Chapter 4 : It’s More Serious Than I Expected

“Your Highness, Princess? What brings you here…?”

The Duke of the Nation was tense.

A visit from the princess to his room was no ordinary matter. He decided to ask her purpose first.

“Someone as esteemed as Your Highness should not lower herself by coming to a place like this. May I ask the reason for your visit?”

“I can tell you, but I think it would be better if you opened the door first.”

“And why is that?”

“I believe…”

From beyond the door, Princess Irene spoke.

“You might prefer to have a conversation that others shouldn’t overhear.”

“W-What do you mean by that?”

“Well, shouldn’t you know better than I do? But it’s fine if we continue speaking like this, as long as you don’t mind the nearby people overhearing us…”

This was it.

Princess Irene was a mysterious woman whose thoughts were hard to read.

She was extraordinary in many ways.

Even for someone as high-ranking as the Duke of the Nation, the princess was no easy opponent.

Reluctantly, the Duke opened the door.

Like a radiant flower, the beautiful princess slightly lifted the hem of her dress in a gesture of courtesy.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“It’s nothing, Your Highness. Please, come in.”

The Duke invited her in and checked the surroundings.

Fortunately, no one seemed to be nearby.

If so, then Irene’s earlier remark was merely to unnerve him.

Not that he could point that out.

He decided to keep silent.

“Well then, Your Highness, could you tell me the purpose of your visit?”

The Duke, Zero, closed the door and asked discreetly.

“Alright. First… I’d like to ask about the hero.”

“T-The hero?”

“Zero Payback, your Payback lineage has long been known for inheriting the extraordinary ability of the ‘Eye of Truth.’ This ability, regarded as the Empire’s ‘Eye,’ is an irreplaceable asset to our nation.”

“That… is true. But what of it?”

“The former hero, the hero before that, and even the very first hero—they were all chosen based on their potential, as seen through the Payback lineage’s ‘Eye of Truth.’ The same applies to the current hero.”

“That is… correct.”

The Duke could not stop cold sweat from trickling down.

It was as though Irene could see through all his hidden thoughts.

The unease and suffocation he felt were overwhelming.

Irene continued.

“This current hero, Sir Raul, is said to possess an S-rank skill. What kind of S-rank skill does he have?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Knowing the hero’s abilities would help us better support him.”

“That… cannot be disclosed, Your Highness.”

“And why is that?”

“The hero’s skills are among the Empire’s most classified secrets. Should this information be leaked to the Demon King’s army, they could analyze and counter the hero’s power.”

“Are you implying that I would leak the hero’s information to the Demon King’s army?”

“Not at all…”

“It’s fine. You can tell me. After all, we’re on the same side.”

“I cannot disclose it.”

“Hmm.”

When the Duke firmly refused to answer, Irene turned her head and feigned disinterest. Then she shifted the topic, bringing up something else.

“Now that I think about it, I’ve heard some rumors.”

“Rumors?”

“Yes, about Sir Raul’s… behavior over the past seven days. Some are calling it disgraceful.”

“Disgraceful, you say?”

“There’s a saying in our Renal Empire: ‘Great power resides in a virtuous character.’ Based on that, I find it hard to believe Sir Raul possesses an S-rank skill.””What nonsense! Speaking ill of the hero is a grave offense, Your Highness!”

“Everyone criticized the previous hero, Victor, so what’s the big deal? The law against defaming the hero is outdated and unenforced. No one abides by it anymore. Besides, I’m merely repeating what I’ve heard. It’s not my opinion.”

“Why are you bringing up such rumors to me, then?”

“Doesn’t it seem strange if the rumors are true? Thanks to the goddess’s blessing, the hero-summoning ritual rarely fails. But for the former hero Victor to be a failure, and now Raul as well—doesn’t that seem like an awfully cruel coincidence?”

“…Ah, Sir Raul hasn’t failed yet. He has only just embarked on his expedition.”

“That’s true,” Irene admitted calmly.

“But even if the rumors are true, there might be no need to worry so much.”

“W-Why not?”

“Oh my, you don’t know?” Irene said playfully.

“They say the hero and the demon king are like the two poles of yin and yang, maintaining balance.”

“A-And what does that mean?”

“In history, the strongest hero was the first, Johannes. Similarly, the strongest demon king was also the first. Johannes eventually defeated the demon king after a great adventure.”

“That’s… common knowledge.”

“However, it’s impossible to annihilate the demon king forever. As long as there is a hero, the demon king will revive, and as long as there is a demon king, a hero will be summoned. Like the sun setting and the moon rising, it’s the way of the world.”

“Yes, that’s true… but what are you trying to say?”

“Even so, defeating the demon king isn’t meaningless. Killing a demon king means it takes about a hundred years for them to resurrect. The second hero, Muhammad, was summoned only a hundred years after the first demon king’s death. Though… the second hero is infamously known as the worst in history.”

“That is also common knowledge.”

“But even during the era of the weakest hero Muhammad, humanity didn’t suffer significant losses. Do you know why?”

“It was because the demon king of that time was also the weakest.”

“Ah…”

“The strongest hero and the strongest demon king are born in the same era, as are the weakest hero and the weakest demon king. This balance maintains the harmony of the world.”

“I know that much. But, Your Highness, why are you telling me this?”

“Because it means there’s no need to worry, right?”

“Pardon?”

“After the former hero Rohan Algoras killed the demon king, a hundred years passed, and the former hero Victor was summoned. At the same time, a new demon king would have been born.”

“Ah…!”

Only now did Duke Zero begin to grasp what Irene was implying.

The hero and the demon king are opposing entities.

The current hero and the current demon king are of similar strength.

This means the power of the current demon king can be estimated based on Victor’s abilities.

“If the former hero Victor Evans was the most incompetent hero ever, then the current demon king must also be the weakest demon king ever. So even if the current hero Raul turns out to be another failure, it won’t be a big deal. Like Victor, he’ll just return without results. Victor may not have achieved much, but at least he didn’t cause significant losses. In other words, everything will remain stagnant. Sir Raul will likely end up the same, so there’s nothing to worry about.”

“…Th-That’s…!!”

“Oh my. Did I say something wrong?”

The Duke trembled, pale as a ghost. He had finally realized the gravity of the situation.

“This can’t be…! If Victor possessed skills equivalent to an SSSSSSSS rank monster, then the demon king of that era must have been an equally unprecedentedly malevolent and powerful demon. The fact that Victor, even with his skills, couldn’t decisively win only proves how strong the demon king was. Which means… with Raul’s abilities, not only will he fail to maintain the status quo, but a massive catastrophe is inevitable. What should I do about this?”

Irene silently observed the sweating Duke before abruptly standing up.

“Well then, I’ll take my leave now.”

“What? S-So suddenly?”

“Do you have more to say? I’ve already said all I wanted.”

“…That’s true.”

He wanted to plead for help, but doing so would require confessing the whole truth, including his own sins.

The Duke lacked both the courage and the integrity for such an act.

All he could do was open the door and bid Irene farewell properly.

“Goodbye, Your Highness. Did today’s conversation hold any meaning?”

“Of course. I’ve satisfied all my curiosities.”

“But… I didn’t answer any of your important questions.”

“I may not have the ‘Eye of Truth,’ but I do have a good eye for people. I can generally tell what someone is thinking.”

With a radiant smile, Irene closed the door.

On one side of the door, the Duke stood frozen, dazed, while on the other, Irene briskly left, quickly returning to her room in just a few steps.

“01/21.”

“Yes.”

At the mention of a name, a woman with braided hair suddenly appeared, kneeling in the previously empty space.

Irene spoke.

“Locate the former hero Victor immediately and bring him here. Be sure to treat him with the utmost respect and avoid offending him at all costs. This mission carries the fate of not just the Renal Empire but all humanity. I trust you won’t betray my expectations.”

“Understood, Your Highness.”

With a flash, the woman named Eri disappeared.

Left alone, Irene bit her nails nervously.

“Victor… please, come back… Without you, our empire is doomed!”

Irene was the only one who had realized Victor’s true value.