Chapter 691
That night, the results of the identity verification came out straight away.
As everyone had expected, it was Ellen's.
However, since action had already been taken, the identity verification results only served to reconfirm the facts.
The border closure had already begun, and the Emperor had nearly finished preparing for his campaign.
The news came as a sudden announcement to the people of the Imperial Capital, as well as to all the high officials and imperial nobles.
The New Imperial Family confirmed Ellen Artorius' appearance in the northeastern region of Kernstadt.
All borders in the northeastern region of Kernstadt were sealed off.
And the Demon King himself set out to hunt down the hero.
A name that was both irritating and an enemy of the empire.
The fallen emperor and the hero.
The Emperor himself declared that he would hunt down one of the two.
Indeed, it was a massive movement.
All those who could be considered the Imperial Family's greatest force were summoned, and not only the Kernstadt army but also the entire standing army of the Imperial Capital was called upon.
Many people watched as the enormous army vanished from the Imperial Capital in an instant through the grand-scale mass teleportation created by the Archmage, who had become a living legend.
Just by witnessing the Archmage's magic with their own eyes, the people were overwhelmed.
Naturally, this massive movement not only put the entire Imperial Capital on edge, but also spread throughout the continent in a flash, thanks to the people traveling through the warp gates installed in the Imperial Capital.
Within a few days, word of the Emperor's hunt for the hero had spread across the entire continent.
This time, unlike before, the Demon King himself took action.
Something that had never happened before.
Therefore, everyone knew that this time it was real.
The long and bitter enmity between the two was finally coming to an end.
However, something had changed from the past.
Nobody thought the Emperor would be defeated.
The hero, who had nothing.
The Emperor, who had everything.
The outcome of their battle seemed obvious.
Naturally, the rumors spread even to the autonomous region.
The followers of the hero rejoiced at the news that their vanished hero was still alive, but they also wept.
They knew the hero had no chance of victory because they, who hated the Demon King, knew best.
They were the ones who had either watched from afar, heard about, or experienced the Demon King's massacre, known as the Godless.
A single Demon King had routed armies, which had fled and gathered in the autonomous region.
Amid the learned fear and despair, the autonomous region and the believers of the hero religion could not help but acknowledge that without the Demon King's mercy, their existence would have been impossible.
So, while they believed in the hero, they ultimately knew that the fortune granted to her by the heavens had reached its end, and they could not help but lament.
"Ten silver coins."
"Yes, here."
Ellen took an apple from the market and bit into it.
With a crisp sound, the sweetness spread.
It had been so long since Ellen had tasted sweetness that she shivered and felt goosebumps on her spine. As she walked down the street, she shivered at the sensation she had not felt in so long.
Only those who have been away from civilization for a long time know how to appreciate it.
Being able to eat an apple that was neither grown nor harvested by oneself.
Being able to do so just by paying a few silver coins.
One might think about eating an apple in the wild, but actually searching for one would be nothing more than foolishness.
Finding a tree or a root to eat would be a blessing, but an apple? That would be absurd.
However, in the city, a few copper coins made it possible.
Feeling a sudden, unexpected gratitude, Ellen didn't neglect to survey her surroundings.
Wearing a hood or hiding her face didn't particularly arouse suspicion. There were many others like her, after all.
Compared to the previous era, the New Empire was still unstable, and the crime rate was incomparably higher. Consequently, there were many fugitives and people hiding their identities.
Ellen was able to enter the city boldly due to the New Empire's instability.
Of course, if she were stopped for a random check, it would become a big problem.
Ellen walked along the edge of the street, crunching on an apple.
She had no money.
But, fortunately, Ellen encountered a thief on the way into the city.
For others, it would have been misfortune, but for Ellen, it was a stroke of luck.
The thieves who approached her like a windfall handed over their money without knowing who she was.
One gold coin, ten silver coins, and thirty copper coins were all the thief had, but they became Ellen's funds.
Since the thief had been knocked out without discovering her identity, there was no risk of being exposed.
Thus, Ellen could gratefully munch on an apple, which she had bought using the money received from the thief who had attempted to rob her.
The reason she had come to the city instead of the outskirts was that she needed information.
—---
‘I heard a hero appeared in the northeast.’
‘Eh, it's probably another lie. Weren't there one or two people in this neighborhood who claimed to have seen a hero or the Fallen Emperor?’
‘No, they say it's different this time. It seems even the Demon King has gone on an expedition.’
‘The Demon King?’
‘Yeah. If the Demon King, who never moved before, has taken action, something must be going on.’
‘Huh... What's going to happen then?’
‘I don't know. The Royal Knights and the Archmages are all out searching for the hero, bloodshot-eyed. They say the entire border has been sealed off. Not even an ant can move. They're conducting thorough searches, of course.’
‘Geez... Something big must have happened…’
‘Still, the hero is a hero, right? She won't be caught so easily, right?’
‘The Demon King is a god, you know. Haven't you heard the story of the battle at the Meran Plains?’
‘Do you really believe that? It's all lies.’
‘Of course it's true! The survivors of that battle can't sleep just by hearing the Demon King's name.’
‘You have to make sense, man. No matter how great the Demon King is, how can he wage a war alone?’
‘That's why he's the Demon King!’
—---
Among the numerous stories she heard on the streets, Ellen picked out the information she needed.
She had an idea of what her actions would bring about.
But even if it gave a hint of her appearance somewhere, she deemed it crucial information that had to be shared urgently.
If the nation didn't take measures and establish countermeasures, the situation would undoubtedly worsen beyond control.
As a result, the northeastern border of Kernstadt was completely sealed off.
She couldn't know how far the Empire's blockade would extend, but it was probably impossible to pass through there.
The important thing was that Kernstadt's territory had expanded beyond the Empire's.
If the Imperial Army and the Kernstadt Army were deployed, they could establish a complete blockade along the northeastern border.
However, Ellen judged that they wouldn't have the capacity beyond that, and it was indeed true.
Despite the circumstances, Ellen had entered the city for a reason of her own.
It was impossible to gather information in the uninhabited area.
She couldn't know whether her true identity had been discovered or learn about the military's movements.
Thus, she had to enter the city to assess the situation.
And secondly, Ellen wasn't in the northeastern part of Kernstadt.
She wasn't trying to leave Kernstadt, but rather, she was going deeper into it.
She was heading toward the southwestern part, which was the exact opposite of the area with a blockade line and frequent inspections.
So, the army was blockading the wrong place.
After submitting the information to the adventurer's guild in Vellodosia, Ellen hurriedly left the city.
And she ran like mad.
Not toward the northeastern direction where she had entered Kernstadt, which was the closest nation to the uninhabited area, but toward the southwest.
Anyone could see that the information was suspicious, regardless of its validity.
If she clumsily tried to escape through the entrance to Kernstadt, she could get stuck between the blocked borders. Ellen had anticipated this situation.
She couldn't be caught now after evading capture for so long, no matter what the intention was behind the pursuit.
That's why Ellen chose to go deeper.
In the opposite direction of the blockade line.
And as a result of risking her life to enter the city, she found out that the blockade line had indeed been set up in the northeastern region, as expected.
Of course, if nothing was found at the blockade line for a long time, they might predict that she had actually gone deeper into Kernstadt.
So, she couldn't rest. She just needed to reach the southwestern border as quickly as possible.
That border might have been blocked as well, but she didn't have to cross it.
She had obtained the necessary information.
There was no need to stay in the city any longer.
So, Ellen left the city, trying not to look suspicious but moving quickly.
And when she finally escaped the city and bit into her last apple:
-Crunch
"..."
I should have bought one more.
And.
Ellen regretted it for just a moment.
Ellen ran in places where there were few people.
Running on the road would obviously be suspicious if anyone saw her, so she ran through the forests and mountains where there were no people.
She had no time to spare, and the empire was no fool; they would surely realize that she wasn't where the blockade line was set up.
So, she had to move quickly through Kernstadt whenever she could.
She was undertaking the incredible task of almost crossing the entire nation to escape.
Focusing solely on moving, not hunting monsters or evading pursuers.
She had to pass through some cities, but there were some she had no choice but to enter.
She had to keep track of the empire's movements, which could be changing in real-time.
While Ellen fled in the opposite direction, rumors of the hero's appearance had already spread throughout Kernstadt.
Not only Kernstadt but the entire continent was now paying attention to the northeastern part of Kernstadt.
Whether the hero would be caught or not. Whether the Demon King could finally put an end to the tiresome relationship with the hero.
Debates raged everywhere.
Though within the territory of Kernstadt, there were undoubtedly those who said that this time, the Demon King would be killed by the hero.
Ellen had no interest in individual opinions.
The truth hidden within those opinions.
The fact that the empire was still setting up barricades, and the hero was waiting to escape.
The fact that she had not yet fully grasped her own location.
That was enough for her.
Ellen purchased only the minimum amount of food in the city and quickly left after checking the movements of the imperial army.
Her desire to sleep in a bed was immense, but she could not even attempt such a luxury.
She could move without a horse over distances where one would normally need to ride.
Even though she couldn't properly sleep, Ellen, the extraordinary among the extraordinary, couldn't afford to let her guard down.
If the imperial army had discovered her movements, she had to change her escape route now, and she couldn't afford to be negligent in gathering information.
Thus, she fled in the opposite direction, passing through the center of Kernstadt and arrived at a certain city.
In that city, Ellen didn't find any frightening information that the imperial army had caught onto her movements.
However, she obtained completely unexpected information.
"The hero was caught?"
"…?"
That was a story Ellen couldn't have even guessed.
The hero had been captured.
Ellen, who was the hero herself, couldn't help but be bewildered by this sudden story.
I'm here, so who exactly was captured?
It could be a misunderstanding, a mistake, or even a false rumor. Many people have picked up false rumors created by individuals and spread them without thought.
However, everyone passing by was talking about it.
"It was an incredible battle, but it seems the hero is still a hero."
Moreover, a battle had even taken place.
"How can anyone stand against the demon king?"
"Hmm. Even if she’s a hero, she can't reach the demon king who has the archmage with him, can she?"
"There's even a rumor that the archmage is stronger than the demon king these days…"
"That's true…"
"Ugh. So, it came to this."
Some praised the greatness of the demon king, while others lamented the hero's defeat.
Ellen hurriedly left the city.
Something was off.
The situation was going awry.
She was certain she had been heading towards the southwest of Kernstadt.
But the hero was captured.
An enormous battle had taken place between the demon king and the hero.
Who fought with whom?
Ellen had no choice but to visit the city and confirm the situation while speeding up her steps due to the strange rumors.
Numerous armies had witnessed the battle between the demon king and the hero, and they had boldly fought one-on-one.
The archmage hadn't even lent a hand.
In the end, the demon king had forced the hero into submission and sent her to the imperial capital. That's what the story spread.
It couldn't be a false rumor. Far too many people were saying the same thing.
They even said it was truly Ellen Artorius. That was the word going around.
Ellen couldn't understand what had happened.
As time passed, and in the next city, she heard discussions about Ellen's fate while she was there.
"They're going to execute her publicly."
"People will flock to the imperial capital."
"They're apparently building a massive execution platform."
The hero had been defeated by the demon king.
She was sent to the imperial capital.
A public execution was planned.
Who was captured, and what was the intention?
Ellen gave up trying to figure it out.
First, she had to get out of Kernstadt. Fortunately, there were no suspicious checkpoints or heightened security anywhere due to the news of the hero's capture.
They could safely escape like this.
Thus, in the last city she stopped in before almost reaching their destination.
‘The hero has been executed.’
Ellen couldn't help but realize that the strange show orchestrated by the empire had finally reached its conclusion.
‘In the end... the Demon King is victorious.’
In the midst of these strange circumstances, Ellen walked absentmindedly through the streets.
What was the purpose of all this? Faking the capture of the hero and publicly executing an imposter.
But Ellen was still alive.
No one would search for a dead hero, so there would be no one left seeking salvation from Ellen.
Was it their own kind of consideration?
Did they never plan to capture Ellen in the first place?
If Ellen were to accidentally reveal herself, it would be exposed that the public execution was a sham. That would be nothing but bad news for the Demon King's Empire.
The imposter hero's execution might have a powerful effect for now, but Ellen's very existence was a potential threat.
'Is this... telling me to leave where humans live... forever...?'
It could be both mercy and a warning.
They would let Ellen be considered dead, as long as Ellen never showed up again.
The emperor's army was initially for the purpose of suppressing and intimidating the fake hero, and even staging the execution as a show.
But why now?
Why did they remain silent for years and choose to act now of all times?
It was the most dangerous timing for the Empire's self-directed play to be exposed.
In fact, Ellen was currently within Kernstadt's territory.
If Ellen had known what was happening, she would have fled far away from human lands, in case the empire's fake execution show was exposed.
Ellen would have hesitated to hand over the documents she had been recording so far.
The exact reason was unknown.
What mattered was that the hero was believed to be dead.
Though Ellen never intended to reveal herself in the first place, she now had to live even more quietly.
She couldn't help the empire that Reinhardt had established, but she also couldn't harm it.
Would the empire set Ellen free like this?
With that, Ellen walked through the city.
This city was her last stop.
The border of Kernstadt was still far away, but she would soon arrive at her destination.
Ellen was never headed for the border region of Kernstadt in the first place.
The southwestern edge of Kernstadt.
In such a situation, with only one step left.
As Ellen walked the main road, she saw something in an alley.
Small animals crouching in the warm sunlight.
-Meow
-Cheep
Four cats were basking in the sun at a corner of the road.
"..."
In the midst of a series of bizarre and grotesque events, Ellen couldn't help but faintly smile.
Cats.
At some point, they had become special animals to Ellen.
Because they were animals that had helped Ellen endure difficult and painful times.
Cats were urban animals, so there was no chance of seeing them in the fields.
So whenever Ellen rarely visited a city, she could see various cats. Each time, Ellen would involuntarily smile as she remembered those difficult yet oddly comforting times.
Was he still doing well?
Such worried thoughts naturally surfaced.
Ellen hadn't seen him since leaving him at the temple.
He would occasionally visit, then disappear.
The cat would return just when it seemed he was gone forever.
Ellen had never given a name to that black cat.
Undoubtedly, his fur had been glossy and black like that.
Naturally, among the cats, Ellen's gaze was drawn to the black one.
There was something around the black cat's neck.
Could it be a domestic cat?
Or was it abandoned?
But what was hanging around the cat's neck was neither a bell nor a collar.
Ellen's eyes widened.
"…!"
A round, ivory-white object.
It looked like a piece of the moon embedded in the sun.
It was unmistakably the same as the amulet Ellen had received from Dettomorian.
It wasn't just similar.
It wasn't just alike.
Both the cat and the amulet were the same.
The image in Ellen's memory was not even slightly different.
"You, you… you… are… why… are you here…?"
Ellen's lips trembled.
In an impossible place.
An animal that couldn't possibly be there.
Wearing an impossible necklace, right in front of Ellen.
-Meow
It cried softly.
