Chapter 61 - Then I’m Wrong?
14 min read ·
“My lord. Demon King Ugar has contacted us.”
“Ugar?”
Reina set down the baby yeti. At her gesture, its mother scooped it into her arms.
“Take good care of them.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“This is the first time Ugar has contacted me privately, I believe?”
Once she reached her office, Reina picked up the vibrating communication orb. She dismissed everyone and infused it with demonic energy. Ugar’s face appeared.
“You have never contacted me before. What is it?”
『“I didn’t want to, either, but I had no choice. Reina Sordein. I’ve just discovered something momentous.”』
His expression and tone were so grave that Reina grew serious as well.
“Speak.”
『“Not long ago, Berge Deias contacted me. He said he would take Hilderan’s Thirteenth Princess.”』
“Berge?”
『“So I told him I couldn’t simply hand over a princess I had already kidnapped. Berge said that if I placed her on a lower floor, as you do, he would take care of fetching her himself.”』
『“That means...”』
“Are you saying Berge has connections to heroes? That is impossible.”
It wasn’t that she thought Berge incapable of colluding with humans. Insulting the Guide in an official setting was qualification enough.
But Berge Deias had descended to Arain only a year ago. As punishment for ruining the graduation ceremony, he had received no benefits and arrived with nothing but his adjutant. Would he have had the resources to spare?
『“Roselle Charnt and Hillen Cargill came to my tower and rescued the princess.”』
“That is even harder to believe.”
『“I felt the same, but it happened. I kept pondering how it could be possible until I reached one conclusion. Do you know what? Those two heroes killed Drakson.”』
A piece of the puzzle fell into place.
『“I don’t believe Berge killed Drakson. Nor do I think he has direct ties to those two heroes.”』
One name came to Reina’s mind.
The longest-established Demon King currently in Arain. The one who had helped the others whenever trouble arose outside their towers. The one with the most connections to humans. Yet also the one who was always inscrutable.
“Jason Cockmundo.”
The one humans called Lies.
『“Yes. I believe Berge’s case is much the same.”』
“Jason killed Drakson?”
『“No. Jason has no motive to kill Drakson. I knew him in the Demon Realm. He never acts without a definite reason and something to gain. Killing Drakson would cost him more than he stood to gain.”』
“Then what exactly are you trying to say?”
『“Let’s look at it from another angle. There is no doubt Jason intervened, but he has no compelling reason. What if he didn’t need one?”』
『“What if the humans were controlling him?”』
Rachel’s brow furrowed.
『“Arain’s humans look down on Demon Kings. Insolent as they are, reality does bear them out, at least. They consider us a necessary evil, and some even try to keep us under control. Might they not have gone so far as to try manipulating a Demon King?”』
“... Do you understand what you are saying?”
『“It isn’t nonsense! Before Jason, no Demon King had survived more than thirty years in Arain. He was the first to manage it, and with his help, Drakson, you, and then I successfully established ourselves. I took it for granted at the time, but doesn’t my theory make it all sound plausible?”』
Reina sighed. She no longer even wanted to listen.
There was a glaring flaw in his argument.
“Do you believe mere human magic can penetrate a demon’s mind?”
This wasn’t a matter of pride. Demons had created mind magic, and demons had spread it to humans through dark mages.
And in Arain, where Demon Kings could no longer display the majesty befitting their title, mind magic had declined along with the dark mages.
『“... Then I’m wrong?”』
“You are.”
『“A-ahem. I’ve made a fool of myself.”』
“But I agree that Jason is likely involved. I shall look into it.”
If Jason truly had killed Drakson...
“I will not stand idly by.”
Her anger was cold.
* * *
Once it became known that the new Demon King was a succubus queen, she was given the epithet Carnal Desire.
“The Demon King of Carnal Desire has made no noteworthy moves since causing trouble in Dormund that one time.”
“The Kingdom of Dormund is much the same. They raised a fuss about killing the Demon King but have taken no concrete action.”
A new Demon King’s descent was always major news. In one sense, it was also regarded as an occasion to celebrate humanity’s victory. After all, a new Demon King’s arrival meant the previous one had died.
That made the incident easy to bury. The succubi’s actions had made headlines, being the first such incident in several decades, but it was only a minor disturbance.
Some money had gone Dormund’s way, but that was all.
“What about Roselle Charnt?”
“She was relatively cooperative, so reaching an agreement was easy. We will announce that the second hero’s journey was conducted secretly under our direction. Roselle Charnt and Hillen Cargill will receive minor sanctions on the grounds that their poor judgment caused greater bloodshed during the first journey.”
“It’s not cooperation. She’s simply already taken everything she wanted.”
The elders ground their teeth.
“Still, it is better than allowing this to become a public controversy. The Guild’s honor matters more than a few remains from a Demon King. Every hero’s journey must be conducted under the Guild’s supervision. Even when it isn’t, making people believe it is matters.”
“Yes.”
“Still no word from the Guildmaster?”
“No. With something like this happening, one would think the Guildmaster would return at least once...”
“Have you identified Balaf Dislord’s sponsor?”
“We confirmed that the connections lead to the Empire, but we couldn’t discover who was at the end of them.”
“The Empire, is it?”
The elder stroked his beard.
“Leave it there. Digging further would be dangerous.”
“Yes.”
He had a fair idea.
The kings and emperors of each nation had lived as supreme rulers. They wielded absolute power and considered themselves heaven itself.
Would such people willingly tolerate an organization that stood beyond national authority?
No. Efforts to exclude the Heroes’ Guild had been underway for a long time. There had been numerous attempts to poach its heroes and turn them into loyal dogs serving empires and kingdoms rather than the public.
Yet the Heroes’ Guild had endured and grown only stronger and wealthier. It would continue to do so.
“Any news about the Demon King in Erjest? Didn’t you say Dafner had gone to find his tower?”
“He reportedly couldn’t find it.”
“What do you mean...?”
“There are a few areas he cannot enter even with his abilities. He suspects it may be in one of them.”
“A damned bastard. Truly.”
The elder sighed.
“You said he uses flames?”
“That is what I’ve heard.”
“Then give him the name Hellfire and publicize that the Guild has uncovered information about him.”
“Yes.”
“We may fail once or twice. But that incompetence must not persist. The Heroes’ Guild must always be victorious in the end.”
The other elders nodded at the chief elder’s words.
* * *
“Mmm...”
She opened her eyes languidly.
CHIRP, CHIRP, CHIRP!
Warm sunlight softly caressed her cheek. Birdsong tickled her ears.
Elena blinked at the bright blue sky and the clouds embroidering it.
“... Where...”
Where was she?
She cautiously twitched a finger. As always, her body felt terrible. There was nothing unusual about that.
‘I was definitely... kidnapped by a Demon King.’
Her last memory was of the villa.
She had gone to the mountain villa to recuperate. Since darkness fell quickly in the mountains, she had gone to bed a little early.
The knights’ screams had woken her. The clash of weapons battered her ears, and the smell of the knights’ spilled blood assaulted her nose.
The door opened, and a limp knight fell in front of her bed. A much larger shadow looked down at her.
[“... Who are you?”]
[“A Demon King.”]
That was the end of it. A rough hand descended on Elena.
She had expected to be in a tower when she woke again. Why could she see the sky?
“You’re awake?”
“... Ernyan?”
Was this a dream?
She cautiously reached out and felt a soft cheek beneath her hand.
“Is it really you?”
“Who else would it be?”
Her voice and the feel of her were the same.
“I was kidnapped by a Demon King...”
“I rescued you.”
“But you were kidnapped before I was.”
“Yes. So I came with the Demon King who kidnapped me.”
“... Huh?”
Elena bolted upright, only to stifle a groan and lie back down.
“Don’t push yourself.”
“What do you mean?”
“Look around.”
Still lying down, she slowly turned her head. She saw both familiar and unfamiliar faces.
“Hero Hillen.”
“It has been a long time, Your Highness.”
“Did you rescue me?”
“Yes, I did. It is an honor to have brought you out safely.”
“Then my sister, too?”
“Unfortunately, I was unable to rescue Princess Ernyan.”
“Then how...?”
How was her sister here before her?
“Let me introduce you.”
Ernyan pulled Berge closer.
“This is Lord Berge Deias, the Demon King who built his tower in the Erjest Mountains.”
“... What?”
* * *
After parting ways with Roselle Charnt, Hillen Cargill obtained a luxurious carriage, settled the princess inside, and began the journey to Hilderan.
“... Whew.”
“You look miserable.”
“I had hoped not to return to Hilderan for a while.”
Hillen Cargill was a hero from Hilderan.
A hero’s work involved more than joining raiding parties and hero’s journeys. He had built his reputation by carrying out all manner of commissions with Hilderan as his base.
Killing the Demon King of Lust and destroying his tower had merely provided a fine steed to carry Hillen Cargill forward faster. He had been steadily walking that path long before.
Hilderan had always been his home ground, but that relationship had ended with his failure to rescue Ernyan.
“Oh, I heard about that. The Blue Sea Knights went all the way to the Principality of Asoin to arrest you, didn’t they? How did you get out of it?”
“I confronted them head-on.”
“...”
“I threatened them into withdrawing. They’re probably still grinding their teeth.”
“... That doesn’t sound like you.”
“Courtesy has its place. It is useless against those who disregard it.”
“True enough. Sending the Blue Sea Knights because you failed a hero’s journey? Hilderan is rotten.”
“It’s not as though I can’t understand it.”
“... What’s that supposed to mean? Is there something I don’t know?”
“Do you actually know anything?”
“You want to have a go?”
Hillen frowned. With his feelings already in turmoil, Granada’s constant needling irritated him.
“If it weren’t for Master Pale, you would be on your knees begging before me.”
“Just what I’d expect from a two-faced hero who used an elf as a shield to escape. Has it ever occurred to you that it might be the other way around?”
“I wonder where all that confidence comes from.”
“I believe in myself.”
“How can an elf be this stupid...?”
“What was that, asshole?”
Hillen glanced at the Red Hawk mercenaries, then picked up his pace. Granada hurried to catch up at the sudden move.
“What are you playing at?”
“Keep them from coming close.”
At Granada’s gesture, the Red Hawk mercenaries slowed down.
“Have you heard of a spell called Child of the World Tree?”
“Child of the World Tree? That idiotic human spell that strengthens people while they’re still fetuses?”
A crude spell that dared bear the great tree’s name.
“Human greed never ends. Of course a frail child won’t withstand being infused with mana and having its body forcibly strengthened. We used to mock them endlessly for finding so many ways to kill them...selves...?”
Granada’s eyes widened.
“They didn’t, did they?”
“...”
“Don’t tell me they actually did?”
“The Kingdom of Hilderan originally had sixty-two members in its direct royal line.”
“Officially, there should be twenty-eight.”
Fuck.
Granada caught his breath.
“That many died?”
“The king of Hilderan took two queens and thirty-three concubines.”
As far as Granada knew, the king had eight concubines. Child of the World Tree wasn’t a spell that burdened only the fetus.
“Why the hell would he go that far?”
“How could I understand the wishes of such exalted kings?”
All he could say was:
“I only know that they have lofty ideals ordinary people cannot fathom.”
Whether those ideals were achievable or merely delusions, he did not know.
* * *
Hillen Cargill’s return became a major topic of conversation within Hilderan.
“Hillen Cargill is coming to the capital.”
“How does he have the nerve?”
The Blue Sea Knights had been dispatched to the Principality of Asoin in secret. Arresting a hero for failing a hero’s journey was by no means justifiable.
But the king’s anger was famous, and most high-ranking nobles knew what had happened. They also knew that the Blue Sea Knights had returned empty-handed, and that the failure had sent the king’s fury at Hillen Cargill soaring.
“They say he is returning after rescuing Her Highness Elena.”
“Her Highness Elena?”
Hillen Cargill had entered the Adamant Tower and rescued the kidnapped princess!
It was an age in which Demon Kings routinely kidnapped royalty.
Even so, no one took the kidnapping of their own royals for granted or welcomed it. For Hilderan, having another royal kidnapped after a failed attempt to rescue the first was a considerable shock.
It didn’t matter that the Thirteenth Princess was a useless member of the royal family. What mattered was the blow to Hilderan’s pride.
And now Hillen Cargill had rescued the Thirteenth Princess. The hero called Hilderan’s son had defended its pride.
“Long live Hillen Cargill!”
“Long live Her Highness Elena!”
“Long live the Red Hawk raiding party!”
One rumor spawned another. The stories grew increasingly exaggerated, and every village they stopped in welcomed them with tremendous enthusiasm.
Word of their progress spread naturally, and the royal family could not ignore it.
When they finally reached the capital...
BA-BA-BA-BAAA!
“Welcome, Hero Hillen Cargill.”
“Hurrah!”
“Long live Hillen Cargill!”
“Long live Granada!”
“Long live the Red Hawk raiding party!”
A festival and triumphal procession awaited them.
“Thank you for your warm welcome.”
Hillen stepped onto the red carpet laid along the avenue. Granada and the Red Hawk Mercenary Company followed.
“Wow...”
“Stop gawking like a country bumpkin.”
“Are we really switching to a raiding party?”
“They give us money and honor. Why not?”
“Shh. Smile.”
Knights drew their swords and raised them overhead. Majestic trumpets rang through the city, mingling with the crowd’s cheers and brilliant fireworks.
Unused to being the stars of the show, the Red Hawk mercenaries grinned while trying to keep their expressions under control.
A man and a woman watched the triumphal procession.
“Quite a grand affair. I seem to recall him making a fuss before.”
“Father did send the Blue Sea Knights after Hero Hillen, but that was because I was involved. Normally, he places great importance on appearances and justification. Welcoming a hero who rescued a princess is only natural.”
“So, when did you say?”
“During the banquet. After causing that trouble you know about, Father will make the welcome even grander to make up for it.”
“The Thirteenth Princess and Hillen Cargill will be the banquet’s guests of honor, then.”
“But Elena isn’t well enough to attend.”
“She’ll be in that palace with the hyacinth decorations? The one you were in?”
“Yes. That one.”
“Won’t security be tight, since she’s already been kidnapped once?”
“Quite the opposite. Rescued royals are rarely kidnapped again.”
“The perfect time to kidnap her again, then.”
Berge gave a hollow chuckle. It was an idle thought, but planning to kidnap a princess of Hilderan alongside another princess of Hilderan struck him as funny.
“By the way.”
“Yes?”
“If this is a banquet celebrating the princess’s rescue, I can assume most of the nobles will attend, can’t I?”
“Hero Hillen is Hilderan’s greatest hero. If his conflict with Father continued, perhaps not, but since they seem to be reconciling on the surface, the nobles will want to establish ties with him.”
“And the banquet will last a long time.”
“All night.”
“Then let’s rob a few noble vaults.”
“... What?”
“I’m telling you to name the estates and secret vaults of nobles you dislike.”
“... You knew?”
Ernyan smiled awkwardly.
“You kept urging me on as though you wanted me to hurry up and steal your own country’s money. Yet you didn’t seem to want Hilderan ruined.”
“... Hehe. I didn’t exactly deceive you.”
“Whether they’re your political enemies or you simply hold a personal grudge, I don’t particularly care. Whoever it belongs to, money is money.”
“Exactly, right? The money hasn’t done anything wrong.”
“What do you know of?”
“About two places? One is a trading company, and the other belongs to a noble. But unlike in Akan, they’ll be heavily guarded.”
“I am a Demon King. What Demon Kings do best is infiltrate royal palaces and kidnap royalty.”
No estate was more heavily guarded than a royal palace.
“And you don’t have to worry about exposing your demonic energy, either.”
Why didn’t Demon Kings raid trading companies or rob nobles’ vaults?
Because it would expose their demonic energy. Even if they slipped inside using stealth techniques, they had no choice but to draw on demonic energy to break spells and kill guards.
And the moment the theft was discovered, humans would follow the money and trace it back to them.
Berge, however, was free of those constraints.
“So who is the noble?”
“Duke Heinz. Father’s younger brother.”
“Security will be tight.”
“It’s fine. I know all about the interior, the magic circles, and the guard placements. But will you be all right? You seem to have given Hero Roselle a lot of mana. You look haggard.”
“The banquet won’t be for another few days anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”
“That’s true.”
The two thieves melted into the crowd.