The Return of the Demon King
"It has been a long time, Hero."
The identity of the man who had climbed all the way up into these deep mountains...
It was Edwin, the king of the Arzen Kingdom where I now resided. Despite being the same age as me, he had already ascended to the throne.
We had fought in the same battles during the war against the Demon King's army. Back then, he was merely a prince...
But now, he was a king ruling over an entire nation, and doing a remarkably good job of it.
"Why don't you just speak to me like you used to?"
"Shall I?"
Edwin, who had been standing before the cabin door with an air of royal dignity, immediately relaxed at my words. His face broke into the same playful grin I remembered.
"What brings you all the way out here? A king should be cooped up in his palace."
"Sigh, I'm bored to death. Honestly, I think life was much better when we were roaming the battlefields."
My blunt remarks to the king made the knights standing behind him furrow their brows in disapproval.
However, as Edwin walked up and casually threw an arm around my shoulders, the knights quickly averted their eyes and returned to their stiff postures.
"Then why don't you abdicate and go back to wandering the battlefields?"
"I actually tried to do just that. I offered the throne to Clara, but..."
"But?"
"She said she just wants to live as a normal woman."
"A normal woman?"
Clara was Edwin's younger sister and the princess of the Arzen Kingdom. Back in the day, the two siblings were practically joined at the hip, so I had run into her quite often.
"Yeah. She said she wants to marry an ordinary guy and live as a wife and a mother."
"Hahaha. That tomboy?"
"By the way... who is this lady here? Don't tell me...?"
Only then did Edwin seem to notice Kir. He pointed a finger at her, then at me, his mind clearly spinning wild fantasies.
"This is Kir."
"What?"
"Kir. The assassin leader of the Demon King's army."
"Whaaat?!"
Having fought against the Demon King's assassin squad before, Edwin was visibly shocked to learn her identity.
Perhaps finding his reaction intimidating, Kir hid behind my back, peeking out with only her eyes showing as she warily watched him.
"S-So... that dark elf is... the infamous... Kir?"
"Yeah."
"My god... A hero making a fresh start with a high-ranking member of the Demon King's army... Well, as your friend, I'm happy for you, but..."
"We are not in that kind of relationship."
"Then what kind of relationship is it?"
"Master and servant."
"Who's the master?"
"Me, obviously."
At my claim of being the master, Kir suddenly stomped hard on my foot and finally spoke up.
"Didn't you say we were in a symbiotic relationship?"
In truth, she and I were indeed in a symbiotic relationship.
I fed her well and healed her leg, while she, in turn, began to heal my deeply scarred heart...
"Anyway, what brings you here? I doubt you came all this way just to see my face."
"How about we have a drink and talk like old times?"
Edwin smiled, brandishing a high-end crystal bottle he had been hiding behind his back.
Instead of answering, I offered a faint smile and headed to the kitchen to prepare some snacks and glasses.
The Arzen Kingdom was a small nation located in the northern region of the continent.
Yet, thanks to its solid state system, abundant finances, and the wise rule of both the former and current kings, it had become a small but formidable power.
Although Edwin was playful and prone to fooling around, the chatter I occasionally heard in the village markets proved that his people respected him deeply and held immense pride in their king.
"Ah! As expected, stolen alcohol tastes the best, especially when it's from your father."
"Don't tell me you..."
"Yep. I snuck it out of my father's villa."
To think the current king would steal alcohol from the villa of his retired father, the former king, who was resting in the countryside...
"I completely understand why your father must be worried sick after handing the throne over to you."
"Haha... Actually, when he brought that up, I told him that if he couldn't trust me, he should just start a rebellion and take the crown back."
Now he was trying to turn his own father into a rebel leader...
"But seriously, is something going on in the kingdom?"
"Well... shall we get down to business then?"
Before speaking, Edwin emptied his filled glass in one gulp. The playful expression he wore just moments ago vanished, replaced by a solemn gravity.
"The Empire is looking for you."
"Me?"
"Yes. Emissaries from the Empire arrived a few days ago."
"Why?"
"They came to ask for your whereabouts. I told them I couldn't reveal that, but I agreed to pass along a message."
"...What did they say?"
"A new Demon King has appeared to replace the dead one. They are currently expanding their territory from the central continent, and it seems the Empire is struggling to hold them back alone."
"..."
Although Edwin didn't explicitly say it, the message had undoubtedly originated from the Crown Prince of the Empire.
"Hmph... Shameless bastards. Their skin must be thicker than iron armor. Fucking assholes..."
Sensing the subtle shift in my expression, Edwin immediately spat out curses. His crude attempt at comfort actually worked, settling the sudden churning in my stomach.
"Carlos, you don't need to help those bastards. I only came to deliver the message. Honestly, as your friend, I just want to tell them to fuck off."
Even though Edwin spoke so bluntly, he was undoubtedly feeling a sense of crisis himself.
Although the Arzen Kingdom was quite far from the Demon King's current territory, history dictated that it was only a matter of time before they marched north once more.
"How is the Arzen Kingdom holding up?"
"We've already transitioned to a wartime footing and are accelerating our battle preparations."
The real reason Edwin had climbed all the way up here today was likely to hear my response to this situation.
"If the emissaries come looking for me again, tell them this."
"Tell them what?"
"Tell them I'm far too busy to help."
"Busy?"
"Yeah. Tell them that defending the Arzen Kingdom takes up all my time. They can choose a new hero or throw waves of soldiers at the Demon King's army for all I care."
They stripped me of my status, my honor, and my wealth.
As if that wasn't enough, they even took the Saintess from me...
And now that a new Demon King has appeared, they want my help?
What a joke.
Whether the continent falls or the western empires burn, it has nothing to do with me anymore.
As long as the Arzen Kingdom remains safe, I will never step forward as the Empire's hero again.
"Carlos."
"Yeah?"
"Am I supposed to be touched right now?"
"It's too early to be touched, Edwin."
"Huh?"
"We need to negotiate my pay."
"P-Pay negotiations?"
Detecting the chilling smile on my face, Edwin looked visibly alarmed. Meanwhile, my grin stretched from ear to ear.
I laid out several demands in exchange for defending the Arzen Kingdom. As Edwin listened, his face gradually darkened.
"You... you absolute highwayman..."
"Why? Am I not even allowed to make a proposal?"
"Of course not! A monthly salary of fifty thousand gold coins, plus a royal estate and a carriage?!"
It was bound to be a heavy burden.
A monthly salary of fifty thousand gold coins was roughly equivalent to the wages of thirty thousand regular soldiers.
And on top of that, I was asking for a royal estate and a carriage.
"Read the part below that. There's more."
"What?! A fifty percent share of Ankila Port as severance pay?!"
"Well, it's not like I'm asking for a title or land."
"I'd rather you ask for a title or land! No, wait. Just take the throne instead. Here, take it!"
Edwin snatched the crown off his head and threw it at me. I caught it and handed it right back.
"If I accept a title, I become your vassal, which I don't want. And managing land is too much of a hassle. I don't want that either."
"But asking for half of Ankila Port? Do you have any idea what that place is? It's one of the pillars of our national economy! To ask for that... Ah! Wait, how about I give you my sister instead?"
"What?"
"If you marry my sister Clara, you'll become part of the royal family, which means you'll naturally have a share in the royal treasury. If you want, I can even transfer all of her personal assets to your name."
"Is your sister worth less to you than a fifty percent share of Ankila Port?"
"..."
To think he would try to sell out his own sister just because he didn't want to part with the port's shares to the hero protecting his kingdom...
He definitely had some ulterior motive.
Besides, considering the war funds, soldier wages, and maintenance costs he would save by having me handle the Demon King's army exclusively for the Arzen Kingdom, I thought my terms were actually quite reasonable.
"Given my history of not getting paid properly, I'd prefer a lump sum upfront... but since we're friends, I'll take half now and the other half when the war with the Demon King is over."
"You're not a hero, you're a straight-up robber..."
Despite his look of utter despair and his grumbling, the fact that he poured more alcohol into my glass meant he had essentially agreed to my terms.
After that, Edwin and I set aside business and caught up on our lives. It was only when the bottle was nearly empty that he finally stood up to leave.
"I'll see you at the palace soon, then. Clara will be thrilled to hear you're coming."
"Clara? Why?"
"Hmm... that's a secret. Anyway, see you soon."
"Yeah. Get down the mountain safely."
Edwin waved a hand at me as he walked back toward where his knights were waiting.
After seeing Edwin off, I stepped back inside the cabin and walked over to Kir, who had been sitting with a solemn expression ever since he arrived.
"What are you thinking about so deeply?"
"Huh? Oh... it's nothing..."
"Now that the Demon King has returned... I suppose you'll have to leave."
"What? Ah... yeah..."
With the Demon King appearing in the human realm once more, Kir now had a place to return to.
She would likely reclaim her role as the assassin leader of the Demon King's army, leaving us with nothing but a future where we would meet again as enemies.
"Go get some rest first. I'll clean this up..."
Normally, washing the dishes would be Kir's chore, but seeing her troubled expression, I decided to clean up myself.
Rustle...
Suddenly, a soft warmth pressed against my back, and a pair of sun-kissed, copper-skinned arms wrapped around my waist.
"Carlos..."
"..."
"...If you meet me on the battlefield, will you be able to fight me?"
"..."
This strange, heavy atmosphere...
It was all too similar to the mood I used to feel around the Saintess.
"If you tell me not to go, I won't return to the Demon King's army."
It was a warm emotion, one I hadn't felt in a very long time...
But I had learned my lesson.
I knew that behind such warmth lay thorns sharper than any blade.
"I'm sorry, Kir..."
"...?"
Gently unwrapping her arms from my waist, I took a step forward to distance myself and spoke quietly.
"I... don't believe in things like this anymore."
The concept of love in my life...
Had ended three years ago, on the night of the victory banquet...
Right outside the bedroom door of Saintess Emilia.
And there, I had sworn an oath.
That for the rest of my days, I would never give my heart to anyone again.