“I don't understand. I am currently leading the preparations for the hero's journey.”

Gathering heroes, coordinating with the various nations... Ordinarily, mercenaries would have been brought in, but slaying the Demon King of Hellfire was the cherished wish of the entire continent, and the kingdoms readily cooperated. Hillen Cargill was the commander-in-chief, backed enthusiastically by the Guild and its Guildmaster, the Kingdom of Hilderan, and the Empire's Third Prince.

Yet another hero's journey was being prepared without his knowledge? And they knew the exact location of Berge's tower?

『They must have left you out.』

“I am Hillen Cargill.”

『Jason Cockmundo has connections to the Empire and the Heroes' Guild. The First Prince and Balaf Dislord are the most obvious examples, but that sly bastard would never dig himself just one bolt-hole.』

Thinking otherwise was far too complacent.

『And now that things have come this far, he must suspect you're connected to me in some way. He simply lacks clear evidence to be certain.』

“So you're saying I'm bait?”

Most of Berge's information came through Hillen Cargill. As Hillen saw it, the strategy was to distract Berge by entrusting Hillen with the weighty responsibility of commanding the hero's journey, then strike the tower with a main force prepared in secret. And it was, in fact, a sound strategy.

If the pirates hadn't come looking for Vivian. If a storm hadn't driven them toward the continent along the way, where they encountered several navies. If Berge hadn't learned that the dwarven kingdom had a levitation ship. He would have been caught utterly off guard.

“But isn't that just speculation?”

『Speculation we can't rule out entirely.』

“I'll look into it.”

『No. Do nothing. Just pretend you know nothing and keep doing what you were doing.』

“Are you planning to set a trap?”

『Sitting back and taking it isn't in my nature. You know nothing.』

“Me too?”

Ernyan suddenly poked her head into view.

『Why are you two together?』

“For the preparations for the hero's journey. We need to coordinate with several kingdoms, and Her Highness Ernyan has come in person to represent Hilderan.”

『I see. Of course that includes you, Ernyan. This must never get out.』

“All right. But should I buy some cherry-flavored candy and send it to you?”

『Huh? Where did that come from?』

“Cherry-flavored candy. You need it, don't you?”

『...』

Berge swallowed hard. His demonic-dragon senses warned him that something was wrong.

Who was it? Elena? Kaede? No, wait.

'Why am I feeling intimidated?'

She was only asking a question. He had simply taken Reina as his servant because he needed her. There was no reason he couldn't hold his head high.

'No, why do I even need to hold my head high?'

Couldn't he simply act as though nothing was wrong?

“My lord?”

『... I don't need any.』

“I hear that lady called Bitter Cold, or whatever it was, likes cherry-flavored candy. And you promised her some in return for becoming your servant.”

Berge saw the faint smile brush Ernyan's lips.

“It's just that I know a shop specializing in fine candy. She's someone of noble standing, isn't she? Shouldn't you give her something good?”

『... Then I'll leave it to you.』

“Of course.”

The connection ended. Ernyan noticed a piercing stare directed at her.

“What?”

“Nothing. I was just...”

“Just?”

“Thinking that I must stay firmly by your side no matter what, Your Highness.”

Hillen simply couldn't picture Berge failing. And when Berge conquered this dimension, he was now certain that, no matter what happened—even if Berge brought every other nation to ruin—Hilderan, at least, would be safe.

“... Where did that come from?”

- What do you think? It's because you and Berge... mmph...!

Ernyan forcibly shoved Nairuniel back in as the spirit tried to pop out.

“There is no hidden meaning. I am your faithful knight, Your Highness, and merely wish to do my utmost to fulfill that duty.”

“... The conversation we just had is a secret. Understood?”

“A knight knows how to keep his mouth shut.”

- Spirits know how to keep their mouths shut too! So don't wor... mmph, mmph!

Ernyan sighed and left the room.

“... Has the Demon King tamed the princess, or has the princess tamed the Demon King?”

After pondering that for a moment, Hillen shook his head.

“Trying to understand the incomprehensible feels like it's going to shatter my skull.”

He offered a moment of sympathy for the foolish king who still believed he could pair Hillen with Ernyan.

* * *

“My lord.”

Torniel Borgis, chief elder of the Heroes' Guild, posed a question.

“Why will you not take action yourself?”

“You want me to intervene?”

“Yes. If you took action, my lord, a mere Demon King of Hellfire would lose his life in an instant.”

Torniel was the only ‘person’ who knew the true nature of the Heroes' Guildmaster: the life he had led and the power he possessed. That was why his faith was unshakable. If the Guildmaster intervened, everything would be over.

“You could end the current chaos, enhance your prestige, and further strengthen both yourself and the Guild. I do not understand why you refrain.”

“Everything would be resolved if I merely took action? Do you truly believe that?”

“Of course.”

“You're wrong.”

The Guildmaster folded his arms and leaned back in his chair.

“Humans hope for champions. They always crave them, yearn for them, and admire them.”

“Yes. You are already a champion, Guildmaster. The symbol of the Guild and the hope of humanity. Taking Hellfire's head would make you an even greater one.”

“But there is a limit to the champion humans want.”

Once that line was crossed, admiration became madness. Or jealousy and fear.

“When humans encounter something they cannot understand, they split into two groups.”

Those who revered it as sacred and worshipped it. And those who condemned it as evil and destroyed it.

A champion beyond their ability to handle or control was no longer a champion. It took little time for such a figure to become an unknown terror capable of destroying society and humanity at any moment—an absolute evil.

“Do you know why I went into seclusion? Because I understand that aspect of human nature all too well.”

Already superior to every other hero, could the Guildmaster have maintained his reputation if he rose to a height no one else could approach?

“People would begin to envy and resent me. They would slander me and try to bring me down.”

“Things are different now.”

“No, they aren't. Human nature does not change.”

“No one could undermine your authority, Guildmaster.”

“There are plenty who could. The imperial and royal families of every nation, boasting that the blood of heaven runs in their veins. And the nobles with their supposedly sacred blood.”

Those in power rejected change and would not tolerate anyone who could threaten their authority. That was why he had disappeared, and the attention directed at the Guildmaster had gradually faded. As new heroes emerged in the Guild and across the continent, those people's vigilance dulled.

“Balaf Dislord. That hero's emergence gave me room to breathe.”

The more famous and powerful Balaf became, the more they viewed him as a counterweight to the Guildmaster. One unapproachable champion became an evil, but champions who could keep each other in check offered humans a reassuring alternative.

“And there is one fellow who wants me to gain even greater renown as Guildmaster.”

He seemed to have largely abandoned that intention now, but the Guildmaster couldn't let his guard down.

“As if I'd let you have your way,” he muttered under his breath.

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Just talking to myself. At any rate, that is why Balaf Dislord must be the one to take Hellfire's head.”

“Ah, is that why you excluded Hillen Cargill? Because he might kill Hellfire instead of Balaf Dislord?”

“No. He's a trap. A hero with the appropriate reputation makes a great show of preparing a hero's journey to divert the Demon King's attention.”

And above all...

“He is Hellfire's agent. An excellent trap indeed.”

“... You mean he is the Demon King's dog?”

The chief elder's face twisted. A vicious killing intent erupted for an instant.

“Do not touch him.”

“But...!”

“Didn't I tell you? He's excellent bait for diverting the Demon King's attention. The Demon King will grow complacent as Hillen Cargill reports every aspect of the hero's journey to him, then lose his life to the real hero's journey.”

“Then I shall arrest Hillen Cargill once the hero's journey is over.”

“It won't matter much by then. I'll leave it to you.”

“I will show him exactly what fate awaits a traitor who betrays humanity and colludes with a Demon King.”

The chief elder bowed his head. The Guildmaster gave a bored nod.

* * *

It was funny, Roselle Charnt thought. She extended her fingers one by one.

“Once, twice... No, was it three times? Four?”

Humans were creatures who grew accustomed to anything, whether success or defeat. How many failures had it been now? Roselle Charnt laughed hollowly.

Back when they killed the Beast Demon King—when she had made progress after obtaining that extraordinarily pure blood from the man called Pale—she had never foreseen the situation they now faced.

Who could possibly have imagined it? In less than two short years, the relationship between Demon Kings and humans had come to the brink of reversal.

Repeated failures had left deep scars on the archmage, a Star who bore seven engravings. They made her thirst for revenge and her determination to kill him boil over.

“Stronger. Stronger. I have to get stronger.”

Above all, she was tormented by a hunger and thirst for power: the knowledge that she wasn't strong enough yet, and therefore had to become stronger.

“They said the tower is in the sea. An environment where I can't use my power properly.”

Sea and fire were opposing forces, but her pride would not let her turn tail and flee. She simply had to think of it in simple terms. Become stronger. Stronger and stronger, until neither the sea nor the damned environment could hold her back.

But how?

“... A dragon.”

The Red Dragon with the power of fire that Balaf Dislord had reportedly slain. There had only been a tail and one wing, but she had barely managed to obtain a portion by pleading for it. She had chewed its flesh and drunk its blood. Studying its bones and scales had brought her one step forward.

But it wasn't enough. She hovered on the precarious threshold of gaining her eighth engraving, so close yet unable to cross it. She needed a catalyst.

A dragon heart would have been ideal, but there was none. Even if there had been, no one would have given it to her.

“... Blood.”

But she had thought of a rather good alternative.

“Mana as pure as a dragon's. No, in some ways, even purer.”

Pale's mana.

“Where the hell did that fucking bastard disappear to?!”

She had heard that he had entered into a contract with the Fifth Prince to supply blood regularly. Yet he had abruptly vanished without a trace. Only a tiny amount of blood had been supplied, nowhere near enough to satisfy Roselle.

“Aaaaaaah!”

She screamed. Every window and fixture shattered.

“... I can't wait. I can't wait any longer.”

She would find him. No matter what, she would find him and draw his blood. Then she would kill the Demon King of Hellfire. Madness filled her eyes.

“Hillen. Hillen will know.”

She had first met Pale when he was with Hillen. They were close enough that Pale had defended Hillen after his grave mistake caused the raid on the Beast's Tower to fail, securing his place in the next expedition.

They had said he was accompanied by the deputy leader of Hillen's raiding party when he met the Fifth Prince, too. So Hillen Cargill knew the answer.

Roselle hurled herself through the shattered window and vanished high into the sky.

“Lady Roselle has smashed up the laboratory again!”

“Lady Roselle is gone!”

“Where has she gone this time?!”

The mages who belatedly arrived at her laboratory cried out.