Chapter: Chapter 2
“Today, the Star River Sword Saint announced his withdrawal from the Hero Association and will no longer act as a hero…”
“The United Government maintains a restrained attitude toward the provocations of the Elven Empire…”
“Members of the United Council have proposed a motion requiring the actions of professional heroes to be subject to the supervision of the United Government…”
The television broadcasted incredibly dull news, while the incessant chirping of cicadas could be heard from outside the window. The air conditioner mounted on the wall continuously pumped chilled air into the room, and the sound of fingers rapidly tapping on a keyboard echoed within the small space.
A black-haired girl wearing pink cat-ear headphones sat in a massive esports chair, her eyes intently focused on the character on the screen.
She was only wearing a T-shirt with a cute girl printed on it, her snow-white arms and thighs completely exposed to the air. Her beautiful eyes, like obsidian, were fixed on the enemy’s health bar, which was reduced to a mere sliver. One might have thought she was fighting for her life against a monster.
“Damn it!” as the character’s health bar hit zero, the girl snatched off her headphones and slammed them onto the desk. “Finally, victory!”
She had spent ten days preparing for this victory.
“Your Majesty, please be a little quieter, and… try to be more restrained.” The tightly shut door opened, and a maid poked her head in from outside.
The maid was very beautiful, with a top-tier appearance that rivaled that of a major star, coupled with a revealing maid outfit that seemed to have leaped straight out of an anime. She exuded a unique allure.
However, the maid’s expression was not pleasant.
Seeing the room, which had been tidied up only half a day ago, become messy once again, and the girl who refused to dress properly no matter how many times she was told, the maid sighed deeply.
The girl’s clothes were clearly a size too big, causing her right shoulder to be completely exposed. Looking further inside from her shoulder, the maid shook her head again.
Still refuses to wear underwear?
“Don’t worry, Xue’er, it’s just us and the little girl upstairs in this building. At this time of day, that little girl is still at school,” the black-haired girl said dismissively, sticking out her tongue to lick a tiny crumb of potato chip from the corner of her mouth.
Cute, lazy, and slovenly – that was the girl’s first impression.
To put it more fittingly, she was a beautiful internet-addicted girl.
On the television, the news anchor continued to read out news that held no meaning for ordinary people with a straight face. Honestly, in this era, very few people still watched the news channel.
“The Demon Queen, Leticia Infino, remains missing. The United Government expresses its grave concern about this matter.”
“Hmph, a weasel paying respects to a chicken,” the girl scoffed dismissively.
“Oh, by the way, Your Majesty, have you heard the news about the Star River Sword Saint’s resignation?” the maid, Xue’er, asked, consciously ignoring the girl’s previous statement.
“Resigned? Resigned… Wait, who resigned?!” The girl’s voice suddenly rose.
If she heard correctly, the Star River Sword Saint had resigned?
Is that true or not?
“You heard correctly, the Star River Sword Saint has resigned and will no longer be active as a hero,” Xue’er repeated the news she had just seen very seriously.
The girl remained silent, but stretched out her hand and pinched her waist hard.
“Ouch!” That hurt!
“Your Majesty, what are you doing?” Xue’er quickly ran to the girl’s side and offered her a tissue.
Taking the tissue from the maid, the girl, while gasping in pain, wiped away the tears from the corner of her eyes. “It’s nothing, I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.”
That Sword Saint retired without a word? Could something have happened?
Otherwise, given that guy’s perverted nature, how could she have retired at this time?
Don’t tell me it was due to internal power struggles among humans that forced her to leave. That kind of nonsense might fool ordinary people, but it wouldn’t fool her.
“Guardian of humanity, merciless slaughter machine, cold-faced god of death… she has retired,” the girl’s voice carried a trace of melancholy.
“This should be good news, for us demons,” Xue’er said, not understanding why Her Majesty would have such an expression. After all, the Sword Saint and Her Majesty had a bad relationship, right?
Yes, this girl was the protagonist of one of the news reports on the television, the Demon Queen, Leticia Infino.
“Neither good nor bad,” the girl shook her head. The Sword Saint had merely retired, but she was still alive. As long as she was alive, she was a bargaining chip that all other races couldn’t ignore, capable of changing the balance of power.
“Alas, why worry so much? I’ve been driven out anyway.”
“Your Majesty is welcome to return to the Royal City at any time. I believe the Princesses would not oppose your return,” Xue’er said, lowering her head with a complex expression on her face.
Leticia’s disappearance was not voluntary; she was forced to leave because the Princess at the time, along with the Four Heavenly Kings, staged a coup. This had always been a point of contention for Xue’er.
Her Majesty, when faced with rebellion, had left with her without a word.
Despite being able to suppress the rebels effortlessly, Leticia refused to do so.
“Forget it, forget it. Why go back? The Demon Realm isn’t as fun as the Human Realm,” Leticia said as usual, shaking her head. After living in the human world for so long, she had become a second Liu Shan, perfectly embodying the idiom “happy to forget home, unwilling to return.”
Look at her now – slovenly, with faint dark circles under her eyes, not stepping out of her house even once a month, completely becoming a societal reject.
Who would have thought that such a girl was once a monarch?
The empress who danced gracefully on the battlefield in a black dress had completely disappeared into the river of time. All that remained in this world was an ordinary otaku girl named Leticia.
“Is the Sword Saint really that strong?”
If not for that battle, Your Majesty would still be as noble and inviolable as before. Xue’er didn’t know what had happened that day; all witnesses were left in that desolate wasteland.
She only knew that Her Majesty was in a sorry state that day. The beautiful long sword, personally designed by Her Majesty and forged by the best craftsmen of the Demon Realm, had been cut in half, and Her Majesty’s right hand hung limply on her side. Her clothes were so torn that they barely covered her body.
Upon seeing Xue’er and her sister, Leticia collapsed. Her body had reached its limit.
“Her strength has surpassed the limits of human beings.” Leticia’s complexion was not pleasant. Recalling that battle, she felt only an endless sense of powerlessness.
“Enough… there’s a little guest outside the door. Xue’er, go open the door.”
