My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's

After several days of adjustments and checks following the talks and the banquet, it turned out—miraculously—that the three Human race people we rescued were all from Yamato Country.

Sato had said as much at the meeting, but it was a pleasant surprise that we wouldn’t have to bow and beg Reytis or the other nation again, even if they were suspicious. Especially not having to bow to King Reytis anymore was a real relief. Though Sato was probably the one doing most of the negotiating.

The three still asleep were carried from the airship hovering above the harbor into the rowhouse near the port designated by the Three Great Houses.

Unlike when we arrived, residents had gathered around the harbor as they were carried in, watching us. Among them were likely some relatives of those who had been on the same ship as Kagami. People came up to the soldiers escorting us to ask if it really was only three—just from what I saw there were at least four who asked, for the safety of those we were carrying.

And today, the Three Great Houses’ so-called “sleepers” would meet their families.

“A—ahhhh!!! You, you—!”

“Mm~? To-to? To-to? It’s To-to! Ehehe, welcome home, To-to! I practiced saying it, welcome home! I practiced! Hey To-to, listen!”

A woman collapsed into sobs at the sight of her husband, returned gaunt and exhausted enough that even laying there the change was obvious. A child laughed and reached out innocently toward the father, still sleeping in his mother’s arms.

He must have been a good father.

“You foolish son!! You couldn’t even protect Lady Kagami, and now you’ve troubled the heads of our house—what is the meaning of this!!”

“Ah, ah! Ahhhh!”

A father yelled at his son through tears while the mother clung to the son beside him.

They must have been proud parents who raised him strictly but with love.

“...I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! If I hadn’t said those things—!”

The woman who collapsed in front of the youngest man among the three had a silver ring on her ring finger. Looking closer, the man wore a matching ring and the woman’s belly was a little swollen.

They’d probably had a fight when the husband left.

Everyone carried their own story.

And those stories had nearly been cut short. Yet they were now back with their families.

Unlike me, who had looked away at the time, Sato and Kyousuke didn’t give up on them. They’d freely given precious water and Demon Stone and nursed them devotedly until now.

If I had looked the other way when Crow and the others first visited Morte, would there have been more people here now? It’s already done; thinking about it won’t change anything. I knew that, but I couldn’t help thinking about it.

“I’m glad everyone could come home.”

“…Yeah.”

I nodded at Sato, who said that with eyes narrowed in happiness as he watched those who’d come to greet their families.

Whether to wake those sleeping from Amelia’s “forced sleep” would be decided by the families after we explained the pros and cons.

After all, “forced sleep” was a spell Amelia had made to put me to sleep when I was sleep-deprived, to recover mind and body. There are spells that just make someone sleep, but a skill that heals even the unseen “heart” without visible or status indicators has no precedent. We couldn’t even predict when they might awaken. If anyone other than Amelia had used it, it would have been quickly undone.

Still, all of the families said they would wait until their sleeper family member’s heart was healed. Even if the day came when they passed away while still asleep, they would wait.

“You don’t really think this is an act, do you?”

“...Well.”

There are plenty of people in this world who will seriously cause things we can’t predict. To determine if they were truly family, Sato and I had come here under the pretext of handing them over. Kyousuke’s skill would have helped, but unfortunately today he was out doing aid for wounded soldiers who’d been pulled back from the front to escort Hosoyama. That must be hell over there.