Chapter 103: Promising Material
q5x9In the middle of a snow-covered mountain range where there was absolutely nothing.6uGV
O607mHeEven creatures resistant to the cold slept through the winter under that bleak climate, so everything remained silent.Az3Ld
ZgRcPlThen, in that space, a massive vertical crack opened.ieEfPjo
J4Vw16The fissure, colored in chaotic shades like oil spilled across solid ground, expelled what it contained within.2Qc
fCrWhat emerged were a dark-skinned, burly man and another man dressed in a gray robe.qVhCKz
PdsHe was the same man Perda had identified as Curved Demon.a8m
q59x0Both arrived before the snowy mountain.xXP
VnhKH“Was it really necessary to come all the way here?”0ZCT
289Wpx“No.”8ekQdqB
0Pm0“Then?”PLA29s
BXw“I couldn’t think of any other suitable place.”ggU
4U5k“Hmm.”STG11l
2y8H2FThe burly man looked at the mountain.gq0vg
WgMeQozThis was the place where the dark elf Linne had worked as research director.OblAJ
YlhHowever, that already belonged to the past.w39x
Ww8“What did you decide to do with Linne?”4zkALR
6CAduv“To let her continue her research.”eZQoGID
NEJ5“What a lenient decision.”Nv7
wbF0MXThen the burly man let out a mocking laugh.yFlX
NDs“Lenient? Of course not. I’ll kill her when she’s finished. From the beginning, she was never a woman worth anything more.”jh44m
esz“You’re going to sacrifice the dog? Well, I suppose she won’t cause you any problems either.”Ee20
QBBThe man said that and turned around.2wrS3Fm
aWMd15It was then.UEfezw
zkO0PmJCurved Demon suddenly sensed killing intent directed at him.W2HqlZk
DLHEHe raised a hand and turned his body.jqUTS6
f2zoRzLSomething was blocked by his palm.q0W
Nf7s0nBoom!8d89WUK
yhjThe burly man’s fist collided with his hand.jqLE
kiYAlthough the difference in strength was enormous, Curved Demon held his ground with both legs.ZmEVVxS
C9Pk0Tj“…What is the meaning of this?”5hgFa
ng8“I’m just doing the same thing you did.”VsCiwa
MX6LaY8“And what exactly did I do?”PM0G
VxTYX7S“You’re avoiding the conversation, so I gave up talking too. Do I need to say more?”QntIP
iVuZxTn“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”lqMbpKt
F7Y“Don’t try to deceive me. Didn’t you bring up that dark elf precisely to avoid this conversation?”wbO6za
9XGT“And what conversation am I supposedly avoiding? It seems you know.”1wP
HdZt“Perda Valdrova.”59Nb
W5HWThe burly man growled with anger.tXP7
xFMO6w“Why didn’t you kill that man?”HnXn
AuZ“……”nfTZj
KrUjAxY“You see? You can’t answer.”phHf5
1OFAt Curved Demon’s silence, the burly man smiled mockingly.e9R2
sve“I never liked you. You died pathetically after being stabbed by the Hero, then crawled around in secret to keep living before reappearing.”ijPR
RazH“……”Y68
H22o“You should have died there. Not come back in such a miserable way.”tnY
Api“If you like death so much…”F7F4u
n3pSQUUCurved Demon looked at him with a gaze full of emotion.gxdjUR
ZpOvN8q“Why didn’t you follow your father? Why are you still alive?”lh0TZ
z9isY6“Wasn’t it because of you?”StC15ze
2EG“That’s nothing more than an excuse. When I saved you, I clearly explained my purpose. And you accepted it. If you come at me with this now, how are you any different from those humans who change their minds at the first opportunity?”2MLpQeA
YXQ4UThe burly man’s eyebrows twitched.dkpo5VT
w2J5SGBut instead of resorting to violence, he withdrew the fist he had kept raised.iTsNS1P
Z3qSeeing that, Curved Demon opened his mouth.PbjDK
bDHUD“There was a reason not to kill Perda. After all, you can never truly know a human until you see them with your own eyes.”f6z
8nrY5GXOnly one person in the past had ever made Curved Demon speak such words.CTH5hN
QLnFyhHe remembered a distant time.JoBaxB0
NjweXVCurved Demon had always despised the weakness of humans.cnle
eCnDfHe destroyed everything they believed in and mocked their fragility.WZY4
LfiwThat was why, even at the moment of his death, he had never imagined that among those weak humans there would emerge someone capable of piercing his heart.STm
ztxMuch less that the same man would end up destroying even the Demon King.ERI1
o3W5HThe seed of rebellion that severed Godwin’s will.Fep
oHaI4‘The Hero.’ssxfZ
LcWt1DCurved Demon touched his chest.KwEawB
s5iWhat led him to death had not been a Holy Sword blessed by all gods and dragons.meA
J9617ccIt had been nothing more than an ordinary kitchen knife.iRwSI9
0tOvAlthough he had resurrected, that death taught him a valuable lesson.c5nLPHw
p3r5CcHowever, he smiled.un8
AG3EIt was a smile born from joy.9Eb6c
SCZnnVUThanks to that imperfect death, his will had continued.ERZplo
WAeIhlAnd he had managed to become this strong.I4Rdpe4
jZtFx0Without a doubt, even his father would be smiling in the void.EpG
f45IFor a long time, Curved Demon believed that the Hero was the only one who had ever made him change his evaluation twice.AqWtGLQ
1MLdqBut there is no such thing as absolute in this world.2BqR
4mIr4‘Perda Valdrova.’b1Xw5
QttToward that man, he felt the same sense of surprise he had once felt toward the Hero.JGLRf
gF3DThe direction was different, but the essence was similar.ADV
j4ugvAnd Curved Demon knew exactly what that was.5H2jd
bo8ik“Hmm?”yNYtQSx
NKWwBThe burly man let out a sound as he looked toward a point in the snow.IZsaqH
lSSS“What is it?”6tGN9
OK181“…There’s someone there.”HDrfLYk
iECDmAll that could be seen was a vast expanse completely covered in snow.43d0X7m
Gw8IChlNo.62Jku
XO1oTycWhen Curved Demon followed the direction of that gaze, he too noticed something protruding slightly.kVvemRp
p7PNHIt looked like a helmet.hkS
NDc7KBecause of its rough appearance, he thought it was an abandoned statue.OvmA5H
3TKWBaBut as soon as he finished thinking that, the snow piled atop the figure shook loose.v48f
PYGB8jAThe figure stood up.SbTJIUO
oXuQ1OIt was rough, heavy armor, as if a mountain of rock had taken human form.Eld
bOwlCtSeeing it, he understood how it had been able to remain motionless while snow covered its entire body.Xp8Yk
TeP8“Alberdo. So it was you.”VhnWvC
aA0An appearance as steadfast as his title itself.Yp3
bAHFcANo one would find it strange to call him a walking fortress.iCrGA
GhSo2g“I doubt this encounter is a coincidence. Were you waiting for us?”yv9
fMYJXfzHe did not answer.PgVpUU9
3MDYIn the first place, words were unnecessary.mzmI1
1cZ4WMjHe picked up the club and shield he had left beside him.8ubN
Ws0w3The club was over two meters long.2gEAHqj
t8eThe shield was of a similar size.ieo
W9b4ywBThe armor covering his entire body was also heavy and crude.oxN
oZ30y7FAt first glance, he seemed slow.tkfj
oVTg6eAnd in fact, his movements were slow.6Q7
DYrMEven so, he was one of the most infamous individuals among the demons.pdC73
m1W7sHis reputation was not undeserved.PrcOv
dVyEspecially because, upon seeing him, the burly man began trembling with rage.H5n
LxsN85q“You damned bastard…!”a0ssZ
wKsEAs if he had found the enemy he had been searching for all this time, he completely lost control and charged at Alberdo.XP7Tm1V
ekB“Today I’m finally going to kill you!”WNY68
usHi0His fist shot forward with enough force to pulverize armor.bIFIC7
3noAlberdo raised his club at the same pace.z9oRV
EsLJust as the two were about to collide.3DoPm7D
LZN8Curved Demon drew a line in the air with a finger.36pY
oqlvTAA space opened between Alberdo and the burly man.V11O
wmSqCWjAnd the rift swallowed the burly man.FtRK90s
6ENPoAlberdo struck empty air and slammed his weapon into the ground.pBjgiv
JOHpCV1Boom!NHGiVi
2pqThe earth shook violently.86lKAWB
TH2nSnow was blasted into the sky before falling back down.6Ma
VD8NHAlberdo turned his gaze toward Curved Demon.IDht
1iifiNThen Curved Demon spoke.PWTEA
4mSAAEK“Understand him. He is acting this way because he still resents the fact that you were the one who shattered his limbs.”nSui
d0m“……”2o27xGm
qyyQJP“Besides, isn’t it me that you want, and not those insignificant nobodies?”lDXx
4RxAt first glance, it could sound like someone intoxicated by arrogance, but it was the truth.niO
J39vMAlberdo had been chasing only Curved Demon.8zQCwe
ZM0bThat was why he was here.ej8M
5tGiB0Y“Let it go already. No matter how much you pursue me, nothing will change, Alberdo.”rgsn9
U6AoBiQ“……”iSCJ
2WuG9v“You have no mana and nothing special about you. You are nothing more than an ordinary human. If I draw a line with my finger and leave this place, you will have to cross the continent again one step at a time. And even when faced with such unfairness, you still search for me alone.”sZEg
e4rM“……”xRnhFY
zuAR8MdAlberdo did not respond.gC3Ctc
yxVAlthough Curved Demon spoke that way, he was not mocking him.tGYZ
paz1SThe number of demons and monsters that had been torn apart by that apparent clumsiness was impossible to calculate.ezi
S7kThe number of settlements destroyed alone exceeded several dozen.Fx8zwfg
T9PslWithout anyone acknowledging his efforts, he continued moving forward in silence with the sole purpose of killing demons.hlse
EV3AWaThat was why that man was known as the walking fortress, Alberdo.nhZV8b
SpX“As much as you hate demons, I will tell only you this. Do you know what I saw today?”1L3OH
OZ9What appeared in his mind was Perda’s face.EbBdu
VYBFI“Material to become a Demon King.”kek
DAjiQHV“……”ZT5lh4
AUJ“He was a human with extraordinary potential. Right now, he harbors the insolent ambition of conquering the Demon Lands, but that will not last long.”5Kp5APB
LbBWqyhCurved Demon displayed a sinister smile.fmR7w
KrzvXz“In the end, after every loss, only emptiness remains.”VXR
F7y3aACurved Demon tore open space once again.DaltICJ
I3PMgo“And in emptiness, anger always ends up taking root.”VJFL9
F3Uu85With those words, Curved Demon disappeared.TTQ9YQX
2q87gThere was nothing Alberdo could do.V0k
M4z3cKaHe raised his head and looked at the sky.MS0lk
mmlNXlA gloomy climate.6FSZ8R
MgyWCIeA snowstorm would begin soon.SnpKY2
kFJ8The strong winds would pile up the snow once more, but they would not stop his steps.Zc4amqb
ltGThose steps that moved toward wherever monsters existed had never had a fixed destination.IXyr
LEXYzHowever, today was different.gUp
PIE9AFor the first time in a long while, they were clearly heading somewhere.eaF2Jv
dY8gG2***1EGo9fn
4ttZdxbThe sudden appearance of the monsters.qGc7
FbAFbContrary to what everyone had expected, the morning passed peacefully instead of descending into chaos.UU1d
5POLAlthough there had been deaths and severe injuries, the situation had not turned into despair.pCPQtO7
HVc7The trust placed in William, the captain of the guard, and the support of the Dragon Spawn had made it possible to avoid the worst possible outcome.9Ra
Uw2OoW8However, there are always people who dislike this kind of atmosphere.1ABNSk
2I5n9Hanson was exactly one of them.IGfT9l
ZCMojCHe had come to this place chasing the dream of a gold rush, and this tranquility displeased him.5rkag
7rLFfC9‘There should have been a much bigger uproar.’YC3nvD
iR4pcdVSocial advancement is always born from chaos.aB1BzZ5
wfqXAnd Hanson was more obsessed with it than most.hboRF
pfwGxHe was a carpenter.qkInG
BX5yuxlWithin the Empire, he could barely be considered a second-rate architect.5MB
4NJIf he had remained there, he never would have risen beyond being a simple supervisor.01CponV
3Fn6iVCHe already held a position far beyond his abilities.6m44D2
PZhIBut human ambition has no end.QFrZit
V1h‘I want to go higher.’3Iq
DctnTo the position of a noble.iXD6
yECOr at least to a position that would make the commoners of this place bow their heads before him.S0kh7
iUeo8Dn‘For someone like me, that was impossible.’nq6p
9ExNormally, it was nothing more than a fantasy.Dktsm
iYSgA simple daydream of ordinary people.yCE
nmqThere is a reason why stories of beggars who find a miraculous opportunity and end up becoming princes or princesses never go out of fashion.u8en
CaeEveryone keeps those kinds of fantasies in their hearts.rSHpb
g4nejBut Hanson took them further than anyone.peOo4
EFPkAfter all, he had found an extraordinary opportunity.2KaNCO
KdqeB5o‘The Armored Knight.’sfs
fkLvXSUIt would not be an exaggeration to say that everything had been possible because of him.cyn
cNYHe was easy to deal with, possessed outstanding abilities, and always ended up making Hanson look good.IBj
U3wThanks to that, someone who had barely been an insignificant crew leader ended up being promoted to construction supervisor.n4RVxi
8gNElHWhen he met the Armored Knight, Hanson thought.xjVx8X
hQv‘That person will become a knight sooner or later.’0xoOJoJ
iMOThat was why he flattered him.wTcc
QjrHe spoke on his behalf when necessary.tdgpF
FHD07He helped him in every way he could.8nN
Dg4He was convinced he would receive a knighthood within a month.bqBM3CS
Fu8Kk6OHowever, the Armored Knight never became a knight.I2QZrv
N1eiAiHe continued working on the construction site.9aCsRv
2CNqf‘The Armored Knight has to become a knight so I can gain power too…’DrXxOjs
wdFxYHe wanted to rise beyond the position of supervisor.gVO
tWXoVTo become a construction administrator.HbX7F
ht5ZTo have more people under his command.1ZUEBk
hAkAnd to achieve that, the Armored Knight had to climb higher.8Zl
h9udDd‘When he was called to the castle, I thought the moment had finally come…’n4QbBc
wfrWho could have imagined he would reject such an opportunity.aBe
C2TWho could have imagined she would reject such an opportunity?U47
8PFEven though he pretended not to care, he ended up drowning his frustration in alcohol.KDqLt
ILAEhpWhat could he do?POq6Dlv
GKVFOnly live according to his limitations.Fms0
SRN9axl“The atmosphere is pretty gloomy!”xQru7P1
QLZRYSRThe person who made that comment was a woman.3kcym
3lCjyStill far too young to be thinking about marriage.G0Ei
cYoowHer shameless attitude belonged to an inexperienced young girl.EJMZdIT
qT0jBcbBut there were no young women this bold in the village.IfBwpt2
UvHSShe was undoubtedly a newly arrived mage.XpQ6
qdwHZ‘Getting involved with her seems troublesome…’plV3Uqj
1DC963XHanson pretended not to hear her.bUGR
lCAcUyThen the woman moved even closer and said.WeCy
lP5Rg“Hmm, I heard some wolf monsters attacked the village.”2i7U
VxBCGyU“…So what?”znd
P3iX“How blunt. I also heard that because I didn’t arrive in time, there were many casualties.”RT9Bd9v
mpjebI“Only four people died.”zzVCJZ2
eaWQLRj“Do you even know what the word casualties means? It doesn’t only include the dead. It includes the wounded too.”9Od
Ighz“Even so, considering the situation, we did pretty well. If more adventurers had participated, even those people wouldn’t have died.”nhuvuF7
X4h“Then doesn’t that mean the incompetents at the top are responsible for failing to handle the situation properly?”8MI
mpHiU4“…What are you talking about?”8Z54K
82koAfHanson frowned as he looked at her.lZSA
LSuThe woman smiled shamelessly.qwM9
If6kSQ“Think about it. Why did you come to this city? To make money, right?”YEsfTS
Ct7GvS2“Well… yes.”3Zx
rfXX2h“And the people who hired you probably said something similar. That it’s close to the Demon Lands, but precisely because of that, it was safer.”Novbn
YEAAwrThat was true.XAV
Wy6pXniHe had never really believed it, but he had not cared either.P4OM
NbhAfter all, most people had come because they had no work anywhere else.x3noNL
BnB“And yet you were attacked. People died. Are you just going to sit back and do nothing?”7Gl
OVqr“…And what exactly am I supposed to do, miss?”mt8we
tcQ“Ha! That is exactly why I’m going to offer you a solution.”1QhXEP
67f4nThe woman moved even closer, as if they were finally understanding each other.Grs
fxRN8An intense floral scent reached him.DvA
lam“So, you’re a construction supervisor?”WS8i9HR
KZ9ZfPW“That’s right.”cL1f4yn
1UqStY“How many workers are under your command?”hSzJd
mFMk7B“Around fifty.”EgGdiX8
ugslv“If you convince the other supervisors, it could become a hundred.”X59H
11jU“I suppose.”65VS7
vZWu“Think about it. This city already has nearly six hundred inhabitants. You alone represent one sixth of the entire population.”huzNFL
xCE“That… is true.”AoF3
jWhR“Do you know how much this city would lose if all of you suddenly disappeared?”YWGj
PYtJ“……”YLQ8v
kvGglThinking about it.4XX
Ww5qGxShe was right.t5fqhM3
4DnlpMThe construction project functioned because of them.Pf9T7e
hqXIf the daily work stopped, the blow would be enormous.Tvw8gw
s9IlfDA“You are irreplaceable labor. Don’t you think you should be outraged by the way they’re treating you?”M8hVu
JNU6“Hmm…”7k49X7
FADSSL“You deserve more money and a higher position. That young regent needs to understand once and for all that human life is worth more than any amount of money.”YcImb
LWXHanson thought it made sense.Lf3tae
x0pM4evEspecially because he heard those words at the very moment his greed was at its peak.4gD
AuLeOIt was no different from the whispers of a demon.A43YHY
RLRosD“And how exactly am I supposed to achieve something like that?”GXb
1ur4The woman smiled mischievously.KpiRpJ
rsRJP4X“There’s always a way. I’ll help you.”8DK2Jnf
bVj***Dwe
x1BiL2Despite the sudden appearance of the monsters, the village managed to defend itself successfully.GAcsM
8xGw87pThe casualties rose to thirty people five soldiers, fifteen civilians, and ten adventurers who participated in the defense.Uwr57F
OJhOf those, four died.u7JrH
cF4oWAll of them were civilians.1yry3P
aJnTXvLThat was why the morning in Hestia Village could not be like any other.Lg7x
n4FBOjcIsabella declared.pw1lMF
SOAEwv“A strike has begun.”gZICXu
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Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationI’m guessing that girl is hired by someone for cause trouble in village.
Haimiya_cutie.
Body IntegrationThis girl I kind of sus