Chapter 206
Chapter 206
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 206
Chapter Title: Night of the Heroes - 2
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Grade turned to the others and asked,
“How about you all?”
Starting with Repia, they each responded.
“Of course. If it’s to save the world.”
“As expected. I’ll follow your lead, Repia.”
“Me too.”
“Anyone else, maybe not, but I think I can trust this hero named Maide.”
“I’ll lend it if you pass a message to Padania. Tell them to shove their face in a plate and die quick.”
“Take good care of this world, Maide.”
My eyes felt like they were welling up.
Neril let out a rare, genuine tone of admiration.
“Heroes and champions really are on another level.”
“Yeah.”
“Their behavior’s just like a bunch of drunks, though.”
“Being a lightweight isn’t a crime.”
“No, they didn’t even drink. Though you’re no better.”
That was when Leon spoke up.
“But earlier, didn’t you say you’d borrow it? How long until you return it?”
“Velosian can only transfer the fame of the dead. To return the fame I borrowed, I’d have to die too.”
“Huh.”
“But I plan to die of old age no matter what. So the deadline will drag on a bit—I’m sorry about that. Could you wait about fifty years?”
“You’ve got big plans to live a long life.”
Leon chuckled and continued.
“Just take it. Take it. Fame’s not really needed in the afterlife anyway.”
“Huh?”
“Not borrow—keep it. You don’t have to return my fame. The others’ fame isn’t mine, so I can’t speak for them.”
I was greatly shocked once more, following Grade.
It wasn’t just Leon’s generosity that surprised me.
Seeing the other seventeen heroes and champions nodding in agreement—that’s what stunned me.
“If we wait till you die, we might forget we even lent it.”
“Yeah, take it, Maide.”
“That’ll make the math easier anyway.”
I fell silent for a moment.
Their fame must have been something they desperately gathered in life.
Yet they were offering to transfer it to me permanently, beyond just lending it.
To them, fame was merely a means, not an end.
Having slain the Demon Kings of Destruction, Greed, and Corruption, they’d fulfilled its purpose—no need to attach special meaning to it anymore.
‘I should learn from them.’
I truly thought so.
Then Repia spoke.
“But there’s one condition.”
“Go ahead.”
“Originally, you planned to let that Velosian live, right, Maide?”
“Yes. I had to return the borrowed fame when I died of old age in about fifty years.”
“But we just agreed to transfer it permanently.”
I could guess what she meant.
Repia’s eyes grew cold.
“It’s not in our memories, but… Grade, Leon, and I—we all said Velosian killed us.”
“That’s right.”
“Then get revenge for us. No need to wait fifty years—do it now.”
I grinned and bowed my head.
“Of course.”
We asked the heroes and champions to wait a moment, then headed up to the second floor.
Using spatial rift magic, I summoned Velosian from where I’d stashed him earlier.
He looked up at me with a lifeless face.
“What is it?”
“Preparations are done.”
“……Whose fame should I transfer?”
“First, let’s go downstairs.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, right. Can’t just drag you like this. Neril?”
As if reading my mind, Neril cast a binding spell.
Clink.
Magical chains wrapped tightly around Velosian.
His face twisted.
“What is this?”
“Problem?”
“I’d cooperate even without this.”
“Right. You would. This is just my preference.”
“What?”
I stared coldly at Velosian.
The absolute Demon King, once impossible to grasp how to handle, flinched at my gaze.
I said,
“There’s a gathering downstairs—Heroes One through Four, all of them.”
“……!”
“If a Demon King like you struts in there shamelessly, that’d be a problem.”
“You want me to be their plaything?”
“Yeah. Behave.”
“Urgh.”
Velosian bit his lip.
Ignoring him, I dragged him downstairs.
The heroes and champions didn’t recognize the one being pulled along behind.
Neril pointed at him and said,
“This is Velosian.”
“……!”
The atmosphere turned hostile in an instant.
Just moments ago, they’d seemed like mere drunks.
But as expected of heroes and champions.
Even in soul form, their mere gazes—even not directed at me—made my legs tremble.
Then Grade spoke.
“Hey.”
“…….”
“Heard you tried to become a Demon God?”
“…….”
“Hah. Won’t even answer. Demon Kings these days have no manners.”
That sounded like such an old-timer way of talking……
I wanted to butt in but missed the timing.
A barrage of insults from the heroes and champions rained down on Velosian.
“Tsk tsk. Look at you. Total prisoner treatment.”
“He is a prisoner. Probably committed the biggest crimes most times in history.”
“Hey, you. Come here.”
“Smile.”
“No talent, yet dreaming big. Demon God, huh, Demon God.”
“My kid outgrew those thoughts at ten.”
“I’d be too embarrassed to even speak.”
Velosian trembled all over, unable to endure the onslaught of insults.
Come to think of it, his posture was too stiff.
Thud.
I lightly kicked his leg.
A crack sounded.
He was forced to kneel before the heroes and champions.
“Argh. What is this?”
“Who said you could keep your head up? Kneel. Oh, you already are.”
“Why treat me like this? We agreed to cooperate.”
“That doesn’t mean I can’t rough you up.”
“We may have been enemies, but shouldn’t you show some respect?”
What fresh nonsense.
I infused my words with killing intent.
“Why should I respect you? Did you ever respect humans?”
“…….”
“I remember your words. Humans are uniquely stupid beings. Even your polite speech mocks that.”
Velosian bit his lip.
He tried to heal his broken knee.
Shing.
But I drew my sword and pressed it to his neck, stopping him.
“Don’t move.”
“Maide…….”
“Now. Transfer their fame to me. Right now.”
Velosian’s face showed utter misery.
But the one who couldn’t touch me in that special realm had no options here.
In the end, he invoked his power.
Nothing grandiose happened.
But.
Tap.
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Fame: 5,689,700]
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Fame: 7,780,200]
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Fame: 8,901,000]
And.
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Fame: 9,533,000]
…….
No more?
Text appeared on the screen.
[Yes. All their fame has been transferred.]
‘It’s not enough!’
[Just a tiny bit short. But we can make up the rest somehow?]
‘You said last time it’s impossible to gain more fame in this era.’
[That was jumping from 5 million to 10 million. I said difficult, not impossible.]
‘…….’
[Given what you’ve done so far, adding 500k more shouldn’t be an issue. If the Demon King trial actually happens, it’s plenty possible.]
I felt a bit relieved.
[Truly unexpected method. Who’d think to sweep up the dead’s fame with a Demon King’s power.]
‘Poor phrasing.’
[But it hits the nail on the head.]
‘Fine, all good—but one question. If I kill Velosian now, what happens to the fame? Does it go back to the originals?’
I asked tensely.
This was my biggest worry.
The heroes and champions wanted me to kill him now, but if it affected the transferred fame, it’d be trouble.
I needed to keep 10 million fame intact until I killed Aktihon.
Fortunately, the screen—Bion—wrote reassuringly.
[Don’t worry about that. Killing Velosian now won’t affect your fame.]
‘Good.’
[Why worry in the first place?]
‘Impellium said Velosian altered the world’s laws on immortality. And killing him would revert those laws.’
[That was altering the laws themselves, so yes, they revert. But transferring fame isn’t a law alteration. There’s no law like ‘fame must stay with specific people.’]
The screen paused, as if hesitating.
Then it continued.
[Fame-building opportunities must be open to all humanity. That’s a ‘core law’ even Velosian can’t touch.]
‘Core law?’
[Think of them as the cornerstones of the world. ‘All humans can build their own fame’ is one. In other words, the world leaves the chance to become a hero open to every human.]
I thought for a moment and asked.
‘Hmm. Any other core laws?’
[Like ‘humans’ feelings of ruin summon a Demon King.’ The one Velosian most wanted to change.]
‘Ah, right. He couldn’t do it alone, so he tried eating Idria. That was a core law too.’
[Yes. Though honestly, even then he probably couldn’t change it.]
‘More?’
[Of course there are, but… that’s not the point now, right?]
Fair enough.
The key was whether I could kill Velosian right now.
Bion answered ‘yes.’
‘On second thought, I have to kill him now.’
[Exactly. Kill Velosian before Aktihon, or the immortality law will restrain you.]
‘Then I couldn’t convert fame to power…….’
[And you couldn’t beat Velosian.]
I clicked my tongue lightly and looked at Velosian.
“You really have to die today.”
“……Huh?”
Thud.
I struck the back of Velosian’s head.
“Ugh!”
He pitched forward, smashing his face into the floor.
I placed my foot on his back and said,
“This guy just transferred your fame to me.”
“Did you hit the target?”
“No. About 9.53 million? A bit short.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t worry. Minimum to kill Aktihon is 10 million. Just need another 500k.”
Repia let out a hollow laugh.
“Didn’t you say my peak fame was around 400k when you explained earlier?”
“Ah. Well.”
“Heh. Kidding. But hearing it like this, I really get it. You’re no ordinary hero, Maide.”
Ordinary hero—oxymoron.
I spoke firmly.
“No matter how much fame I’ve got, it’s just numbers. Regardless, I truly respect all of you here.”
“…….”
“Heroes, you may not remember…….”
Tap tap.
I nudged Velosian lightly with my foot.
“Urgh.”
“But you refused the world’s gift simply because this guy still lingered. I can’t help but admire you.”
“Maide.”
They all smiled warmly.
But those smiles soon turned fierce.
Repia glared at Velosian and asked,
“What now?”
“As requested. Of course.”
Velosian was still a quick-witted Demon King.
He glared at me wide-eyed.
“As requested? What does that mean?”
“They asked me to kill you in exchange for the fame.”
“Fools! Kill me now, and the fame you transferred becomes Maide’s forever. Don’t you know that?”
Ah. Now I get it.
No matter the death threat, it was odd how obediently he’d listened.
“You figured that, so you cooperated—thinking you wouldn’t die here and now, right?”
I said cynically.
“They said they don’t care about fame anymore.”
“Lies! Lies! No hero doesn’t care about fame.”
“That’s the damage from only seeing guys like Kailed or Aktihon. Even think of Impellium—you’ll see I’m right.”
“……!”
I asked casually,
“By the way, what’s your core? Velosian.”