Episode 161
"Ah, hello... Lady Rosewin..."
".....Yes."
Several days after the decisive battle took place, Rosewin came to the Academy.
"Excuse me for a moment."
"Ah, I understand."
Moreover, she had taken on the responsibility of investigating the truth and representing the hero party.
Of course, she hadn't originally been designated for such an important position.
However.
Since Isollet, Klana, and Serena, who held high status, and Kania and Irina, who were core members of the party, had all chosen to seclude themselves.
Automatically, Rosewin, who had the highest status among those remaining, was tasked with verifying the shocking facts revealed at the press conference.
[Frey's Diary]
- Do not let anyone touch this.
Thus, while conducting her investigation, Rosewin received the diary from Frey's younger sister, Aria.
Until just before Frey became the hero, ordinary daily life was recorded, but after becoming the hero, to verify the authenticity of the intense records written in 'Hangul' characters.
She visited Sunrise Academy for the first time in a long while.
[○○ Year ○○ Month ○○ Day]
[Today, I gave Rosewin a single rose.
And,
Wearing the Robe of Deception, I had a meal with a student I had promised beforehand.
Other students would quietly siphon off support funds for food or entertainment, but this shy girl I made a meal appointment with today has never done such a thing even once.
So, occasionally I treat her to meals at a luxurious restaurant like this.
This is one of the few remaining entertainments for me, who has become withered from countless regressions.
Doing good deeds isn't fun like it used to be, but when I see people's smiles, for some reason I want to smile along.]
"...Mm."
Thus, looking at the notebook containing the method of interpreting 'Hangul' that the now-secluded Serena had created, Rosewin was interpreting the characters written in the diary in real-time.
"Um..."
In the Academy library, which was in a half-suspended state due to the final battle between the Demon Lord and the hero party, she met her senior from her first year.
The girl who was the reason Rosewin came to the Academy today.
The girl who was recorded in the diary as studying in the library every single day without fail.
"...By any chance, could we talk for a moment?"
"Ah, y-yes..."
To Rosewin's question, the girl who had been reading a book while wearing glasses answered timidly.
"Do you know about the person who has helped the Academy's students both materially and spiritually for the past few years, the so-called 'Hero of Money'?"
"Yes! He's a truly wonderful person!"
But at Rosewin's follow-up question, she began to speak with sparkling eyes.
"He supported us when we had nothing, and bought us meals too. He's such a warm person! In a word, you could say he's a benefactor!"
"Yes, I see..."
But in contrast, Rosewin's face gradually darkened.
"Then, by any chance, did you ever have a meal with that person on this date..."
"Hmm... Yes! I had a meal with the benefactor around this time!"
And when the girl gave a definite answer, Rosewin began to break out in a cold sweat.
"He was someone who always bought me delicious things... He even gave me allowance, and sometimes asked how my school life was going."
"I, I see..."
"Since he's such a grateful person, after graduation, I planned to help him."
The girl said with a pleased smile.
"My dream is to get a job at the charity foundation he established when I graduate this year."
"Ah..."
"He absolutely refuses to accept any thanks, and his identity is unknown too... So to repay the kindness, that's the only way, right?"
On her uniform as she spoke, a sparkling badge was pinned.
"Th, that is..."
"Hehe, I guess you've noticed... I'm a fan of the Hero of Money."
A sparkling coin-shaped badge sold by the charity foundation.
"Although he's not as popular as Ruby, the world-renowned hero... The hero in my heart is the Hero of Money... Ah."
The girl's expression, which had been stroking the badge with a pleased look, darkened.
"Oh, um... that's... I mean... it's nothing."
Eventually, the student who had been watching Rosewin's expression, which was growing increasingly distraught.
"Oh, right. But why do you ask about such things?"
Hurriedly asked a question to change the atmosphere.
"Ah, well... you see..."
"By any chance, do you know the identity of the 'Hero of Money', Lady Rosewin?"
"Yes?"
"W, well... I mean, um..."
The girl, who had been worrying about how to indirectly ask whether Rosewin, who had been in charge of information for the hero party as a major figure in the underworld, might also know the identity of the 'Hero of Money' whose area of activity overlapped.
"Ah, anyway... If you do know him, could you pass this along?"
Eventually, giving up on speaking indirectly, she took something out from her pocket.
"...This is?"
"It's, it's nothing special... It's a flower. A flower that doesn't wilt."
Just as she said, Rosewin stared intently at the flower that looked quite old but was still fresh.
"I bought it by saving up every penny of the money he supported me with. I even cut back on meals and snacks."
"Ah...."
Seeing content that had been mentioned in the diary, she quietly let out a groan.
"Now that graduation is close, I was planning to give it to him somehow if we met... But I haven't seen him at all lately, you know?"
".....Ugh."
"He's really strange. He used to come every single day at 3-day intervals... I hope nothing happened to him?"
Eventually, Rosewin, who was making a miserable expression at those words.
- Swish...
Unknowingly accepted the flower.
"Ah, you took it. So you do know who he is, right?"
Then, the girl said with an incredibly bright expression.
"Please make sure to pass it along. What he seemed to need the most was this flower."
"...What?"
"Every time we met, he always talked about flowers. What flowers women like. Whether women dislike roses. What flower I would want to receive if I were to receive one."
Then, the phrase Rosewin had seen in the diary earlier came to mind.
[Today, I gave Rosewin a single rose.]
Written in a calm tone, in a format that seemed like a report to someone.
"At first when we met, he talked about it without much emotion, but gradually he started asking more seriously..."
"...He did?"
"By the end, he was asking so earnestly that it was pitiful just to see. That was the first time I saw him reveal his emotions like that."
"W, when was that about?"
"Hmm... let me see..."
The girl, who had been lost in thought at Rosewin's question as her hands began to tremble.
"...It was the day before Frey was captured."
Said while watching Rosewin's reaction.
"I, I'm sorry. I've been studying so much I have no sense of time..."
"That time, that time means..."
But ignoring the girl who seemed worried about that, Rosewin muttered with a pale face.
"That was the day Frey gave me a flower for the last time."
Just as she said, Frey had come to her the day before he was captured.
"Rosewin, long time no see? Um, I have a favor..."
"How many times do I have to say it? Frey?"
To that Frey, Rosewin had answered with a cold expression.
"I told you, even if you offer me millions, I won't accept any flowers from you."
"Um, I'm sorry. I couldn't get the 'flower that doesn't wilt' I said I'd bring last time, but... Still, this is a quite beautiful rose..."
"If you continue, I'll call the Hero."
Hugging the Ruby doll she had personally ordered.
"The days of me fawning over you and catering to your whims are over. I said I have no reason to receive those tiresome flowers anymore."
"...Um."
"So get lost. Please."
Of course, Rosewin, who had been completely absorbed in Ruby, had turned him away.
"...What? When did he leave this?"
And the flower he had left behind, she had thrown it in the trash can.
'...Why did he want to give me a flower so earnestly? Why on earth? Why...?'
Having finished her recollection and fallen into doubt, Rosewin.
"Um... and if possible, could you also pass along my words?"
"...What?"
Only then did she come to her senses upon hearing the request of the girl who had been staring at her.
"Thank you for giving hope to my life which was nothing but hell."
To Rosewin, the girl began to speak with a serious expression.
"For caring about me when I had no home and stayed in the school library, for helping me finally escape from Moonla... no, from the bad organization, for stopping my friends from being sold to bad nobles..."
"Yes, y-yes?"
"...For saving my colleagues who were in the slave market, and even for saving innocent commoners. Above all, thank you for creating a charity foundation that helps countless poor people."
The girl who said that let out a sigh.
"All the people who received grace from that person told me to pass this along on their behalf. Since he wouldn't accept thanks or rewards, you see."
"U, um."
She said with a bright smile.
"So, I will no longer be Aris, the commoner representative... but Aris, secretary of the charity foundation."
Having heard those words that could never be delivered, Rosewin unknowingly bit her lip.
"By the way, I'm worried. I wonder why he hasn't been seen lately."
Aris, who had finished speaking and picked up a book again, suddenly darkened her expression, causing Rosewin to flinch.
"I contacted the charity foundation, and they said he went off the grid several months ago. So the foundation's operations are becoming difficult... I hope he isn't hurt somewhere?"
"........."
"Hiding his identity and all, he seemed to do a lot of dangerous things... I've been so worried lately."
Aris, who still believed Rosewin was a business partner of the 'Hero of Money', said.
"...By any chance, do you know anything?"
She asked Rosewin with considerable hope in her voice.
"I, I I'll be going now. Excuse me."
"What? Ah, goodb... oh right."
Thanks to that, Rosewin, who could no longer endure, hurriedly rose from her seat, and Aris said to her who had turned around with a desperate expression.
"...Please tell him I hope his confession succeeds!"
.
- Step, step.
Rosewin, who came out of the library, walks somewhere with a dazed expression.
- Creak...
Eventually, the place she arrived at was.
Her room in the noble dormitory, which had become quite deserted because most people had evacuated to foreign countries or safe houses.
".....Ugh."
She had come here thinking she needed to clear her head because of what had just happened, but Rosewin soon began to regret entering the room.
Because, filling her room were.
Ruby's photos, photos of her and Ruby together, memos filled with Ruby's praise, Ruby-shaped dolls she had made herself. And, the flowers Ruby had given her.
- Zap...!
Among them, Rosewin, who had reached out with trembling hands to remove the largest photo of Ruby, remembered that powerful protective magic was cast on the photos and grit her teeth.
"This is..."
Thus, Rosewin, who had grabbed her hand that had been mangled by the aftermath of the protective magic activating, moved her feet slowly.
[Frey Laon Starlight]
- Must definitely kill.
- The most terrible thing in the world.
- Keeps trying to give flowers. Sick of it.
- The Hero's enemy.
.
"....."
Seeing Frey's memos attached right in front of her desk, she was left speechless.
- Flutter...!
Rosewin, who had been staring blankly for a while, opened the old diary and began interpreting again.
[Today, I gave Rosewin a sunrise flower.]
[Today, I gave Rosewin a moonrise flower and a star-rise flower.]
[Today, I gave Rosewin a puppy love flower.]
[Today, I gave Rosewin a canary flower.]
[Today.........]
"...Why, why did he record all these things."
Rosewin, who continued interpreting, looked at the phrase that always existed at the very front of the diary with trembling eyes.
"What on earth... does this mean......"
She turned her gaze to his photo attached right next to Frey's memo.
"........."
Thus, having looked at the photo for a while.
"E, even if you were the hero. But... it couldn't be helped."
Eventually failing to maintain her composure,
"I, if I had known, I would have helped. The 'destiny' of the Sunset family is to support the second hero. So, if I knew you were the hero, of course I would have helped."
She began pouring out words recklessly.
"I, in the first place... Because of your ability, you couldn't be caught doing good deeds for us, right? So you deceived us. So, w... we're not guilty. In the first place, we had to be deceived."
While desperately avoiding the gaze of Ruby, who was smiling broadly and filling her room.
"S, supporting the hero was my lifelong dream... My lifelong wish was..."
Rosewin muttered with a spaced-out expression, focusing her gaze on Frey.
"...Was the hero who kept me alive all this time, not Ruby, but you?"
Of course, there was no way Frey in the photo would answer.
"...Huh?"
Thanks to that, Rosewin, who had been lowering her head while feeling complicated emotions.
"That..."
Discovered the rose that had been thrown in the trash can until now.
"The last thing he gave me..."
She looked at the now completely withered rose with hollow eyes.
"He gave that and left."
Carefully reached out for the rose.
"...I should have accepted it back then."
Thus, muttering, the moment the rose and her hand touched.
- Zzzzzzzzt...!
".....!!!"
Suddenly, light emanated from her hand.
"W, what?"
Thanks to that, she fell backward in surprise, and before her eyes.
[Achievement Unlocked: Even If Everyone Hates Him]
"...What?"
A semi-transparent window began to rise.
[Supporter System]
[A small miracle given to you who alone cherished him when everyone hated the hero.]
[This system is passed down to the Sunset family by the contract from a thousand years ago...]
".......???"
Thus, she looked at the windows rising before her eyes in confusion.
[...System Terminated]
[Permanently terminating the Supporter System]
She made a bewildered expression as a red window rose before the continuously appearing semi-transparent windows.
".........Ah."
Seeing the window that appeared last.
[Reason: Death of the hero, Frey Laon Starlight]
"...Ah."
She made a hollow sound with a pale, bloodless face.
[We express our condolences to you who supported the hero in every way possible.]
The small miracle disappeared with that message.