Chapter 155
Chapter 155
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 155
Chapter Title: Preparation (5)
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At the apex of the demons stood the Demon King, and just below him were the Four Heavenly Kings. True to their name, there were four of them in total. Like all demons, they were powerful beings who pledged their loyalty to the Demon King's strength.
While most high-ranking officials, including the legion commanders, could only move upon the Demon King's direct command, the Four Heavenly Kings were granted a certain degree of autonomy. For example…
“The war we’ve waited so long for is just around the corner. Before that, we must deal with the Hero.”
It was entirely possible for them to plan independent actions like this. Of course, they had to bear full responsibility for the risks of failure, but Barroc, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, was overflowing with confidence.
“A mere fledgling who just became a Hero is nothing…”
“This generation has not one, but two Heroes,” another of the Four Heavenly Kings, Ageron, pointed out calmly.
He was an Arch Lich known as the Nightmare of Humanity. Since the Hero’s party were the only humans to have directly confronted the Demon King, most of humanity feared Ageron more than the Demon King himself. Furthermore, he commanded a legion of the undead, a characteristic that also made him the Commander-in-Chief of the Demon King's Army.
“Whether it’s one or two, what does it matter? The fact that they’re fledglings remains unchanged.”
“I’m not dismissing your skills, but you mustn't be careless.”
Mages were nothing if not rational. Ageron, moreover, was a being who had shed his physical body to become an Arch Lich. It was only right to be endlessly wary of unexpected variables.
The emergence of two Heroes this time was a major variable. While nothing could be said for certain at this point, he was sure that things would be very different from before.
“Take my help. If you're going to do it, do it right…”
“Hah, don't be ridiculous. If you were to step in against mere fledglings, we’d become a laughingstock.”
Ageron fell back into thought. Barroc wasn’t wrong. If he were just displaying reckless confidence, Ageron would have stopped him, by force if necessary. But someone of the Four Heavenly Kings’ caliber had more than enough right to be arrogant.
He, too, agreed that the Heroes were weak at the moment. But who could ever underestimate the existence of a Hero?
Endless growth. Beings who grew stronger in the blink of an eye. And eventually, they would challenge the Demon King. The sheer absurdity of the process was enough to give one chills.
Eliminating them early was the best course of action, but it had rarely gone as planned. From time immemorial, the Heroes of every generation had narrowly escaped crises, as if protected by a goddess’s blessing. It would be the same this time. Perhaps the outcome was already set in stone.
Ageron was against confronting the Heroes. A clumsy attempt would only provide them with an opportunity to grow. It would be better to tie down the Hero’s party and conquer humanity itself.
Ageron looked at his colleague through his hollow eye sockets. If Barroc had been of a slightly lower rank, he would have told him to cut the crap. But he was one of the Four Heavenly Kings, just like himself. He was a powerhouse worthy of his title, so it was best to respect his wishes as much as possible.
“Let me ask you one thing. Why are you in such a hurry?”
“I don’t like it.”
“What is it you don’t like?”
“Why in the world did he accept that traitor?”
“…”
“It might be different if he’d stolen the Holy Sword or something, but isn’t he just a loser who ran away?”
Barroc was referring to Cedric Venice. A mere human, he had received a baptism from the Demon King. He had obtained a power he could never have dreamed of. If that were all, it might have been overlooked, but…
“I can't stand the thought that some punk like him might become our equal.”
It was a very dangerous statement. Questioning the decision of the supreme Demon King was a capital offense, punishable by death. But Ageron let it slide.
They had known each other for a long time, and their loyalty to the Demon King was comparable. In truth, Ageron could fully understand Barroc’s position.
Cedric was an outsider. Not only that, but he was a human, a piece of trash who had betrayed his own kind. He should not be treated the same as the Four Heavenly Kings who had long supported the Demon King's Army.
But one could not argue with the Demon King's will. The supreme ruler of all demons was absolute. Ageron calmly tried to fathom the Demon King's intentions.
Cedric was once considered a Hero candidate. By putting him forward, they could sow despair and shake humanity to its core.
“Is that really necessary? We could just crush them with force…”
“Enough. Any further, and even I cannot turn a blind eye. Besides, nothing has been decided yet.”
Cedric had only been given the opportunity to become one of the Four Heavenly Kings. He was scheduled to fight a life-or-death battle against Lucan, who was considered the weakest among them.
Weakest he may be, but Lucan still possessed the skills worthy of a Heavenly King. If Cedric could defeat him, there would be no reason not to acknowledge him. The society of demons was dominated by the logic of the strong.
But Barroc thought differently. The very fact that the Demon King’s attention was on a mere human was deeply unsettling. To change that course, a major incident had to occur. Eliminating the Heroes would solve everything.
“No need to drag this out. I’ll attack tomorrow.”
“It’ll take quite some time just to get there…”
“Hm? Of course you’re going to take me.”
“…”
Ageron was, by name and by right, the strongest mage in the Demon King’s Army. He had lived for eons and was just as experienced. Using large-scale spatial magic like Mass Teleport was a trivial matter for him.
However, he felt a bit put out. To brazenly demand his help when needed, after refusing his offer moments ago.
Ageron agreed, but he prayed inwardly—a small wish that his obnoxious and willful colleague would get a taste of his own medicine from the Heroes.
“Ah, where is Mukuru and what’s he doing? I haven’t seen him in a while.”
“He’s tracking the previous Hero. We should hear good news soon.”
“—!”
At the mention of the previous Hero, Barroc shuddered. A being who had broken through countless demons to reach the Demon King’s presence.
Even the Four Heavenly Kings had been no match for him. They had suffered immense losses at the time, which was also why a relatively weaker powerhouse like Lucan had become one of them.
Of course, that was all in the past. The previous Hero was now a cripple, a washed-up has-been. The fate of one who failed to surpass the Demon King was bound to be gruesome.
A Hero who had lost all his comrades and even his own right arm. He had barely managed to escape, but the price had been enormous. He now had a body that coughed up blood mixed with bits of flesh several times a day; it was a wonder he was even still alive.
The previous Hero himself was not worth worrying about, but it would be a different story if he met the current generation of Heroes. He couldn't provide direct assistance, but he could teach his successors in various ways.
That was why one of the Four Heavenly Kings, adept at solo missions, had been dispatched. The task seemed to be taking longer than expected, but Ageron wasn't concerned.
The washed-up former Hero could do little more than struggle. The moment he faced Mukuru, he wouldn't last a minute.
Ageron slowly concluded his thoughts. He had a mountain of work to do. The Demon King’s army of 100,000 had already completed all preparations. This war, which had been repeated countless times… this time, it would continue until one side was annihilated.
***
Today or tomorrow. I had a feeling something big was about to happen. Once you become a Hero, your sixth sense becomes active, going beyond the five senses. It was like being able to vaguely sense the flow of the world.
If I had known nothing, I would have been anxious, but from my perspective of knowing the future, it was simply a feeling that the inevitable had arrived.
“Will the Demon King’s army really attack this place?”
“Yes. I’m certain of it now. My senses as a Hero are telling me the time is near.”
Recently, some unexpected reinforcements had arrived. Imperial Knights. The story I gathered later was this:
The academy staff had informed the Imperial Family of the current situation, and deeming it plausible, the Imperial Family had sent support troops.
As an advance party, there were only about ten of them. The moment an attack from the Demon King's army became certain, their plan was to buy time and immediately request reinforcements.
“Hmm, if the Hero’s senses say so, I have nothing to argue, but… there’s no sign of a large number of demons heading this way.”
Their attitude was skeptical; they seemed to think it was just a groundless fear. I pointed out what the knights had overlooked.
“Why would they bother to walk all this way?”
“Don’t tell me…”
“I can picture them using Mass Teleport to launch a surprise attack in an instant.”
That part should be the same as in the original story. Everyone around me nodded in understanding. They then began to exchange opinions among themselves.
“I see, that possibility isn’t entirely out of the question.”
“If they teleport, their numbers will be limited.”
“Meaning a small, elite force…”
“Then that’s even more troublesome, isn’t it?”
“Perhaps one of the Four Heavenly Kings will appear…”
“Assuming that, we’ll need more forces. We must arrange for reinforcement requests to be made immediately…”
It goes without saying that the Four Heavenly Kings were the most wanted figures in the entire Demon King's Army. Hundreds of knights and mages would surely join the effort to eliminate them.
That was the typical flow of things, but my thoughts were a little different. Whatever else, this time, we had to solve this ourselves for things to go smoothly later.
After all, I hadn't shown anything since becoming a Hero. This part was an opportunity to announce to the world that we were strong enough to defeat one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
If things went smoothly, I would gain the Emperor's trust, and everyone from commoners to nobles would come to truly believe in the Hero’s party.
Talk about me would be on everyone's lips, which was the same as spreading my fame far and wide.
Of course, accepting help from the Imperial Family wouldn't cause any major problems. People would ultimately be interested in the Hero's party's journey anyway.
Still, we were just getting started. It wouldn't be right to ask for help from all sides. Showing a prudent side might be fine, but a more spirited image would be far more effective.
I also had to consider the loss of experience points. If a large number of reinforcements joined, I'd probably lose at least half. No, I couldn't stand for that. Even with my cautious nature, that was unacceptable.
“May I ask a favor?”
“Of course. What is it you wish to ask…?”
“I would like the decision to request reinforcements to be left to my judgment.”
“—??”
Without exception, everyone failed to hide their bewilderment. Fortunately, no one reacted with, ‘You’re a Hero, so be a Hero. Why are you trying to overstep your authority?’ Instead, all sorts of misunderstandings seemed to be forming.
*Is he trying to monopolize the glory? No, a Hero wouldn't be that petty, would he? What is it then? Perhaps he’s inexperienced and underestimating the Demon King's army?*
The looks in the knights' eyes were exactly that. It was an unexpected situation, but compared to the impulsive actions of my companions, it was nothing.
“The academy is the students’ home. In other words, they are challenging us. They may be unwelcome guests, not visitors, but in any case, I believe the master of the house should handle it personally.”
“Well, I understand the logic, but…”
“There are more reasons.”
Why would the Demon King's army attack the academy? It was obviously a move to target the Hero. If the Imperial Family sent troops, it would mean they were protecting the Hero, and being under someone’s protection so early on wouldn't look good for many reasons.
“I know. This isn't something to be concerned about. However, just as it’s important to start off on the right foot, I want to resolve this on our own this time.”
Overcoming a crisis by oneself. Creating a stepping stone for growth by doing so. The importance of that cannot be overstated. Of course, the reality was quite different, but perhaps because I'd wrapped it up nicely, the knights' reactions were incredibly enthusiastic.
“I’ve never seen such a magnificent mindset!”
“Indeed, it’s no wonder he was chosen by the Holy Sword.”
“At his age, I was all hot-blooded passion. Most are supposed to be immature at that age…”
I just spouted whatever came to mind, but it was remarkably effective. Without my status and the title of Hero, it would have been dismissed as utter nonsense. Well, anyway, it worked, so it was all for the best.
“Sir, that’s all well and good… but if we omit the request for reinforcements, I am concerned about student casualties.”
One knight cautiously voiced his opinion. He wasn't wrong, and yet, he was. I put on my most stern, serious, and solemn expression.
“I believe you’re mistaken about something. The students are not civilians.”
“—??”
“It’s true, isn’t it? The academy is more like a military academy. They may be a bit young, but they are talented individuals educated as soldiers or warriors.”
“Ah, in that case…”
“Every single one of them is prepared.”
“That’s truly remarkable!”
I guarantee it. More than half the students would be bewildered, wondering what nonsense I was talking about. But if they had any conscience, they wouldn't argue. Shouldn't they be grateful that I've made them out to be brave people?
In any case, the knights were, without exception, moved by my words. I even secured a promise that they would follow my instructions.
Finally, I checked on my party members. Most were acting as usual. A couple of them seemed overly eager, but that was within the expected range.
As I waited calmly, the inevitable finally arrived. An intense energy that even the dullest person could not fail to notice…
Everyone looked up at once. From a dark passage drawn in the empty air, the Four Heavenly Kings emerged.
“—!”
The tremendous pressure sent everyone into a state of panic. Tsk, what's important is an unbreakable spirit…
I, of course, was unfazed. In fact, I was at ease. Many things had changed so far, but the fact that the attack was proceeding as planned confirmed that the main framework was the same as the original story.
With this, there was nothing holding me back. Things would go as scheduled, and then everything would turn out fine.