The Road Between Barriers
In the eastern part of the Basil Region, far removed from any other settlements, lay a small village. It consisted of only a few residential houses and a carriage station where horses and drivers rested. To call it a village was a bit of a stretch, honestly. Its purpose was less of a community and more of a mere transit hub connecting Sak and the Basil Region.
For all intents and purposes, taking a carriage from here was the only way to reach Sak. The reason for this was the Gate. A path connecting one barrier to another—the Gate. It sounded grand, but in reality, it was just a road created by embedding Barrier Fragments at regular intervals.
Even so, for ordinary people without Holy Relics, using the Gate was the only way to travel between barriers. Though the same goes for Heroes, really. Unless the destinations were right next to each other, like the Reim Kingdom and the Holy City Heilen, traveling on foot between distant barriers like Sak and Basil was too much even for a Hero.
Because of this, travelers were practically forced to take carriages, which meant they had no choice but to use the Gate. However, taking a carriage wasn't a bad deal for the Heroes either. No matter how much the Gate functioned as a long, narrow barrier, the Barrier Fragments that maintained it had a limited lifespan.
Consequently, there were times when the Gate would fail, or Chaos Beasts would squeeze through weak spots in the barrier. To minimize such risks, carriage drivers actually paid a certain fee to any Heroes who rode with them. Generally, the stronger the Hero, the higher the payout. A powerful Hero on board allowed the driver to charge other passengers a premium.
Eventually, this led to the emergence of Heroes who specialized solely in escorting carriages.
"Honestly, where else are you going to find an easier gig than this?"
"Right? We make almost the same money as those idiots who risk their lives fighting Chaos Beasts."
In a corner of the carriage station, two men who looked like those very Heroes were drinking and chuckling.
I need to avoid any carriage escorted by guys like them.
It didn't matter what their actual skills were. Encounters with Chaos Beasts while escorting carriages were rare. Naturally, their combat instincts would dull over time.
If they run into a strong Chaos Beast, they'll most likely die.
Even if the probability of encountering a Chaos Beast on the Gate was low, I had no desire to gamble my life on statistics. Riding a carriage with guys like that just to save a bit of money was like trying to cross the Pacific on a wooden raft. Even a massive ship like the Titanic could sink out there. That was the nature of the Chaos Zone.
I have plenty of money, so I should find a carriage with a decent Hero.
With that in mind, I began scanning the carriages. I wanted a proper Hero—ideally, someone I recognized. After a brief search, I finally spotted one.
That guy is...
A Hero wearing a black cloak and a low-pulled hat sat quietly inside a carriage. He wasn't a playable character, but he was someone I knew of. During my playthroughs, his name would occasionally pop up on the list of high-grade Heroes.
His skills should be reliable.
Having made my decision, I approached the driver.
"Excuse me, how much for a seat on this carriage?"
The driver glanced back at the Hero and replied, "Well, the Hero back there is quite high-ranking, but we've settled on a flat rate of one silver coin."
One silver coin. That was enough to cover a month's living expenses at a decent inn. Still, considering we'd be traveling with a relatively strong Hero, it was a fair price.
"Here you go."
I handed the silver coin to the driver. He took it and tossed it into a chest at his feet.
"Climb aboard, then. The gentleman back there is in a hurry, so we agreed to set off by noon even if we don't get a full house."
Following his instructions, I climbed into the carriage. I took a seat diagonally opposite the silent Hero, the air between us thick with awkwardness. Fortunately, the reasonable fare did its job, and the remaining seats filled up just before noon.
"Alright, we're heading out!" the driver called out.
A few hours into the journey.
"Do you know what the hottest topic in Sak is these days? Well, you see..."
The middle-aged man sitting next to me chattered away without showing the slightest sign of fatigue. I did my best to tune him out. At first, out of sheer boredom, I had politely pretended to listen, but now the endless repetition was starting to make me feel physically ill.
Still...
I glanced at the Hero, who sat with his chin propped on his hand, staring out the window of the rattling carriage. His taciturn demeanor inspired confidence, but it was impossible to guess what was going through his mind.
Not that it matters to me.
Our association would end the moment we reached Sak. After that, our paths wouldn't cross again unless the time came for me to challenge the high-grade Hero rank.
"Hey, young master. Excuse me, young master."
Hearing the man address someone next to him, I turned my head. He was looking straight at me.
"Me?"
"Yes, you! Who else would I be calling 'young master' in this carriage?"
Young master? That was a first. From my hometown all the way to Vasilium, I had mostly traveled in travel-stained, scruffy clothes. However, I was currently wearing the brand-new outfit I had purchased in Vasilium.
"With that blonde hair and the aura you carry, you certainly don't look like a country bumpkin. Are you perhaps a noble from the Reim Kingdom?"
I was taken aback, but the realization quickly dawned on me. This was all because of the trait I possessed: [Reim Royal Authority]. Though surely less pronounced than Elsie's, it seemed a distinct, noble aura was leaking from me.
Maybe I should have asked Elsie how she hides hers.
Elsie had likely picked up a few tricks during her time on the run. Thanks to that, she barely exuded any of that royal presence in public. I, on the other hand, had no such know-how.
"It's alright, you don't have to hide it. I've run businesses in the Reim Kingdom, so I've met plenty of nobles in my time."
The man let out a hearty laugh. Since denying it now would only make things awkward, I simply offered a polite smile.
"So, what brings you to the Reim Kingdom?"
There was no need to go into detail.
"I'm going to meet an acquaintance."
It wasn't a lie. An acquaintance I knew of unilaterally was still an acquaintance.
"I see. And what about you, young lady? What is your business?"
The man turned his attention to the woman sitting opposite me. She, too, seemed entirely uninterested in his chatter, keeping her eyes fixed on the window opposite the Hero.
"Well, if you don't want to say, I won't pry."
Yes, that was the smart way to handle it. I had been the foolish one for humoring him in the first place. And so, my punishment of listening to his endless babble continued.
It was then that the horses suddenly neighed. The carriage slowly ground to a halt.
We shouldn't be there yet.
Something was happening. The Hero took his chin off his hand and began scanning our surroundings.
What's going on?
Given how quiet it was, it didn't seem like a Chaos Beast attack. As I kept my guard up, the driver opened the small partition door from his seat and spoke.
"It seems an inspector from Sak wants to search the carriage. I ask for your cooperation."
An inspector from Sak? There had never been an event like this when traveling through Gates in the game. I quickly ran through my belongings to see if I had anything problematic. Fortunately, all my Holy Relics were safely tucked away in my inventory.
"Excuse me," a man's voice called out as he approached the side of the carriage. "There have been some unfortunate incidents in Sak recently. I apologize for the inconvenience, but we are conducting inspections."
The man stepped naturally into the carriage. The moment I saw his face, I froze.
Because he was...
Why is a Demon King here?
It was Laus, the 54th Demon King. He was on the weaker side among the Demon Kings, but that didn't mean he was an opponent I could defeat. The same went for the Hero sitting opposite me.
To face him, you'd need a high-grade Hero at the very least.
And even then, most high-grade Heroes would struggle to fight him alone. Under the circumstances, it was actually a relief that the Hero opposite me hadn't realized the man's true identity.
But why is a Demon King in a place like this?
I searched my memory of the game's lore for anything that might be happening around this time. Nothing came to mind.
The Demon Kings should be busy with other matters right now.
They shouldn't have the leisure to leave a Demon King idling in a place like this. While my mind raced, Laus thoroughly inspected the interior of the carriage.
"Hmm, it seems..."
Then, his eyes met mine. My heart skipped a beat, but it was already too late to look away.
Stay calm.
Absolute Obedience
My trembling hand stilled. After holding my gaze for a brief moment, he thankfully looked away.
"It seems no one is here," he murmured.
He stepped down from the carriage.
"You may proceed."
With the green light given, the driver whipped the horses once more. As the carriage rattled forward, the figure of the Demon King gradually receded into the distance. Only then did I finally let out the breath I had been holding.
But why on earth was a Demon King here?
Just then, the carriage ground to a halt once again.
The connection cut off, and Violet's signal faded. Laus gnashed his teeth. He was deeply resentful that they had kept the 71st Demon King hidden until his death, only to use him now to clean up the mess.
If whoever did it fled elsewhere, they would have done so long ago.
What he was searching for was a powerful Hero capable of slaying the 71st Demon King. No matter how weak the 71st had been, the regenerative abilities of a Demon King's true form were not to be underestimated. To bypass that regeneration and completely obliterate him meant the culprit had to be a high-grade Hero at the very least.
Come to think of it, that carriage earlier...
He recalled the young man riding inside. He had sensed a fairly strong Hero's aura from him. Though not quite at the high-grade level he was searching for.
Even if I'm stuck in a place like this, I still need to rack up some achievements.
He couldn't reveal his true identity as a Demon King. Doing so would bring more losses than gains, especially since, unlike the 71st, he couldn't alter his physical appearance at will.
This should be enough, then.
He detected a powerful Chaos Beast nearby. Then, he issued a command.
"Kill them."