It Seems That the Demon King Is Among the Members of the Hero’s Party

22. Dreaming of Magic

What’s with that nickname, ‘Moving Oaf’? It’s almost an insult. I was surprised to learn that Takeshi was part of the hero party, but more so by the cruelty of that nickname.

Nicknames are often given based on a person’s character.

The hero nickname is easy to understand. Sasha was probably ‘Drunken Riot’ due to her magic use during drinking sessions.

Before that, she had the cool nickname ‘Young Sage’.

Sasha didn’t seem to mind, but I suppose it didn’t matter to her.

“‘Moving Oaf’, what a terrible nickname.”

“I heard Takeshi called himself that.”

Why would someone do that?

I don’t understand Takeshi’s character. He’s not the type of person I’m familiar with. No doubt about it.

“When I researched about the demon king, it came up. About the 4th generation demon king ‘Rondalgia’ and the 4th generation hero Lloyd…”

“There’s one person who clearly stands out, which is weird.”

“That’s true, they do stand out.”

“They also had some strange behavior, but that’s not relevant now.”

“Didn’t that sword get stuck in the ‘Rezo Ruins’? It’s an ancient ruin southeast of the kingdom of Kremaltas.”

Was that the name? I’m sure it was within Kremaltas’ territory.

The lord of that land asked me to deal with the monsters inhabiting the ruin, so I went to defeat them.

While exploring the ruin after defeating the monsters, I found a hidden door and proceeded to the deepest part.

I remember the decorated Durandal stuck in the pedestal, shining like a god.

“Was it bad when I pulled it out?”

“Probably.”

Sweat trickled down my back, feeling unpleasant.

When Durandal awakened, didn’t it say something? Something about using Durandal as a foundation for the seal… Yeah, that’s right. Pulling it out was a bad idea.

“It’s certain that it sealed one of the four heavenly kings of the demon tribe, right?”

“The four heavenly kings?”

For some reason, there’s a rumor that there are five of them…

“Was it ‘The Undead Queen (Undead Queen)’ Silvy Empire?”

“Since it couldn’t be defeated, it was sealed, right?”

“If Durandal was pulled out, there’s a possibility that it was released.”

“Probably…”

Did I do something bad? Wait, no. I remember Durandal saying something. “The seal was already broken before I pulled it out.”

So, I didn’t pay attention to it. The mistake was not hearing about what was sealed.

But who broke the seal? I pulled it out about five years ago. Around the same time, the demon king revived… Then it’s probably the demon king.

“There’s no information about its whereabouts right now, is there?”

“No, there isn’t. I heard a rumor that one of the four heavenly kings, ‘Red Dragon’ Drake, was seen at the foot of the Deke Mountains.”

“That drunk old man?”

“You know him well, don’t you? He’s a drunk who hangs out at the tavern.”

“I’ve heard from him once too. When I told Noel, he dismissed it as useless information.”

“If he’s just a drunk, that’s fine. The problem is that he’s an information broker.”

That changes the story.

I have a bad feeling about this. The timing of discovering Clovikas’ whereabouts and the Elves not having information about the four heavenly kings might be related.

“Can we trust that information broker?”

“He’s a heavy drinker, but I think the information itself is trustworthy.

He seems to have a creed of not speaking lies or rumors. If there’s suspicious information, he’ll investigate it himself.

That’s why I believe the information about Drake is reliable, since he verified it himself.”

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

“That’s strange, I do too.”

“We should share this with Noel again.”

“I think that’s a good idea.”

It’s possible that we’re being led astray. What’s possible is that Clovikas is luring us while the four heavenly kings’ Drake launches a surprise attack on the Elves’ country.

From what Noel said, if the intelligence agency doesn’t have information, we’ll be caught off guard and suffer significant damage.

That would shake the church. It’s a troublesome situation.

“So, let’s get back to the story. That sword is definitely the demon sword Durandal, right?”

“Yeah, no mistake.”

“Then it’s certain that the sword has abilities. Two abilities: accumulating and releasing magic power.”

“Are you using that ability?”

“I’m using the release part. I’m not using the accumulation part, am I?”

It feels like feeding magic power to Durandal isn’t accumulation, but rather using it as a magic slash.

“Durandal has the ability to stockpile its owner’s magic power. That’s accumulation.”

The previous user, Takeshi, was like Kyle, with little magical power, unable to use magic.

“But by stocking up magic with Durandal, you can make up for the lack of magic and use it, right?”

“Can you use the accumulated magic as your own?”

“That’s right. On days without battles, you can store magic and use it later. Then you can use Kyle’s magic.”

I never thought about it. I gave up on magic when I was a kid.

The limit of magical power is determined at birth, and there’s no known method to increase it. Scholars have been researching this for years, but there’s been no progress.

That’s why I gave up on magic when I realized I couldn’t use it in the church. I wanted to use it, but I couldn’t, so I gave up.

But with Durandal, I can stock up magic and use it. That means I can use ‘ Meteor’! I’m getting excited!

“You look happy, with sparkling eyes like a kid.”

“Was I making that face?”

“It was obvious.”

I felt embarrassed when Sasha pointed it out. I tried to hide it by pouring a drink, but she just laughed at me.

I guess I didn’t need to try to hide it that much.

“Do you want me to teach you how to use magic?”

“Is it okay?”

“You seem to have knowledge, but you gave up early on, right? Then you need to practice seriously and learn how to use it, or you won’t be able to use it in real battles.”

“That’s true.”

Sasha can probably use ‘Meteor’ too. She said it consumes a lot of magic, so she can’t use it repeatedly.

Even she can’t use it repeatedly, and it requires a lot of magic. I doubt I can use it, even if I turn heaven and earth upside down.

But thanks to Durandal, I might be able to use it. I’m getting excited!

“I’ll stock up magic for a while. I think it’ll take about 10 days, considering Kyle’s magical power.”

“Will it take that long?”

“It’s more than ordinary people, but still not enough. Even magic users struggle to use it, and it consumes a lot of magic. Do you think the vanguard can use it?”

“It’s impossible.”

“That’s right. Once I stock up magic, I’ll teach you. Let’s practice together, just the two of us.”

She emphasized ‘just the two of us’ quite strongly. It’s like she’s being overly affectionate. That’s the sad thing about being a man.

Still, it’s certain that I’ll improve faster if Sasha teaches me magic. Among magic users, Sasha’s skills are top-class.

Only someone like her teacher, the ‘Great Sage’ Maxwell, could surpass her. He’s already old and has retired from the front lines, focusing on nurturing the next generation.

According to Maxwell, if he didn’t have a bad drinking habit, he could leave everything to me. His alcoholism is a major drawback.

Who would want to leave everything to someone who only drinks?

“I’m relieved to have Sasha teach me. I’ll rely on her then.”

“Will it be a master-disciple relationship? That’s not bad either.”

“I’ll rely on you gently.”

“What should I do?”

I laughed along with Sasha’s giggles.

To be honest, there are many unsettling things, like the Clovis case and the Four Heavenly Kings. We’re always at a disadvantage against the demon tribe.

If I don’t gain the upper hand somewhere, it’ll be a tough fight. That’s why I need to find the Demon King first.

Even Sasha, who’s laughing and having a good time in front of me, might be the Demon King. I’m getting tired of this…

“Are you still going to keep me company, Kail?”

Sasha smiles as she pours wine into a cup.

What a beautiful smile. I couldn’t help but get captivated.

“Please handle the wine gently too.”

“What should I do? I want to monopolize Kail right now, and I won’t be satisfied until I get my fill.”

“You’re not going to send me away, are you?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

The two of us laugh and drink together.

───In the end, I didn’t return to the inn until the sun had set and the surroundings had darkened.