The Abyss Priest Ord Zenbel, who had been tracking me, proposed that we cooperate to eliminate the heroes.
Is that a proposal I have no reason to refuse?
He probably thinks so. In their eyes, I’m a criminal who tried to massacre the hero party from within and is now on the run.
Of course, that’s just a misunderstanding stemming from a false accusation.
…Well, can I truly say it’s 100% misunderstanding?
Contrary to the rumors, I’ve never attempted to ambush the heroes, but if the chance to kill arises, I’d think that’s the best option.
Once one hero bites the dust, the remaining ones must fill the gap he left, which will ultimately increase the burden on Friede and me…
‘Better that way.’
Even so, it would be better for Gunther and Heid to disappear.
They had overly malicious personalities and ambitions that were left unchecked, making them necessary evils in my book.
At least, that’s how they were portrayed in the novel. Though, to be fair, it included a fair bit of personal grudge from the original novel’s protagonist.
For such reasons, if the Abyss Priests’ goal genuinely was to kill Heid and Gunther, I might as well give them my cheer.
But actively joining and cooperating is a different matter altogether.
Why, you ask?
Well, these are Abyss Priests.
If Gunther and Heid are despicable bastards who put on a facade of virtue, then these guys are pure, unadulterated villains who don’t even bother with pretense.
Trust them?
Honestly, I’d rather trust a schoolmate who contacts me after ten years asking for a favor.
It was obvious. They’d pretend to be trustworthy allies only when I’m useful to them, but the moment I’m no longer needed, they’d happily stab me in the back.
If they’re at each other’s throats, how much worse would they treat an outsider like me?
That’s why, while I nodded as if I agreed to the proposal, I set a condition: we need evidence that we can trust each other.
◆◆
Upon hearing my words, Ord’s lips curled in annoyance as he let out a faint sigh. He acted as if he was only giving me an answer when I needed his approval.
“Proof of trust? Is that really necessary? I believe our intentions align adequately.”
“That’s not enough.”
Just because our goals are the same doesn’t mean I can trust him. That’s a fool’s game. What does he think I am?
“Are you really offering me a helping hand or just a leash disguised as a hand? Honestly, I’m not sure.”
In reality, it was closer to the latter. Sharing the same objectives means I could use him to fulfill my own.
“So help me to be sure. Show me I can trust you. It shouldn’t be hard, right?”
“…You are quite suspicious. To an excessive degree.”
“That’s why I’m still alive.”
If I had lived in this world believing it was full of faith and hope, I would have been dead long ago or begging for a quick death.
Skepticism is a virtue. At least in this dangerous and barbaric world.
“Tsk. You’re quite obstinate.”
Ord clicked his tongue, showing his displeasure.
It was the kind of response you’d expect from someone whose dirty laundry had just been aired. Besides, he could just be the type who hates backtalk due to a bad attitude.
“If that bothers you—”
“…Fine. If you need that, I will provide it. I don’t know what will convince someone as skeptical as you, though.”
“It won’t be difficult. Just answer a few questions, and we’re good.”
“Haa…”
Ord sighed deeply and nodded. Although he didn’t look pleased, at least he was willing to listen.
Hmm… are the Abyss Priests that desperate for power?
Here I am, a woman overtly suspicious and uncooperative. Are they really in such dire need of every last bit of strength?
…That can’t be right. If the Order of Reversal was so weak, they wouldn’t even think about dealing with the heroes.
Then why are they coming at me so low-key? What makes someone like me, who’s just an average kingdom knight in their eyes, so important?
Truly, the more I think about it, the fishier it gets.
…Well, I guess I can sort that out later. For now, I’ll ask what I really want to know.
“You said you’re going to kill the hero… specifically Heid, right?”
“Yes. Gunther must be eliminated too, but that’s secondary. For now, we deal with Heid.”
“Why?”
The first question. Why do they want to kill the heroes?
“What’s the reason? You’ve been lying low for years. Why suddenly target Heid now? I’m really curious about the motivation behind that.”
No, more specifically, why have they chosen ‘now’ to go after the heroes? That was my first question.
“The reason, huh… hmmm.”
Ord tilted his head as if pondering for a moment before he seemed to come up with a satisfactory answer, shrugging lightly before speaking.
“Like you, our reason for targeting the current heroes aligns with your reason for hunting them. Does that answer your question?”
“Do you think that makes sense?”
So, they’re saying their motivation is the same as mine? I need them to actually make sense, do they even know what my motivation is?
“Stop dodging the question and explain properly. If you genuinely want to draw me in, you have to show sincerity in your responses.”
The same reason as me? Is Heid also saying he wants a piece of me too?
“…Was that explanation insufficient? Fine. If you want, I’ll tell you everything.”
Is he finally ready to explain? I couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. Getting a proper answer from him seemed tougher than pulling teeth.
Then he continued.
“The current heroes aren’t even worthy of being called heroes. You know that, right?”
Ord took a step forward and began an unexpected lengthy monologue, claiming that today’s heroes are no longer heroes but mere sidekicks.
“You know better than I do. So what?”
“Heroes are the humanity’s vanguard and champions bestowed with the goddess’s blessing to eradicate the demon king. But do the current heroes fulfill that purpose?”
There’s no way in hell. Excluding Friede, they’re all just greedy selfish bastards.
Both Gunther and Heid, let alone the Eastern hero Atli, were far from being actual heroes. They could only be seen as heroes from the Eastern perspective.
“When was the last time a demon king was defeated? Ten years ago? Twenty? It’s been four hundred years! Not a single hero has reached the demon king in four centuries! I doubt they even thought to!”
Ord’s voice rose as he got fired up.
Truth be told, he wasn’t wrong. The last recorded defeat of a demon king was around that time.
So, what did the heroes after that time do?
Some died on their quest in the Abyss Dungeon, and a few reached the demon king’s territory, but none of them were able to slay him and fell instead.
They were failures, albeit honorable ones.
But that doesn’t mean I can belittle their accomplishments. At least the heroes of that time didn’t throw responsibility away, even if they failed due to lack of strength.
As time passed, circumstances changed.
After the last one was defeated, the demon kings went silent, as if they had given up their ambitions of world domination.
They still sent their forces through the deep dungeons, but it could be held back by the knights of each country.
The threat of demon kings faded from memory, to both the nobility and the heroes themselves.
Thus, inevitably, the heroes’ roles had to change drastically from those times.
“Because the demon kings are quiet, and knights can easily seal off the entrances to deep dungeons! These so-called ‘heroes’ have become adept at enjoying their benefits while abandoning their responsibilities!”
Today’s heroes are not an elite force to slay the demon king, but merely a national asset expected to grow stronger the fastest.
Sending heroes and their parties, blessed with power, into deep dungeons to grow and then parading them as key defenses for their kingdoms.
Typically, the heroes don’t care about the dangers of demon king hunting; they only chase power, status, and wealth.
Ord was precisely pointing out this reality.
“Is that what you call heroes? Not helping the weak out of goodwill, nor genuinely aiming for the demon king’s head. Just insects filled with desires for power, wealth, and lust!”
Ord shouted, clenching his fists. He seemed so engrossed in his own words that one might think he’d become a motivational speaker instead of an Abyss Priest.
“That is why we seek to exterminate them! To take away the privileges from those unworthy heroes and to offer truly valuable ones the opportunity to prove their worth!”
Killing unworthy heroes to give worthy ones a chance to become heroes. That’s how Ord explained the purpose of his—of the Order of Reversal.
“Hah.”
I twisted my lips into a mocking smile. I couldn’t help but laugh since everything he said was complete nonsense.
“Stop with the nonsense and get to the real reason. When did you guys start thinking like this?”
What a ridiculous claim. A qualification exam for heroes? What kind of nonsense is a band of Abyss Priests spouting that nonsense?
Honestly, I think they mistakenly thought I was attacking the hero party for some noble reasoning, and now they’re trying to bond over this foolishness…
‘What a joke.’
What a ridiculous misunderstanding.
I don’t know how they got this idea, but it seems they view me as some antihero trying to judge fallen heroes.
What lunatics.
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