Eugene Lionheart had come to Helmuth.
Noir Giabella smiled brightly when she heard the news. For an incident of this scale, a meeting of the Loyalty should have been held, but Babel was staying silent.
It was easy to guess the reason for this. During the Knight March held at the Lehain Fortress, the Brave Molon had made an appearance and even the Demon King of Incarceration had descended upon the scene. Gavid Lindman, who had visited the event in order to gauge the strength of the continent, had been forced to withdraw in humiliation.
“An important guest has arrived,” Noir said with a giggle as she swirled her wine glass.
The Demon King of Incarceration had said that he was looking forward to the Hero visiting him in his castle. As such Gavid, who was unwaveringly loyal to the Demon King, had no way of touching Eugene currently.
It wasn’t just Gavid either. There was also the Demon King of Destruction who had been silently biding his time within his fief of Lavista for hundreds of years. Even if the servants who were sworn to the silent Demon King of Destruction and the Demon King of Destruction himself were still alive and well, it was the Demon King of Incarceration who had been ruling Helmuth for the past three hundred years.
The Demon King of Incarceration was the emperor of Helmuth. There were none among the demonfolk who could deny this fact, and most of the high-ranking demonfolk were members of the vassal households who had sworn their allegiance to the Demon King of Incarceration. As long as Duke Gavid Lindman, who could be considered as the pinnacle of these loyal subjects as the Blade of Incarceration, remained silent, the other demonfolk who were under his command wouldn’t rush forward to make a move.
In other words, Eugene Lionheart was surprisingly able to walk quite safely through Helmuth. If he chose only to travel to the ‘safe’ cities, any casual manifestations of violence on behalf of the demonfolk would pose no threat to him.
[What do you intend to do?] a man’s voice inquired.
Noir replied with a laugh, “What else can someone like me do? I’m not sure how Gavid considers me, but I personally think that he and I are friends. Also, I too have sworn allegiance to the Demon King of Incarceration.”
At these words, the man on the screen in front of Noir could only smile wryly.
“All that considered, I have no intention of stirring things up needlessly from my side,” Noir claimed. She took a sip of her wine, then puffed her chest out proudly.
The man kept the same wry smile on his face as he stared at Noir.
If the innate nature of all demonfolk was chaos, then the Queen of the Night Demons was the most chaotic existence amongst all of the chaotic demonfolk that the man had met.
Yet, what the Queen of the Night Demons wanted wasn’t just chaos. What she desired was the second coming of that nightmarish era from over three hundred years ago. While she said that she had no intention of being the first to provoke Eugene, if it was what she had to do in order to further her goals, then she would be sure to step in without any hesitation.
Rather, the question was, would she move against Eugene Lionheart? No, that sort of action didn’t suit the nature of the Queen of the Night Demons. Given the situation she was in, she would much rather provide some help to Eugene rather than hurt him.
This was the Hero who had been recognized by the Holy Sword, the descendant of the great Vermouth, and that wasn’t even all there was to him. Eugene Lionheart held an intense hatred for all demonfolk, a hatred that stemmed from his very soul. Thus, he was clearly destined to become an enemy of the demonfolk, and with his innate talents, background, and rapidly accumulating strength, he was steadily growing closer to being able to aim for the neck of the Demon King.
That was why the Queen of the Night Demons held such high hopes for Eugene Lionheart. She actually wished for him to become the spark for a war that would finally break these three hundred years of peace. She sincerely hoped that he would someday challenge the Demon King of Incarceration. Once that was achieved, they would be able to once again wage war against the Hero, an existence comparable to Vermouth, and they would finally be able to fight once more.
“ Hahaha. ” Noir laughed and her body shuddered in ecstasy just from imagining it.
She could even die in such a war.
But would she really?
Just the thought of it alone was amusing.
Noir had the Demoneye of Fantasy, which had the power to replace reality with her dreams. The dreams that the Queen of the Night Demons could create were sophisticated enough to be indistinguishable from reality, so she could perfectly realize all of her desires even if she couldn’t obtain them in reality.
However, there was one dream that not even Noir Giabella could recreate. Despite her countless attempts, up until now, Noir had never been able to play out the scene of her own death within her dreams. It was very simple of her to show someone else a dream that would lead to their death, but Noir couldn’t create such a death dream for herself.
Noir herself knew the reason for this. It was because she found it impossible to imagine her own death.
Would it be a sleep from which she would never wake up? Or perhaps it would be agony intense enough to tear her soul into shreds? Would there be just an empty void waiting for her? Or…
Noir had tried several things. She had even summoned the souls of those who had already died and questioned them on their deaths.
However, Noir had still failed to picture her own death within her dreams.
This was only natural. When you died, everything would come to a true, unquestionable end. So in a dream controlled by herself, which guaranteed that she would someday wake up from it, how could it even be possible for Noir to create such an end? She was the master of the Demoneye of Fantasy, which enabled her to replace reality with dreams of her own creation, but in the end, her own death was an unimaginable scene that she couldn’t even dream of.
“ Ah! ” Noir suddenly gasped in recollection. “No, there is one thing that ever so slightly disappointed me. It’s about the other day, when I personally — well, no, not personally, but when I met him in the snowfield. Did you know? I even gave him a special coin and I invited him to come and visit my Giabella City!”
[He must have thrown it away,] the man instantly surmised.
“That’s exactly what happened! He really just threw it away, right on the spot, as soon as he received it. Wasn’t that just going too far? After all, I was honestly hoping that he would stop by at least once,” Noir said with a pout.
[He shouldn’t have any real reason to go there, would he?] the man pointed out.
“But he doesn’t have any reason not to go there,” Noir objected. “You might not know this, but my Giabella City has been overcrowded with people ever since the first day it was opened. All of the rooms in our accommodations are always sold out, and there are days-long waiting lines to enter even the most low-class casinos and other types of stores. It’s so crowded that they’re even having to impose traffic control.”
[Congratulations,] the man said, his voice filled with sincerity.
Giabella City, which had boasted of becoming a new landmark of Helmuth, was proving to be a success that surpassed all expectations.
Well, it was only natural for it to succeed. The person in charge of the whole city’s construction was the Queen of the Night Demons, who was not only a perfectly bewitching existence, but also had a shocking talent for this kind of business.
Even if the entertainment provided by the city fell short of expectations, Noir Giabella still had the Demoneye of Fantasy on top of that. The countless humans and demonfolk who had already entered the city were sure to have become prisoners of the dreams that Noir Giabella had shown them.
Just the amount of money earned in a day alone was definitely astronomical, but what was truly valuable for the demonfolk was the regularity with which the visitors’ life-force could be harvested.
“Why don’t you come and have some fun as well?” Noir offered. “If you do come to visit… hehe, though I might not take care of you myself, I can appear to you in your dreams.”
The man shook his head. [Allow me to decline your offer.]
At his polite refusal, Noir shook her now completely empty wine glass and giggled. “You’re an interesting man, Balzac Ludbeth, but you’re also pretty damn boring.”
Aroth’s Black Tower Master, Balzac Ludbeth was smiling wryly from the screen in front of Noir. [Is that so?]
“However, I actually quite like that side of you. Yes… haha, the ultimate goal of your wizardry truly is quite fun and interesting, but in reality, men like you, who are so obsessed with their goals, are blind to everything else, so they’re quite boring,” Noir complained.
[I also quite admire you, Your Grace. After all, you do donate a huge sum of money to the Black Tower of Magic every year. Also, it’s not just with the Black Tower of Magic, you’ve also provided me with plenty of personal support,] Balzac said appreciatively.
“Is that right?” Noir cocked an eyebrow. “However, I’m actually quite dissatisfied with you. Why didn’t you entice Eugene Lionheart to come visit Giabella City?”
Balzac confessed, [I’m actually not all that close to him. Sir Eugene, in fact, rather dislikes me.]
“If that truly is the case, then Eugene Lionheart must be quite hard-hearted. After all, haven’t you shown Eugene Lionheart all sorts of kindness, Balzac? I thought that I heard that you warned him of several dangers and helped him develop his Signature? Does he still dislike you even with all that?” Noir asked.
[As you already know, he holds great hatred and prejudice against all black wizards. It’s a pity, but I feel like it can’t be helped,] Balzac admitted with a shrug.
Noir hummed. “ Hmmm… . Even though I’ve seen many black wizards over the course of my very long life, I’ve never seen a black wizard as peculiar as you. If you knew you were going to be on the receiving end of all this hatred, why didn’t you just sell information about Eugene Lionheart from the very start?”
Balzac excused himself. [I’ve never obtained any information worth selling.]
“Are you really not going to sell it even to me?” Noir asked with a coquettish laugh as she crossed her legs.
[No chance,] Balzac replied without any hesitation.
Noir was actually very pleased with this answer, “You really are a freak, Balzac. Well, if you were just a wizard, then you would be just another guy, but since you’re a black wizard, you’re pretty damn unusual. That’s why you’re so interesting,” Noir complimented him. She tilted her head and chuckled.
Balzac Ludbeth, Edmund Codreth and Amelia Merwin — these three black wizards were called the Three Mages of Incarceration. The Demon King of Incarceration had signed the same contract with each of these three black wizards, but the power held by each of them was a different matter altogether.
If one simply looked at them in terms of strength, then Amelia Merwin, who had lived for over two hundred years, was undoubtedly at the top. Edmund Codreth, who had been bestowed with Vladmir, was at the top in terms of his capabilities as a black wizard.
So…what about Balzac Ludbeth? There wasn’t really anything that particularly stood out about him. Although he was known to be a genius in magic, to the extent that he had once been considered for the position of Tower Master of the Blue Tower of Magic, when compared to Amelia or Edmund, Balzac didn’t really have any advantages.
Nevertheless, the Demon King of Incarceration had signed a contract with Balzac Ludbeth. In addition, Noir Giabella also supported him. The Demon King of Incarceration’s true intentions for signing Balzac were unknown, but Noir was amused by Balzac’s aspirations.
“Since that’s the case, allow me to tell you something that you will be interested in. Edmund Codreth left for Samar ten days ago,” Noir informed him.
[As expected,] Balzac muttered.
“You know of them as well right? Among the tribes of Samar… were they called the Kochilla? The ones who are humans but eat their own kind and act like demonfolk. The tribe that Edmund has been dealing with. He said that he would be going to Samar for something to do with them…”
Noir stopped speaking for a few moments, and her eyes widened, her face taking on an innocent expression. “He didn’t tell me his exact reasons. Well, not that I ever asked him for them. Balzac, do you know why Edmund is going to Samar?”
[What a nasty question to ask. After all, you already know the answer to that,] Balzac accused her.
Noir didn’t deny it. “I have no intention of stopping him. The same goes for Gavid, and probably even the Demon King of Incarceration as well. Although we don’t know what exactly Edmund might be planning to do there, he’ll probably succeed in it. If he didn’t have the confidence to succeed, a prudent black wizard like him wouldn’t have gone there in the first place.”
[That should probably be the case,] Balzac replied calmly
Noir was curious as to the basis for Balzac’s calmness. However, she didn’t pursue any details. Rather than knowing what would happen in advance, it was definitely more enjoyable for her to maintain a certain degree of ignorance and receive a surprise.
“...My body is itching,” Noir muttered in a low voice as her toes curled giddily. The itching sensation rose from her toes and caused her chest to pound in excitement.
“Hey Balzac, I’m currently considering something,” Noir idly mentioned.
[What could you be considering?] Balzac politely inquired.
“I’m just saying, aren’t I the Queen of the Night Demons? That means I have countless Night Demons serving under me. I’m also a Duke of Helmuth, the Lord of Vaniris, the Master of the Black Duskwoods, and now, the mayor of Giabella City,” Noir listed her titles.
Balzac nodded. [Yes, I know all that.]
“So wouldn’t it be inappropriate of me to move without an entourage[1]? However, since I’m used to moving around without a large entourage, shouldn’t it be alright for me to move around as I please?”
[Who would dare to judge you for doing what you want to do, Your Grace.]
“It’s about Eugene Lionheart,” Noir’s voice lowered as she said his name. Shooting glances at Balzac like a shy little girl, she continued speaking in that same low voice. “This is against the rules, but let me just tell you a secret. Do you want to know what I discovered about Eugene Lionheart’s use of the warp gates today?”
[...]
“What’s with that silence?” Noir demanded. “I am a Duke of Helmuth. It’s alright for me to bend the rules a little, no? In any case, I took a look… he arrived at the Malera Fief today. Do you know where that is?”
Balzac paused. [The Malera Fief…. Yes, I do know it. It’s in the southwest of Helmuth.]
“It’s right next to Karabloom,” Noir clarified.
Karabloom was the fief ruled by the Black Dragon Raizakia. The Dragon-Demon Castle floated in the skies above the fief.
Balzac forgot to respond for the moment as he searched his memories. He couldn’t understand why Eugene Lionheart had arrived at the Malera Fief.
“It seems you don’t know the reason either?” Noir assessed.
Balzac admitted, [That’s right.]
“I have a slight hunch, but… since I haven’t heard Eugene’s intentions from him personally, I can’t be sure. That’s why I’m so curious. That’s also why I keep considering my earlier question,” Noir said as her smile changed.
Her expression no longer had the shyness of a bashful girl; instead, it was the wicked grin of a rascal who had discovered the opportunity for a funny prank.
“The master of the Dragon-Demon Castle has already changed, but that fact hasn’t been announced to the world. That’s why the Dragon-Demon Castle, Karabloom, and all the laws set by that damned Raizakia have remained as they are,” Noir grumbled.
Raizakia was a terrible hater of all humans. It wasn’t just the Dragon-Demon Castle; humans weren’t even allowed to cross the borders of the Karabloom territory.
“If Eugene Lionheart is going to Karabloom… does that mean he wants to enter the Dragon-Demon Castle? If so, then I should be able to help with that. If I were to make a move, I could send Eugene Lionheart into the Dragon-Demon Castle very easily,” Noir mused.
[...If it’s Your Grace, then it’s certainly possible. However, there’s no real need for you to provide any assistance, is there? As far as I’m aware, the atmosphere in Karabloom has been rather unusual as of late.]
The Malera Fief wasn’t the only territory next to Karabloom, where the Dragon-Demon Castle was situated. The lord of the nearby Ruol Fief, Count Karrad, was from the Giant Demon line, and although he was young, he was a talented and strong nobleman. In recent years, Count Krrad had been in a feud with the Dragon-Demon Castle, which had been keeping silent for hundreds of years.
Perhaps it was out of fear for the name of Duke Raizakia, but he had yet to directly apply for a rank challenge or a territory war. However Count Karrad continued to intrude into Karabloom’s borders. If the trend continued, then a territory war was bound to break sooner rather than later.
[I don’t know why Sir Eugene wants to enter Karabloom. After all, it’s not even certain yet that there is something that he wants to see in Karabloom. However, from the rumors floating around, there is a little something that I know for sure,] Balzac revealed.
“What is it?”
[From what I’ve heard, Count Karrad has hired Lavista’s Devil Beast in preparation for his war against the Black Dragon Raizakia.]
“It seems that you can hear rumors about Helmuth even in Aroth?”
[It’s not like I don’t have my own eyes and ears in Helmuth, just like you do.]
The Devil Beast from Lavista, the fief of the Demon King of Destruction.
There was only one existence that name could be referring to.
Three hundred years ago, there were four demonfolk who were called the ‘Children of Fury.’ Among them, alongside the leader of the dark elves — the Rakshasa Princess Iris — was the Depraved Oberon, who ruled over his pack of beastfolk as the alpha predator.
The sinner who ripped Oberon’s throat and killed him, the predator who had succeeded Oberon to become the new leader of his pack of beastfolk, was the one and only Jagon.
“...Other demonfolk wouldn’t want to face the uncertain risk of fighting with Raizakia, but Jagon…he’s just a beast without any ability to reason. I don’t know how much Count Karrad needed to pay to hire him, but Jagon has to be the strongest amongst all the forces that can be recruited for money within Helmuth,” Noir recalled.
[There are also a few other rumors. They say that the Black Dragon is dealing with a huge personal problem. He might even be dying. Apparently, this is the reason why the Black Dragon hasn’t been seen in the past two hundred years…. Has the Black Dragon truly died?] Balzac asked tentatively.
“He’s probably not dead…yet?” Noir said in an uncertain tone.
[So you’re saying that even you don’t know for sure, Your Grace?]
Noir didn’t reply and just grinned brightly.
Staring at her smile, Balzac continued speaking, [...If Jagon really has been hired by Count Karrad, Karabloom will be far too dangerous for Sir Eugene. If Jagon truly is the madman that the rumors paint him as, he will definitely pick a fight with Sir Eugene, who’s said to be the second coming of the Great Vermouth.]
Noir nodded. “That could also prove quite interesting.”
[...Huh?]
“Don’t you agree? Jagon is Oberon’s descendant. He’s also a vassal of the Demon King of Destruction. Eugene Lionheart is Vermouth’s descendant and the hero….’
For a few moments, Noir pictured the two of them in her head. Then she leapt up from her chair. She couldn’t stand it any longer.
“I want to go see Eugene Lionheart,” Noir declared. “Even if he disagrees, I’m sending him to the Dragon-Demon Castle.”
[Huh?] Balzac repeated himself.
Noir said optimistically, “Perhaps this opportunity might even spark off a friendship between Eugene Lionheart and myself. I’m helping him, after all! In that case, wouldn’t it be possible for me to request an immature Dragonheart in exchange for my help? Also, I could make these small buds of friendship eventually blossom into love, leading to the forbidden love between a Hero and a demonfolk…. Mhm, that’s also quite nice in its immorality.”
Balzac picked up on something she had mentioned. [Did you just say an immature Dragonheart…?]
“Ah, that was meant to be a secret… you can’t tell anyone, okay?” Noir warned him with a smile as she shook her finger in Balzac’s face.
Balzac changed the subject. [Are you heading there now?]
“There’s no reason why I should go any later, right? I also happen to be free at the moment. Well then, bye-bye, Balzac,” Noir said as her eyes curled up in a smile. “Dead or alive, see you next time~”
1. The original text uses a funny idiom to describe moving without an entourage as ‘moving her butt lightly’. ☜