The royal palace of the Neon Kingdom was in the midst of reconstruction.
Caron and his group, having been given the finest guest chamber in the palace, were all gathered in one room to take a much-needed rest.
"...There's no doubt that Caron Leston will shape the future of the continent," Leo said, reading aloud from a newspaper. "He proved his strength by defeating the Mercenary King at such a young age. It's only a matter of time before he joins the ranks of the continent's strongest. As it stands, the only person who could suppress Caron Leston now is his grandfather, Halo Leston. With the Demon Kings beginning to emerge, the continent's hope rests on Caron Leston—"
"Leo," Caron interrupted.
"What?" Leo asked.
"People say you die if you start doing things that aren't like you. Drop the newspaper and go train your mana or something," Caron replied.
Though Caron's body had recovered considerably, his expression told another story entirely. No—if anything, his expression looked even worse than before.
That was because the goal Caron had dreamed of for so long had completely fallen apart.
"Where did I go wrong?" Caron muttered. "I ran around doing all kinds of crazy things..."
Newspapers from every nation were now filled with nothing but praise for Caron. His disguise had been destroyed during his fight with Nelson, laying his true identity bare for the world to see. And to make matters worse, the Queen had conveniently stepped up and testified to everything. The praise for Caron was now spreading out of control.
The plan to become the continent's ultimate troublemaker had essentially gone up in smoke.
As Caron sighed heavily, Seria smacked him on the back as if he was being ridiculous. She said, "Everyone already knows you're insane, Caron. Don't worry about it."
"You're right. Seria, maybe you could help me out later," Caron said, perking up. "If the Grand Saintess personally confesses the truth, people might actually listen."
"They'll just say 'The Saintess betrayed the Warrior and fell to demons.' You'll only drag me down. Accept your fate," Seria replied flatly.
"That's sad," Caron muttered.
He wondered why the world insisted on making him a hero. It felt as if he'd already crossed a river he could never return from.
He let out a long, exaggerated sigh before saying, "There's still hope..."
All he had to do was kill every last Demon King. Then he could start managing his public image all over again.
Reputation could plummet in an instant. Right now, he had only risen this high to fall that much harder.
Even in the worst situation, he hadn't abandoned his childhood goal.
Just as Caron and his group were chatting and recovering...
Bang!
The door burst open, and someone strolled casually into the room.
"My darlings, having a good rest?" came the familiar, teasing voice of Queen Kynda Reynolds, now wearing a much more relaxed expression.
She walked right up to them, giving Seria's shoulder a playful pat before turning back to Caron with a warm smile and asking, "How are you holding up?"
"Much better now," Caron answered.
"Good. You're well enough to drink, right?" Kynda asked.
"If the liquor's good, I'll drink it even if I'm dying," Caron replied with a smile.
"Good answer," Kynda said.
Laughing, she reached into her coat and pulled out three bottles of liquor. All of them contained fine, top-shelf whiskey.
"I raided the royal wine cellar. One for each of you," Kynda said, handing bottles to Leo and Seria as well.
Caron eyed the bottle in Seria's hand and smacked his lips, then said, "Seria, you're not going to drink that anyway, right? Mind if I—"
But before he could finish, Seria popped the cork and took a long swig straight from the bottle without a word. After drinking a good three gulps, she raised her fist toward Caron and said, "Not a chance. Wake up from that dream. I'll drink this, even if it kills me."
"Then what about you, Leo..." Caron trailed off.
Gulp.
Leo, like Seria, took a deep drink straight from the bottle.
Caron sighed dramatically and said, "What's the point in suffering alone when your companions don't even appreciate it..."
It looked as if he'd have to settle for just the one bottle. With a resigned shrug, he brought his own whiskey to his lips and took a swig.
Kynda smiled, visibly satisfied.
"The royal palace is mostly in order now," she said. "Turns out one of the royal bloodline survived out in a remote province."
"Well, that's a relief," Caron replied. "Though... Do we really need to install a royal heir? Wouldn't it be easier to just pick a smart noble and prop him up?"
"For the nobles, bloodline legitimacy is more important than anything," Kynda said. "Besides, you're planning to set up a puppet anyway, aren't you?"
"That hurts, Your Majesty," Caron said. "If anyone overheard, they might think I'm some ruthless conqueror."
"Well, it's not that different from what you're doing," Kynda replied with a grin.
"Let's just say I'm trying to make more friends," Caron offered with a shrug.
The nobles had witnessed it themselves—Caron defeating the Mercenary King. And not just that. They had seen a Demon King appear, only to be decapitated by Caron's sword.
To them, Caron wasn't just powerful—he was terrifying. And since it was Caron who had essentially freed them from the Mercenary King's reign of terror, it was only natural that they would throw their lot in with him.
"The nobles have been trying to gauge your intentions," Kynda said.
"Tell them to stop fantasizing about more pointless wars and focus on rebuilding from the inside," Caron replied flatly. "They need a functioning country before they can think about fighting anyone else."
"And, naturally, the Ducal Family of Leston will involve itself in that process?" Kynda asked.
"Well, we deserve a little something for our trouble, don't we?" Caron answered.
At this point, the Neon Kingdom was a collapsed state in all but name. Even with the backing of dark mages, they had allowed a band of mere mercenaries to seize the country. The entire system needed restructuring.
If they supplied materials by sea, reconstruction would gain momentum. Like the Holy Kingdom or the Pajar Sultanate, the Neon Kingdom too would eventually be absorbed into the empire's economic sphere.
Caron just needed to watch over the process until then. The rest could be handed off to his father, Fayle, as always.
"Would Your Majesty like a position as well?" Caron asked with a playful smile.
Kynda waved her hand lazily and answered, "Too much hassle. I'll stick to the sea. Just make sure I get paid generously."
"Wouldn't dream of anything less," Caron said.
"Oh, and the remaining mercenaries—mind if I take them?" Kynda asked.
"Why are you asking me?" Caron asked.
Kynda chuckled and replied, "Because you're the Mercenary King now."
"...Ah!" Caron exclaimed.
"Soon, the Mercenary Guild will come looking for you," Kynda explained. "That title gives you the authority to request and summon mercenaries. Congratulations. You got your own private army faster than any of your uncles ever did."
Caron was now Mercenary King Caron Leston.
It was an unexpected windfall. Now, when it came time to invade the Demon Realm, he'd have the mercenaries to back him up. Their battlefield experience would be a major asset—not a liability.
"But tell me, Caron," Kynda asked in a low voice, "Are you really not interested in becoming the head of the Ducal Family of Leston?"
Still holding the bottle of liquor, Caron shook his head and answered, "That's too much of a pain. Even if you handed it to me, I wouldn't take it."
"Spoken like the Caron I know. So, what's your next move?" Kynda asked.
"I was planning to visit the dwarven cities," Caron replied. "But for now, I'm heading back to Azureocean Castle. I need time to digest what I've gained."
It had been a stormy, chaotic year. Caron planned to leave his regrets behind and return to Azureocean Castle.
The biggest reason was the immense amount of dark mana he had absorbed from the Demon King of Slaughter. He had shoved it into his core via Guillotine, but properly assimilating it would take time.
And then there was the experience he'd gained from clashing swords with the Mercenary King. Thanks to that, he now had a clearer picture of how to evolve Eclipse, his signature technique.
What he needed now was time to bring his long journey to a close, and fully absorb what he'd earned.
At Caron's candid response, Kynda gave a quiet sound of admiration and said, "You really are aiming higher."
"Well, I'll have to face the real Demon Kings eventually," Caron replied. "I need to catch up to the level my grandfather reached, at the very least. Otherwise, I don't stand a chance."
The Demon Realm remained an unexplored, mysterious world—no one had set foot in it before. Whatever dangers lay in wait there were still completely unknown. Which meant Caron had to constantly keep growing stronger.
Kynda stared at the fire burning behind his eyes and smiled softly before saying, "I really do have an eye for talent. Sixth Hero Caron."
"The Sixth Hero isn't me. That's Xenon," Caron corrected her.
"From now on, the Sixth Hero is officially retired," Kynda said with a smirk. "The seat will stay vacant. Once all your work's done, come back to the pirate crew if you get bored. I promise you, losing your reputation will be a breeze."
"...That's tempting," Caron admitted.
Mercenary King, and the retired Sixth Seat... Caron had earned yet another handful of titles on this journey.
Kynda raised her bottle with a laugh, and Caron gently clinked his own against it.
"Oh, right. What're you going to do about the Dark Magic Tower Master?" Kynda asked.
"I'm holding off for now, but I'm planning to drag him back to Azureocean Castle," Caron answered.
"Where is he now?" Kynda asked.
"Carrying out the orders I gave him," Caron said. "He might be useful... but I don't trust dark mages. Let's be real, they're all bastards who deserve to die."
By the time this drinking session with the Queen was over, Libre would likely have finished the task assigned to him.
Caron had plenty left to discuss with him. He took a sip of his drink and nodded slowly, already thinking ahead.
***
That night...
Behind Caron's lodgings, there was a wide clearing tucked just beyond the palace walls.
Caron stepped out, letting a faint surge of mana burn away the lingering effects of the alcohol. His expression was calm, almost too calm for someone who'd just come from a drinking bout.
"You've arrived," a voice said.
Waiting for Caron in the moonlit clearing stood the black-robed figure of a boy—Libre, the Dark Magic Tower Master.
Caron glanced at him with his usual indifference.
"If it were up to me," he said dryly, "I'd smash your Life Force Vessel right here and now. But... Thinking back on the Demon King of Slaughter, that might not be the smartest move."
He remembered the overwhelming hostility that the Demon King of Slaughter had shown toward Libre. That wasn't the reaction of an ally. Not even close. And the Demon King of Void... He was likely something altogether different from the others.
"I can get the information later on the way back," Caron continued. "What about the order I gave you?"
"I eliminated all the dark mages hiding in the palace," Libre reported. "And dealt with the undead they had stashed in the underground chambers. You may verify it yourself if you wish. Also, as per your special instructions..."
Clink.
From the shadows beyond the clearing, the chilling clang of metal echoed. Over a hundred Death Knights emerged, each clad in armor of a different make and origin. An eerie silence hung over them.
"I kept the Death Knights separate," Libre said.
Caron narrowed his eyes and asked, "So these bastards really were preparing to go to war with the continent?"
"Not just the Demon King of Slaughter," Libre explained. "Sloth and Havoc lent their strength too. If not for me, the damage would've been far worse."
"Oh? Are you asking me to appreciate your loyalty now?" Caron asked.
"Hardly," said Libre with a faint smile. "I simply wanted you to consider how serious I am about this."
Libre was a hard man to read. He'd handed over something akin to his heart, yet stood there unfazed—as if he held no attachment to life itself.
Caron sighed quietly and raised his hand. From behind him, the drunken and hiccupping form of Seria stumbled toward him.
"What," Seria said, clearly still tipsy.
"Like you did in Loki Village, wrap these Death Knights in holy power," Caron instructed.
"Why," Seria said dryly.
"...Huh?" Caron asked.
"Why do I have to do what you say? Am I your subordinate?" Seria asked.
That reaction caught Caron completely off guard. He gave her a sheepish look and said, "...Could you please?"
Perhaps that was what she wanted to hear. Seria finally nodded with a hiccup and muttered, "Of course. Hic. That's how you ask. Hic. "
Though she was drunk, her holy power remained unshaken. She summoned it forth, and it flowed into the Death Knights, purging the dark mana from their bodies.
Thanks to Libre already eliminating the other dark mages, the Death Knights showed no signs of aggression. Perhaps sensing that their end was near, they simply stood there in silence.
Caron stepped closer to them and spoke in a low voice. "I'm offering you a choice."
Just as he had in Loki Village, Caron gave them a chance. Their hated enemy—the Mercenary King—was dead. But the real architects behind Nelson still remained, lurking deep within the Demon Realm.
Caron offered them something they'd long since lost. It was a shot at vengeance.
He wasn't sure how long the silence lasted, but eventually, every Death Knight present nodded in agreement.
"Smart choice," Caron said. "Guillotine, begin."
Whoosh.
The power of Azure Mana burst forth from Guillotine and flowed into the Death Knights. The holy power Seria had infused purged the lingering darkness, and Azure Mana took its place.
One by one, the one hundred-plus Death Knights began their transformation into Avengers. Caron stood with arms crossed, watching them undergo their change.
At some point, Libre quietly approached from behind.
"Incredible," he whispered. "I had heard that Guillotine could absorb demonic powers, but I never imagined it was this powerful."
"That's what's got me thinking," Caron muttered. "Should I use Guillotine to absorb you next?"
"Haha, if you wished to absorb me, I'd be honored," Libre said, smiling as if Caron had offered him a compliment. "That would mean my soul would remain with you forever."
Caron shot him a look full of disgust before asking, "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Libre simply shrugged and replied in a soft voice, "Aren't you curious why Guillotine is able to absorb demonic powers in the first place?"
There was still time left before the Death Knights—no, the Avengers—fully completed their transition. So Caron decided to humor him.
"Start talking. But if this turns out to be pointless, I'm smashing your Life Force Vessel," Caron said.
"This concerns your ancestor," Libre said. "Rael Leston, to be precise."
And then, he began to speak.
What came out of his mouth a few moments later was a truth so astonishing it made Caron's expression twist into a deep scowl.
"...You'd better be ready to take responsibility for what you just said," Caron said.
"Feel free to ask Duke Halo Leston as well," Libre said calmly. "He, too, must have reached the same truth by now."
Caron's fists clenched slightly, his brows furrowed. The weight of Libre's words settled over him like a storm cloud.