Novel

The elders sitting at the round table were silent for a few moments. They simply stared at the statue and the memorial stone that Eugene had pulled out with puzzled expressions.

Then, someone stood up from their seat. It was a middle-aged man whose gray hair had grown closer to white in shade. It was Doynes, Leader of the Council of Elders and the Immortal Lionheart. Placing his hands behind his back, he slowly walked over to the statue and memorial stone.

“…Hm…,” Doynes hummed as he assessed the statue that appeared to be in perfect condition, without any trace of damage.

The level of realism was so amazing that it was hard to believe that this was just a statue. After Doynes scanned the statue, which had been so realistically carved that even the tiniest of the subject’s scars had been reproduced, his gaze then turned to the memorial stone placed at its feet.

“…Hamel Dynas,” Doynes read.

“The Stupid Hamel?” came a murmur from the elders.

Before he had even realized what he was doing, Gilead got up from his seat and approached Hamel’s statue. His eyes shifted between the statue’s face and the words on the memorial stone, his gaze full of surprise.

“…Where did this statue…. How did you even find it?” Doynes turned his head to look at Eugene.

That damned fairy tale had spouted all sorts of obscenities and fabrications about Hamel, while permanently labeling him with the title of the Stupid Hamel. Now that Eugene had taken out this memorial stone and shown it to them, the epithet given by the fairy tale would no longer be attached to Hamel, and his honor would surely be restored.

That was why Eugene was happily watching as the council of elders exchanged murmurs, their eyes fixed on the memorial stone.

Eugene began to answer Doynes’s question, “As the elders of the Council may be aware, for the past two years I have been studying magic in Aroth….”

Naturally, Eugene had already come up with an excuse. During his time in the Royal Library of Aroth, Akron, while he had been immersed in the magical texts stored within Wise Sienna’s Hall, he had been able to learn about ‘Hamel’s Grave’ through the grimoire, Witch Craft.

“How?” Doynes demanded.

“It’s because I was the first member of the Lionheart clan to ever encounter Witch Craft. I suspect that it was probably due to Lady Sienna’s arrangements,” Eugene replied, making sure to sound as if he wasn’t able to confirm anything and was only making guesses.

In any case, that was how he had found out about ‘Hamel’s Grave’. Then, Eugene had left for Nahama in order to find the grave.

“Sir Hamel was an old friend of our great ancestor. Unlike the other members of his party, he wasn’t able to return from Helmuth, and instead he nobly sacrificed himself for the sake of his comrades…,” Eugene trailed off in embarrassment.

To call his own death a noble sacrifice, Eugene felt ashamed to have to say these words with his own mouth, but apart from this bit of self-aggrandizement, Eugene’s tongue proved to be quite agile as he continued his tale.

“While wandering through the deserts of Nahama, I searched for the grave, and I finally discovered its location. Of course, things didn’t end up going smoothly. The entrance to Hamel’s grave happened to be where the Assassins and Sand Shamans of Nahama had set up their camp.”

“…Hm…,” Doynes hummed as he took in these facts.Checkk new 𝒏ovel ch𝒂pters at nov𝒆lbin(.)com

“I’m sure that you all are already aware of it, right? That Nahama is using the sandstorms to devour Turas’s territory. The subterranean dungeon where Hamel’s grave was located just so happened to be where the group of Sand Shamans stationed in the desert made their base!”

From that point on, there was no need for Eugene to continue mixing lies into his story. Everything else was the truth after all.

“After breaking through the assault of the Sand Shamans and the ambushes from the Assassins, I managed to find my way into Sir Hamel’s grave. And there… is where I found this statue and the memorial stone,” as Eugene said this, he clenched his fists to keep them from trembling in anger. “The grave had been seriously damaged by someone. Only the statue and the memorial stone remained intact….”

In order to give a full explanation of what had happened there, Eugene had to tell them about Hamel’s corpse and how it had been used to create a Death Knight. Eugene calmly unraveled the whole story with a sad expression on his face, but the elders listening to him couldn’t hide their agitation.

“I barely managed to defeat the Death Knight, allowing me to recover this statue and the memorial stone. But then… I ran into the notorious Dungeon Master of the Desert… Amelia Merwin herself.”

“Ah!” the Elder who was versed in magic shot up from his seat with a gasp. “You bumped into the Death Answerer? But… but then, how in the world did you come back alive?”

“That’s… it’s because the Demon King of Incarceration personally intervened,” as Eugene said this, he glanced up to take in the elders’ reactions.

The moment that the name of the Demon King of Incarceration was uttered, no one was able to remain in their seats. All of the elders bolted up and stared at Eugene with frozen-stiff expressions.

“…The Demon King Incarceration?”

“Did the overlord of Helmuth truly descend on that location in person?”

Eugene answered their questions calmly, “Yes. He stopped Amelia Merwin who was trying to kill me, and allowed me to leave while spouting something about the Oath and his goodwill. Also… he told me to pass on a warning.”

“A warning?”

“He said that freedom without responsibility is just indulgence. It was a warning that his goodwill and Helmuth’s continued silence could not continue forever.” With this, Eugene had passed on the warning.

Eugene had no idea what kind of damn oath Vermouth had made. However, the Demon King of Incarceration had clearly given a warning that the current peace would not last forever.

Having heard such a warning, they all needed to make preparations for when this peace finally broke.

“…Haaaah…,” Doynes let out a long sigh and shook his head. “…I could never have imagined that you would be bringing such earth-shaking news with you.”

They had summoned Eugene in order to interrogate him about his whereabouts. However, Eugene’s interrogation had now revealed an unexpected, major issue.

One of the elders brought up his concerns, “Could it be that Helmuth is preparing for a war with Nahama acting as their vanguard?”

“It’s too early to jump to conclusions. If the Demon King truly wanted to end this peace, then there was no need for him to have given such a warning,” Doynes assuaged their fears. After turning to look at rest of the muttering elders, Doynes continued speaking, “Freedom without responsibility it just indulgence, hm…. Do you remember what the Demon King of Confinement’s exact words were?”

Eugene shivered and admitted, “Having faced such a being in person and after I was even addressed by him, there is no way that I can forget that moment for the rest of my life.”

He wouldn’t allow himself to forget those words. Eugene’s lips twisted in a grimace as he recalled the murderous desire and rage that he had felt at that time.

—I feel like I have continued to show a sufficient amount of goodwill and respect to Vermouth’s descendants.

—I have respected their freedom to not show me any goodwill or respect in return. However, I am concerned that you may be taking my continued goodwill for granted. First and foremost, I am the ruler of numerous demonic beasts and demonfolk, a king of Helmuth.

—With freedom comes responsibility. Freedom without responsibility is just indulgence. Descendant of Vermouth, tell this to everyone in the Lionheart clan. Do not take the goodwill that I have granted you as an incentive to go too far. If you will not give me my due regard, then I shall no longer respect you all.

—Your ancestor may have made an Oath in exchange for his freedom, but now the end of that promise is approaching. The time is coming for the wheel that has stalled to resume moving forward once more.

“Indeed, this is definitely a warning,” Doynes agreed as he shook his head in dismay and returned to his seat at the round table.

He fell into his seat with a thud and was lost in thought for a few moments before finally speaking. “First of all, it’s clear that the Demon King of Incarceration has left us some leeway. As long as we don’t take advantage of his goodwill, that terrible era from three hundred years ago should not be recreated in the present.”

“Since he’s even gone so far as to give us a warning, I believe that the current peace is sure to be broken eventually,” Gilead argued with a hard expression as he glared at Doynes. “Even now, isn’t Nahama still continuing its centuries-long invasion of Turas? How can we be sure that Helmuth isn’t behind their evil scheme and that the Demon King of Incarceration isn’t the one who goaded them into doing so?”

“If that’s the case, then why don’t you go looking for the Demon King of Incarceration and ask him about it yourself, Patriarch?” Doynes asked sarcastically as he turned to Gilead with a bitter smile. “This era has lasted for three hundred years. After our great ancestor secured the Oath and returned from Hemuth, the Demon King of Incarceration and the Demon of Destruction no longer threatened the world and peace ensued. Patriarch, I have lived for a very long time… and I believe that our current peace is both beautiful and precious.”

“…,” Gilead maintained his silence.

“Of course, it wouldn’t be strange if this peace shattered at any moment. The two strongest Demon Kings are still alive and well, and the demonfolk and black wizards in sworn service to them have spread all over the continent. However, despite all that, peace still endures,” Doynes stated firmly.

Gilead called out to Doynes, “Council Leader.”

Ignoring the call, Doynes argued, “Even the Great Vermouth wasn’t able to defeat the Demon King of Incarceration and the Demon King of Destruction. Among the Lionhearts, who do you think would even be able to slay a Demon King? Do you think that I’ll be able to do it at my age? Or maybe my grandson can do it for me? How about you, Patriarch, do you think you can do it?”

As Doynes spoke, his voice grew increasingly heated.

He glared at Gilead as he continued, “After gathering all of the Lionheart clan’s armed forces, do you dare to boast that they will be stronger and more skilled than our ancestor and his companions from three hundred years ago? I am certain that you won’t have the audacity to do so. Our ancestor took just his four companions with him to slay the Demon Kings of Carnage, Cruelty, and Fury. Do you really think that there is currently anyone in the world who would be capable of repeating such a thing?”

“…The Lionheart clan aren’t the only ones who should feel threatened by this. This warning from the Demon King of Incarceration is aimed at everyone in the world,” Gilead eventually pointed out.

“Yes, you’re right,” Doynes easily agreed. “However, we are the descendants of the Great Vermouth. If we do end up confronting Helmuth, it is we who must oppose them from the forefront. Patriarch, in your perspective, do you really think that we are ready for that?”

Eugene just stood there unmoving, not saying a word. He had been expecting this kind of debate to erupt the moment that he passed on the warning.

In any case, this wasn’t something that Eugene needed to pay attention to. These armchair generals might quarrel with each other[1], but this would have no effect on what Eugene had decided to do.

Eugene was Hamel’s reincarnation. Although he didn’t know why Vermouth had decided to reincarnate Hamel, or what Vermouth might have been thinking, Hamel had long ago sworn to kill all of the Demon Kings. That was also the goal that Sienna, Molon, and Anise, those who had fought together with Hamel, had sworn themselves to.

“…About this warning. While neither the Lionheart clan, nor the Kiehl Empire would dare to infringe on the Demon King’s goodwill, the Holy Empire and the Anti-Demon Alliance are still stationing their troops on their borders with Helmuth,” one of the Council Elders brought up.

“Those savage Demon King haters will immediately raise their forces to invade Helmuth once we pass on the warning,” Klein said as he sweated profusely.

But Doynes snorted and shook his head in disagreement, “If they were that zealous, they would have already mobilized the troops deployed there. The Holy Empire and the Anti-Demon Alliance have no intention of truly attempting to face Helmuth in a head-on confrontation. It’s just a blatant act. If they were to realize that the situation is getting serious, they would immediately withdraw their forces back from the borders.”

“…The Demon King of Incarceration isn’t the only Demon King in Helmuth,” Gilead brought up as he let out a sigh and shook his head. “The Demon King of Destruction may have a different opinion from the Demon King of Incarceration.”

Ignoring Gilead’s warning, another Elder proposed, “The Demon King of Incarceration at least providing a warning that the Oath would soon be ending. He even offered us another chance. If the world decides to show him the appropriate respect, then the Demon King of Incarceration might… he might even make another Oath with us.”

“The Oath whose contents we have no clue about?”

“Of course, the Demon Kings might still just go on a crazy rampage like they did three hundred years ago. However, they’re not doing so now, right?”

Eugene didn’t want to listen to such squabbles any longer. Interrupting the debate he asked, “Can I take these things back now?”

Although he had voiced his request as a question, Eugene didn’t wait for a reply and immediately placed the statue and the memorial stone back inside his cloak.

Doynes belatedly gave his permission, “…Since you are the one who brought it here, then it’s fine for you to take it back with you. But what do you intend to do with them?”

“I would like to take them to the great ancestor’s grave and leave them there,” Eugene proposed.

“…Why there?” Doynes asked.

Eugene replied, “Sir Hamel’s grave has already been destroyed, but please take a look at this memorial stone.”

Hamel Dynas.

He was a son of a bitch, an idiot, an asshole, a douche, a piece of trash.

“…Ignore the curses, just look at what’s written below,” Eugene awkwardly requested.

But he was also brave, faithful, wise, and great.

In remembrance of this stupid man, who sacrificed himself for everyone and was the first to leave us.

“Our great ancestor sincerely mourned Sir Hamel’s death. But the grave that they painstakingly dug for him was destroyed by some wretched scoundrels and has now collapsed completely,” Eugene said without any trace of guilt. “For the sake of the long-deceased Sir Hamel… and for the sake of our great ancestor, I believe that this statue and memorial stone should be enshrined within our ancestor’s tomb.”

“Hm…,” Doynes and the other elders weren’t able to give him a reply immediately and couldn’t help but ponder this request.

Eugene took advantage of the silence caused by their musing and added a few more words, “While I may not have been personally taught by Lady Sienna, I have read the masterpiece that she left behind, Witch Craft, and I managed to obtain a little understanding. My teacher, Sir Lovellian, is someone who had inherited the legacy of Lady Sienna, so in a way I, as Sir Lovellian’s disciple, can also call myself Lady Sienna’s disciple.”

To think that the day would come when he willingly called himself Sienna’s disciple.

“In other words, I am both Lady Sienna’s disciple and a descendant of our shared ancestor. I am also the last person to have paid tribute to Sir Hamel’s gravesite.”

“…,” the Elders were left speechless by this list of achievements.

“As such, I believe that I should be the one to personally place this statue and the memorial stone in our great ancestor’s tomb,” Eugene finally concluded.

“…I understand what you’re getting at,” Doynes said eventually. “However, as you may already be aware, the tomb of our ancestor isn’t a place that can be entered as you please. I’m afraid that I can’t just grant you permission, but….”

Doynes stop speaking for a moment to look around the room.

“…If we’re talking about Sir Hamel’s memorial stone, I agree that it should be enshrined in our ancestor’s tomb,” Gilead lent his support to Eugene’s proposal.

Carmen nodded, and the reactions of the other elders showed that they also agreed.

“…If that’s the case, then I have no choice but to open the path leading to the tomb,” Doynes conceded.

Eugene silently cheered with joy. With this, there was no need for him to search for Vermouth’s grave while trying to avoid any attention.

‘I might not be able to open the coffin in front of them, but finding its exact location is an important step.’

He might not be able to check the contents of the coffin immediately, but he could come back later and open the coffin when he was alone. At that time, there would be no need to pay any attention to avoiding the notice of the Knights of the Black Lion and the Council of Elders. If they determinedly tried to block him from doing so, then what was stopping him from beating them up and clearing the path anyway?

“Since I will need time to open up the path, you should store them with you for now,” Doynes instructed Eugene.

“Yes,” accepted Eugene.

He needed time? Did that mean the tomb was sealed away with magic? Eugene wanted to openly ask his questions, but he restrained the urge to do so and just nodded quietly.

Bringing an end to this issue, Doynes said, “Well then… Genos. You should take Eugene to his room. Unfortunately it seems that the Patriarch’s reunion with his adopted son will have to be postponed for a short while. I’m afraid that we still have a lot of things to talk about.”

“Yes,” Genos said, bowing his head and approaching Eugene.

After bowing his head to the Elders and the Patriarch, Eugene turned around and left the room together with Genos.

‘Looking at this situation, it seems that there is no way that they will declare war on Helmuth,’ Eugene thought to himself as he left.

After the clan delivered word of this warning to the Emperor of Kiehl, it seemed likely that the leaders of the various kingdoms would gather together to discuss future countermeasures. While it was unlikely that any meaningful measures would actually be taken, the mere act of discussing countermeasures was enough for Eugene to feel justified at having passed on the warning.

“…Kid.” As Eugene was walking down the corridor with Genos, the man suddenly spoke up. “Once we arrive at the bottom… let me see that statue and the memorial stone once more.”

“That’s easy, but why make such a request?” Eugene asked inquisitively.

“I want to offer some flowers to him,” Genos revealed.

Why bring up flowers all of a sudden? Eugene turned to look at Genos in confusion, only to freeze up at the sight.

Genos’s eyes were brimming with tears.

Eugene hesitated, unsure what to say, “Um… just why are you… crying so suddenly?”

“I’m not crying,” Genos blatantly lied as he widened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. “…I have conjunctivitis, so sometimes… tears just flow on their own, regardless of what I’m feeling.”

Was this guy crazy?

Eugene didn’t ask any more questions and hastened his walk to the elevator.

1. In Korean, this phrase reads as ‘they’re quarreling over a desk discussion’ — a useless debate that is purely academic and fails to reflect real life. ☜

Openbookworm’s Thoughts

Penguin’s thoughts: what a terrible day for rain