〈 27th Episode 〉 Hero Killer
*
Outside the barrier, in an uncharted territory yet to be reached by humanity.
In a deep corner, a massive castle loomed.
The castle, where several demon kings resided, was referred to among demon kings as the Demon King’s Castle.
“Yawn…”
And within that castle, in a particularly isolated room.
A woman yawned.
With purple hair and impressive dark circles under her eyes, she looked like she had just woken up, but in reality, it had been ages since she last washed her hair. She had just pulled an all-nighter.
‘Isn’t it fun? The human world?’
What she was peering into was a large crystal ball.
Her face was pressed against it as if she might be sucked in at any moment.
‘Right, just dive in. Like a horny dog, no less.’
At that moment, she was fully engrossed in the crystal ball.
Suddenly, the ball turned crimson.
“Whoa!”
She recoiled, rolling around at the overwhelmingly provocative red color before her.
“What, what’s going on?!”
Red is not a good color.
It was a hue she hadn’t seen in a long while, and not in a good way.
‘If it’s red… could it be?’
She peered into the crimson crystal ball with trembling anticipation.
Soon, her face turned pale.
Her complexion had always been pale, but at this moment, it was practically ghostly.
‘Huh?’
She continued staring into the crystal.
Given the significance of the event, it was worth confirming multiple times.
‘Is it really true? The 71st Demon King is dead?’
She could not ascertain how or why it happened.
But one undeniable fact remained: the 71st Demon King was dead.
‘But the 71st Demon King surely…’
Born during the destruction of the Ice Valley 67 years ago, the 71st Demon King was shrouded in secrecy among demon kings.
If she managed to grow her power and parasitize a hero, or even a high-ranking hero, the Church’s security would be practically non-existent.
Yet, such a being had just died.
‘How on earth?’
Stuck in her corner, she had no way of knowing.
First and foremost, she needed to inform the other demon kings.
She pressed her hand against the crystal ball and shouted.
(16th Demon King Violet reporting. Just now…)
Still in disbelief, she double-checked the crystal ball.
And then she stated.
(71st Demon King Weiss has died.)
*
“Who is it?”
The meeting room was silent.
“I asked who it is!”
A man seated at the table pounded his fist down.
However, the tense atmosphere did not change.
At that moment, a woman sitting beside him spoke up.
“Do you really think calling out will make someone appear? It’s obvious they would die on the spot.”
“Is that you?!”
“Not a chance. I just said, who would show up knowing they’d die?”
She scanned the room.
There were more present than she had expected, but it was still far from half the seats filled.
This was the result of the Demon King’s Meeting held after 50 years.
‘Sigh.’
Some had gone radio silent, while others had simply declined to attend.
Each demon king was pursuing their own goals, so it was to be expected.
But the meeting couldn’t just be conducted half-heartedly.
“Then let’s reorganize the discussion.”
She started sorting through the topics that had come up in the meeting.
“First and foremost, the meeting was convened due to the death of 71st Demon King Weiss. That’s been confirmed, right, Violet?”
The woman sitting in the farthest corner nodded.
Her complexion remained pale.
“However, as you all know, the 71st Demon King was a strategic weapon we were handling in utmost secrecy. I believe some of you in this room may not even know about the 71st Demon King.”
Several demon kings nodded in understanding.
“Moreover, the 71st Demon King had the trait of being a ‘Parasite’—meaning it was practically impossible to slay her without knowing her identity. So, what does it mean that she has died?”
Someone swallowed hard.
“Right. It means there’s a leak among us….”
Thus, the meeting began shifting toward finding the leaker.
But of course, the leaker would not be so foolish as to come forward themselves.
“Though no one will step up voluntarily, we must be more cautious from now on.”
She smiled.
“From now on, mutual suspicion will deepen.”
She gazed into the void.
“Those demon kings not present here are no exception. No matter how much they prioritize their own goals, if that endangers us demon kings as a whole… we cannot simply stand idly by.”
And that statement didn’t go unheard by another demon king lurking outside the meeting room.
‘Oh shoot, I need to be careful…’
*
Meanwhile, the news reached the Church Headquarters as well.
Located in Saint City Hailen, the Church Headquarters contained the High Priest’s chambers deep within its domain.
Only a select few could enter the High Priest’s chambers.
Among them was an informant bearing crucial news.
“Greetings, High Priest.”
Kneeling and bowing his head upon entering the room, the informant offered respect.
The High Priest, looking down at him, said:
“Lift your head.”
The informant raised his head to behold the distant figure of the High Priest sitting in the chair.
‘No matter how many times I see her, she is beautiful…’
Her skin glimmered as if to shine through her thin, pure-white garments.
Those alone could not conceal her figure.
And no matter how much her face was partly hidden by a veil, her beauty was evident even in mere outlines.
“Ahem…”
But that was as far as he could let himself go.
Harboring personal feelings toward the High Priest was forbidden.
He was only permitted to appreciate her pure beauty.
“What news do we have this time?”
Now was the time to fulfill his role.
“I have gathered information from the spy at the Demon King’s Meeting. It appears the 71st Demon King died in the Chaos Realm of Basilium.”
“The 71st Demon King? Have we uncovered her identity?”
Information regarding the 71st Demon King was treated as confidential even among the demon kings, so the Church had yet to obtain any intel.
Yet somehow, news of her death reached them first.
“Yes, it was learned during this Demon King’s Meeting. Her ability is ‘Parasite’, which allows her to steal human bodies.”
Upon hearing that, the High Priest’s hand trembled.
The ‘Parasite’ ability was a significant threat to humanity.
News of the demise of a demon king equipped with such a threat couldn’t be better.
“And what of the hero who slayed the 71st Demon King?”
“Well… we are still in the process of discerning that.”
“A demon king has been slain, and yet we don’t know who did it?”
The informant looked troubled.
“That happens sometimes. Heroes who achieve great feats yet wish to remain in obscurity.”
“Even so, we need to know who killed the demon king.”
“Yes, we are currently investigating heroes in the Basilium region. However, this incident took place in a remote village, so… only one hero has recently been in that village.”
“Who is it?”
“Hero Gwen Reedval.”
*
“Ms. Gwen Reedval?”
With her red hair and small stature, the girl with an oddly mature aura turned around.
“Yes?”
“Are you Hero Gwen Reedval?”
At the Church’s Basilium branch, an employee called out to her as she came to report the loss of the Relic Gravitas Replicant.
“Yes, that’s me. What’s going on?”
“Our branch manager wishes to meet you.”
Gwen tilted her head at that.
‘The branch manager?’
Meeting the branch manager wasn’t a common occurrence.
Especially not one from a provincial branch, as a manager from a region like Basilium would likely be of considerable standing within the Church.
‘What could it be about?’
Curious but compliant, she followed the employee to the manager’s office.
Upon entering, she found a middle-aged man seated.
“Greetings, Hero Gwen Reedval. I am God Hulen, the branch manager of the Church’s Basilium branch.”
“Hello.”
She took a seat across from the manager.
He proceeded to offer her tea.
“Thank you.”
As she accepted the cup, she noticed a distinct aroma wafting from it.
It was a unique scent hard to find in other regions.
“Please drink and answer comfortably.”
Following the manager’s suggestion, she took a sip of the tea.
“Recently, concerning the village you visited near the border…”
And then she had no choice but to spit it out.
“Someone has killed the 71st Demon King nearby.”
Only one person floated to the forefront of Gwen’s mind.
‘Could it be that little brat?’
*
