Chapter 516 The Title of S-Rank

“Listen here——”

Reid thumped his chest and declared,

“How could we brothers let our precious little sister stay in some crowded camp?!”

“Ah…… huh???”

“Brother Zieg’s a captain of the Imperial Knights now; he has his own detached residence. You don’t have to bunk with everyone else—move in with him. As for me——”

Reid turned to Zieg.

Zieg smiled and took over:

“I’m fully healed anyway, and Reid has a single quarters too. I’ll just crash with him for the time being.”

“……Brother Zieg, Brother Reid, you’ve misunderstood. I——”

“Enough, no need to hold back! We’re your brothers; this is the least we can do!”

“No, I——”

“Right, where are you staying now? Lead the way. We’ve got plenty of time—we’ll help you move today.”

“……”

As the three siblings spoke,

a group of figures walked toward them down the distant street.

Hulim had her back to them and did not see them at once, but Zieg recognized them immediately.

He stiffened slightly, his gaze fixed on the man at the head of the group.

“Prince Drehack……”

Hearing his murmur, Reid looked up as well,

then gaped in equal surprise.

“Ah, it really is him! To run into him here of all places!”

At those words, Hulim turned around too.

The moment she did, Drehack’s group spotted her. Their steps faltered briefly, then quickened as they approached.

“Prince Drehack!!”

Zieg and Reid snapped to attention and saluted in the Imperial military fashion.

Seeing Hulim standing still, Reid quickly tugged her arm and whispered urgently:

“Hey! Hulim, that’s the First Prince of the Pasara Empire—the Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army! Hurry and salute!”

“……”

Yet Hulim only shot him a strange look and did not bow as he’d urged.

Reid panicked instantly.

Had his little sister been away so long she’d forgotten she was Imperial nobility?! Don’t just stand there! The Prince is right in front of us!

This is it—she’s going to be charged with disrespect!

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Reid’s heart raced with fear, but Hulim did not move an inch.

By then, Drehack and his party had reached them.

They halted, their gaze sweeping slowly over the three.

And then……

they bowed deeply to Hulim.

“Lady Hulim. We meet again.”

At the same time, Ella and the others behind Drehack bowed silently—not to all three, but to Hulim alone.

Zieg and Reid froze on the spot.

After a long, stunned silence, a single sound escaped their lips.

“Huh?”

Lady…… Hulim?

……

“La-Lady Hu-Hulim?!!” Reid stammered in utter bewilderment,

his eyes practically bulging from his head as he stared at Hulim.

His mind went completely blank.

Wait—

what??

Why was the First Prince bowing to Hulim and calling her Lady?

This was insane!

That was the Imperial First Prince!

Was there anyone higher than——

……Wait, there actually was.

Reid and Zieg glanced simultaneously toward the Central Castle of Windrock City, towering at the heart of the city behind them.

A single line Hulim had spoken moments earlier flashed through their minds at once:

I’m staying over there.

Over there……

Over there was the Central Castle!!

That’s what she’d meant by “over there”!!

“Master Drehack…… have you finished your business and returned?”

“Yes. We are heading back to attend to the remaining matters.”

Drehack lifted his head and spoke calmly.

“With your leave, we shall take our leave.”

“……Very well. Go ahead.”

Hulim replied.

Drehack gave a slight bow, then led the Bloodguard past the three and continued onward.

After he brushed past Zieg,

Zieg suddenly snapped back to his senses and called out instinctively:

“Wait a moment, Your Highness!”

“……”

The entire group halted.

A moment later,

Drehack turned slowly back around.

“Captain Zieg of the Scout Knights. What is it?”

“I……” Zieg hesitated, then stood straight and firm.

“Prince Drehack! I thank you for saving my life the other day! And——”

“I thank you for everything you did for my men!”

“……”

Drehack stared at him silently.

After a moment, he turned back around

and continued down the street.

“That was my duty and obligation. You need not thank me.”

The group’s figures faded into the distance,

but Zieg continued to watch them go.

“Brother Reid…… what was Brother Zieg talking about just now?” Hulim asked in confusion.

“Ah…… it’s about how Brother Zieg was injured. A few days ago——”

Reid quickly recounted what had happened, and Hulim finally learned that Drehack had saved Zieg’s life.

“So that’s what happened……”

Hulim looked up at Drehack’s group, now at the end of the street,

and thought to herself:

I think I understand this man a little better now……

(Stare——)

Just then,

an intense gaze bore into her from the side.

“……”

Hulim turned back wearily,

meeting Reid’s grinning face.

“So, Hulim, my dearest little sister~—aren’t you going to explain this?”

“……”

A few minutes later.

“Impossible…… this can’t be real?!”

Zieg and Reid’s mouths hung open, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets as they gawked at Hulim.

“Our—our little sister is…… is the new S-Rank—the Seven-Star Witch!!?”

“I know this is shocking, but it’s the tr—wait? Seven-Star Witch? What in the world is that??”

Hulim stared at them in total confusion.

“Huh? You don’t know?”

Reid blinked in surprise.

“Isn’t that your code name?”

“Huh? What?? When did I get a code name?”

“???!!!”

Once again, the three siblings stared blankly at each other.

After a long pause,

Hulim finally pieced together the whole story.

Simply put: the identities of S-Rank experts were top Allied Forces classified information. In the early stages of the war against the Demon Lord Army, the true identities of both Heroes and S-Ranks were kept secret.

Only a small number of high-ranking officials knew the full details, and such information was never put in writing.

It was not until the mid-war period that this data became widely known among high command.

By the late war, of course, the enemy would know everything anyway, so secrecy became unnecessary.

By then, every Imperial soldier would know the full details of each S-Rank and Hero.

But the late war was still far off.

Without real names, it would be inconvenient to refer to them, so code names were created.

For Heroes, it was easy: they were named after their Holy Weapons.

The existing S-Ranks already had their own titles, so no new ones were needed.

Only Hulim, as a newly promoted S-Rank, had no title.

And so, led by a certain elf,

and taking into account her greatest trait—mastery of all magical elements—

they had given her the code name: Seven-Star Witch.

Since this code name was only used among mid-to-high-ranking Allied officers, and everyone close to Hulim was part of the supreme command who knew her true identity……

she, the person herself, had no idea at all.

“That name…… Irus definitely did this.”