■ ass ass in creed □
The day after extracting information from the Sage in the underground prison, I went to see the Demon King again.
Yesterday, I didn’t have the chance to properly greet him, but I also wanted to share the information we gathered through dice games in the dungeon.
Normally, such wordplay wouldn’t work on the Sage, but perhaps because he had been locked up for too long, his judgment was clouded, and I managed to deceive him more easily than expected.
I knocked on the door of the study early in the morning. There was some movement coming from inside.
Stepping back a pace to adjust myself, I assumed that whoever came out would be Seneca, the head butler.
Creak—
But unexpectedly, the one who opened the door was a creepy scarecrow wearing a crow-shaped mask.
‘Possessed Scarecrow’ Mephisto.
One of the Four Heavenly Kings the Hero Party first encountered, and also the first of the Four Heavenly Kings I defeated.
A mysterious being who freely wields black magic by borrowing power from otherworldly entities and commands ghosts and zombies like limbs.
Mephisto stared at me through the eyeholes of the crow-shaped mask on his face.
I’m not sure if those crude drawings on the white cloth could really be called eyes, but I definitely felt his gaze.
“Come in. Caldlasth, or should I call you Partarth now?”
Just like with Dorothea, we were old acquaintances.
If he wasn’t wearing the mask, there’s no way his true identity could remain hidden, especially since the Demon King likely gave prior notice to the Four Heavenly Kings, just as he did with Walter.
“Hmm, uh… Call me whatever you like.”
I didn’t know how to approach Mephisto, someone I once fought to the death, so I responded awkwardly.
Then Mephisto chuckled and stepped aside.
“What a funny situation. Who would’ve thought I’d end up sharing meals with that unruly Executioner?”
Me too.
I swallowed those words and entered the study.
“Welcome.”
The Demon King was sitting at his desk processing today’s paperwork.
Watching him diligently work even this early in the morning stirred an odd sense of empathy, but I couldn’t worry about him when my own nose is three feet long.
“I don’t see Seneca around today.”
As I said that while sitting on the sofa, the Demon King, raising his head slightly, pushed up his glasses and replied.
“He said his grandson was born, so I gave him a week off. Besides, there are other servants, so it’s unnecessary for him to always be tied to me.”
“I see.”
I started pouring myself some tea from the pot already set on the table.
Since the Demon King enjoys drinking tea so much, various kinds of tea leaves are always available.
After filling the kettle with water and adding the leaves, I began brewing the tea with a simple flame magic spell, when the Demon King stood up from his desk.
“So why did you come so early in the morning?”
“Ah, I have something urgent to discuss.”
As I said that and prepared to start the story, I suddenly noticed Mephisto standing behind me, which made me turn around.
Mephisto then leaned against the wall with a calm gesture and said,
“Don’t mind me. I’m just a plain scarecrow.”
Hmph.
When I was about to dismiss him, the Demon King spoke up.
“Anything I know will eventually reach all the Four Heavenly Kings anyway. So feel free to speak.”
“In that case…”
I told the Demon King what happened in the dungeon yesterday.
Since it seemed like neither the Demon King nor Vanessa, the warden of the dungeon, knew the specifics, I assumed he was equally uninformed.
Upon hearing my story, the Demon King stroked his beard with interest.
“The descent of the Goddess. Indeed, it’s quite an unexpected method of assassination.”
“The Goddess of Courage must’ve been desperate. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have directly descended to the mortal realm by borrowing the body of a follower just to kill her chosen Hero.”
“As you say, this serves as decisive evidence supporting the hypothesis that a new Hero cannot be born unless the current one dies.”
The Demon King nodded solemnly after saying this.
“So, Caldlasth, building on our conversation from the audience chamber yesterday, how do you plan to form the independent unit for assassinating the human king? Didn’t you ask for time to think about the members?”
“Yes, I’ve already selected suitable candidates.”
Saying that, I cleared my throat and recited the essential conditions for the elite operatives who would infiltrate human territory.
“First, we need to successfully assassinate King Oscar with only a small number of people, and we’ll have to travel a considerable distance. Therefore, random members of the Demon Tribe won’t suffice. The best team I’ve considered consists of myself, Dorothea, and Vanessa.”
At this, the Demon King tilted his head in confusion.
“You’re planning to take Vanessa, the captain of the royal guard, along for the assassination of King Oscar?”
“Yes. Though Vanessa doesn’t usually have much to do besides patrols, she’s still a Swordmaster. She’ll serve excellently as a tank. Also, since she always wears armor and only shows her head above her shoulders, she looks human enough to infiltrate the kingdom without much difficulty.”
Perhaps finding this reasonable upon reflection, the Demon King approved.
“That makes sense. Naturally, Vanessa will cooperate. I’ll inform her beforehand.”
“As for Dorothea, despite being a witch, she doesn’t look significantly different from humans externally. And since she specializes in wide-area magic, she can act as the party’s main damage dealer.”
“And what about you?”
I confidently answered,
“I am the final piece for infiltrating the Royal Castle of Oz.”
“Final piece?”
“By now, the humans must know that the Hero has died. If I were the Goddess, I would’ve immediately sent down a divine message to select a new Hero. However, they only know about the Hero’s life or death, not the status of allies like me, the Sage, or the Warrior.”
At this, the Demon King let out a small exclamation of admiration before sharing his thoughts.
“You’re planning to exploit the lack of information.”
“Yes. Plus, we still have an unused card.”
“Are you referring to the remaining companions of the Hero? If so…”
Before the Demon King could misunderstand, I quickly corrected him.
“No, I mean the Hero’s Artifact.”
“Ah.”
After serving the brewed tea into both our cups and savoring its aroma, I continued.
“If the divine message represents the legitimacy of the Hero, then the Hero’s Artifact symbolizes their strength—the Trinity, the sacred trio commonly known as the Threefold Unity.”
The sword, shield, and circlet.
These items elevate the naturally talented Hero to an even higher level.
In reality, the late Hero Arthurius originally possessed skills akin to a Sword Expert but, due to the power of the Trinity, wielded abilities comparable to a Sword Master.
With consistent training, he might have reached a level where he could fight the Demon King himself toe-to-toe without significant disadvantage.
Of course, that’s just speculation.
“If I bring these artifacts, even if they suspect me, they’ll initially welcome me with smiles. For the Hero, the Trinity is one of the most important objects.”
After listening quietly to my explanation, the Demon King finally agreed after a long silence.
“Very well. For such a mission, lending Vanessa isn’t a problem.”
“Thank you!”
I bowed deeply.
“However, I cannot allow you to take all three Hero’s Artifacts. What if something unforeseen happens? If the artifacts we barely managed to seize somehow fall back into human hands, it would lead us across a river we cannot return from. Thus, I can only permit you to take one of the Trinity.”
“In that case… I’ll take the Circlet.”
If the sword grants immense strength and the circlet infinite mana, the shield protects against most magical attacks.
Even if lost, the circlet or shield would be less regrettable compared to the sword, though they are still unparalleled artifacts that can’t be found anywhere else.
After hearing my answer, the Demon King acknowledged it and promised to prepare them ahead of our departure.
After thanking him, I finished my tea and was about to leave when the Demon King asked me,
“What name will you give your unit?”
The Demon King’s direct commando unit.
Though it sounds impressive, until now, it was merely an empty shell with only me as a member. But now, it would officially include real teammates.
Several grand names flashed through my mind, but I recalled the constant advice from my Master and decided against it.
“Your naming sense is catastrophic, so just keep it simple.”
Reflecting on it now, that was truly invaluable advice.
Scratching my cheek as I waited for the Demon King’s response, I asked,
“How about ‘Demon Assassin Corps’?”
At this, the Demon King burst out laughing.
“Your naming sense leaves much to be desired.”
Being my direct superior, I couldn’t argue back.
