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–––Bandit’s viewpoint

There was shocking news waiting for us when we got home. Supposedly Lapis was the old hero Brave. Bordaule had been using Brave in secret to seed chaos in the continent, in an attempt to expand their territory. Now Leble was requesting help to take down Bordaule.

“Seriously..? That’s kinda hard to believe…”
“Everyone feels that way. Not even I’m sure whether to believe that or not.”

Queen Titis met up with me on the balcony, to greet me after my long absence, and to tell me that unbelievable story.

She was seen as the hero that saved our country from its demise. She was also the master of Luvias, Bordaule’s hero. Lapis was powerful enough to face off against Behemoth, and now there were claims she was Brave. It was shocking to hear that, though a part of me could believe it. If she was Brave, then that explained why she was so much more powerful than newly titled heroes like ourselves. Brave had already saved the world once after all. That would explain the secret of her power, but there were still many questions.

“Why did he decide to disguise himself as a girl though? Also, I’d swear Lapis looked like a girl, do you really think it’s Brave in disguise?”
“They didn’t give me a reason why he would do that. But Lapis is a girl. I’m confident in my eye for people, and I know she was a real girl. I would’ve noticed if it was a man in disguise. There must be some hidden reason no one knows…though that’s not really the problem.”

She was right, Lapis’ supposed identity was shocking, but it was not important in the current issue. Trying to discuss secrets we had no way of verifying was just a waste of time. Instead, we had to focus on Leble’s actions.

“If everything Leble claimed is true, then Bordaule would be an evil country that is letting demons through to weaken the world and take over.”
“I don’t think that’s possible. Bordaule has been suffering attacks from monsters and demons just as much as other countries. And if they really wanted to use Brave…or Lapis, as a weapon to attack other countries, it would be stupid for her to invite the heroes from other countries to train and get stronger.”
“Exactly. Their story contradicts itself too much.”

That was good to know. It seemed Queen Titis’ thoughts were the same as mine.

“How are we going to respond as a country then, Queen?”

I asked her, and a devilish smile appeared on her lips.

“Isn’t it obvious? We’ll reject Leble’s claims. Lapis is the savior of our land, we’ll never betray the person who saved our lives.”
“I knew you would say that.”

I sighed in relief hearing her response. In the very slim chance she turned her back on Lapis, I would not have hesitated on abandoning this country and joining Lapis’ side. I knew the queen would never even consider something like that, but I still felt relieved knowing I could trust her.

“Leble’s claims are too unreliable, not to mention that there’s way more evidence showing Leble is doing dodgy stuff. There’s even accounts that they’re making deals with demons, though still unverified. If we offered such an empire a hand, I’m sure they would just make us do slave labor before swallowing us into their territory. There’s only one option for Barius.”

Hearing that, my body went stiff. After I swallowed loudly, Titis finally finished her sentence.

“If Leble has decided to attack Bordaule, that just means Bordaule has become too big of an obstacle. I’ll get in contact with Bordaule in secret, and offer my support. I’m afraid Leble is asking the other nearby countries for support too, so we just need to stand our ground. Even if they’ve gotten weaker, Bordaule is still a large country, I doubt they’ll go down without a fight.”

She was right. Not to mention that Lapis was there, and she would never sit idly while the country burned. With her power, Bordaule should be able to hold out on Leble’s attack.

“Then Queen, what should I and my party do…”
“I doubt Leble will attack us right away, even if we refuse to help. We should still have some time. You should visit other countries in the meantime, gather the other heroes, who I’m sure share our sentiment. We’ll do everything to stop that tyrant, got it?”
“Got it. This is for the future of our world, and I won’t bring shame to my title of hero.”

We already had our hands full dealing with demons, this was no time to go fighting other humans. I would do everything to get rid of Leble so we could focus on fighting demons again as soon as possible.

“Well, I know I just got back, but I’ll be heading back out then, Queen.”
“Mhm. Where are you heading first?”
“Just nearby, to Versis. I’ve become quite good friends with the hero Annero, and having him on our side will be worth a hundred men. He can easily hold his own weight during a fight.”

I had been with him in the Haunted Lands. He was the person I wanted to have next to me more than anyone else. I hurried to say my goodbyes to queen Titis, and our party left the country almost as soon as we arrived. We were headed south, to Versis. It should not take too many days to get there from Barius.