Chapter 103
Material
In the middle of an empty snow-covered mountain range, even creatures resistant to the cold had gone into hibernation beneath the gloomy winter sky, leaving the land silent.
Within that stillness, a massive vertical fissure split open.
The rift shimmered with muddled colors, like oil spilled across water, before disgorging those inside it.
One was a large, black-skinned man.
The other was a man in a gray robe.
He was the man Ferda had identified as the Crooked Demon.
They arrived before the snowy mountain.
“Did we truly have to come here?”
“No.”
“Then why?”
“No other suitable place came to mind.”
The large man looked up at the mountain.
This was where the dark elf Rinne had once worked as the director of a research facility.
But that was now a thing of the past.
“What did you decide to do with Rinne?”
“The research will continue.”
“How merciful of you.”
The large man snorted.
“Merciful? Hardly. Once the research is complete, I will kill her. She was never worth anything beyond that.”
“So you intend to cook the hunting dog once the hunt is over? I suppose that will leave no loose ends.”
The man said that and turned away.
It was then—
The Crooked Demon suddenly sensed murderous intent directed at him.
He raised a hand and turned around.
Something struck his palm.
Boom!
The large man’s fist collided with his hand.
Although the difference in strength pushed him back a considerable distance, the Crooked Demon endured it on his own two feet.
“…What is the meaning of this?”
“I merely did what you always do.”
“And what exactly have I done?”
“You have been avoiding the conversation, so I gave up on talking as well. Do you need any further explanation?”
“I have no idea what you are talking about.”
“Do not try to deceive me. You brought up that dark elf wench specifically to avoid the matter, did you not?”
“And what matter did I supposedly avoid? You seem to know.”
“Ferda Valdrova.”
The large man growled in anger.
“Why did you not kill him?”
“…”
“See? You cannot answer.”
The large man sneered at the Crooked Demon’s silence.
“I never liked you from the beginning. You were pathetically stabbed to death by the Hero, yet you clung to life in secret and eventually crawled back into the world.”
“…”
“You should have died there. You should not have survived so disgracefully and returned like this.”
“If dying that way is so admirable…”
The Crooked Demon glared at him, emotion burning in his eyes.
“Why did you not follow Father into death? Why are you still alive?”
“Was that not because of you?”
“That is nothing more than an excuse. When I saved you, I made my purpose perfectly clear. You accepted it. If you behave this way now, how are you any different from a human who changes his mind at the slightest inconvenience?”
The large man’s eyebrow twitched.
But rather than resorting to further violence, he withdrew the fist pressed against the Crooked Demon’s palm.
Watching him, the Crooked Demon spoke.
“There was a reason I did not kill Ferda. Humans truly cannot be understood until you see them for yourself.”
Only one person in the distant past had ever made the Crooked Demon say such a thing.
He recalled that ancient memory.
The Crooked Demon had regarded humanity’s weakness as contemptible.
He had shattered everything they believed in and mocked their frailty.
That was why, even at the moment of his death, he had failed to understand.
He had never imagined that among those weak humans, someone would emerge with enough power to pierce his heart.
Nor had he imagined that the man would ultimately destroy even the Demon King.
The seed of rebellion that had severed Godwin’s will.
“The Hero.”
The Crooked Demon ran a hand across his chest.
What had brought about his death was not a sacred sword blessed by every god and dragon.
It had been a crude kitchen knife.
Although he had now been resurrected, the fact that he had died in such a manner had served as a warning to the others.
Yet the Crooked Demon smiled.
It was an expression born entirely of joy.
Because of that imperfect death, their will had endured.
Because of it, he had been able to become this powerful.
Surely Father was smiling in the void as well.
The Crooked Demon had believed that the Hero was the only person who had ever forced him to revise his assessment twice.
But absolutes did not exist in this world.
Ferda Valdrova.
He felt the same sense of unexpected possibility from that man that he had once felt from the Hero.
The direction was different, but the nature of the sensation was similar.
The Crooked Demon knew exactly what it was.
The large man suddenly turned his gaze toward a patch of snow.
“What is it?”
“…Someone is there.”
All that could be seen was a field completely buried beneath snow.
No.
When the Crooked Demon followed the direction of the large man’s gaze, he noticed something protruding unusually from the ground.
It resembled a helmet.
Judging by its crude shape, he initially assumed it was part of a stone statue left there.
But a moment later, the snow piled upon the statue trembled.
It rose to its feet.
Its armor was rough and crude, as though an enormous stone mountain had been carved into the shape of a human body.
Upon seeing the armor, it became clear how the figure had remained motionless long enough for snow to bury it.
“Alberdo. So it was you.”
His steadfast appearance perfectly suited his alias.
He looked every bit like a walking fortress.
“There is no chance that meeting you here is a coincidence. Were you waiting for us?”
He gave no answer.
There had never been any need for words.
He picked up the club and shield he had set down.
The heavy club was more than two meters long, and the shield was nearly the same size.
The armor covering his entire body was equally crude and rugged.
Judging by everything he wore, he appeared slow.
And in truth, his movements were indeed sluggish.
Even so, he was the most infamous figure among the demons.
That infamy had not been earned without reason.
The large man, in particular, began trembling the moment he saw him.
“You… you fucking bastard…!”
The large man lost all reason as though delighted to have finally encountered him and charged at Alberdo.
“Today, I will kill you once and for all!”
He thrust out his fist with enough force to shatter the armor.
Alberdo raised his club in time with the attack.
Just as the two were about to collide, the Crooked Demon drew a finger through the air.
Space split open between the large man and Alberdo and swallowed the large man whole.
Alberdo’s strike cut through empty air before crashing into the ground.
Boom!
The earth shook violently, sending snow surging into the sky before it settled back down.
Alberdo turned toward the Crooked Demon.
The Crooked Demon spoke.
“Please understand. He is merely furious because you once broke all four of his limbs.”
“…”
“Besides, the one you want is not some insignificant fool like him. It is me, is it not?”
At first glance, the words might have sounded narcissistic, but they were true.
Alberdo had pursued only the Crooked Demon.
That was why he had waited here.
“Give it up. Nothing will change no matter how long you pursue me, Alberdo.”
“…”
“You possess no mana and nothing else of note. You are merely human. If I draw a single line with my finger and escape this space, you will have to trudge across the continent all over again. Yet even amid such absurdity, you continue searching for me in solitude.”
“…”
Alberdo gave no answer.
Despite his words, the Crooked Demon did not mock him.
The number of demons and monsters cut down by Alberdo’s ponderous movements was impossible to count, and the number of settlements he had destroyed had long since reached double digits.
Without anyone recognizing his deeds, he moved in silence for the sole purpose of killing demons.
That was why the man was called Alberdo, the Walking Fortress.
“You despise demons enough to wish them all dead, so I will tell only you. Do you know what I saw today?”
Ferda’s face rose in his mind.
“Material fit for a Demon King.”
“…”
“He was a human with exceptional potential. At present, he harbors the insolent desire to conquer the Demon Lands, but that too will last only for a moment.”
The Crooked Demon smiled faintly.
“What remains at the end of loss is always emptiness.”
He tore open space once more.
“And anger always takes root within emptiness.”
With that, the Crooked Demon disappeared.
There was nothing Alberdo could do.
He raised his head and looked at the sky.
The weather was gloomy.
A blizzard would soon arrive.
Strong winds would blow, and snow would pile up again, but it would not stop his footsteps.
His wandering path always led wherever monsters could be found.
But today was different.
Unlike usual, his steps moved clearly toward a specific destination.
The sudden appearance of monsters had been expected to plunge the village into panic.
Instead, the morning remained calm.
People had died, and others had suffered serious injuries, but the village had not fallen into grief.
They were simply relieved that Captain William’s leadership and the support of the dragon spawns had prevented the worst possible outcome.
Still, there were always people who disliked such an atmosphere.
Hanson was one of them.
He had come here earlier than most, dreaming of striking it rich, and this peace did not please him.
There should have been more chaos.
Social advancement was born from disorder.
Hanson’s obsession with climbing the social ladder was stronger than most.
He was a carpenter and a second-rate architect by imperial standards.
Had he remained in the Empire, the position of site manager would have remained nothing more than a fantasy.
He already held a position beyond his actual abilities.
Yet human greed knew no end.
I want to rise even higher.
A place among the nobility.
Or, even if not that, at least a position where the commoners here would bow their heads before him.
“That was never possible for someone like me.”
Ordinarily, it would have remained nothing more than a commoner’s idle daydream.
Storytellers did not constantly spin tales of beggars finding miraculous opportunities and becoming princes or marrying princesses for no reason.
Everyone carried such fantasies in their hearts.
Hanson’s delusions were simply stronger than most.
And why would they not be?
Had he not encountered an extraordinary opportunity?
The Armored Knight.
It was no exaggeration to say that everything had been made possible through him.
The man himself was easy to handle, and his ability was outstanding.
Had he not preserved Hanson’s reputation time and again?
Thanks to him, Hanson had risen from a mere foreman to the position of site manager.
When Hanson had first seen him, he had thought,
That man will undoubtedly become a knight before long.
That was why Hanson had flattered him, spoken on his behalf, and done everything possible to take care of him.
He had assumed the man would be knighted within a month at most.
Yet the Armored Knight had never become a knight.
He still remained at the construction site.
The Armored Knight has to become a real knight before I can gain power too…
Hanson wanted to rise beyond site manager and become an overseer.
He wanted more people working beneath him.
For that to happen, the Armored Knight needed to climb higher.
When he was summoned to the castle, I thought the opportunity had finally come…
Who could have known the fool would kick away his own good fortune?
Though Hanson claimed outwardly that it was fine, he had spent his nights drinking to soothe the bitterness in his stomach.
What could he do?
He had no choice but to live according to his station.
“What a remarkably peaceful atmosphere!”
A woman casually tossed out the remark.
She looked young enough that marriage was still some distance away.
The arrogant expression on her face made her seem like an untouched maiden.
But there could not possibly be such a brazen young lady in this village.
She was undoubtedly a newly minted mage out on her first journey.
Getting involved with her looks troublesome…
Hanson pretended not to hear.
The woman moved closer and spoke more openly.
“Ahem. I heard wolf monsters attacked this place.”
“…And?”
“‘And’ is hardly a respectful reply. I heard that many casualties occurred because I failed to arrive in time.”
“Only four people died.”
“Do you know what ‘casualties’ means? It includes not only the dead, but the wounded as well.”
“Even so, we did well enough. If more of those esteemed adventurers had joined in, there might not have been any deaths.”
“Then does that not mean the blame lies with the incompetent people above who failed to prepare for such a crisis?”
“…What are you talking about?”
Hanson frowned and looked down at the woman.
She smiled boldly.
“Think about it. Why did you come to this city? To earn money, did you not?”
“That is true, but…”
“The employers who lured you here must have said something like this: it is close to the Demon Lands, but that very fact makes it safer.”
That was indeed what they had said.
Hanson had not believed it, but he had let the matter pass.
Everyone who came here had done so because they lacked work elsewhere.
“And then you were attacked. People died. Yet you intend to remain silent?”
“…Then what exactly do you expect me to do, miss?”
“Hah! That is precisely why I am offering you a solution.”
As though she had finally found someone worth speaking to, the woman stepped closer.
A strong floral fragrance drifted from her.
“You are the site manager, are you not?”
“I am.”
“How many laborers work under you?”
“About fifty.”
“If you persuade the other site managers as well, that would make around one hundred.”
“That is correct.”
“Think about it. This city now has close to six hundred residents. You alone account for one hundred of them. That is one-sixth of the entire population.”
“That… is true.”
“Do you understand how much damage this village would suffer if all of you withdrew?”
“…”
Now that he thought about it…
She was right.
Was it not because of them that the construction site continued operating?
In a place where daily labor had to continue without interruption, stopping work would deal a serious blow.
“You are precious, irreplaceable workers. Should you not be furious that they are exploiting such people in this manner?”
“Hmm…”
“You have the right to enjoy higher wages and greater status. That young regent must be made to understand that human lives are not something that can be bought with money.”
Hanson found the argument reasonable.
More importantly, he heard it while his greed was burning at its hottest.
It was no different from a demon’s whisper.
“But how am I supposed to accomplish something like that?”
The woman smiled like a mischievous child.
“There is always a way. I will help you.”
“A strike has begun.”
Despite the sudden appearance of monsters, the village had successfully defended itself.
There had been thirty casualties: five soldiers, fifteen civilians, and ten adventurers who had joined the battle.
Four of them had died, all civilians.
For that reason, the morning in Hestia Village could not truly be called normal.
Isabella spoke.