PDMLS 03

Chapter 03

“If it weren’t for that person, the Western Continent would have fallen into the Demon King’s hands long ago!”

“Huh?!”

“They stood alone, fighting to keep the demons from reaching the surface. That statue was built to honor Sir Raiel’s noble sacrifice.”

So…

The person that statue was based on… was me?

Uh…

Well…

Yeah!

I guess… that could happen!

Unlike in the original novel, I actually got along well with Erion.

She must have been grateful that I protected her and had something like this built.

Our heroine really is too kind.

…Though I do feel a little guilty since I didn’t actually sacrifice myself.

“W-What about Erion?”

“She was incredible too! She’s the first woman in history to become the Mercenary King!”

…

What did I just hear?

“The Mercenary King?”

“There are so many people who became mercenaries because they admire Lady Erion. Thanks to that, monsters are much easier to deal with, so people’s lives have become much safer! Isn’t that wonderful?”

“Hahaha!”

Brandon burst into hearty laughter.

“Hahaha…”

I forced an awkward laugh along with him.

“Then what about Phillion—”

“Well then, shall we get going? It looks like it’s about to pour.”

I looked up.

Sure enough, dark storm clouds had swallowed the sky.

By the time Brandon and I reached the inn, the rain had just begun to fall.

“Thank you for showing me around. I added a little tip as well.”

“Thank you! It was only for a short while, but I had a great time!”

“Before we part, I wanted to ask one more thing. About Philli—”

“Well then, I’ll be on my way! Have a wonderful trip!”

He waved cheerfully before running off into the rain.

I stood there blankly for a moment.

…No, I was still talking.

Didn’t he hear me?

Or…

Was he avoiding the question on purpose?

Wasn’t the original story supposed to have ended peacefully…?

The rumble of thunder rolling through the gloomy sky suddenly sounded strangely ominous.

BOOOOM!

* * *

Everything that happened after arriving on the Western Continent was one surprise after another.

“Oh! As expected, the statue in the capital is the best maintained!”

First of all…

There were statues of Raiel Folkes.

Including the port city where I first arrived, there were apparently seven of them scattered across the country.

There was even a sightseeing route dedicated to visiting every Raiel Folkes statue.

Apparently it was extremely popular among enthusiasts.

…

I was too scared to ask what kind of enthusiasts they were.

“I heard the previous Tower Master, Serios, paid the entire construction cost himself.”

That part actually made me happy.

After all, Serios had been someone I’d admired ever since I first entered the Magic Tower.

I was genuinely touched…

Until—

“And the current Tower Master, Lord Theod, is always saying how much he respects Sir Raiel Folkes.”

My eyes widened.

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

“N-No, um… what did you just say the current Tower Master’s name was?”

“Lord Theod…?”

The group of tourists standing before the statue looked at me suspiciously.

Well…

A random woman suddenly interrupting their conversation would naturally make them wary.

Still, I had to ask.

“Sorry… could you please say it one more time? Who’s the current Tower Master?”

“Lord Theod. He’s nineteen years old—the youngest Tower Master in history.”

…

Who?

Why isn’t it Phillion?

After I died, he was supposed to become Tower Master immediately!

Count Folkes would get so furious about it that he’d summon the Demon King!

That’s how it happened in the original novel!

The title of the novel was literally The Tower Master!

Did he retire in the meantime?

Something…

Something changed…

The statue bearing my name.

The heroine, Erion.

Even the current Tower Master.

Everything had drifted away from the original story I knew.

…

Even so, I didn’t feel particularly motivated to investigate.

I was busy enough just trying to survive.

I’m sure everyone else was doing just fine.

There’s no way I could meet the people I used to know again.

After mourning me that much, it’d just be unbearably awkward.

I pulled my hat lower over my face and blended into the crowd.

I kept conversations to the bare minimum and stayed by myself whenever possible.

The problem was…

The meeting place is in front of the Mercenary Guild…

On the morning of my third day in the capital,

I narrowed my eyes as I carefully watched everyone passing by.

When is Bridin getting here?

The person I was meeting today was Bridin Sephir.

He’d been my companion during my mercenary days on the Eastern Continent.

After hearing that I desperately needed money, he’d kindly invited me to work with him.

Unfortunately…

He’d chosen the Mercenary Guild as our meeting place.

Which meant I couldn’t help feeling nervous.

It’s fine.

The trip here went smoothly.

Nothing’s going to happen…

“It’s Lady Erion!”

Damn it.

“The Mercenary King Erion!”

“Lady Erion is here!”

The crowd gathered in front of the guild all turned toward the same direction.

In the distance, a massive carriage approached.

The person who stepped out…

Was someone I knew all too well.

Erion.

The moment she waved,

the crowd erupted into deafening cheers.

She carried herself far more confidently than I remembered.

Even her once-long pink hair had been cut into a short bob, and somehow it suited her perfectly.

She’s like a celebrity.

From bits and pieces I’d overheard, Erion had just returned from subjugating a group of high-ranking monsters.

Apparently there had even been demons among them.

At least that part matches the original side story.

Count Folkes’ attempt to summon the Demon King had ultimately failed.

The Demon King’s incarnation had been stopped as well.

However…

The dimensional rift that had been forcibly opened never fully closed.

Even years later, demons would occasionally slip through.

The long epilogue had followed the hero and heroine working together to eliminate those demons…

Falling in love…

Getting engaged…

And finally marrying.

Then…

Could Phillion be with her?

Standing on tiptoe, I searched the carriage.

“Thank you for your efforts during this latest campaign. I heard there were three demons.”

“It was nothing compared to Lady Raiel’s sacrifice.”

Come to think of it…

The demons I’d created with illusion magic back then…

There had been…

About thirty of them, hadn’t there?

“I will continue honoring Lady Raiel’s final wish until the very end. I will drive every last demon from this land!”

“Our great Mercenary King!”

“Woooooo!”

“Erion Revil!”

“For Raiel Folkes!”

Unable to bear the overwhelming enthusiasm any longer,

I quietly retreated.

This kind of attention was completely unfamiliar to me.

Still…

I kept my eyes on Erion.

Before leaving, I wanted to see Phillion at least once.

After all…

He wasn’t the Tower Master anymore.

With his personality, there was no way he’d voluntarily step down.

That meant this Theod—or whatever his name was—must have taken the position from him.

His pride must have been shattered.

And his opponent was only nineteen!

What if losing the title broke him so badly that he’s become a complete wreck?

I wanted to see him.

I wanted to see him so badly that my heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

…

But no matter how carefully I looked,

Phillion wasn’t anywhere to be seen.

Unable to contain my curiosity,

I tapped a man on the shoulder as he cheered for Erion.

“Excuse me… do you know Phillion Elphert?”

The man’s face immediately twisted into a frown.

“Phillion Elphert? Of course I know him. Who doesn’t?”

“Oh? Really?”

“He’s even here right now.”

“He is?”

So he was here?

The moment I turned back toward Erion—

“Not over there. Over there.”

The man pointed toward a gloomy alley beside the Mercenary Guild.

It didn’t suit the Phillion I knew at all,

but I headed that way anyway.

That idiot…

Did losing the Tower Master position embarrass him so much that he’s hiding in an alley?

The thought actually made me grin.

But when I arrived…

There wasn’t a single person there.

Only several sheets of paper plastered against the wall.

Written across them were the words:

Magic Tower Criminal

Phillion Elphert

WANTED

Reward: 10,000,000,000

“…What?”