CH 67

[Hey. I thought you’d never come.]

That night.

When I went to the designated tavern, Gard was there with a refreshing Ikemen smile.

Apparently, this was a tavern for the rest of all SaintBell’s adventurers.

When I stepped inside the building, a manly smell seemed to come out of it.

[Excuse me. To tell you the truth, I haven’t yet decided to take the job…]

[I see. I’ll hear the story of why for the moment. I’m going to order a drink, do you have any requests?]

[No. In particular…]

[Cantinero, the house special drink for him!]

The next moment Gard snaps his fingers.

An employee with a Kaiser beard shows up from behind the counter and brings me a drink.

Wow!

Are there really people who call other people just by snap their fingers!?

Is the first time I see it in real life.

[… well, then let’s move on to the request. Have you ever heard of a demon who has settled in this city?]

[No. This is the first time I’ve heard it.]

[… In fact, there are rumors that he’s settled in the east residence of SaintBell. The guilds are secretly investigating high-ranking adventurers… there is no exception and that’s coming back.]

[What about the Devil Lord?]

Something smells bad.

First of all, from the image of the Devil Lord I have, it is like someone sitting on the top floor of a magnificent tower built between space and time.

follow a ordinary thought… wouldn’t stay in the residence of a city.

[… Although I can’t determine that, I think the odds are good enough. The predictions of the Demon Lord’s rebirth are famous stories. What I want to ask you… would be the subjugation of the demon who settled in the East residence.]

[………….]

It’s an unbelievable story!

But if you’d said it in the first place, we could have saved time.

[I’m sorry. I can’t trust that story to be…]

[I’ll pay the reward. If I put 30 million col in your hands?]

[30 million!?]

I-Is not too much reward?

30 million col from Adelheid is equivalent to 33 million yen in modern Japan.

[Oh, since I’m a person born into a family of venerable heroes, it’s easy for me to make that kind of money.]

I didn’t know that.

Did the hero’s descendants lead such an affluent life?

On careful thought, the conditions offered by Gard seem to be convenient.

Why is that so?

From what I have heard from Gard’s story, the creatures who settled in the city residence did not feel like the Demon Lord at all.

If you consider it, if you can get 30 million Col just for defeating a fake demon king, it will unquestionably be a request.

Immediately after completing the money fever in a mine search, it is best to have more assets.

[I understand. I don’t know if I can defeat him, but I’ll do my best.]

[Really!? What a joy! Let us fight together to protect the peace of the world!]

When I responded to the deal, a refreshing ikemen smile floated on Gard’s face.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1 hour later.

Gard, who decided to leave Souta at the tavern, was walking in some ruins waiting for his comrades.

These ruins were a hideout of a group of demon hunters called the 『The Feast ofRoses』 used for meetings.

[Kuhaha, apparently it seems to have worked well.]

In the hideout, Gard was talking to his partners about the tavern.

They were outlaws hired by Gard. These were powerful people who didn’t mind killing others if necessary.

[But the boss also has a terrible personality, trying to get for himself the fishermen’s profits.]

[Fufu. That’s a story I won’t tire of telling.]

Supposedly, a contract was signed that said, 『If you defeat the demon who lives in the mansion, you will be given 30 million col』… but Gard’s intentions were different.

Gard intended to take credit when Souta and the Demon were fighting and would have weakened.

If the opponent was a stronger demon, he should abandon Souta and flee.

Using adventurers attracted by money to use them as bait was routine for the Gard group.

[…I don’t like it. Even if it’s a imitation of the demon lord, even if it’s a demon or something, I’ll take it down with a single shot.]

Who unloaded his annoyance in the group that was animated was the outstanding member of 『The Feast of Roses』 ———Domon.

Domon had a delicate sword technique, that sword coming out of his gigantic body that was 2 meters high, and he had been supporting Gard since the group’s begin.

[Domon, don’t worry. I’ve bought your abilities, but… is this the way we do all our jobs?]

Gard pours sake into Domon’s empty glass to ease his mood.

――Gard’s family that bore the blood of the hero was in a position where a large grant was taken from the country every time they made an achievement in the subjugation of demons.

However.

In the past, the descendants of the house of the hero who possessed an invincible glory, with the passage of time would become normal people.

Gard’s family managed to maintain their current position by gathering thugs under the name of the Hero and hunting demons.

300 years later, the hero’s family was completely corrupted.

The Incoming income in the country was proportional to the level of threat from evil demons.

In particular, they emphasized the existence of the 『Demon Lord』 because it was possible for them to extend the story and earn more income from the country.

[Son, let’s celebrate success with the demon king business and get a drink!]

Gard, who was convinced of the success of the strategy, emptied his glass with his good humor friends.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(… I see, so that’s what happened.)

In the meantime.

Carolina, who was seeing the state of Gard with bat eyes, had a blue vein on her forehead.

It was a story from the past about the existence of the demon lord who reigned over Adellheid and was feared in the past.

Now he lacked such prestige, even there were those who used his name as a tool to make money.

(That indignation, to use the name of… the Maou-sama for such vulgar purposes.)

Carolina, who had listened to Gard’s conversation, was burning with killer intent.