Ex

  Elza gave a nod. “I came for this.”

  The person in charge sighed in relief. It was fortunate she agreed; if she’d found the scene too noisy and left, he wouldn’t know how to report to the higher-ups. Extermination Hero wasn’t just any warrior—she was the Holy Maiden’s savior. If those two Goblin Centurions had returned to their camp, Ariana-sama would have surely perished.

  Guiding Elza to the registration area, the believers respectfully placed a form on the table before her.

  “Please, Extermination Hero-sama, could you fill in some relevant information?” The person in charge offered her a pen, but as Elza looked at it, a flicker of uncertainty crossed her face.

  From a young age, she’d been battling slimes, never taught to read or write. Even holding a pen felt foreign. Writing? She didn’t even know how to hold it properly.

  “Information? What?” Elza asked, frowning at the strange symbols on the page.

  A chill ran down the person in charge’s spine. 'Could she be unwilling to share personal information?' After all, when she saved Steel Hero, she left without so much as a word.

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Before he could speak, Elza took the pen from him—gripping it like a dagger. In his mind’s eye, he could already see her plunging it into his neck, leaving a bloody mess.

  “At least… please write down your name…” he managed, teeth chattering as he pointed to the blank space on the paper. Typically, Heroes would also present a piece of equipment to confirm their identity, but he wasn’t about to insist on formalities with her. Not today.

  Elza stared at the space, her mind blank. She didn’t know how to write her name but recalled a childhood friend who’d once shown her the symbols for its sounds.

  “Where?” she asked.

  With trembling hands, he indicated the spot. Holding the pen in her awkward grip, Elza slowly scrawled a few hesitant symbols from memory. Satisfied, she put down the pen with an unsure look, hoping she hadn’t misremembered.

  ...

  Meanwhile, in a palace, Anyi and his group entered the king’s grand hall. The king, dressed in white with a red coat, a golden crown, and a graying beard, sat majestically on his throne.

  Except for Ariana, who held an exceptionally high rank, the other three knelt on one knee in respect before him. Heroes might enjoy noble status within the Aldrich Theocracy, but here, they were simply commoners.

  After a brief exchange, the king spoke earnestly.

  “Heroes, I have a task to entrust to you.”

  He paused, meeting their gazes.

  “Can you… help me reclaim the castle our ancestors left behind, now overrun by the undead?”