Chapter 11: The Suspicious Hero
The following day, at the tavern.
"Agh. I got my wallet stolen the other day. Can't you just put it in my tab for now?"
"No can do, pay up with your body. You can just go and wash the dishes at the back."
There was one man that leaned to the counter of the tavern, begging at the barkeeper.
Old Man Jay knew of his situation but it was dumb of the man to drink away his worries even though he knew that he had nothing to pay for.
"Come on, Old Man Jay! I always come back here for a drink. Can't you just—"
He would continue to beg him but just as the doors of the tavern opens once more, yet gently, some striking appearances arrived.
"Welcome, to the Hellsburg Tavern. You lot must be new here."
Old Man Jay greeted them nonchalantly but the adventurers around who had their drinking and eating stopped staring at them.
Their jaws were dropped as if they saw a celebrity.
It was a group of three, a man with each beauty on each arm.
"It's the Hero! There's no doubt about it!"
The other adventurer began to whisper to each other and inform of those who didn't know of him. He was a figure known to almost everyone.
"That yellow hair, emerald eyes, and handsome face. It's definitely him."
That same hero they described came up to the counter, facing Old Man Jay and the man who begged him with a smile.
Old Man Jay was able to hear the loud gossiping from the background but he was indifferent to those idiotic adventurers.
"What can I help you with?"
"I heard that this town was once nothing but desserts and snow. I wonder how this town became this stable again."
With a smile, he asked the tavernkeeper. His words sounded so obnoxious but it might be because of the way he spoke with a bright smile.
"..."
There was another hooded figure that sat on the counter, listening to their conversation.
"What is the Hero doing here?"
It was Juri, hiding as she takes a sip on her beer. All that may be, she found it convenient that she doesn't have to even ask the barkeeper herself now.
All she needed was to listen.
"I visited here so I thought I could try and help out the locals."
Placing down a purse where gold coins poured out, the 'Hero' continued to smile at Old Man Jay.
It was unpleasant for someone like him who always looked grumpy but he himself could see a fake smile in a person.
"I'm a sorry kid but, we've been already saved by the acting lord of this land. Even if he didn't, you would be years already too late."
"..."
"I appreciate the thought, but we've been taught to not rely on charity."
"Who taught you that?"
"The Prince of Hell, our lord."
Old Man Jay deliberately shut down the hero's words with the mention of hell.
However, the hero would only take back the bag and smile at him, nodding before apologizing.
"Hey! Old man, what's that attitude for? Can't you see this man is the Hero that saved you all in the past invasion of the Demons!"
"Yeah. You should be ashamed of yourself for disregarding his kindness."
The two women beside the hero began to speak as if they were full of it.
On the right side, it was a woman with long black hair, a hime cut.
She was wearing a pair of glasses as she held along wooden staff and a book.
She had the generic look of a support mage.
While on the right was a fierce-looking woman with gauntlets.
Her hair was orange and her outfit consisted of light clothing that only covered her upper chest and a short skirt.
"Naive kindness will get you nowhere missus. I don't even know who you lot are."
"Ah—I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Gladysius Ultima. A hero of the kingdom."
"..."
"And these are Mina and Lori. They're with me!"
As if he didn't mind the two expressing their hostility towards the barkeeper, he kept smiling at Old Man Jay.
"That's weird..."
Juri thought to herself as she continued to overhear the conversation, but just as she thought to reveal herself, Old Man Jay gave her a drink.
"It's on the house. Don't worry about it, I got it."
With those set of words, she somehow was surprised as if it was a code to let her know that everyone was under his control.
"I see. So you're a hero. You should greet the Lord before you leave, I'm sure he will reward you for your gallantry."
Everyone around seemed to be suddenly surprised. They all stopped once again to look, and just as Juri looked at the barkeeper, he was smiling back at the 'Hero.'
Everyone knows that the barkeeper never smiles. It was only if he does, bad things will happen to those who see it.
"Really? Then I must meet this Lord."
He clasped his hands together, nodding as if he was enthusiastic to meet the lord of the land.
"I'm sure the lord who was able to save this town would be a kind person."
"Oh, yes. He is."
Old Man Jay was still smiling, and despite how much the adventurers wanted to warn the Hero, they all experienced and saw everything that will happen if they were to intervene.
Just like an evil organization, this coded message of them was just too sinister.
"Where can I meet him?"
"Oh, if you go to his office at his mansion, you'll be welcomed warmly."
Everything that Old Man Jay had said had truth in them, but it was satire. He was enjoying this.
A sight no one had seen before.
"Alright. Thanks!"
Waving as they left, the Hero and his party left the tavern.
"Old Man Jay?! What was that?"
The others began to ask him as he continued to wipe and arrange the glasses on his counter.
"If any of you are capable of seeing the magic through your eyes, then you should know."
"Huh?"
"—? He knows?"
Both the adventurers and Juri were surprised but Juri, in particular, was shocked as she thought that he might have seen through her disguise.
"If you looked into his mana circulation, there was some kind of magic that was flowing into his mind and all over his body."
"——."
Juri was relieved that it wasn't about her but particularly about the Hero.
He was right about it. It would only happen if someone was using magic to change their appearance, but mana flowing to the mind?
She became more skeptical.
"So, that Hero was a fake? That's why you smiled?"
Old Man Jay glared at the idiot who asked that question, making him break into a cold sweat as he said sorry.
"In any case, the Lord will take care of them—"
"Thanks for the drink, barkeeper. Have a coin."
Sliding one silver down, Juri stood up from her seat and began to walk away from the counter, towards the exit.
"Missus, I don't recommend prying over the Lord's business. He doesn't play fair against someone who likes to pry, especially when you pissed him off at the first meeting."
The barkeeper knew already who she was. But the question was for how long? She could only wonder but it wasn't a problem.
The barkeeper was truly a trustworthy person as he expressed his intention to not expose her identity.
"Just how amazing will this town get...?"
Outside the tavern, she observed the always improving state of the town. Admiring the townsfolk that began to seem normal.
△▼△▼△▼△▼△▼
On our way to the Lord's mansion, Gladysius, Lori and I walked along the streets of Hellsburg.
Lori was too distracted looking at the surrounding place, leaving Gladysius together with me.
"That geezer, he was able to see through my magic, but he didn't say anything about it."
It was dangerous, but with the eyes looking around us, I could have been caught dead.
"If anything else I should be thankful that he didn't and he just let me meet the lord directly."
It was a week ago when I found the Hero and Lori looking for another party member around the village of Bolo.
It was the day when I finally reached a human settlement.
I had to keep my identity as a demon as a secret, to blend well within their society.
It was just a great choice to become a timid-looking girl with great capability for magic.
It would be a great bypass to those who would manage to see through my mana, but my magic was at the Saint-God Level that it shouldn't have been a problem.
Mina Kraig was an anagram for Nami Girak.
It was a Demon's name and even humans would recognize it immediately.
That was because I am a descendant of the brother of the past Demon Lord, Girak.
"Hey guys, is it me, or does this mansion look a bit..."
Majestic. It was the words that we could describe the mansion the lord resides in.
Lori was the first to notice the details of the mansion, pointing at almost everything, from steel gates and the quartz pillars.
Where did they even get such material?
This must be because the Lord is a corrupt noble just like the rumors had said back in my tribe.
This will become easy prey and take over this land myself, once I hypnotize the lord.
If only this idiot, Lori, wasn't invincible against hypnosis, this whole thing would be easier!
"There's a sign here... Press the button?"
Lori was the first to approach the gates.
There were no guards whatsoever, this noble might as well be vulnerable.
To become this complacent, I can't believe humans took over these lands!
"I pressed it, and nothing happened."
Lori pressed something, but as she said that nothing happened, there was something that happened.
Mana suddenly flew from the button she pressed into the inside of the mansion, spreading as if echoing inside.
It might be a sort of signaling system. What an ingenious idea, whoever invented this.
...
...
...
"I just installed it and there is someone already using it. Great."
Looks like someone finally came out.
It was a man with crimson hair and a crimson robe and a scarf.
It was a beggar. He looks like one and thus he is one.
What is a beggar-looking person doing in a majestic mansion like this?
"A beggar? Don't waste your time! We're here to meet the lord."
"Yeah! Just let us in already!"
He continued to approach us as these steel barred gates separated us. It felt different though now that I've touched it.
Like it was kind of draining my magic.
"I'm the Lord here! What do you want? I just can't let you in without any reason."
A beggar like him claiming to be the Lord now? This is just cute, but I'm here to take over this land. I have no time to waste.
I'll have this puppet of a hero lead us.
"Ah! Good afternoon! I'm the Hero and I need to see the Lord."
"—!?"
Great! His face showed it all. He was shocked to know that the Hero is here and now. He should know by now that tricking us will be met with consequences.
"Do I look like I care? Get out of here, we're too busy."
He just turned away.
"Wha—?!"
This beggar is out of his mind! I'll have to just hypnotize him first.
"Dark Magic: Hypnosis!"
I cast out black hands that started to crawl into the gaps between the barred gates, reaching his head.
"Now, become my slave!"
I bluntly let my voice out. I tried to cover my mouth up as I realized it.
"—You say something?"
Lori might have heard that but she's an airhead. I'm in the clear.
"—?!"
The beggar seems to be struggling as he held his head. It must be working! Just a little bit more.
"Wait, Mina! Look, the beggar! Something's wrong with him!"
I know. I was the one who cast that spell.
However, something's different.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone