Chapter 65 : Do I Really Have to Become a Dark Knight
Chapter 65 - Do I Really Have to Become a Dark Knight?
The Trafarta Union, the Principality of Karmenia.
Its capital, Karnia.
There stood a massive tower rising thirty floors high.
A tower grander than any other structure—more majestic even than the official residence where the principality’s sovereign stayed.
Its appearance symbolized the hero who faced the Demon King.
The height of thirty floors existed to proclaim that the hero surpassed the Demon King.
The Hero Guild Headquarters—this was the honor and pride of all heroes.
Entering the central headquarters had long been Hillan Cargill’s dream.
Before he became a hero, he had wanted to become one.
After becoming a hero, he had always wanted to become one of the powerholders at the center of the Guild.
Because he wanted power.
Because he wanted honour.
The reason it had to be the Hero Guild was simple.
Not even the king of a great nation,
Not even that mighty emperor could easily criticise these lawless men. Sometimes, even emperors and kings had no choice but to speak humbly before heroes.
When he was very young, he happened to witness a high noble of the kingdom bowing his head to a hero who had then been called a Star.
And to this day, that sight had never left Hillan’s mind.
That sharply imprinted memory became the driving force that moved him.
‘I've finally come this far.’
Even if he had only reached this place after becoming a subordinate of the Demon King, the outcome did not change.
One day, he would break free from the Demon King’s shackles and soar.
All his efforts now would shine even more brilliantly then.
He steadied his breath, calming his pounding heart.
“I never thought I'd live long enough to actually come here…”
“Are we really becoming an assault unit?”
“We went to the Beast’s Tower and the Gold-Steel Tower—of course we can do this! Hero Hillan is with us, too!”
“But we’re just being paid to…”
“The Lord wants it. The money will keep coming.”
“But it’s a bit dangerous…”
“Well, with your abilities, I doubt you’d die no matter where I throw you.”
“Kh-hm, thank you for the compliment.”
“Does that sound like a compliment?”
“Everyone, please maintain your dignity.”
‘Why did it have to be this lot…’
Humans were social creatures. Even heroes were no exception.
No matter how great one’s reputation was when entering the headquarters, without a support base, one could achieve nothing.
Therefore, Hillan Cargill had decided not to come alone, but with his close associates.
Officially, together with the mercenary unit known as the Red Hawk Assault Unit.
They weren’t particularly trustworthy, but better than having nothing.
“Granada.”
“What?”
“This is an official occasion.”
“…What is it?”
“Please keep the Red Hawk Assault Unit members in line. I would prefer that nothing tarnishes my reputation.”
“Ah, yes, yes. Of course. Everyone, quiet down.”
Granada’s words made the Red Hawks close their mouths.
The Hero Guild was the largest and most majestic building in Karnia. It held greater symbolic weight than even the imperial palace of an empire and was a transcendent organisation.
Because of that, the people of Karnia took pride in having the Hero Guild Headquarters in their city. The Guild had always been a focal point of attention.
Therefore, as glances gathered one by one, they too felt it.
If there was an eye of the storm right now, they realised it was themselves.
“Who are they? I haven’t seen them before.”
“Hillan—Hillan Cargill.”
“The Demon King Slaughterer?”
“Then the ones behind him must be the assault unit Hillan Cargill formed?”
“Probably.”
“To think I’d witness in my lifetime the great hero who killed two Demon Kings.”
“Hillan Cargill, hurrah!”
Hillan Cargill had never been to Karnia before, yet among those who lived in the Hero’s City, he had become far too famous.
‘The sound of cheers… directed at me.’
This was it. He loved this cheer and attention.
‘I can’t let my first impression in the Hero’s City be disgraceful.’
Hillan Cargill barely suppressed the corners of his lips from rising.
But there was no need to suppress the atmosphere itself.
Crowds gathered to see him. And naturally, the crowd parted to make way.
“The Hero Guild is this way!”
The citizens voluntarily guided them toward the Hero Guild.
And at last, they arrived in front of the massive tower.
Creeeeeeak—
The door of the tower—larger than any Demon King’s tower Hillan Cargill had ever visited—slowly opened.
Dozens of officials came out to greet them.
“Welcome to the Tower of Heroes.”
“I greet the great hero, Lord Torniel Borgis. For you to personally come out to welcome us—it is an honour passed down through my entire family!”
“You know of me?”
“What hero would not know the Elder who slew the Famine Demon King?”
“It’s a hazy, distant memory now. I’m nothing more than an old man waiting to die in a back room.”
“Who would dare speak of Lord Torniel in such a way?”
“I, on the other hand, am delighted that a great hero destined to leave his name in history recognises this old man.”
“You flatter me.”
The young man and the old man embraced each other.
“I look forward to working with you. The Guild always welcomes talents like you.”
“I look forward to your guidance.”
‘A slick tongue… he won’t be an easy one. I should be cautious.’
‘This old man is already scheming how to use me. Well, it’s nothing unexpected.’
“Hahaha.”
“Hahaha.”
Their laughter toward each other grew deeper.
The cheers erupting around them were simply a bonus.
* * *
“Yes, I’ve confirmed it. You truly paid all of it.”
Jason answered toward the crystal orb.
A debt of five million Demonic Points. Demonic Points he should have received as compensation, worth a hundred thousand gold.
All of it had been repaid.
Honestly, compared to the value humans placed on money, it wasn’t a particularly large amount. But because Demonic Points were considered far more valuable, he did not feel as though he had suffered any loss.
And if possible, he had hoped Berje would not repay it so quickly.
“The First Seat’s reputation is clearly not undeserved.”
Berje had shown bold, unhesitating actions.
He kidnapped the Crown Princess of Hilderan, kidnapped the Imperial Princess of Zespine, and kidnapped yet another princess of Hilderan.
Carrying out each of those acts individually wasn’t difficult.
But to do all of them and still remain alive—
That alone was more than enough proof of Berje’s competence.
Even if the entire process consisted of nothing more than concealing the tower, how many Demon Kings in other dimensions would dare to casually violate something as absolute and worship-like as The Demon King's Standard?
None. Not a single one.
Others might call Berje a deranged lunatic, but Jason thought differently.
Perhaps Berje had investigated Arein more thoroughly than anyone, and perhaps he was following the most correct solution more precisely than anyone.
‘But how? How could he possibly know what kind of place Arein is?’
Perhaps those in power might know something.
But Berje Deias was just a fresh graduate of the Academy.
How could he have known about Arein?
He didn’t even have any significant influence or backing to rely on.
No matter how he thought about it, Jason could not understand.
『You flatter me.』
“Not at all. There has never been a Demon King who earned five million points in just one year.”
『Is that so?』
“Let me correct myself—there has never been one in Arein. Which is why I’m growing increasingly fond of you, Lord Berje.”
『Even so, I don’t really know much. This is my first time in this dimension, after all.』
“Yes, I know well that Arein is your first dimension, Lord Berje.”
Which is precisely why it's even more suspicious.
‘It seems I’ll have to accept a bit of loss.’
Jason decided—after a very long time—to contact the Demon Realm.
He had avoided doing so unless absolutely necessary because he couldn’t afford to waste even a small amount of Demonic Points.
Fortunately, another 2.5 million points had just come in.
『Then I’ll end the call.』
“Ah, please wait just a moment.”
『Something else to say?』
“May I ask just one question?”
『What is it?』
“About what you plan to do from here on out.”
『Is there a reason for a Demon King to care about another Demon King’s actions?』
“It may not matter in another dimension… but this is Arein.”
No matter how hard Jason tried, there was no way things would stay quiet if Berje continued causing incidents without end.
『Do you want me to behave myself?』
“I won’t deny it.”
『Well, for the time being, I have no plans to do anything. I’ve repaid the debt, so I intend to focus on strengthening the tower.』
“Thank you. Ah, but did you know? It has now been one year since you descended here, Lord Berje.”
『I know.』
“Then you must also know that the time to hold the Harmony of the Towers has already passed.”
The Harmony of the Towers was held once every year, regularly.
However, due to the hero’s marches sparked by Berje, and the chaos following Draxon’s death, it had been forgotten for a while.
『Very well, I shall participate. When and where will it be held this time?』
“In two weeks…”
Jason paused for a moment to gauge the atmosphere.
“How about holding it at your tower, Lord Berje? It has also been a year since you established your tower, so I believe it would not be bad for others to see it once.”
For a brief moment, there was no answer.
『I refuse.』
Tap—
The connection was cut.
“…Haha.”
Jason let out a hollow laugh.
“…Truly.”
His laughter grew deeper.
“There are many amusing ones this time. These Demon Kings.”
He pushed up his monocle.
* * *
“You intend to start a weapons business?”
『Yes. With all due respect, due to you, the deceased Beast Demon King, and the newly appeared Lust Demon King, the air of war is spreading.』
『The prices of war supplies across the entire continent are skyrocketing.』
Hilderan, which had lost two princesses.
Dormunt, where the Lust Demon King played her tricks.
Ormus, which lost its elite troops in the war against the beasts.
And the sudden, indiscriminate kidnapping of royal family members by the Gold-Steel Demon King poured fuel on the flames.
All of it was the butterfly effect caused by Berje.
『Of course, depending on the actions of Lord Berje and the other Demon Kings, the prices of war supplies will continue to soar. So, if it is not too presumptuous, may I ask about your future plans?』
“I see. Surely, if he knows how we intend to act, he can buy at the right time and sell later.”
『Yes, exactly.』
Berje briefly fell into thought.
Ugar had no intention of making any significant moves. He kidnapped only unimportant members of royalty, and that was where it ended.
Reina was the same as before. She would not do anything in particular.
The problem lay with the other two.
Jason Kokemundo—whose intentions remained unreadable both before and after the regression.
And Vivian Blunt—who did not appear at all in his previous life.
‘Jason won’t make a move.’
The conversation he had just finished was the clearest possible proof.
The remaining issue was Vivian.
Honestly, there was no way to know what that fool, who had caused a major incident the moment she descended, would do next.
But he was certain of one thing.
Even if she caused a bigger incident, it would end there.
Jason would not stay idle.
“Vivian Blunt—in other words, aside from lust-related issues, she won’t cause any major trouble. Unless humans wage war among themselves or an unforeseen disaster breaks out, I don’t think the surge in weapon prices will last long.”
『Thank you. This was very helpful.』
“Give me regular progress reports, and contact me if you become curious or need anything else.”
『Yes. Ah, and we have currently purchased twenty-one elves under the merchant company’s name. What should we do with them?』
“Elves, huh.”
Right, there were elves.
“What about Granada?”
『He followed Hero Hillan Cargill to the Hero Headquarters. I have received no instructions from him since.』
“That’s inconvenient.”
Granada needed to help Hillan form the assault unit.
But the only person capable of managing the elves was also Granada.
‘If only Granada could split into Gra and Nada and become two people.’
That would be nice, but impossible.
‘If I’m going to make use of elves, I have only two choices: either keep them completely unaware of my existence, or make them swear loyalty to me under the World Tree Oath.’
Berje’s preference was, of course, the latter.
Secrets always eventually got discovered.
And when that happened, elves inevitably returned as explosive liabilities.
“For now, keep purchasing elves. And when Granada returns from headquarters, tell him to bring the elves to Hortonwork.”
『Yes, understood.』
The connection cut.
Suddenly, an image appeared in Berje’s mind.
The Spirit Sorceress of Darkness ruling the fourth floor, and the dark elves standing behind her as her escorts…
Smack—
Berje’s head turned to the side from slapping himself.
Then, unsatisfied, he smacked the other side as well.
“…I really am going crazy.”
Repeating such childish, ridiculous names.
Berje had not forgotten the original reason he decided to purchase elves.
And above all, what mattered most was the safety of the tower.
‘I’ll bring them into the tower and bind them with an oath. Then I’ll assign half to the fourth floor and put the rest into the assault unit.’
The elves’ fate was decided.
* * *
The underground prison of the place humans now called the Tower of Dark Flame.
“…I understand.”
The only prisoner there, Kaede Zespine, nodded.
“What do you understand?”
“Lady Ernan is right. I will do as Lady Ernan said.”
“You’ve decided?”
“Yes.”
Ernan’s persuasion had not been long, but every single one of her words stabbed deep into Kaede’s heart.
The Empire had abandoned her—there was no need to be loyal.
As long as she wasn’t discovered, she would not stain the honor of the Empire.
Elves served the Demon King.
Even the great hero Hillan Cargill served a Demon King.
There was no reason she could not.
The Demon King had granted her request.
Though she had paid a price, she too could make a deal for the sake of her future.
Even now, in this very moment, she was growing weaker.
Kaede did not agree with every word Ernan spoke.
But if the Empire was not actively trying to rescue her, then remaining imprisoned accomplished nothing for her.
Why had Kaede detested political marriage in the first place?
Becoming the widow of Ormus’s aging king and living a life where she could do nothing—
a puppet with no agency—
that was what she hated.
She had wanted to become the Empire’s greatest knight and race across the continent.
She did not want to rot away, locked in a prison cell.
‘Instead of wasting that time…’
She could swing her sword even once more.
She could meditate and gather aura.
She could bow her head if she must—if it meant gaining strength.
‘A better choice… for the future…’
It would be.
For the day she gained enough strength to escape.
For the sake of becoming a better knight—
a better hero.
“I will use the Demon King.”
“Go ahead. The Demon King will use you too. Same for me.”
Ernan’s violet pupils gleamed.
“…But one thing.”
“Yes?”
“Do I really have to become a Dark Knight?”
“Why?”
“It’s a little childish…”
Kaede’s face flushed red.
She had no confidence to shout ‘I am a Dark Knight!’ with her own mouth.
“If you dislike it, you don’t have to. But I don’t know if the Demon King will think well of it.”
“…I’ll do it.”
“You made the right choice. Stay here. I’ll go see the Demon King.”
“Yes.”
“You must be bored, so I’ll leave Lady Nairuniel with you.”
Ernan summoned the water spirit and disappeared.
The spirit blinked its large eyes sympathetically at Kaede.
— How pitiful. You must have been so bored, locked in here.
“I’m fine.”
— No need to console yourself like that. Why don’t you ease your tired heart by talking with me?
“Yes.”
— Good. I’ll give you topics. Choose one.
The forbidden love between the Demon King and the Imperial Princess…
The love between the Demon King and the hero…
Or the love between the Demon King and the knight.
“…What are those grotesque things?”
— What do you think? They’re your story.
“……”
Nairuniel did not remove her curious gaze.
Overflowing pride as a princess and as a knight—
and on top of that, a hero.
To Nairuniel, Kaede Zespine was simply a trove of fascinating material.