Chapter 106
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: The Answer to the Problem Isn't Always Good (7)
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The answer to a problem isn't always a good one.
“......”
The man in the black robe, who had been hiding quietly...
spotted Rin approaching and hurriedly fled the area.
Of course, he had completely sealed off his demonic power to avoid detection.
But you never know.
He could still be treated as suspicious just for lurking nearby and watching.
This was a human who had even noticed the faint presence of Ser, who possessed stealth abilities.
Better to be cautious—extra cautious. It couldn't hurt.
‘Whatever. That bitch will be gone soon anyway.’
He had heard that three councilors had personally stepped in to capture Rin.
They were leagues beyond ordinary underlings like himself or Ser, who had merely received basic demonic power.
No less than Demon Kings themselves.
They had received power directly from Demon King Kraksus, granting them strength that surpassed even heroes.
Though this Rin had supposedly defeated Ser, who wielded power nearly equal to the councilors'...
The central council's three members.
Among them, fighting as a duo, they could even hold their own against Harkur.
The ‘Neoka’ and ‘Sig’ combo was on their way.
‘She's as good as dead.’
Since this operation began, he had never seen anyone targeted by the Mera Federation's central councilors live to tell the tale.
Of course, hearing that Rin had dodged Ser's arrow and even captured her had sent chills down his spine.
She had accomplished what even Marquis Harkur couldn't.
To think he had to surveil someone like that.
There was no guarantee he wouldn't meet the same fate.
But it would all end once Rin was dead.
‘Honestly, irregular or not, no way she beats the councilors.’
He decided not to worry about it anymore.
Truth be told, Rin wasn't the real issue right now.
‘That demon from earlier...’
The demon that had possessed Marco's body.
If it wielded enough demonic energy to shatter his body to pieces, it had to be among the upper echelons of mid-tier demons at least.
Possibly even a high-tier one.
And its tone—like it knew all about Kraksus's curse.
Yet so nonchalant, even mentioning plans to interfere.
To speak of the Demon King, pinnacle of the demon realm, that way meant someone of equal stature was backing it.
Interference from another Demon King, without a doubt.
“How to handle this...”
Nearly three hundred years, and other demons had descended before.
Demons always slipped into the mortal realm through human darkness or weakened barriers, wreaking havoc.
But in the Mera Federation, where half-human thralls empowered by Kraksus and his minions ran rampant...
Invaders could barely flex their power before fleeing or getting obliterated on the spot.
This time was different.
If another Demon King was interfering, it wouldn't fizzle out so pathetically.
Sure, they might fend off this demon somehow with Hero Rin's power—but Kraksus's other minions would keep coming to sabotage.
And given the chance, a new Demon King would shove Kraksus aside and invade the mortal realm.
Besides, Kraksus's power was sealed.
He was inevitably weaker than his rivals.
His followers in the Mera Federation didn't know it, but...
Kraksus was a fugitive in the demon realm.
Any other Demon King could kill him if they found him.
They just didn't know his location—that was why he kept sending minions to the mortal realm, to stop him from regaining strength.
‘Isn't this a pretty dangerous situation?’
If other Demon Kings were getting involved...
This wasn't something to shrug off lightly.
It could get really bad.
‘Might need to consider switching to another Demon King...’
The black-robed man let out a deep sigh, lost in thought.
His goal was simple: immense power and a long life.
And in the mortal realm destined for demonic rule, a high rank as their vanguard.
If the ship was sinking anyway, no point clinging to it.
Just sweet-talk the captain of another and jump aboard.
“Next time I run into that demon, I should talk it over.”
Suddenly, a voice spoke up behind the black-robed man as he muttered.
“That demon? Who’re you talking about?”
“...!!”
Someone had overheard him.
And he hadn't noticed their approach at all.
Startled, the black-robed man leaped back.
‘Careless! Thought I was clear of that woman Rin—let my guard down too much.’
He whipped out his sword and whirled to face the intruder.
There stood a girl who looked about thirteen: golden bob haircut, clear blue eyes, faint freckles dotting her face for extra charm.
Recognizing her, goosebumps erupted across the black-robed man's skin.
“Re-Rebecca-sama.”
Rebecca Havok.
One of the Mera Federation's most infamous villains in history—once branded a ‘witch’.
Born with the Hero's Quality, she shunned heroism, instead unleashing massacres with her prodigious magic.
The epitome of a ‘witch’.
History recorded her subjugation decades ago by a hero party.
She would have been in her early thirties then.
So who was this Rebecca?
She was the genuine article.
The ‘subjugation’ was Mera Federation propaganda.
In truth, the central councilors had recruited her as a comrade, promising greater demonic power and eternal life.
Tempted by immortality, she accepted—and used her new gifts to reshape her body into a child's.
For the record, purely a matter of personal taste.
Ex-hero with overwhelming might, she ranked nearly equal to the central councilors alongside Ser.
Lower formally than those empowered directly by the Demon King, but her innate talent made her combat prowess rival—or exceed—theirs, or so the rumors went.
Of all people, she had overheard.
“B-But Rebecca-sama, shouldn't you be in the Pacific Kingdom right now...?”
Come to think of it, she was spearheading the infiltration there: spies to corrupt it from within, forcing submission to the Mera Federation.
Why pop up here all of a sudden?
“Why would I need to go personally? I just tossed in an illusion clone.”
Right—her signature was illusion magic.
Projecting hallucinations or crafting near-tangible phantoms.
A clone held less than a tenth of her power.
But subtle subversion—planting spies, slow erosion from inside—didn't demand more.
“So, what was that about earlier? I felt demonic energy too.”
She glanced toward Rin and the demon's direction.
In truth, she'd come out of curiosity about this magic-wielding hero, Rin.
Unaware of the kill order, naturally.
Any councilor knowing her location would have called for backup.
But her illusions and superior combat edge made constant tracking impossible—even for them.
Hence her freedom of movement.
She fixed the black-robed man with a steady stare.
“......”
“Other demons... yeah, intriguing stuff.”
As the man froze in tense silence, Rebecca spoke first.
“But mouthing off about betrayal so casually? Especially where others can hear?”
Her smile faded, face hardening.
And then...
“Careless trash like you is useless.”
Snap!
Thud—
The black-robed man's head hit the ground.
His face still wore that bewildered, tense look—like he had no clue what hit him.
Thump!
The headless body pitched forward.
Blood gushed from the neck stump.
“Ah, I tried to hold back... wonder if she felt that? The kid seems pretty sensitive.”
Rebecca dismissed the corpse without a glance.
She turned toward Rin's group.
And as if on cue...
“You again—what... Huh? A kid?”
Rin charged in with a icy glare—only for her expression to crumble at the sight of Rebecca.
“Hehe.”
Rebecca flashed a sly grin.
#
“...What? The Mera Federation...?”
“N-No way.”
Rin and Soma reeled from Kane's explanation.
And small wonder.
The demonic assailant who attacked Rin...
might have been acting on Mera Federation orders.
Worse still...
The central council there could be tied to Demon King Kraksus's curse—the curse of short life.
“...I can't say for sure. It's just what Marco spat out before dying.”
Still, too many red flags to chalk up to a dying thug's ravings.
Attacked the moment they reached Mera Federation.
Marco singled out for death the instant he claimed knowledge of it.
And...
“That demon earlier. It spoke like it knew something.”
‘Hmm... Kraksus, up to some interesting games.’
‘Whatever. His orders were... to hinder him at every turn.’
Choosing Marco's ill-suited body to possess a Mera Federation human.
Naming Kraksus outright, vowing interference.
It all pointed to one conclusion.
“The Mera Federation, goons of the Demon King... cursing heroes...”
And in the process, targeting Hero Rin.
It all fit together.
“Y-You're not overthinking this, are you?”
Soma ventured uneasily.
Accusing a whole nation like this—true or false—carried massive weight.
Couldn't go blabbing without ironclad proof.
“That's why I'm thinking we head to that ‘Dawn's March’ in Agru Marco mentioned.”
Maybe a dying trap for Kane.
Even so, they had to check.
No other leads in this fog of uncertainty.
Agru, one of the Mera Federation's border cities.
Likely a shop or group there.
They'd get answers on-site.
“We'll go there first, and...”
“...Hold on.”
Then Rin cut Kane off.
She glanced aside.
“...Something's coming again.”
Her face deadly serious.
“Th-This one feels... dangerous...”