I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [237] [40 PS]

Behind Claire, Reine hesitantly entered the room, followed by several armored guards.

Blasting a hole in the Princess's bedroom wall might have been an act of egregious disrespect, but sometimes urgency demanded drastic measures.

Even so, Reine's face was deathly pale—paler than a skeleton's might be.

She had a sudden, dreadful thought: Will they make me pay for this destroyed wall?

No, please no! She was already drowning in debt!

The cloak she wore was probably the only valuable item she still owned…

The group, led by Claire, finally caught sight of Nero.

When they saw that the so-called "Demon King's minion" or "intruder" was just a petite girl—and a lone one at that—everyone froze in surprise.

"Hmm! A crowd of admirers drawn to my brilliance has arrived! Now this feels proper and fitting!"

Nero stepped gracefully down from the pile of rubble, her gaze fixed on Claire and the others.

"Especially—you two! Among my new audience are two charming beauties who suit my tastes perfectly! Hmm! Truly delightful!"

Claire and Reine blinked, dumbfounded.

Is she… talking about us?

"The kind-hearted mage and the valiant knight—what a marvelous, marvelous combination! A feast for the eyes! Even the moonlight seems brighter now!"

With the elegance of a dancer, Nero moved with steps so light and graceful it seemed surreal, her face radiant with admiration.

"Uh… thank you for the compliment?" Reine stammered, utterly bewildered.

"I should be the one thanking you! Truly, thank you, my beautiful maidens! Hmm!"

Nero's seemingly endless self-assured banter left yet another person utterly confused.

"You… You think flattery will get you off the hook, you would-be kidnapper of the Princess!"

Claire snapped out of her daze faster than the others. Tightening her grip on her sword, she glared at Nero with unwavering determination.

Behind Nero, Claire could see Princess Alice, dazed and kneeling on the ground, unharmed but clearly shaken.

"Give the Princess back!"

With that shout, Claire swung her sword toward Nero.

"Claire!"

Alice, only just beginning to recover, raised her hand to stop Claire, but it was too late—the knight had already launched her attack.

The blade came down, yet it didn't strike Nero. Instead, it was met by another sword, one that intercepted the blow effortlessly.

Clang!

Nero held a red-and-black, uniquely shaped longsword in one hand, blocking Claire's powerful strike as though it were nothing.

"Hmm! Such loyalty and courage—truly as beautiful as rose petals in the wind. I commend you!"

"You—!"

Claire's eyes widened in shock.

She was pouring her strength into her sword, yet she was being overpowered. Slowly but surely, her blade was being pushed back.

What stunned her even more was that Nero was using only one hand to wield her sword, and she didn't even seem to be exerting her full strength.

And then there was the most perplexing detail: Where had Nero gotten that sword?

The guards and Reine all shared the same question. None of them had seen Nero draw the weapon, yet here it was, a massive sword seemingly conjured from thin air.

Its bizarre design, striking as it was, was the least of their concerns.

Realizing her disadvantage in a contest of strength, Claire abandoned the clash. Using the momentum of her blade, she retreated back to her group.

"Why are you all standing there? Attack together! She's incredibly strong! Reine, prepare your magic!"

"Huh? Oh! Right!"

Though Reine still felt that something about the situation was off, Claire's shout snapped her into action. She began preparing her spells.

The guards, too, raised their weapons and approached Nero with caution.

"Such enthusiasm! Do you wish to dance with me as well?"

Nero swung her sword in a sweeping arc, her long dress flowing elegantly with her movements.

By now, everyone had grown somewhat accustomed to her "nonsensical ramblings," so they pressed forward without hesitation.

Claire, standing at the forefront, raised her sword and gave the command:

"Attack!"

"Wait!"

The guards were about to charge when someone stepped between them and Nero.

"Pr-Princess Alice?!"

Claire's heart nearly stopped as she shouted in alarm: "Princess Alice! Come back! It's dangerous over there!"

"Claire! Reine! You've misunderstood! She's not an enemy!"

Alice's sudden intervention brought the guards to a halt. After all, who would dare point their weapons at the Princess?

"But…"

Claire and Reine exchanged uneasy glances, clearly conflicted.

"Princess, we trust you," Reine said hesitantly. "But could you please step back first? It's not safe to stand there."

They prioritized ensuring Alice's safety above all else.

Alice hesitated for a moment before glancing back at Nero. Then, slowly, she walked through the group and stood by Claire's side.

The tension in the room eased—just slightly—as everyone released a collective breath of relief. Even Nero, though still holding her sword, made no threatening moves.

"Well then…"

After confirming Alice's safety, Claire refocused her attention on Nero.

"Who are you? Why are you in the Princess's room?"

"Princess? Ah, I see," Nero mused with a soft smile, tilting her head slightly. "A future empress, perhaps?"

"As for who I am…"

Under the weight of everyone's expectant stares, Nero dramatically swung her arm outward and proudly declared:

"My name is Nero! Nero Claudius! I am the Emperor of Rome!"

The room fell into stunned silence.

"E-Emperor?"

Did she mean she was the ruler of a nation?

For some reason, when Nero made her proclamation, no one doubted her sincerity.

And yet…

"I've never heard of a country called Rome," Claire said, her brows furrowing as she voiced the question on everyone's mind. "And if you truly are an emperor, why would you intrude on Princess Alice's room in the dead of night? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Hmm! That much is true—it was rude of me…" Nero admitted with a faintly troubled expression. "I've grown used to falling from the sky and ending up in strange places, but this time it seems I've caused you quite a bit of trouble. For that, I apologize. As Emperor of Rome, I offer you my sincerest apologies."

Her unexpectedly polite and reasonable demeanor, coupled with her petite and adorable appearance, caused the tension to diminish even further.

"Uh… it seems you have your own troubles…" Claire muttered, conflicted.

If Nero had been an obvious villain, things would've been simple—capture her and be done with it. But she wasn't. She was surprisingly cooperative, Alice seemed unharmed, and Claire couldn't bring herself to push the matter further.

And if Nero truly was an emperor, or even a noble of high standing, Claire realized she might not have the authority to act against her.

Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that this situation was far from ordinary.

As she mulled over the best course of action—one that wouldn't escalate into an international incident—a loud alarm suddenly echoed through the castle.

Not just the castle—the entire capital was filled with the blaring sound.

[Alert! Demon King's forces are attacking! All knights, mobilize immediately! Adventurers, maintain order and prevent monsters from entering the city. High-level adventurers, assist with defenses!]