Chapter 5. The One I Banged Was Actually a Hero? (2)
Chapter 5. The One I Banged Was Actually a Hero? (2)
I, Dave, had originally been the chief of the "Anti-Human Coalition," a sub-organization under the Demon King's Army, and also served as secretary to a senior officer of the Demon King's Army.
I couldn't exactly claim a high rank overall, but having been a mid-level manager in my own way, I was intimately familiar with the information flowing both up and down the chain.
For instance, those figures who had emerged within the human realm as individuals of critical concern — the so-called "Ten Greats."
Across generations, humanity had selected those among their own who were exceptionally powerful, passing down the strength, secret treasures, and equipment of the previous generation to maintain that might without interruption.
Their innate strength, renown, and influence — it was no exaggeration to call them humanity's hope in the flesh.
The reason His Majesty the Demon King and his followers could not easily encroach upon human territory was, practically speaking, concern over the damage their movements would provoke.
Yes. That was why anyone serving the Demon King's Army was expected, without exception, to keep those individuals in check.
'One of the Ten Greats has begun establishing a base near our domain. How will you address this?'
'Ahh, whatever, just handle it yourself or something~'
But what the hell kind of goddamn woman was she, to just dump that on me and tell me to deal with it?
'Handle it myself? One of the Ten Greats has arrived, and if you, Chief, are going to be absent...'
'Ten Greats, whatever — they're just humans, aren't they? We have His Majesty the Demon King behind us, so what is there to worry about?'
It was you, you goddamn blockhead, who got that officer's seat precisely so you could handle those bastards on His Majesty's behalf.
But no matter how much I fantasized about it, I couldn't spew that out loud, and she, as always, scheduled some date with a Demon King's Army officer and pranced off somewhere la-di-da.
If a unicorn saw her, it'd run her through on the spot. Even a brothel's top earner would be less loose than that woman.
"Dave, this person here is one of the companions I wanted to introduce you to."
In any case, back to the present.
The reason I'd suddenly been reminded of those Ten Greats was that, at this very moment, one of those Ten Greats was standing before me.
"Th-this person...?"
A silver-white circlet adorned with wings, and full plate armor encasing her entire body without a single gap.
She might as well have been a walking golem of platinum — the only trace of a human being was the face glimpsed beneath her removed helmet.
Long blue hair, and amber eyes that seemed to hold meticulously carved gems within them.
Her gaze was coldly tempered, proof she had survived countless battlefields, and her lips were set in a chill line, as if the blood in her veins carried cold rather than warmth.
Yes, I definitely recognized that face from the records.
"Do you know of me?"
A cold voice soon left her lips.
Something beyond mere authority pressed down from her, and my chest tightened involuntarily.
"...It's Berdia, correct?"
So the Shrine Maiden of the God of War herself had appeared here.
What the hell was going on?
"You know precisely. Given that I have rarely shown myself before the public."
"Yes, ah... well. That's how famous you are."
The Holy Virgin Berdia.
A being who succeeded the old generation and was chosen as one of the new Ten Greats.
Her shield was said to block all physical attacks, and the radiance she emitted was known to banish all evil and heal all afflictions.
And that was no exaggeration — she had the feat of singlehandedly slaying an officer of the Demon King's Army.
Having risen to the seat of the next Ten Greats through that great accomplishment, she was, in a sense, the existence the Demon King's Army feared most.
To fell an officer at her young age proved she was no less formidable than the Ten Greats themselves.
And furthermore, it meant she possessed the potential to grow even stronger than them.
"Why is your body trembling so? Anyone watching might think I intended to devour you."
"J-just facing someone so famous, I couldn't help... aha, hahaha."
Wouldn't anyone tremble if a presence more terrifying than a dragon stood before them...?
Ah, that's right. The officer she killed was of the dragonkin.
Practically a being with nothing to fear in this world. The only thing I was curious about was why such a person had abruptly sprung up in front of me.
"...Serika, if it's not too presumptuous, may I ask you one thing?"
Yes, this woman who had introduced me to her.
"Y-yes. Go ahead."
What she was wearing was crude leather armor that would be embarrassing to compare to what Berdia wore.
From the bits and pieces I'd overheard while she was under my hypnosis, she was definitely a novice.
But since I had focused entirely on lightly having my way with her, I hadn't yet finished the work of digging deeper for information.
"What exactly is your identity?"
This woman I'd dismissed as nothing more than a clueless rookie adventurer — what on earth was she, to have a member of the Ten Greats herself as a companion? Could it be that heaven itself smiled upon her bottom-tier cluelessness, and she was actually some kind of genuine saint?
"Ehehe, well, the truth is..."
When I asked the question directly, Serika began scratching her cheek with an awkward air.
What followed after that was her true identity...
...right before she could spit it out.
"Serika."
Berdia, who had been observing the situation, interposed between Serika and me.
"Hold your tongue."
The words were brief, but the meaning was unmistakable. As if she couldn't bring herself to disregard it, Serika reluctantly bowed her head and stepped back.
"Y-yes. Understood."
From the polite speech down to her low posture.
It was clear at a glance that Berdia held the superior position in their hierarchy.
"...My apologies. You, like Serika, are a novice, so my presence must feel rather burdensome — and yet I cannot even offer you a proper explanation of the circumstances."
With that, Berdia withdrew her attention from Serika and faced me.
"For now, I would ask you to understand it merely as: a senior adventurer is looking after a junior. Will that suffice?"
"Y-yes. Understood."
If one of the Ten Greats tells you to do something, what can a Demon King's Army reject do about it?
I smoothed over the question and reluctantly backed off, but that didn't mean there was no room at all for speculation.
The information I held didn't only cover the Ten Greats — it included details about their individual members as well.
One such piece was about the Valkarian Order to which she belonged. The chosen one who existed to oppose the Demon King was, generation after generation, aided by a priestess who had received an oracle from Valkarian.
What did "chosen one" mean...? Well, it was obvious.
Just as a being existed whose very purpose was to destroy the world, so too did a being destined to exist in opposition, to protect the world.
***
'In this world, a single Demon King and a single Hero are fated to exist, without exception.'
In any era, the Hero and the Demon King would invariably emerge. Even if the Demon King was slain, it was only a matter of time before a new Demon King was born again; even if the Hero died, a new Hero would eventually reveal themselves to the world.
No one knew why such a thing happened.
The concepts of the Hero and the Demon King were things that even the Continent's Ten Greats or the officers of the Demon King's Army couldn't interfere with — they could only be discussed by transcendent, godlike beings.
"By the way, Berdia. Are the other two still not finished with their preparations?"
"Indeed. Ymir still remains at the Magic Tower, and Heira seems likely to remain in the Great Forest for a while longer."
"...Huh, so for the time being it's just the two of us?"
"Well, even so, you need not worry overmuch. Before we begin our adventures in earnest, we can pass the time with light training."
"You said 'light' last time too, and then you absolutely grilled me!"
Hiiing!! Serika let out a crying whine.
I couldn't believe that the plaintive voice coming out of that mouth was the same as the whimpering mating cries she'd been making just a few hours earlier.
Yes, back then I never imagined things would get tangled up like this... What? Seducing the rest of the hero party members and turning them all into puppets?
Ridiculous. Sure, anything goes if you don't get caught, but tightrope-walking is something you do only on a stable lifeline.
Stake my life on overthrowing the hero party? No — that's not even within my pay grade in the first place. When I craft a strategy, I'm the type who aims to go as slow and steady as possible.
Above all else, before any of that, whether this is about humans or the Demon King's Army doesn't matter. What's important is that I took the Hero's virginity.
If this gets found out, I'm dead. No — I'll be erased from existence without even leaving ashes, that much is certain.
"You said your name was Dave, yes?"
"Y-yes!!!"
The answer that left my mouth was half a shriek — pure alarm at that realization.
Berdia seemed slightly startled, but soon maintained her composure as if she understood, continuing the topic.
She still seemed to think I hadn't shaken off the tension of facing her.
"I heard you became an adventurer this season like Serika. Could you tell me what your specialty is?"
"Ah, yes. Well... the thing is."
I'm sorry. The truth is I'm an officer of the Demon King's Army and my specialty is hypnosis. If I honestly confess I took the Hero's virginity, will you forgive me?
I would have liked to say that honestly, but whether I groveled or bolted here, there was no way I could outrun one of the Ten Greats.
"P-porter work and general odd jobs."
Fortunately, my opponent had no idea of my true identity, nor any grasp of what had happened with Serika.
In that case, I decided to push forward brazenly instead. As I made my assertion, Berdia rested her chin on her hand and began looking my body over.
"...'Porter work' — does that mean you're aiming to be a baggage carrier?"
"Y-yes. I-is there no need for one...?"
Of course not. A group like the hero party would be issued treasures like a subspace pouch, making a porter unnecessary.
So just chase me off right here.
"...Do you happen to know anything about lockpicking or disabling traps?"
"Huh? Ah, yes. A fair amount..."
"Then you wouldn't be a bad choice for a scout."
Shit, my mouth just had to run off, didn't it.
But my opponent was one of the Ten Greats. A clumsy lie plainly wouldn't work, so here, answering honestly was probably the right call.
"As it happens, our party hasn't secured a proper scout yet... moreover, if you also handle odd jobs, that wouldn't be a bad arrangement — outside of places like the Demon Realm, at least."
"A-are you truly fine with this?"
"Permission or not, you are the person Serika brought here, after all. I am merely in a position to guide Serika. Given that taking the role of party leader is also part of her training, adventuring alongside a companion she chose to bring into the party is simply another extension of her learning."
Ah, I see. So no matter how hopeless the next-generation Hero was, she was still chosen as the party's leader.
She was explaining it in a roundabout way, but the reasoning was roughly understandable.
Just as I realized I had lost any room for excuse, Berdia placed a hand on my shoulder and her gaze sharpened.
"However. That is only as long as no harm comes to Serika."
"Y-yes? What do you...?"
"Now that I think of it, it bothered me that Serika arrived at the meeting spot a little later than usual..."
Gradually, Berdia closed the distance.
The gaze beneath her helmet began to hold a sharp glint, as if driving a wedge into my heart.
"Might I ask if you did something with Serika during that delayed time?"
In an instant, my body froze solid.
My vision, gone pale, began slowly tilting toward the sky.