01

It was a beautiful day with a gentle breeze and bright sunshine. The royal carriage had stopped in front of my house, and the palace guards surrounded the entire building, leaving no room for anyone to pass. And the owner of the royal carriage, at this moment, was sitting across from me and having tea.

I watched as she lifted the teacup and elegantly took a sip.

"Mmm, your tea is indeed delicious, as always, Kefir."

I shyly smiled, feeling like she was joking. How could my tea compare to the standards of the palace? Even the tea leaves were from a recent batch that she said a minister had presented as a tribute, and she had brought some for me. Could the same tea taste different in my hands?

I forgot to introduce her. The girl in the red dress with shoulder-length golden hair in front of me is named Triste. She is probably the most elegant person I have seen in the past fifteen years, like a living manual of court etiquette, every gesture graceful, dignified, and impeccable!

Of course, only in public occasions...

We met when she was still a princess; well... we could be called childhood friends, but she is a few years older than me. Now, she has become the queen, the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Holy Flame.

By the way, when she was crowned as the queen, I was the one who placed the crown on her head.

Of course, despite her appearance, she has a side that is unknown to the public.

"I am relieved to see you emerge from the haze of the Archduke's death; you cried for a long time during that period," she said to me.

I calmly poured myself a cup of tea, holding it in my hands.

"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I have accepted reality."

"I came to visit you in such a grand manner. I hope it does not bother you?"

"Not at all."

"The main reason for my visit is to inform you of something important."

"Hmm? What important matter?"

I was curious whether it was the Eastern cult, the Southern plague, the Western demons, or the Northern rebellion.

She then told me, "The person who can defeat the Demon King, as predicted by the prophecy, has appeared."

I was shocked!

"What!? Has the Hero who can defeat him appeared?"

According to the prophecy of the Holy Light, the Demon King (whom I preferred to call "that person") would ultimately be defeated by a traveler from another dimension.

And this traveler is the legendary Hero we have been dreaming of.

However--

"He didn't destroy all ninety-nine Summoning Gates we built after the prophecy of the Holy Light was revealed," I asked her.

"Thanks to the favor of the Holy Light, the Demon King ultimately overlooked something," Triste took another sip of tea.

"There is still a summoning gate hidden underground in the palace that was not completely destroyed. And it has been secretly in operation without our knowledge."

She put down her teacup and leaned closer to me, and I leaned forward as well, listening attentively.

"Just three days ago, a traveler from another dimension was truly summoned to our world!"

"Are you not joking!? Is this for real?" My heart raced with excitement. "It seems like there is hope for our world."

"Yes, the prophecy of the Holy Light has never been wrong. The traveler who can turn the tide and save the kingdom has finally appeared."

"What does the traveler look like? Is it a boy? Tall or short? Fat or thin?" I asked with curiosity.

I could see Triste hesitated for a moment.

"How should I describe him? He seems unfathomable."

"Unfathomable...?"

I became even more curious. How does the traveler look like to receive such an evaluation from the queen?

"Are all travelers from other dimensions so powerful? Where is he right now? It has been three days; he should have already set off on his adventure, right?"

However, when I asked this question, I faintly saw a trace of concern on Triste's perfect face.

"Kefir, tell me, if the prophecy is true and the traveler who can defeat the Demon King has appeared, it is only right for me, as the queen of the Holy Flame, to fully support him, right?"

I nodded.

"Of course, after all, he is going up against that person."

That person... the Demon King, the great evil! The darkest and most wicked being in history! Even mentioning his name is taboo! Anyone who speaks of him would turn pale with fear!

"If what the prophecy says is true, no matter what method the traveler uses, as long as he can defeat the Demon King, I am willing to mobilize the resources of the entire country to support him."I nodded in agreement. What she said was true, we had already reached a consensus on this. As long as someone could defeat the big boss, it would be worth any sacrifice.

The construction of the ninety-nine summoning gates alone had cost astronomical resources. I was still young at the time, but I heard that it had evolved into a competition - every time one was destroyed by that person, another one would be built. Countless lives were sacrificed to defend them.

Now, finally, the Transcender we had been waiting for had arrived. It was only natural to fulfill all of the Transcender's strategic demands in order to defeat the Demon King.

She lowered her voice and said to me, "Even if we were to hand over the military to him, it wouldn't be a problem. But... after I explained everything to him, he asked for..."

"What did he ask for?" I asked, growing impatient with her whispered words in public.

She cleared her throat seriously. "A villa."

"Huh?" I was honestly dumbfounded.

Did Transcenders from another dimension always play by different rules?

"A... villa? Did His Majesty agree to it?"

"I gave him the Fontainebleau Mansion on the outskirts of the city. He... the other party asked for a villa as their first demand. What else could I do? I was really helpless," she tearfully confided in me.

Um...

This...

I racked my brain trying to figure out what the Transcender was thinking.

"In fact, Your Majesty, you don't have to feel helpless. Maybe the Transcender, who is new here, chose to hide himself in order to avoid being targeted by the Demon King too soon. Perhaps it's part of the plan to defeat the Demon King," I suggested, hoping to calm her down.

After hearing what I said, her mood seemed to be slightly comforted. "You're right with your analysis. I hope it's really like that. Also, he dismissed all the servants at the manor yesterday."

"Oh? This..." Transcenders from another dimension really don't play by the rules, do they?

"He is the Transcender we have placed our hopes in, living alone in such a large mansion without anyone to take care of him. So I discussed this issue with him, and he said he only needs one maid."

"Just one maid...?"

"Yes, someone to be by his side. But..." she looked at me.

"He specifically asked for a white-haired beauty."

"Huh?" I noticed that after she finished that sentence, she stared at me intently.

"White hair is very rare... I've only seen you with it," she said to me, still staring (>﹏<).

Her unwavering gaze made me break out in a cold sweat. I stammered, "Um... you don't want me to..."

"I could have found a beautiful girl to dye her hair white, but... Fir, I want someone I trust the most to be by the Transcender's side, and the person I trust the most is... you."

Wow. Wait, wait, wait, wait a minute!

I suddenly jumped up.

"Do you really want me to pretend to be a maid and infiltrate the Transcender's side???"

"Fir, I hope you can urge him and make him realize the weight of his mission. I know that pretending to be a maid would undermine your status as the holy maiden, but at this point, I can't think of a better way..."

"No, no, no, no!"

I inwardly sighed.

Pretending to be a maid had nothing to do with losing my identity.

It was just...

Actually, I'm a boy...