"It's her. It has to be her. Of course, it could only be her..."

When the title of this sorceress was mentioned, the Sword Hero's face darkened. "I will never forget this woman."

"Tch. Haven't your internal conflicts been resolved after thirty years? But it does sound like something she'd do. After all, a traitor who colludes with the enemy has no morals."

Vima suppressed her astonishment and took another sip of tea. "She's been out of public view for nearly thirty years. Can you even find a sorceress who erased all traces of herself?"

"As long as she exists in this world, traces remain. Rumors place her in the south—vague, but I'll find her. She'll pay for spreading those lies."

Fuchi clenched her fists. Her demeanor shifted instantly, the earlier gentleness vanishing completely. This actually made Vima breathe easier. Chatting without that fake act felt far more comfortable.

"So, what do you need from me?"

Vima knew Fuchi hadn't come just to share this. Besides, she genuinely wanted to dispel that rumor and was willing to help.

"I need your people for intelligence gathering and handling mages. She's the Void Witch—I lack authority to mobilize the Witch Society."

Seeing Vima's clear willingness, Fuchi's expression brightened. She sat back loosely, sipped her black tea, and smiled. "Capture her alive if possible. Honestly, we shouldn't have let that traitor escape back then."

"Merits and faults balance out, heh... She devoted herself to subduing the Demon King. Even if she turned traitor later, we should acknowledge her contributions, shouldn't we?"

Vima remained calm about the Void Witch's final betrayal. To her, it was inconsequential—just excessive soft-heartedness that sparked public outrage. But the Hero insisted on guilt, and with the Emperor curbing the Witch Society's power, the Void Witch became a political pawn.

"A traitor is a traitor. As a soldier, don't you—"

"Even as a soldier, I'm not this sensitive. Hero, calm down. I'll handle the Society and arrange manpower. That's enough. I don't want you lingering here, sparking more rumors..."

Vima's face turned cold. She gestured toward the door. "The Hero and Alliance Leader, gossiping uncontrollably in the office."

"Thank the Void Witch for that rumor mill she built. Not my fault—a girl like me, heh," Fuchi pushed her chair back, licked her lips, and spread her arms. "Stirring imaginations is only natural, right?"

"Your Hero charm doesn't work on me, Miss Flirt." Vima dropped all pretense, repeating the gesture. "See her out!"

Two armored guards entered immediately, mirroring the gesture toward Fuchi.

"Boring. I'll wait for good news, Madam Alliance Leader."

Fuchi straightened her clothes and left. Only then did Vima reopen the booklet. It read:

"Demon Calendar, Year 2173, August (14 years pre-New Calendar): The Southern Expeditionary Force battled the Demon King's general 'Day' south of Severed Mountain Range. A sorceress calling herself 'Void' slew the enemy general instantly—great victory. Month-end: Hero commenced the Demon King campaign, accompanied by the Void Witch."

"Truth or lies—who can tell? In this world, only history books hold a shred of trust."

Vima's mutterings were for her ears alone.

She knew the Void Witch personally. The sorceress the Hero sought for thirty years had recently been active in this capital. Indeed, the Hero couldn't find her—even when they stood less than a hundred meters apart. As for judgments: the Hero's words, public opinion—she dismissed them all. She trusted only what she verified. And the Hero didn't care if she believed the rumors.

"How'd it go?"

"Smoothly. Your Elven Kin have many tricks—after all these years, you finally found a lead."

Outside the Alliance headquarters, a mature green-haired elf approached Fuchi: Olide Fairfeather, archer of the Hero Squad. The other two members gathered close. After the Demon King's fall, they'd disbanded but stayed connected—not from old camaraderie, but a shared obsession to find one person.

"Many Elves master magic. But lately, I feel we made a mistake back then."

Olide frowned but fell silent at Fuchi's icy glare. It wasn't as Mei Yige had envisioned. Fuchi, once human, gained eternal life after defeating the Demon King. Olide, an archer of Eternal Being bloodline, aged slowly. The other two were also Eternal Beings.

"We made no mistake—she did!" Fuchi's voice rose. "If she'd just obeyed, we wouldn't have used such harsh measures."

"Pointless now. Thirty years without finding her proves we wounded her deeply. May the gods forgive our willfulness. She ran because we failed to understand her care."

Priestess Liliana Sycamore clasped her hands. Now head of the imperial cathedral, the Fae's halo-like light glowed above her—but no one echoed her words. Thirty years had passed; words were too late.

"Stop making excuses. You just regret losing the best mage. The Alliance agreed—let's go. This whining disgusts me."

Lor Xiximi rolled her eyes at their fake remorse, impatiently tightening the shield on her back. "Finding her and crushing the Demon King's forces in the north matters. No true leader hides thirty years over trivialities."

Bluntly, she still blamed Mei Yige's lack of magnanimity.

Each harboring private thoughts, they headed south with Vima's personnel, following clues to Mei Yige's suspected locations. Their goal was unclear, but news of their movement spread fast.

New Calendar, Year 31, September 14th.

Inspectors arrived at Tata Town amid a noble dispute. The lead girl sighed in disappointment.

"They said the Hero came south too... Why can't I meet her?"

Mei Yige, standing before her as temporary host, heard the whisper. Her face darkened.