The Game of the Greatest Black Mage

[Translator - Prøks]

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Chapter 84

The moment he heard the name, Seonghyun froze.

Hindel?

As in, the Hero Hindel?

Countless thoughts raced through his mind.

Isn't this the past, here for the Overlord main quest?

Meeting Hindel means...

'Am I supposed to fight Hindel?'

He truly didn't know what to do.

Just then, Hindel gave an awkward smile and said, looking embarrassed,

"Ahaha... you've never heard of me, have you? I haven't quite made a name for myself yet, so it's understandable..."

"No, I have. I've heard of Hero Hindel."

"Oh? You have? What have you heard...?"

Crap.

Is this an interrogation?

If Seonghyun weren't as calm and collected, he might have panicked.

But Seonghyun wasn't going to be easily rattled.

He quickly scanned Hindel's appearance.

He wasn't sure what time period this was, but perhaps Hindel had recently shed his apprentice status?

Looking at his sword, it seemed much better than the one Apprentice Hero Hindel had wielded.

So, seizing the moment, Seonghyun said,

"That you sealed away the vicious demonic beast... Barpur."

"Ah! I'm... I'm embarrassed. Haha. That was just a small feat from my apprentice days, but you know about it."

"...Haha."

Saved.

Seonghyun wiped away his cold sweat and swallowed hard.

He'd managed to brush it off with an awkward laugh.

Surely he wouldn't ask more?

But what was he supposed to do here?

Seonghyun was puzzled, unable to grasp the situation.

Hindel spoke cautiously.

"Phew... I'm sure you're wondering why I sought you out."

Indeed, he was very curious.

But Seonghyun waited patiently.

Hindel continued,

"This is... it's quite embarrassing and I'm very sorry to ask such a favor as a hero..."

Surely he wasn't going to ask him to die?

Seonghyun remained on guard.

Ready to fight at any moment.

But the atmosphere was a little different.

Both Hindel and his companions seemed...

"Could you perhaps help us on our way to the Dark Fortress?"

"...???"

"We lack the strength to go alone, and we need assistance. That Dark Fortress is where the infamous Demon King Helena resides, so we implore you to lend us your strength. Of course, there will be a reward..."

"Wait, me? To the Dark Fortress...?"

Was this really okay?

This was the Overlord main quest, yet he was being asked to side with the hero and attack the previous Overlord?

Was this some kind of succession of the throne?

As Seonghyun's mind swirled with confusion, Hindel continued,

"Ahem, I know you're a black mage, so you don't need to worry too much. Not all black mages are evil, after all."

"I... suppose so?"

He wanted to ask why they were going to attack Helena, but he couldn't bring himself to.

‘Let's just stay quiet for now.’

"But if we leave Demon King Helena as she is, the world will descend into chaos. With her power, greater than even the archdukes of hell, no one knows when she might destroy the world."

"...Ah."

He knew that wouldn't happen, but...

As he was trying to figure out what to do in this situation, the system offered a helping hand.

[Transferred to the past of the Dark Fortress.]

[A sub-quest for the 『Overlord』 exclusive main quest, 『Entrance to the Dark Fortress』, has been generated.]

[『Overlord』 exclusive sub-quest, 『Together with the Enemy of the Past』, has been generated.]

So that meant...

With a hopeful thought, Seonghyun opened the quest window.

As expected, hope can be deceiving.

『Together with the Enemy of the Past』

→《Main-Sub》

→Sub-Quest

→Having arrived at the Chasm of Despair, the location where the Dark Fortress once stood in the present, to find the Dark Fortress, you were able to enter the cave inside the cliff according to the note's guidance.

Having defeated the gatekeeper there and passed through the gate, you find yourself in the distant past.

Having encountered the hero of the past, you receive a proposition from the hero.

The proposition is to attack the Dark Fortress together, where the previous Overlord, the first Overlord, Helena, resides.

Having returned to the past, you decide to accept the hero's proposal to see what the Dark Fortress of the past looked like.

Head to the Dark Fortress with Hero Hindel.

→Overlord Exclusive Sub-Quest

→Reward: Clues to the entrance of the Dark Fortress, additional rewards (Hero Hindel's commission fee).

*Hero Hindel's commission fee varies depending on your performance.

→Failure: You repeat the past.

'Seriously?'

Join hands with Hero Hindel and attack the Dark Fortress where Helena resides?

Anyone would see it as a suicidal act.

And they're proposing this?

Seonghyun looked at Hero Hindel with a truly dumbfounded expression.

Perhaps sensing the meaning behind Seonghyun's expression, Hero Hindel and his companions' faces fell.

"...We know. We know it seems reckless, and that it looks like a suicide mission. No, since you're a black mage, you might know better than us. How powerful she is."

"..."

Seonghyun didn't respond, but it was clear to anyone that he agreed.

However,

"But I am a hero. No matter how powerful, no matter how transcendent she is, if I don't step forward, who will?"

Seonghyun couldn't help but admire Hindel's noble words.

He knew she was overwhelming.

He knew his chances of defeat were high.

After all, Hindel was indeed killed by Helena later on.

But it was also true that he never gave up and continued to pursue Helena.

He moved forward without kneeling before transcendent power.

Even though Helena, the target, was a benevolent being rather than an evil one.

Even so, his nobility would not fade.

Perhaps that was why?

Seonghyun felt strangely moved.

With the quest active, it was natural to participate, but...

Even the small amount of guilt he felt about attacking Helena had disappeared.

Besides, it was the past, so it didn't really matter.

As Seonghyun was thinking this, Hindel smiled, trying to reassure him, and said,

"But this is something I shouldn't force on you, either. Thank you for considering my offer."

He wasn't pretending to leave to gain an advantage in the negotiation.

Hindel genuinely intended to leave to avoid forcing him.

How could anyone not be moved by that?

His companions also prepared to leave without a word.

Then, Seonghyun spoke.

"No, I will join you, however weak my aid may be."

"......!"

He hadn't stepped forward readily, but...

When Seonghyun accepted, Hindel looked genuinely surprised. After hesitating, he bowed deeply to Seonghyun in gratitude.

"Th-thank you... truly."

He seemed a little clumsy and naive for a hero, but...

Perhaps that was why?

His sincerity was fully conveyed.

Seonghyun grasped Hindel's shoulder, helped him up, and extended his hand.

"I look forward to working with you, however short our time may be."

"Yes!... I look forward to working with you too!!!"

And so, the strange alliance between Hero Hindel and the 2nd Overlord Seonghyun began.

0.

Hero Hindel's party.

Seonghyun had chosen Hindel's village in the beginner village, so he was already familiar with their faces.

Starting with Hero Hindel, there was:

A slender, tall woman with long silver hair, radiating a sacred aura and seeming quite relaxed.

"Greetings, I am Adeline de Aquitania, selected as this era's saint, however unworthy, from Aquitania. I offer my humble blessings on all the paths you shall take, Seonghyun."

"No one would consider the saint's blessings humble. Thank you."

The saint greeted Seonghyun.

Next was a young man, or rather, a person with a neutral appearance that could be mistaken for a woman, with long purple hair braided down his back.

For some reason, this young man seemed to resemble a bothersome boy he'd recently met.

"Nice to meet you! Eehaaa! To think such a talented person has joined our team, I'm truly moved! I'm Flan! Well, I'm also known as the Sage, though it hardly suits me."

"...You're... a free-spirited person, aren't you? I look forward to working with you too."

A sage with a similar air to the modern sage's descendant greeted him.

And lastly, the remaining member, a woman with short, neat light-green hair and pointed ears.

"Elf... Lyaden."

"Please take care of me."

Though brief, the elven archer Lyaden greeted him.

They were all legendary figures he'd seen as statues in Hindel's village, but Seonghyun didn't feel particularly moved.

He'd already felt that sense of awe when he met Hindel.

Seeing the other members of the hero's party wouldn't make him feel it again.

However, there was one puzzling point.

One person was missing.

The knight of the hero's party, Giorden von Rieskan.

He wasn't there.

'Has he not joined yet?'

He didn't know the reason, but he couldn't bring himself to ask.

He might not have joined yet, or he might have temporarily left.

He'd learned earlier that it wasn't good to act like he knew something he didn't.

Seonghyun wasn't one to repeat his mistakes, so he decided to simply move on, despite his curiosity.

Everyone finished their introductions.

He didn't know how long they would be together, but it would be strange not to introduce himself when they would be spending time together.

"We are truly grateful for Seonghyun's joining us. While we have Flan the Sage, we're not exactly close to the royal palace or the magic tower, so we needed a high-firepower magical force like Seonghyun."

"...Hmm, I see."

It was a bit different from the history Seonghyun had heard, but it seemed it wasn't that time yet.

The history he'd learned from Helena was that Hero Hindel was gaslit by the magic tower and the royal palace, turning him against Helena.

But they said they weren't close?

Though Seonghyun hadn't known him long, it seemed Hindel was the type to hold grudges.

Was that why the knight Giorden wasn't there?

But why were they at odds with Helena?

'I can figure that out as we go.'

As Seonghyun made a small goal for himself, Flan grumbled, sounding annoyed.

"It's those old geezers in the royal palace and the magic tower who are weird! I mean, sure, she's called a Demon King, but has Helena ever led an attack? But they're just scared and keep repeating the same parrot-like words about needing to execute her! That's why we're refusing their orders! Ugh, idiots."

"Flan..."

"I'm sorry, but I fully agree with Flan's words."

"That's... right."

Hindel wanted to stop Flan, while the others agreed with him.

They seemed to know Helena wasn't evil.

Then why were they going to attack her?

That was contradictory.

When Seonghyun looked at Hindel with a puzzled expression, Hindel nodded, thinking he was asking for an explanation.

Now that he was a companion, it was probably okay to tell him.

"...We told you we were going to stop her, but we're actually trying to persuade the Demon King, Helena."

"Persuade?"

"Yes, as Flan said, Demon King Helena. Or, I don't know if we should call her Demon King, since she's never directly attacked any human settlements. And those who died by her hand were all evildoers. But it's also true that many fear her due to her powerful and transcendent strength. In fact, all the magic towers and the royal palace want to kill her."

"...So, you're trying to persuade her?"

"Yes, that's our party's goal. Haha... it's a bit embarrassing."

He couldn't help but believe Hindel's words, especially after he'd said so much.

It also aligned with what Helena had told him.

So, this was Hindel before he was deceived?

Then there must have been a reason for Hindel to be deceived.

He'd said the archmages were bad.

It might be difficult to understand in this past timeline.

But he'd found a clue.

'I can look into it when I return to the present.'

With that thought, Seonghyun's interest grew.

How could such an upright and righteous Hindel be deceived by the magic tower and the royal palace?

He had even more reason to trace Hindel's footsteps.

But that was for later.

For now, it was time to move forward with Hindel's goal.

"Then, the first thing to do is to arrange a meeting where we can talk to her."

"Exactly!"

"Though that's probably the hardest part~"

Flan's discouraging words echoed, but no one could deny them.

It was practically an attempt to break a rock with an egg.

As Seonghyun watched with interest how this story would unfold, he sensed a presence nearby.

And it wasn't just Seonghyun who noticed.

Of course, the hero Hindel did, as well as the sage Flan and the elven archer Lyaden.

Even the non-combatant saint felt the presence and turned her gaze.

Even at a glance, it was clear it wasn't a normal monster.

No, was it even a monster?

If a slime were molded into a human form, it might look like that.

But it was on a different level from a slime.

A woman with a body as dark blue as the universe, perhaps resembling the night sky, mystical and mysterious.

The aura she exuded was truly overwhelming.

Enough to make the entire party, including Hero Hindel, tense up.

But only one person.

Only one person looked at her and asked quietly,

"Are you Fiora?"

-Huh? N-nooo...

She was, wasn't she?

[Translator - Prøks]

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