"This whole city is like an anthill," Maddy muttered softly to herself, staring into her cup. "The moment a single, giant piece of food drops, every last ant panics and rushes toward it. Now that the 'Hero's son' has come home, their entire attention has shifted straight to him."
A small, cynical smile tugged at the corner of her lips. It was perfect. With Erwin soaking up all the glory and taking credit for "slaying the Demon Lord," no one in Prometha would be looking at her. No one would be questioning how a dying girl miraculously recovered, and no one would be looking too closely at a quiet, low-ranking mage.
"Well," Maddy murmured, taking a slow sip of her drink. "It's completely what I needed. Let them have their savior. It keeps them from gossiping about miracles they aren't meant to understand."
Johnn set his fork down, leaning across the table with a suddenly serious expression.
