Even Though I Defeated the Demon Lord, My Wife and Daughter Treat Me Like Trash ~ I Found Out My Wife's Child Isn't Mine, and When I Confronted Her, She Got Mad and I Was Exiled. The Country's in Trouble Because the Demon Lord Came Back? Sorry, I'm Getting Remarried to a Princess, So I Can't Help. - Chapter 30: The Four Heroes

Chapter 30: The Four Heroes

Three days after subtly encouraging Camilla to leave the royal capital, the king received a report from his spies.

“…Heading toward the Demon Lord’s castle, is she?”

“Yes, though it could just be a coincidence.”

“No, it’s likely accurate.”

Camilla left the castle without returning home—in other words, she abandoned her daughter and headed straight out of the capital. 

She then used the teleportation array again, seemingly headed for the region where the Demon Lord’s castle stood.

“It seems your warning didn’t reach her, Your Majesty.”

“Indeed. She seems to have become desperate. I was concerned about her behavior when she left… but I never expected her to leave her daughter behind.”

“And what should we do about her daughter?”

Without needing further explanation, Robert, the head of the king’s intelligence unit, Mist, already knew the situation well. 

Emilia was Prince Albert’s child, and leaving her alone could lead to complications.

“Leave her be… No, on second thought, bring her to the castle for protection.”

“…Could it be that even Your Majesty is fond of his granddaughter?”

“Don’t be foolish—it’s because of Van. If something were to happen to the girl, and Van were to find out, the worst-case scenario would be if he still had any attachment left.”

“I see. It’s quite ironic, though, isn’t it? Her life is in danger because of her real father, yet she’ll survive under the protection of her adoptive one.”

“It’s all because of Albert’s foolishness. And you—who withheld reports out of concern for my health—are also to blame.”

“That stings, Your Majesty.”

“What’s done is done. However, we can’t simply ignore Camilla.”

The king thought for a moment, then gave a clear command.

“I don’t know what she’s planning, but if Camilla is trying to break the seal on the Demon Lord, that would be catastrophic. Eliminate her.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. The name of the ‘Four Heroes’ held value in negotiations with other nations. If Camilla goes rogue, the surrounding countries may hold us responsible.”

“Understood… I will personally take care of it.”

“Good. Gather about twenty skilled men to accompany you.”

“Understood.”

With that, the leader of the intelligence unit quickly exited the room.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Robert led his group and joined up with the team that had been tracking Camilla. 

They discussed the best approach for the assassination and settled on a plan.

“We’ll execute the plan at the Demon Lord’s castle.”

“Understood!”

Along the way, Camilla had been stopping at various churches and had hired porters to carry her belongings. 

She wasn’t often alone, and if one of the Four Heroes died mysteriously, it would cause a public outcry.

That made it difficult to act while she was with others.

“The king is being cautious, sending all twenty of us for this task.”

“Don’t let your guard down—she’s still one of the Four Heroes.”

“Yeah, but she’s just support, right?”

Robert understood his subordinate’s point.

The Four Heroes’ frontliners were Van the Hero and Albert the Swordsman, while the support roles were filled by Barnes and Camilla.

Though Camilla was a powerful magic user, she primarily acted as a healer.

“But anyone who’s survived life-or-death battles shouldn’t be underestimated. You never know what tricks they might have up their sleeve. Stay sharp.”

“Yes, understood.”

Robert’s words made the group nod seriously, though one person looked particularly uneasy.

“Mia, are you nervous?”

“Yes, this is my first time… handling an assassination mission.”

“Don’t worry too much. I brought you along so you can gain more experience in the field.”

“Thank you, I’ll do my best.”

Mia was someone Robert had been grooming to be the next head of Mist, the king’s intelligence unit. 

He had raised her since she was young, and to him, who had no family due to the nature of his work, she was like a daughter. 

But that didn’t mean he could afford to be lenient with her. 

The world of espionage was dirty, and teaching her that harsh reality was, in a way, his form of “love.”

“In terms of pure combat ability, you’re better than anyone here. Once you gain more experience, you’ll become one of the best agents.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best!”

Hearing Mia’s honest response stirred a feeling of parental pride within Robert. 

Her sincerity might be risky in the world of espionage, but as her mentor and guardian, it warmed his heart.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

As expected, Camilla arrived at the Demon Lord’s castle. 

According to information gathered from the church, it seemed she had come under the pretense of inspecting the seal at the king’s request.

It had been ten years since the Demon Lord was defeated. 

Though not completely in ruins, the castle was mostly deserted.

Ten agents trailed Camilla as she made her way through the castle, while another ten had already infiltrated the interior ahead of time.

The plan was to strike in the castle’s grand hall.

Camilla walked confidently, showing no signs of hesitation as she made her way inside. 

The team followed at a safe distance.

When she finally reached the grand hall, just as the operation was about to begin, Camilla suddenly shouted.

“I know you’re there! Why don’t you come out?”

That had been the plan all along. 

The twenty agents surrounded her, bows drawn.

Seeing this, Camilla simply smirked and scoffed.

“My, so many of you. The king sure is cautious.”

Robert felt an uneasy sense of dread from her confidence. 

Realizing there was no time to waste, he gave the order immediately.

“Fire!”

Arrows flew from the soldiers, all aimed at Camilla. 

And—each one pierced her.

Internally, Robert whispered a quiet “got her,” but then something strange happened.

The arrows had all struck her, yet after a moment, they seemed to lose their force, falling to the ground with a clatter as if they had passed through her.

It wasn’t as if the arrows hadn’t hit her.

Her tattered clothes were proof of that.

But with a wave of her hand, her clothing instantly repaired itself.

“Oh, is that all?”

Camilla asked, as if nothing had happened.

Robert, keeping his shock hidden, quickly gave another order to his men.

“Fire! Everything you’ve got!”

At his command, the soldiers loosed another volley of arrows, reloading and firing continuously.

But… no matter how many arrows they shot, the result was the same. 

They definitely hit her, but she wouldn’t die. 

One by one, the arrows fell at Camilla’s feet.

“Damn it, how about this!”

One of the soldiers drew his sword and rushed toward Camilla. 

Her movements were slow and unrefined, showing no signs of any martial skill.

The soldier’s sword struck true, slashing across her neck—yet, nothing happened.

Even though he was certain he had cut through her neck, it was as if the blade had passed right through. Camilla remained untouched. 

Watching this, Robert finally understood the strange phenomena they’d been witnessing.

Most likely, her neck had reconnected the instant it was cut—so fast that no one could perceive it. 

The arrows earlier must have been treated as foreign objects, expelled from her body almost immediately.

In other words, this was—

“Balance Ward…!”

“My, correct.” 

Camilla said with a pleased smile.