CHAPTER 190: THE MAKING OF HEROES

The deceased was Yurik Bellins. He was the head of the Bellins Baronet family.

"I remember him. He came to the family and the Golden Turtle Company several times."

If one wanted to do business within the empire, there was a high possibility of being connected to Goldenheim directly or indirectly.

After a copper mine was discovered within his territory, Yurik Bellins had created a trading company to sell it independently and had hoped to use Goldenheim’s distribution network.

"Everyone stand back!"

"Move aside!"

The security force rushed over and drove away the people who had gathered around.

Some of them collected the corpse while others entered the hotel.

"Could it be suicide?"

"As far as I know, Baron Yurik had no reason to commit suicide. I also heard that a wizard he was sponsoring was going to present research at this academic conference."

"Then murder?"

"Killing someone in a Wienderk city where the Continental Academic Conference is being held would be no different from declaring war on Wienderk."

It was a form that not only damaged but trampled on Wienderk’s dignity. Especially if the murdered person was a noble.

"Then an accidental death?"

"That’s probably the most likely possibility. Along with the smell of Baron Yurik’s blood, there was a faint smell of alcohol."

Drunk and falling out the window. That level would have been impossible with just one or two bottles of alcohol.

"From now on, no one can leave the hotel!"

"Hey, that’s...!"

"Please cooperate."

The additional security forces that had rushed over immediately controlled the hotel and prevented people inside from going outside.

Gerhard Goldenheim and Hyde first slipped away from the hotel to avoid being trapped.

"What will you do?"

"He wasn’t someone who deserved to die, yet he’s dead. Something seems fishy..."

Could it be the work of evil ones? But what benefit would evil ones gain from killing just one noble?

"...Let’s meet Aint Armian and Ariadne Florian first and think about it."

He already knew where the two were staying. An unremarkable inn on the outskirts of the city.

When he entered the restaurant on the first floor, he saw Ariadne Florian and Aint Armian having a meal.

"Oh, senior! You’re here!"

Ariadne Florian, with her elongated ears perking up once, spotted Gerhard Goldenheim and waved her hand.

"Why is this guy covering his face in a restaurant?"

Gerhard Goldenheim sat next to Aint Armian, who was eating pasta while wearing a robe.

"He says he doesn’t want to reveal his identity unnecessarily."

"What a ridiculous reason."

"Ridiculous? I hate even thinking about getting entangled with other nobles just because it becomes known that I’m an Armian. At least not yet."

"Shouldn’t you worry first about whether they can even recognize you?"

"...Won’t they recognize me?"

"It’s more amazing that you think they would."

The Armian family had lived a life of seclusion within the family, cut off from the outside world, from the moment they lost the imperial throne.

Naturally, there wouldn’t be many who could recognize the face of Aint Armian, their descendant.

He had briefly become a topic when he entered the academy, but it was literally just for a moment.

While he was famous within the academy, most people had just heard such rumors and few had actually seen Aint Armian.

"Above all, neither you nor the Armian bloodline has any special appearance."

Blonde hair and brown eyes. This continent was overflowing with blondes and brown eyes.

"The most certain way to prove Armian heritage is the light aura, but if the moment comes to bring out the aura, it means it’s not a situation to worry about such things."

"That’s true too. But really, won’t anyone recognize me?"

"Wienderk would recognize you. High-ranking nobles who had interest in Armian would too."

"That’s different from what you said..."

Aint Armian, who was about to take off his robe, hesitated.

"Well, I can’t be certain either. Rather, I think wearing a robe deeply pulled down in a place where everyone else is walking around normally might invite suspicion of being suspicious."

"Ugh."

Eventually Aint Armian took off his robe. At least within the restaurant, no one was paying particular attention to Aint Armian.

"You look good. It seems you’ve been enjoying the festival well."

"Yes, it was fine."

"But about the clue regarding evil ones...?"

Aint Armian lowered his voice.

"Traces of evil ones led all the way here."

"So what kind of...?"

"That’s what we need to find out from now on. What they’re targeting at the presentation."

Actually, Gerhard Goldenheim didn’t know well either.

Originally, they would have summoned a demon during the presentation.

But that was blocked by Gerhard Goldenheim’s intervention, and it was unknown what actions the evil ones would take after that.

Since the demon summoning had failed, it was uncertain whether they would just give up and do nothing this time, or commit some other act.

The reason Gerhard Goldenheim had bothered to bring Aint Armian was because he couldn’t completely rule out the latter possibility.

In a situation where the existence of evil ones had already been revealed to the world, the Continental Academic Conference where various power holders gathered could be a decisive move.

’However, at the point where demon summoning went awry, there’s no reason for them to obsess over the presentation.’

So that point had to be considered too.

"By presentation, you mean the wizards’ presentations, right? The highlight of the academic conference. If they cause trouble there, it would certainly bring tremendous shock to the continent. The power holders gathered there aren’t just one or two... People...?"

Kyaaaah!

Someone died!

At the same time Ariadne Florian stopped speaking, screams erupted from here and there.

Gerhard Goldenheim hurriedly checked outside the window behind him. There was another corpse on the main street.

Moreover, that wasn’t all.

"Everyone stop! From now on, we will control this building!"

"Stop!"

Security forces visible from all directions.

And even the faint smell of blood wafting over.

The death of Baron Yurik Bellins was only the beginning.

==

[The 198th Continental Academic Conference becomes a festival of blood.]

[11 royalty and nobles assassinated in a Wienderk city!]

[People trembling in fear, what was Wienderk doing...]

[Esrin loses a princess. ’Wienderk must take responsibility.’ Prince Perant Esrin of Esrin rages.]

[Large-scale assassination incident in Wienderk territory. Who is the culprit?]

[Lives lost overnight. Is Wienderk safe?]

The next day, newspapers gave prominent coverage to the assassination incident that had occurred yesterday.

A full 11 people. They were nobles of the empire, nobles of kingdoms, and royalty as well.

As their families’ anger pierced the sky, Wienderk hurriedly began responding.

They immediately mobilized large-scale forces to control the city and began searching for the culprit, and it was heard that the duke was coming this way.

"What do you think the duke will do in response?"

It was no ordinary matter.

A large-scale murder case that occurred in his own territory. Moreover, they were all nobles, and there were royalty too.

Since it involved not only empire figures but also foreign nationals, there was a strong possibility it would develop into a diplomatic issue, and even within the empire, they wouldn’t remain still.

If it couldn’t be properly resolved, if they couldn’t find a culprit that everyone could accept and prostrate themselves in apology, it was impossible to guarantee what would happen.

"Are you asking that knowing how long it’s been since I left the territory?"

"I was just curious so I asked."

Heavy silence lingered.

Professor Rosalia Wienderk lit a cigarette, and Gerhard Goldenheim had a servant order coffee.

"Where did your attendant go?"

"I sent him on an errand to the trading company for a moment."

Hyde had gone to gather information about who the dead people were, how they died, and what their associates were like.

Gerhard Goldenheim stood up from his seat.

"I’ll go out for a moment."

"Can you go out?"

"If Professor helps me."

No matter how much they controlled things, unless the duke himself stepped forward, it wasn’t easy to stop the heir of another elector family.

With a legitimate descendant of Wienderk there too, it would be even better.

"That much is entirely possible, but even so, wouldn’t it be better to stay quiet in this situation?"

"I’m trying to make some preparations of my own."

"You’re going to solve it?"

"I will if possible, but it’s not something I should do."

"You’re going to get Aint Armian."

"Correct."

"Rudger Schwaben’s eyes toward you weren’t kind."

"I don’t care."

"Really?"

Gerhard Goldenheim shook his head.

"No. But you know what’s more important right now."

"True, these are bold fellows who would dare do such a thing in Wienderk, so it won’t end easily. Armian will be the best sword."

Gerhard Goldenheim received help from Professor Rosalia Wienderk to get permission for a short outing. Arriving at the inn where Aint Armian and Ariadne Florian were staying, he called the two.

"Aint Armian, it’s time for you to step forward."

"Me?"

"If my prediction is correct, this is the work of evil ones."

It wasn’t a prediction or assumption. It was conviction.

"They tried to summon a demon at the presentation venue through Professor Rosalia Wienderk but were blocked. When that failed, they planned this."

"I know about that story since you told me, but could it really be evil ones?"

"Do you think Wienderk was lax in their defenses?"

No. Looking at the city hall where some of Wienderk’s finest knights were standing guard, the answer was clear.

The security forces were more than double in number, and their level wasn’t just ordinary soldiers.

Inspections were thorough, and they verified the identities of those entering as much as possible. They did their best.

Yet if someone broke through and committed assassinations, there was only one answer. Evil ones.

"Evil ones have many extraordinary abilities because they receive demonic power. If not that, would this incident really be possible?"

"..."

"It’s 11 people, Aint Armian. Even if an elector family put forth their full effort, they couldn’t assassinate 11 nobles in one day in a city that Wienderk was determined to protect."

Of course, if they really were determined, it might be different, but anyway, since there was no elector family that would do such a thing, only evil ones remained.

"Would it be possible even for evil ones?"

"The elf next to you doesn’t even know what she did during vacation. Thanks to being foolishly subjected to mental manipulation by evil ones."

"Why am I suddenly brought up?"

Ariadne Florian, who had been quietly sitting, screamed in protest.

"If Jayce Biance hadn’t healed Ariadne Florian, she probably still wouldn’t know she had been subjected to mental manipulation. Evil ones have such methods."

The loyalty of the attendants they brought along couldn’t be low, so normally betrayal couldn’t be incited.

But if it was mental manipulation, the story would be completely different.

That’s why he said only evil ones could do it.

"What if they secretly assassinated by manipulating the minds of the dead people’s close associates, attendants, or maids?"

"...That’s horrible."

"So Wienderk probably recognizes that fact too. Otherwise, there’s no answer."

Wienderk wasn’t foolish either. They would have naturally reached the same conclusion that Gerhard Goldenheim had.

"...If Wienderk knows too, is there really a need for me to step forward?"

"You must step forward. Anti-demon warfare is your symbol, isn’t it?"

More precisely, Armian’s.

"You just need to prove it. That this is the work of evil ones."

"You’re telling me to find the magic, is that it?"

"Yes."

"What comes after?"

"After that..."

Gerhard Goldenheim pondered.

’Isn’t it a bit early now?’

Aint Armian hadn’t yet accomplished anything significant.

He didn’t have his own faction within the academy, hadn’t restored Armian’s power to some degree, and his own martial prowess hadn’t become strong enough to slap a Royal Knight.

’But Aint Armian will make his name known throughout the continent through this incident.’

If things flowed according to the prophecy book, it would be Aint Armian who would catch the summoned demon in front of numerous royalty, nobles, and power holders, minimizing damage.

Even if he revealed Aint Armian now, the big picture wouldn’t change.

’Besides, if Luina Berchef, Ariadne Florian, Veriana Kalproten and I properly support him from behind.’

Two elector families, a family that used to be an elector, and the family closest to being an elector in the empire.

No one would dare trample on Aint Armian.

Because he would make it so.

"Hero."

"Yes?"

Gerhard Goldenheim muttered quietly.

"You can become a hero."

"...I don’t understand."

"I’ll make you a hero. As humanity’s hope against demons."

Gerhard Goldenheim grabbed Aint Armian’s shoulders and growled.

"Image making is one of the things I do best."

Because it’s an important matter that depends on how you sell a product.

"You can look forward to it. When this matter is concluded, there won’t be anyone on this continent who doesn’t know your name."

From now on, Gerhard Goldenheim was planning to seriously sell the product called Aint Armian.