Chapter 215: The Hero and the Hero Guild
“Hero Hillan Cargill.”
A stiff atmosphere, an overbearing tone.
Hero Hillan Cargill felt that what was bound to co had finally arrived.
Why the Guild’s Grand Elder and an Elder were interrogating him like a criminal.
Why the shadows known as the Guild’s secret darkness were surrounding him.
“You yourself have confessed your sin.”
“What do you an by that?”
“What do I an?”
Strength entered the Grand Elder’s eyes.
“You despicable bastard! I already know that you betrayed humanity and colluded with the Demon King of Dark Fla!”
“....”
Hillan did not change his expression at all.
If this had been revealed suddenly, he might have panicked, but he was no fool.
The hero’s march was in full preparation, and Hillan was one of its core mbers. In such a situation, the Grand Elder's secret summoning of him was suspicious no matter how one looked at it.
‘The Grand Elder is the Guildmaster’s loyal hound.’
And the Guildmaster was Daniel Deyrus, and also Balraf Dislode, a pawn of Falsehood.
He already knew that Hillan had joined hands with Berje. That was why he had shoved Hillan into the fake hero’s march and excluded him for the sake of the real one.
‘The number is fifty.’
He quickly scanned his surroundings. Fortunately, this place was not the Guild headquarters but a remote annex. Other than the Grand Elder, one Elder, and the shadows, there was no sign of anyone else.
‘Just as expected.’
That ant there was a way out.
“Why aren’t you answering? Are you admitting your cri?”
For now, he denied it.
“I am a hero who killed two Demon Kings. Why would soone like collude with a Demon King? If that is the case, may I ask why you think so?”
“There is clear evidence.”
“And what is that evidence?”
“The words of the Guildmaster.”
“That’s absurd. Is that all?”
“All? Don’t say ‘all’! There is not even an inch of falsehood in the Guildmaster’s words. Everything is absolute!”
It was fanaticism beyond re faith.
Just what was the Guildmaster, for the Grand Elder—once called a great star—to beco like this?
‘Is it because he was a hero worshipped like a god? Does he have so special thod?’
Amid his scattered thoughts, Hillan grew certain of his conclusion. Why had they summoned him secretly rather than in an official forum, even though he was a traitor?
Because there was no clear evidence. Not everyone in the Guild was a limb of the Guildmaster like the Grand Elder. Without evidence, they could not punish Hillan Cargill, so they were trying to deal with him in secret.
But.
‘They underestimated .’
He understood.
The shadows. Once active heroes, now retired and loyal to the Guild.
Though old, the experience, skill, and weight of years they had accumulated were by no ans negligible.
Moreover, among them were those who had once been stars, and mana power did not wane with age.
“I am innocent. This is a fra-up. If there are doubts about , I request a formal trial.”
“Don’t try such filthy tricks! It’s an undeniable fact that you belong to Dark Fla!”
The Grand Elder roared. Along with his anger, the shadows revealed their killing intent.
Hillan calmly touched the orb resting inside his clothes.
An orb called a recording orb.
He began to act.
“Then at least summon the Guildmaster who said those words!”
“Shut up!”
“I am a star who devoted himself to the Guild and killed two Demon Kings. I cannot comply with an investigation that decides the outco first and then bullies .”
Hillan turned his body. The shadows blocked his path.
“Stop. Do you think we’ll let you go?”
“...Are you saying you’ll stop by force?”
“Can we really leave a pawn of the Demon King unattended?”
“If you intend to kill with such logic without evidence, then I cannot stay still either.”
“So you finally reveal your true colors! Attack him! Make him kneel before and force him to confess his sins himself!”
The shadows drew their weapons. But one step ahead of them, Hillan was faster.
─!
Lightning struck.
The shadows nearest to Hillan collapsed without even letting out a scream.
Before anyone noticed, a sword was in Hillan’s hand.
“This is self-defense.”
“So you finally show your true colors! I never thought a dog of the Demon King would obediently let himself be captured in the first place!”
Hundreds of shadows began to move organically. Arrows flew. Spears thrust. Shields and swords, hamrs and whips—heroes of every kind aid for Hillan.
Even if they looked light, they were all attacks from heroes.
Against fellow heroes, interference power between dinsions could not exert its strength, but heroes were beings who grew rapidly through superior talent.
Their caliber was sothing an ordinary army could not compare to.
Therefore, Hillan did not let his guard down.
Pajijijik—
He released blue lightning, intercepting every arrow.
Spinning his body once, he struck away all the nearest killing intents. The violent lightning discharged seeped into the enemies.
Kgh!
Kuh!
Short groans—only for a brief mont, but they stiffened. Hillan’s sword aid for that opening.
Slash—
A chest was split open lengthwise. Small sparks burned the blood. Instead of the stench of blood, the sll of burning pricked the nose.
He deflected an axe flying from behind. Extending his left hand, the lightning he fired made a two-ter-tall giant collapse, foaming at the mouth.
That was the beginning.
With each swing of his sword, one shadow fell.
His sword was lightning. Lightning was as fast as light and cleaved and burned everything.
The lightning discharging from his entire body blocked all ranged attacks.
At the perfectly unified offense and defense, the shadows bit their lips.
Soon, a change occurred in the formation.
Dozens of spells were fired simultaneously. They annihilated each other with the lightning barrier, creating an opening.
Through that gap, the real ones who had been commanding the shadows moved.
Rough aura tore the opening wider. It collided with Hillan’s sword.
───!
For the first ti, Hillan’s sword strike was blocked. However, the shock that ran through the sword and assaulted his entire body made the shadow swallow a groan.
Yet he smiled.
Because he saw his comrades aiming for Hillan’s flanks and back, exploiting the opening he had created.
The surging aura looked sufficient to tear apart a paltry body.
At that mont, Hillan stepped forward and twisted his sword.
Kagagak—
Sliding along the blade’s surface, it ca in close. Two fingers were severed. As the scream barely began, a massive hamr narrowly slamd into the ground where Hillan had just been.
Dust soared. Amid that chaos, a red flash extended in a straight line.
It was so fast and fierce that it could not be completely avoided. It pierced through all the lightning at once and struck his back.
─!
But that was as far as it went.
The armor hidden beneath his clothes rippled. It dissipated the vibration and shock, then returned it as it is, generating rebound force.
‘As expected.’
Dragon armor made by dwarves.
Hillan smiled faintly.
The first thing he had been given was the sword. But as one item after another was completed, Berje had given him even more equipnt.
The dragon armor was the sa. If he pushed himself, he could have avoided it, or blocked it, or minimized the damage. But he did not, because he wanted to test its effectiveness.
It was indeed beyond expectations. A dull impact remained, but if an attack that should have pierced his body stopped at that level, it had more than fulfilled its role.
“...I’ve lost my confidence.”
Confidence in winning.
A forr star, flustered that his attack had been blocked, scattered sword strikes at a hero weakened by physical aging.
He scread as he was driven on the defensive.
And that defensive struggle continued until the battle ended.
* * *
“...H-how can this be!”
The Grand Elder was flustered.
Only Hillan Cargill and the Grand Elder were left standing unhard. The rest were dead or near death.
“What on earth are that sword and armor!”
They had grasped Hillan Cargill’s level to so extent. He was superior to other stars, but inferior to Balraf Dislode.
Yes, right in between. Since it was the Guildmaster’s own assertion, it was trustworthy.
Yet in just a few months, he seed like a completely different person.
It was the sword and armor. No—was that all?
The sword and armor played a major role, but even his innate abilities exceeded expectations. Without explosive growth in just a few months, how could this be possible?
“The one who needs to speak is not , but you, Grand Elder. You must reveal in front of everyone why you are driving as a criminal.”
“....”
That could not be done.
Everything was done based solely on the Guildmaster’s words. There was no way there could be clear evidence.
‘But....’
Perhaps in his pri, perhaps without the armor and sword—but as he was now, he had no confidence in defeating Hillan Cargill.
If they fought, he would surely lose. But if he were taken quietly, he would have to commit the folly of tarnishing the Guildmaster’s honor before everyone.
‘In that case.’
He had to choose. And his choice was loyalty.
The Grand Elder drew his sword.
──!
A trendous aura surged upward. Though his body was aged, the years he had accumulated were not in vain.
─!
─!
In an instant, dozens of exchanges passed. But the limit was clear. The Grand Elder’s aura was gradually worn away. The lightning transmitted through the sword struck his body with shock.
Cough—
At last, the Grand Elder spat blood and collapsed.
“This is the end.”
Hillan Cargill declared the end. He drew closer.
And that was exactly what the Grand Elder had been aiming for.
“You b-bastard!”
Scooping up dirt, he swung his sword with all the strength he had left.
Hillan reacted instinctively. He struck away the sword aid at him and thrust his own sword forward.
Puuk—
It tore through flesh and shattered bone. Excruciating pain engulfed the Grand Elder.
But.
“...Got you!”
A wrinkled hand grabbed the sword. His body was further ruined by the blade’s energy and lightning, but in exchange, for just a brief mont, he restrained Hillan.
“Let’s go together! For humanity!”
The Grand Elder detonated all the mana within his body.
A massive explosion swallowed everything.
* * *
『So the Grand Elder pulled so dirty tricks, and you blocked it well?』
『And you recorded that entire process with the recording orb?』
“Yes.”
Hillan Cargill nodded at the Demon King’s questions.
“It was thanks to you, Demon King.”
It was true.
Without the dragon blood the Demon King had given him, he could not have grown this rapidly.
Without the sword the Demon King had given him, he could not have cut through the shadows so easily.
Without the armor the Demon King had given him, Hillan Cargill might have died in that explosion the Grand Elder sacrificed his life for.
However, the reason Hillan reported this to the Demon King was not rely to express gratitude.
The Demon King noticed that as well.
『So how is the Guildmaster selected?』
“When the Guildmaster’s seat is vacant, he is officially elected by the Elders.”
『The Grand Elder is dead, so that makes four?』
“Three. Among the shadows, there was another Elder who moved together with the Grand Elder.”
The shadows belonged to the Council of Elders, and the Elder who commanded them, Joseph Bartin, was also soone who served the Grand Elder and the Guildmaster.
『Then it’ll be enough to make two of them your allies.』
『But can you, still an active hero, beco the Guildmaster?』
“There are exceptions to everything.”
The Guild was in extre turmoil. Even setting aside the fact that Berje Deias was the root cause, it was undeniable that this was the lowest point of honor and prestige since the Hero Guild’s founding.
“That is precisely why an even stronger and more renowned hero must beco Guildmaster. Soone strong enough to step forward and sever the heads of Demon Kings to end the chaos.”
『Soone like you?』
“Who else would there be besides .”
Balraf Dislode, praised as the greatest, was officially dead.
There were great heroes who were no longer active, but compared to those fading into obscurity, the na of Hillan Cargill, who had slain two Demon Kings, stood higher.
『But if you put forward a Guildmaster?』
Balraf Dislode was the Guildmaster and also Daniel Deyrus, but they did not know that.
They would think the Guildmaster had simply vanished. In such a situation, they would hesitate to hastily elect a new Guildmaster.
Because the concern of the Guildmaster would remain.
“I will firmly push the narrative that he is Balraf Dislode, confird dead.”
『Hmm, not bad.』
『I’ll speak separately to the witnesses.』
“Thank you.”
Hillan Cargill smiled. Berje smiled as well.
『That aside, can you persuade the Elders?』
The Guildmaster was elected by the Elders. In other words, the Elders’ choice was crucial.
“That will also require your help, Demon King.”
『Speak.』
“There are three Elders remaining.”
Tristano Kanieff.
Carlo Schweiger.
And Mathias Olman.
“Among them, Carlo Schweiger has ties to the Empire, while Mathias Olman has connections with Arkan.”
『Then we can move Lavinia and Rozel.』
“Yes. That leaves Tristano Kanieff, but... he is a strict man. He is likely to invoke the tradition of appointing a non-active hero as Guildmaster and refuse to acknowledge an exception.”
『Then isn’t that difficult?』
“But he is a mage.”
『...Oh?』
“And at the sa ti.”
『At the sa ti?』
“He is also Aina Diaphrin’s maternal grandfather.”
『...Well now.』
Berje let out a quiet chuckle.
『That’s a coincidence like a well-written script.』
“Rather than a coincidence, it is inevitability. It is not uncommon for the descendants of existing heroes to beco heroes themselves. Naturally, connections form. And didn’t you accept hundreds of heroes as your retainers, Berje?”
『That’s true as well.』
『Fine, then I’ll tell Aina.』
“Thank you.”
『After going this far, it would be truly disappointing if you failed to beco Guildmaster.』
“I will never disappoint you.”
Hillan bowed deeply.
Shortly after, the communication ended.
“At last, it’s co this far...!”
The position of Guildmaster he had long desired shimred before his eyes. Hillan let out a cheer.
At the sa ti, there was bitterness.
“...To think the Guildmaster of the Hero Guild would be elected by the choice of a Demon King. How ironic.”
But there was no turning back. The Demon King had grown even stronger, and the bonds of retainers had deepened.
Now, there was not even hope of being released.
‘Even being released would be a problem.’
Now, most of the upper echelons of the heroes were retainers of the Demon King. Would it really be good to escape that?
‘Better to beco the best right here.’
With Balraf Dislode officially dead, he was the strongest hero, and at the sa ti, Berje’s first hero retainer.
The smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.
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