Chapter 27 - Tell Me. Why Did You Do That to Me?

Hillen Cargill regretted his rash words and behavior.

One hundred thousand gold was no small sum. Ordinary people would never lay hands on that much in their entire lives, and the same went for most nobles and even most wealthy merchants.

Much less a demon who placed little value on human money—a mere Demon King who had descended less than a year ago.

'How did he get a hundred thousand gold...?'

He could not believe it, but the damage was already done.

Heroes were chosen beings. They received the dimension's power and protection, but responsibilities came with those gifts.

A hero's promise, in particular, held a strange power. It had to be kept. Otherwise, the hero would lose that protection and standing.

It was the worst possible fate, one no hero desired.

"... What did you make me swallow?"

Quite apart from that, the orb the Demon King had put in his mouth was already inside him.

Between his compulsion as a hero to keep his promise and his shock at the Demon King actually procuring the money, he had swallowed it before he knew what he was doing.

His brain throbbed.

"Something that places restrictions on you. It's called an Armani Orb. It has several effects, but the main one is preventing betrayal. A Demon King and a hero can hardly trust each other readily without any safeguards, can they?"

"You fed me that fucking thing?"

"Don't try anything. It's only difficult to install at first. Once an Armani Orb takes root, it explodes the moment it senses danger."

Could a hero survive without a brain, or not?

"Will that precious dimensional protection of yours save you? Or won't it? You're welcome to try if you're curious."

But you won't.

"... What the hell do you want from me?"

Hillen was quick to give up, especially when his life and money were at stake.

"Just go about your life as a hero as usual. I'll help you rise higher than anyone else."

"A hero backed by a Demon King. Sounds more like a good way to get hunted down."

"The Armani Orb leaves no trace. Unless someone cuts open your head and removes your brain, that is."

Was that true?

Hillen did not dare put it to the test. As the Demon King had said, as long as there was even a little hope of survival, he could not stake his life on a gamble.

"... Fine."

At last, he accepted it. Things had gone to shit.

Like it or not, he would now have to live entangled with the Demon King.

"Then I'd like you to untie me now."

Think positively.

He could pay off all ten thousand gold of his debts. And he would still have the enormous sum of ninety thousand gold left over.

What could he do with that?

He could lobby nobles and start businesses, securing even more power and money. Wealth and glory lay right before his eyes.

"But do you think I'll be able to carry on as a hero just like that?"

"Everyone who came with you is imprisoned. I'll turn them all into dark knights and dark mages and make them obey your orders."

"Won't they be exposed if they use demonic energy?"

"If they want to live, they'll know to be careful in front of people."

"True."

If they were later exposed as the Demon King's dogs, there would be some controversy, but no major problem. Hillen was a hero, and common sense dictated that a hero could never become a Demon King's dog.

No one would suspect Hillen.

"Oh, is there a man with brown hair and blue eyes among your prisoners?"

"There are quite a few like that."

"I'll have to go check for myself."

Hillen jerked his chin.

"Untie me. We're partners now, aren't—Urgh!"

Hillen crumpled with a dull thud. Berge drew his foot back.

"Get it right. We're not partners. We're slave and master."

"... I didn't know you were into that kind of play."

"I don't even expect sincere loyalty. Whether you like it or not, you're going to be my chess piece anyway. But I'd like you to at least put on an act. You're good at that, aren't you?"

"... If that is your wish, I shall oblige."

With a chilling smile, Hillen put on his mask.

It felt perfectly natural. He had always worn it, after all.

* * *

A hero's journey was a struggle.

No matter how prettily it was dressed up, no matter how much wealth was promised, there would ultimately be fighting, and someone would die.

And no one liked risking their life.

Not unless they were desperate enough.

Aman Katrash, a knight who had joined the hero's journey and become a member of the expedition, was one such desperate man.

He was an excellent knight, but he loved drink and gambling. Unfortunately, his talent for gambling did not match his swordsmanship.

His excessive gambling had gotten him thrown out of his home. His skills had secured him a position as a knight, but before long, the noble he served had cast him aside, saying that people could not be fixed and reused.

As a final kindness, the noble had not stripped him of his knighthood, leaving him a free knight.

But his enormous debts remained. Hounded and struggling to get by, he had joined the hero's journey as his last resort.

He had endured even though their destination was Erjest.

He had endured the avalanche and the attacks by Poil Orcs driving monsters toward them.

Even when they reached the summit and found no tower, even when the expedition split apart as a result, he had not fled.

Because he had believed they would succeed. At Hillen Cargill's side, he was sure he would slay the Demon King and enjoy wealth and glory.

Never had he imagined that dream would prove empty and lead to this nightmare.

"You have two choices."

He had sat with his head bowed in the cold prison, waiting for the day he would die. Then the Demon King appeared before him.

"Become dark mages or dark knights and serve me faithfully."

"Or remain loyal to humanity and die here."

"Oh, and your deaths won't be easy. You must pay the price for daring to invade my tower, mustn't you?"

A shudder ran through him.

A chill crept down Aman Katrash's spine.

He knew that kindly smile was no mere smile.

He had already experienced it. The Demon King had killed all the heroes, staging a brutal execution before the expedition members.

He would die like that?

Once captured by a Demon King, death was inevitable. He had known that, but now that it was real, he was afraid.

He was a knight, but all he wanted was to pay his debts and live in luxury. He had never possessed any sense of justice compelling him to vanquish evil for humanity or the continent.

Yet he still hesitated because...

'If I become a dark knight, I'll definitely be caught.'

Perhaps, with luck, he would not be discovered immediately. But he was a knight. He could not go his entire life without using his power, and there were plenty of heroes around to watch him.

"Dragging this out won't do any of you any good. Accept the Demon King's mercy. It's your only path to survival."

"... Sir Hero?"

Aman's parched lips parted.

It was Hillen Cargill. The man who had led the hero's journey, everyone's hope.

The prisoners' eyes widened.

Why was he with the Demon King?

Before Aman could dwell on the question, their eyes met.

"This is the knight I mentioned."

"The useful one?"

"His name is Aman Katrash, and he's the sole heir to the Katrash family. They operate the Golden Moon Trading Company, which should make it a good avenue for investing funds."

"The Golden Moon Trading Company?"

"Its fortunes have declined somewhat, but it was once one of the five largest trading companies in the Kingdom of Iasin."

"Why would someone like that join a hero's journey?"

"Because he's been disowned. Drink and gambling drove him so mad he became a dog who couldn't even recognize his own parents or the noble he served."

Aman's face flushed at the scathing criticism.

"His parents refused to pay his debts, and the burden drove him all the way to joining this hero's journey. But in truth, his father, Kruger Katrash, dotes on him. He's even secretly sent people to monitor his son's every move. Even now, he's probably hoping the boy will turn over a new leaf and inherit the company."

After all, he was the only son in three generations.

"Oh?"

"The work can be left to his retainers anyway, so he should be easy enough to put to use. I can confidently say he'll be a considerable asset to you, my lord."

"And make it easier for you to pocket sponsorship money through more legitimate channels?"

"I won't deny that."

"So, what will you choose?"

"..."

Aman knew the question was directed at him, but he could not readily answer. Indeed, he could not even follow the conversation between the hero and the Demon King.

"What are you even talking about...? Why are you with the Demon King, Sir Hero!"

"Isn't it obvious? You seem a little slow, Aman."

"What?"

"Because I've decided to take the Demon King's side from now on."

"I'm asking why you, a hero, would become the Demon King's subordinate, Lord Hillen!"

"Because I lost, and I don't want my life to end on such a regrettable note."

A hero would betray humanity for such a trivial reason?

And one hailed as among the greatest heroes, at that?

Instead of anger, Aman felt relief. There was something comforting about a hero that powerful thinking much as he did.

If even the great hero Hillen could act like this, wasn't it only natural for him to beg for his life?

"... Can I really live?"

"You can."

"But if I become a dark knight, the heroes are bound to discover me..."

"Oh, don't worry about that. I can't speak for the others, but you have absolutely no reason to fear discovery."

Hillen smiled.

"My lord, if I may make a suggestion, you need Aman the merchant more than Aman the knight. So I advise destroying his aura core."

"...?"

What had he just said...?

"A dark knight's contract is engraved on the soul. So even without aura, even with a destroyed aura core, the contract remains intact."

"True. That would allow subjugation without obligation."

"Subjugation without obligation. What a novel expression. But yes, exactly. You needn't give him any additional demonic energy. No one will ask a knight with a broken aura core to manifest his aura. And how would a father who dotes on his son treat him if he returned with his aura core destroyed?"

"He'd take good care of him and tell him to finally get his act together and inherit the family business."

A gleam appeared in the Demon King's eyes.

"N-no!"

"Aman, this is good for you, too. With your aura core destroyed, no one will expect anything of you as a knight. And if you don't use your power, no one will ever discover you're a dark knight."

Aman frantically waved his hands.

"But destroying my aura core...!"

"Unfortunately, you don't have a choice."

"The great Demon King has spoken, Aman. Accept it graciously."

CRUNCH!

Pain flared in his lower abdomen.

* * *

Willingly or otherwise, Hillen had ultimately decided to become the Demon King's dog.

In return, he received a great deal of money and his life. It was hardly a losing bargain.

But quite apart from that, there was one person he simply had to see. Something he absolutely had to ask.

"Tell me. Why did you do that to me?"

"Do what?"

"I've thought about it a great deal, but I really don't understand. Why did you side with the Demon King? Why did you oppose me for his sake, instead of helping the man who crawled up here like a dog to save you?"

There was no point in what-ifs. This Demon King's cunning was unlike that of any other, and Hillen might have lost even without the princess's involvement.

But.

But what if, just what if...

If the princess had not thrown him into confusion.

Might the outcome have been the exact opposite of this?

Then he would never have been forced to become a dog while desperately consoling himself that it wasn't a loss.

"Because I was paid."

The princess answered nonchalantly.

"Paid with what...?"

"Alloze."

It was an expensive elixir whose sellers could name their price. He knew knights and mages went wild for it because it allowed them to accumulate pure mana. He knew it was valuable for research, too.

But he also knew it did not amount to much for the princess before him.

"Can't someone like you get as much of that stuff as you want, Your Highness?"

Measured against a kingdom, its value became relatively small. Alloze might command any price a seller asked, but it was hardly a burden for a vast kingdom like Hilderan.

Would the king have begrudged elixirs to the Crown Princess, hailed as Hilderan's hope? If he had, she would never have been able to summon spirits of all four elements at such a young age. One was even said to be intermediate rank.

"That doesn't make Alloze any less precious. Besides, we're on Mount Erjest."

"It's not worth throwing away your chance to escape the Demon King."

"That would be true if I wanted to leave."

"...?"

Had he heard her correctly?

The princess did not want to leave the Demon King's tower?

"Not every prince and princess loves their own kingdom."

"But Your Highness..."

Suddenly, he paused.

As Hilderan's most successful hero, he saw and heard quite a lot.

And some of those things were royal secrets unknown to ordinary people.

"... I see."

"Shh."

Ernyan's delicate finger pressed against Hillen's lips. Her violet eyes curved into easy crescents.

"I don't know what you know, but you'd be wise not to speak carelessly about royal affairs."

"There's no one listening, anyway."

"If you aren't careful as a rule, you won't be careful when it matters."

"Discretion is one of a good hero's virtues."

"I do hope you're a good hero, Lord Hillen."

A brief silence followed. The atmosphere had turned cold, but it eased when Ernyan broke the silence first.

"The kingdom will be in an uproar when you return."

"I expect so."

It was not simply a matter of the king. Hillen knew all too well how fixated Hilderan was on the princess.

Regardless of her actions, she was the undisputed heir to the throne, and everyone had always taken that for granted. Now that she had vanished, an uproar was the least one could expect.

They would try to assemble a second expedition to avert that, but who knew? With a Demon King hiding his tower—an unprecedented situation—no hero would readily volunteer for the journey.

"If you happen to meet Elena, please tell her I'm all right. She'll be terribly worried."

"The thirteenth princess?"

"Yes."

"I don't know whether I'll meet her, but if I do, I'll tell her. Will she believe me, though?"

He would claim he had never even found the tower, yet insist that the Crown Princess was doing well? Even a passing dog wouldn't believe that bullshit.

"Meiar."

"...?"

"Say that, and she'll believe you."

"Some secret only the two of you know, then. But there's another problem."

"She knows how to keep a secret. I'll vouch for her."

"If you insist, then very well."

She might be imprisoned in the Demon King's tower and have betrayed him, but she was still Hilderan's Crown Princess. Her demonstrated talents were so overwhelming that the other princes and princesses could not even dream of matching her.

He decided it was best to keep even a small connection with someone so likely to become monarch on positive terms.

"Then take care."

"Oh, one more thing."

"...?"

"Did you bring the dwarf on the first floor here, Your Highness?"

"No. The Demon King brought him from the dwarven kingdom himself. His name is Logger Fridri."

"... That traitorous dwarf is Logger Fridri?"

Without answering, the princess went up to her own floor. Left alone, Hillen gave a hollow laugh.

"But why would a dwarf like him..."

Help the Demon King?

"Ha..."

He did not know why, but he was certain of one thing.

This hero's journey had been all but doomed from the start.

"A total defeat."

He had lost utterly to the Demon King.

* * *

"We never discovered the Demon King's tower in the first place. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

The dark knights and dark mages nodding so fervently were a rather comical sight.

The very people who had cried out to defeat the Demon King had become his dogs and were preparing to be released into the world.

It was like a thoroughly unpleasant play.

But Hillen had no right to condemn them. He had been the first to decide to become the Demon King's dog. He was also the one with greater ambition and greed than any of them.

And now he had to use them to mend his half-broken wings.

"Let's head down!"

"The Demon King has ordered it. We will protect you."

The Poil Orcs led by Krutu escorted them.

To make their story convincing, the expedition members had been deprived of proper food and sleep, leaving them utterly haggard. If they descended alone, everyone except Hillen would likely die.

The elf Granada was with them, too.

"I never imagined a noble elf would side with a Demon King, but now that we're on the same side again, I look forward to working with you."

"That's hardly something a hero who tried to sacrifice an elf to escape should say."

"Your words and behavior make me question whether you're really an elf. You've put on quite the act until now."

"Aren't you the one with a talent for acting?"

The hero and the elf snarled at each other.

The fact that the elf had been the Demon King's subordinate.

The fact that the hero had tried to sacrifice him and flee.

Those facts had created an unbridgeable gulf between them.

"Both of you, be quiet. We're leaving."

"You shut up, you filthy orc bastard."

"How dare a mere orc run his mouth at me? If you weren't the Demon King's subordinate, I'd rip your tongue out right now."

It was three of them, not two.

"You get along well."

"If you really think so, my lord, your eyes might be as rotten as a dead fish's."

"I hate you, but I can't help agreeing on that point."

"How dare you speak to the Demon King that way! My lord, give the order!"

"Just get down the mountain."

After much trouble, the expedition descended.

"Farewell, then, Lord Granada—the elf who knows nothing of elven virtues."

"Now I see what a truly childish hero you are."

After arriving in Hortonwork, Hillen and the expedition immediately departed for elsewhere through a dimensional transit circle. Granada, however, remained in Hortonwork to carry out the Demon King's orders.

And then...

"Captain...? You're alive?"

He reunited with the Red Hawk Mercenary Company, whom he had thought dead.

"Fucking hell."

Not a single one of them had so much as a scratch.