Chapter 328 : Declaration of War

The members who had been out on missions returned one after another at the news of crybaby Viola's return.

And, as always, we flocked to Sven's shop and held a grand welcoming party.

Fiddle, fiddle.

"Well, isn't this something. To think that Viola was a demon."

"So that's why she always wore a hat?"

"D-don't touch...!"

"You have three horns? I heard somewhere that the more horns you have, the stronger you are. Is that true?"

"Then was being a crybaby a characteristic of the demon race?"

"No... that's just me being a crybaby... Ouch! I-I told you not to touch...! It tickles!"

"Hehe. It's so strange. Can I bite it?"

"No...!"

"Chomp!"

"Kyaaak!"

Viola, who was at the center of it all, was being held by the curious members and having her horns touched.

'Is this... horn harassment?'

I rested my chin on the table and watched Viola, who was being tormented with a tearful face.

"I didn't know Viola was a demon."

"And a princess at that!"

"A crybaby princess. I never would have imagined."

"S-stop touching...!"

"Hey, not a demon, but a citizen of the Kingdom of Sorrow!"

"Same difference."

I tilted my glass and watched the heartwarming scene, and then I spoke to Hartz, who had come over after tormenting Viola to his heart's content.

"How's it going?"

"You mean the Dark Heaven Society guys?"

"That's right."

"We've pretty much wiped them out."

I put a piece of plump and shiny pork knuckle in my mouth and asked.

"Did you find their headquarters?"

Then, his eyes turned blue, and Sorrow answered in a cold voice.

"I found it."

"...Really?"

"Yes. They had planted a small bug inside their bodies. It seems to be a type of magical beast."

"There's such a small magical beast?"

"If it's a magical beast, it's a magical beast. If I had to classify it."

Sorrow said, downing his glass of alcohol.

"It seems to be a type of artificial magical beast created through experiments. It usually stays quiet as if it's dead, and then, the moment they try to reveal a secret, the bug that was located near the heart eats the heart, a surprisingly simple and disgusting way of operating."

[It's a curse.]

'A curse?'

Was that what the Heavenly Demon had mentioned before?

"They're amazing guys. So, can we just raid their headquarters now?"

Sorrow tilted his glass again and said.

"I've already been there."

Seeing his expression, it seemed that the result was not very good.

"Was it a trap?"

"No, it wasn't a trap. It was definitely their headquarters."

"Then?"

"It was just empty."

"...Empty?"

Sorrow nodded his head.

"Yes. It seems they've already moved their headquarters."

"How do you know?"

"I don't know for sure, but from the traces left there... it seems there was an internal conflict."

"Internal conflict? A power struggle? Or a rebellion? You mean they were destroyed because of that?"

"I don't know. What's certain is that the one who won is a pretty smart guy."

Sorrow smiled coldly.

"It's been a while since the internal conflict. It means they had plenty of time to erase their traces."

"But?"

"But, he chose to leave the scene as it was. The blood splattered on the walls, the half-beastified corpses being eaten by maggots, the followers who had fallen, entangled with each other, with knives stuck in their bodies. Why?"

I chewed on my pork knuckle and waited for Sorrow's words.

"Did he want to let us know that the house was in ruins because of a family fight?"

Sorrow snapped his fingers.

"That's it. I knew I could talk to you. You're different from that idiot Hartz who just kills without thinking."

One of his eyes turned yellow, and Hartz protested.

"Who are you calling an idiot..."

"Will you continue your deduction?"

To think that he was cutting himself off. It was a truly strange sight.

"Sure, why not."

Anyway, I decided to play the role of an investigator as Sorrow had requested.

"If he wanted to let us know that they had been destroyed by an internal conflict, then the truth must be the opposite. Did he fake his death?"

"That's right. They want us to think that the Dark Heaven Society self-destructed due to an internal conflict. The reality is that one side won and then took all the important materials."

"He must have disappeared like a ghost."

Sorrow nodded his head.

"After that, it's been as quiet as a mouse. They've stopped expanding their influence, kidnapping people, attacking villages, and all other external activities."

"Hmm."

"Before, we could at least go and beat them up one by one, but now there's nothing. Even when we interrogate the captured executives, it seems they really don't know anything. It seems they've formed their own independent force and have gone into hiding."

So before, they could at least grab them by the collar and shake them through torture— no, interrogation.

But now, they couldn't even do that.

"It's a clean and neat job. As if they had been preparing for it for a long time. No, it's certain that they had been preparing for it for a long time. Otherwise, there's no way there would be no traces left."

"Hmm."

"It's too quiet. As if they're preparing for something. As if they're gathering their strength for it. It's as if all the preliminary work is done, and they're slowly about to carry it out."

"So, it's the calm before the storm."

"That's right. Ah, and."

Sorrow said, handing me a note.

"This was written in blood in what is presumed to be the leader's room."

As I looked at Sorrow blankly, he said in a meaningful tone.

"He knows you."

I unfolded the note.

「On a rainy day. There was a god-slayer, an apostate, and a martyr.」

「One of them died, so who are the ones left?」

「What's certain is that one of them was a traitor.」

My eyes widened.

「O Red-Eyed Devil. O Judge of the Red Eyes.」

「I'm sure I told you not to trust anyone. It's your fault for trusting me.」

Swoosh—

The sound of heavy rain, and his empty eyes in between.

The hollow voice that came out.

An excuse that wasn't an excuse.

—I told you not to trust anyone. It's your fault for trusting me.

Grit!

The note was half-crumpled.

「You should have killed me.」

「I'll give you a chance to correct your mistake.」

It was a clear declaration of war.

Fwoosh!

I burned it with a Blue Flame and muttered softly.

"...Yuri."

He was alive.

* * *

Sorrow, who had been watching me burn the note blankly, said.

"Do you know what it means?"

"...Of course. It's a declaration of war. A clear provocation."

"I see."

Sorrow slowly nodded his head.

"Hmm. I don't know why he would leave the scene so cleverly manipulated. Or did he already expect to be found out? Either way, it's a bad taste."

"Maybe he just wanted to see me get angry."

Just then, Dofang, who had been tormenting Viola to his heart's content, sat down next to me and said.

"Why is the atmosphere so gloomy here? It seems you've been talking about nothing but depressing things. There's good news, too."

"Good news? What is it?"

Dofang grinned and said.

"While you were on your trip, Maia was turned upside down."

"What happened?"

"It was literally turned upside down. The third princess, Lilia Adrian Maia, has ascended to the throne."

"...Really?"

"Really."

This was truly unexpected news.

"No, can the throne be flipped over so easily, like flipping a pancake?"

Even the Black Prince had gone through a very difficult process to take the throne.

Dofang shrugged and said.

"It seems the princess has been working hard all this time. And she had the full support of the Grand Duke of the North, Elsbears, and the Duke of Selisman, who is called the Iron Chancellor."

I knew that, but I didn't know they would act so quickly.

"With the two powerful figures backing her, the tables turned pretty quickly. I also went to the capital for a while and took care of a few idiots who wouldn't listen. And after that, well. It was the princess's world."

"Well, I'll be."

You never know how the world will turn out. To think that I would see that little Princess Lilia become king.

Still, it seemed a hundred times better than the sinister and cruel Black Prince, so I had no choice but to nod my head.

Tsk. I said, smacking my lips.

"If I had been here, I would have lent a hand. It's a shame."

Dofang laughed and patted my back.

"Haha, don't worry. I went on behalf of our Sherwood. I even saw the princess ascend to the throne with my own eyes!"

As I looked at the laughing Dofang, I suddenly remembered the bet they had made while beating up the Dark Heaven Society.

"Come to think of it, didn't you guys make a bet?"

"A bet?"

"Who could destroy more Dark Heaven Society bases."

"Ah, that's right."

"Now that they've stopped their activities, is the bet over?"

"That's right."

The crazy race that had become rather intense because Hud had arbitrarily put my wish ticket as a prize was finally over.

"Who won? The last I heard from Siri, you and the Linda-Shushuruta alliance were in a close match."

"Ah, that?"

Dofang smiled meaningfully and then gestured with his head towards the table across from us, where Viola was being tormented.

When I followed Dofang's gaze, I met the eyes of the two who had been harassing Viola.

"...Don't tell me?"

...Gulp.

I swallowed dryly.

Dofang's frank voice came to me faintly.

"Sorry, little brother. I lost."

"Ah, by Ketel, no."

Was it just my imagination?

It seemed that the eyes of the two were flashing with a terrifying light.

* * *

The next day.

I called the two to my room.

"Did you call?"

"Devil, why?"

I looked at the two, who were no different from usual, for a moment, and then pointed to the chair across from me.

"Sit."

"Okay!"

I said, with my hands clasped on the desk like a careful negotiator.

"Congratulations on winning the Hudmilla Cup Dark Heaven Society Beating Contest."

"Thank you!"

"Huhu, it was nothing."

Linda was beaming, and Shushuruta crossed her arms and said nonchalantly, "Huhu."

I looked at the two with rather anxious eyes, and then brought up the main topic.

"So, about the prize for winning..."

Flash!

The moment I brought it up, the eyes of the two flashed with a terrifying light.

Gulp.

"The wish ticket... is there something you want?"

Then, the two looked at each other.

"Huhu."

"Hehe."

"Huhuhuhuhu."

"Hehehehehe."

"..."

They began to laugh very ominously.

A cold sweat ran down my forehead.

I didn't know for sure, but it was sure to be a very terrible wish.

But I, the manly Ashuban, would not be afraid of something like this.

"Let me say it again, it's a wish within the scope of what I can grant. It would be troublesome if you suddenly asked me to pluck a star from the sky."

"Huhuhuhu."

"Hehehehe."

"...Are you listening to me?"

Hooo—

I took a deep breath and then said.

I was mentally prepared.

"Spit it out. What's your wish?"

The two exchanged a glance again, and then told me their wish.

* * *

"Hud."

"Yeah."

"I don't see Big Sister. Is she still living in that mountain village?"

"That's right."

"Is the captain there too?"

"Probably."

"Good."

Hud blinked and looked at me.

"Why, are you going to visit?"

"Of course."

Hud stared at me.

"You've changed somehow."

"Ah, you can feel it?"

"What should I say, it feels like the energy of nature, but... it's ominous. It feels like terrible natural disasters are bundled up inside."

"You're very perceptive."

The other guys had also said that my atmosphere had changed, but it seemed that Hud had felt it a little more specifically.

"I heard from Siri and Viola that something amazing happened in the demon realm."

"That's right. Ah, before that. The real headquarters of the Dark Heaven Society is probably near the Misty Cliff."

"Near the Misty Cliff?"

I said, holding out my hands and piously muttering, imitating a prophet.

"「Chaos will descend upon the place where the Evil God's last breath was scattered.」"

"?"

"They're probably located in the place with that ominous mist. It's a prophecy from Hope that the Hero of Light told me, so you can believe it."

Hud said, tapping her lips with the end of her fountain pen.

"Hmm... I see. I'll have them look for it. It's a pretty wide area, so it might take a while."

I stood up from my seat.

"Yes, please."

"Are you leaving right away?"

"Yes."

Hud looked at me with a new sense of wonder.

"Your atmosphere is unusual. Like someone going to a fight."

I just smiled faintly.

Hud's amethyst-like purple eyes widened.

"...Don't tell me?"

I nodded my head.

"It's exactly that."

The master of the dirty beard, the living legend of the mercenary world.

The man who had beaten up an S-rank magical beast single-handedly.

The one and only mithril-grade mercenary above the platinum grade.

The former captain of the Sherwood Mercenary Corps.

Guston of the Greatsword.

It was finally time to go and beat up that ridiculously strong monster.