Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Chapter 100

Reincarnated Devil’s Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~

Chapter 100   Clown

Several days after arriving in the Desert Kingdom, the Labyrinth Kingdom of Garard.

Finally hearing detailed information from the knights who had been investigating the interior, Ars and his companions, now sufficiently rested and equipped, ventured into the ancient ruins that had been transformed into another dimension by some unknown force.

Inside the pyramid-like ancient ruins, there were originally no wide spaces or passages, but due to the dimensional distortion, it had already changed into a huge space that could easily accommodate a small town.

While this made it easier to move around, exploring an area the size of a town spread out like a maze was challenging enough, but having to contend with an endless stream of monsters made the struggle inevitable.

“There are way more sand golems than I expected!”

“No kidding! There’s no end to them no matter how many we defeat. My magic isn’t infinite, you know!”

Although some details had been clarified through the knights’ investigation, the exploration was progressing smoothly at first. However, as soon as they attempted to advance beyond the area covered by the map they received, the number of enemies increased dramatically.

However, this was to be expected.

Because the area beyond the map, which the knights deemed too dangerous to proceed further, was precisely where these events were occurring.

No matter how outstanding the abilities of the hero and his companions may be, facing the horde of monsters that the knights, despite their repeated investigations, deemed impossible to handle was not something they could easily overcome.

“What should we do, Ars? We’re getting nowhere like this! Should we retreat for now and get out of here!?”

“No. Gaius, there’s no point in retracing our steps without a plan. Facing sheer numbers without a special breakthrough strategy is pointless. But if my father were here in this situation…”

As Ars replied, a cunning smile appeared on his face, unlike anything he had shown before, exuding a reliability reminiscent of some lesser demon. Since that day of recklessness, when he was thoroughly defeated by his father, Ars had learned a lot and had always been thinking.

What if it had been his father, not himself, in that destroyed village that day? How would his father have overcome that despair, even if he couldn’t save the boy?

He had pondered this many times, anticipated every possible scenario, and analyzed the actions of the person he idealized.

As a result, he came up with a strategy he had never considered before.

“All right, we’re running, Gaius! There’s no reason to engage head-on with this overwhelming force! We’ll evade every sand golem and go straight for the source that’s likely mass-producing these monsters!”

The answer was simply not to fight in the first place.

In other words, a strategic retreat, almost refreshing in its audacity.

His father indeed possessed limitless capabilities and unfathomable power. But he always utilized that power only when absolutely necessary, at decisive moments, and always efficiently, without wasting any effort.

So when faced with mundane problems, he didn’t attempt to solve them with his abilities. Instead, he dodged his mother Elsa’s inquiries with excuses, calmed her anger with quick apologies, and sometimes simply hid to sneak in a nap or slack off from work, always finding reasons to avoid responsibility.

Yet, when push came to shove, he would display absolute power.

Thus, what could be derived from this was the essence of power, its timing, the balance of cutting corners.

In essence, it was the ability to see beyond the immediate reality and understand that it wasn’t everything.

“Alrighty then, understood! Can’t be dealing with this many monsters, huh~? I always say, too much work isn’t good for you.”

“Hahaha! Indeed, you’re absolutely right, kid. Here, fleeing is winning!”

With those words, they each wreaked havoc among the sand golems, already overwhelming them with their agility and speed, swiftly racing through the labyrinthine corridors of the dungeon.

What the knight order couldn’t achieve as a military force, they managed as a small, elite group.

Realizing this, their progress was staggering. In less than an hour, they dashed through the field of sand golems and arrived at the source of the monsters.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the esteemed heroes. How are you feeling today? Please, enjoy playing with my sand sculptures, I’m truly grateful for…!”

“Brave Blade!!”

Ignoring the ramblings of the figure, who appeared to be a human merchant with a turban on his head, Ars attacked without hesitation.

Considering there shouldn’t be any humans in such a place, and even if there were, they’d be dangerous criminals causing chaos in the capital and continuously spawning monsters, there was no reason to hold back.

Attempting to render the opponent incapacitated before they could react, Ars didn’t give them any opportunity. However…

“Oh my! That was close! Ah, I almost got separated from my right arm and torso. Oh dear me…”

“Damn, this guy’s way more skilled in martial arts than he looks! Everyone, be careful!”

However, the movements of this humanoid disguised as a demon were unbelievably agile and exceptional, far beyond what an ordinary person could achieve.

Both in swordsmanship and physical abilities, this opponent, disguised as a human, managed to dodge Ars’s strike after seeing it coming.

While he seemed to play it off as a close call, there was a lack of tension typical of someone in a tight spot, more like a clownish demeanor. It was unnerving and made him an opponent not to be underestimated.

“Oh no no, there’s no need to be cautious against a humble merchant demon like myself. I have no reason to harm you, I simply had a little business with the redhead lady over there…”

“What? You have business with me? Wait, haven’t I seen you somewhere before…?”

Where does the truth end and the facade begin? Or perhaps, is all of this just a ploy to confuse us?

Ars seemed at a loss on how to deal with this enemy, unlike any he had encountered before.

“Yes, indeed, Your Highness Hades Lucifer, heir to the throne of the Demon Realm. His Majesty, your father, was greatly concerned about you. Therefore, I decided to arrange this little meeting to discuss matters.”

“Oh no!? Damn it! Hades, watch out!”

Suddenly, from somewhere, a jester-looking demon, appearing identical to the merchant, rushed in and grabbed Hades from behind, restraining her.

Being naturally positioned in the rear, Amanda couldn’t respond to the sudden ambush and was quickly restrained.

“What!? Let go, you idiot! Don’t touch my pure body before marriage! And no man other than Ars can touch me! I’ll kill you!”

“Hehehe. Well, it seems our business here is concluded. I shall take Her Highness with me. You see, I specialize in retreat within the Demon King’s army. Farewell then.”

Before Ars, who sensed the movements of the jester through his vigilance, could reach them, both their figures and presence vanished.

It wasn’t teleportation. If it were teleportation magic, there would be remnants of strong magical energy, and moreover, it was impossible for someone without the chanting ability like Ars’s father, Kakyu, to cast such high-level magic.

So, what the jester performed was a combination of sound-blocking and light-blocking magic. However, even knowing the trick, Ars couldn’t see through the highly advanced demon’s techniques, as he prided himself on specializing in retreat. They had slipped away completely.

“Damn it! Hades was kidnapped! We need to act now…”

“Wait, Ars! Hold on!”

“But, Gaius!”

Whether it was the shock of having his loved one kidnapped or not, Ars, feeling overwhelmed, tried to take immediate action, only to be stopped by Gaius grabbing his shoulder from behind.

Gaius seemed to have a plan of his own as he began to speak with a calm demeanor, contrasting Ars, who was losing his composure and feeling frantic.

“Listen to me. First, that guy introduced himself as a demon and behaved as if he were directly under the Demon King. But if he’s indeed a demon, he wouldn’t disrespect Hades, the Demon King’s child, right?”

“…”

There was some logic in Gaius’s reasoning.

Ars, regaining some composure, stopped his rampage and took a deep breath, coming back to his senses.

“…You’re right.”

“See? For now, let’s put aside Hades. Besides, she surely has some tricks up her sleeve to escape if needed. So, for now, resolving the issue of this maze turned into another dimension should take priority.”

After all, Hades had teleportation magic.

Even if she was taken to the Demon Realm, they couldn’t restrain the runaway princess who had the ability to escape on her own.

Despite being the ultimate directionally challenged, and setting aside the likelihood of getting lost upon teleportation, upon reconsideration, there wasn’t much to worry about.

“Sorry, everyone. Seems like I was a bit flustered…”

“Heh, it’s alright. It’s my job to stop you when you’re about to go the wrong way. Leave it to me.”

Gaius’s firm fist pounding on his chest was reassuring, making him the most dependable ally one could have.

However, it was at that moment that they noticed something.

“Hey? By the way, where did that little kid go?”

“Huh? Oh, now that you mention it…”

“Hey, don’t tell me she’s lost at a time like this!? Well, uh… She wasn’t taken by that clown, so she should be okay, probably…”

For some reason, somehow, amidst it all, it appeared that one particularly troublesome little girl had managed to get separated somewhere in this maze.

Despite the feeling that echoed, or maybe didn’t echo, the words “I messed up big time!!”, the group of heroes continued on their way towards the deepest part of the maze.