Chapter 70 - The Culprit Is

Hillen Cargill was no longer free to move about as he pleased. That was what being an Argan meant.

Branch heads were responsible for their respective branches, while the Argan were charged with managing the heroes at headquarters.

“You likely have a general understanding already, but allow me to explain in detail.”

Parni Dernium, who had been assigned as Hillen’s adjutant upon his appointment as an Argan, explained his duties.

“Please do.”

“The heroes who make up the Guild fall into two broad categories.”

The swords, who personally hunted monsters, exterminated demonic creatures, and climbed Demon Kings’ towers.

And the shadows, who did not engage directly in a hero’s work, but scattered across the lands to gather information and seek out demons.

The Argan managed these swords and shadows.

“There is actually very little to manage where the swords are concerned.”

Most heroes belonged to the swords. And few of those swords wanted to be subject to the Guild’s control.

“Unless a hero’s journey is involved, you need not concern yourself with the other heroes. Your attention should be on the heroes who have committed themselves to serving directly under the Guild.”

Those who chose control and power over freedom, hoping to take a faster path with the Guild’s support.

“Each of the eleven Argan is assigned thirty heroes.”

That might not seem like many at first glance. But they were handpicked from among the heroes, and their combined number was a full 330. That was not to be overlooked.

Nor were the fighting swords the only heroes affiliated with the Heroes’ Guild.

“‘Shadows’ is the informal name for heroes who do not fight. Whether they cooperate with the Guild or not, they are required to belong to Guild headquarters.”

There were roughly a thousand of them.

“The Guild uses most of them as informants.”

To find demons and search for demonic creatures.

It was thanks to their efforts that the succubi in Dormund had been exposed. They were the foundation that had earned the Heroes’ Guild its reputation as the Demon Kings’ adversary.

“They are divided into eleven departments, each under an Argan’s control.”

“Who will I be responsible for?”

“Bair Fornian was in charge of the shadows in Hilderan.”

“... Something occurs to me. Am I imagining it?”

“No. This is indeed a consideration from the chief elder. He wishes to maintain a good relationship with you.”

Well, would you look at that?

Hillen gave a faint, inscrutable smile. There was no such thing as kindness without a reason. Every favor came at a price.

Uneasy though he felt, he expressed his gratitude.

“Lastly, there are those who belong to the Guild without being heroes.”

Some were mercenaries, some knights, some nobles, and some merchants.

Their web of connections had done more than anything else to expand the Heroes’ Guild and make it an organization that belonged to no particular nation.

“Officially, managing them is the branch heads’ responsibility, but those boundaries have largely faded of late.”

Heroes fell under the Argan. Those who were not heroes fell under the branch heads.

That was the original structure of the Heroes’ Guild. But since heroes at the branches were managed by their branch heads, the distinction meant little. It amounted to little more than the difference between headquarters and the branches.

Afterward, Hillen met the thirty members of the Fifth Assault Unit and the shadows assigned to his command.

“Greetings, Argan Hillen Cargill.”

“...”

Some showed goodwill, others hostility. Feeling he had become entangled in a troublesome struggle for power within the Guild, Hillen was managing to settle in as best he could.

That was when Gordon contacted him.

“Parni.”

“Yes?”

“What is the relationship between the Heroes’ Guild and the Kingdom of Berft?”

“We are on friendly terms, but we have no direct agreement. The side in need is usually the one to ask, and with the dwarves producing such fine equipment, we are always the ones in need.”

“If an agreement with Berft brought favorable results for the Guild, would everyone welcome it?”

“Of course.”

“And what if the chief elder were the one behind it?”

Parni understood his meaning.

“Could you make that happen?”

“I cannot be certain, but I have found a lead.”

Hillen’s words were relayed to the chief elder exactly as spoken. The chief elder regarded the new Argan’s boldness with interest.

“He promised a result no one has ever achieved?”

“It did not seem like an empty boast.”

“He is a hero who has killed two Demon Kings. With his standing climbing ever higher, he would hardly tarnish his own reputation with some absurd boast. What is the basis of his confidence?”

“He seems to have acquired something during his time as a hero, but he said he could not tell me what it was.”

That was not particularly strange. Renowned heroes kept any number of tricks and secrets to themselves.

But using such a secret to conduct Heroes’ Guild business was another matter.

“An excellent opening for the other elders to tear into.”

That was only natural, given how few welcomed Hillen Cargill’s sudden arrival.

Even so, the chief elder agreed.

“I will push it through on my authority. Tell Hillen to remember this: I am allowing him to go despite the cost to myself. He must take responsibility and see that he does not disappoint me.”

Those words were relayed back to Hillen exactly as spoken.

‘I was too hasty.’

Eager to fulfill the Demon King’s request as quickly as possible, he had been far too bold. He should have approached more cautiously, persuading the other elders one by one to reduce the risk. He had failed to do so.

The chief elder’s authority crushed every objection, and the scrutiny directed at Hillen grew heavier and more severe.

‘I have to succeed. I absolutely have to.’

He had to secure an agreement and bring about a favorable outcome.

That was why Hillen Cargill, who had intended to assess the situation and weigh his options, had confronted the princess right from the start.

Whatever happened, he had to seize the upper hand in their battle of wills.

* * *

“What nonsense is this?”

Louise congratulated herself for not immediately throwing a punch. Wearing an awkward smile, she forced herself to deny it. At the same time, she recalled the circumstances of Max Ormus’s death.

She had been surrounded by dwarves and those Ormus sons of bitches. A demon had burst in, followed by demonic creatures charging from every direction.

A fierce battle had ensued. The dwarves, led by Louise, had suffered heavy losses, but had made it home safely.

And to eliminate any possible witnesses, they had blocked the escape routes and slaughtered every last Ormus bastard who tried to flee alive.

‘There were no survivors.’

There had been no mercenaries or heroes nearby, either. The fact that the Kingdom of Ormus had remained quiet until now was the clearest proof of all.

But...

‘No humans survived, but the demons...’

They had. Many of them.

‘Could he have heard from the Beast’s demons during the hero’s journey?’

If he truly knew the facts, that was the only explanation.

‘That’s pure speculation.’

Surely a Demon King would not waste time sharing such trivial details with a hero who had come to kill him.

“Whatever you are thinking right now is probably correct.”

But the moment she met that seemingly all-knowing gaze, she realized her speculation was more than mere speculation.

“How would you know what I was thinking?”

With such an intense sense of foreboding, her tone was naturally far from pleasant.

“I cannot know exactly what you are thinking, Princess. But considering the situation and circumstances, I can make a rough guess.”

“Ha. You say some amusing things.”

Louise struggled to conceal her mounting anger and anxiety. Letting her discomfort show would be the height of foolishness.

“Go on, then. Spit it out. But if this is just nonsense meant to mock me, you will be punished for daring to insult a member of a nation’s royal family.”

“Are you aware that I recently climbed The Beast’s Tower alongside Roselle Charnt?”

How could she not be?

“Continue.”

“We fought our way through the demonic creatures and demons guarding the tower, climbing higher and higher. Then we encountered a high-ranking demon named Quail. A bear beastman.”

‘A bear beastman...’

Immediately after Louise had smashed Max’s skull and begun fighting the Ormus bastards, the demonic creatures had joined the battle.

The demon charging at their head had been a bear beastman. Its chilling demonic energy had made her suspect it was a high-ranking demon.

“And?”

“Are you not curious about what that bear beastman said?”

“Why should I care about anything a demon has to say?”

“Of course. Your illustrious Highness need not concern herself with the words of a mere demon. In that case...”

SCRAPE

Hillen rose from his seat.

“I shall take my leave.”

“Stop.”

“Is there something more you wish to say?”

He tilted his head. Louise snapped at his innocent expression.

“Do you think you can walk out of here alive after this?”

“I am afraid I do not understand. Oh, that reminds me.”

Hillen rummaged in his storage-dimension pouch and pulled something out. It was a sword, radiating dimensional interference and engraved with the cloud mark that represented Logger Fridri.

“I promised to give you this. I nearly forgot.”

“You just won’t quit!”

Louise seized the sword, drew it, and pointed it at Hillen.

“Do you want to die?”

“Could you actually kill me?”

Slowly. Ever so slowly, Hillen turned his head.

The keen blade Logger had forged slipped smoothly into his skin. A red bead of blood welled up.

Yet Hillen calmly maintained his smile.

“You think I can’t?”

“Then are you confident you can handle the consequences?”

“I am a princess of Berft.”

“And I am an Argan of the Heroes’ Guild and a Star. Though I hesitate to boast, I also enjoy Hilderan’s support.”

“You’re threatening me, aren’t you?”

“I am merely informing you...”

Hillen lowered his voice.

“...that you have no choice, Princess.”

“I do. How about I kill you right here and become a fucking bitch?”

“I do not think that would be particularly pleasant for either of us.”

“At least I wouldn’t have to see your irritating face again.”

“If this meeting falls through, I will return straight to the Heroes’ Guild. And I will tell them what I heard from the bear beastman. It was deeply suspicious, after all.”

“How dare you...”

“And why stop there? Your Highness’s sword has cut my neck, so I must truthfully report that I was attacked. Perhaps things were different before, but now I have my honor as an Argan to uphold.”

“What do you want?”

“An agreement between the Heroes’ Guild and the Kingdom of Berft, allowing us to obtain a supply of Berft’s high-quality equipment.”

“So that’s what this is about. The Heroes’ Guild, those fucking vermin...!”

“That is my first demand.”

“Ha...!”

Louise growled.

“You are far too greedy. You must know that even getting a supply of equipment is more than you deserve.”

“I believe the ‘information’ I have brought is worth that much. And this next request is neither for myself nor for the Guild. It is for you, Princess.”

“Swindlers always claim they’re doing things for others, not themselves. So the hero who killed two Demon Kings was a swindler?”

“If you will not hear me out, I will leave.”

“Do you even have proof?”

“Would you believe an artifact on which I recorded the encounter, so startled was I?”

“Destroy it.”

“I will, once my conditions are accepted.”

“One day, I’m going to snap your neck.”

“Is that slightly better than having my head split open with an axe like Max?”

“Go on, then. Let’s hear what magnificent bullshit you have to offer.”

“I ask that you allow me to remain at your side as your guest for the time being.”

“What nonsense is this?”

Hillen fell silent for a moment.

He had blurted out the demand, but he had wrestled with it on his way here. Blackmail could get him what he wanted. But could it keep him at the princess’s side? Would a reckless woman like her willingly keep the man who had threatened her close by?

He would be lucky if she did not throw him out of the kingdom immediately.

And so Hillen decided.

“A Demon King is targeting you, Princess.”

He would be honest instead.

“The Demon King who taught me the bitter taste of failure.”

He would tell the truth, then mix in a lie.

“The Demon King who built his tower in Erjest.”

“...!”

* * *

『“Is something wrong?”』

“... No. My ear suddenly started itching.”

Berge dug in his ear with his little finger.

“So, what did you decide to do?”

『“I intended to act personally, but Vivian refused.”』

“The dwarf kingdom won’t be easy.”

Especially since Vivian was still subject to almost the full force of dimensional interference.

『“A Demon King should be capable of taking responsibility for her own words. I imagine she knows something of the dwarf kingdom.”』

『“If not, she is simply a fool.”』

“You sound a little hostile.”

『“I do not care for such vulgar succubi.”』

Reina elegantly swept back her hair and scoffed.

『“At any rate, I will contact you again when matters progress.”』

“All right.”

With a click, she vanished from the crystal ball. The light faded from the communication orb, leaving Berge’s face reflected in its surface.

“Hillen Cargill had better do a good job...”

Reina was useful and could be reasoned with, so she was another matter. But if it was Vivian, he would prefer that Hillen simply wreck her outright.

A chilling smile formed on his lips.