Chapter 83 : Each One’s Circumstances
Chapter 83-Unedited: Each One’s Circumstances
“······.”
“······.”
When Berje woke up in the morning, stretched lazily, and opened the door, he was met with an unexpected, unwelcome guest.
Berje did not avert his gaze, and neither did Lavinia.
‘What is this.’
Yesterday, he had met Cain and Lavinia and shared dinner with them. After that, he had decided to stay in Hortonwork for a while and talk about various things before going to sleep.
So why was this crazy woman standing in front of his door?
“What is it.”
“Wait.”
“For me to come out?”
“Yeah. Excuse me, going in.”
“Unannounced entry is obviously not excusable.”
“So.”
“Since when have you been here?”
“A little while ago.”
“A little while when.”
Lavinia fidgeted and opened her fingers. One, two.
“Two hours?”
She nodded again.
“Why?”
“Cher.”
“Cher?”
“Look.”
“You’re showing me?”
Cher would be the chimera Lavinia cherished. It wouldn’t be bad to see it in person.
“Let’s go.”
“Hand.”
Lavinia held out her hand.
“No.”
“Hand.”
He stared at her in silence. Lavinia also refused to back down. With a sigh, he took her hand—then immediately brushed it off.
‘This crazy woman….’
She held his hand and circulated mana?
He barely suppressed the murderous urge that surged up.
“What are you doing?”
“Mana.”
“Don’t.”
“Wrong?”
“Stating the obvious.”
“Sorry.”
This wasn’t playing with a child.
‘Quite different from before the regression.’
Back then, Lavinia had been the craziest woman he had ever seen.
The kind of woman who led hundreds of chimera troops and razed a tower to the ground.
Above all, the chimera she had modified—who knew where she found it—had shown the terrifying feat of beating even a balrog to death.
And that woman, its master, had displayed the absurd spectacle of dismantling a balrog on the spot and shoving it into subspace.
At that time, there had also been hundreds of monsters fighting alongside the balrog. Whether one should call her amazing for leaving all of that to a single chimera and beginning the disassembly, or insane—Berje would, without question, choose the latter.
“There, Cher.”
“···That.”
‘The one I saw in the mountains.’
Back then, the situation had been urgent, so he hadn’t been able to check properly, but now that he saw it, it was a Titan.
‘She had it even back then.’
But its appearance and aura were quite different from before the regression.
A bit gentler, and significantly weaker.
‘So she had been modifying it steadily.’
Well, there was no way a human could create a perfect chimera from the start.
“Cher.”
Lavinia waved her hand. The Titan sitting crouched at one side of the garden perked up and stood.
It stomped over and pushed its head forward like a dog. Lavinia patted its head.
‘···What should I call this.’
It was quite disgraceful.
A Titan—over 5 meters tall—showing this kind of pathetic behavior to a mere human. As a fellow demon, it felt like his pride was being deeply scratched.
‘Could it be Ugar’s vassal?’
Probably not. If it were Ugar’s vassal, he would never have let it be in such a state.
At that moment, something struck Berje.
Slurp—
A giant tongue. The Titan’s saliva was thick, releasing a disgustingly foul odor.
“······.”
“Cher. Likes.”
The vacant-looking woman beside him spouted nonsense about Cher apparently liking him too.
Something snapped inside his head.
Berje moved according to instinct.
He seized the tongue.
And threw it.
KWAANG!
Cher screamed as it crashed into one side of the annex, collapsing it.
Clangclangclangclang—
An alarm sounded, and soldiers rushed over—it was only natural.
* * *
“Ha ha···.”
Vivian let out a hollow laugh. Stepping on the splattering blood, she picked up the severed head of a vampire.
The head, unable even to scream as it lost its body, couldn’t fully close its eyes.
How many demons, how many monsters had died?
What about the broken furnishings of the tower?
How many Demonic Points would it take to repair all this?
She felt anxious. But more than anything, what pressed down on her was the fear that the heroes might return at any moment.
‘So he had it since then?’
“···My lord Demon King.”
“It’s fine. I’m fine.”
Vivian forced herself to reassure her adjutant’s concern.
“I am a great Demon King. I’ve already conquered another dimension and returned. This level of ordeal is nothing to me.”
“Yes.”
Was it really?
Over a hundred heroes had invaded the tower all at once.
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors had been completely wiped out, and the only reason the 4th floor was intact was simply because of their whim.
For some reason, they had simply left.
She hated dying more than anything, but that only made her angrier.
Because she, the Demon King.
Had been treated as if she were beneath notice.
By mere humans.
As if she had begged for mercy.
Crack—
“Jason Kokemundo···!”
She recalled her last communication with him.
“You said you tried to cross over but failed?”
And shortly after that, the heroes had stormed in.
What did that mean? Anyone but a fool would know.
“Jasoooon!”
Vivian lost her composure. She threw the vampire’s head aside, found the communication orb, and infused it with magic.
A brief connection tone.
And soon, a reply came.
『What is it? Miss Vivian.』
His tone was as polite as always. That only worsened Vivian’s mood.
“My tower was stormed by heroes.”
『My, how unfortunate.』
“You don’t seem very surprised?”
『Well, that is because you are currently speaking with me.』
“So you already knew?”
『It seems you are having a strange misunderstanding.』
“Or did you directly intervene yourself.”
『Did I not tell you? I did nothing—truly nothing at all.』
“Yet the heroes came as if they had been waiting? Who are you trying to fool right now!”
『Well. From what I can see, Miss Vivian, you do seem like a fool.』
“What did you say?”
She flared up, but Jason did not even blink.
『I already told you, did I not?』
『Arein is not like that petty dimension you claimed to have conquered.』
『Yet from the very start, you released succubi in Dormunt and caused an incident, and now you even tried to kidnap the dwarven princess. Should you not, in fact, be more surprised that the heroes only came now?』
“······!”
Only then did Vivian understand what Jason meant when he said he would “do nothing.”
“You—you didn’t simply manipulate humans and instigate them…”
『You should be grateful to Hillan Cargill.』
『You should beg him for saving you by making sure you failed to kidnap the princess.』
That.
『Saved your life.』
“Shut up…!”
『Miss Vivian. I do not know what the Archduke Arkaine promised you to make you run wild without a shred of sense, but let me say this one last time.』
『Please.』
On the other side of the communicator, Jason lifted his monocle.
『Make a wise choice.』
『I will understand if you act under the Archduke’s command to find the culprit.』
『However.』
『If you interfere with the continent even once more and cause trouble—』
『There will not be a second time.』
『Do not test my patience.』
“······.”
Vivian could not utter a word before his cold gaze, and the anger burning beneath it.
Cold sweat soaked her back.
“···Just what.”
Her barely moving lips trembled.
“What kind of scheme are you weaving?”
The answer came only after a long moment.
To Vivian, the few seconds felt like hours.
『Even if I explained it, would you be capable of understanding it, Miss Vivian?』
Even at the mockery in his words, she could say nothing.
The communication cut off.
“···Fine. It doesn’t matter to me.”
She would escape this wretched place no matter what.
She bit her lip.
* * *
While the Demon King of Dark Flame was grappling with the Kingdom of Arkan.
While the Lust Demon King was struggling with the Hero Alliance.
Hillan returned to the Hero Guild.
Before departing, he had spread people to circulate a rumor: that he had flawlessly concluded the pact with the Kingdom of Berfht and rescued the princess who had almost been kidnapped by the Demon King.
As a result, when he arrived at the guild’s city, a dense crowd awaited him.
“It’s Hillan Cargill!”
“The great hero who saved the princess!”
“No hero can compare to Hillan!”
Praise poured out beyond reason. Some of it was spread by hired hype, but none of it was untrue.
Thus the cheers only grew louder, and Hillan savored every bit of it.
‘As expected.’
Good.
If one had achieved something, one should flaunt it. No one would recognize it if one stupidly kept silent.
He passed through the cheering crowd and entered the guild.
“The Grand Elder is waiting for you.”
With no time to rest or even wait, he immediately headed to the upper floors of the tower.
“Grand Elder, Hillan Argann has arrived.”
“Have him wait a moment.”
The Grand Elder, wearing glasses, finished reviewing the documents. After about five minutes, he finally removed his glasses and pushed the documents aside.
“It’s been quite a while.”
“Yes.”
“Would you like some tea?”
“Coffee, please.”
“Bring it.”
“Yes.”
A servant left to bring refreshments.
“You have done something quite spectacular.”
“Is it ‘spectacular’? Or an ‘achievement’?”
“If we must distinguish, it is closer to an achievement.”
The Grand Elder chuckled.
“The people outside say it was your doing.”
“Apologies. I was so happy that I let a few words slip during a drinking session, and it seems that spread.”
“If that is the case, then so be it. I have no intention of reprimanding you.”
“Yes.”
The servant returned with refreshments.
“Take it.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ve read the report. You have truly done something impressive.”
The Kingdom of Berfht had never been very cooperative with the Hero Guild. Due to the dwarves’ natural isolationism, they offered nothing beyond the bare minimum.
That had always been a headache for the guild.
No matter how many heroes existed, heroes were still precious. And for them to become stronger and survive longer, good equipment was essential—but because of the dwarves’ isolationism, supply was always lacking.
Thus, Hillan Cargill’s success in forming the pact was no small triumph.
“Well done. Thanks to you, the guild will grow even stronger.”
“I merely did what I was supposed to do.”
“Supposed to do, indeed. Well, if it is Argann, then yes, it is expected. Still, what’s well done is well done. Your achievements will be formally recognized in three days. There will be a guild banquet as well, so enjoy yourself.”
“Thank you.”
“Ah, and you rescued a princess, I hear?”
“I was lucky.”
“I only heard the rough details—was it truly a coincidence? There has never been such a case, so it’s difficult to believe.”
“It was a coincidence. If it weren’t, how else would I have rescued her?”
“Is that so. Indeed.”
The Grand Elder let out a hearty laugh.
“In any case, you have done far better than I expected. Continue as you are now, and I may be able to meet your expectations as well.”
“Yes, I will.”
Hillan bowed his head at the blatant suggestion.
“I have kept a newly arrived man for too long. Go rest.”
“Yes, I will see you next time.”
Hillan left.
“There is definitely something…”
But he couldn’t quite grasp it.
“For now, I will keep him close and observe.”
Regardless, Hillan, who had made a great achievement, would rise in standing, and if the Grand Elder supported him from behind, that rise would accelerate even more.
He would become a useful tool to counter the empires and kingdoms trying to extend their influence into the guild.
The Grand Elder began reviewing the documents he had set aside again.
“They’re all itching to use me however they please.”
But he didn’t mind. In the end, both sides were merely using each other. As long as he took what he could while being used, that was enough.
Just like this time.
The corners of Hillan Cargill’s mouth rose.