Postwar Measures • The States Of Flo And Sheena

――Two days after the unprecedented disaster, the massive dungeon collapse.

――Near the Royal Capital, on the grasslands along the highway.

“Bodies of monsters onto this wagon! Take the Magic Stones recovered from monsters to that wagon! If anyone even thinks of embezzling a monster’s Magic Stone, consider your adventurer license revoked!”

The battlefield still bore the scars of the monsters’ earlier massive onslaught.

There, adventurers were handling the disposal of monster corpses and the collection of Magic Stones.

The Magic Stones would later be awarded to the adventurers who risked their lives, and the remainder was slated for reconstruction aid.

The one shouting and organizing the adventurers was the Holy Church’s Holy Knight assigned as site supervisor――The Third Stigmata, Sheena.

Beside her stood The Seventh Stigmata, Flo, who had been appointed as assistant supervisor.

“Lady Sheena. It pains me to just stand here doing nothing, so I’ll join the other adventurers and help collect the Magic Stones.”

“No. Today you are here as the assistant site supervisor. Do not misunderstand your role.”

“But…”

The adventurers, bound by having entrusted their lives to one another in the great battle, and following Sheena’s appropriate orders, were progressing with the work without issue.

Even without Flo participating on the ground, there were more than enough hands.

“A commander’s job is to constantly observe the site from a bird’s-eye view, detect the slightest discord in the organization early, and be prepared to act swiftly in case of trouble. Someday you’ll command a unit too. For that day, your job today is to watch and learn my work.”

The Knights of the Stigmata were where maniacs specialized in combat ended up, possessing such intense “individuality” that they could neither be absorbed by a group nor easily lead one.

Anyone could see this by looking at members like the poison-dispensing Apothecary Selva, the battle-crazed Kaine, or Annise, who ignored superior orders like a stray cat.

Among them, Sheena—who came from a regular Holy Knight corps as a company commander—was the only one capable of commanding a unit of dozens and was often drafted for assignments requiring brute manpower.

Even the mission to recover Oswald Weidenreich’s body and the holy relics in the S-Rank Dungeon Crimson Night Moon could be said to have been impossible without her.

In the massive dungeon collapse as well, it was no exaggeration to say that her command had halted the monsters’ advance in the western side.

Even within the Knights of the Stigmata, Flo, unlike Kaine or Annise, had cooperativeness, so she was appointed as assistant today to learn officer duties.

Her slight shyness toward strangers was a future concern, though…

“By the way, I’ve heard of Flo’s exploits. She organized the relief squad in the southern area and contributed to healing many wounded. Some even say she’s the reincarnation of her mother and my mentor, Frances. As her student, I am proud.”

“Th-that’s too lofty… I only did what I should have done…”

“Don’t be modest. Healers who cast ranged healing magic are rare even among A-Rank Adventurers, and a healer who projects wide-area recovery magic—I have never seen one except Lady Frances.”

Commanders issuing orders from the rear pair well with healers.

Even more so if they can cast ranged healing magic.

All the more, Sheena wished for Flo to learn officer duties.

If there was a concern――it was that she was too kind.

Sometimes a commander must scold subordinates and be feared.

If management is looked down upon by subordinates, it’s over, and from that crack the entire organization could begin to collapse.

“(I thought she might grow tougher after going through several hellish battles, but her core hasn’t changed. No—rather than managing by ‘fear’ like me, perhaps Flo is better suited to unite a unit by ‘respect’, as Lady Frances did. And Flo has that ‘capacity’).”

Flo healed countless wounded, earning great respect from adventurers who fought in the same theater, and reports said morale on site rose dramatically.

Even now, working adventurers were casting glances at her.

The reason so many adventurers gathered for the mundane, physical quest of collecting monster Magic Stones was that the rumor that Flo would serve as assistant site supervisor had spread, and they wanted to catch a glimpse of her.

“Besides――isn’t it said she single-handedly slew the large monster ‘Skeleton General’ that breached the relief tent?”

“……..”

“Skeleton General”—at those words, Flo’s expression tightened and she immediately denied Sheena’s statement.

“No, that’s not right. I did not exorcise that monster ‘Skeleton General’—that was Sid’s feat.”

“……..”

Sid.

The name of the Shadow Necromancer whom the Knights of the Stigmata have marked for extermination.

Sheena’s brow twitched.

“Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that remark.”

“For the hard-of-hearing Lady Sheena, I’ll say it once more――”

But Flo didn’t back down.

“――In the recent massive dungeon collapse, the greatest contributor was neither I nor the strongest of humanity, Sir Almugard. Lady Sheena, you must have seen it on the battlefield: a black monster attacking the dungeon’s monsters.”

“It’s common for wild hyenas to attack each other over territory or prey. The same can be said of monsters. They merely happened to be incompatible species fighting each other.”

“Lady Sheena!”

The Holy Church certainly recognized that Sid appeared on the battlefield and, using Shadows, halted the monsters’ advance.

However――they could not possibly admit that the Shadow Necromancer Sid, who was a target for extermination, was a hero who saved the royal capital.

Therefore the royal palace immediately controlled the information.

Since the existence of Shadow Necromancers (an extra class) had originally been concealed, most adventurers did not connect the suddenly appearing Shadows on the battlefield to the wanted man Sid.

They loudly publicized in the newspapers Almugard, who cleared the most dangerous area and slew the most monsters, and Flo, who healed the most adventurers in the area with the most wounded.

Thanks to that, the true contributor Sid’s existence never reached the public eye and was buried in the darkness of history by those in power.

“You must have understood from this incident how dangerous Shadow Necromancers are. Do not forget that their terrifying power could turn next against the very faithful we must protect.”

“……..I cannot accept that.”

“Let’s pretend I didn’t hear that remark either.”

Sheena brusquely dismissed Flo’s words, which came out like a squeezed whisper.

Flo’s vision blurred with tears at her own powerlessness.

She wanted it.

Strength.

Power.

The strength to call what is right “right.”

The strength to correct what is wrong as “wrong.”

“(I am neither a hero nor the reincarnation of my mother. I’m just a powerless little girl who can only recite platitudes and do nothing…)”