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- Step, Step...

A girl walked down the street with a vacant expression.

"Look over there... that’s..."

"Shh."

Even though she was covered in a robe, she unknowingly caught people\'s attention.

It was none other than Ruby.

"But, no matter how you look at it, it\'s that bitc-"

"Just pretend you don’t see her...!"

"Uh, okay."

She walked among the whispering passersby with her head bowed, she eventually stopped.

- Knock, knock...

Then, Ruby quietly knocked on the door of the eerily silent building.

"Yes, This is Sunrise Empire Orphanage..."

The place Ruby arrived at was none other than the orphanage where she had lived until the Hero Inauguration Ceremony.

"...M-Miss Ruby."

Once an orphanage that Frey had established with his own assets and loved, but now, with no one to manage it, it was directly managed by the Sunrise Empire.

"It\'s been a while... Miss Anna."

Meeting her former matron who still managed the place, Ruby nodded politely.

"Why are you here..."

"I have something to do..."

"Please."

Then, Ruby knelt down, and Anna began to ponder, chewing on her lips.

"...Come in."

She granted permission soon after.

"T-Thank you."

With a look of genuine relief, Ruby entered the orphanage.

"Thank you so much..."

"But, what brought you here?"

"That\'s..."

In response to Anna\'s slightly cold tone, Ruby lowered her head and answered.

"I... I want to... tell you the truth."

"...So the rumors were true."

Yes.

She was currently visiting every place touched by Frey to reveal the truth.

For the past few days, Ruby had been traveling throughout the Empire to inform many people of the truth.

Of course, thanks to this, the already widely spread rumors exploded, and Ruby\'s reputation plummeted even further.

Thanks to that, she was often being chased out before she could even tell the truth.

"Yes."

As Ruby nodded slowly to confirm the truth of the rumors, Anna sat down on the chair with a dark expression, gripping her head.

"So, establishing this orphanage, giving me a job after I was unfairly accused by the Head Maid and driven out, providing free education to those angelic children... it was all Lord Frey\'s doing."

"...Please go in first. I need to be alone now."

As one of the few extreme altruists among those in high positions in the Empire, she felt more guilt towards herself than blaming Ruby.

Seeing Anna like that, Ruby hesitated for a moment before eventually biting her lip and entering the orphanage.

"...?"

Inside, she saw the children of the orphanage, tilting their heads and some volunteers from Starlight Mansion.

"Hello, everyone..."

"Hi, Hikkkk...!"

"That girl...?"

When she took off her robe, the children and the volunteers flinched.

Ruby closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

This was the last stop.

She had already been to every place at least once. If she could spread the truth here, her final duty would be fulfilled.

"The story I have to tell today is..."

With that thought in mind, Ruby began to speak, enduring the gaze directed at her.

"...It\'s a story about a young boy."

And then, her story continued for quite some time.

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"Thank you for listening to my story."

As Ruby finished her story, she bit her lip and quietly bowed her head.

And then, silence ensued.

"S-Sob...!"

"T-Then, we won\'t see him anymore? He won\'t come back?"

In the midst of that silence, some children burst into tears and questioned Ruby.

"W-We can’t do anything for him? He... he saved us."

"I almost died after living on the streets all my life... I dreamed of becoming a secretary for the Hero of Money when I grew up..."

"Ugh, waaah..."

"...I\'m sorry."

All Ruby could say to those children was a sincere apology.

There was nothing those children could do for Frey, who had given them the hope they so desperately desired when they were dying on the streets.

They could only pay homage to Frey\'s memorials, which were scattered throughout the Empire.

Even that was something Ruby couldn\'t bring herself to say, as she knew that the Empire and other nations were trying to cover up the truth that she was the real Demon King.

"I\'m really sorry..."

If it weren\'t for that, Ruby would never have taken on this task.

With the Hero Party scattered and even Frey\'s heroines disappearing after that day, only she could do this.

And the fact that Frey would be remembered in history as the Demon King, was something she simply couldn\'t accept.

"Young Master..."

"T-Then, w-was his time really timed? Because of being a hero? Really?"

"W-What do we... what do we do...?"

The servants from the Starlight Mansion who were beside the children began to sit down one by one.

And at the back, standing frozen on the spot, was Anne, who had recently stepped down from her position as the Head Maid.

Tears streamed down from her lifeless eyes.

"Sigh."

Ruby sighed as she watched them.

She and those servants were in the same boat.

After receiving extreme anger from Abraham when they went to see him after he briefly regained consciousness, they were driven out as traitors by him.

Now, he was currently in a state of unconsciousness after repeatedly losing consciousness due to not being able to comprehend the truth.

According to the doctor, if he didn’t wake up today, there would be no hope for him.

"S-So, what about us…?”

“W-we were visited by auditors recently. If we get driven out from here too... w-where do we go?"

“...Whatever happens, I’m going to end up on the street.”

It was inevitable that the servants would fall into ruin after cahooting with the Church.

Rumors of them betraying the family that had taken them in and raised them had already spread widely, and not only noble families but merchants, and even commoners, refused to employ them.

If they were driven out even from this orphanage, where audits were currently being conducted by auditors dispatched by the Empire, it was inevitable that they would end up on the street.

"I, I got hit by a stone while walking on the street yesterday. From a total stranger..."

“I was told to be careful on the road at night...”

"We\'ll be relatively okay. But Anne, if she gets driven out from here, she\'ll be kidnapped by noble families..."

"N-No, I don\'t want to..."

Listening to the despairing murmurs of the former servants, Anne, the former Head Maid, turned even paler.

"I-I\'m sorry... Young Master..."

"I\'m sorry..."

Sadly, Ruby had heard these murmurs too many times from others and herself.

She was sick of it.

"Well then, goodbye..."

With that, she bowed her head deeply and left the orphanage.

The task of spreading the truth throughout the Empire against the movement to distort history by making Frey the Demon King had finally come to an end.

But there was no sense of relief.

Only an empty void lingered within Ruby.

"...I should go see Aria."

In such a situation, Ruby forced a smile and murmured to herself.

"Maybe salmon sandwiches... No, I should make potato soup. It has been a long time since we ate that"

With that, Ruby headed towards the grocery store.

Unbeknownst to her, the sun was setting, and the night was rapidly approaching.

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- Step, step...

Carrying various groceries from the grocery store, Ruby walked along the street. She occasionally trembled with uncertainty, even buying salmon sandwiches just in case.

"I\'ve arrived..."

Finally, the restored Starlight Mansion came into view before her eyes.

"...Sigh."

As she tried to quicken her pace, Ruby stopped abruptly, exhaling deeply.

- Rustle, rustle...

Then, she begins rummaging through her pocket.

Eventually, Ruby pulled out several letters, many of which she had seen multiple times before, and sorrowfully examined them under the moonlight.

I\'m sorry, everyone. I must have shocked you all with my betrayal.

The first letter was from Eurelia, who had betrayed the Hero Party.

But I had no choice. The secrets I uncovered about my family and my father\'s deeds were too much.

My father started this tragedy. It was because of him that Frey\'s mother died, Aria fell into a trap, and Frey was haunted by trauma forever.

I didn\'t know that, and I took pride in our family. Yet… my family was a filthy warlock’s family.

I tried to endure it, but I couldn\'t bear to have Aria suffer alongside me. I wanted to pay the price to the person I respected the most.

The tear-stained letter continued, followed by similar sentiments in subsequent letters.

Perhaps feeling sorry for simply betraying the party, or perhaps listing information about Frey at that time that could be inferred to some extent.

However, after the first day, Frey had locked himself in the Demon King\'s room and had not left it, which was the only fact known to Ruby.

To Ruby, who now knew the truth, it was always a painful passage.

I\'ve been hurting the person who was trying to save me and my colleagues all along... I can\'t take it anymore.

I keep hearing his voice. I keep seeing his eyes. Even if I plug my ears, even if I close my eyes. When I\'m sitting when I\'m walking, even when I\'m sleeping… It keeps coming

The relatively short second and third letters were from Alice and Aishi respectively.

Alice was found with her heart pierced by the dagger she had used to stab Frey, and Aishi had hanged herself.

One strange thing was the content of Aishi\'s letter.

People considered it as a delusion due to guilt, but some pointed out that she had little contact with Frey, so they couldn\'t understand its meaning.

Thanks to this, there was a thorough investigation, yet they couldn’t find anything.

I am Vener Renee Hylin, the last bloodline of the Hylin family, a descendant of traitors.

However, they found a fourth letter, it was from Vener.

I couldn’t do anything about my disgraceful and foolish bloodline… So, I will atone for this sin in hell.

"...Sigh."

As Ruby read the letters left by those who had left first, she sighed, looking up at the sky.

- Whoosh...

Then, she used her mana to set the letters on fire.

The four letters, filled with remorse and despair, turned to ash and scattered into the night sky.

"Now... it\'s my turn."

She watched the scattering ashes before resuming her walk.

- Step, step, step...

She silently walked until she reached the entrance of the Starlight Mansion.

"Aria, I\'m here..."

Since that day, Aria had been living with Ruby in the mansion.

Ruby started talking to Aria.

"I\'m a little late, aren\'t I...? I\'m sorry. I\'ll prepare dinner now..."

Then, Ruby suddenly stopped talking.

"...Aria."

Soon, she hastily headed towards Aria\'s room.

During the walk to the room, Ruby remained silent.

A familiar yet unwelcome feeling emanated from Aria\'s room, a feeling Ruby had always faced but now wished to avoid.

- Creak...

With gritted teeth, Ruby opened the door, and her pupils dilated at the scene in front of her.

"...Ah."

The room was filled with the smell of blood.

And in the center of the room, Aria lay on the ground with the Hero’s Armament piercing through her.

"Ha, haha..."

There were no signs of forced entry, and the Hero’s Armament could only have been wielded by Aria.

"Ha..."

And lying beside her cold, lifeless body was a familiar white letter.

- Thud...

Staring at what would probably be known as the \'fifth letter’ to the public, Ruby quietly placed the groceries she was holding on the floor and moved forward.

- Swoosh...

With trembling hands, Ruby reached out and gently closed Aria\'s eyes.

- Drip...

"...I\'m sorry."

Then, she slowly removed Aria\'s hand, which was clutching the Hero’s Armament, from her chest.

"I\'m so sorry..."

If only she had come a little earlier.

If only she hadn\'t bought the salmon sandwiches.

"It\'s all because of me..."

Ruby, filled with endless regret, held Aria\'s hand while aiming the Hero’s Armament at her own heart.

"So, this is what I must do..."

As soon as those words left her mouth, a sharp pain pierced Ruby\'s heart.

"Cough, cough..."

Ruby coughed up blood from her mouth.

She felt the slow spread of death throughout her body and closed her eyes.

"...I\'m going now, Frey."

The moment those words left her lips, darkness descended upon Ruby\'s world.

With the only residence of the mansion now lay death, eerie silence spread throughout the mansion.

- Shaaa...

Suddenly, Ruby\'s body began to glow.

- Bzzzzz!

The moment Ruby\'s body started to shimmer, it disappeared into thin air.

Right after that.

For the first time in quite a while, she felt the world spinning around her.

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Now, where am I headed?

As darkness enveloped her vision, Ruby quietly pondered the inevitable realization of her demise.

Hell, or perhaps... purgatory.

With these thoughts in mind, she awaited the next moment, resigned to the consequences of her actions.

It doesn\'t really matter. Wherever it is, I can\'t pay for all of my sins...

Suddenly, a brilliant light engulfed her, causing Ruby to furrow her brow and shield her eyes in confusion.

"What\'s this...?"

In the midst of her perplexity, Ruby gradually realized that she was speaking.

She tentatively lowered her hand and an unbelievable sight unfolded before her.

"This place..."

A damp and dim basement.

Tears inexplicably streamed down her face.

And then...

“I love you forever, Ruby.”

Frey, bound to a chair, uttered these words before closing his eyes softly.

"Huh...?"

As Ruby\'s eyes darted around in confusion, she found herself thrust back into a moment from the past, witnessing Frey\'s final moments.

"What is this...?"

Retry: 1st attempt

In the darkening sky, much like that fateful day, a system window floated unseen to anyone, hovering in the empty expanse.