3 bar menu

Welcome to the Impregnable Demon King Castle – Chapter 76 Part 1

---

Translator: Kobracon

Editor: Weasalopes

---

76 – To the Busy, Heartless Diamond Hero, a Black Sorcerer is… 2 (Part 1)

「Oho, this is the first time I’ve seen you angry.」

「Who wouldn’t be?」

「But it’s true, isn’t it? I can understand why he’s popular, but he’s not much of a leader. Including you in the party was a mistake, needless to say, but he also lacks initiative. His allies are merely following him, he isn’t leading them. He should assemble allies that can serve to make him stand out more. Instead, he got a gloomy Paladin, a boisterous Warrior, and an Elf, despite how closely she resembles a normal person, she’s still an Elf. It’s a wonder that a party like that dashed up the ranks to the 4th rank. Maybe Fenix was just lucky to get the Fire Spirit.」

「Heh.」

I let a laugh slip, unconsciously.

He has some good points.

Fenix never wanted to become an Adventurer in the first place.

He’s a kid that I made a promise with to become the No.1 together one day.

That’s why he doesn’t possess any knowledge or even consideration of leadership or ways to become popular.

By nature, he was just a kind child who’s bad at dealing with people.

His defeating Floor Bosses in one hit was a plan created by his allies, and the line he always says about never losing is a way of him expressing his belief that a hero always wins.

Certainly, they would have been more popular if he had gathered allies such as a Wind Wizard to make his flames bigger, or a second-in-command type member to match his honest image.

It probably would have been difficult to rise up to the 4th rank as fast as we did if he wasn’t chosen by the Fire Spirit.

Man, he really does have good points.

But so what?

There’s no way I can stay silent after he called my best friend second-rate.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a man or woman, young or old, if you can’t get mad at someone who is making fun of your friend, then you don’t deserve to be called a friend.

But, I didn’t swing my clenched fist.

I remembered that, only a few moments ago, I held back Milla, who got angry for my sake.

I can’t forgive what he said, but Philip didn’t resort to violence either.

「Whoa hey, please don’t mind me, Sir Lem. We’re Adventurers, we don’t make a fuss over small jokes like that.」

Said Philip, noticing my clenched fist.

The one who replied next was Milla.

「Oh my, you don’t realize how narrowly you escaped death. I suppose it is to be expected from a 99th ranked party.」

「…What a charming lady. -Hey watch it!」

Nicola threw a punch at him but he barely caught it before it hit him.

「You are the worst…」

「It was all for you, Nico-」

「You’re lying, aren’t you?」

「…Got something to say, Sir Lem?」

Having calmed down, I put on my usual smile.

「You’re not doing anything for Nicola’s sake. Everything you’ve thought about has been for the success of the party and raising the popularity of the Silver Prince.」

「And I’m saying that all of that is for my little sister.」

「I couldn’t get any proof before I talked with you directly, but now I understand.」

「Huh? Proof of what?」

「Fenix isn’t good at ordering people around. But he never pretended otherwise, thus he can continue being an Adventurer. Forcing oneself will gnaw at one’s own heart. Adventurers are people too, a wounded heart will have effects on the body, which results in sub-optimal performances. Raising someone’s commercial value while damaging their heart only serves to shorten their career as an Adventurer.」

「…」

The fact that he isn’t denying it means that he knows that too.

「Also, about what you said about the other party members. In my party, we all shared the same desire. To get to the top with Fenix was the same as making Fenix the No.1 ranked. That’s why we were able to cooperate. We didn’t look for allies to supplement the Hero.」

Bella was added to gain popularity though…that was probably Alba’s recommendation, but after seeing her fight in the Demon King Castle, I knew. She was remarkable in that time in the tenth stratum. She aimed to seize victory with all her might.

I may not be able to tell what she’s thinking, but she’s already a splendid Hero.

「Lastly, I laughed at that part about the Spirit because I thought it was utterly ridiculous. He was lucky he got picked? What, do you think you draw a lottery when you visit the shrine or something? Spirits have a mind of their own. They watch us and choose who to bestow their divine blessing upon. The Fire Spirit chose him because he is who he is. Good or bad luck, you’re missing the point. Personality isn’t decided by luck.」

「…It’s clear how much you love the Hero that threw you away. So? What is it that you finally understood?」

「It is true that an Adventurer is an occupation that relies on popularity. It’s an occupation that is more about how to use your strength and magical prowess attractively, rather than how strong they are. Which is why I don’t think that your methods for chasing popularity are wrong.」

「I don’t need you to tell me that. I learned from failure. An Adventurer who isn’t seen or wanted by the world is trash. I will not let my sister and I become trash. No matter what it takes, I’ll show the world our brilliant shine and success. That’s why I don’t want a has-been like you getting in our way.」

Has-been, huh? Heh, I guess so. A Black Sorcerer who was kicked out of his party and there was no news of his reemployment. It’s only natural that he wouldn’t want to get involved with, much less get near, someone like me.

「Is your sister shining brilliantly?」

「Huh? What are you…」

「You polished and polished and held it up to the light, you have succeeded in producing a beautiful exterior. I don’t deny that. However, I mentioned earlier that Adventurers are people too. How about what’s inside? Her heart? Is it trivial? So long as she has her commercial value, you don’t care if her heart began to crack?」

「…I…」

「Viewers want Adventurers to set their hearts ablaze. It’s an occupation that inspires emotions. Sometimes you have to cold-heartedly devote yourself to it. But that doesn’t mean that you should neglect the hearts of those that fight alongside you.」

「…I can imagine what my sister has told you, but I don’t plan on letting her have her way. People have things that suit them. My sister’s appearance, voice, magic, unrefined fighting style, and the like all didn’t suit her. Our past is proof of that. If she had a wounded heart, it was at that period of time. What does someone like you, know about us? You, a successful person who was with a chosen Hero since the start and climbed the ranks without ever experiencing setbacks. No, wait. How could you not know? You’re someone who’s been knocked down into the very depths of despair. You probably want to get out from there as soon as possible. We will never go back to where you stand now.」

So that is the basis of his desires.

Siblings who mutually once felt what it was like to be at rock bottom.

Both of them once had their own separate party, and they were their leaders, individually.

But they both weren’t able to become popular alongside their allies.

He believes that he is responsible for that.

That he is the leader, so it falls to him to ensure that his allies are popular and the party can become popular.

I wonder if he hates Fenix because he became a star without doing any of the aforementioned things solely because of his charisma and absolute power?

I don’t know, but still.

「I’ll prove it to you.」

「…You’ll what?」

「Nicola and I are entering the Tag Tournament together.」

---

---