Chapter 137 : Great and Stalwart Hope
Chapter 137: Great and Stalwart Hope
“Long live the great hero, Hillan Cargill!”
Hillan Cargill visited the guild headquarters after a long while.
And he hesitated for a moment at the crowds and welcome stretching from the entrance of the castle all the way to the guild headquarters.
“Great Argann, we meet Lord Hillan.”
“What is all this?”
“It is a welcome.”
Farni Dernium, the adjutant of Argann known as Hillan Cargill, replied nonchalantly.
“Lord Hillan has rendered great service by finding the Demon King of Dark Flame, whom no one else could locate. You raised our value and restored the guild’s crumpled honor, so it is only natural that everyone welcomes you.”
“...I see.”
The corners of Hillan Cargill’s lips lifted faintly. It truly was natural.
It was just that his head had felt as though it might burst from all the recent events, so he had failed to think of what was obvious.
“But it does not seem to be only the guild members.”
“What Argann has accomplished is not something to distinguish between heroes and non-heroes. Is it not natural that even the people of Karnia would welcome you?”
“Let’s go.”
Though a little surprised, Hillan Cargill fundamentally valued honor and enjoyed admiring gazes.
He had no intention of refusing the banquet prepared for him.
He slowly waved his hand and led the procession forward. Feeling a catharsis like a volcanic eruption amid the ceaseless cheers, he soon arrived at the guild’s main gate.
The guards standing watch opened the doors for him.
The place he reached while receiving reverence and admiration from the heroes inside was the Great Hall.
Along the long red carpet, ten Argann stood on either side, and at the high seats sat the five Elders who effectively decided the direction of the guild.
“Welcome, Argann, Hillan Cargill.”
And at the very end.
The rewards for the achievements he had accomplished were waiting.
Hillan Cargill let out a cry of joy.
* * *
After the time of commendation and rewards had ended, Hillan spent a moment alone with the Grand Elder in his office.
“Thank you for the hospitality.”
“It was only natural. Are you not the hero who found the Demon King’s Tower that had been unknown?”
The Grand Elder, who had calmly nodded, clicked his tongue.
“You must have noticed that something was strange.”
“It felt a bit excessive.”
“Very excessive.”
Of course, finding the Demon King’s Tower—discovering a tower buried in the unknown—was an achievement worthy of praise.
But at the end of the day, it was merely finding the tower.
It was not as though several floors had been conquered, nor had demons or a Demon King been killed; it was simply finding a tower that could not be found before.
Even if the Demon King’s Tower had previously been something that revealed itself easily and this time was an exception, thus heightening unease, it was not to the extent that nearly all the people of the capital would rush out and cheer him.
‘There’s no way the Hero Guild wouldn’t know that.’
Moreover, this search had been led primarily by the Empire, not the guild, and the guild had been little more than an accessory.
‘And yet they went this far, which means....’
There had to be a reason.
“Is it because of Daphne?”
“That’s right.”
Behind the bright side of finding the Demon King’s Tower, a shadow had been cast. And it was an especially deep shadow named Daphne Phillian.
A Star Hero, no less.
In the minor process of merely finding a tower, he had died.
“Your success is certainly a great achievement, but Daphne Phillian’s death is an extremely painful blunder from the guild’s perspective.”
Daphne Phillian had been the freest and most active hero among the ten Stars.
Officially, and unofficially as well, he had belonged to no particular nation and had been a hero representing the guild.
Because he had forged ties with almost all nations, ironically, he had been the most trustworthy to the guild.
Such a hero had died.
That sorrow and despair would soon come as the guild’s contraction. And the Elders of the guild needed to shake off that contraction.
“And that is where you come in.”
Another Star who had killed two Demon Kings and found the Tower of Dark Flame together with Daphne Phillian.
“From humanity’s perspective, this incident was a victory.”
But not from the guild’s perspective.
The Star named Daphne Phillian was more important than finding the tower of a Demon King who had descended barely over a year ago.
Anyone even slightly aware would think this:
Could it truly be called a victory to merely find a tower when a giant named Daphne Phillian had died?
Thus, the guild headquarters defined this incident as a defeat.
“And a defeat can be covered by a greater victory.”
That was why they had fanned Hillan’s achievements even more.
How extraordinary a hero Hillan was, how astonishing the feats he had accomplished.
They exaggerated and inflated it to create the present situation.
“But Daphne Phillian was a Star. With methods like this....”
“You are mistaken.”
The Grand Elder shook his head.
“If a defeat cannot be covered, it is because the victory is insufficient. Because the victory is small and paltry compared to the defeat. If there are greater victories and more victories, defeats are forgotten in an instant. They can only be forgotten.”
Because humans were creatures who wanted to forget sorrowful and despairing things, and later beautified them.
“...A victory greater and more magnificent than finding the tower.”
“Then you crush that tower. What else could there be?”
For the sake of the guild’s honor and prestige.
“We have agreed to kill the Demon King of Dark Flame.”
Hillan Cargill’s heart dropped heavily.
“Of course, the guild will not step to the forefront. Are there not two nations in this world right now that grind their teeth at the Demon King of Dark Flame in the guild’s stead?”
Hilderan and Zespine.
“I heard that you went to Hilderan.”
Now, speak.
“As the guild’s Argann in charge of Hilderan, as a hero from Hilderan, and as the hero who finished a private audience with the King of Hilderan.”
“What did the King of Hilderan say?”
“We have prepared to offer full cooperation.”
* * *
When one problem was blocked off, another erupted.
It felt like walking through pitch-black darkness.
The world was so dark that nothing could be seen.
Below was a bottomless abyss. What supported his body was a thin, narrow rope.
Berje decided to release Ernan Hilderan to shake off Hilderan.
But that had been nothing more than a stopgap measure.
There still remained the Empire, an even greater enemy, and Hilderan, too, had merely postponed matters for the moment; its anger had not been completely quelled.
‘But Hilderan will work out somehow.’
It sounded irresponsible, but it was not entirely so.
Considering Ernan Hilderan’s background, position, and the power she possessed, it was delightful just to imagine the upheaval she would cause upon returning to Hilderan.
If she truly set her mind to blocking a kingdom-level hero’s march, no one would be able to refuse rashly.
‘There’s a high chance of a power struggle as well.’
Ernan was trustworthy. He did not know when he had come to trust a human princess so much, but about this much, he was certain.
Ernan Hilderan could be trusted.
‘The problem is the Empire and the guild.’
Contact had come from Hillan Cargill. The guild had apparently resolved to support Hilderan and the Empire wholeheartedly.
‘The butterfly effect of killing Daphne Phillian. Damn it.’
He regretted it, but even so, he could not have refrained from killing Daphne Phillian.
Now, with the tower’s location exposed and everything rendered meaningless, it could not be denied—but at the time, it had been the only hope.
‘Damn it, this is troublesome.’
Berje clutched his head. Doing so would not produce an answer that did not exist.
He took out the communication device and injected demonic energy. After a moment, a response came from Krutu.
『Yes, Demon King.』
“Bring the Frost Wolves and come to the tower. I need some air.”
『I will come at once.』
Berje stepped out of the office.
As he set foot on the third floor, crashing sounds were in full swing.
“Hey, no! If it breaks, are you going to fix it yourselves! I said don’t throw it!”
“You crazy yeti bastard! That one thing is more valuable than your entire body!”
“Ahhh, my mana cannon!”
Mana cannons were heavy and delicate equipment. With more than three hundred of them, Roger could not carry them alone, so he had borrowed the hands of monsters.
But most monsters lacked higher intelligence, and several mana cannons were treated roughly in ways entirely unintended. Naturally, Roger screamed.
“Demon King!”
Roger, who had caught a mana cannon a yeti had thrown to the floor, discovered Berje and teared up.
“Please rein in these damned monsters! They’re treating precious equipment like trash!”
“If that’s the case, ask Lavinia.”
The one currently controlling the monsters was Lavinia.
“Do you think I didn’t try?”
“Then did Lavinia refuse your request?”
“No, it’s not that, but....”
“Demon King.”
Just then, Lavinia, who had been giving orders to the monsters, came trotting over.
“Didn’t you tell the monsters to handle the equipment carefully?”
“I did.”
“How?”
“Careful. Gently.”
“And yet?”
“Some. Don’t understand.”
She made an X with her hands, meaning that a few low-intelligence monsters were running wild on their own.
“Then remove those ones from the work.”
“Even so?”
“It’s fine. I told you to deploy all the monsters to finish as quickly as possible, but there has to be some flexibility.”
“Thirty-two.”
“Thirty-two, then. Exclude them.”
“Okay.”
Lavinia disappeared back among the monsters to issue orders again. Roger bowed his head repeatedly.
“Thank you.”
“Then that’s it?”
“Ah, there’s one more thing.”
“What is it?”
“Well, we’re carrying all the mana cannons and other equipment by hand, but I can’t touch the workshop....”
“I’ll move that myself.”
The Forge of Hell was practically a component of the tower, created by infusing demonic energy. There was no need to move it directly like the mana cannons; using a small amount of Demonic Points would suffice.
“Thank you. And the Ghost of Mana is...? I did make it, but it’s completely bound to the tower, so I’m not sure if it’s safe to touch. Ah, of course, if you tell me to do it myself, I’ll risk my life to perfectly dismantle and analyze it....”
Roger’s eyes gradually filled with madness.
‘Ghost of Mana?’
A single term struck Berje’s mind.
Right. That had existed.
Though only briefly, in exchange for Demonic Points, it could hide the tower—not perfect, but it had fooled Daphne Phillian once.
Although he could not use it this time because he had not been in the tower, its value had not faded.
‘Ghost of Mana.’
But what Berje mulled over was not its performance.
It had been made by Roger, but bound to the tower.
Though it had cost an enormous amount of Demonic Points, it had inherited part of the tower’s authority and affected the entire tower.
‘Perhaps.’
A single hypothesis flashed through his mind.
‘Truly, perhaps.’
Until now.
And perhaps even from now on.
An idea no Demon King had ever conceived, nor would.
“Roger.”
“...So it’s not that I’m desperate to tear apart the tower, but we can’t just leave the Ghost of Mana on the first floor as it is, can we? So the creator who made it, me, should directly handle it and understand its principles and....”
“Roger!”
“...Y-yes!”
The fervor blazing within Roger cooled. Berje gripped his shoulder tightly.
“...D-did I misspeak?”
“The opposite. Thanks to you, I’ve come up with a good idea!”
“As expected of me! But what kind of...?”
“We’re going to build a bridge.”
“...Pardon? A bridge? Is there a river here?”
“Not all bridges are the kind you cross over water.”
“Huh? Not that kind of bridge?”
Could it be....
Feeling unease, Roger faltered. But the hand gripping his shoulder tightened further.
The blazing eyes swallowed up the madness that still lingered within Roger.
“What you’re thinking is right. Something you have, and something I have.”
Berje spread both arms wide.
“Something very big and stalwart.”
So that even something enormous could be made to move.
“I, I can’t understand what you’re saying, Demon King....”
“We are.”
Berje declared solemnly.
“We are going to make this tower move!”
“...!”
Insane.
Roger barely suppressed the curse that nearly burst out.