Chapter 61 : Then Was It Not?
Chapter 61: Then Was It Not?
“Demon King. A message has arrived from Demon King Ugar.”
“From Ugar?”
Reina set down the yeti hatchling. At her gesture, the mother gathered the baby into her arms.
“Take good care of them.”
“Yes, Demon King.”
“It’s the first time Ugar has contacted me separately, isn’t it?”
Reina arrived at her office and picked up the vibrating communication orb. She sent everyone out and infused it with demonic energy.
Ugar’s face appeared.
“It is the first time you’ve contacted me directly. What is it?”
『I didn’t want to either, but I had no choice. Reina Sordein. I just learned something tremendous.』
His expression and tone were so grave that Reina grew equally serious.
“Speak.”
『Some time ago, Berje Deias contacted me. He said he would take the 13th Princess of Hilderan.』
“Berje?”
『So I told him. I couldn’t simply hand over the princess I had already kidnapped. Then Berje said this—if I placed the princess on a lower floor like I usually do, he would take her himself.』
『That is…』
“Are you saying Berje has ties with a hero? That’s impossible.”
She did not think Berje was incapable of colluding with humans. Simply insulting the Standard in public was enough to reveal his tendencies.
But Berje Deias had descended to Arein only a year ago. After ruining the completion ceremony, he received no benefits and came only with his adjutant and his body. Would he really have the leeway for such a scheme?
『Rozel Charnte and Hillan Cargill came to my tower and rescued the princess.』
“That is even harder to believe.”
『I thought so as well, yet it is reality. I wondered again and again how such a thing could happen, and at last reached a single conclusion. Did you know? Those two heroes are the ones who killed Draxon.』
A piece of the puzzle clicked into place.
『I do not believe Berje killed Draxon. Nor do I believe he has direct ties with those two heroes.』
Reina recalled a single name.
The oldest Demon King currently in Arein, one who assisted the Demon Kings when something happened outside the towers. The one with the most connections to humans. And yet, ever enigmatic.
“Jason Kokemundo.”
To humans, he was known as the False One.
『Yes. I believe Berje is in a similar position.』
“Jason killed Draxon?”
『No. Jason has no motive to kill Draxon. I knew Jason in the Demon Realm. He does not move unless there is a clear reason and profit. Killing Draxon brings him more loss than gain.』
“Then what in the world are you trying to say?”
『I’m saying we should shift our perspective. We cannot doubt Jason’s involvement, yet he has no valid motive. Then what if—there was no need for him to have one?』
『What if he had been controlled by humans?』
Reina’s brows furrowed.
『Humans of Arein see Demon Kings as beneath them. It is unbearably arrogant, but the reality itself isn’t wrong. They consider us Demon Kings a necessary evil—and some even attempt to control us. Would it not be possible that such humans might have tried to manipulate a Demon King?』
“...Do you understand what you are saying right now?”
『It is not nonsense! Before Jason, no Demon King had ever endured more than thirty years in Arein. Yet Jason was the first to do it, and with his help, Draxon, you, and then I managed to settle in one after another. Back then, I thought little of it—but under my hypothesis, does it not sound plausible?』
Reina exhaled a deep sigh. She no longer wished to entertain him.
There was a massive flaw in his argument.
“You believe human magic could pierce the mind of the demon race?”
It was not pride. The creators of mental-type magic were the demon race, and it was the demons who had spread it to humans through the Black Mages.
And in Arein, where the Demon Kings no longer displayed proper majesty, mental-type magic had declined alongside the Black Mages.
『…Then was it not?』
“It was not.”
『A-hem. I have shown disgrace.』
“However, I do agree that Jason is likely involved. I will look into it.”
If Jason had truly been the one to kill Draxon—
“I would never let it go.”
Her anger chilled the air.
* * *
When it became known that the new Demon King was the Succubus Queen, she gained the epithet of Lust.
“The Lust Demon King caused one disturbance in Dormunt but has shown no further reaction since.”
“The Kingdom of Dormunt is the same. They made a great fuss about needing to kill the Demon King, but they have taken no substantive action.”
The descent of a new Demon King was always a major issue. At the same time, it was also regarded as a celebratory event for humans—a symbol of their victory.
For the descent of a Demon King meant that the previous Demon King had died.
Thus, the matter was easily glossed over. The actions of the succubi had become an issue only because they occurred after decades of inactivity, but they were ultimately no more than a minor incident.
Dormunt had lost some money over the matter, but that was all.
“What of Rozel Charnte?”
“They were relatively cooperative, so the agreement came easily. It will be announced that the second hero’s march was carried out secretly under our direction. Rozel Charnte and Hillan Cargill will receive minor sanctions under the justification that their poor judgment during the first hero’s march caused unnecessary bloodshed.”
“It’s not cooperation—they’ve simply taken everything they wanted already.”
The Elders gnashed their teeth.
“Still, it is better than letting it become public. The guild’s honor is far more important than some Demon King’s byproducts. Every hero’s march must be conducted under the guild’s authority. It is crucial that people continue believing that.”
“Yes.”
“There is still no word from the Guildmaster?”
“No. In a situation like this, one would expect him to return at least once…”
“Have you learned who is sponsoring Balraf Dislode?”
“We confirmed that the trail leads to the Empire, but we could not trace it to the end.”
“The Empire, hm.”
The Elder stroked his beard.
“That is enough. Digging further would be dangerous.”
“Yes.”
It was easy to guess.
Kings and emperors of various nations spent their lives as the supreme authority of their realms. They wielded absolute power and regarded themselves as the sky itself.
Would such rulers willingly tolerate a transcendent organization beyond their national authority?
No. Efforts to exclude the Hero Guild had existed since long ago.
There had been numerous attempts to siphon off the guild’s heroes and turn them into dogs loyal not to the public, but to empires and kingdoms.
Even so, the Hero Guild had endured—and grown even stronger. And it would continue to do so.
“Is there no word on the Demon King in Ergest? Didn’t Daphne go out to search his tower?”
“He could not find him.”
“What…?”
“There are a few areas he cannot enter even with his abilities. We suspect the Demon King may be in one of those.”
“That wretch. Truly.”
The Elder sighed.
“He uses flames, they said?”
“From what we heard, yes.”
“Then give him the name of Flame Demon and announce that the guild has uncovered information about him.”
“Yes.”
“One or two failures are acceptable. But prolonged incompetence is not. The Hero Guild must always emerge as the victor in the end.”
At the Grand Elder’s words, the other Elders nodded.
* * *
“Mmm…”
She awoke to a drowsy haze.
Chirp chirp—
Warm sunlight gently stroked her cheek. The chirping of birds tickled her ears.
Elena blinked up at the bright blue sky, where soft clouds drifted above.
“…Where is this?”
Where?
She cautiously twitched her fingers. Her condition was, as always, the worst. Nothing unusual there.
‘I was definitely taken by the Demon King…’
Kidnapped.
Her last memory was of the mountain villa.
A villa in the mountains where she had gone to rest. Because the mountains darkened quickly, she had gone to bed a little early.
What woke her were the screams of the knights.
The clashing of weapons rang in her ears, and the stench of the knights’ spilled blood stabbed into her nose.
The door burst open, and a collapsed knight fell before her bed.
A much larger shadow loomed over her.
“…Who are you?”
“I am the Demon King.”
That was the end. A rough, overwhelming hand descended upon Elena.
She thought she would wake inside a tower—so why could she see the sky?
“You’re awake?”
“…Sister?”
Was it a dream?
She reached out carefully. The soft warmth of a familiar cheek brushed her fingers.
“Are you really my sister?”
“Would I be a fake?”
Her tone, her presence—everything felt the same.
“I was kidnapped by the Demon King…”
“I rescued you.”
“But you were kidnapped before me.”
“Yeah. So I came with the Demon King who kidnapped me.”
“…Huh?”
Elena shot upright—only to stifle a groan and collapse back down.
“Don’t push yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look around.”
Still lying down, she slowly turned her head. She saw familiar faces—and unfamiliar ones.
“Hero Hillan.”
“It has been a while, Princess.”
“Were you the one who rescued me?”
“Yes. It is an honour to be able to return you safely.”
“Then what about my sister?”
“Unfortunately, I was not the one who rescued Princess Ernan.”
“Then how is she…”
How is she standing right in front of me?
“Let me introduce him.”
Ernan pulled Berje closer.
“This is Demon King Berje Deias, the one who built the tower in the Ergest Mountains.”
“…Pardon?”
* * *
After parting with Rozel Charnte, Hillan Cargill secured a high-class carriage, placed the princess inside, and began the journey toward Hilderan.
“…Hoo.”
“She looks pitiful.”
“I had been hoping she would not return to Hilderan for the time being.”
Hillan Cargill was a hero born of Hilderan.
A hero’s duty did not end with assault units or hero marches; he had carried out various requests with Hilderan as his base, building a steady reputation.
Slaying the Lust Demon King and toppling the tower had only put a famous steed beneath him, allowing him to run faster—but even before that, he had been walking his path without pause.
Hilderan had always been his home ground, but that connection had ended the moment he failed to save Ernan.
“Oh, I heard. The Azure Sea Knight Order chased you all the way to the Principality of Asoin, right? How did you get past them?”
“I rammed through.”
“...”
“I threatened them until they backed off. They’re probably grinding their teeth even now.”
“…Not your usual style.”
“Courtesy is shown where it is warranted. To those who ignore it, it is useless.”
“True enough. Sending the Azure Sea Knight Order just because the hero march failed—Hilderan really has rotted.”
“It’s not that I can’t understand them.”
“…What’s that supposed to mean? Are you saying there’s something I don’t know?”
“Do you even know anything to begin with?”
“You picking a fight?”
Hillan frowned. Granada poking at him during his tangled state of mind irritated him.
“If Lord Pale hadn’t stepped in, you would have knelt before me and begged.”
“As expected of a hero who hides behind an elf and runs—so two-faced. But did you ever think it could’ve gone the other way around?”
“I truly wonder where your confidence comes from.”
“I believe in myself.”
“How can an elf be this unbelievably stupid…?”
“What was that?”
Hillan glanced toward the Red Hawk Mercenary Company, then suddenly increased his pace. Granada hurried after him, startled by the abrupt movement.
“What are you doing?”
“Keep them from coming any closer.”
At Granada’s gesture, the Red Hawk mercenaries slowed their pace.
“Have you heard of the spell called Child of the World Tree?”
“Child of the World Tree? That crude human spell that strengthens a fetus?”
A shoddy magic that dared to use the name of the great tree.
“Human greed is bottomless. Forcing mana into a fragile child and trying to strengthen its body—of course it cannot endure it. There are many ways to commit suicide, and I used to laugh a lot at—at…?”
Granada’s pupils widened.
“No way…?”
“....”
“You don’t mean it. Seriously?”
“The direct royal lineage of the Kingdom of Hilderan originally consists of sixty-two members.”
“Officially, it should be twenty-eight.”
Insane.
Granada swallowed hard.
“That many died?”
“The King of Hilderan took two queens and thirty-three concubines.”
Granada had believed the king had eight concubines. The spell Child of the World Tree did not harm only the fetus.
“Why would they go this far?”
“How could I possibly know the will of those lofty kings?”
All he knew was this—
“They possess ideals so high that ordinary people cannot even begin to guess them.”
Whether those ideals were truly attainable or merely hollow delusions was unknown.
* * *
Hillan Cargill’s return caused a great stir inside Hilderan.
“Hillan Cargill is approaching the royal capital.”
“What kind of nerve does he have?”
The Azure Sea Knight Order’s deployment to the Principality of Asoin had been carried out in secret. Arresting a hero for failing a hero march was never righteous.
But the king’s fury was widely known, and most high-ranking nobles had heard of it.
They also knew that the Azure Sea Knight Order had failed their mission and returned in vain—further stoking the king’s wrath toward Hillan Cargill to sky-piercing heights.
“He is said to be returning after rescuing Princess Elena.”
“Princess Elena?”
Hillan Cargill had entered the Gold-Steel Tower and rescued the kidnapped princess!
It had become normal for royalty to be kidnapped by Demon Kings in this era.
Yet no one rejoiced at their own royalty being abducted.
And after failing to rescue one kidnapped royal, having another one abducted immediately afterwards was a considerable shock even for Hilderan.
That the 13th Princess was a useless member of the royal family did not matter.
What mattered was that the pride of Hilderan had been trampled twice.
In such a situation, Hillan Cargill had brought back the 13th Princess.
A hero called the Son of Hilderan had restored Hilderan’s pride.
“Hillan Cargill, hurrah!”
“Princess Elena, hurrah!”
“Red Hawk Assault Unit, hurrah!”
The cheers kept growing, one after another. Rumors swelled with every village they passed, and each place welcomed them with overwhelming enthusiasm.
Their location spread naturally across the region, and the royal family could no longer ignore it.
By the time they reached the capital—
Bam–bam–bam–bam—
“Welcome, Hero Hillan Cargill.”
Waaaaaaaah!
Hurrah for Hillan Cargill!
Hurrah for Granada!
Hurrah for the Red Hawk Assault Unit!
A festival and a triumphal ceremony had been prepared for them.
“Thank you for the grand reception.”
Hillan stepped onto the red carpet laid across the main street. Granada and the Red Hawk mercenaries followed behind.
“Wow…”
“Stop gawking. You look like a country bumpkin.”
“Are we really turning into an assault unit?”
“They’re giving us honor and money. Why not?”
“Shh. Smile.”
Knights drew their swords and raised them overhead. Majestic trumpets echoed across the city.
Crowds cheered. Fireworks burst in vibrant colors.
The Red Hawk mercenaries—first-time protagonists of such a celebration—tried hard to maintain composed expressions as grins tugged at their lips.
And watching that triumphal parade were a man and a woman.
“Quite extravagant. I remember them making a fuss last time.”
“Father only sent the Azure Sea Knight Order after Hero Hillan because I was involved. Normally, he values propriety. Welcoming the hero who saved a princess is the obvious thing to do.”
“So when is it?”
“During the banquet. Because Father caused… that issue with the Demon King, he’ll try to make up for it with an even grander celebration.”
“The stars of the banquet will be the 13th Princess and Hillan Cargill, then.”
“But Elena isn’t in any condition to attend.”
“She must be in that palace—the one with the hyacinth motif? The place you stayed.”
“Yes. That one.”
“They must have heavy security since she was kidnapped once?”
“Actually, it’s the opposite. It’s rare for a rescued royal to be kidnapped again.”
“So it’s the perfect time to kidnap her again.”
Berje let out a thin laugh. It was an absurd thought—planning to kidnap a princess of Hilderan while standing beside another princess of Hilderan.
“But.”
“What now?”
“Since it’s a banquet celebrating the princess’s rescue, most nobles will attend, right?”
“Hero Hillan is Hilderan’s greatest hero. Unless Father continues clashing with him—though it seems to be smoothing over on the surface—the nobles will try to build connections.”
“The banquet will be long.”
“It will last all night.”
“Then I suppose we should plunder a few noble vaults.”
“…What?”
“I’m asking you to list the noble estates and secret vaults belonging to those you dislike.”
“…You knew?”
Ernan gave an awkward smile.
“You kept urging me, almost as if you wanted me to siphon money out of your country faster. But it didn’t seem like you wanted Hilderan to collapse.”
“…Ehehe. It’s not like I lied about anything.”
“Whether they’re your political enemies or people you simply dislike—doesn’t matter. Money is still money, no matter whose it is.”
“Right? Money has never done anything wrong.”
“What do you know of?”
“About two places? One is a merchant company and the other a noble. But unlike in Arkan, the security will be tight.”
“I am a Demon King. What Demon Kings do best is infiltrate royal palaces and kidnap royalty.”
No estate could possibly have tighter security than a royal palace.
“And there’s no risk of demonic energy being detected.”
Why didn’t Demon Kings raid merchant companies or noble vaults?
Because their demonic energy would be discovered. Even if they snuck in using concealment techniques, breaking magical defences or killing guards required drawing on demonic energy.
And the moment the theft was discovered, humans would trace the flow of money and pursue the culprit.
But Berje was free from that restriction.
“So who’s the noble?”
“Duke Heinz—my father’s younger brother.”
“Security must be heavy.”
“It’s fine. I know everything about the interior layout, the magic circles, the guard rotations. But… will you be alright? You seemed to give Hero Rozel a lot of mana. You look worn out.”
“The banquet will be in a few days anyway. It doesn’t matter.”
“That’s true.”
The two thieves melted into the crowd.