Welcome to the Impregnable Demon King Castle - Chapter 202

202 – The Great Wizard’s Dream and Request

Merlin looked at the glowing butterflies and began to speak.

「It’s not a long story. It’s more like the reason why I started aiming to become an Adventurer.」

「Huh?」

I was surprised.

Famous Adventurers often get asked that question in various interviews.

What made you want to become an Adventurer? 

It was the same for Merlin, but in her case, no one knew the real reason why.

Because she told a different story every time.

Some fans enjoy the fact that she tells a different story every time and some even speculate that the real story is hidden in the ones she has told so far.

「Rest assured, what I’m about to tell you is true.」

「…You’re going to tell that to me?」

She smiled slightly, then opened her mouth.

「Well, it’s not a big deal. I once saw the Spirits when I was little.」

In short, Merlin’s story was like this.

When she was a little girl, she saw the Spirits. The Spirits were playing with all sorts of magic like shining butterflies, dancing flower petals, popping sparks, rain falling towards the sky, and stone statues that constantly changed shape.

It may or may not have been meaningful to the Spirits.

But Merlin was fascinated and it looked like they were having fun playing around.

It’s a child’s nature to want to join in when they seem to be having fun.

However, Merlin could not join the Spirits’ playing.

As soon as they noticed her, they all disappeared, as if everything that had happened up to that moment was a lie.

「The reason why I’m trying to master all kinds of magic elements is simple. It’s because I want to be able to play together with the Spirits when I meet them again.」

After saying that, Merlin waved her wand.

The scene of the Spirits playing around that she talked about became a reality.

I was rendered speechless by the fantastic scene.

「Are you going to laugh at me?」

「No way.」

I answered as quickly as I could.

For the sake of her childhood dream, she came to the point of handling magic on par with the Contractors of the Four Great Spirits.

Given that amount of effort, I respect her and it’s impossible for me to laugh at her.

「Fufu, I knew you would say that. After all…」

I’m starting to get it.

「…Is it because I’m also pursuing my childhood dream?」

「Yes, that’s right. Unlike me, you weren’t afraid of being criticized by others who didn’t understand you.」

「…You don’t seem to be afraid of that though.」

「Ahaha, thank you. You’re right, I just don’t like anything that is troublesome. It’s unpleasant to be judged whether or not I could fulfill that dream by strangers, but that’s not what I want to talk about. If it’s you, you should be able to realize the reason why I joined Ex’s Party, right?」

「Is it because of the person who got to meet the Spirits without even going to the Spirit Shrine?」

「Yes. What is the difference between me and them? Could I also become friends with the Spirits if I want to? I couldn’t help but wonder. Well, in the end, I still couldn’t understand. On top of that, we even reached the 2nd Rank together. No, I think I figured one of the reasons.」

「Is that so?」

「Spirits like interesting people. It’s difficult because this “interest” is based on the Spirit’s criteria, but at least it seems that a little girl who approached them while saying “It’s beautiful!” isn’t good enough.」

An easy-to-understand example would be the Water Hero Wraith.

In the beginning, he said he wouldn’t borrow the power of the Spirits and the main Water Spirit actually got pleased with him.

I don’t know what criteria the Spirits have to choose people, but I’m sure that it depends on the Spirit itself.

「…Are you implying that the job this time is also like that?」

「Fufufu, I’ve heard that if you go to the deepest part of the Dungeon, you might be able to meet a Spirit. Of course, that’s not all.」

When she lowered her wand, all the wonders stopped.

There was nothing left behind.

「You know, Lem. My purpose was to meet the Spirits once again, but I’ve enjoyed improving my magic. Regardless of my purpose, I also like my current friends. Even though most of my life is just a process I have gone through to achieve my goals, I actually enjoy it. Isn’t that strange?」

「No, I don’t think so.」

「You’re right. It’s okay to enjoy the process. It’s okay to enjoy the effort you put in. There’s no need to suffer until the time you have reached your goal. Right?」

「……Yes.」

「What about you?」

「Huh?」

「You are an excellent Black Sorcerer. This trip has given me a better understanding of how you did things when you were in the Fenix Party. Rather than showing the awesomeness of your Black Magic, you chose to show the awesomeness of your teammates through your hidden efforts. It is easier to understand, more flashy, and more enjoyable for the viewers, especially since they can’t sense Magical Energy from beyond the screen. Seeing Alba’s reaction, I’m pretty sure that you’ve been using magic while hiding your Magical Energy so that even your teammates won’t find out about it. What great technique.」

「…」

It was necessary so that my teammates could fight comfortably.

Alba is a Warrior, that’s why he can be deceived easily, but if I didn’t hide my Magical Energy, Lily would have noticed it.

「Effort and patience are two different things. As your friend, I hope that you yourself will come to like Black Magic and enjoy the journey to becoming a hero.」

I froze after hearing Merlin’s words.

It was too much of a shock.

Not because of her words, but because I just realized my own subconscious thinking.

I love Adventurers. I also like Clear videos and the existence of Heroes.

But have I ever thought about it? Have I ever considered it?

「Have I ever truly thought that I like Black Magic…?」

「Lem?」

Noticing my state, Merlin approached me.

「…I may not have thought about it. I didn’t want to become a Black Sorcerer. And yet, I became a Black Sorcerer. Still, I couldn’t give up, so I decided to aim to become a hero…but now, I understand. What I did was very disrespectful to Black Magic.」

「…It’s amazing, though, that you were able to train to such an extent without considering your likes and dislikes.」

I tried thinking about it.

Certainly, the support of Black Magic does not overlap with the hero image I once aimed for.

However, I don’t dislike Black Magic that can help me contribute to the victory of my friends. I don’t hate it.

After joining the Demon King Army, I often felt like that.

Probably because all of my friends there acknowledged it.

They were able to repel the Adventurers because of my contribution. They told me that I had won.

I’m sure what I feel towards that kind of Black Magic is… 

「Thank you, Merlin. I’m sure that I like Black Magic. With every time I was able to help my friends, I liked it more and more. Because what I admired was a Hero that can help his friends win. I’m blessed with an encounter that made me believe that I could become a hero even with Black Magic.」

Merlin looked surprised this time.

「No, no, you totally just… Usually, you would’ve spent more time thinking about this. Wait, did you already have the answer but just didn’t realize it? It seems like your new workplace is a really great place, huh?」

「…Yes, it is.」

「I see… I wish he could learn from you.」

「Who…?」

Merlin nodded.

「Oh, actually, this is what I wanted to talk to you about. You noticed it right? Ex’s problem.」

「…I don’t know if it could be considered a problem, but it did seem like he was worried about something.」

Just like that time in the hot spring, sometimes I could feel his anxiousness.

「That’s it. That’s what made the atmosphere in our party a little rough.」

「Could it be that the two people that aren’t participating this time…」

「Ahh, they said that they’re not going to participate because they were going to train. It’s okay for them to do that, but Ex is still feeling concerned about it.」

「…I couldn’t feel anything wrong when I saw him fighting today.」

「That’s because he’s a professional. He won’t let his troubles pull him down while he’s working. But the problem is deep-rooted. It’s not just a trivial quarrel.」

「…Why are you telling me this?」

「Ex was worried when you withdrew from the Fenix party. I guess he saw himself in you.」

He said the same thing on the day we met.

A Black Sorcerer and the Jet-Black Hero.

Black Magic and Shadow Spirit Magic.

A Job that is considered as unneeded and the Contractor of a Spirit that isn’t one of the Four Great Spirits.

It might be possible for him to see himself in me and yet some other people might think that we have nothing in common.

However, I feel like the fact that Ex cares about me is not a lie.

「It can’t be me or the others from the party. I guess we’re too close. Aerial and Fenix are out of the question. Their voice would be more like a poison to him, since they’re like the protagonists of the world. Although there are people all over the world who admire them and are saved by them, they can’t help Ex.」

When there’s an attractive person, some people admire them, while others envy them.

When getting involved with kind people, some feel helped by that person, while others feel miserable.

Regardless of whether the other person is good or bad, how a person perceives the other person depends on themselves.

A problem that can’t be solved by Ex’s friends and those who are loved by the Four Major Elements.

At the hot spring, Ex tried to tell me something.

「Ex is… suffering in the process, am I right?」

This is the reason why Merlin revealed her dream, which is not disclosed to the public, and also mentioned things like purpose and process.

She smiled sadly at my words.

「Can you share your thoughts on what makes the best decision to our leader? Please?」

The answer was obvious.

「If there’s anything that I can do, I’ll do it. Because I also like the Jet-Black Hero.」

She smiled gently for a moment and then immediately grimaced.

「…Hey, what do you mean “also”? You made it sound as if I “also” care about that guy.」

「Huh?」

「Give me a break, who cares about that guy?」

Merlin shrugged her shoulders.

Seeing her like that, I couldn’t help myself and burst out into laughter.

「Why are you laughing?」

「It’s nothing, I’m just a little jealous. You guys get along well, don’t you?」

「Hah?」

She gave me a look of extreme disgust.

「…Haaa, nevermind. I’ll leave it to you when the chance comes. I’m sure your words will reach that idiot.」

「Okay.」

Then I returned to the tent.

When I woke up in the morning, I was surprised to see Furcus looking down at me.

「G-good morning.」

「Mm, good morning.」

「…Fishing, right? It’s okay, I still remember.」

It was early in the morning, so I was careful not to wake the others. After calling out to Josh, I went outside.

What I didn’t expect was that Ex also woke up and said he would go with me.

「This brings me back. My father and I used to do this all the time.」

He was smiling happily and seemed to have no worries.

But there are many things you have to face in life. Being in the Adventurer business requires you to be popular and I understand some of the troubles that we have to face.

We hide our troubles as we try to clear the Dungeons and laugh in front of our fans.

「I’m going to catch and devour the fishes.」

「That… Furcus, please take it easy.」

By the way, the catch was excellent.

We stopped fishing once we had caught enough and returned back to camp.

I was relieved to see that Furcus didn’t intend to catch so many fish that they would disappear from the river.

「If all of the fish were gone, then I wouldn’t be able to eat them anymore. That’s a loss.」

And so it seems.

I wouldn’t be surprised even if she caught all the fish in the lake and ate all of it. That is possible for Furcus. 

Today, we are going to explore the Dungeon two times, once in the morning and once in the evening.

「What’s wrong, Lem?」

Ex said as he chews on a skewer of grilled fish.

Apparently, I was unconsciously looking at him.

「It’s nothing, just wondering how it tastes.」

「Oh, it’s delicious.」

「That’s good.」

I recalled what he said to me at the hot spring.

After Ex complimented me saying that my heart was strong, he continued to say.

『I’m…weak.』

There must be a reason as to why he would think like that.

If I can help him, I want to do something about it.

With that thought in mind, I ate my breakfast.

After that, the exploration of the Original Dungeon begins.