I Secretly Healed the Illness of the Twin Princesses While Wearing a Mask, and Now the Entire Kingdom Is in an Uproar ~Please Stop Trying to Expose the Street Healer~ - Chapter 53

“I’m sorry. You’ve got the wrong person.”

“No, no matter how I look at you, you’re Asuku-kun!?”

I tried to pretend I didn’t know her, but this time there was no way out.

I really messed up.

Because my mask melted inside the plague creature’s stomach, my face was exposed.

Hmm.

Nameless has only been active for a short time. It feels way too early for my identity to be found out.

What should I do?

“…I’m not Asuku. I’m his twin brother, and we were separated from him long ago.”

“Eh, a-an older brother?”

“Yes. If you look closely, our faces are different, right?”

“You look exactly the same though!?”

“We’re identical twins.”

When I pushed that story seriously, Ridiel nodded for now.

“Then why do you call yourself Nameless?”

“Well, you see, that’s.”

“Which is it!?”

Even if I said I was Asuku’s brother, it would be lame to admit that I admired heroes who hide their true identity and fight in secret.

I need a better excuse.

“To be honest, I’m fighting an evil organization.”

“A-an evil organization? Something like that exists?”

“Yes. A group called the White Church. They are trying to bring back a white god. I fight them every day. That demon earlier was one of them. I hide who I am so the people around me won’t get hurt.”

“I see…”

I feel a little bad, but I’ll borrow the kind of fantasy setting that Veltica, with the middle-school syndrome, would imagine.

Well, the White Church is just made-up anyway.

There shouldn’t be any problem treating a fictional religion as an evil group.

“I-I don’t really understand it all. But you’re trying to do something good, right?”

“Huh? Ah, well, yes. More or less.”

Ridiel still looked unsure, but she raised her thumb and said firmly.

“Then I’ll support you!! Do your best!!”

“Thank you. Oh, and please don’t tell anyone about me, okay?”

“Eh? B-but you defeated that dangerous demon. You might get a huge reward from the Empire…”

“I don’t need a reward. I’m just doing what I want to do.”

“You’re kind of…”

This time, Ridiel’s eyes sparkled.

She looked like a small child seeing a hero, with pure and shining eyes.

“That’s so cool!!”

“…Is that so?”

“Yeah!! Not taking rewards, acting quietly just for your goal… That’s cool!!”

Ridiel said this with a big smile.

W-whoa. Being praised so directly makes my face relax into a grin.

After talking with that plague creature that felt like boiled trash just moments ago, Ridiel’s smile looks even brighter.

Before I grin too much, I should leave.

“Well then, I’ll be going.”

“Yeah!! Let’s meet again somewhere!!”

I quickly left Ridiel and got away from there.

Later, it seems Ridiel told the whole story to the cannon-fodder dog who arrived late at the battlefield.

And what happened after that was…

Because she helped defeat a dangerous demon, Ridiel was promoted to first-class citizen status.

◆　◇　◆

Zenapart was dragging her body through a small forest in the demon territory.

Her insides had been torn apart from within, and she was bleeding heavily.

For a human, this amount of blood loss would be fatal.

“Haah, haaah, haah, d-damn it! That bastard! He crushed my heart just like that!!”

“…Pathetic, Zenapart.”

“Th-that voice, Veltica!?”

She turned around at the sudden voice and saw a girl wearing a mirror-like mask.

“…Huh!! Are you angry?”

“Yes. I am angry. And that’s why I will kill you.”

“W-wait, wait! No need to get so mad. It’s just a little prank!”

“A prank? After killing so many people?”

Veltica drew her holy sword and pointed the tip straight at Zenapart.

It was about to explode into a fight, then it happened.

“…Veltica… put away… your sword…”

“W-why are you here…”

“Ahh!! Perfect timing!! Help me, Kokonoha-chan!!”

Zenapart’s eyes fell on a beautiful woman leaning against a tree.

She was a white-clad woman.

Her long white hair was tied with a golden clip, and her eyes shone gold. She was taller than most men while giving off a divine and untouchable aura.

Her most noticeable features were her fox ears and nine shiny tails.

She wore a disheveled kimono from the Eastern lands, exposing her full chest and thick thighs without shame.

Her name was Kokonoha.

She is the Cardinal of ‘Lust’ from the White Church, and she was neutral like Veltica.

“…What I hate most… is fighting among comrades… You must control your anger…”

“But Zenapart broke her promise not to attack the Empire first. How do you plan to make up for that?”

“…Hmm… then… I will do this…”

“Huh!! W-what? Why are you approaching silently!?”

Kokonoha walked up to Zenapart and cut off her head.

“Gyaa!? W-what are you doing!?”

“…By doing this, Zenapart will use her power to recover… and won’t be able to do anything for years…”

“You expect me to accept this as settling things?”

“…If you are not satisfied… you and I would have to fight…”

Veltica swallowed her words.

Upon seeing that, the headless Zenapart smirked.

“Ha!! Fighting Kokonoha-chan, the strongest of the White Church, is not smart!! Just go home quietly!”

“…Alright. I’ll give up this time. But if the extremists break their promise again—”

“What I hate is fighting among comrades… Anyone who drags down their own people… I will eliminate…”

“That’s enough for me to hear. I’ll be going then.”

Veltica quickly left the scene.

After watching her go, Zenapart thanked Kokonoha.

“Ah!! You saved me!! I didn’t die thanks to you!!”

“…I didn’t save you… Farewell.”

“W-wait, leaving me here with only my head!? At least take me back to the Demon King’s castle!!”

“…I… am a germaphobe… I don’t want to touch someone covered in blood and mud…”

“Don’t treat me like trash!?”

As Kokonoha tried to leave Zenapart behind, she suddenly remembered something.

“That’s right!! I should tell you something, Kokonoha-chan!!”

“…What is it?”

“The Black King has appeared!! Ah!! What a touching reunion!!”

“…That’s… Impossible…”

It all happened in an instant.

Kokonoha stared at Zenapart with an emotionless gaze while moving to crush her without hesitation.

Zenapart quickly jerked her jaw to dodge.

“What, h-hey, what are you doing!?”

“That one will never rise again… I am the one who killed the one who lost their sanity…”

Kokonoha looked down and bit her lip.

“Anyone who pretends to be that one… no matter how many… I will not forgive… must not forgive…”

“Hmm. H-hey, Kokonoha-chan?”

“Criminals must be punished… Those who impersonate my king deserve death… Hitoha, are you there?”

“Yes, right here.”

Without a sound, a girl in a ninja outfit appeared beside Kokonoha.

Kokonoha gave her orders.

“Gather the Eight-Tailed Squad… Find the criminals pretending to be that one…”

“Yes!”

“But… do not touch them… I will personally destroy them… I will crush them with my own hands…”

Hearing the anger and murderous intent in her voice, Zenapart thought.

She’s terrifying.

◇　◇　◇

Afterword

One-Point Story

Author: “By the way, Kokonoha is 186 cm tall, and I won’t say where, but she’s as big as a watermelon. I like tall, busty, white-haired nine-tailed fox villainesses. Do you have a problem with that?”

Asuku: “Why are you so mad?”

If you thought, “She’s similar to Veltica in personality,” “Tall, busty, white-haired nine-tailed fox villainess… awesome!!” or “Big as a watermelon… nice,” please leave your thoughts, bookmarks, ★ ratings, or reviews.