"Joan? Are you listening? The queen asked.

She was too shocked to answer. She woke up this morning and had a fairly calm and relaxing breakfast with the Queen. Rather a discordant experience, the only meal she had before with the queen was a celebration of victory.

But this morning, Emmeline was very kind, asking how she slept and if she felt weak or in pain. In fact, the queen seems to be a little worried about her. It felt so strange that there was no king or hardwin to keep the peace, and on a few occasions she had to pinch herself to make sure it wasn't another dream.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't find the trap. In the end, she reluctantly succumbed to the urging.

When the queen offered to let Joan see the others, Joan almost choked on the food. What's more, there are only two guards around them at all times. She couldn't take her eyes off the six artifacts. Spears, gauntlets and boots, crowns, bows, shields and war hammers. How stupid is that. They should be locked up so that no one takes them.

"Would you like to touch it?" Ameline asked, interrupting her thoughts. "If you want, you can."

Joan turned to stare at the Queen. She doubted for a moment that the Queen could read her mind, but soon put the thought behind her. She was sure that if the ruler could, then she would have been executed by her a long time ago. "What? I? But I-"

Although she is considered to be incredibly talented and technical, she nearly blew her arm off with a spell that should have been easy for her.

She stepped forward, holding out her fingers and gripping the handle of the hammer.

Joan felt the magic, the divine power sting in them. A weapon that will never be destroyed. It can even kill gods. The touch alone was already incredible, and it felt almost familiar to her as she tried to move the hammer, but it could move as heavily as a mountain. She suspected not, but she couldn't help but feel rejected by a close friend.

She shook her head and pulled her hand back. "No, I'm afraid not. I'm sorry. ”

"Don't be sad, kid," said Emmeline, shaking her head. "There can only be six other people, and there's no shame in not being one of them. After all, only the gods can know who they are. ”

Joan tries not to laugh and resists the urge to tell the queen that she knows who they are. At the moment, only Hardwin knows. She couldn't wait for him to come back, so they could finally start searching. However, despite the presence of six other weapons, one is missing. "I think. And what about the eighth? She asked.

"The eighth?" Emmeline asked.

"Hero star?"

"Oh. That. ”

It felt like the room was getting colder. The Queen's smile dimmed considerably. "What's wrong?" She asked. "Haven't you found it yet?" A new wave of panic filled her. What if something happens to the stars? Can it still exist if there are no heroes to use it?

The Empress sighed softly, then shook her head. "Nope. After all, this star can only be used by, ahem, heroes. We don't know where it is. ”

Joan is now sure. The queen was visibly disgusted, even annoyed. "Hasn't he shown up yet?"

"No, we're all lucky," she said, and turned and walked back the way she came.

She believed that the Bat Watch Valley was the source of that woman's anger, but was there more to it? She chased after the woman, her heart beating wildly. "Do you hate heroes? But he hasn't even shown up yet. Does he have it?

Ameline sighed softly, then shook her head. The courtyard was almost silent, except for a few gardeners who maintained the tall and thin bushes that lined the stone paths that meandered between the castle and the many small buildings in the courtyard. "I don't hate this hero. I don't trust heroes. Despite what she said, her tone made Joan suspect that it was not just a distrust of the ruler's feelings. The tone is all too familiar. A part of her heart desperately wanted to quit before the conversation went bad. But she couldn't. She's so close to answering.

"Doubt? But he's a hero. Shouldn't people believe him? Zach asked, struggling to keep his voice calm.

The queen glanced back at her. "How familiar are you with the story of the Chosen One?"

"Just vaguely," Joan whispered, unable to hide her embarrassment in her voice.

"Okay. Can I give you a pick-me-up? Emmeline asked.

Joan nodded slightly. The Queen's pace slowed down considerably. She blushes when she realizes it's to help her keep up because her legs are shorter than a ruler. Ha.

"Seven heroes chosen by the gods will appear when the world needs them most. Deal with threats and dangers like more severe. They have always been a time of great chaos and great crisis, but they have never failed to save our world. Now, in many stories, they are led by the eighth hero. I guess that's the story you've heard, right? Emmeline asked.

"Yes. Approximately. The hero, the eighth, would be greater than all of them? Joan asked, trying to hide the excitement in her voice. She was so close to the answer that she could almost taste the answer.

Emeli

E sighed softly and looked at her. Or so they say. Joan, you're still a kid. I don't want to take away your comfort as a hero. ”

"I'm not afraid you won't be able to handle it. Maybe I'm just too worried. Please don't let it tarnish your faith. After all, a hero is someone everyone can turn to when they need it, isn't it? Emmeline asked. Although there is a hint of bitter coldness in this sentence, it does not match himself at all.

"You don't believe those words, do you?" Joan asked, doing her best to keep the conversation going.

Emeline shook her head. "No, I don't. Please don't worry about such things. You're too young to care about these things. If the hero appears, it is my duty to take care of him. ”

"If heroes don't show up, who will lead the electorate?"

The reluctant smile disappeared and was replaced by a gentle and sincere smile. "Luckily, there are a lot of stories about saving the kingdom even without heroes. I pray that this is one such moment. ”

"Wait, is there?" Joan asked, her voice unable to hide her shock. "But I thought they were always together?" Her heart began to beat violently. Heroes always walk with them, this is what she heard in her previous life. If the hero didn't do this, does it mean that she failed in her previous life? Even before this attempt? Are there any other "Joans"? Is it all just an eternal cycle of failure and attempt? She struggled to remember what the three sisters had told her, but the memories were distorted along with the others. She swears they say it's a one-time choice. But what if not? Or what if it all means something else? Even the Demon King calls her "eternal rival".

"Joan?" Ameline asked, holding a hand against her forehead. "Your face is pale. Are you uncomfortable? ”

"A little," she said. "I'm sorry, I-"

"Nonsense," Emmeline interrupted. "You're still recovering. If you feel dizzy, you should rest. A lot of damage has healed, and even if you don't feel it right now, it can hit you all at once if you push yourself too hard. Let's go, let's go back to your room. ”

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"I already told you, please call me Emmeline."

"I'm sorry." Joan slowly followed the queen back to the castle, thinking wildly. Is Emmeline telling the truth? Why didn't she spend more time understanding who the hero was and what it was? "Uh, Your Highness?"

"Emmeline."

"Right. Ameline, I don't think you have any record of past choices? I'd love to know more about them. ”

"You can read?"

"Yes." I studied at the academy. She said quickly. Truth be told, although she 'learned' it in the academy, it was as easy for her as it was almost everything else.

"Interestingly, I've heard that most mercenaries ignore these lessons unless they intend to be record holders. You are truly a unique child, Joan. I'll have someone send some to your room, but don't force yourself. You also need to get plenty of rest."

"Thank you," Joan said, and fell silent. She had another question she wanted to ask, and she felt she should have asked it a long time ago. "Your high-Emmeline, may I ask one more question?"

"Of course."

"How do you know such powerful healing magic?"

Shocked. "Don't you know? You're a citizen of Starpool, aren't you? ”

Joan shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know, but I was born in the Human Empire. It's just never discussed with me about this. ”

Emmeline sighed softly,

The surprise gradually turned into a gentle smile.

"Nope. I don't think you know, do you? You're too young to remember when I became queen. That was at least ten years before you were born. Maybe even longer. Are you not interested in the politics of the empire? ”

Well, I guess you need to know more about that, especially if you're Hardwin's daughter. Whether he was chosen or not, he was of aristocratic origin. The future has high expectations for you. ”

Joan barely suppressed a mocking snort. She doubts that expectations will be higher than they are now. "I'll do my best."

"Well, I guess I can take a little more time to explain. How familiar are you with the history of our country? ”

"Much less. I know that over the past few thousand years, more and more lands have fallen into the hands of demons. Now all that remains are the Dwarven Kingdom, the Elven Territory, and the Human Empire. There are other species, such as changelings, elves, and goblins, that have been absorbed by a certain kingdom, but most will soon become extinct. Is that right? ”

"Really? Interesting. You learned about the state of the world, but not about the politics of your homeland? Ameline asked, with a hint of playfulness in her voice.

Her face turned red, and she cursed herself in her heart. "I'm sorry," she said. Although she felt that she was not saying this to the Queen, but to the whole world. She should have known about it. Most likely, someone told her. But she may well have put them aside and focused only on what she considered "important," the Three Kingdoms. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that one of the chosen ones entered the time loop, she probably wouldn't have known or cared about the extermination of the other races.

"It's okay, Joan. Now our entire land is the domain of three cities and a dozen noble families. Therefore, the suitor of the monarch must be a person who proves with strength, wisdom, and authority that he is capable of ruling the land. They can protect the people from the demons of our borders. I, like you, am a member of the mercenary group. Healer before the Sunwolves disbanded. ”

This caused Joan to stumble and nearly fall down the stairs, only to hit her knee on the steps. "You're a mercenary? You? Like me? ”

Yes, dear. It's the best way for me to survive and put food on my plate.

Joan felt her cheeks almost flush as she stood motionless on the steps. "I'm sorry."

Ameline smiled softly. "For what? If anyone should apologize, it's me. Imagine that my friend has always had a child and I have ignored it. I can't imagine what your life will be like. But you won't be alone anymore, Joan. Are your knees okay? ”

"I'm fine, just a little bit of a knee scrape. Wait, please don't-"

Before she could stop her, however, the queen knelt down and placed a hand on her lap, relieving a little of the pain. "Be careful. There is a limit to the healing you can get. ”