Will I End Up As a Hero or a Demon King (WN)

Chapter 280

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Chapter 280 – Occupied Town

I arrived in town around 8 p.m. last night and barely made it in time to get a room at the inn.

It was a real shock—my training flight went so well that I used up all my magic power before I knew it.

However!

As I looked in the small mirror provided in the room, I could see that it was gradually taking shape.

As I took off my shirt, I couldn’t help but let out a suspicious chuckle.

I’ve been completely obsessed with making it happen for the past few days: the materialization of magic power.

Even after using Wind Magic during the flight, I still had plenty of magic power left. Thinking about how to use that surplus led me to enhance my flight ability.

My levels in Magic Power Manipulation and Magic Detection had risen considerably, so I had a good sense of “how magic power moves.” I also understood the process of releasing materialized magic power using Non-Attribute Magic.

Then came the step before that.

The key is how much form I can hold just before release. If I failed, I would fire off Non-Attribute Magic. But I kept training relentlessly, trying to grow wings from my back.

Since starting this training, my Magic Envelopment experience has slowly increased. Plus, those vivid blue-purple wings that Ril flapped when flying were truly shocking.

I really want to copy that!

It’s only natural that I, with my still-burning boyish heart, would think that.

“Hmm…”

I fluttered my wings, carefully suppressing my magic to avoid accidental discharge. However, I couldn’t control it well, and my wings quickly dissipated into mist.

Furthermore, the only part I can properly materialize is still just the base.

Well, even so.

I figured that with daily practice, they would gradually take shape. I straightened my clothes and began exploring Guinier, a town ruled by the Bernald family.

(Surprisingly normal…or maybe not.)

As I left the inn and strolled down the main street, I saw shops lining the pavement, street stalls, and people coming and going.

At first glance, the town looked ordinary, but there was something gloomy and bleak about it.

A strong, foul odor lingered in places, and even on the main street, damaged houses stood out.

If you looked closely at the side streets just off the main road, you would see quite a few people huddled up and sleeping on the streets, even in winter.

The town seemed to maintain some semblance of order, yet it felt undeniably close to a slum.

Hmm…

Suddenly, I looked up at the sky, teleported upward, and surveyed my surroundings.

(I see…)

I hadn’t noticed this when I visited last night.

Guinier, clearly visible in the daylight, was a modest town isolated in a basin surrounded by mountains.

Enclosed by high stone walls, it shouldn’t have seemed extraordinary, yet it looked like a prison.

Apart from the mountain pass stretching from north to south through the gap between the peaks, there were no visible entrances or exits to the town.

At each entrance, there was something resembling a checkpoint blocking the road and causing a light traffic jam of carriages.

Why were there checkpoints in such a remote mountain area?

I thought, but I sighed at the obvious answer.

Especially in the northeastern area, where the stone walls were thickest.

That must be the D-rank hunting ground, supporting not just this town but also the lives of people throughout the country.

Then, on the southern high ground opposite the hunting ground—

There, too, was a large section enclosed by thick stone walls.

Several buildings stood within part of the grounds, clearly larger in scale than the others, yet vast tracts of land remained unused.

Needless to say, it was obvious who lived there.

Even while confirming such things, my first destination was the Hunter Guild.

I dashed into the reference room. Seeing a new monster, the “Caspar League”—the only one listed—made me exclaim, “Whoa!”

I couldn’t imagine what kind of monster it was based on its name, but it was a D-rank monster nonetheless.

Whether or not I hunt it depends on its skills, so I figured I’d head to the hunting grounds first. Just as I was about to leave the guild…

“Excuse me! Are you a high-ranker!?”

A panicked voice called from the reception area.

I looked around, but I was the only one in the lobby.

“Hm? High-ranker?”

“I believe that leather comes from a dragon species native to Rosberia. I thought you might be an A-rank hunter or a high-ranking mercenary.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I am an A-rank hunter.”

“Then could you be here for a request?”

The cat-eared receptionist started to say, then covered her mouth as if startled.

(Ah, the guild is neutral, so maybe they’re wary of rogues using Eavesdropping.)

I understood the receptionist’s beckoning gesture and followed her. Somehow, we ended up in the guild master’s room.

Faced with the tea that appeared naturally, I suddenly calmed down and thought,

(Huh? Why am I here?)

I’ve met guild masters from various places, but meeting one face-to-face within five minutes of arriving is clearly not normal. It hasn’t happened since Bezart.

The situation must be dire, but still, these people seem to have misunderstood something.

As I pondered this, I noticed the familiar square box in the corner of the room.

Just how many skills could this barrier magic tool actually block?

“My apologies for summoning you so abruptly. I’m Horace, the guildmaster of Guinier.”

“Um, I’m Loki.”

“I need to confirm something. Are you absolutely certain you’re an A-rank or higher hunter?”

At his request, I fumbled through my pocket and pulled out my guild card, retrieving it from my storage.

“Whoa! You really accepted the request! From Rosberia, right? If your other companions are waiting somewhere, could you have them come here, too?”

Horace, an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, was incredibly excited.

The cat-eared beastman from the reception desk struck a small victory pose behind him, which was cute enough to make me smile.

But the old man was leaning forward and spraying saliva as he bombarded me with questions? I could do without that.

I’d appreciate it if he could cool his overheated enthusiasm down to a level closer to mine.

“Please calm down a bit. First off, I work alone. What request are you referring to? The one posted at the Mercenary Guild?”

“Huh?”

“…Huh?”

“…Huh?”

The two of them froze, and so did I.

“Lo-Loki is a skilled hunter, A-rank or higher, who took a ‘designated request’ from the Hunter Guild, right…?”

“Huh? I haven’t taken any such request.”

“Then what in the world are you doing here?”

“Well, I came to check out this D-rank hunting ground. Then, I heard about a town taken over by scoundrels from the Mercenary Guild. I was curious what it was like.”

“……Ah, ahfah… The long-awaited… ray of hope…”

“Gu-Guild Master!? Guild Master—!”

Horace slumped like an empty shell, gaping wide-eyed in a daze. The cat-eared beastman mercilessly slapped him across the cheek to snap him back to his senses.

(What the hell is this?)

I stared at the scene for a moment, my mind struggling to catch up.

▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽

“I see. So it’s from the Mercenary Guild. But still… you have the resolve to take them down, right?”

I nod at Horace-san’s words. His gaze is sharp despite the trail of blood from his nose.

“Well, as long as they meet my personal standards, yes. Though, from what you just told me, I think they’re completely out of the question.”

“So, you’re not really worried about whether you can defeat them?”

“I’ve never seen them, so that’s part of it, of course. But I can always weaken their forces anytime.”

“…”

After Horace forcibly came to his senses, I think I understood this town’s current situation.

The organized villains were so despicable that they were almost impressive, but the information around here was vague, so I figured I’d just see for myself.

What concerned me more was the response from the country and the lord.

I mean, this is a D-rank town—a fairly rare medium-rank hunting ground. I couldn’t fathom why they were letting the villains run wild.

“With things reaching this level of disaster, why isn’t the country doing anything?”

“They did act. I don’t know the exact troop numbers, but I heard a battalion rushed into the town.”

“And what’s the situation now?”

“Well, the soldiers retreated after facing the bandits and never reached the town. Given the location, they were probably picked off by arrows and magic before they could clear the pass.”

“…And then?”

“Nothing since.”

“Surely the country has military leaders capable of standing up to them.”

“They probably do, but if they fought the Bernald brothers and lost, it’d be a disaster, wouldn’t it? Every country wants an A-rank hunting ground, so the risk of invasion from other nations is very real.”

“…”

“That’s why they’d hire fellow mercenaries and settle it with money. For this country, what matters most are Rosberia and the northern mining districts. Unless it escalates into a territorial dispute with another nation, they probably see this squabble in a backwater as no big deal.”

“So the country just dumps the responsibility onto the lord without paying a cent?”

“Well, that’s part of a lord’s duty when entrusted with the land. But sadly, word is that our lord’s finances are already in such a state…”

“A bounty of 30 million Beeke? The request and the amount seem completely mismatched. The mercenary guild was surprised I even showed interest.”

“It’s high compared to average bounties, but for someone strong enough to handle this job, it’s laughable. No wonder nobody came—it’s a miracle Loki even showed up.”

“That nobleman feels like he’s being kept on a leash, doesn’t he?”

“I agree. Reluctantly, I placed the request with an outside Hunter Guild, even though it’s technically out of line.”

They act however they please, but only because they’re walking the razor’s edge of provoking the nation’s wrath.

They probably understand that by keeping the nobles alive but not fully empowered and applying forceful pressure, they can continue to enjoy the benefits.

This is different from the image I had of an absolute aristocratic power structure.

Ugh, I hate it.

These brothers might not only be strong, but also unnecessarily clever.

“Anyway, I have my own objectives. I’ll do what I can within those.”

“Ah, ah, please do! An A-rank hunter shouldn’t be stopped at checkpoints when leaving town. If you know any hunters, please bring them along!”

“No, that’s a bit… Ah, and also—”

“?”

“The Hunter Guild request that Horace-san mentioned leaving town… It might not have gotten anywhere.”

“…Huh?”

If it had been sent, Omri-san in Rosberia would have mentioned it to me.

The fact that he didn’t means the information might have stopped right here in this town.

“That woman with the long red hair behind the front desk on the first floor? She’s one of the Bernald brothers’ people, right?”

“Wh-what…?”

I noticed it by accident.

The cat-eared beastman receptionist was wary of information leaks, so I tried various keywords with Investigation to see if it was possible.

The most troublesome thing for the Bernald brothers is probably not money, but the Hunter Guild, which might act on behalf of the people. If they wanted to shut down outside rescue requests, planting an insider would be the quickest way.

I thought they should have noticed something like this. However, if the spy’s Concealment skill was reasonably developed, no amount of Investigation would detect a reaction. That’s probably how they’ve been leaking information all along.

(This seems larger in scale than I imagined. I should consult with Ria about this.)

With these thoughts in mind, I left the Hunter Guild and headed for the hunting grounds.

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