Volume 1 - The Hardest Choice

I’ve begun formulating plans for hiding my hero status from all of them, even my parents in this world for the whole night in my own world.

But tomorrow morning, both of my parents entered the room with such a despicable look on their faces.

[Your Highness Edmund, Your Royal Highness Diana, what’s going on?]

Clara asked the two of them as she brought me down back to my crib. I immediately began on overhearing their conversation as Father then responded to her question in such a solemn tone.

[Clara… Even though the Altair Kingdom is far from the Northern Regions, Elena has received a message from the Kingdom of Arciesia that the demons have appeared in the north of the Northern Confederate States of Almarant and Quessientina and the country fell within a single day.]

[Wait what?! Is that even possible?!]

Did my Father mention demons? Wait… What?! Demons?! If that’s the case… then my conjecture earlier about me being a Hero, and someone else being the Demon Lord...

[The Demon Lord from the myths is a really powerful menace that has the capability of creating monsters out of its own miasma with that many hordes.]

[Edmund's right. As it is only the case from the myths… It's plausible that the Demon Lord, and the Hero has been born at this time around.]

As it is only a conjecture that I can think of at the moment, it's not within the percentage of certainty that the Hero being born coinciding with the rebirth of the Demon Lord is just purely coincidental...

While I was recollecting my thoughts and reconfiguring them, the three immediately went to a newer topic that's related to what was just talked about earlier.

[It would be too much of a coincidence to even consider that the child has the Hero Skill...]

[Absolutely not, Diana... If Emilia herself really has the power of the Hero, then it would meant that she would be taken by the Holy Empire which I am not fond of it happening.]

[If that’s the case Edmund, then what’s going to happen to the Holy Empire if there was a possibility of our child, Emilia not having the Hero Skill...?]

[They will have to scour the entirety of the world just to find the Hero. As long as we're not endangering our own child, I'm fine with anything that would happen.]

Seriously?! Although this Holy Empire place already has an ominous sort of flag that’s raised there just by what Father stated… Clara then pondered...

[If the Holy Empire has began mobilizing their forces, then that meant that both the Elven Confederation, and the Gaia Federation would have also been mobilized as well. This meant that a unified alliance will form as a backbone of humanity like how the myth says, is it?]

[Hmmmm… That will actually help us rearming ourselves if that’s the case, though I can’t help but worry about those from the noble faction within Altair. 

They probably wouldn't help with this threat, or more specifically, they'll probably making this war profitable to their own self-interests...]

Mother answers Clara's own questions as the formation of a global alliance out of the blue for that sort of thing… I think that's an appropriate reaction for something of a threat as dangerous as that one.

But I'm quite worried about the last phrases that I've overheard. It's bad to see that there's a possibility of the noble faction causing a possible coup by them...

[So Diana-chan… What’s Her Royal Highness Elena’s response to that threat?]

[I can’t really tell at the moment… But as of right now, we can’t even force ourselves to send our own troops to the frontline, especially with that population decline that we’re having after the war with Arcturus. 

To be honest, I can only see a possibility of a civil war happening if this keeps on... It's really bothersome...]

Wait… Now there’s also those kinds of political stuff being problematic as well, just right on time for the birth of a Demon Lord? And I’ll have to go through these kinds of pain from thereon out as well? Urgh…

After a bit of an unsettling silence, Mother then arrived at a conclusion.

[Clara, Emilia's birth is still not publicized as of right now...]

[Y-Yeah? I mean... Should we announce it to everyone?]

[No. I’ll have you pose Emilia as your adoptive daughter. With her hair and yours are similar to one another, we’ll just state to the public that Emilia did not survive after her birth.]

Wait… Isn’t that a bit cruel even for me?!

[Diana! What would become of that child!? You two are her parents!]

[That's right, Diana! How in the world did you come up with that idea?! It's not just going to hurt us, but we'll be hurting Emilia down the line too!]

Both Father, and Clara vehemently rejected the idea that Mother thought but she immediately retorted back at the two of them.

[Clara, it’s because of the fact that Emilia’s mine and Edmund’s child that she doesn’t need to face that kind of fate if we found out that she actually has a Hero title. 

We don’t want to endanger the first child that I and Edmund have conceived together which is why I am entrusting Emilia to you, Clara. Isn’t that also the case for you if you would have your own child too?

As long as she's in your care, me and Edmund can do our best to protect her identity while she's growing.]

Oh… I-I guess they’re actually right on that matter… Considering the factors that's happening right now, it would be quite an ingenious idea. It's a better plan to put me into care of a someone close to them like Clara than to abandon me to someone else that they don't know. 

After much deliberation from Clara, she sighed heavily as she kneeled in front of the two of them.

[I guess that can’t really be helped… As Her Royal Highness Diana’s humble servant… and her dear friend, I’ll dedicate my life in order to protect the well-being of Lady Emilia until the time necessitates her.]

Clara solemnly sweared in front of the two of them as both Diana and Edmund have started to tear up a little bit. Clara then added something else.

[If it's alright for Diana-sama, then I think it would be appropriate for me to have her live by my side as possible.]

[I-I'll allow it... Thank you, Clara…]

My mother thanked Clara as she helped her to stand up from Clara kneeling to them… After that, both my parents went to the cribt that I'm on and the two started looking at me with a very solemn and sad expression on their faces.

[Emilia-chan, please always listen to your Auntie Clara. Don’t be too rebellious unlike your father over here in the past.]

[Eh? Why are you already influencing her like that?!] 

Isn't this supposed to be something of an emotional farewell or something?! Why are you dissing Father like it's normal thing to do?!

[Anyway… Emilia… Grow strong and wiser… We’ll await your arrival as the first daughter of the Celestia Dukedom, alright?]

*sighs*

To be honest, it couldn’t really be helped at all but if it’s for the sake of my safety, I’ll have to follow along with my mother and father’s wishes.

As the two of them kissed my forehead, they left the room as Clara then puts a baby pacifier on my mouth. She then immediately packed what seems to be some sort of clothed diapers and everything else that is baby-related before having me be carried again by Clara. 

As she immediately left the room that I was on, she seemed to be activating some sort of a magic spell which surprisingly made the two of us invisible. Clara then whispered to me.

[Lady Emilia, this is all for the sake of your safety. So please do understand the three of us when the time comes…]

She said with a solemn tone… But what she didn’t realize is the fact that I knew everything that has unfolded here. It’s not that I hated it or have some sort of animosity for that kind of move.

In fact, I’m really grateful that there are the three of you that are taking care of me and I can never thank you enough for that. 

And it’s because of it that I will have to do everything on my own to protect you three from anything that would befall to your lives. I’ve got easily attached to the three of them even if it’s just a single day of overhearing them huh… I guess it can’t be helped then…

After walking for a while within what seemed to be a giant mansion, the two of us have finally gotten outside of the mansion which seemed the backyard. So she's taking me outside the mansion through a backdoor?

[We're almost there, Emilia-sama... Just wait a little longer...]

She whispered to me again as the two of us ran towards an another huge house at the back, but it still seemed that we haven't leaped off from the fence or anything...

When the two of us have arrived there, she sneakily went towards the topmost floor of the 3-floor building. She then just walked by within the hallway, and immediately went to what seemed to be her own room.

[We're here, Emilia-sama... This would be the place... It's still owned by Edmund and Diana as a headquarters for Maids, but it's still a far enough from the main house to incur any kind of suspicions from outsiders...]

It was later publicized within the Altair Kingdom's high society that the Duke and the Duchess of Celestia have lost their first-born due to smallpox. 

The rumors have spread throughout the Celestia Dukedom's territory which was faced with sympathy from the citizens within the territory.

And I, Emilia von Celestia with my past life's name being Nakamura Kurayami, would now have a new name under my belt... Emi Meire Schultz, the daughter of Clara Meire Schultz.