190. It Seems Related to Me
The guild master has returned!
The Hero Guild boasted a long history and tradition spanning over 500 years since its founding.
Countless guild masters had come and gone during that time, but the current one was special.
Heroes were those blessed with extraordinary talents by the power of the dimension. Born to oppose Demon Kings and demons, they had to be strong.
Only the strong received respect.
Yet most heroes were human and couldn't defy the ravages of time. Even the mightiest grew old and weak.
But their experience didn't vanish. Thus, the guild divided members into active-duty and retirees.
The strongest among them were the Stars.
They were the vanguard charging at the forefront, while the five elders and the guild master handled the guild's actual management and responsibilities.
Argans were occasionally appointed from the active ranks, but elders were exclusively chosen from retired veterans. The guild master was elected by vote among those veterans.
Not the current strongest, but those with the highest prestige and past achievements.
Yes, past achievements.
Most of them paled in comparison to the active Stars. It was inevitable, which made the current guild master all the more exceptional.
He had vanished over a decade ago, yet even then, he was well past seventy.
But he looked young enough to pass for a man in his thirties, and his strength overwhelmed even the Star heroes hailed as the mightiest.
His absence had nearly faded from memory with the rise of the outstanding hero Balaf Disrod, but many still clung to nostalgia for him.
He was the great hero who had slain two Demon Kings before Hillun Kargil.
A great leader stronger than the Stars even in his seventies.
And so.
"Long live the guild master!"
"The guild master is back!"
His return couldn't help but shake the entire continent.
Moreover, compared to decades ago, his appearance seemed unchanged by age, making him stand out even more.
"Now that the guild master is back, that Flame Demon King is..."
"Even that damn bastard won't stand a chance against the guild master!"
"You bet."
People assumed the guild master had emerged from seclusion, fed up with the Flame Demon King's antics.
Thus, they clung to hope and pushed aside their anxiety. They believed the ever-great guild master would naturally resolve the crisis this time too.
And that speculation was, in part, correct.
Hillun Kargil sensed the heavy atmosphere.
It was the first time all guild executives had gathered, except for the moment he was appointed an Argan.
No.
That man.
It was the first time the true all executives had assembled.
The guild master of the Hero Guild, shrouded in rumors.
Called the great hero who slew two Demon Kings before Hillun Kargil.
Even after retiring from Star status, he had no equal.
He had reigned as guild master before suddenly vanishing, becoming legend.
Hillun had never seen the guild master in person. By the time Hillun began his heroics, the man had already disappeared.
He's young.
Despite being nearly a century old, he looked incredibly youthful. Without prior knowledge, Hillun might have mistaken him for an ordinary hero.
The fact that he concealed his presence so perfectly sent chills down Hillun's spine.
"Good to see you all."
The guild master, seated at the head and waiting for everyone to sit, finally spoke. His low, steady voice without inflection dominated the room with weight.
"Some familiar faces, some new."
He scanned the assembly. People flinched under his gaze. Then his eyes met Hillun's.
"......"
"......"
In that instant.
Goosebumps erupted across Hillun's body. He sensed an immense, formless presence.
Every hair stood on end; he bit his lip desperately to endure it.
Was it his imagination that the guild master's eyes curved faintly in amusement?
The pressure vanished in a flash as his head turned back to the group.
"I assume you can guess why I've broken my seclusion to return to the guild and summon you all immediately."
"To save us from this chaotic situation, no doubt."
The grand elder bowed his head.
"Close, but not quite. I simply couldn't stand by with open eyes and watch our pathetic display of being toyed with by a Demon King."
Pathetic. Utterly pathetic.
"Just a decade or so ago, this was unthinkable. We toyed with Demon Kings, never the other way around."
Dozens of raiding parties assaulted towers, and every hero expedition claimed at least one Demon King.
Demon Kings dared not set foot in human lands. Humanity could proudly claim superiority.
Even jokes circulated about sparing Demon Kings out of necessity.
And at the forefront stood the guild master. He slew two Demon Kings, subjugating hundreds of demons, demonic beasts, and even more monsters.
"Yet in the brief time I was away, we've fallen this far."
His gaze turned to certain elders.
"The Hero Guild, which must remain more neutral than any other group, forging ties with kingdoms for filthy politics."
And not content with that.
"Those who should lead the charge against Demon Kings are holding back."
The guild master exuded a subtle pressure. The air grew heavier; some swallowed hard.
"We should be riding the momentum from slaying the Diamond Demon King to take down the Flame Demon King too, yet I hear preparations for the hero expedition drag on. With people trembling in fear, can you still call yourselves heroes?"
"However."
One elder spoke cautiously.
"The failed assault on the Flame Tower cost over hundreds of heroes their lives. It's the most shocking loss in nearly centuries, and full recovery takes time."
"So the guild's plummeting honor and justice, the expectations of anxious people watching only us—we can ignore all that because of one failure?"
"Fortunately, we conquered the Diamond Tower. We severed the Diamond Demon King's head, and the continent witnessed his corpse. The guild's honor and prestige have partially recovered, easing the anxiety. I believe using this precious time to repair our losses is right."
"Do you truly believe that?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm asking if you really think slaying one Demon King has fully restored the guild's wounds."
"Not fully, but to some extent..."
"Elder Tristano Canief."
Under the contemptuous gaze, Tristano fell silent.
"Hundreds of heroes died. And you think one Demon King death restores our shattered prestige?"
"...A Demon King is hardly 'just one.'"
"It is. Countless Demon Kings failed to achieve their goals, not even leaving corpses."
"That's the past."
"It's the present. Even 1 or 2 years ago, it was the same. Isn't it, Hillun Kargil? As a direct participant, what do you think of this nonsense?"
Before Balaf Disrod slew the Diamond Demon King, the last killed was the Beast Demon King—by Hillun Kargil's hand.
And before that, the Lust Demon King—also by Hillun Kargil.
"...I agree with the guild master. Just 1 or 2 years ago, no one imagined a situation like this."
"Of course, I agree on that point. But the Flame Demon King is different. Hillun Kargil! Didn't you fall for his schemes too?"
"That's true, but that's exactly why we can't leave him alone. The Flame Demon King differs from others. Ignoring him further risks far greater problems than hundreds of losses."
"We think alike."
The guild master smiled. Yet Tristano remained negative.
"I'm not saying to ignore him. We just need time. We can't afford another failure. Another would deliver an irreparable blow to the Hero Guild!"
It wasn't wrong. The Flame Demon King had inflicted too many failures on heroes, sowing shock and fear.
Another rash failure might prevent recovery.
The Hero Guild's centuries-old honor and prestige might plummet irreparably.
"But we can't just sit idle either."
"Well said."
"Sitting out due to danger might make stopping the Flame Demon King even harder."
The grand elder agreed. Some elders and Argans nodded too. Tristano bit his lip.
After a moment's thought, the guild master's gaze fixed on Hillun Kargil.
"So, we'll prepare the hero expedition steadily under a reliable leader."
To the hero who'd clashed most with the Flame Demon King and shown outstanding results.
"Hillun Kargil."
The guild master murmured his name softly.
"I'd like to entrust it to you. What do you think?"
"Me, sir?"
"No one is more suitable than the great hero who slew two Demon Kings and alone rescued Hildean Kingdom's crown princess from the Flame Demon King. What say you?"
"......"
Hillun couldn't answer rashly. As Berge's subordinate, it was an unacceptable proposal.
But the guild master's reasoning was sound. He couldn't defy authority before everyone.
"It's beyond my capacity."
"What do the others think?"
"The guild master is right."
"I agree; no one is more fitting than Hillun."
All chorused in agreement.
"You heard them? Refusing further isn't humility—it's negligence and irresponsibility. Betraying your duty as heroes."
"......"
In the end, Hillun had no choice but to bow his head.
"I'll do my utmost to subjugate the Flame Demon King."
"Did you hear? The Hero Guild's preparing another hero expedition to the Flame Tower. With Hillun Kargil as leader."
"Not Balaf Disrod? The Flame Demon King is unlike others. The greatest hero should step up."
"Greatest hero my ass. Why entrust it to a failure who's botched it multiple times?"
"Failure? Forgot who beheaded the Diamond Demon King?"
"Diamond and Flame are different. And you forgot who uniquely located the Flame Tower?"
Balaf Disrod and Hillun Kargil.
The current strongest and the rising star.
Comparing them was human nature.
Such conversations echoed across the continent.
To quell worries about the Flame Demon King, the Hero Guild had grandly announced the expedition under Hillun Kargil's command.
"Heard it's the guild master's decision?"
"Why not step up himself?"
"Who knows his deep intentions? Must have a reason."
"Anyway, whoever it is, just kill the Flame Demon King already."
Whether cheering Hillun Kargil or Balaf Disrod, conclusions were the same. They drowned sorrows wishing for the Flame Demon King's death.
The shock from his deeds had left deep scars.
But the man bearing everyone's expectations couldn't embrace the role joyfully.
『So you're the leader for this hero expedition, huh.』
"I'm sorry. I couldn't refuse."
『Doesn't matter. Your concern isn't that—it's how to preserve your honor even in failure.』
"Yes."
『More importantly, what's that guild master like?』
"Didn't speak privately. And outwardly, nothing stood out."
Except that brief eye contact.
Probably only Hillun Kargil had sensed the guild master's fragment.
"It gave me chills. Even Balaf Disrod wasn't that intense."
『A hero stronger than Balaf Disrod?』
『Impossible.』
Balaf Disrod had fought on equal footing with pre-regression Berge, who surpassed his past self.
Even borrowing the Red Dragon Sword's power and not going all-out, it wasn't dismissible.
Yet a hero beyond that?
"But it was definite."
『His appearance? Hair and eye color.』
"Both black."
『...Damn it, no way.』
Berge's eyes darkened gravely.
One possibility came to mind. The hero who killed him pre-regression.
Immensely strong, wielder of the Red Dragon Sword and Barstain. But not Balaf Disrod.
If Balaf is just a proxy, and the sword's true owner is the guild master?
That would make the guild master the one who killed Berge back then.
But another like Balaf Disrod?
Curses spilled naturally.
Alein truly was the worst dimension; the more he learned, the taller the walls grew.
Balaf Disrod and the Hero Guild's guild master. Always watch those two.
『Understood for now. Do your best as a hero.』
Those words weighed heavier on Hillun's shoulders.
Berge was that confident.
...Will a chance to escape ever come?
Sighing, he cursed the guild master who'd burdened him.
"Guild master, huh."
He hadn't seen the face, but it felt like that guy.
For now, that was it. Another hero expedition posed no threat to Berge anymore.
But he was troubled by something else.
Ugar Belbek.
He was dead. The Diamond Tower destroyed.
They probably didn't target it first. Their assault on the Frost Tower was clear; they decided quickly after it vanished.
Is saving Reina causing this butterfly effect?
Idiot.
He cursed the already-doomed Ugar.
A guy who valued his life above all, yet failed when it mattered.
Had he even sent a single communication to Berge, he'd have made him a subordinate and absorbed the tower instantly.
What a waste. Tremendously so.
It's done. New Demon Kings will come anyway. Let go of regrets and...
Berge tapped the armrest thoughtfully.
His thoughts branched elsewhere.
Jason Cockmond.
Is this your doing?
Ugar was Jason's loyal pawn. His death by Balaf Disrod meant Jason abandoned him.
To nurture Balaf?
Worth discarding a near-century companion?
Yes.
Exactly one clear reason.
To kill me.
To strengthen Balaf for a surer strike at his neck.
Think I'll go down easy?
In a way, this was one Demon King killing another.
If I gather evidence and contact the archdukes via Reina's communication orb?
Cut Jason's ties to Ma-gye?
The blow to Jason would dwarf anything to Berge.
Absorbing Reina was truly the first Mahwang's masterstroke.
As Berge prepared to summon Gordon and Reina to refine the plan.
"Demon King!"
Gordon burst in.
"What is it?"
"Dozens of ships are hovering right above us. Thought they'd pass soon, but they've lingered for days now."
"Ships?"
A hero expedition? How'd they find the tower?
"Uh, y'see?"
Then, Vivian peeked through the half-open door.
"Looks like it might be related to me..."
"......?"