Chapter 45 : What Was That Kid
Chapter 45: What Was That Kid
“...So you’re saying you decided to personally join the hero’s march?”
Good grief. Gordon’s voice, heard through the crystal sphere, trembled. A deep sense of denial was felt.
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t argue with my words anymore?”
“This is a different matter! A Demon King joining the hero’s march! You’re saying you’ll side with the heroes and kill another Demon King!”
“There’s no law saying I can’t kill a Demon King.”
“Conflicts between Demon Kings are strictly prohibited.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t indirectly lead someone to their death.”
“That’s just covering your eyes and pretending not to see.”
“As long as we don’t get caught, everything is fine.”
“...”
Gordon fell silent. Berje’s bombshell announcement—delivered only after he had already made the decision—left him unable to collect his thoughts, but in the end, Gordon had only one path he could choose.
“If your identity as Demon King is revealed, you will die.”
He was Berje’s adjutant, and until they conquered the dimension called Arein and returned to the Demon Realm, they were companions on the same ship.
And strictly speaking, the prohibition on conflicts between demons applied only to Demon Kings dispatched to other dimensions.
If this were the Demon Realm, killing one another wasn’t even a big deal.
‘...Nonsense.’
In the end, this wasn’t the Demon Realm but Arein.
But to think the nonsense was being spoken by the Demon King he served.
“Fine. Fine. Let’s say you do kill Demon King Draxon. But is it truly necessary for you to participate in the hero’s march? That is far too dangerous.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll hide myself well.”
“How can a Demon King hide his identity in front of heroes!”
Why were heroes called natural enemies of Demon Kings?
Partly because the force of the dimension was the direct opposite of a Demon King’s power—but more importantly, the moment even a trace of power leaked out, they sensed each other immediately.
A Demon King could not hide his identity nor act freely, and so their range of movement was greatly limited.
And yet he was willingly stepping into a place swarming with heroes.
It was suicide.
“Of course, I know that you obtained the power of the Phoenix.”
Even he had been surprised that not a trace of demonic energy could be felt.
“But that only worked in my case. Heroes are different.”
“Roger didn’t notice.”
“Roger isn’t even half a hero!”
“And I just met Rozel Charnte.”
“...Hic.”
“If you’ve already been captured… If someone is threatening you right now, blink one eye—”
“Stop talking nonsense, Gordon. I’ll handle things myself, so just do your job. When will you finally push that swindler into the Golden Moon Merchant Company?”
“That….”
Gordon’s excuse had not even finished before Berje cut the communication.
Not only was he too annoyed to bother convincing him, he also knew well that his own decision was a gamble.
‘But it’s a gamble I have to take.’
If Draxon truly dug through the Tower’s records and happened to discover his demonic energy—
If Archduke Arkaine and the other Demon Kings learned of it—
He clicked his tongue at the bleak future that naturally came to mind.
“Just from seeing how strongly the Dark Elves oppose you, it’s clear you really are different from the other Demon Kings.”
“That’s why I’m helping you.”
Berje savored his tea as he gazed quietly at Hillan Cargill.
“Do you not have a personal guard?”
“I couldn’t call them an assault unit, but I did have a small personal guard. Of course, I still have a few subordinates now.”
“Why don’t you have an assault unit?”
“I was planning to form one.”
Their eyes met. Berje was not someone who would miss the implication behind that look.
“This damned bastard keeps blaming me for everything.”
“But it’s true. Until I dealt with the Lust Demon King, I was just another hero among many.”
Though he had a little fame, it wasn’t enough to form an assault unit on his own like the other great heroes.
But after slaying the Lust Demon King, he gained renown, and Hillan Cargill’s name grew steadily.
“At that time, I was planning to stand on my own.”
He pushed away personal sponsors and envisioned a future built from his own funds and the support of the hero’s march itself.
“This is something I shouldn’t say in front of you, Lord Berje, but if that hero’s march had succeeded, I would have been rising swiftly through the ranks.”
He would have organised an assault unit, conquered multiple towers, and steadily honed his skills—aware of his own shortcomings.
“Well, with that level of skill, that seems doubtful.”
“...I know I’m lacking. But with time, things would have changed.”
“The Lust Demon King?”
“...Yes.”
A Demon King sought to release interference power and find a path forward by consuming negative human emotions and killing heroes.
And heroes advanced to the next stage by killing monsters and demons and absorbing their power.
Just as a hero was a greedy feast to a Demon King, a Demon King was an elixir that strengthened a hero.
The reputation of a Demon King slayer carried not only the symbolism of killing one, but the implication that they had absorbed a Demon King’s power—becoming a truly great hero.
Thus, though Hillan Cargill was still lacking, the power he absorbed from the Lust Demon King slept within him.
“Learn to use it as quickly as possible. For someone claiming to be my subordinate, you’re far too weak.”
“...Even so, I can at least defeat you as you are now.”
“Do you really think so?”
Berje tapped his own head. Hillan let out a sigh.
“Anyway, what do you think Rozel Charnte plans to do?”
Berje had set two conditions—and asked Hillan to show his resolve to carry them out.
Bringing Hillan into the group had been easy, but urging him to open the hero’s march as quickly as possible was, frankly, unreasonable.
The Hero Guild, the organising body, was dragging its feet.
“We could just pressure the Hero Guild more, or…”
“Or?”
“There’s a chance the Magitech Kingdom of Arkan might move. They could pressure the Hero Guild at the national level, or even lead their army here.”
“Would other countries sit still for that?”
“That’s why they would proceed covertly.”
The unwritten rule of not crossing national borders had been created thanks to shameless nations that used the hero’s march as an excuse to swallow up other countries.
In the end, it became shackles binding all nations alike.
Even if two countries agreed to it, it was still the same. But if they coordinated in advance and deceived the entire continent’s eyes, uncovering it wouldn’t be easy.
“Especially Arkan—true to its name as the Magitech Kingdom—it’s full of magic. They could hide it thoroughly.”
“Would Ormus accept that?”
“Normally, absolutely not. But right now, Ormus suffered great losses because of the hero’s march failure. And with the prince dead, they’ll want revenge no matter what.”
It was fairly reasonable.
“Of course, that’s just what I would do. I can’t claim to understand Rozel Charnte’s thoughts perfectly, so I’d appreciate it if you treat this as only one possibility.”
Hillan Cargill shrugged.
* * *
“A new member?”
Franz, the vice-captain of the Red Flame Assault Unit, couldn’t understand his captain’s words.
“Well, of course I also think we need to recruit new members.”
“No, I already recruited one.”
“...?”
“His name is Pale. For a human, his mana is quite pure. Almost like an elf. Makes me wonder if he’s a spirit sorcerer.”
It was practically a notification rather than a discussion, but Franz accepted it. Rozel’s impulsive decisions were nothing new.
“You seem to like him quite a bit.”
“I’ve never seen fire mana that pure.”
“Is that so?”
She had already fallen for him.
In Franz’s long experience, convincing Rozel when she was in this state was impossible. The only saving grace was that she had never once made a meaningless personnel choice.
‘Now I’m curious too.’
If Rozel, proud as she was, praised someone this much, that person must be extraordinary.
“I’ll look into his background and check for any issues.”
“His name is Pale. Red hair, red eyes. From Hilderan. Handsome, about 185 tall. Oh—and as for noteworthy details, he apparently knows Hillan Cargill?”
“Do you mean Hillan Cargill?”
“Yes. When I told him to join the assault unit, he boldly made a counter-proposal. One was to restart the hero’s march as quickly as possible, and the other was to bring Hillan Cargill into the march. If they had an ordinary relationship, he wouldn’t care this much.”
“...Did you accept it?”
Franz frowned. The comrades Rozel lost had been Franz’s comrades as well. He also knew that if Hillan had simply carried out his role properly, none of it would have happened. So just as Rozel Charnte despised Hillan Cargill, Franz also disliked him.
“Yes.”
“Captain.”
“I don’t like Hillan either. But I can’t deny he’s useful. Honestly, he’s stronger than you, isn’t he?”
“He’s just a kid who got his hands on a good sword. Because of him, too many of our members died.”
“He didn’t do it on purpose.”
“How extraordinary can he be for you to say that?”
“He’s weaker than you.”
“To think we suffered because of someone like that—!”
“But.”
She rested her chin on her hand.
“His potential is beyond that. Give him a little time, and even ten of you charging at him wouldn’t be enough.”
“...!”
Franz was strong. Of course he was. He was the vice-captain of the Red Flame Assault Unit, one of the strongest units on the continent.
“And you’d just pass up someone like that? All because of someone like Hillan Cargill?”
Rozel’s hunger for talent exceeded imagination. As for avenging the comrades who had already died—that was something to be done against the Beast Demon King.
Hillan Cargill had been indirectly involved in their deaths, but that wasn’t intentional. It was simply due to his own inadequacy.
And even that inadequacy was because the Beast Demon King had exceeded expectations and fought in ways no one predicted.
“Hillan Cargill isn’t just ‘nothing special.’”
Though he disliked him, Franz assessed him objectively.
“Then what will you do about reopening the hero’s march? The Hero Guild isn’t being proactive right now.”
Something had changed—their attitude now was different from when they first recruited heroes.
“Doesn’t matter. We’ll pressure them more, and if they still don’t act, we’ll enter on our own. The Beast’s Tower is practically empty now anyway.”
“We, on our own?”
“I’ve already contacted the Magitech Kingdom of Arkan.”
“Will they take action?”
“The old geezers have a great interest in the flesh of beastmen.”
As with most demons, the skin, muscles, and every part of a beastman’s body were invaluable research materials for mages.
And if it was the hide and demonic energy of a Demon King—
“They’ve probably already set out.”
“Ormus won’t sit still for that… wait—could it be?”
Crossing borders under the pretext of a hero’s march had long been a sacred taboo.
“Still, if the two kingdoms reach an agreement and thoroughly cooperate to hide it, what could the other nations complain about?”
“Ormus lost its prince. And on top of that, they failed to take revenge and suffered enormous damage. Monsters freed from the Demon King’s control are rampaging everywhere?”
Rozel laughed.
“They’ll probably beg us to do it instead.”
“It won’t be possible to hide everything.”
“We just need to strike and retreat before it becomes a problem. The collapse of the tower itself can’t be hidden anyway. I’ll just say I acted independently because only the Demon King was left.”
“Even so, I doubt the Zespine Empire will sit quietly…”
“We’ll think about that later. You think those high nobles didn’t consider that already?”
Rozel Charnte snickered.
“Pale probably has no idea I’d go this far.”
She had stumbled onto him by chance, but it was perfect. She licked her lips.
“Whether he was trying to slip away, or he truly wanted to kill the Demon King.”
“I don’t know what his relationship with Hillan Cargill is, why he tried to include Hillan Cargill in the hero’s march, or what scheme he has in mind…”
Her eyes sharpened like a hawk targeting prey.
“But I granted what he wanted, so he belongs to me now. I never let go of someone who falls into my hands.”
She coveted that pure mana intensely.
Mana responded to her emotions, releasing a faint heat.
* * *
“...”
“What’s wrong?”
“No, it’s nothing. I just felt something strange for a moment.”
Ernan shook her head.
— Could it be?
Nairuniel appeared from nowhere, eyes sparkling.
“Could it be what?”
— The arrival of a romantic rival? Someone targeting the Demon King!
Ernan let out a long sigh.
“Nairuniel, you really are…”
— Really what?
“You’re like an idle wastrel with nothing better to do.”
— I have taken zero damage because it’s true!
“What?”
— Do you know how boring the Spirit Realm is? It’s full of dull kings and mindless low-grade spirits.
— The Middle Realm is the best. Thrilling. Always new. The joy of a spirit’s life.
— Especially the forbidden love between a kidnapped princess and the Demon King who kidnapped her… utterly stimulating—
“The more I look at you, the more I feel I need to get stronger quickly.”
— So you can topple the Demon King sooner?
“No. So that you can’t appear so recklessly anymore.”
High-grade spirits possessed free will. As powerful beings, they could cross dimensions on their own using the contract’s tether—even without a summons from their master.
Ernan resolved to sever that connection as soon as possible.
— How cold. After all the time we’ve shared.
“It wasn’t that long.”
— By the way, what are you doing right now?
Ernan knew Nairuniel was trying to change the subject, but she let it slide.
“I’m remodelling the first floor.”
— Remodelling? And why are you doing that?
“Lord Roger said he needed help, so I’m helping him.”
— I’m asking why ‘you’ are the one doing it.
“Well, because I’m a royal princ… no, a prisoner. If the kidnapper tells me to do something, I have no choice but to do it to survive.”
— I don’t think the Demon King ordered you to remodel the first floor.
“Lord Roger asked for help. I need to help with the tower if I want to live.”
— I knew it.
Nairuniel smiled slyly.
— You and the Demon King…
“Please go die somewhere.”
Roger half ignored the two women’s comedy-like exchange. At first, it had been hard to listen to, but now he was used to it.
The princess’s way of speaking, as if she were hiding something, was the same.
TANG, TANG, TANG—
Between the two voices, Roger’s hammer vigorously struck the trap.
— So what exactly are you making?
“I don’t know. I’m just helping because he asked.”
Nairuniel’s gaze shifted to Roger. Feeling the prickling stare, Roger opened his mouth.
“The Demon King ordered me to create something unusual—something that defies everyone’s expectations.”
— And?
“What is unusual, what breaks expectations, is simple. It is something unfamiliar. So all we need to do is make a tower that’s different from the typical Demon King’s towers heroes know.”
— But it’s just an ordinary maze?
What Roger had asked Ernan to help with was a maze. Well, calling it a maze was generous—it wasn’t that complicated. Twisted a little, but simple enough that anyone could find the way.
Instead of responding to that, Roger continued speaking.
“So I thought… wouldn’t it be fine to kill them all before they even have time to think?”
— …What?
Nairuniel blinked. Ernan quietly asked, “Hasn’t the Demon King already done that?”
“It is not enough! And this isn’t merely reinforcing the mana cannon.”
“Then…?”
“Humans are simpler than you think. If there’s a path, they follow it instead of trying to go elsewhere. Have you ever heard of a hero’s squad or assault unit that broke through the maze walls and sprinted straight to the exit?”
“No.”
There certainly hadn’t been.
“Exactly. Such a hero squad doesn’t exist. Meaning—once we make a maze, anyone entering the tower will without fail run along the path. Therefore…”
Roger pointed at the completed front section.
— Still looks ordinary.
“For now, yes.”
Wuuung—
Roger lightly pressed something, and gun ports emerged all along both walls.
“We will extend these all the way to the end, following the path. We’ll roll out a red carpet made from their own blood.”
Roger walked along the path. Ernan followed behind him. The end of the maze was a large clearing.
“Once the mana cannon fires, they’ll run even faster. And then they’ll arrive here.”
The clearing was a gently rounded triangular shape. The entrance was narrow, and the moment one entered, the surrounding walls enclosed everything.
— What are you going to put here?
“I’ll dig into the ground and set a trap that collapses when a certain weight presses down. And the moment the trap is triggered, even larger and more magnificent mana cannons will appear and unleash fire all at once!”
“The hero squads won’t be able to defend themselves—they’ll be hit head-on and die like flies in this massive bombardment!”
Heheheheh!
Roger cackled wildly.
He gently caressed the blueprint he had created.
“Heheheh, you’re going to accomplish something great. I have high expectations for you. This time—this time I’ll finally be able to tear apart the Tower…”
— I don’t know, what is this. He’s scary.
“Just ignore him.”
— Okay…
For the first time, Nairuniel did not argue with Ernan’s words.