Chapter 44 : There Was No Second Time
Chapter 44: There Was No Second Time
Officially, a Demon King could not kill another Demon King. They were forbidden to do so.
That wasn’t just an unspoken rule or a long-held convention—it had been enacted as an actual law of the Demon Realm.
But nothing in the world was absolute.
The royal capital of Ormus, Ortan. Its atmosphere was hardly different from that of a mourning hall.
The sorrow and fear spilling out from every corner of the city gave Berje a pleasure as if he had returned to the Demon Realm itself.
‘If only my tower had been nearby, I could have gathered quite a dense amount of Demonic Points.’
He found that part rather regrettable.
“...I never expected you would come in person.”
Granada was staying in the lodging prepared by the Hero Guild’s Ormus branch, residing there as a member of the hero expedition.
“How are your people?”
“The Red Hawk Mercenary Company is intact.”
“...Not a single casualty?”
“Yes, not a single one.”
“...So their skills are better than I thought?”
“...I’m not sure if that should be called good skills. It’s not as though they’re bad, but... well, their skills are what they are...”
“I have no idea what you’re trying to say. At least there were no losses.”
He had thought the mercenaries would have suffered great casualties, yet they all survived.
“What about Hillan?”
“He was summoned to the Hero Guild. To deal with the aftermath of the failed hero’s march, and matters regarding the next one...”
---
“So you’re saying you’ll burn that bastard Draxon right this instant!”
The hall echoed with raised voices. Hillan silently watched the woman shouting with veins bulging in her neck.
Rozel Charnte. In the empty place where she had lost an eye in this recent battle, a black eyepatch now rested.
That only emphasized the wildness about her that did not suit a mage.
“I failed, so I’ll take responsibility. Didn’t you hear them say they want a second hero’s march assembled immediately?”
“Calm yourself, Lady Rozel. It is not that we do not understand your feelings, but it is impossible for now.”
“There’s no need to drag this out. A Demon King’s strategy is simple. Gather strength and strike all at once.”
Even that alone put the hero expedition at a disadvantage.
There was a clear difference between splitting into smaller groups to advance step by step and confronting all of them at once.
But if the enemy gathered together, then all they needed to do was send more from their side.
“We just need to push harder than that. We don’t even need many. I failed to take his head and had to retreat, but I wiped out most of them with my own hands!”
“That is far too hasty a judgment. There is no rule stating that one failure will not become two. We must be more cautious.”
“If it weren’t for *this bastard*, it wouldn’t have failed in the first place!”
Rozel Charnte’s finger pointed straight at Hillan.
“If this weakling, full of nothing but hot air, had just held on a little longer, the one losing an eye wouldn’t have been me—it would’ve been Draxon!”
“Lady Rozel! Mind your words. Sir Hillan is also a hero of the guild.”
At the blatant insult, Hillan let out a sigh.
“I acknowledge that I failed to properly stop Draxon. But I do not deserve this kind of humiliation.”
“You don’t? Want me to give you a reason?”
“I understand Lady Rozel’s anger. But a hero’s march cannot always succeed.”
“Is that mouth of yours just for spouting nonsense? Should I melt it shut so you can’t make excuses anymore?”
“...If you continue like this, I won’t be able to hold back either.”
“That’s the first pleasant thing you’ve said today.”
Rozel Charnte rose from her seat.
“Go on, draw your sword. The moment you do, today next year will be your memorial day.”
Hillan gripped the hilt of his sword. Rozel whispered a spell under her breath.
“Stop, that’s enough! This is the Hero Guild, and the two of you are heroes. I will not stand by any longer.”
At the branch chief’s intervention, Hillan reluctantly lowered himself back into his seat. Rozel shifted her rage toward the branch chief.
“Fine, well said. Hero Guild, what exactly are you people doing? If that bastard Balraf hadn’t suddenly withdrawn, it wouldn’t have come to this.”
“We did not expect Lord Balraf’s withdrawal either.”
“You call *that* an excuse? Isn’t it your job to manage and persuade heroes? You think you can just say you failed and didn’t know, and that’s the end of it?”
“...Aside from offering our apologies, we have nothing more to say. On behalf of the guild, I apologize once more.”
“And who was it?”
Rozel Charnte crossed her arms and leaned back.
“Who was it that messed things up so openly, yet you people can’t say a word about it?”
“...There is no such thing.”
“So someone came all the way here, participated in strategy meetings, then suddenly withdrew, and you have *no* follow-up story? Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“...The headquarters also considers this matter extremely serious. New directives will be coming soon.”
“So you change the subject? Fine. In a situation that has already failed, what’s the point of looking for the culprit now?”
That wasn’t what Rozel Charnte considered important. What mattered to her was rebuilding her shattered pride—and avenging the comrades who had died.
“You’d better prepare the second hero’s march as quickly as possible. Before my patience runs out.”
Otherwise, she would go on her own authority.
She abruptly stood up. A sharp, cutting glance swept over Hillan.
“And leave this insect out next time.”
She disappeared. Silence settled over the conference room like the aftermath of a storm.
“This meeting is adjourned. Everyone may leave!”
The heroes, unable to say anything against Rozel Charnte’s forcefulness, left their seats one by one.
“My apologies.”
“No, it’s true that I lacked the ability. If I had held the Demon King more firmly, the hero’s march would not have failed.”
“You are not weak. We were simply too complacent. We underestimated the Demon King far too much.”
They had momentarily forgotten an obvious truth—that as heroes grew stronger, the Demon King also grew stronger.
Perhaps it was because peace had lasted too long, or because they had not failed a hero’s march even once in the past hundred years.
Whatever the reason, the fault lay with them.
“What will happen with the next hero’s march?”
“The headquarters is in chaos. There will be no second failure. And… I’m sorry to say this, but…”
“My position won’t be included, will it?”
“Lady Rozel’s influence is too strong.”
Rozel Charnte and Hillan Cargill. Their reputations were similar, but the differences beyond that were vast.
It wasn’t merely a matter of combat ability. Everyone in the Hero Guild’s leadership knew—though no one said it aloud—that Rozel Charnte received backing from the Magitech Kingdom of Arkan.
It wasn’t something that could be hidden. Because of that, many believed her will reflected Arkan’s will.
And Hillan Cargill?
He had risen rapidly after killing the Lust Demon King, but his excessive confidence had driven away all his patrons. Then came the failure of the Ergest expedition.
His reputation had plummeted, and he had lost all support. Choosing Rozel Charnte over Hillan Cargill was only natural.
“...I suppose it can’t be helped.”
Hillan Cargill suppressed the mask that threatened to peel off with superhuman patience.
“...I’ll take my leave now.”
“Do not be too discouraged. You are a fine hero. Even if not this time, an opportunity will come again.”
“Yes.”
An opportunity will come again?
There were many heroes. Hillan Cargill was not just another replaceable hero, but ultimately it was a matter of trust.
One failure, and then two. If two failures spread together with Rozel Charnte’s accusations, what then?
That would become his image exactly as it was—
Hillan Cargill, who couldn’t handle even one Demon King properly.
Hillan Cargill, flashy in reputation only.
And Hillan Cargill, whose slaying of the Lust Demon King became questionable.
‘That much…’
He had to stop it. No matter what method he had to use.
‘How do they think I climbed this far?’
He had long known that his skill was somewhat lacking. He wasn’t weak, but still not enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with the very best heroes. So he worked harder in other areas.
He built connections and lobbied. Yet now, the very dogs who had swallowed his money were all turning their backs on him.
‘I can climb up again.’
But who would compensate him for that long, bitter time of endurance?
‘What method…?’
Hillan struggled to keep his mind together as he slowly walked out of the Hero Guild.
“Become my comrade.”
And then he witnessed two familiar figures—more than familiar—arguing.
---
‘*Heroes.*’
The heroes were the ones who carried out the hero’s march, but the ones who managed those heroes were the Hero Guild.
Every hero belonged to the Hero Guild, and it was no exaggeration to say that the hero’s march itself was managed by the guild.
It was only natural, then, that Berje, who had to make the second hero’s march happen no matter what, wandered around the Hero Guild in deep thought.
Bang—
At that moment, the front gate burst open. A woman with a black eyepatch over her left eye stormed out, fuming.
An instinctive sense of aversion. A being with interference power—a hero.
And a very strong one. Berje instinctively gauged her and compared her to himself.
‘If we fought now, I’d be absolutely crushed.’
The Phoenix’s power had not fully become Berje’s. It was sealed in his second heart, being gradually melted down, but because it wasn’t demonic energy, it was still incomplete.
‘If I fought at full strength inside my tower…’
Even then, he couldn’t guarantee victory. No—nine times out of ten, he would lose.
It couldn’t be helped. This was the price he paid for converting all his Demonic Points into money instead of using them to reduce interference power.
“And what are you supposed to be?”
Their eyes met. Her only remaining crimson eye twisted into a vicious glare.
But then it widened. She strode forward and scanned Berje from head to toe.
“Impressive…”
Rozel Charnte was a grand mage who had carved seven marks. Even without being a hero, she was strong—among humans, she could contend for the top when it came to fire.
That was why she felt the faint, pure, blazing heat emanating from Berje.
“Haah…”
A breath escaped her, oddly exhilarated.
Berje simply watched her.
‘…Is she insane?’
He could already guess who she was. Even for a branch of the Hero Guild, there weren’t many heroes of this caliber. And there was only one eyepatched hero who radiated such intense heat.
Rozel Charnte. The grand mage of fire.
‘Are heroes all missing something in the head?’
After sniffing with her eyes closed for quite some time, Rozel Charnte opened them and thrust her face toward Berje.
“Who are you? I’ve never felt such pure heat. How did you build up this kind of energy?”
“Do I have to answer you?”
“Isn’t that obvious? I’m asking, aren’t I?”
Her expression made it clear she truly believed that. Berje was momentarily speechless.
“Unbelievable.”
“Do you not know who I am?”
“I don’t. But I do know what to call you.”
“What is it?”
“A pervert.”
“A pervert?”
Rozel’s face twisted.
“If you don’t want to be called that, stop sniffing people.”
“If you were an ordinary guy, you’d already be roasted.”
But she couldn’t just waste such pure heat.
“Be grateful for my mercy.”
Rozel nodded, having asked and answered herself entirely on her own.
Only then did Berje understand what kind of human Rozel Charnte was—self-centered, one of the most irritating types.
And the best option with someone like her was not to get involved. If she had at least been weak, he would’ve just killed her on the spot.
‘My temper really has calmed down.’
After being beaten once by a hero, he felt like anger management came easier.
‘First, avoid her and plan the next hero’s march with Hillan…’
Berje stepped wordlessly to pass by her side.
“…….”
“…….”
But Rozel blocked him again.
“...Move.”
“I never said you could go.”
“Did you rent out this entire street?”
“It won’t be bad for you either.”
“...Fine. Let’s hear it.”
“You interest me. I’ve never felt mana this pure, heat this intense.”
“So?”
“You. Become my comrade.”
Berje frowned. It was hard to understand what she meant.
“As you know, the Demon King subjugation failed, and the losses to my Red Flame Assault Unit are severe. I must replenish my forces.”
“A recruitment offer?”
“The Red Flame Assault Unit is one of the top ten on the continent—I’m confident in that. And above all, *I*, Rozel Charnte, am the commander. I’ll give you the best treatment in the field.”
“Based on what?”
“Pure mana. And enormity.”
Rozel Charnte had accurately sensed the Phoenix’s presence. She could vaguely feel the dormant power Berje couldn’t yet fully use.
“You’re weak now, but I see a brilliant future in you. And I need comrades like that.”
“And why is that?”
“Because the Beast Demon King must die.”
Rozel Charnte revealed her killing intent. It stirred Berje’s curiosity.
“Soon, the second hero’s march will begin. I’ll climb the tower again and this time I will have my revenge.”
“……!”
Berje had expected a second hero’s march to happen and had come to discuss accelerating it with Hillan, but he didn’t expect to get tangled up with another major actor like this.
He pondered briefly. Then he shook his head. There wasn’t even anything to consider.
“Fine.”
“Good choice!”
“But I have conditions too.”
“Say them.”
“First, I want the hero’s march to begin as quickly as possible.”
“That's exactly what I want. We may have been pushed back, but we smashed the tower to pieces. We have to kill him before it’s fully restored. If the Hero Guild drags its feet, I’ll form a hero team myself and go.”
It was a rather satisfying answer.
“And the second condition is that guy over there.”
Rozel Charnte’s gaze followed the tip of Berje’s finger. Her face twisted immediately.
“If *that* guy climbs the Beast’s Tower with us, I’ll accept.”
Hillan Cargill stood there.
---
“How did you know?”
“What do you mean?”
“I was excluded from the hero’s march. Because of Rozel Charnte’s objection.”
“That’s an easy guess. Do you think I’m a Demon King for nothing?”
He hadn’t earned the top ranking in the Academy through luck.
He had encountered many like Rozel Charnte before—direct, self-centred, and utterly convinced that whatever they believed was right must be pushed through to the very end.
Conversely, anything they believed was wrong was forever wrong, even if they died for it.
“I heard Rozel Charnte was furious with you. She thinks the hero’s march failed because of you. There’s no way she would willingly take you again.”
But that was not what Berje wanted. Hillan Cargill was a useful chess piece. He needed to regain his fame and rise once more.
“And I want the hero’s march to begin as fast as possible. Leaving someone like you unused in such a situation would be foolish.”
“Are you planning to participate yourself?”
“Yes.”
Why? The question arose naturally. A Demon King appearing in such an un-demon-king-like manner—why would he seek to kill another Demon King?
‘Perhaps it’s only natural.’
Humans went to war, killed, and hired assassins. Why would demons be any different? The only reason they assumed Demon Kings would never turn on each other was because no such precedent had occurred before. It was an ingrained assumption.
Just as the actions of Demon Kings over centuries were analyzed to deduce the “Demon King’s Standard,” treated like a sacred guide—while the Hero Guild, ironically, also blindly believed in that guide.
“...Thank you.”
Whatever the reason, a lost opportunity had returned to Hillan Cargill.
“There will not be a second time. This time, Draxon must die.”
“Yes.”
The Demon King and the hero both began struggling for their own survival.