Chapter 18 - Cards at Play

[To start things off, I would like to introduce myself once again.] (Zero)

[As you may know, my name is Zero Hashura. The name itself is not a lie so you can continue calling me that.] (Zero)

I breathed deeply for a brief moment...

[First of all, the place I'm from... Let's just say that I'm from... another world.] (Zero)

[WHAAAAAAAT?!?!?!] (Literally Everyone)

[Your Majesty, have you heard of anyone like me, who's not from this world?] (Zero)

[N-No... Y-You are the only the one...] (Tyreon)

[I see...] (Zero)

Well, it's still not guaranteed that I'm the only one who got sent here, so I'll have to keep asking others when I travel out.

I could just ask Lichtia-sama, but it sounds like a sensitive topic.

[I was in my room back in my original world when I suddenly found myself in a week-long dream about this world- Dunia. In that dream, I got fed with information about you, other people... and the Demon Lord's forces...] (Zero)

If I binge the whole series non-stop, I guess it'll take a week, including the character data books and blu-ray special editions.

[And when I woke up, there I was, in a forest near Ilram.] (Zero)

[I-Is that really true?!] (Edward)

[Yes. I can assure you that. That's how I knew 'everything' about you guys- you're history, personality and actions.] (Zero)

[Well, more importantly, I know not only the beings of Dunia, but the future of Dunia as well.] (Zero)

Okay, this is where I'll start to lie for the sake of convenience.

Though, I already lied the moment I refused to mention Lichtia-sama and other gods' existence.

[That dream, was more like a vision... And what I saw, was the Demon Lord taking over the entire world.] (Zero)

[*Gasp*] (Literally Everyone)

[Every single one of you died. Your families were tormented before getting slaughtered, every Kingdom and Empire bent its knees to the Demon Lord, and humanity almost went extinct.] (Zero)

[Z-Zero-dono... If that's true...-] (Quinn)

[It is true, and it will become true, Captain Venera.] (Zero)

[...] (Quinn)

[Hearing my origin story, you must be curious about my motive. Well, I didn't really have that much lingering attachment left to my original world. So, the moment I found myself in this world, I only really intended to live a new life as a normal person, but if I want to obtain that peaceful life, I would have to prevent this world's inevitable doom, right?] (Zero)

[I see...] (Tyreon)

[Everyone. Except for His Majesty and some others, all of you just met me for the first time. But from what I've seen here and there, you are people that I can put my trust in. That's why I hope you'll put your trust in me as well.] (Zero)

[Zero-dono, I think you've proven yourself enough already. Personally, I would like to put my trust in you.] (Varys)

[I'm sorry that I don't have any evidence for really knowing the future.] (Zero)

[I, too, actually knew about the Lawrence-sama's plan, but my husband, Dred, had me locked down so that I couldn't tell His Majesty anything. I feel just as guilty. If you, Zero-dono, really didn't know anything, Lawrence-sama might have taken over the entire Kingdom, or worse; he could've destroyed it.] (Ysabelle)

[Dutchess Jenkins is right. This all started when you told me about Sir Bernard's treachery. If it weren't for your plan, there wouldn't be any chances of victory. So, don't worry Zero-san. All of us here shall put our trust in you.] (Karmen)

Everyone nodded at Karmen-san words.

I see...

Somehow, my chest feels warm.

Is this how it feels to be trusted by a lot of people...?

[Thank you, everyone. Then I'll start with everything I know about Dunia's future.] (Zero)

Everyone became stiff, yet somewhat excited.

Well, they 'are' trying to prevent the world's destruction.

[First of all, I think everything could've been prevented if it weren't for the death of one person.] (Zero)

[Was it Zornelius...?] (Robert)

[No. Even with Zorn in his strongest, all he managed to do was give the Demon Lord a cut.] (Zero)

[N-No way...] (Ysabelle)

[Then who?] (Hailey)

[It was the death of our party leader; Ace William.] (Zero)

[Ace-dono?!] (Tyreon)

[Ace?!] (Iris)

[Me?!] (Ace)

[Yes. You and your party were at Mithril Rank when the Demon Lord's forces ambushed and slaughtered you.] (Zero)

[What?!] (Ace)

[W-We died?] (Iris)

[Yes, unfortunately. The Demon Lord probably realized how much of a threat Ace would be, if he grew any further.] (Zero)

[I just wanted to ask, kid. When exactly will the Demon Lord unleash his forces upon us?] (Khandor)

[Hm. In my vision, the war started twenty years from now. But since the Demon Lord has already declared his intent, it'll probably be sooner.] (Zero)

[What exactly is he waiting for? If he's so strong, can't he just take on everyone and invade Dunia as soon as he can.] (Wesley)

[Alright, listen up. With the Demon Lord at full power, he's unstoppable. But right now, he isn't.] (Zero)

[What do you mean...?] (Khandor)

[His 'power' is actually sealed inside his own body.] (Zero)

[It happened because of an event that occurred centuries ago. It wasn't clear in my vision, but a scroll somewhere inside an abandoned library in the middle of the Kantario Desert holds the answer.] (Zero)

[No one knew about it so the Demon Lord ventured there and successfully uncovered the secret to bringing himself back in his prime.] (Zero)

[Right now, the 'Executives' of the Demon Lord are hellbent on finding that Ancient Scroll. They'll eventually find the scroll after twelve years and decipher it for another eight. The war starts and he kills everyone.] (Zero)

[I see. So he declared war on us sooner because he found the scroll already...? Or did he find another way to break his 'seal'?] (Varys)

[Both are very possible. Even in my vision, not everything about Dunia was revealed, so many things are still unknown, even to me.] (Zero)

I stopped talking to give everyone the time to take in everything I just said.

After a brief moment...

[Your Majesty, I will now proceed to give the actual report on the Demon Beast Incident.] (Zero)

[I understand. Please do, Zero-dono.] (Tyreon)

[First of all, General Lawrence Dormunn has colluded with the Demon Lord.] (Zero)

[WHAAAAAT?!?!?!] (Literally Everyone)

[Eh?! Even you two didn't know that?] (Karmen)

[Y-Yes! This is the first time I've heard of such claim...] (Iris)

[The Demon Lord negotiated with General Lawrence in one way or another. Their goal might be to dethrone the king... No. The Coup d'etat might not be the only thing, since that was already General Lawrence's original goal, even without the Demon Lord's influence...] (Zero)

[For now, I don't know what their goal is. But an irrefutable evidence of their collusion was that thing itself. We might get thrown off by interpreting it as a result of a Depravation Spell, but no level of Depravation Spell, even those which can affect Adamantium-Level beings, can turn General Lawrence to such monstrosity.] (Zero)

The atmosphere around them became heavier as I went into detail.

[What you saw right there is an Ancient Spell called the Primordial Demon Curse. It's one of the few abilities that preceding Demon Lords pass on to their successors.] (Zero)

[Demon Lords are, at minimum, stronger than most, if not all, Adamantium-Ranked Heroes. That's why getting afflicted by this curse will rid you of your sanity and turn your body into a man-eating Demon Beast if it gets activated. It's not the spell's original effect though.] (Zero)

[Ace and I saw the 'seal' engraved onto the back of General Lawrence's neck when we were fighting him that day.] (Zero)

[B-But how could he have been in contact with the D-Demon Lord...? I had my subordinates keep an eye on Lawrence this whole time!] (Tyreon)

[It's probably Mammon, the Demon of Greed.] (Zero)

[A Demon Executive, huh?] (Eliot)

[If I remember correctly, Magic is his forte.] (Iscaro)

[Dark and Wind Magic in particular. He also has access to many Void Magic Spells. One of which is a spell that involves 'dreams'.] (Zero)

[So they met up inside the General's Dream...?] (Varys)

[That's most likely the case.] (Zero)

I wouldn't have deduced it down to Mammon's Dream Magic if I hadn't seen him use it that way before in the Original Series.

[Zero-dono, can you explain the Primordial Demon Curse in detail? I'm curious about the spell's "original effect".] (Tyreon)

[As you wish, Your Majesty. The Primordial Demon Curse is a spell to strengthen the Demon Lord's most worthy subordinates. However, it was later discovered that those who are not strong enough to take it will, instead, turn into a Demon Beast, and a disgustingly strong one at that.] (Zero)

[I see...] (Tyreon)

Everyone was in deep thought, including my party-mates.

[Everyone, I just want you to remember that the difference of events from my vision and this current timeline is getting bigger and bigger, so I'm not entirely sure if the events that I've seen would still hold true in the future.] (Zero)

[Regardless, you given us information that no one else in the world would be able to provide. For that, we thank you.] (Varys)

Everyone smiled and nodded.

Mission complete, I guess.

I have established a friendly connection with the kingdom, it's king and his subjects.

From now on, the Kingdom of Zephyrine is our home base.

After that, I asked Sir Hans to deliver the remaining bits of our report.

It contained the number of casualties from the Demon Beasts rampage and the casualties regarding the pseudo-civil war.

The names of all the traitors were also mentioned and we talked about what to do with all of the victimized prisoners.

In the end, the fallen soldiers shall be buried and honored and the surviving traitors shall be captured and publicly executed for high treason and their heinous crimes.

[W-What about Gary-sama and the others?] (Thomas)

[Count Dantalion is right. What should we do about them? Does His Majesty plan to publicly execute them too?] (Jenkins)

[Logically, I would recommend it. They hold malicious intent against His Majesty and the Royal Family. They might betray the kingdom again for all we know. But, everything was mostly because of General Lawrence's influence. So, personally, His Majesty could give them another chance. A change of heart might be possible, even for stuck-up Nobles like them.] (Zero)

[Zero...] (Iris)

[You really are a kind-hearted person, Zero.] (Ace)

[I see...] (Tyreon)

...

Crap, how could I forget that Gary Kingsman is Garret-san's brother?!

It's in his freakin' name. (Garret's surname is Kingsman. It was established some chapters ago.)

He'll be very sad if his brother gets executed!

[Even if His Majesty chooses to spare them, it would be too risky to reveal Zero-dono's real identity.] (Varys)

[Yes. That's what I was debating on my mind as well.] (Tyreon)

...

[Alright. I have made my decision. Duke Gary Kingsman, Count Darwin Shara and Countess Signette Gaddi shall only be stripped of their current titles and imprisoned for one year. But, they will not join the likes of us who know about Zero-dono.] (Tyreon)

After that, the meeting has officially come to a close.

We were given rooms inside the mansion to rest for the day.

Catching me alone...

[Zero-san, can I talk to you for a moment?] (Karmen)

Karmen-san invited me towards the beautiful terrace upstairs.

Somehow, I'm kinda nervous.

Is she angry, perhaps?

...

[I was wrong and right, wasn't I?] (Karmen)

[What do you mean?] (Zero)

[I was wrong about who you are- at least, your real identity... But I was right... I was right to trust you. You truly are an amazing person.] (Karmen)

[I see... I love how you described me as a baby back then though.] (Zero)

[M-My bad...] (Karmen)

[Hahaha! Well, you're not entirely wrong. I was literally clueless about how I should go about the whole Adventurer stuff in actuality. It's like watching a your favorite theatrical performance again and again, but then you wind up being an actor out of nowhere.] (Zero)

[Yeah. You won't really know what to do right away.] (Karmen)

[Is that all you have to say?] (Zero)

[Why? Were you expecting a passionate confession?] (Karmen)

[Not really. If I was around Yanzo-san's age, maybe I would.] (Zero)

[Fufun. I see. Then, shall we go back?] (Karmen)

[Lead the way, miss.] (Zero)

Reaching the hallway...

[Zero! Perfect timing, Iris and I were looking for you. Hey there, Karmen-san.] (Ace)

[Good afternoon, Karmen-san.] (Iris)

[Good afternoon, you two. Then, Zero-san, I'll be on my way.] (Karmen)

[Yes. See you around.] (Zero)

And Karmen-san left.

The three of us came to Ace's room.

[What do you want to talk about? Oh wait, let me guess; is it about the events I saw in my dream?] (Zero)

[Well, that's part of it. But first, I just wanted to ask... You knew who I was the moment we first met, right?] (Ace)

[Yeah, I did. But I can tell you one thing. Me bumping into you was a complete coincidence and a miracle in itself.] (Zero)

[I see... Did you become friends with me in order to keep me alive and help you defeat the Demon Lord?] (Ace)

[Don't say it like that. It's like I only befriended you so I could use you. Both of you and Iris are my friends. And I sincerely treasure the friendship we have. Please don't let my real identity and goal create a rift among us.] (Zero)

[You're right... I'm sorry... You're still the Zero we know, after all!] (Ace)

[I was almost shocked to death with all of the stuff you suddenly revealed to us, but I knew wasn't wrong about your kindness, Zero.] (Iris)

[Thanks, you two.] (Zero)

It's rare for me to open up to other people.

Back on Earth, the only one who truly knew me was Minami.

I'm glad I have these two oafs with me.

Evening came;

After a lavish dinner, His Majesty, the Nobles, Varys-san and his subordinates, and of course, our party, came to the meeting room for another discussion.

[We shall now talk about our plans for this upcoming war. Hans.] (Tyreon)

[Certainly, Your Majesty. Year 498; the best case scenario is that the Demon Lord shall unleash his might against us during the year 518, twenty years from now. Worst case scenario... in the next five years, the Demon Lord will invade and reign all over Dunia.] (Hans)

[...] (Tyreon)

[W-We must become ready no matter what!] (Edward)

[What do you think we should do, Zero-dono?] (Varys)

[Sigh... If only Harrow-san was here... Too bad, he might be incapacitated for a long time.] (Zero)

[Yes... What happened to him and his family was truly tragic...] (Tyreon)

[Your Majesty, do you plan on appointing Zero as the Kingdom's new tactitian?] (Ace)

[Not really. I would love to but, it's better to not keep Zero-dono behind the walls of a kingdom. But still, since Zero-dono knows the future, we must certainly ask the actions he would take.] (Tyreon)

[Well, even if Zero didn't know anything about the future, his 150 INT Value speaks for itself.] (Karmen)

[To be honest, I'm not too sure. We don't even know if the Demon Lord has acquired the Ancient Scroll or not...] (Zero)

[Then, why don't we go there and check?] (Ace)

[Exactly. Your Majesty, I actually had a plan in conjunction to what Ace has said.] (Zero)

[C-Can you reveal what it is?] (Tyreon)

[It's simple. I just have to make our strongest allies even stronger. I mean, training for a long period of time is a bit out of question since the clock is ticking against us. That's why my plan is to collect a bunch of Ancient Artifacts, Weapons, Treasures and many more, and use those to help beat the Demon Lord.] (Zero)

[I see. Can my Royal Treasury be of any help?] (Tyreon)

[You can just give the most broken weapons available to your Adamantium Heroes.- Oh shit, I almost forgot about him- Oh, and by the way, Jacob Dantalion is a traitor.] (Zero)

(He's one of the Zephyrine Kingdom's Ten Heroes. He's the fifth ranker among the ten and an Orichalcum-Ranked Hero.)

[WHAAAT?!?!?!] (Literally Everyone)

[This guy has no sense of delicacy whatsoever...] (Yanzo)

[T-T-T-That's impossible!!! M-My son would never...] (Thomas)

[I'm sorry, Count Dantalion. I nearly forgot to tell everyone that Jacob is actually a traitor. He's a very strong individual, reaching his rank at eighteen. But, the Demon Lord Executive; Leviathan targeted him and enticed him to join their side.] (Zero)

[T-That's-!] (Thomas)

[I know. He's a smart kid, as well as a good person in general. But Leviathan's Magic got the best of him... It's the "Perfect Mind-Control".] (Zero)

The atmosphere froze as I uttered those words.

[Seeing that Zorn achieved better accomplishments than him, a strong feeling of envy has been planted inside Jacob's heart. This feeling of envy was used as a catalyst for the mind-control... And besides, he's the perfect prey for Leviathan; the Demon of Envy.] (Zero)

[No way...] (Thomas)

[Be very careful around him. It's called "Perfect" Mind-Control for a reason. Even I am not a hundred percent sure if Jacob even knows he's being mind-controlled. Be mindful of how you talk to him. Anything he hears, Leviathan may hear. And if the spell is triggered, it'll remove the person's initial reasoning, changing it to the caster's benefit. In short, he'll be brainwashed into submission.] (Zero)

[My poor son...] (Thomas)

[It'll be alright, Count Dantalion. Once we get everything together, even Adamantium-Ranked beings would look like children. We can restrain your son without injuring him.] (Zero)

We're about to fucking break the power sealing...

[Such a power can be obtained?] (Tyreon)

[Yes, but it'll be a very dangerous and long journey.] (Zero)

[I see... I understand...] (Tyreon)

The king took a deep breathe before facing everyone inside the room.

[Then, I, Tyreon Xavier Zephyrine, shall send Ace William and his party on a top secret mission to: check the state of the Ancient Scroll containing the secret for breaking the seal on the Demon Lord's power. And also, they shall recover every Ancient Artifact, Magic Scroll, Treasure and Weapon they can gather to help boost our forces.] (Tyreon)

The three of us knelt in front of the old man.

[My party and I humbly accept this mission.] (Ace)

[I shall give you ten years-] (Tyreon)

[Four years, His Majesty. Give us four years, and we shall complete this mission.] (Zero)

[F-Four years?! Can you really accomplish everything within that short period of time?] (Varys)

[If we do things in order, it's more than enough.] (Zero)

[To be honest, I expected you to ask for an extension, but you actually did the opposite.] (Tyreon)

[Nothing less from Zero-san.] (Karmen)

[Your Majesty, we actually have a request concerning this mission.] (Iris)

[Ask me anything, Iris-dono.] (Tyreon)

[We are fully aware that the three of us have become famous as upcoming Adamantium Heroes. But, it is an advantage that the masses are still not familiar with our faces. For that, we would like to keep a low profile on this mission to avoid the Demon Lord, or any of his subordinates' attention, at least for a considerable amount of time.] (Iris)

[We would like fake Guild Cards that we can use to present ourselves once we travel.] (Ace)

[I see. Is that all?] (Tyreon)

[Yes, Your Majesty.] (Iris)

[I understand.] (Tyreon)

The old man, then, stood up and faced everyone firmly.

[Well then, everyone, I now end this meeting. The future of humanity lies on our hands. These three young heroes will journey far and wide to hopefully stop the Demon Lord in his tracks for power while we will remain silent yet vigilant. It is quite regrettable that we can do nothing but pray for their success, but we must endure and prepare in the shadows so we can protect our kingdom, humanity... everyone. I hope all of you will keep everything you've known until now strictly to yourselves only. Rest. Tomorrow, our days shall continue. Goodnight.] (Tyreon)

Everyone knelt in agreement.

Alright, everything is coming together.

...

We're currently staying inside this Royal Mansion.

Our stuff were immediately transferred here from Cathedral Insomnia.

*Knock Knock*

[Zero, are you still up?] (Iris)

It's Iris.

[Yeah, why?] (Zero)

I said as I opened the door for her.

She sat on my bed and looked around the room.

[Our rooms really look identical...] (Iris)

[They are guest rooms for a reason, Iris. Anyway, why are you dilly-dallying. I know you're here for something.] (Zero)

[Geez, a little chat won't hurt you know?] (Iris)

I just smiled while raising my eyebrow.

[S-Sorry, it's just really embarrassing...] (Iris)

[Why are you getting embarrassed now? It's not like we're strangers or anything.] (Zero)

[Y-You're right...] (Iris)

[So? What is it?] (Zero)

[I-I... I just wanted to thank you for... everything...?] (Iris)

[Why are you unsure?] (Zero)

[My bad... I know you're still the Zero from back then... but it just feels strange how the same Zero actually saved us from such a horrible future... And for that, I couldn't think of anything to do but thank you...] (Iris)

I was technically half-lying about everything since in the Original Series, Ace and his original party actually won against the Demon Lord...

But from what I've seen so far... it might not actually be the case in this 'timeline'; the timeline where I exist in Dunia.

Every significant enemy is just a lot stronger than he, she or it should actually be while Ace and the others are the same.

With that line of thought, the 'horrible future' I narrated earlier might just come true.

[You're welcome. As I've said, you guys are now my friends. And a friend never lets another friend die on his watch, right?] (Zero)

Instead of saying anything, Iris just smiled...

She smiled like she was relieved.

After some small chit-chats, I escorted her out of the room.

Alright, time to get some sleep!

(It's 11:30 PM in Earth time.)

But as my consciousness fades away...

[Zero...? Can you hear me...? Are you there...?]

It was Lichtia-sama's voice.