Chapter 67 : Be Careful
Chapter 67-Unedited: Be Careful
Below the Guildmaster, the leadership that effectively ran the Hero Guild was divided into three major branches.
The Council of Elders, composed of five Elders.
Branch managers who oversaw the guild’s external branches.
And Argann, who determined the overall direction of the guild.
Becoming part of Argann meant that Hillan Cargill had taken one step closer to the authority he had always longed for.
It was not merely power within the guild. Countless influential figures clung to Argann, seeking the guild’s help.
‘It meant I can set up a much bigger game.’
However, there were disadvantages as well.
Argann consisted of exactly eleven members, honoring the eleven heroes who had slain the Demon King who first descended upon Arein in the past.
That number was constant, and appointing a new member of Argann meant stripping someone else of the position.
Whatever the reason, someone who had been replaced would hardly look upon Hillan Cargill with goodwill.
And—
‘Vair Fornian.’
Hillan Cargill had already learned who that was.
Until recently, he had been a member of Argann, but now he had been reduced to an ordinary guild executive.
‘I heard he was part of Elder Carlo Schweiger’s faction.’
There had been four days between his arrival at headquarters and the merit ceremony scheduled for today. During that time, Hillan learned about the ecosystem of the headquarters through the people who approached him—whether with goodwill or hostility.
It seemed each Elder had their own faction.
Perhaps because of that, Elder Carlo Schweiger, seated directly across from him, did not look kindly upon him.
In contrast, Mathias Olman was full of goodwill.
‘They say the two of them constantly growl at each other, don’t they?’
How could he use this? Hillan’s mind began to spin rapidly.
* * *
“I’m sorry.”
The princess of Zespine lowered her head.
Compared to her once dignified appearance, she had become much dirtier and more pitiful.
He had expected something, but not that she would come out with such submissiveness.
“How did you convince her?”
“Can I say it here?”
When he nodded, Ernan—who had been watching behind him—opened her mouth.
“I told her that instead of drying up day by day in a prison cell, it would be better to beg for forgiveness. That since the Empire seemed to have abandoned Lady Kaede, it would be wiser for her to find a way to live.”
“And then?”
“I told her that serving the Demon King and making a ‘deal’ might even benefit her.”
“A deal?”
“I gave my own case as an example.”
“I see. Understood.”
No wonder—despite her words, her eyes were still very much alive.
He turned his gaze. As soon as their eyes met, Kaede flinched.
“I know we don’t trust each other, so rather than lying, it’s better to just give and take openly. Speak. What do you want?”
“I want to leave the Tower.”
“Denied.”
“I want to get out of the prison.”
“And?”
“I want to be guaranteed freedom… like Lady Ernan, like before when I attempted to escape.”
“And in exchange, what will I receive? What can you give me?”
“There is one more thing.”
“Speak.”
“I heard… you were offering a deal.”
“That is always possible if you bring me terms that satisfy me. That part is irrelevant.”
“Yes. In that case…”
After a moment of hesitation, Kaede opened her mouth.
“…I heard you wanted one of the Four Heavenly Kings. I will become a Dark Knight.”
“…Wanted? I?”
“…….”
“…….”
“…Why?”
Ernan awkwardly turned her head away when their eyes met.
“…Well, fine.”
“I will wear a mask like Lady Ernan and serve the Demon King for five years.”
“So you think you won’t be rescued for at least five years.”
“…….”
Her intentions were transparent.
But it wasn’t bad.
Berje did not believe the Tower’s location would remain hidden for five whole years.
No matter how much they tried to conceal it, they could not do so forever. If everything went as they wished, there wouldn’t have been so many Demon Kings who met their end in Arein.
Humans would find them through whatever means necessary, and so he was certain—five years. Within that time, he could even say inevitably, the heroes would come.
If Kaede Zespine could repay her worth even once during that period, that was enough.
But in truth, Berje had given her nothing of actual value.
Yet that did not mean he could accept her without conditions. Unlike Ernan, Kaede had already caused trouble once. Berje was not tolerant enough to overlook that.
Especially when the one in question was a hero.
“There is something called Armani’s Orb. Eat it.”
“What happens if I eat it?”
“It settles inside a person’s head and prevents betrayal. Eat it and live as a Dark Knight for five years, or return to the prison.”
“I am a hero.”
“It’s different from a Black Mage or Black Knight contract. As long as you offer no resistance when swallowing the orb, there will be no problem.”
Kaede faltered at the unexpected condition.
Did she really think deceiving a Demon King would be so easy?
Seeing her hesitate, Berje tossed her a carrot.
“If you survive the five years without incident, I will remove the orb and release you.”
“Truly?”
“I swear upon the Standard revered by the Great Demon Emperor and all Demon Kings.”
“The Demon Emperor and the Standard…”
Kaede was also a hero. She knew very well how the Demon Kings—how the demon race—regarded the Demon Emperor.
A god. Perhaps something even beyond that.
Higher than the loyalty she held toward the emperor she served or the chivalry she esteemed.
“Yes, I will accept.”
Kaede lowered her head.
“With this, two of the Four Heavenly Kings are now…”
— No matter how I think about it, that play is weird.
Ernan clenched her tiny fist tightly.
* * *
After accepting Kaede and having her swallow Armani’s Orb, the first order Berje issued was training.
Kaede was unlike Ernan.
Though limited by the five-year time frame, it was safe to consider her completely his subordinate thanks to Armani’s Orb.
And Berje did not want weak subordinates. When a princess or a noblewoman stood at the front, heroes faltered. And the stronger their martial ability, the greater that effect became.
Thus, Berje intended to make Kaede strong.
“Gordon. You train the princess.”
“…Me? A human princess?”
“They say Zetoson naturally entered the Golden Moon Merchant Company. I hear you had no hand in that. And you aren’t managing the tower, either. Roger manages the first floor, the second and third are empty, and the fourth is Ernan’s. Tell me—who do you think is the most useless person in this tower?”
“…I’ll do it. Fine, I’ll do it.”
Gordon grumbled.
Kaede, who had been listening quietly, bristled cautiously.
“I believe I am fully capable of training on my own.”
Her pride as an imperial knight reared its head.
“Really?”
She did not realize that this, in turn, provoked Gordon’s pride.
“I learned swordsmanship from the greatest knights of the Empire. All that remains is mastery. I do not believe I need to learn a new style.”
“Demon King, may I begin training right now?”
“Do as you like.”
Gordon went down to the first floor, fetched a sword, and tossed it to Kaede.
“Ten minutes.”
He raised his fingers.
“If you can last ten minutes against me, I won’t bother teaching you.”
“…You will not take up a sword?”
“Do I need a sword to deal with someone like you?”
“Please do not insult me.”
“Save that for after you meet my condition. Succeed, and I’ll kneel and apologize to you myself.”
“One more condition. If I last ten minutes, remove the orb right now and release me.”
That sealed it. Kaede grabbed the sword immediately.
Golden aura surged along its blade. Gordon’s eyes landed on its sharp brilliance.
“Indeed. You have reason to be confident.”
“Take up a sword.”
“No need.”
Kaede’s brow twitched.
“You are the one who said you would not use a sword. Don’t pretend it’s against chivalry later.”
“Please. Demons have no such thing as chivalry.”
He curled his finger.
“I’ll give you the first move.”
“You brought this upon yourself. Do not regret it.”
Kaede inhaled sharply and dashed in. A brilliant golden line cut through the air.
Space split. But Gordon was no longer there.
‘Behind!’
Kaede twisted her body sharply, leaving a deep gouge in the ground.
Clang—
Her body shook. Shattered fragments of aura scattered in the air.
'Left!'
Before she could completely dissolve the previous impact, a chill brushed her senses. Forcing her body to twist made her muscles crackle painfully. But thanks to that, she managed to block once more.
“Your senses are quite decent.”
Gordon’s whisper brushed her ear.
'Fast.'
And strong.
His claim that he didn’t need a sword had not been a bluff. Even when her sword struck his hand, a metallic clang rang out. The heavy shock made her grip tremble.
'Even after drawing upon dimensional power…!'
It had an effect. But the overwhelming difference in strength between them erased all of it effortlessly.
Thud—
In the smallest gap—his blackened fist slammed into her abdomen. Blood spilled up her throat.
Even so, she did not let go of her sword. Gritting her teeth, she stabbed at Gordon’s side.
Slice—
'I hit him!'
A faint sensation lingered at her fingertips. And that—
Thud—
—was her last memory.
* * *
Ernan carried the unconscious Kaede down to the fourth floor.
When the two of them were alone, Berje asked:
“Impressions?”
“Her sensing is usable. Her swordsmanship is a bit rigid, but the basics are there. Human swordsmanship isn’t as lacking as I thought.”
“Of course. Dozens of Demon Kings have died in this place. Humans are never to be underestimated. Teach her well.”
“To what level?”
“To the best of your ability.”
“Is that acceptable? She’s still a hero. She’ll eventually turn into an enemy…”
“Who said she would?”
“You promised her five years, didn’t you? You swore upon the Demon Emperor and the Standard…”
Gordon tilted his head.
He remembered what Berje had done at the Demon King Military Academy’s graduation.
Would someone like that keep an oath sworn on the Demon Emperor and the Standard?
“…You never intended to, did you?”
“I am a Demon King. Something that falls into my hands is not something I simply let go.”
A Demon King keeping promises with humans?
As if such a thing could possibly exist.
“Now that is the Demon King I know!”
“What part of it is ‘me’?”
“Mocking and using humans, of course.”
“Well, that has become my specialty.”
To be precise, it had become his specialty after his regression.
“Ah, I delayed saying this because of the princess, but Hillan Cargill has become one of Argann of the Hero Guild. A position named after the First Hero—effectively a core executive of the guild.”
“Argann, huh. Seems my investment paid off.”
“As you predicted, he’ll become a dagger thrust into the human world.”
A Demon King turning the leadership of the Hero Guild into his subordinate.
Even as Berje’s adjutant, Gordon found it difficult to believe.
It was that unprecedented.
“And there is a message from Reina Sordein, the Demon King of Frost.”
“What is it?”
Though the Frost Demon King maintained a friendly relationship with Berje, they were not so close that she contacted him without reason.
If she had reached out, something had happened.
“Well, it’s a bit strange…”
“Stop stalling.”
“She said she wants to speak in person. When I asked again what I should tell you, she said, ‘I found the one who killed Draxon.’”
“…She found the one who killed Draxon?”
“Yes.”
“That’s Hillan Cargill.”
“If that was what she meant to say, she wouldn’t have contacted you.”
“In that case…”
“Could it be we’ve been discovered?”
“By Reina Sordein? If it were Jason, maybe—but that’s far too much speculation.”
Reina Sordein never even left the snowy fields of the northern Zespine Empire. She never meddled in human affairs or plotted anything involving them.
The chance she knew details of distant Ormus was essentially zero.
“Then…”
“We’ll know when we go.”
“I have a bad feeling.”
“Everything has felt uneasy ever since I descended into Arein.”
Berje rose from the throne.
* * *
The Tower of Frost was as cold as ever.
Reina greeted Berje with a single crimson candy in her mouth.
Or—should he call that a greeting?
“Be careful of Jason.”
“…?”
The first words she uttered, chilled to the bone and emotionless, were undeniably strange.
What was wrong with all of them lately?