Welcome to the Impregnable Demon King Castle

8 – Will You Continue to Be Unemployed? Or Will You Join the Top Brass of the Demon King Army?

「You’re a really talented Black Sorcerer, Lem.」 

Milla spoke out to me. 

I thought so too myself, so I didn’t deny it or show any modesty regarding it. 

「It seems like you have somewhat of a fixation on Heroes, but what exactly is it that you find so appealing about them?」 

「Well, I mean…」 

They’re just damn cool. 

Back in our rural hometown, dungeon capturing was one of our sole forms of entertainment available to us. 

A party can’t be formed without a Hero. That’s just how special they are. 

They’re pretty much loved by god. They may differ slightly from Hero to Hero, but all of them excelled in mastering both magic and martial arts at superhuman rates. 

They represented something that could not be achieved simply through hard work. 

They stood out more than anyone on the screen, and they took down their enemies regardless of how many of them there were or how big they were. 

Of course, I’d end up admiring them. 

「Is it the fact that they defeat monsters that make them cool? Or is it the flashy way they do that? Or maybe it’s because of their status and achievements? Does it seem fun to get up close and cut down monsters?」 

It was then that I realized for the first time that my admiration towards Heroes actually wasn’t very well defined. 

No, to be more precise, it was more like I had forgotten why I had admired them in the first place. 

The things Milla mentioned were definitely aspects that attracted me as a child, as well as the future I had imagined for myself. 

Man, I really wanted to cut down my enemies up close. I wanted to show off my flashy sword techniques and launch out fire and ice and stuff. When people noticed that I’d be walking in town, they would all gather around me with cheers. I would have engaged in close-cut battles and led a life filled with excitement. 

It was my dream as a child. A naive dream of a perfect roadmap for my future. 

「You retired from your party from practically being chased out as a result of not showing your fellow adventurers your true ability, correct?」 

「…Correct.」 

「Even if you found a new party, you probably wouldn’t tell them about it either, right?」 

「Right.」 

That’s right. Even though I was in the 4th ranked party in the world, I couldn’t find even a single person to party up with. It sucked, especially since any of my other party members probably would’ve been in huge demand. 

「There’s huge discrimination towards Black Sorcerers in the adventurer world. No party would want to fill one of their already limited 5 party slots with one.」 

I couldn’t deny it. I believed that to be the truth. 

「At this rate, even if you find another party, you won’t ever become anything like a Hero. Considering the adventurers’ general treatment of Black Sorcerers, I think that should be obvious.」 

That’s right.  

No one would think that a Black Sorcerer would be a worthy addition to a party. 

In fact, there are lots of people that would be anxious to chase them out. 

Black Sorcerers have no future as an adventurer. 

I knew that. 

I knew that, but I still didn’t want to give up. 

「Will that change if I become a monster?」 

I didn’t ask out of hope, but rather just out of curiosity. 

「It will.」 

Milla spoke with confidence. 

Her face was completely serious, without a single ounce of flirtation. 

She had no ulterior motive, she simply spoke straight from her heart. 

「Lem, what exactly is a hero? I’m not talking about the Job.」 

A hero. A person with courage. A person that never faltered and achieved victory no matter what. 

No, there was a stronger definition that was engraved deep inside me. 

They were words spoken to me that had become a precious treasure of mine. 

「Those who take action not for glory, but for what’s right, are those who should truly be called heroes.」 

But what exactly is the right thing to do in this situation? 

「Adventurers increase by the number every year, but the same can’t be said for monsters, wouldn’t you say? More and more monsters suffer defeat day by day as the number of successful parties increase. Do we monsters exist just as game to be hunted?」 

「Not at all. Dungeons are exciting because of the scary monsters. And without the strong monsters, the power of the Heroes wouldn’t be needed. Monsters are equivalent to adventurers. I’ve never thought of them as game before.」 

Milla made a happy smile for a second. 

「Yes. This is exactly why I called out to you. Not only do you excel at magic, you’re exceedingly kind as well.」 

I finally figured out what she was trying to tell me. 

「Just like how humans are inspired by the activities of adventurers, Demi-Humans seek that same kind of symbol from monsters.」 

「I know that, but… don’t you already have the Demon King? I’d say that’s the same kind of thing as the adventurers’ Hero.」 

「You’re right. But there’s one big difference between the two.」 

「One big difference…? Oh, the Demon King is someone who waits at the final stratum.」 

「Yes. The Hero is someone who is constantly on the screen, giving hope to their viewers, but the Demon King is an enemy that doesn’t appear until the final stratum is reached.」 

It’d be a different story if it was someone like my master who just totally ignored traditional customs, but then dungeon capturing would get pretty boring. 

In fact, the dungeon capturing wouldn’t even work. It’d be over if they lost, and it’d be over if they won and cleared the dungeon, too. 

「But even if I worked as a monster here, I’m still a Black Sorcerer, you know? I don’t think I’d be inspiring anyone like that.」 

「It’s exactly because you’re a Black Sorcerer. Your magic will weaken the adventurers, but the viewers won’t pick up on that. However, it’s different for your comrades. When your comrades take out the enemies that clearly have had their movements slowed down, that sight will definitely leave an impression on the viewers.」 

The Demon King Castle that boasts the highest difficulty out of all dungeons has always attracted a lot of attention. 

Imagine if monsters that weren’t even the Floor Boss easily defeated the adventurers. 

Demi-Humans on the fence on becoming a monster would see that and think that maybe even themselves could take on the adventurers. 

「So my magic would give the spotlight to the other monsters?」 

The Black Sorcerer has always been that kind of Job. 

But my past comrades didn’t see any worth in my magic. 

Why was it any different? 

「It’s normal for monsters to hide their identity. If you played yourself as the mysterious Black Sorcerer instead of simply Lem, there wouldn’t be any problem with anyone figuring out your true power, right? Of course, if you still want to hide it, then I don’t mind accommodating that.」 

I knew that Black Sorcerers fit better in the realm of monsters rather than adventurers. 

And if I did work with them, I’d be inspiring courage in all kinds of people. 

「I can’t grant you any glory to your identity as Lem, nor can I give you a hero-like position. Even so, your existence can very well prove to save us. You’ll make it so that the already hard-working monsters will continue to strive for tomorrow. All so that the Demi-Humans will realize that they don’t always have to be losers, that they might even claim the starring role at times.」 

Milla had expectations for me. 

It’s been so long since I’ve had someone look for anything from me. 

Probably not even since my days as a child before my Job was determined. 

「Lem,」 she called out to me. 

She inhaled deeply and spoke her request. 

「Will you become our hero?」 

I heard my heart skip a beat. 

It was different from what I had dreamed of as a child, but maybe I could still become a hero as a Black Sorcerer. 

I could assist my comrades and contribute to victory. 

And there might be people who’ll get inspired by watching our battles. 

Of course, that’d disappoint the people wanting the Hero’s party to win, though. 

But there were people feeling down from seeing the Hero win all the time. 

All that would change would be the position where I stood. All I needed to do now was to make the choice. 

「Of course, I look forward to working with you.」 

By the time I realized it, I had replied. 

On that day, I, who had been kicked out of the 4th ranked party in the world, found a new place of employment. 

My workplace was the Demon Castle. 

My position was Chief of Staff. 

My role was to plan out the strategy necessary to drive off the Hero’s party and carry it out. 

My Job was Black Sorcerer. 

My goal was to be a hero in the shadows. 

I’d inevitably be facing off against my best friend’s party, but even so, I had no doubts about my decision.