Roland Empire, the imperial capital, Loren.

"Lady Chen Ai?" A middle-aged maid knocked on the door, but there was still no sound inside.

The maid was used to all of this. She placed a silver-covered tray on the floor, containing bread, corn porridge, and eggs. Then, she curtsied toward the closed door.

After completing her tasks, she walked toward her younger companion. The two maids, one in front and one behind, went downstairs.

"Is this the lord we've heard about?" The young maid asked curiously, "The one who hasn't stepped out of the door in half a year?"

The elder maid sighed softly, "Yes, it's him."

She had been serving Chen Ai since half a year ago and had never seen him leave the house. The room's door was always tightly closed, with an eerie silence within. The maid only saw Chen Ai during a weekly routine cleaning session.

Every time he opened the door for her, Chen Ai would sit on the edge of the bed, with his head down and eyes closed.

Thick curtains covered the sunlight, and Chen Ai's silhouette appeared like a ghost lurking in the dark, motionless.

Recalling this, the elder maid couldn't help but shake her head; Chen Ai's posture always gave her an eerie feeling.

"He doesn't leave the house, nor does he show his loyalty to the emperor. Living in the palace for free for half a year, I don't know why we're keeping such a layabout around." The young maid pouted, her expression contemptuous.

"Don't be rude!" The elder maid admonished, "We are servants and have no right to gossip. Besides, the lord is one of the legendary heroes who defeated the demon race, a hero of the empire!"

The young maid's face still showed disbelief: "Hero? What kind of hero is he? His martial skills are poor, and nothing he's done resembles a hero. He's just riding on the coattails of other lords..."

"Silence." The elder maid frowned, slightly angry but not refuting the young maid's words.

She didn't know how to refute her. The young maid was telling the truth: the reputation of this lord-hero was bad from all aspects.

"At least he can't hear us..." the young maid muttered.

Their footsteps receded into the distance.

With a creak, the tightly closed door opened a crack, and a hand stretched out, pulling the tray inside before shutting the door again.

"I heard everything, Head Maid Belinda, and Maid Ellie too," Chen Ai said with a bitter smile, biting into a piece of bread.

Unlike Belinda's mental image, the room's curtains were now open, and the morning light shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the wooden floor, full of vitality.

Chen Ai quickly packed up his clothes, utensils, and everything else into the bag in front of him.

The huge cloth bag was stuffed full.

Although his storage ring could store enough items to fill the entire room, Chen Ai thought twice and decided to carry a large bag instead.

Because he felt that carrying a travel bag would create a better travel atmosphere.

It would remind him of the warm moments he spent traveling with his family and friends before crossing into this world.

"That should be about it!" Chen Ai clapped his hands, tied the bag, and gulped down the corn porridge. This was his last meal in the palace.

Ten minutes later, Chen Ai opened the door again, his feet stepping across the threshold, as if crossing half a year of time, stepping into the morning light.

He descended the stairs and walked out the main entrance. Chen Ai looked back at the villa.

The villa was a gift from the emperor when he returned from the demon's territory six months ago.

For six months, Chen Ai had not had anyone take care of the villa, and now the once white walls were covered with ivy, hinting at its age.

"Goodbye." Taking one last look at the villa where he had lived for half a year, Chen Ai whispered softly.

He turned away with his huge bag on his back.

"Chen Ai, where are you going?"

Blocking his path was a cold-faced girl.

Her face could not be called unattractive - in fact, her beauty was already well-known in the capital. But her deep, scheming eyes and her unsmiling demeanor made people inevitably overlook her beauty.

Ah, I've been caught.

Chen Ai shrugged nonchalantly, "Wherever I want to go. The world is vast, and I'll make my home anywhere."

"I've waited for you for half a year, and the first thing you do when you step out the door is to leave?" The girl's tone was oppressive, and she was clearly very angry about Chen Ai's departure.Throughout the entire imperial capital, it had always been others waiting for her. The only person who could enjoy the treatment of being waited for by her was Chen Ai.

After hearing this, Chen Ai's mouth revealed a trace of ridicule: "I'm very sorry, Princess Freya. The Demon King's city has been broken, and humans have already won the war. My mission was completed half a year ago. I don’t know what value I have that could make you wait for me for so long?"

"I need you to join the Imperial Knights and become the captain," Freya looked directly at Chen Ai, knowing his personality, and not beating around the bush.

Chen Ai stared at Freya for a long time, and after discovering that she was serious, he sighed: "I only remember that heroes exist to protect humanity and regard the elimination of the Demon King as their mission. I don't remember that heroes also have the mission of helping the Roland Empire’s royal family."

"Moreover…" Chen Ai mocked himself with a smile, "What use is a useless hero like me? There are many people like me with great abilities in the imperial capital. No matter what, I shouldn't be the one to take the position of captain of the Imperial Knights."

"Don't pretend to be ignorant! How long do you think I've known you? Others may not know your abilities, but I do!" Freya looked at Chen Ai and said excitedly.

"The only survivor of the 'Battle of the Gods,' the person who ended the Battle of the Gods, how can you possibly be weak? I know that only you can make the Imperial Knights rise again and become the Spear of the Empire!"

Chen Ai neither agreed nor disagreed, calmly looking at Freya.

Freya lowered her eyes, clutched her skirt with her slender hand, and said sadly, "His Majesty... my father is seriously ill. High Priest Klay says that he won't live for more than a few years. Once my father passes away, those restless nobles will tear the entire empire apart..."

Hearing about His Majesty, Chen Ai's eyes suddenly turned cold: "What does Lando's death have to do with me? You know, I don't care about the life and death of the empire. Let such a corrupt country be buried with the dead souls."

"I know you hate the Empire and my father," Freya raised her head and looked straight at Chen Ai, "So if you are willing to join the Imperial Knights, I will grant you the imperial family's surname in the name of a princess, and after that... I will be engaged to you."

This turn of events was so sudden that Chen Ai could not comprehend what Freya was saying for a moment.

"You mean, because I hate His Majesty? So I am engaged to you? What kind of strange idea is that?"

"You marry me, the daughter of your enemy. I'll be in your hands, whether you insult me or torture me, it's up to you," said Freya with a determined look in her eyes.

Insult, torture, hmm.

Imagine stripping the usually noble and cold Freya completely naked, exposing her snow-white skin to the air, then hanging her up... Or using ** to tie her up, lighting a candle...

Thinking about this, Chen Ai couldn't help but shiver.

Oh my God! I can't believe I was able to think about something that can only be seen in Japanese adult films! What have these corrupt feudal emperors taught their daughters?

It was really disgusting!

"If you think torturing me alone is not enough, there's also my sister. Although she is young, she is a beauty in the making. When she grows up, her beauty will not be inferior to mine," Freya continued to tempt.

"By marrying the princess, becoming the new emperor of the empire is just a matter of time. The women of the Augustine family, their wealth and power, along with the land of Augustine, will all be yours. Isn't this the ultimate revenge?"

In the imperial backyard in the early morning, Princess Freya Augustine was describing the shocking plan of seizing the throne.

Chen Ai frowned and said unhappily, "At the cost of seducing me onto the imperial chariot, I understand that you have put all your cards on the table. But you shouldn't have dragged Lya into this."

Chen Ai remembered Princess Lya, the youngest daughter of Lando, who was lively and lovely. If Chen Ai still had a trace of goodwill towards the Augustine family, it would be attributed to this Lya.

"Sacrificing oneself for the empire is the responsibility of a princess," Freya looked directly at Chen Ai, "Since she was born in the royal family and raised in luxury, she must shoulder the responsibility. This is our fate."

Chen Ai sighed, notorious among both the court and the opposition."The unworthy warrior," "the worst warrior in history," "the sissy warrior"...

He had all kinds of titles attached to him.

Therefore, he had lived in a villa for half a year, and no noble forces tried to win over this survivor from the war of the gods.

In their eyes, he was just a straw man who deceived the world and stole fame, not worth heavy use.

But he never expected that Princess Freya would value him so much as to offer herself to him.

"I have to admit, your proposal is quite tempting," Chen Ai laughed.

"The two pearls of the empire, plus the highest power in the empire, would be accepted without hesitation by any capable and popular person in the empire."

Chen Ai walked to Freya's side, turned his head and calmly looked at Freya: "Unfortunately, I understand a principle, that to wear the crown, one must bear its weight."

"Putting aside my personal grievances with Lando, if I become a member of the Augustin family, I must take on the royal responsibilities. Pacifying the four directions, balancing the court and the wilderness. Leaving aside the ‘Southern Wolves’ Gelin family, with its fertile lands, and the ‘Fierce Tiger’ Duke Charles, who has troops in the northeast. With the current strength of the Imperial Guard faction, it would take years to clear out the minor nobilities of the northwestern polar region."

Chen Ai's Noir-colored eyes were extremely rare on the continent of Chenxing. Freya looked closely at his pitch-Noir eyes and saw her reflection in their bottomless depth, as if Chen Ai could see completely through her.

"If I were to become the emperor of the Roland Empire, I'm afraid I would be embroiled in struggles with the nobility all my life. It's something that people with ambition and aspirations would long for. But this is completely against what I want to do now. I've grown tired of fighting, and even more tired of power struggle. I've fought for humanity for five years. Now, please let me live for myself. I truly am tired."

Chen Ai reached out and gently patted Freya's shoulder: "Princess Freya, I cannot accept your request. Goodbye. And, hopefully, never to meet again."

Chen Ai walked past Freya, bathed in sunlight, and walked away without looking back.

Princess Freya stood alone in the shadow of the tall palace, facing away from Chen Ai and saying nothing.