"...Settlement?"
"Before I left, Your Majesty promised you'd reward me generously."
I rubbed my thumb against my fingers in the universal sign for money.
The Emperor stared at me blankly for a moment.
Then he slapped the armrest of his throne and burst into hearty laughter.
"Right! I did say that! The price of my life, and the price of peace for the Empire. A hero can't very well leave empty-handed. Tell me—how much do you want?"
"Five hundred thousand gold coins."
I paused dramatically.
"And..."
My gaze drifted toward a man standing in the corner of the audience chamber.
My father.
Count Eberhardt.
His face had gone deathly pale.
His entire body trembled.
He'd expected his daughter to be condemned as a traitor and executed.
Instead, she'd returned as the hero who saved the Empire.
That alone must have been enough to give him a heart attack.
And judging by the terrified way he kept glancing at the bloodstained hammer resting on my shoulder, he was also wondering when it might be aimed at his head.
"...I want the title of head of House Eberhardt."
The declaration exploded through the hall.
Nobles immediately began whispering amongst themselves.
The Count practically shrieked.
"W-What nonsense is this?! Head of the family?! Have you lost your mind?! You would depose your own father and commit such an unforgivable act?!"
"The insane one is you, Father."
My voice turned cold.
"Everyone knows who sold off his daughter and funded an Archbishop who was working with demons."
"Th-That's—!"
"And where exactly did that money come from?"
I smiled thinly.
"From squeezing your territory's citizens dry, wasn't it?"
The Count's face drained of all color.
"Evidence?" I continued.
"We have more than enough."
I pointed toward Damian.
"The lovely Cassius in the Inquisition's underground prison was surprisingly talkative. He even kept detailed account books."
Stepping forward, Damian produced a thick stack of documents.
Behind him, Kairic folded his arms and stared at the Count with a savage grin.
He looked like a wolf deciding which part of his prey to bite first.
"Your Majesty."
I turned back toward the Emperor.
"Make your choice."
I planted my hammer against the marble floor.
THUD!
Cracks spread through the stone.
"Will you keep that greedy old fossil as Count?"
I smiled.
"Or appoint me instead and gain the Empire's greatest demon hunter?"
The Emperor narrowed his eyes.
He was a man who calculated quickly.
A corrupt, incompetent old noble.
Or a young hero who had beaten the Lord of the Abyss to death with a hammer.
The answer was obvious.
"Very well."
The Emperor's voice echoed throughout the hall.
"As of today, Count Eberhardt is stripped of his title and lands."
The Count froze.
"His position and territory shall be inherited by Lady Violetta Eberhardt."
I grinned.
The Emperor continued.
"Furthermore, the former Count shall be detained and investigated for collaboration with heretics."
"Y-Your Majesty!"
The Count foamed at the mouth and collapsed.
As guards dragged my father away, I offered the Emperor a cheerful smile.
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
I lifted a finger.
"And please make sure the payment arrives by the end of the day."
The moment I left the Imperial Palace, I boarded a carriage.
My destination was House Eberhardt.
My home.
And now the final garbage dump I needed to clean up.
"Want company?"
Kairic leaned against the carriage window.
"No."
I shook my head.
"This is a family matter."
Damian, who had finally recovered from his exhaustion, looked concerned.
"It could be dangerous."
He frowned.
"Your sister is not a stable woman. As the saying goes—even a cornered rat will bite a cat."
I patted my hammer affectionately.
"Don't worry."
I smiled.
"You saw me fighting out there."
I tapped the weapon against my shoulder.
"In front of me, demons and humans are treated equally."
My smile widened.
"One swing each."
"A cat?"
I laughed.
"Even a tiger wouldn't stand a chance."
Waving goodbye, I shut the carriage door.
Of course, I knew perfectly well neither of them would actually leave.
They'd probably follow me in secret.
A pair of overprotective idiots.
The carriage eventually arrived before the Eberhardt estate.
The grand gates stood exactly as I remembered them.
In my previous life, this place had imprisoned me.
Crushed me.
Controlled me.
But now it felt different.
The oppressive atmosphere that once hung over the estate seemed to scatter simply because I had arrived.
"Open the gate."
The guards hurriedly obeyed.
The massive doors swung open.
I strode through the garden and entered the manor.
At the center of the main hall stood Laura.
She no longer resembled the noble saintess she had once pretended to be.
Her hair was a tangled mess.
Bloodshot eyes twitched wildly.
A kitchen knife rested in her trembling hand.
Even her expensive dress looked filthy, as if she hadn't changed clothes in days.
"You came..."
Her voice was hoarse.
"Violetta."
Behind her writhed a grotesque shadow.
It was far uglier and more sinister than the Demon of Greed I'd expelled during the wedding.
Apparently she'd sold whatever remained of her lifespan and soul for one final desperate gamble.
[Kill her... Kill her...]
The shadow whispered.
Laura's eyes were completely gone.
No reason remained.
Only obsession.
"You ruined everything!"
She screamed.
"My place as Empress! My reputation!"
Her knife shot upward.
"How dare you!"
She charged.
"Die! Just die!"
I didn't move.
I simply lowered the hammer resting on my shoulder.
"Sister."
My voice remained calm.
"Do you still not understand the situation?"
Her knife flashed toward me.
I casually tapped it aside with the hammer's handle.
CLANG!
The kitchen knife spun through the air and embedded itself in a distant wall.
Laura's wrist bent at an unnatural angle.
"Aaaagh!"
She screamed.
She tried clawing at me with her free hand.
I grabbed her by the collar and lifted her effortlessly into the air.
At that moment, the shadow behind her opened its jaws and lunged toward me.
I frowned.
"Wait your turn."
The spirits froze instantly.
Even the Lord of the Abyss had fallen beneath my hammer.
Petty evil spirits weren't about to challenge me.
They recognized an apex predator when they saw one.
And they trembled.
"Sister."
I stared directly into Laura's eyes.
"I told you before."
I wrinkled my nose.
"You should brush your teeth."
I sighed dramatically.
"Your breath could kill people."
Then I slammed her onto the floor.
Pulling out a document, I dropped it onto her face.
"See this?"
It was the appointment decree the Emperor had signed only hours ago.
Successor to the Title of Count Eberhardt: Violetta Eberhardt
Laura's pupils shook violently.
"No..."
Her voice cracked.
"No, that's impossible!"
She scrambled toward the document.
"Father would never allow this!"
Her eyes widened.
"This is fake!"
"Father?"
I snorted.
"He's probably preparing to enjoy prison food in an imperial dungeon right about now."
I smiled sweetly.
"You'll be joining him soon."
I snapped my fingers.
Immediately, Inquisition officers flooded into the manor.
A little gift from Damian.
"Arrest her."
The officers moved at once.
"Charges: black magic and attempted murder."
"No! Let me go!"
Laura thrashed wildly.
"Do you know who I am?!"
She screamed hysterically.
"I'm the Saintess! The Empire's Saintess!"
The officers dragged her away.
The shadows clinging to her body shrieked as holy power burned them to ash.
The foul atmosphere hanging over the mansion finally began to disappear.
"Saintess, my ass."
I clicked my tongue.
"You're just a villainess."
Silence settled over the manor.
The chandeliers glittered overhead.
The estate I had once desperately wanted.
The home that had always been denied to me.
And now—
It was mine.
"...It's over."
The victory felt strangely anticlimactic.
Granted, I'd had to beat up thousands of monsters and survive a journey through hell itself.
But still.
Worth it.
"Congratulations, my lady."
A familiar voice spoke from behind me.
Turning around, I found Kairic and Damian casually leaning against the doorway.
Of course they'd followed me.
"You're trespassing, you know."
I couldn't help laughing.
Kairic shrugged.
"I brought a housewarming gift."
He tossed a heavy leather pouch toward me.
"I figured you'd throw me out if I came empty-handed."
Opening it, I found premium mana stones from the North and enough gold coins to make most nobles faint.
"I mined them myself."
He grinned.
"A bonus for my future bride..."
His grin widened.
"...or partner."
"Then I suppose it's my turn."
Damian stepped forward and produced a small jewelry box.
Inside rested a silver ring glowing with divine energy.
"A Ring of Purification."
His expression softened.
"You won't need to hold my hand anymore."
He looked away briefly.
"You should be able to sleep peacefully now."
"No nightmares."
For some reason, he sounded a little lonely.
I looked at both gifts.
Then smiled brightly.
"Thank you."
I slipped the ring onto my finger.
"And these will both be extremely useful."
Pocketing the gold pouch, I stepped between the two men.
One arm linked with Kairic.
The other with Damian.
A beastly prince on my left.
A holy knight on my right.
And six hundred thousand gold coins waiting in my account.
Now that—
That was a happy ending.
"Come on."
I grinned.
"Let's celebrate."
I tugged them both toward the door.
"Cleaning's finished."
A wicked smile spread across my face.
"Time for good food, good drinks..."
I glanced at them both.
"...and my favorite sponsors."
I coughed.
"I mean, partners."
