It Was a Coincidence
"Hillen Cargill the hero has returned!"
Hillen Cargill's return stirred all of Hotenwalk.
Whether in a good way or a bad way, his return meant many things.
The lord and many others rushed out to learn whether he had won or lost, but he stepped straight onto the teleportation circle and vanished.
Leaving behind Granada, who had come down to obey the Demon King's order to assemble another mercenary company.
And Granada now faced an unexpected reunion.
"...What the hell, you guys?"
It was a coincidence—running into familiar faces drinking and chattering inside the tavern connected to the mercenary guild.
"C-Captain?"
"You're… alive?"
"Stop."
Their eyes darted. Those who had been trying to flee awkwardly sat back down, forcing smiles.
"Do I need to crush you one by one before you talk? Or will you just talk?"
"Haha…"
"T-that avalanche swept us all up, so we pretended to be dead and came down the mountain… I mean, it's not like we could've been of any real help anyway… nothing's more important than our own lives…"
"I did think it was strange that all of you vanished with a single avalanche…"
They hadn't died—they'd gone into hiding.
"So you bastards planned to take the money anyway after pulling this?"
These damn dogs.
After being betrayed once by a hero, Granada had become sensitive to such things. This was no different from his own men abandoning and betraying their captain.
"C-Captain! We didn't have a choice—we're not as strong as you!"
"Mount Ergest is too much for mercenaries like us to begin with."
Objectively, the Red Hawk Mercenary Band wasn't weak. They were only twenty or so in number, but all were at least mid-grade mercenaries.
If they weren't even worth that, Berze would never have paid a fortune to buy their time.
As Granada frowned, a woman seated with the mercenaries spoke to him.
"You're the captain of the Red Hawk Mercenary Band, aren't you?"
"Did I accept a new recruit without knowing it?"
He said that, though he could already tell she wasn't a mercenary. Her clothes didn't suit mercenaries at all—she looked more like a knight.
"It's an honor to meet you. I am Kaede, a Hero. And you must be the famous elf, Granada."
The emerald eyes glowing beneath her radiant golden hair left a strong impression. Her aura was formidable—and above all, she was beautiful.
"A hero…?"
"That's right, Captain. This hero here treated us to a huge feast because there was something she wanted to ask us."
"Captain, have a drink!"
The mercenaries desperately tried to change the topic, but a single look from Granada made them close their mouths. His tone grew calmer.
"What business does a hero have in Hotenwalk?"
"To participate in the hero expedition."
"If it's that…"
"I know. I'm far too late."
Kaede shook her head.
"I had circumstances that kept me from joining on time, but I believed that even late, there might still be a chance, so I came all the way here."
But by the time she arrived, Watton the hero and several members of the hero party had already descended. The tide had turned against them.
She was disappointed—but saw one faint hope.
"That Hillen Cargill is still on the mountain. But I couldn't just blindly climb up, so I was talking with these people."
"That's right. We did participate in the hero expedition before coming down."
"You were the first to drop out."
"Kh-hm."
Bark cleared his throat.
"If you wanted to ask about the hero expedition, you've come to the wrong people. They're my mercenaries, but shamefully, they fled without fighting anything that could even be called a battle."
"I did think something was off. They barely knew anything."
The mercenaries flinched.
"But I think I'm lucky."
"What do you mean?"
"Because I've met you, Granada."
"That's not good luck—it's bad."
"Pardon?"
"I stayed with Hillen Cargill to the very end. What do you think it means that I'm here now?"
"...No way…"
Her face stiffened.
"Yes, the hero expedition failed. Hillen Cargill and the rest of the party all descended."
"That can't be…"
"Hillen rode the teleportation circle and left immediately. There will likely be an official announcement soon—that we failed, and never even saw the Demon King's Tower."
"...Could I hear the details?"
"Well, my time is a little expensive…"
"I'll pay! I'll pay as much as you want!"
Her desperate eyes made it impossible for Granada to refuse.
"...That's impossible."
From start to finish, Kaede rejected every word that came out of Granada's mouth.
"How can the Demon King's Tower not be at the summit? That has never happened."
"It's never happened once—can you guarantee it never will? I am the living witness."
"..."
This is the fear of preconceptions. When what you believed to be absolute stops being absolute, the shock is immense.
That was why Berze was remarkable—he broke the "textbook" passed down by Demon Kings and twisted it completely.
"Anyway, we found nothing, and the hero expedition failed. I recommend you give up and head elsewhere, Hero."
"...I suppose I must."
Now that the results were out, she couldn't change them after the fact.
"It was an honor to meet the famous Granada."
"Where are you going?"
"There's only one place a hero should go…"
"Welcome!"
New guests entered—mercenary-looking men half-hidden under robes.
But—
Not bad…?
The aura they gave off was slightly different from ordinary mercenaries. Granada couldn't help but glance at them.
"What's wrong?"
"...I just swallowed wrong."
Kaede hunched over, coughing lightly. For someone who had "swallowed wrong," her face wasn't nearly red enough.
"Anyway…"
She cleared her throat.
"I'll head to the Hero Guild and look for requests."
"There won't be another hero expedition like this anytime soon."
Hero expeditions were usually about climbing the tower to a certain floor, not killing the Demon King. Fighting the Demon King required both sides to put everything on the line; unless a royal successor was kidnapped like this time, it rarely happened.
"It can't be helped. Ah, I'll pay as promised. Please enjoy the rest."
Kaede left a few silver coins and vanished.
A typical novice hero.
They had skill but lacked the mental fortitude. They believed in themselves too much, chased fame too blindly, and their ending was rarely good.
"Stop."
"Hahaha…"
"We're a little busy too…"
Bark and the mercenaries tried to stand just as she did, but sat back down under Granada's gaze.
"Why did you do it?"
"T-to survive?"
"...Honestly, Ergest is out of our league, isn't it?"
Mercenaries valued trust and reputation. They had pride, but few were willing to truly risk their lives for that pride.
Granada didn't condemn them for it. It was natural for living beings to seek survival. And Ergest was indeed too much for them. Had they followed to the end, they would likely be ghosts wandering that mountain now.
The only one who might've lived is…
Bark, their captain.
"Fine. Let's say, for argument's sake, your reasoning makes sense. But that's not why I'm angry."
"Huh?"
"You bastards with not an ounce of loyalty—why did you conspire to run away without me? Your captain?"
"...That part…?"
Bark stammered.
"So what, I have two lives? You think there's anyone in this world who isn't in danger on Ergest except maybe the Demon King himself?"
Even Hillen, after pushing himself, could only become monster food when exhausted.
"But captain, you…"
"Shh."
Granada covered Bark's mouth. His eyes shifted toward the back.
The gloomy men who had been quietly picking at their food stood up.
From the moment they entered, they had drawn attention—not mercenary-like at all.
Are they following Kaede?
Suspicious by any measure.
She had seemed slightly hounded… because she truly was being hunted.
Did she cause some kind of trouble?
There were indeed heroes who, drunk on their title, behaved arrogantly and caused trouble wherever they went.
But Kaede hadn't seemed that bad…
"…Well, not that it's any of my business."
Granada had been ordered by the Demon King to rebuild a mercenary company, using the fame he earned from the hero expedition, and had come down the mountain for that purpose.
He had mountains of work to do—no room to worry about anything else.
"I found Her Highness. South of Hotenwalk, about 500 meters west of the plaza. She just left the tavern called 'Dance of the Orc.' Everyone converge quickly."
The voice was very small. A fine magical barrier was placed over it so the sound wouldn't leak outside.
But it wasn't nearly enough to block the ears of an elf who had been deliberately listening.
Her Highness?
The only people Granada knew who were addressed as "Her Highness" were royalty or imperial blood.
…A princess?
It wasn't common for a prince or princess to be a hero—but it wasn't unheard of either. Nothing unusual there.
But between the two identities—princess and hero—one clearly took precedence: princess.
Unless a hero was among the top few known for fearsome reputation, "hero" did not outweigh "princess."
If a princess wanted to act as a hero…
Normally, a host of royal knights and soldiers would charge out in a swarm to guard her.
No—more likely, they simply wouldn't allow her to act as a hero in the first place.
For good or bad, royalty was royalty.
I can't let this go.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Granada stood up.
"H-huh? Captain, what's wrong?"
"I'll be right back. And if you run away again while I'm gone, you won't enjoy what happens."
Leaving Bark stammering behind him, Granada stepped outside. The suspicious men had already blended into the crowd.
Not that I can't find them.
Granada closed his eyes and listened. The sharp senses of an elf absorbed every bit of noise around him.
Judging from their communication, there are more of them.
Probably a tracking squad sent to capture the princess.
He searched for a group's resonance—steady, trained footfalls.
Found them.
He bought a cheap mask from a street vendor. It wasn't enough, so he cast a perception-disruption spell over himself.
It wasn't anything grand like Polymorph or Illusion, but it was better than nothing. His instincts screamed that he must not get involved in this situation as "Granada."
Crossing the plaza, passing the main road, he followed the gathering footsteps.
Small commotion. Metallic sounds of weapons clashing.
A deserted alleyway. Sunlight barely reached it. A faint stench rose from the darkness.
There, where rats gnawed on the sludge of the gutters, he saw several figures dressed just like the ones earlier.
And among them—Kaede.
"Who's there?"
Srrng—
One of the mercenaries forming the wall of bodies fixed his gaze directly on Granada's position. A gleaming white blade slid into view.
Hands raised, Granada slowly stepped forward.
"I heard loud noises, so I wandered over."
"With that pathetic mask on your face?"
"This is just a little safety measure. I mean, come on—this atmosphere? And that sword? Way too nice for some random mercenary."
"Leave."
The mercenary growled.
"This isn't your concern. Walk away like nothing happened. Otherwise…"
"Otherwise what?"
Granada grinned. The mercenary's expression hardened.
"What, are you going to kill me to erase the witnesses? Smells rotten from a mile away."
"This is not what you think it is. Last warning—leave. Otherwise, we will show no mercy."
Dozens of mercenaries drew their swords in unison. The cold killing intent stabbed Granada's skin like a field of needles.
"I'd love to leave, but…"
Granada's lips curled upward.
"My master will be very interested in this."
"Your… master?"
"That woman."
Granada's eyes swept past the mercenaries to Kaede.
"The princess, right?"
"Kill him."
A flash.
Sssk—
Granada's hair was cut clean off. Before the scattered strands even hit the ground, the sword shot forward like a stinging bee.
CLANG—
His hastily drawn sword trembled violently.
He blocked it—but not perfectly.
Unable to fully absorb the force, Granada rolled across the ground. He clenched his teeth at the unexpected chained assault.
A strong one!
He was not like the others. He knew how to conceal his strength and slip past Granada's senses.
Granada calmly drew his sword fully. Aura wrapped his blade and shattered outward into hundreds of razor-sharp leaves.
"Cheap tricks."
The man drew a line through the air. In an instant, a slash tore through space, smashing every leaf and appearing right before Granada.
CLANG—
He was blown back through a wall. Only after being pushed nearly ten meters did he manage to steady himself.
But the opponent gave no opening.
A heavy strike fell. Granada's legs sank into the ground. The follow-up was subtle—and a tiny crack appeared in his ribs.
Dammit.
A thread of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
The ambush had cost him dearly.
Should I go all out?
No—he'd be exposed.
An elf's true power bloomed only when paired with spirits. And that made them unmistakably identifiable.
If they learned he was Granada, the perception-disruption spell would be meaningless, and Demon King Berze's intentions would be ruined.
His best option was escape.
But could he? A formidable opponent stood before him, and mercenaries surrounded him on all sides.
Escaping in these conditions was like abandoning a boat and diving into a stormy sea.
Whatever. I'll just kill them.
Granada's eyes turned cold.
The most important thing in the world was one's own life. Even if it hindered the Demon King's grand plan—none of that mattered if he died.
And as long as there are no witnesses…
If everyone died, then there would be no witnesses. And with spirits, he could erase even the traces from the earth itself. No one would be able to find anything.
The moment he made up his mind—
THUD—
"...?"
The mercenary who had been overwhelming Granada suddenly coughed blood and flew backward. A blazing sword of flame cleaved between him and the mercenaries.
Those caught in the flames screamed as they writhed.
"Took longer than I thought."
The voice came from above. Everyone looked up.
Slowly—very slowly—he descended.
"You're slacking off in a place like this."
"…Does this look like slacking to you? Do you not see these wounds?"
"Wounds that'll heal with spit, and you're whining?"
"Oh wow, didn't know your spit worked like holy water."
"Want to die?"
"N-no. I'll shut up."
Honestly.
Granada let out a dry laugh.
Berze's gaze turned to the mercenaries.
"And who are you lot, bothering my slave?"
"Could you at least call me a subordinate? Even if it means the same thing…"
"I even had a slave certificate."
"No you didn't!"
"Well, it tore. But it did exist."
"...Why did you come here anyway?"
"It's not because I wanted to save you. I didn't think you'd be this weak."
"…I didn't expect you to."
"Just a coincidence."
"A coincidence?"
"Yes."
"And you expect me to believe that?"
"That's up to you."
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