Chapter 27 : Tell me
Chapter 27: Tell me. Why did you do this to me?
Hillan Cargill regretted his own rash words and behaviour.
One hundred thousand gold was by no means a small amount of money. An ordinary person would never touch that much in their entire life, and it was the same for most nobles, not to mention most merchants.
Especially for the demon race, who did not value human currency, and for a Demon King who had descended less than a year ago.
‘How did he get one hundred thousand gold....’
It was unbelievable, but the water had already been spilled.
A hero was a chosen being. They received the power and blessing of the dimension, but in return, they also bore responsibilities.
In particular, there was a strange power in a hero’s promise. They must keep it, and if they failed to do so, they would lose the hero’s blessing and rank.
It was the worst situation any hero could imagine.
“...What did you make me swallow.”
Separate from that, the orb the Demon King had put in his mouth had already entered his body.
The hero’s obsession with keeping promises, and his flustered disbelief that the Demon King would actually bring the money, mixed together, and he had swallowed it before realizing it.
His head throbbed.
“It’s something that places a restriction on you. It’s called Armani’s Orb. It has several effects, but the representative one is preventing betrayal. A Demon King and a hero aren’t exactly in a relationship where they can trust each other without any restrictions, are they?”
“You fed me that dogshit?”
“Don’t try anything stupid. It’s only hard to install at first. Once an Armani settles in, if it senses danger, it explodes immediately.”
Would a hero without a brain survive or not?
“Will that lofty dimensional blessing protect you? Will it not? I’m curious, so you can try it if you want.”
But you won’t, will you.
“...What exactly do you want from me?”
Hillan was quick to give up. Especially when his life and money were on the line.
“You just have to live your hero life as usual. I’ll help you soar to a position higher than anyone else.”
“A hero receiving help from the Demon King. Sounds more like I’d get hunted instead.”
“Armani leaves no trace. Unless someone opens your skull and extracts your brain, that is.”
Was that really true?
Hillan could not bring himself to test it. If there was even a sliver of hope that he might live, then just as the Demon King had said, he could not wager his life.
“...Fine.”
In the end, he admitted it. That the situation had turned to crap.
Whether he liked it or not, he now had to live entangled with the Demon King.
“Then I’d like you to let me go now.”
Think positively.
He could erase all his debt of ten thousand gold. And he still had the massive sum of ninety thousand gold left.
What could he do with that?
He could lobby nobles, start businesses, and seize even more power and wealth.
Riches and glory were right before his eyes.
“But do you really think I’ll be able to continue my hero life like this?”
“Everyone who came with you is locked in the prison. I’m going to turn them all into Black Knights and black mages and make them follow your orders.”
“If they use demonic power, they’ll get caught.”
“If they want to live, I’m sure they’ll be careful in front of people.”
“Certainly.”
If it was revealed later that he had become the Demon King’s dog, there might be a bit of controversy, but it wouldn’t be a big problem. Hillan was a hero, and the idea that a hero would become the Demon King’s dog was something no one would consider possible.
No one would suspect Hillan.
“Ah, among the ones we captured, is there a guy with brown hair and blue eyes?”
“There were more than a few like that.”
“I guess I’ll have to check myself.”
Hillan tilted his head slightly.
“Let me go. We’re not business partners anymore...urk!”
With a dull thud, Hillan collapsed. Berje returned his foot to its original position.
“Speak properly. You’re not a business partner. You’re a slave, and I’m the master.”
“...Didn’t expect you to be into that kind of play.”
“I don’t expect sincere loyalty. Whether you want it or not, you have no choice but to become my chess piece. But at least on the surface, I’d like you to put on the act you’re good at. It’s what you do best, isn’t it?”
“...If that is what you wish, I shall do so.”
With a bleak smile, Hillan put on his mask.
It didn’t feel awkward. It was something he always wore.
* * *
A hero’s march was a struggle.
No matter how beautifully it was dressed in words, no matter how much wealth was promised, in the end they had to fight, and someone died.
And no one enjoyed gambling with their own life.
Unless they were desperate enough.
A knight named Aman Katrash, who had joined the hero’s march and become a member of the hero squad, was one of those desperate people.
He was an excellent knight, but he loved alcohol and gambling. Unfortunately, he didn’t have as much talent for gambling as he did for the sword.
Due to excessive gambling, he had been kicked out of his home. He had enough skill to become a knight, but not long after, the noble he served declared that people could not be fixed and abandoned him.
Out of final mercy, he wasn’t stripped of his knightly title, so he became a free knight.
But the massive debt remained, and he had been chased, suffering, until joining the hero’s march as his last resort.
Even if the goal was the Ergest Mountains, he endured.
Even when an avalanche struck and the Peul Orcs drove monsters to attack them, he persevered.
Even when they reached the summit and found no tower, and even when the hero squad split apart, he did not flee.
He believed they would succeed. That as long as he stayed by Hillan Cargill’s side, he would surely subjugate the Demon King and enjoy wealth and glory.
He had never imagined that the dream would turn into a nightmare like this.
“You have two choices.”
He had buried his head in the cold prison and waited for the day he would die. Then the Demon King appeared before him.
“Become a black mage or a Black Knight and become my loyal servant.”
“Or uphold your loyalty to humanity and die here.”
“Ah, you won’t die easily. You must pay the price for daring to trespass upon the tower, yes?”
Creee—
A chill ran down Aman Katrash’s spine.
He knew that friendly smile wasn’t truly a smile.
He had already experienced it. The Demon King had already killed all the heroes. He had held brutal executions right before the squad’s eyes.
To die like that?
Now that he had been captured by the Demon King, he knew he could only die. He knew it, but facing the reality terrified him.
He was a knight, but all he wanted was to pay off his debt and live in luxury. He had never possessed any sense of justice like destroying evil for humanity or for the continent.
Even so, he hesitated.
‘If I become a Black Knight, I’ll be found out for sure.’
Maybe he could be lucky and not get caught right away. But he was a knight. He couldn’t avoid using strength for the rest of his life, and there were many heroes around who could monitor him.
“Dragging this out won’t help any of you. Receive the mercy the Demon King grants. That is the only path to survival.”
“...Sir Hero?”
Aman’s dry lips parted.
It was Hillan Cargill. The hope of everyone, the one who had led the hero’s march.
The prisoners’ pupils widened.
Why was he together with the Demon King?
The question lasted only a moment before their eyes met.
“This is the knight I mentioned.”
“The useful one?”
“His name is Aman Katrash, and he is the sole heir of the Katrash family. The Katrash family runs the Golden Moon Merchant Company, so he should be useful for handling funds.”
“The Golden Moon Merchant Company?”
“It’s fallen a bit recently, but it was once one of the top five merchant guilds in the Kingdom of Iasince.”
“Why would such a man join the hero’s march?”
“Because he was cast out. He became a dog who couldn’t even recognize his parents or his liege after drowning himself in gambling and alcohol.”
Aman’s face flushed red at that sharp criticism.
“His parents didn’t pay off his debts, so he was dragged into the hero’s march, but in truth, his father, Kruger Katrash, cherishes his son dearly. He even sent people in secret to monitor his every move. I’m sure deep down, he wants his son to repent and inherit the merchant company.”
That was only natural—he was the family’s only son.
“Hooh.”
“You can leave the actual work to the retainers under him, so he’ll be quite convenient to use. I can confidently say he’ll be of considerable help to you, my Demon King.”
“And it’ll make it easier for you to receive ‘donations’ in a more legitimate way, yes?”
“I won’t deny that.”
“So, what choice will you make?”
“....”
Aman knew the question was directed at him, but he couldn’t answer easily. In truth, he couldn’t follow the conversation between the hero and the Demon King at all.
“What in the world are you talking about.... Why is Sir Hero with the Demon King!”
“Isn’t it obvious at a glance? It seems Sir Aman is a bit lacking in the head.”
“What?”
“Because I’ve decided to side with the Demon King from now on.”
“I’m asking why a hero—Sir Hillan—would become the Demon King’s subordinate!”
“Because I lost, and I don’t want to end my life so regretfully.”
A hero would betray humanity for such a trivial reason?
And not just any hero—one of the most praised and revered among them?
Instead of anger, Aman felt relief. It comforted him somehow to know that a hero of such strength had the same thoughts as he did.
If the great hero Hillan acted like this, then wasn’t it natural for him to beg for his own life?
“...Can I really live?”
“You can.”
“But if I become a Black Knight, the heroes will definitely find out....”
“Ah, don’t worry about that. Others might not, but you will never be discovered.”
Hillan smiled.
“I have a suggestion for the Demon King: what you need from Aman is not Aman the knight but Aman the merchant. So I advise destroying his aura hole.”
“...?”
What did he just say...?
“The Black Knight contract is engraved on the soul. So even without aura— even if the aura hole is destroyed—the contract will not break.”
“Indeed. That way, he can be bound without responsibility.”
“Bound without responsibility—an interesting expression. But yes. You won’t even have to give him demonic power. No one would ask a knight with a shattered aura hole to manifest aura, and if his father cherishes him dearly, how would he treat his son who returns with a broken aura hole?”
“He’d tell him to come to his senses, take care of him, and let him inherit the family.”
A new glint appeared in the Demon King’s eyes.
“No, please don’t!”
“Aman, it’s good for you as well. If your aura hole is destroyed, no one will expect anything from you as a knight, and if you don’t use strength, there’s no way anyone will discover you’re a Black Knight.”
Aman frantically waved his hands.
“But destroying my aura hole is...!”
“Unfortunately, you have no choice.”
“The great Demon King commands it, Aman. Accept it graciously.”
Crunch—
Pain flared in his lower abdomen.
* * *
Whether voluntarily or not, Hillan had ultimately become the Demon King’s dog.
In exchange for a large sum of money and his life. It wasn’t a bad deal.
But apart from that, Hillan had someone he absolutely had to meet. Someone he had to ask a question.
“Tell me. Why did you do that to me?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ve thought about it over and over, but I really don’t understand. Why did you side with the Demon King? Why did you oppose me—who climbed like a dog to save you—instead of opposing the Demon King?”
There was no such thing as “what if.” The Demon King’s wickedness was unlike that of any other Demon King, and perhaps even without the princess, they might have lost.
But.
But if—just if—
If the princess had not thrown him into confusion.
Wouldn’t the outcome have been completely different from now?
Then he wouldn’t have had to force himself to say it wasn’t a loss, wouldn’t have had to become a dog out of necessity.
“Because I received compensation.”
The princess answered as if it were nothing.
“Compensation...?”
“Aloge.”
A precious elixir whose price depended entirely on the seller. Pure mana could be gathered with it, and knights and mages went crazy for it. He also knew it was valuable for research.
And at the same time, he knew—
For the princess, that was nothing significant.
“You’re a princess. You can get as much of that as you want, can’t you?”
To a kingdom, such things were relatively insignificant. Aloge might cost whatever the seller demanded, but to the vast Kingdom of Hilderan, it wasn’t a burden at all.
Would the king have begrudged giving elixirs to the Crown Princess, the hope of Hilderan? If he had, she wouldn’t have been able to summon all four great spirits at such a young age. One of them was even a mid-grade spirit.
“That doesn’t mean Aloge isn’t precious. And this is the Ergest Mountains, you know.”
“It still isn’t worth throwing away your chance to escape the Demon King.”
“That would have been true if I wanted to leave this place.”
“...?”
Had he heard her correctly?
The princess didn’t want to leave the Demon King’s Tower?
“Not every prince or princess likes their own kingdom.”
“But, Your Highness....”
For a moment, he paused.
A hero of Hillan’s status, who shone brightest in Hilderan, came to hear and see many things.
And among them were royal secrets that ordinary people didn’t know.
“...I see.”
“Shh.”
Ernan’s delicate finger covered Hillan’s lips. Her violet eyes curved into a natural crescent.
“Whatever you know, it’s best you never speak lightly of royal matters.”
“There’s no one listening anyway.”
“If you aren’t careful normally, you’ll never be careful when it matters.”
“A heavy tongue is one of a hero’s virtues.”
“I hope you’ll be a good hero, Sir Hillan.”
A brief silence. The cold mood dissipated as Ernan broke it first.
“When we return, the kingdom will be in chaos.”
“I imagine so.”
It wasn’t just the king’s problem. Hillan knew how obsessive Hilderan was about the princess.
Regardless of Ernan’s personal actions, she was the firm and unquestioned heir to the throne. That had always been taken for granted. For someone like her to just vanish—chaos would erupt a hundred times over.
To prevent that, they would likely try forming a second hero squad, but well… Considering the unprecedented situation of the Demon King hiding the tower, there would be no hero willing to join easily.
“If you happen to meet Ellena, please tell her I’m fine. That child worries too much.”
“You mean the 13th Princess?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know if I’ll meet her, but if I do, I’ll deliver the message. But will she believe me?”
They claimed they couldn’t even find the tower—yet the Crown Princess was supposedly well? Even a passing dog wouldn’t believe such nonsense.
“Meiar.”
“...?”
“She’ll believe it if you say that.”
“A secret only known between the two of you, I suppose. But there is another problem.”
“She’s tight-lipped. I’ll vouch for her.”
“If you insist that much, very well.”
Though she was trapped in the Demon King’s Tower and had betrayed him, she was still the Crown Princess of Hilderan. Her talent was so overwhelming that no other prince or princess could compare.
Forming at least a positive thread of connection with someone so likely to become king seemed wise.
“Then farewell.”
“Ah, wait.”
“...?”
“Was the dwarf on the first floor brought here by you, Princess?”
“No. The Demon King brought him personally from the Dwarven Kingdom. His name is Roger Friedrich.”
“...That traitor dwarf is Roger Friedrich?”
The princess gave no answer and ascended to her floor. Left alone, Hillan let out a hollow laugh.
“No, why would that dwarf....”
Follow the Demon King?
“Ha....”
He didn’t know the reason, but he was certain of one thing.
This hero’s march had been doomed to fail from the very beginning.
“A complete defeat.”
He had been utterly beaten by the Demon King.
* * *
“We never discovered the Demon King’s Tower in the first place. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
The way the Black Knights and black mages nodded fervently looked almost comical.
Those who once shouted to defeat the Demon King were now preparing to be unleashed into the world as his dogs.
It felt like a thoroughly unpleasant play.
But Hillan had no right to mock them. He had been the first to decide to become the Demon King’s dog. And he was the one who carried greater greed and desire than the rest of them.
And now, he had to use them to restore the wings that had been half-broken.
“Let’s head down!”
“It is the Demon King’s command. We will protect you.”
The Peul Orcs led by Krutu escorted them.
For realism’s sake, the hero squad members had barely eaten or slept, leaving them utterly haggard, and if they descended alone, everyone except Hillan would likely die.
And among their escort was also the elf, Granada.
“Never imagined the noble elf would side with the Demon King, but now that we’re on the same side again, I look forward to working with you.”
“A hero who tried to offer an elf as a sacrifice and run away has no right to speak.”
“Your speech and mannerisms make me wonder if you’re truly an elf. You did a fine job acting until now.”
“It’s not me who has a talent for acting—it's you, isn’t it?”
The hero and the elf snarled at each other.
The fact that the elf had been a subordinate of the Demon King.
The fact that the hero had tried to sacrifice him to escape.
Between them lay a gap that could never be bridged.
“Both of you, be quiet. We’re departing.”
“You shut up, filthy orc bastard.”
“For a mere orc to flap its lips before me—if you weren’t the Demon King’s subordinate, I would have ripped your tongue out on the spot.”
It wasn’t two—it was three.
“You’re all close, I see.”
“If you truly think so, Demon King, your eyes might be rotting like dead pollock.”
“I dislike you, but I can’t help agreeing with that part.”
“How dare you speak that way to the Demon King! My lord, please give the order!”
“Just go down.”
With much commotion, the hero squad finally descended the mountain.
“Farewell, Granada, elf who knows nothing of elven virtues.”
“Now I see—what a childish hero you are.”
After arriving at Hortonwork, Hillan and the hero squad immediately departed to another location through the dimensional transfer array. But Granada remained in Hortonwork to carry out the Demon King’s orders.
And then—
“Captain...? You’re alive?”
He reunited with the Red Hawk Mercenary Company, whom he thought dead.
“What the hell?”
They were all completely unharmed—not even a scratch on a fingernail.