just made me feel like I was meeting my eldest sister. We seldom experience such an emotion, considering the boundaries of age blurs and eventually breaks for our kind as we grow older, though the respect we have for them remains."

"That's what usually happens when men meet older women. You fell in love with her and even want to gradually turn her into your wife because she unconsciously reminds you of your mother."

"…"

"It's okay. It's a natural phenomenon."

To me, Illeana was nothing but a fake-breasted scammer, but her fellow elves saw her in a different light.

… Was Nasus also unaware about Illeana's gigantic breasts actually being mulberry-sized?

If so, I felt really bad for him.

"She seems to have decided to wander across the continents as her tangled memories organize themselves." He smiled bitterly.

"… I apologize for interrupting your drama about overcoming gynophobia with the power of love, but did she say anything about where she's going?"

I assumed she was on a journey to find her family, but upon listening to Prince Nasus's words, it seemed I was completely wrong.

"She didn't tell me, but I am the prince of this country. I easily confirmed she's boarding a ship to the port of Alcabra on the Eastern Continent."

"So that's who you made me spy on."

Until I heard Aries's voice, I thought Prince Nasus had been left alone with me in his room.

… Did he really order her to stalk his aunt?

If they later found out about their familial relationship, it would be as much fun as the Saturday drama my mother watched with tears in her eyes after coming home from her tennis club.

"I didn't make you spy on her! I was just worried about her safety!"

"Really now?"

That was exactly what the stalkers from my home plant said whenever the police were interrogating them!

Even Fugitive Senior firmly believed that if one truly loved a woman, they could take her away from her current lover.

Ah! I should pay him a visit later.

After all, I promised my best friend Noebius that I'd rescue the love of his life while we were fighting against the mollanroid army.

That aside…

"Where is she right now?"

"We lost her. According to the account of a trusted informant, after she entered an inn, she disappeared."

"I see…"

Illeana likely noticed her nephew's goons following her.

After all, she was once on a mission to find the Chaos Artifacts scattered across the lands of Fantasy.

The gentle Saintess Nasus met was no more than a mask that hid her true identity, a thief specialized in hiding and escaping.

This just took a turn for the worse.

If Illeana became determined to keep hiding, it would be difficult to find her without the help of the obsolete Fantasy system or my divine power.

"May I ask you a question in return, Hero?"

"If you're not a mullan, sure."

"What? Ah, I forgot you were a Mollanist. Anyway, I don't know if I'm just ignorant, but… Fantasy's natives have all gathered now that all of its fragments have become one. If so, then all the other Heroes must've been summoned here as well, yet you're the only one we have identified so far. Can you explain to me what's actually happening?"

Nasus' question was justifiable.

He had been through a lot because of them, after all.

If he lived in a remote area where the Heroes didn't visit, he wouldn't have thought about such a question in the first place.

I replied politely.

"They'll come here one by one someday."

I couldn't reveal here that I was the president of this world and was in charge of the Heroes they were looking for.

"I'll have to prepare for when that happens, but His Majesty Elfheim will probably do something about it himself. He always did save us whenever our poor kind is in peril."

"Don't you trust that pervert too much?"

"…"

"Ah, sorry. He was an elf worthy of respect."

"It's fine. I just realized you're no ordinary Hero. Most Heroes and citizens know of him as a philanthropist, unaware that he hates his people."

"Well… I found out by chance."

I forgot.

Elfheim, the Third Elf King, was known as the perfect leader by the outside world.

Their race thought the greatest blessing they had ever received wasn't long life and eternal youth. It was having him as their leader!

That perverted elf's reputation was so solidified that his people accepted it as the truth.

"You must be connected to him in some way."

"Something like that."

He was, after all, technically my father-in-law since his daughter still gave birth to a twin despite their kind's extremely low birth rate.

My daughters resembled me so much they even became emperors of Fantasy at a young age.

'I wonder how they're doing.'

They were powerful enough to slay Noebius in his youth, so they should be fine for as long as they weren't up against the mollanroids.

"If you happen to find Saintess Illeana later, Hero, please tell her to return to the Empire. This country needs her."

"Are you sure it's not just you who needs her?"

"Hmmmm!"

"I'll let her know."

However, the possibility of us meeting was far too low.

Aside from the fact that she was a thief, the Eastern Continent was an archipelago. Hence, information exchange between its cities and countries wasn't as smooth as in the other Continents.

I needed another way.

"Nasus. Where's the Third Elf King's second wife right now?"

"Well… I don't know why you're suddenly looking for her, but Aries would know."

"Thanks."

"When you see His Majesty, tell him to return as soon as he can."

"Hey. What makes you think I'll be talking to a dead man?"

"Consider it a hunch."

"…"

That was a really convenient prediction!

"Now that I'm desperately leading our race on his behalf, I have come to realize that only King Elfheim can lead these feeble people right."

"Is that so?"

From an elf's perspective, a world without that pervert seemed to be no different from hell.

I left Nasus not long after, who nervously governed a small empire, and visited Aries again.

"The 2nd Queen?"

"Yes. Is she in bad condition as well?"

"She is, but in a different sense. After His Majesty's death, the 1st Queen began bullying— Excuse me. She began punishing her for being a sinner."

"I see."

Did Elfheim's absence allow his wives' jealousy to finally explode?

『A certain innocent goddess expresses her hatred for harems.』

『A certain innocent goddess strongly advocates for chastity.』

Having been silent for quite a while, the Innocent Goddess disturbed my peace again. Why was she getting so worked up now?

I went to the 2nd Queen's residence, desperately hoping the deities wouldn't catch up to my plans.

Silesia, Elf Hero Silerion's younger sister, was the traitor who drove Elfheim out of the Holy Kingdom and usurped his throne.

Yet despite her demented personality, Parmael still hired her as a teacher and continued to hold her position to this day even after Bakery became Director!

That made me wonder if her abilities made up for her deplorable personality. Well, I'd know once we met.

"This is it, Hero. According to her maid, she's currently with the First Queen."

"Seems like it."

I could hear two different female voices coming from behind the soundproofed door.

"I know I've asked you this before, Silesia, but did my daughter really sleep with a human from another world and give birth to twins?"

"Yes. I don't know how many times I've answered that question already, but I've confirmed that fact over and over again."

"I'm sorry. It's just frustrating."

"I understand."

"Even though His Majesty Elfheim loved humans, he still married those from his kind, knowing fully well how to separate his public and private lives. But my eldest daughter… Why did she have to fall for a human… Ahh! I can't face His Majesty now that I've given birth to a disgrace!"

"It's okay. The human she ended up with is extremely powerful and intelligent. He's also a friend of His Majesty."

"Hmph! That garbage hasn't even come by at least once to thank me for giving birth to a wonderful daughter that resembles the greatest elf to ever exist!"

"Listen."

"What is it?"

"He is greater than any human you can imagine."

"… More than His Majesty?"

"No. There is no one nobler and greater than His Majesty Elfheim. The act of comparing him to others itself is already an insult to his excellence."

"Silesia."

"Yes?"

"My daughter, Elkaterina, the eldest child of a family that carries the blood of our perfect king, has been tainted by the hands of a foul human who's never even visited me to express his gratitude and pay his respects. Imagine you're in my place, Silesia, my eternal rival."

"He's garbage."

"Right? Objectively speaking, he's trash, isn't he?"

Knock knock—

Since there was no sign of their conversation ending, I decided to intervene.

"Excuse me. The trash you were looking for has been delivered. May I come in?"

"Wait. I've never heard this voice before. Are you making fun of me? This room is the residence of the Great Elf King Elfheim's wife. Ask my maid for the location of the trash can or the garbage dump instead— Huh? Silesia? You don't look so good. Are you sick?"

Creaaaak—

After notifying them of my presence, I entered the room without their permission.

I was garbage, after all!

"Nice to meet you, mother-in-law. I am that trash."

"How dare…?"

"Where's the trash can?"

My mother-in-law stared at me with a blank expression.

"So handsome…"

"What was that?"

"You're so handsome…"

"Ah. Thank you."

The handsome Hero who hadn't been recycled yet made his grand entrance!