Reincarnated Devil's Strongest Hero Training Plan ~The baby he picked up has grown up so well that his father is confused~ - Chapter 101

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

Chapter 101   A little truth told

After encountering the enigmatic, clown-like demon:

The group, determined to conquer this otherworldly space, advanced towards their goal, ignoring the sand sculptures that frequently appeared along the way. Eventually, they arrived at a room with an ominous atmosphere, where a massive stone door, presumably marking their destination, stood.

Engraved with geometric characters likely from ancient ruins, the door exuded an immense magical energy. This energy, radiating through the door as an intense heat, hinted at something beyond.

The overwhelming power emanating from the door was far from ordinary. Not even dealing with high-ranking demons would produce such an oppressive presence.

“This must be the core of this dimension. There’s no mistake”.

“Yeah. The sheer terror from just its magical energy reminds me of the despair I felt when I saw that cockroach demon claiming to be one of the Four Heavenly Kings when you were small,” Gaius replied.

Ars remembered Gaius’s words well. It was a vivid memory from when he was only five years old.

Back then, during an event arranged by his father, Kakyu, where Gaius sought revenge for losing his sight to a lower-ranking demon’s curse, a cockroach-like demon claiming to be one of the Four Heavenly Kings had appeared and attacked. The oppressive presence now was reminiscent of that demon.

Therefore, it was almost certain that someone within this place was one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King’s army.

At that time, young Ars couldn’t fully grasp the power of the being he faced, thinking it might be stronger than his master Gaius. However, having grown through numerous experiences, he now realized:

He was truly grateful that his father had been there to protect him then.

“Thinking about it, Dad’s strength is just incomprehensible. Even a thousand or two thousand of the Four Heavenly Kings probably wouldn’t be able to defeat him.”

“Hahaha! No doubt about that!”

They exchanged light-hearted banter to keep their spirits up, masking the fear that made their legs tremble.

Indeed, when he was five, his invincible father had driven off the cockroach demon without a scratch. However, this did not guarantee that he himself could now stand toe-to-toe with one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

“I might die. But I can’t just stop here. …So, I’ve got no choice but to go for it.”

With those words, Gaius and Amanda nodded silently. Together, the three of them pried open the immense stone door, from which an eerie magical energy seeped, and ventured inside.

◇

“Oh my. It seems the hero has reached the space where Lord Hecatoncheir awaits.”

Inside a small room within the ancient ruins turned otherworldly space, a clown watched the encounter between the Four Heavenly Kings and the hero through a crystal mounted on a desk, having brought in the restrained Hades.

However, the restraints were minimal, and if Hades wanted to escape via teleportation, nothing was stopping her. The special metal used to inhibit magic was likely just a formality, as it wouldn’t realistically hinder Hades, who possessed the power of the Demon Realm’s crown prince.

If she unleashed her true power, the restraints would shatter in three seconds.

“Hey, clown. What are you planning, bringing me here? …Wait, I remember now. You’re the top-ranking demon that the old Demon King trusts the most, his right-hand man. Rumor has it you’re stronger than the Four Heavenly Kings alone.”

It took Hades a moment to recall, given the clown’s human disguise, but she had seen him several times while in the Demon Realm. She demanded an explanation for his attitude towards her, the crown prince.

Considering the clown’s power, killing her would be easy. While Hades was as strong as any high-ranking demon, she couldn’t hope to survive against someone stronger than the Four Heavenly Kings.

So why was she unharmed and intact? It must be because the clown, as he said, had no intention of harming her.

“Hmm~. Well, that would be a long story…”

“Cut the crap and talk. You know I’m short-tempered.”

“Oh my. Indeed, Your Highness is known for that. Hmmm… Well, I suppose there’s no choice.”

The clown, unfazed by Hades’ sharp words, theatrically placed a hand on his forehead before switching to a serious tone, beginning his explanation.

He started to reveal why her father, the Demon King, had begun moving the demons and meddling in the human world.

Though Hades couldn’t see his face, his tone was devoid of the lightheartedness he had shown earlier, indicating that from this point on, he intended to speak nothing but the truth.

“Our exalted lord and the one and only king of the Demon Realm—in other words, your father, Your Highness—he is more concerned about your future than anyone else.”

“………”

The clown spoke without his usual flamboyant gestures, conveying only the facts in a straightforward, emotionless tone. Hades, having spent some time in the Demon Realm, understood the underlying sincerity.

This clown, it seemed, was deeply loyal to the Demon King, never lying about anything concerning him.

“Do you understand, Your Highness? Can you comprehend the feelings of His Majesty, who had high hopes for you as the next Demon King, only to see you become attached to the hero and side with humanity?”

“Tch, so that’s it. The old man wants to get rid of Ars because he’s become a hindrance—”

“No, it’s quite the opposite.”

The clown’s gentle yet firm interruption surprised Hades, who had thought she understood her father’s reasons for opposing humans.

The clown continued.

“In simple terms, His Majesty intends to drag the Demon Realm along for the sake of your future, Your Highness. However, this doesn’t apply to all demons, but specifically to those who see humans as food or intend to enslave them.”

“What…?! Dragging them along? What are you saying, clown?! Explain yourself!”

Alarmed by the term “dragging along,” Hades shattered her restraints with a single blow and confronted the clown. Despite being grabbed and glared at furiously, the clown remained unfazed, even smiling as he said, “I am truly glad that someone who can get this angry for my lord’s sake is our prince.”

“Hmph. Well, that’s all for now. From here on, it’s not my place to speak. The reasons why His Majesty does so much for you are something you must understand and accept yourself. …Ah, it seems the battle between the heroes has begun.”

“Tch.”

Realizing that further questioning was pointless, Hades released the clown’s collar. This loyal servant of the Demon King would not reveal anything further, even if it cost him his life.

Understanding this, Hades let go and turned her gaze to the crystal, watching her beloved Ars fight, her brow furrowing slightly in displeasure.

“…Seriously. He’s always been a stubborn demon king who never listens. But I never thought he’d go so far as to make decisions without consulting me at all. It’s infuriating.”

“Heh heh heh. Well, that’s one of his good points, after all.”

As he sat heavily on the ground and started grumbling, the clown, who had somehow regained his playful demeanor, burst out laughing.

Whatever he found so amusing, he started spinning around and even performing street tricks right then and there.

This clown’s thought process was truly a mystery.

However, there was one thing that even this carefree clown couldn’t quite accept.

“That aside, the hero… Even though he’s not fully matured, he’s unbelievably strong… Compared to the hero from a thousand years ago, he isn’t inferior. No, in terms of magic, physical techniques, and basic physical abilities, he’s actually…”

He started muttering to himself, analyzing the situation, saying things like “It’s really strange” and “Even for a hero, his growth rate is abnormal.”

It seemed he knew a fair bit about past heroes and was comparing his impressions from back then with the current hero.

“Heh. What are you mumbling about, clown? There’s no way my Ars, trained by that wicked old man, could be compared to some past nobody hero. Use your common sense.”

Setting aside what exactly he considered “common sense,” Hades had absolute confidence in his partner, who fought the Four Heavenly Kings without retreating a single step and continued to lead their comrades in battle.

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘that wicked old man’… No, but still… If that’s the case, I might not need to intervene…”

Watching the hero’s strength through a crystal ball, the clown muttered these cryptic words and stared intently into the crystal ball, nodding deeply.