Hero of Hilderan
The anomaly…
It spread quietly.
Knights rushed in and whispered to their masters. The nobles, their faces pale, hurried toward the terrace.
"Good heavens."
"The detached palace is…!"
On one side of the royal castle, black fiery light was surging. It was magic so thick and ominous that anyone could feel it.
────!
Another explosion followed. A magical alarm—previously unheard because of the banquet—finally screamed its urgency.
"Put out the fire!"
"A demon invasion!"
"Save the princess!"
Soldiers moved in a frenzy. The chief steward entered the banquet hall.
"Tonight's banquet ends here. An intruder has breached the palace, and for your safety, His Majesty asks that no one leave the hall until the situation is under control. This is a royal command."
The nobles hesitated.
Only a fool would fail to notice that beneath the surface of "safety concerns," there was something else—doubt.
"...Ahem. Very well."
"That magic must be the work of a demon… I'm certain of it."
A hall that should have been filled with joy now brimmed only with unease and awkward silence.
***
"Who?"
"Berze Deias. The Demon King of Ergest."
The one who kidnapped the princess introduced himself simply as a sorcerer of darkness. That alone wasn't enough to identify which Demon King he was.
But the black flames engulfing the detached palace—
"It's definitely the Flame Demon King."
It matched the identity the Hero Guild had recently circulated.
If he was a subordinate of that Demon King, it wouldn't be strange for him to wield part of the Demon King's authority.
"Whom did he take?"
"Princess Elena… Your Majesty…"
Clatter—
The king threw his cup. His formal clothes—prepared for attending the banquet—were torn apart in his hands.
"It has only been a few days since Elena returned."
Yes, not months, not weeks—just a few days.
The festival celebrating her survival was still ongoing, and the banquet had only just begun.
"And yet that bastard dares treat Hilderan like a joke."
He hadn't merely spoiled the evening—he had thrown a bomb into it.
"The Hero Guild clearly isn't doing its job. The Flame Demon King… Flame, not Deception! Flame!"
How dare they deceive him so thoroughly!
"I tried to endure it. I told myself it wasn't time yet. I barely held back. But Berze Deias… that damned demon dares test my patience."
He had tried to make Hilderan stronger than any other nation, and had worked tirelessly toward that goal.
And in this moment, the dignity he sought to elevate had fallen straight into the gutter.
"Put pressure on the Hero Guild."
They couldn't chase a Demon King who had already kidnapped royalty and vanished. Their concealment techniques were impossible to track.
That was a law of the world.
Nor could they search the Tower.
If Daphner Philian had failed, then barring reckless measures, there was no method—not for now.
His fury burned, but he was a king before he was a man. The kingdom came first.
He did not cling to a failed option. He simply searched for another.
"File a formal protest with the Hero Guild and demand an answer. And warn them—if incompetence continues, I will establish a royal Hero Division myself."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The knight bowed. At the chilling murderous aura, the maids trembled.
***
Elena Hilderan, 13th Princess of Hilderan.
Berze's ties with her began when he first descended.
A princess with no value, ignored by the kingdom.
Before regression, he had learned a single piece of information from Ugar and attempted to kidnap her. But he chose incorrectly, and kidnapped a princess with a missing digit—13 minus 3.
Fortunately, the outcome was favorable, and events flowed to the present.
But for a better future, he had to do more. The kidnapping of the 13th Princess was part of that process.
He couldn't deny that Ernan's request played a major role—but Berze would never have kidnapped her if the princess he met in the Golden Steel Tower had been useless.
On the 4th floor—where Ernan had been acknowledged as the floor's master—Berze laid the 13th Princess down on the earthen bed Ernan crafted.
"Just as expected."
"Yes. She's experiencing mana overload."
A Child of the World Tree was essentially created by forcibly infusing mana and strengthening the body through magic.
In other words, children born this way possessed far too much mana. And each sprinted toward one of several endings.
A body capable of adapting to mana,
or a body damaged by mana it couldn't withstand—becoming incapable of wielding it,
or simply death.
The first was Ernan.
The second was the twelve princes and sixteen princesses officially recognized as Hilderan royalty, excluding Ernan.
The third group was all those who never survived long enough to be called royalty.
But Elena Hilderan fit neither category.
She was neither a complete success, nor a complete failure.
Her body could not withstand mana and became fragile, yet at the same time absorbed an enormous amount of it.
Her body was always filled with energy it could not endure—a state of constant overload.
She should have died immediately. The only reason she survived was a stroke of miracle—the fact she was a Hero. Dimensional interference barely kept her collapsing body together.
"If her body were even slightly stronger, the King of Hilderan would never have left her alone."
Her overload was possible only because of her unique physique. Even without training techniques, even without effort, she drew in dozens of times more mana than a normal person.
It was both a blessing and a curse—the price and reward of the magic known as Child of the World Tree.
She possessed mana others would envy, yet lacked the body to endure it.
She could learn nothing, do nothing.
"Barely clinging to life."
"Meiar."
A tiny spirit peeked out from Elena's shoulder. Shaped like a small sparrow, it landed on Ernan's finger.
"I attached it to her."
There was only one way Elena could survive: she had to use up everything she had. Consume the mana the moment it filled her.
But her frail body rejected even the simplest methods. Her maximum output was no more than a small, delicate spirit.
And that tiny thing became her lifeline. It extended her life just enough for her to survive until now.
"What do you think? Will it work, as you said, Demon King?"
"It will."
But before that—
"Elena Hilderan. I assume Ernan has explained everything to you."
"Yes."
"I'll ask you. Can you oppose humans for my sake?"
"Can I really learn magic?"
"I stake the Demon King's honor on it."
"In that case, I can pledge myself to you, Demon King. I don't want to lie in bed anymore. I don't want to fall asleep wondering if I'll die."
"Even though you're a Hero?"
"I've never taken pride in being a Hero. I was just a sick person who lay in bed all my life."
"Ernan Hilderan."
"I'll take responsibility for her training."
Berze folded his arms.
Elena Hilderan was certainly useful. Right now, she was merely a sickly girl, but with proper instruction, she could become a valuable card.
A princess. A Hero. And a unique constitution that absorbed mana.
'But I still can't trust her.'
Ernan had proven much through action. Elena had not.
"Even if I implant a special substance into your head?"
"What kind of restrictions does it have?"
"It makes it impossible for you to betray me. That's all."
"I'll accept it. I would've died anyway if I stayed as I was."
"You really are a replica."
Berze snorted. It felt as though he had gained another Ernan.
"We're sisters, after all."
"So you're fine with something strange being put into your little sister's head?"
"It's better than her dying. Honestly, Meiar was already reaching the limit of what it could handle."
If things had continued for a few more years, Elena would have died. The only reason she had survived until moments before Berze arrived was—
'Because of Ugar.'
"But… can I really get better?"
"I can't say you'll recover right away. But you'll be able to learn magic, and once you do, you can strengthen your body yourself."
"That's enough for me. So what should I do?"
"Nothing."
"...?"
"Just stay on the 2nd or 3rd floor doing absolutely nothing. That alone will cure the overload."
Elena's problem was that her body drew in mana far beyond what it could endure.
Her body was too weak to purposely expend that mana, leaving no real method to control the overload.
But inside the Demon King's Tower? If the ambient mana was so thin that there wasn't enough to overload her?
Simply living her daily life would drain her mana and stabilize her. From there, they could gradually strengthen her body.
"Once your mana decreases enough that you can live normally, then learn magic."
"…If that's really all…"
"Do not doubt the Demon King."
"…Yes."
Elena nodded hesitantly.
***
A flash went off.
Dozens of magical cameras captured Hillen's face.
Good. Attention like this—
Hillen basked in the reporters' stares, then composed himself. A single tear fell.
"I never imagined something like this would happen."
He began to speak slowly. His voice trembled, adding emotion.
"I was born in Hilderan. I grew up in Hilderan. I've always been proud to call myself a child of Hilderan."
And so—
"I wanted Hilderan to shine. I took the kingdom's humiliation as my own and stepped forward."
"I stepped forward before anyone else to rescue Princess Ernan, and despite ridicule over my failure, I risked my life again to rescue Lady Elena Hilderan."
But for her to be kidnapped again…
Hillen choked up.
A reporter raised a hand.
"Are you saying the royal palace lacked proper security?"
"That's not what I mean. It is entirely my fault. Had I paid more attention, this never would have happened."
"But—"
Hillen cut the reporter off. He did not want to direct blame at the kingdom.
"If it were up to me, I'd march out this moment, slay the Demon King, and retrieve the princess. But sadly, incompetent as I am, I couldn't even find a trace of the Tower."
"You are not incompetent. If a hero who slew two Demon Kings is incompetent, then no hero in the world is worthy of praise!"
"That's right! No one has done as much for Hilderan as Hero Hillen Cargill!"
The citizens watching the conference shouted. Hillen bowed, holding back tears.
"Thank you. But gratitude alone will not bring back our kidnapped princesses. Nor does it mean I can save them. However—"
He steadied his voice, making it firm and resolute.
"As someone who has received so much from Hilderan, I cannot overlook this incident. I refuse to overlook it."
"As a citizen of Hilderan—"
"This Hillen Cargill, representing all heroes of Hilderan, vows here today."
Someday—
"Without fail, someday—"
Hillen's voice sank calmly. That made it all the more convincing.
"I will rescue both princesses from the Demon King's clutches."
"I will restore Hilderan's fallen honor."
"And that is my vow."
The moment he finished, a roar erupted.
Waaaaaaaaaah—!
Long live Hillen Cargill!
Long live our hero Hillen!
Please save the princesses!
The air trembled. Hillen's body shivered with exhilaration.
Hilderan's rage and shame transformed into madness and worship.
Hillen Cargill was overflowing with ecstasy.
***
『The speech was touching. You said you'd save the princesses someday?』
『Can you actually save them?』
"I never said I'd kill the Demon King. And who can say how long it will take, right?"
『Empty words. Hard to believe you're really a hero.』
"I could say such pretty words a hundred times. And thanks to them, I've become the greatest hero in Hilderan."
『The people of Hilderan would be delighted to hear that.』
"They don't need to hear it. They already love me. Thanks to that, I have the support of the entire kingdom."
『Congratulations. I look forward to your future performance even more.』
"Thank you."
『Has the Hero Guild contacted you yet? A hero who slew two Demon Kings—they must be dying to recruit you into central headquarters.』
"There's something I forgot to mention because I was busy rescuing Princess Elena, but yes, they've already contacted me."
『Is that so? Then—』
"Yes. I'll be entering headquarters, where I'll have greater authority to assist you, my lord Demon King."
『Not to help me—this is for your own sake. But I fully support your ambitions.』
"Thank you."
The Demon King and the hero exchanged laughter through the communicator.
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