Dida is the person suspected of being the mastermind who framed Ion.

From Ion's perspective, killing him wouldn't even begin to satisfy her grudge.

Furthermore, the reason Isaac, the leader of the Crimson Wedge, died likely lies with Dida as well. If that's the case, perhaps Rebecca-san and Shello-san also want their revenge.

If so, should we just go ahead and do it? I felt a slight inclination toward that, but—

Everyone's gaze gathered on Ion.

Naturally, Hetty-san's did as well.

"......Eh?"

Hetty's icy, expressionless face rapidly transformed into one of utter astonishment.

For a moment, I wondered if it was bad for Hetty-san to find out, but I suppose it was a bit late for that now.

"No way... Pri... Princess Lucreion...?"

As expected, Hetty-san seemed to know Ion. Well, she is the eldest daughter of a major merchant house. I suppose there are social circles and various other things involved. Not that I know much about that.

The two stared at each other for a while. Ion scanned Hetty's face intently for a moment, and then—

"Ah! Henrietta-san! Aren't you Henrietta-san!?"

She suddenly let out a loud cry.

Henrietta—that's Hetty-san's real name. They were acquaintances to the point that Ion, who was a princess, knew her name?

"I was surprised by the talk of Dida Barbacro, but to think Henrietta-san was an acquaintance of Ayase-san! It's been so long, Henrietta-san!"

"Eh!? N-No way. Really...? Are you truly the real Princess Lucreion?"

"I'm the real one!"

"P-Princess...! Thank goodness you are safe! Reese-sama will surely be overjoyed as well..."

"I-It hurts, Henrietta-san!"

Hetty-san pulled Ion into a hug.

In a rare sight, her face broke into a smile, and she looked as if she was about to burst into tears. She seemed truly, from the bottom of her heart, happy to be reunited with Ion.

Ion also had a faint glint of tears in her eyes, smiling softly. They seemed to be surprisingly close.

The daughter of a royal purveyor and the daughter of the Emperor. I wonder if they usually get that close? I don't know how much power a royal purveyor holds, but...

"You two knew each other? If it's okay, could I ask about your relationship for future reference?"

I tried being a bit humble for some reason.

"Eh? Ayase-san, you didn't know?"

"Nope. I had no idea."

"I kept that part hidden. Even my best friend Becky didn't know. Well, it's all in the past anyway."

"H–Hey, Hetty, what is this all about?"

Even Rebecca-san was surprised.

Apparently, there was some kind of secret here. What is it?

"Jirou-sama. You probably didn't know my Vocation. I might have mentioned before that I have three."

"Yeah, I heard you had three combat-related ones or something."

"I told everyone in the mercenary group, but my Vocations are [Gladiator], [Ranger], and [Grappler]."

"That's impressive."

I feel like I could never win against her. She's a total physical powerhouse.

"However, there is actually one more. That is the reason I met Princess Lucreion and the reason I started the mercenary group..."

Hetty-san paused, took a breath, and then said:

"My primary Vocation is [Paladin]. I once served as Princess Lucreion's personal Holy Knight."

""W–Whaaaaaaaaaat?!""

Rebecca-san's and my voices echoed across the grasslands in perfect unison.

"A-A Paladin!? Then, then why were you running a mercenary group!?"

"Various things happened and I quit, Becky. I was only Princess Lucreion's personal Paladin when she was still quite young. The reason the Princess remembers me is that even after I quit being a Paladin, I remained personally close with Reese-sama."

"And this Reese-sama is?"

Ion answered my question.

"Reese is my mother. Henrietta-san was my mother's tea-drinking friend."

Ion's mother... which meant... the former Emperor's empress consort. In other words, the current Empress Dowager.

Come to think of it, I vaguely remembered Rebecca-san mentioning that Paladins tended to grow close to the imperial family—that they often became part of the royal guard or something like that.

Still... wow. Everyone really does have a history.

Hetty-san was the eldest daughter of an imperial purveyor, a former Paladin, a former mercenary band leader, and now a maid.

...No, the maid outfit was apparently just a personal hobby. Or rather, a disguise.

"Wait, why did you quit being a Paladin, Hetty? I mean, can you even quit being a Paladin once you've entered the castle?"

Rebecca-san asked.

"It was related to my father. From that shitty old man's perspective, it was more convenient for me to have a political marriage than to be a Paladin. Moreover, since I was completely on Reese-sama's side, I was an eyesore to that shitty old man, who was investing in the Second Consort's faction."

I see. Aside from just being a Paladin, Hetty-san also had her position as the daughter of a royal purveyor, so she was able to resign.

Or perhaps, in this world, the value system that women should marry and have children is still deeply rooted. That might not change even if you're a Paladin.

"Huh? Wait—so you were already married?"

"As if. I'll get angry, Becky."

"But you quit being a Paladin, right?"

"I quit, but there's no way I was going to do what that shitty old man said. Originally, I needed to be able to move freely for Reese-sama's sake anyway, so it worked out perfectly—I pretended to go along with the political marriage to gain my freedom."

"Well, that's just like Hetty. To become a mercenary while pretending to become a bride."

From Paladin to Mercenary Leader.

This means that while being a former Imperial Paladin, Hetty-san was leading a mercenary group to fight against the Empire. That's a bit too eccentric.

"Oh! So that's why you wore that mask on the battlefield."

"Yeah. If I fought against regular soldiers, there was a chance I'd be found out. Well, my group rarely fought against regular soldiers, though."

"Now that you mention it, that's true. Except for the units commanded by those spoiled sons of nobles."

"That stupid son, right? If Reese-sama hadn't stopped me, I would have killed him back then."

A masked warrior, huh...

I was thinking about making Ion wear a mask, but it turns out there was a predecessor.

However, being a former Imperial Paladin yet taking part in other countries' wars as a mercenary and turning your bow against your own country is a bit extraordinary.

There had to be reasons, but this was not something I could casually ask about.

"What is it, Jirou-sama? That look on your face—you're thinking my actions make no sense, aren't you?"

"Uh... yeah. To be honest."

"...At that time, the plan to eliminate Princess Lucreion had already begun between my father and Uncle Dida. To the two stupid sons and those who supported them, Princess Lucreion, who obtained the [General] Vocation at the age of ten, was an obstacle."

"It had been going on since back then?"

"I reported that only to Reese-sama and decided to use every means possible to protect Princess Lucreion. I was also the one who recommended Isaac for the Princess's Vocation education. That man's combat ability was the real deal, and there was almost no chance he would be bribed by the stupid sons or the stupid old man."

Indeed, based on what I've heard of Isaac's character, he seems like the type who would try to protect the princess with all his might. In fact, that's likely exactly who he was, although it ended in failure as a result.

"Before that, let me tell you how the mercenary group came to be. It was simply to protect Reese-sama and Princess Lucreion. I was even thinking of using the mercenary group to help Reese-sama and Princess Lucreion seek asylum if it came down to it. My loyalty was pledged to Reese-sama as an individual, not out of patriotism."

I see, so that's why it was an "all-female mercenary group."

"Then why did you fight in wars?"

"We were a mercenary group, so we couldn't survive if we didn't go to war. That said, we only went to battles large enough to be called 'wars' a few times. We went to countless small skirmishes, though. More than anything, we needed money, and I had a talent for combat... Actually, personally, I wanted to bury those idiots in the confusion of battle, but Reese-sama stopped me. Even though she understood, she seemingly couldn't find the resolve to kill them."

"Was the mercenary band Reese-sama's idea?"

"Of course not! She's far too kind. When I explained it, she barely grasped the concept. In other words, I did it all on my own. Well... until Princess Lucreion was framed, that is... But more importantly, may I ask why Princess Lucreion is with you, Jirou-sama?"

"Well, it'll take a long time to explain... Err... Shamash-saaan."

Deciding it would be best for the person involved to explain, I dumped the task onto Ion and Shamash-san.

* * *

"Hetty-san, I know you’ve only just returned, but I have a favor to ask."

The explanation of why Ion was here had finished, and Hetty-san bowed deeply to Shamash-san.

The fact that Ion was safe and standing here now was all thanks to Shamash-san’s protection. In a way, Shamash-san had achieved exactly what Hetty-san herself had once set out to do.

From Hetty-san's perspective, no amount of gratitude would ever be enough.

Of course, I received heartfelt thanks as well. She even offered to reimburse the spirit stones we'd used to cleanse the prison crest, but I firmly declined.

"What is it? Jirou-sama, you are the benefactor who saved the Princess. I will do anything within my power."

"She's not a princess anymore. She's just Ion now."

Hetty-san has her own position to consider, and to her, a princess might always be a princess—but to me, Ion is just Ion. That's one point I won't budge on.

"Yes... you're right. Ion... Ion, is it?"

"We've already agreed she'll live here as a different person. Besides, it looks like her brother has inherited the Empire anyway, so there's no point in digging up the past now. She doesn't seem to have any interest in doing so herself."

If this were a story about becoming the Emperor to get revenge on a brother, that would be one thing, but finding contentment in a modest life is a valid path too. As long as you have food, clothing, and shelter, life is pretty good.

"I'll be careful then. Ion... Just Ion... Well, compared to that tense, stifling place, she’ll certainly be much happier here."

"Whether she's happy is up to her, but I think it's a lot better than the mine shaft where she was living with Shamash-san."

I don't know what her life was like as an Imperial Princess, but since coming here, Ion has been smiling a lot more. She seemed quite gloomy when we first met, but maybe she was always bright by nature.

"So, about that favor... Hetty-san, would you participate in the parade with us? If Dida plans to do something during the parade, having you inside would make it easier to prevent, right?"

"I don't mind, but... are you sure?"

Hetty showed a slight hesitation. I wondered if there was a problem.

"Since your Vocation is [Paladin], there shouldn't be any issue, right?"

"No, it's just... my face is fairly well-known. I'm concerned about that."

"Then we'll just have you wear a mask..."

The Masked Knight returns. Ion will be wearing one too, so one or two more won't make a difference.

"I see. In that case, I will participate. Heh... I’ll need to get my equipment ready."

"Great! Honestly, I’d love for you to join our Knight Order permanently, but I suppose that’s asking too much? Ah, we'll provide the equipment, of course."

Hetty-san is a battle-hardened veteran. Rebecca-san had already told me she was a powerhouse who likely surpassed even Shello-san in overall ability. Having her in the parade was already a steal—inviting her to the squad was a dream.

"To your Knight Order... You're inviting me to join as well...?"

Hetty-san looked back at me with an unexpectedly sincere and earnest gaze.

Wait, she actually looks interested...?

"Eh? Yeah, of course! If you’d join us, Hetty-san, you'd be more than welcome!"

Hetty-san is an invaluable talent. She's strong, and above all, she's a beauty.

When I answered, a soft smile flickered across her face for a split second before her expression snapped back to its usual sharp professional look.

"I am honored, Jirou-sama."

"So...?"

"Yes. Please allow me to join. Actually, I was planning to ask you myself. It will be difficult for you to protect Ion by her side at all times, Jirou-sama, so please let me help. Besides, I used to lead a mercenary group. I'm sure I can be of use in various ways."

"Yes! I'm happy too, Hetty-san. Looking forward to working with you!"

I got a bit carried away and grabbed her hand, shaking it enthusiastically.

Hetty-san looked slightly bewildered, but also somewhat pleased. She’s the type who doesn't show much emotion, but I could tell—this was the look of someone who was truly happy. And I was genuinely happy too.

"Heh... A Knight Order of only women. It reminds me of the old days, right Becky?"

"Totally. But with 'Reaper Hetty' joining? You might actually become famous back in the Empire."

"Is she that well-known?"

"No, few people actually know my face, so it shouldn't be an issue. Unless Jirou-sama wants to make use of my name?"

Her name... I see. Hetty-san really must be quite the celebrity.

I told her I had no such intention. If she’s that famous, I’m worried her reputation might start living its own life. I want to focus on the fact that it's a female knight squad. Eventually, I want it to grow into the scale of a full Knight Order.

Afterward, I told Hetty-san about what had happened in Lucraella. I introduced her to Oyakata and showed her the dragon. Since she was joining the parade, we hurriedly ordered her equipment and added one more insignia to the list.

One week until the parade.

According to Oyakata, he can just barely make it in time, but the schedule has become incredibly tight.