“Are you saying that you want to go to the Demon King’s Castle yourself?”
When I explained to Berard that I planned to go to the Demon King’s Castle, he reacted with surprise.
I wondered whether he was that shocked because he must already think of us as demons, or if there was something specific about the Demon King’s Castle that could explain his reaction.
“…As you may already know, the Demon King’s Castle is currently vacant, as the Demon King is away. Therefore, it would be a bit inappropriate for another high-ranking demon to visit without a proper reason.”
‘Could it be that he’s concerned about being mistaken for attempting to take advantage of an unoccupied castle?’
It seemed that Berard had mistaken me for a high-ranking demon like himself.
However, I wasn’t a demon, nor had I ever considered starting a rebellion or anything of that sort.
Of course, if demons showed up among those visiting the castle, I might be inspired by Europe’s revolutionary spirit.
“What about those teleportation stones? Are there none that can take us to the Demon King’s Castle?”
“The teleportation stones that lead to the Demon King’s Castle are only held by the closest high-ranking demons of the Demon King’s inner circle. I’m afraid it’s difficult for me to procure one.”
Berard shook his head in response to Arsep’s question.
Even I thought that allowing just anyone to carry such a convenient item, like a teleportation stone, could lead to trouble.
If a real hero got their hands on one, it would be problematic if they could teleport straight to the Demon King.
No one in their right mind would give anyone the ability to travel directly to their castle.
In that case, maybe it would be best to find a dragon and hitch a ride to the Demon King’s Castle.
I immediately went to look for a dragon after returning to the castle.
“Not a single one?”
But, the sound of dragon wings, which used to be audible when I closed my eyes and focused, was nowhere to be heard.
I tried moving a bit farther, but still couldn’t hear anything.
Even in Berard’s city, I couldn’t sense the presence of a single dragon.
It was as if all the dragons had disappeared from the demon realm.
Not only dragons, but wyverns were nowhere to be seen either.
Up until a month ago, dragons and wyverns had been easy to find in the demon realm. What on earth had happened for there to be not a single one left?
“…It’s probably because of you.”
“Is that so?”
Arsep said the reason was me.
“One day, a demon appeared who could suppress them with nothing but stones. That’s when wyverns disappeared from the demon realm overnight. There aren’t many dragon breeds, so I imagine none are left.”
“Then… if I’d known, I should’ve just captured any dragon and put a leash on it.”
I hadn’t ruled out the idea of capturing a dragon and raising it like a horse at the castle.
But dragons were so large that I couldn’t keep them in the stable, and it would be awkward to release them into the yard.
So, I had planned to just get one whenever I needed it.
“Because you were thinking that way, all the dragons ran away.”
“…Dragons are more timid than I thought.”
“I’d say it’s more that they’re wise…”
Now that this had happened, ‘should I just ride a horse?’
If I took the two of them on horseback to the Demon King’s Castle, I would arrive earlier than if we walked.
However, even horses need rest along the way, so it would still take a long time.
The demon realm is so vast that it takes more than a month to get from here to the Demon King’s Castle.
Even if we rode horses, it would still take at least two weeks.
When I factored in the time to return, it would require too much time, so I had to think of another way to reach the Demon King’s Castle.
“How about going outside the demon realm to look for a dragon?”
“Do you have some grudge against dragons?”
“I don’t have any particular grudge… but searching for a dragon that could be anywhere outside the demon realm sounds like a lot of work.”
Thus, I thought about it.
The dragons had already fled the demon realm to avoid me.
Only high-ranking demons who are the closest to the Demon King possess the teleportation stones that can instantly take someone to the Demon King’s Castle.
Considering these factors, the fastest route to the Demon King’s Castle would be…
“How about attacking a high-ranking demon close to the Demon King?”
***
“…Why on earth did you come to that conclusion?”
“Then, would you give up on the staff?”
“Well, that’s…”
Upon hearing the question about giving up on the staff, Arsep fell into deep thought.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of getting the teleportation stone. And I’m confident that I can ensure no demons will be visiting this castle either.”
“That’s not the problem! I’m just… worried that you might get hurt…”
I was curious about why he was hesitating, but it seemed like Arsep was just worried that I might get hurt.
***
“Do you really think I’m going to get hurt?”
“Now that you mention it, I suppose it’s possible.”
I never expected Arsep to worry about something I didn’t even consider.
At this point, I couldn’t help but realize that I was actually one of the stronger individuals in this world.
Although I couldn’t fly like a dragon or control elements like a mage, I still had confidence in myself.
Even if my opponent were a strong demon close to the Demon King, at least I wouldn’t be completely outmatched.
If things got dangerous, ‘I could always throw a stone and run away, right?’
***
“Still, my opponent is directly under the Demon King. From my research, those called the Demon King’s closest subordinates are commanders who lead major organizations or units within the Demon King’s army.”
I figured they were something like high-ranking officers in a military.
“Also, we don’t even know where the Demon King’s closest subordinates are located. Sure, there may be one in the Demon King’s Castle, but once we get there, it won’t matter if we get a teleportation stone.”
“It’s fine. I already have an idea of where the Demon King’s closest subordinates might be.”
“How do you know that?”
“I heard that the demon realm and the human realm are at war. So, there’s probably at least one of them there.”
The demon realm and the human realm had been at war for quite some time.
Because of that, human adventurers had mistakenly come to Arsep’s castle thinking it was the Demon King’s Castle, and I had been assigned to guard the gates.
“Are you planning to raid the battlefield?”
Arsep noticed what I was thinking and asked, her eyes wide with surprise.
“If you do that, demons and even humans will see you as an enemy and attack. If an unknown figure suddenly appears on the battlefield, neither side would just ignore it…”
“It doesn’t matter. At least I’ll be able to make one side—either the demons or the humans—my ally.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“Since arriving in this world, I had met countless adventurers.”
“Some claimed to be heroes who had drawn the holy sword, others said they were descendants of ancient heroes, or reincarnations of legendary warriors.”
“There were countless others who claimed to be connected to heroes, yet they were all searching for the Demon King in a castle that wasn’t even his.”
“That’s something you’ll see later. But for now, I need your help. Can you tell me where to find any statues that lead to the human realm? You said the battlefield is there, right?”
“I can’t say there’s nothing I can’t tell you… but in return, I’ll come with you. I’m worried about what you might do.”
“Since you’ll be alone in the castle anyway, you might as well stay somewhere safe and watch over things with Flua.”
Arsep looked at me with a mix of worry and expectation in her eyes.
But there was no need to worry.
This would definitely work, and it was a method the demons could never retaliate against.
For now, I should find some decent armor and a sword in the warehouse.
***
The First Frontline in the Human Realm.
It was where the Demon King’s army and the Human Realm alliance were currently facing off.
Even in the early hours of the morning, sentries stood guard in preparation for sudden attacks from the enemy.
In war, the means and methods don’t matter.
Only victory and conquest count.
Because of that, one could never lower their guard, not knowing what tactics the enemy might use.
But no one could prepare for everything.
And even if you did prepare, there was no guarantee that it would work.
***
“Big trouble—!”
“What’s all the fuss about?”
“A human who claims to be a hero suddenly showed up!”
“Why are you making such a big deal out of yet another fool who thinks they’re a hero?”
“Well, this ‘hero’ is destroying our forward base! Half of our forces have been annihilated! We can’t stop them!”
“What do you mean, ‘destroying our forces’?!”
An emergency was declared among the Demon King’s army at the frontlines.
There had been countless humans who claimed to be heroes in the past, but they were always just deluded fools who quickly reached their limits and became irrelevant.
But now, things were different.
The high-ranking demons, who had been resting for tomorrow’s advance, rushed to the scene in a panic when the self-proclaimed hero appeared.
By the time they arrived, the scene was absolute chaos.
“Is that really the ‘hero’?”
“Well, according to him, he says he’s a hero.”
“That’s no hero, that’s just a madman! Send a request for reinforcements immediately!”
With a sword sheathed, he was beating the demons mercilessly.
The barriers conjured by hundreds of mages were shattered by throwing stones like meteors.
‘Ah, this feels so good.’
The self-proclaimed hero continued to pummel the demons relentlessly, looking as if he were enjoying himself.
Arsep watched the scene with a blank expression, her mind clearly struggling to process what was happening.