Chapter 65 - Do I Have to Be a Dark Knight?

Carnia, capital of the Principality of Carmenia in the Traparta Union.

A massive tower stood there, thirty stories high. Larger than any other building, it was more majestic even than the official residence of the principality's consul.

Its appearance symbolized the heroes who opposed Demon Kings. Its thirty-story height proclaimed that heroes were greater than Demon Kings.

The Heroes' Guild headquarters embodied the heroes' honor and pride.

Joining the Guild's central leadership had long been Hillen Cargill's dream.

Before becoming a hero, he had wanted to be one. Afterward, he had always wanted to wield power at the heart of the Guild.

He wanted power. He wanted honor.

Why the Heroes' Guild in particular? The reason was simple.

Heroes were outlaws whom neither the king of a great nation nor even that mighty emperor dared rebuke. At times, even emperors and kings had no choice but to beg favors of them.

When he was very young, he had happened to see a great noble of the kingdom bow his head to a hero known at the time as a Star.

That sight had never left Hillen's mind. The vividly etched memory had become the driving force behind his actions.

'I've finally made it this far.'

He had only reached this position after becoming a Demon King's subordinate, but that did not change the result.

Someday, he would break the Demon King's shackles and soar. All his efforts now would shine even more brilliantly when that day came.

He steadied his breathing and calmed his pounding heart.

"Never in my life did I think I'd come here..."

"Are we really becoming a raiding party?"

"We've been to The Beast's Tower and the Adamant Tower! Of course we can! And Sir Hillen is with us!"

"But we were only doing it for the money..."

"Our lord wants it. You'll keep getting paid."

"But it's a little dangerous..."

"Well, with your abilities, I doubt you'd die no matter where I tossed you."

"Ahem. Thank you for the compliment."

"Did that sound like a compliment?"

"Everyone, please conduct yourselves with dignity."

'Why did I have to end up with this lot...?'

Humans were social animals. Being a hero did not change that fact.

No matter how impressive his reputation when he entered headquarters, he could do nothing without a support base.

That was why Hillen Cargill had decided to bring his close associates rather than come alone—the mercenary company officially known as the Red Hawk raiding party.

They hardly inspired confidence, but they were better than nothing.

"Master Granada."

"What?"

"This is an official occasion."

"... How may I help you?"

"Please keep the members of the Red Hawk raiding party in line. I would appreciate it if they did nothing to tarnish my reputation."

"Ah, yes, yes. Of course. All of you, quiet down."

At Granada's words, the Red Hawks shut their mouths.

The Heroes' Guild occupied the largest and most majestic building in Carnia. It carried greater symbolic significance than the imperial palace and was an organization that transcended national boundaries.

The people of Carnia were therefore proud to have its headquarters in their city. The Guild was always a focus of attention.

As gazes began gathering on them, one after another, they felt it too.

If there was an eye of the storm right now, it was them.

"Who are they? I haven't seen them before."

"Hillen. It's Hillen Cargill."

"The Demon King slayer?"

"Then are those people behind him the raiding party he formed?"

"Probably."

"To think I'd live to see the great hero who killed two Demon Kings."

"Long live Hillen Cargill!"

Hillen Cargill had never visited Carnia, but he had become immensely famous among the people living in the city of heroes.

'The sound of people cheering for me.'

This was it. He loved this acclaim and attention.

'I can't make a disgraceful first impression in the city of heroes.'

He barely restrained the corners of his mouth from rising.

Still, there was no need to dampen the mood.

Crowds gathered to see him, then parted of their own accord to make a path.

"The Heroes' Guild is this way!"

The citizens voluntarily guided them to the Guild. At last, they arrived before the enormous tower.

CREEEAK

The doors of the tower, larger than any Demon King's tower Hillen Cargill had visited, slowly opened.

Dozens of dignitaries came out to greet him.

"Welcome to the Tower of Heroes."

"It is an honor to meet the great hero, Lord Torniel Borgis. For you to come out and greet me personally is an honor my family will cherish for generations!"

"You know me?"

"What hero would not know the chief elder who slew the Demon King of Famine?"

"That was so long ago I can scarcely remember it. I'm merely an old man tucked away in a back room, waiting for his death."

"Who could possibly speak of you that way, Lord Torniel?"

"I'm the one who's pleased that a great hero destined to leave his name in history recognizes this old man."

"You flatter me."

The young man and the old man embraced.

"I look forward to working with you. The Guild always welcomes talented people like you."

"Likewise. I look forward to working with you."

'With that silver tongue, he won't be easy to handle. I'll have to be careful.'

'Old man, I can see you trying to work out how to use me. Not that I didn't expect it.'

"Hahaha."

"Hahaha."

Their smiles at one another deepened.

The cheers of the onlookers were a bonus.

* * *

"Yes, I've confirmed it. You really have paid it all."

Jason spoke into the crystal ball.

The debt totaled five million demonic energy points, owed in exchange for one hundred thousand gold.

It had all been repaid.

Honestly, it was not much compared with the value humans placed on money. But he considered demonic energy points correspondingly more valuable, so he did not regard it as a loss.

And he had hoped Berge would not be able to repay him so soon.

"It seems your reputation as the top graduate was well deserved."

Berge had acted without hesitation.

He had kidnapped Hilderan's Crown Princess, an imperial princess of Jespine, and another princess of Hilderan.

Carrying out that series of actions was not difficult. But remaining alive after doing all of it was certainly a testament to Berge's ability.

Even if his sole method was hiding his tower, how many Demon Kings could abruptly defy an orthodoxy that worked well in other dimensions and was treated almost as an article of faith?

None. Not one.

Others called Berge a deranged idiot, but Jason saw him differently.

Perhaps Berge had investigated Arain more thoroughly than anyone and was pursuing a more appropriate solution than anyone else.

'But how? How did he know what Arain was like?'

Those in power might have known, but Berge Deias was a newcomer fresh out of the military academy.

How could he have known about Arain?

He presumably had no noteworthy faction behind him, either.

No matter how much Jason thought about it, he could not understand.

『You flatter me.』

"Not at all. No Demon King has earned five million points in a mere year."

『Really?』

"Let me correct that. None in Arain. That's why I find myself liking you more and more, Lord Berge."

『Even so, I wouldn't know. This is my first dimension.』

"Yes, I am well aware that Arain is your first, Lord Berge."

And that made him all the more suspicious.

'It seems I'll have to accept a small expense.'

Jason decided to contact the Demon Realm for the first time in a very long while. He could not afford to waste even a handful of demonic energy points, so he had avoided doing so unless it was truly necessary.

And two and a half million points had just come in.

『I'll hang up, then.』

"Ah, please wait a moment."

『Is there something else?』

"May I ask you one question?"

『What is it?』

"What do you intend to do next?"

『Does one Demon King have any reason to take an interest in another's movements?』

"Perhaps not in other dimensions, but this is Arain, isn't it?"

No matter how hard Jason worked, there were bound to be problems if Berge kept causing trouble.

『You want me to behave myself?』

"I won't deny it."

『Well, I have no plans to do anything for the time being. Now that I've paid my debt, I intend to strengthen my tower.』

"Thank you. Ah, by the way, did you realize it's been a year since you descended here, Lord Berge?"

『I know.』

"Then you must also know we're overdue for the Harmony of Towers."

The Harmony of Towers was held regularly, once a year. But amid the continuing turmoil of the heroes' journeys set in motion by Berge and Drakson's death, it had been forgotten for a while.

『I'll attend. When is it this time, and at whose tower?』

"In two weeks..."

Jason paused briefly to gauge the mood.

"How about holding it at your tower, Lord Berge? It's been a year since you established it, so I think it wouldn't hurt for us to see it at least once."

For a brief moment, there was no answer.

『I refuse.』

CLICK

The connection ended.

"... Haha."

Jason gave a hollow laugh.

"... Really."

His smile deepened.

"There are so many interesting people among this generation of Demon Kings."

He adjusted his monocle.

* * *

"You're going into the arms business?"

『Yes. Forgive my presumption, my lord, but thanks to you, the late Beast Demon King, and the newly arrived Demon King of Carnal Desire, war is in the air.』

『The price of military equipment is soaring across the continent.』

Hilderan, robbed of two princesses.

Dormund, where the Demon King of Carnal Desire had tried her schemes.

Ormus, which had lost its elite troops in the war against the Beast.

On top of that, the Adamant Demon King's sudden, indiscriminate kidnapping of royalty had fanned the flames like oil poured onto a fire.

It was all a butterfly effect Berge had set in motion.

『Of course, the actions of you and the other Demon Kings will cause the price of military equipment to surge. So, if it isn't too much to ask, could you tell me a little about your plans?』

"I see. If you know what we're going to do, you can buy and sell at the right times."

『Yes, precisely.』

Berge considered it for a moment.

Ugar had no particular intention of making any other moves. He would kidnap unimportant royals and leave it at that.

Reina was the same as before. She would do nothing in particular.

The problem was the other two: Jason Cockmundo, whose thoughts had been inscrutable both before Berge's regression and now, and Vivian Blunt, who had never appeared in his previous life.

'Jason won't act.'

Their conversation just now was the clearest possible evidence. That left Vivian.

Honestly, he could not predict what that idiot, who had caused a major incident as soon as she descended, would do.

But he was certain of one thing.

Even if she caused a bigger incident, it would go no further. Jason would not sit idly by.

"Apart from Vivian Blunt—that is, Carnal Desire—none of us will cause any major problems. Unless humans go to war among themselves or some unforeseen incident occurs, I don't think the surge in military equipment prices will last very long."

『Thank you. That was a great help.』

"Keep sending progress reports, and contact me if you have any other questions or need anything."

『Yes. Ah, and we've now purchased twenty-one elves under the trading company's name. What should we do with them?』

"Elves, hmm."

Right. There were the elves.

"Where's Granada?"

『He accompanied Sir Hillen Cargill to the heroes' headquarters. I received no further instructions afterward.』

"That's awkward."

Granada needed to help Hillen form his raiding party. But Granada was also the only one capable of managing the elves.

'If only Granada could split into Gra and Nada, giving me two of him.'

That would be difficult.

'There are two ways to make use of the elves. Either keep them entirely unaware of my existence or make them swear loyalty to me on the World Tree.'

Berge decidedly preferred the latter. Anything hidden would eventually be discovered. And when that happened, the elves would inevitably come back as a bomb waiting to explode.

"For now, keep buying elves. And when Granada returns from headquarters, tell him to bring them to Hortonwork."

『Yes, understood.』

The connection ended.

Suddenly, a scene came to Berge's mind.

The Dark Spirit Summoner reigning over the fourth floor, with dark elves standing behind her as guards...

SMACK

Berge's head jerked to the side. That was not enough, so he slapped his other cheek as well.

"... I'm going mad too."

To think he was dwelling on such ridiculously childish names.

Berge had not forgotten his original reason for buying elves.

Nor had he forgotten that the tower's safety mattered most.

'I'll bring them into the tower and make them swear the oath. Then I'll put half on the fourth floor and the other half in the raiding party.'

The elves' fate was decided.

* * *

In the underground prison of the place humans had come to call the Hellfire Tower...

"... Very well."

Its only prisoner, Kaede Jespine, nodded.

"What do you mean?"

"You're right, Lady Ernyan. I'll do as you suggested."

"You've made your decision?"

"Yes."

Ernyan had not spent long persuading her, but every word had gouged at Kaede's heart.

The empire had abandoned her, so she had no need to remain loyal.

As long as she was not caught, she would not tarnish the empire's honor.

An elf and even a great hero like Hillen Cargill served the Demon King. There was no reason she could not do the same.

The Demon King had granted Ernyan's request. She had paid a price, but Kaede, too, could strike a bargain for her own future.

Even at this very moment, she was growing weaker.

She did not agree with everything Ernyan had said. But if the empire was not actively trying to rescue her, remaining in prison like this would do her no good whatsoever.

Why had Kaede hated the prospect of a political marriage?

Because she despised the doll-like life she would lead as the old king of Ormus's consort, doing nothing and capable of nothing.

Because she wanted to become the empire's greatest knight and race across the continent.

She did not want to rot in a prison forever.

'I'd rather spend that time...'

Swinging her sword even once more. Gathering aura through meditation. Building her strength, even if she had to bow her head to do it.

'It would be a better choice for the future...'

It would.

For the day when she grew strong enough to escape.

To become a better knight, a better hero.

"I'm going to use the Demon King."

"Go ahead. He'll use you too. And so will I."

Ernyan's violet eyes gleamed.

"... But there's one thing."

"Yes?"

"Do I have to be a Dark Knight?"

"Why do you ask?"

"It's a little childish..."

Kaede blushed. She did not have the confidence to shout, "I am the Dark Knight!" herself.

"You don't have to if you don't want to. But I'm not sure my lord would look favorably on that."

"... I'll do it."

"You've made a wise choice. Stay here. I'll go see my lord."

"Yes."

"I'll leave Lady Nairuniel with you so you won't be bored."

Ernyan summoned the water spirit and left.

The spirit blinked her large eyes and regarded Kaede with pity.

- You poor thing. How bored you must have been, locked up in this prison.

"I'm fine."

- No, you needn't console yourself like that. Why not ease your weary heart by having a chat with me?

"All right."

- Good. I'll give you some topics, and you can choose. The forbidden love of a Demon King and an imperial princess, the love of a Demon King and a hero, or the love of a Demon King and a knight.

"... What are those bizarre stories?"

- What else? They're your story.

"..."

Nairuniel continued watching her with interest.

An imperial princess brimming with pride in her chivalry, and a hero to boot.

To Nairuniel, Kaede Jespine was a treasure trove of fascinating material.