To the ends of the earth, every territory of humanity was under their control, without exception.
“It’s alright, William. Even if I don’t join the royal family, we can still meet often! I’ve decided to find a job in the capital city!”
As a Heroine who had only lived in this world for a month, Furenna couldn’t quite understand why Crown Prince William and Saintess Lilith’s expressions became so strained after she successively refused offers from both the royal family and the Church.
She just wanted to find a job suited for herself in this city, and it wouldn’t be too far away, right?
Moreover… Furenna worried about her powerful strength being exploited. Though simple herself, she understood her own strength was extraordinarily powerful. While she was willing to believe His Majesty the Emperor and the High Priest were good people, she still worried about people with ulterior motives scheming against her.
After all, even if Furenna’s strength was enough to easily solo-kill the Demon King, she couldn’t completely avoid the influence of mental-type magic like hypnosis magic.
William and Lilith didn’t say much more, only maintaining forced smiles on their faces as they bid Furenna farewell.
As for the other members of the Heroine’s party—or rather, the former Heroine’s party—they had long since made excuses to hastily leave. Before parting, the alchemist, bespectacled girl Sariel’s look that screamed ‘idiot’ left Furenna completely baffled.
Heroine Furenna walked onto the main street. The citizens were still lining both sides to welcome her, their enthusiasm overwhelming to the point she felt completely at a loss.
In the chaos, Furenna requested to find an inn to rest. Immediately, an innkeeper grabbed her and led her away. Thus, the Heroine Furenna half-pushed, half-pulled left this main avenue that led straight to the royal palace.
Furenna was filled with curiosity about the world and anticipation for the future. She wanted to join the Adventurer’s Association and explore this beautiful world created by the Creator Goddess as an adventurer.
But inside the royal palace at this moment, the atmosphere was not so good.
Crash!!!
His Majesty the Emperor, with a gloomy expression, hurled the wine glass in his hand. Accompanied by the shattering glass fragments in the air, the Emperor had long lost the affable demeanor he showed when receiving Furenna. The Empress sat silently beside him, not daring to breathe too loudly. The Church’s High Priest stood quietly on the other side, waiting for the Emperor to speak.
“So, this foolish Heroine actually refused us,” the Emperor suddenly laughed. “Historical records show that previous Heroines, while noble, never refused the prices we offered.
“Not to mention, this time we offered a lifetime peerage and the identity of the Church’s Saintess.”
Compared to the Empress, who trembled in fear at the Emperor’s laughter born of extreme anger, the High Priest’s expression was much calmer. He explained calmly.
“After all, the Heroine is the Goddess’s creation. Perhaps this time the Goddess made slight modifications. After the… incident with the last Heroine, which caused the Goddess to personally descend into the world and display divine miracles…”
“I don’t want to hear history lessons right now, High Priest Pucci!”
The Emperor withdrew his icy smile, interlocking his fingers before his chest, his gaze fixed directly on the High Priest.
“I need you to fulfill your previous promise now.”
“Of course, Your esteemed Emperor,” High Priest Pucci swept his robe aside and knelt on one knee. “Even the Goddess’s emissary cannot disobey Your command.”
“Hmph. A Heroine! Just a tool to kill the Demon King, truly thinking she’s something…”
The Emperor rose from the throne, walking straight to the massive floor-to-ceiling window at the edge. From here, he could see everything below at a glance, including the Heroine Furenna surrounded by enthusiastic citizens at this very moment.
“I can let you be the Heroine, respected by others, enjoying the admiration of all…”
The Emperor’s palm covered Furenna’s figure below, then suddenly clenched tightly, as if crushing an insect.
“…or I can make you a rat crossing the street, beaten by everyone.”
High Priest Pucci flattered at the right moment: “Your Majesty is the one who bestows the Heroine her honor. After all, we control the information from the front lines. We hold the truth. The citizens’ only avenue for information is the preaching from the royal family and the Church.”
“Heroine Furenna… enjoy these few good days while you can. Your days as a rat crossing the street are not far off…”
A few days later—
“I’m sorry… but we really aren’t planning to hire anyone else at the moment…”
“Very sorry… but we have no plans to recruit newcomers recently…”
“Sorry… we must ask you to seek other opportunities…”
The same set of excuses again…
Heroine Furenna’s right hand suddenly clenched, crumpling the newspaper with recruitment information in her grasp.
“But your newspaper stated you needed new staff?”
“Sorry, that’s outdated information that hasn’t been taken down yet, Heroine. We truly don’t need anyone.”
Faced with the magic shop’s explanation, Furenna could only leave in silence. The paper in her hand was today’s morning paper, yet they still insisted on this explanation.
Furenna briskly moved through the capital city’s streets. The lively people around, upon noticing her arrival, instinctively parted to form a path. But it wasn’t the welcoming corridor from her first time here. It was more like avoiding a harmful object.
Furenna had grown accustomed to the citizens’ treatment. She silently passed through the passage, enduring the strange gazes around her. She had fully understood what had created this current situation.
“Without a doubt, it’s the handiwork of the royal family and the Church.”
Heroine Furenna reached this conclusion. Yes, whether she had approached the Adventurer’s Association, Mage’s Guild, Alchemist’s Guild, or now applied to various trades and industries, she couldn’t secure even a single job.
Only the service industry remained. And the recent failure to apply as a magic shop clerk proved even service industries wouldn’t accept her.
Furenna returned to the inn and checked out. Because she had refused the royal family’s money and power, the money she had was given by grateful citizens during the Demon King subjugation.
Though Furenna had tried her best to refuse at the time, the citizens insisted. Now, that money was almost exhausted. Unwilling to freeload, she packed her clothes and belongings. Heroine Furenna left the inn with her suitcase.
It wasn’t that Furenna hadn’t considered seeking help from the royal family or the Church. But both William and Lilith had implicitly told her during their reception—she must accept the royal family’s recruitment.
In the capital now, rumors were spreading everywhere that Furenna was an unqualified Heroine. The fighting was entirely handled by the brave Crown Prince, the great imperial heir—William.
Other merits were divided among the remaining party members. Even the achievement of slaying the Demon King was attributed to William and Saintess Lilith.
Heroine Furenna? Merely a decorative vase who offered a little help, even one who tried to desert—a point ‘proven’ by citizens William had supposedly rescued from demons.
Understanding this was the royal family and Church ‘forcing’ her to accept, Heroine Furenna chose to leave.
She didn’t complain. She had no intention of using force. Because during her creation, the Creator Goddess had added an excessive amount of “Moral Character,” to a degree that had long surpassed normal levels.
Even betrayed by humanity, misunderstood, and branded with all kinds of absurd rumors, Furenna harbored not even the slightest thought of blaming humanity for this act of betrayal. She believed that blaming humanity for this would be wrong and irrational.
A normal person would feel anger from unprovoked punishment, would rise up in resistance against unfair treatment. But Furenna’s “Moral Character” had been instilled to a twisted and corrupted degree, becoming a “shackle” that bound her from expressing her own emotions, distorting her original will.
Since the capital didn’t welcome her, Furenna decided to return to “Falling Star Village”—the starting point of her journey—to live.
Even if it meant protecting people from wild beast attacks, or helping with farm work as a farmer… Furenna passed through the capital city’s gates and went straight back to “Falling Star Village.”
But the facts proved that the royal family and the Church would not let the matter rest so easily. Even with Furenna choosing to show weakness and withdraw, they would pursue her to the ends of the earth. Every territory of humanity was under their control, without exception.