The Answer Is Up to You (7)

'...Menou, I always wondered why you were siding with the humans. I see... You were accompanying Miss Alice because she was siding with them. That was just like you, ever loyal to the Demon King-sama.'

After saying that, Estellera, one of the Demon King's generals, glared at Menou from his place in the air. Menou hastily averted their eyes and shrank back, like a child being scolded by an adult. Seeing Menou's reaction, Kagami rushed to their side and tried to whisper in their ear.

"Who is that slightly narcissistic guy? He just started talking out of nowhere."

"That's Estellera Ulgod-sama... He's been the Demon King-sama's right-hand man since long before I began serving him... He's second only to the Demon King-sama in strength. ...More importantly, Kagami-dono, are you hurt?"

"Thanks to the potions, I'm almost fully recovered. I'd been saving them, so they worked like a charm."

Kagami cracked his neck and rolled his arms as if he had strength to spare. He really had recovered; it wasn't an act. That didn't mean he was in the clear, though. The potions would eventually become less effective.

'Are you still going to fight? Surely you understand by now that it's pointless, after that last exchange?'

Ignoring Estellera, who was floating in the air, Kagami started toward the black-armored giant approaching from the front once more.

"That thing is the bigger problem. If I don't deal with it first, we're in trouble. If you get in my way, I'll have to fight you, but you seem pretty confident, so I doubt you intend to."

'No... I don't. Then challenge it as you please. Until you've had your fill.'

Kagami faced Estellera and spoke plainly, without the slightest trace of fear. Estellera replied with a faintly mocking smile, his words seeming to speak directly into their minds. Just as he'd declared, Kagami let out a roar and raced toward the black-armored giant like a gale.

"You're awfully confident, so-called right-hand man of the Demon King. You clearly don't understand just how far beyond the norm that Villager is."

Rex spoke up, apparently irritated that Estellera simply watched Kagami run toward the black-armored giant as though it didn't concern him.

'I understand. But he's still just a Villager, isn't he? I believe you said as much. And his Level was... 999, if I recall? I'm surprised a Villager could reach Level 999. For that matter, reaching Level 999 at all is unprecedented in this world.'

Everyone there shuddered at his words. This demon had been hiding nearby, gathering information about them all along. The fact that they hadn't noticed him at all made them instantly realize the vast difference in strength between them.

"What do you mean, 'just a Villager'?"

Kururu hadn't missed Estellera's remark, which sounded as though he knew something, and questioned him. Estellera had no obligation to answer, but he turned his bored gaze toward Kururu as if he were merely looking for a way to pass the time.

'Don't you know? Villagers have absurdly low stats. A Warrior is three times as strong as a Villager, and a Hero is stronger still. A Level 999 Villager has less strength than a human with the Hero Job at Level 300.'

"Level 999 should give him more than just stats... He has Skills!"

'Then do you know any of his Skills besides the one that lets him recover automatically?'

At that, Kururu faltered. "...Well, that's..."

'It's practically a miracle that he has such a rare Skill as automatic recovery. There have actually been plenty of Villagers who, for whatever reason, tried to reach Level 100 or higher. Villagers level up easily by nature. No one ever tried to reach 999, of course... but their Skills were all garbage. There was even one that increased the force of a flick of the finger.'

Those who decided it was beyond their station gave up and fulfilled their role as Villagers. Estellera added this with a scornful laugh, as though dismissing all their efforts.

"How... do you know so much about that?"

Takako asked, thinking he knew far too much. Estellera only gave her a meaningful smile and didn't answer.

Everyone else began to worry that, given how weak a Villager's stats and Skills were, even Kagami—their one hope—might not be able to do anything about this hopeless situation.

'Before Skills even come into it, the gap in stats is absolute. A Villager with such low base stats can't defeat that thing. Look—he's already back.'

The instant Estellera said this, Kagami came hurtling through the air, apparently punched away again by the black-armored giant, and slammed into the same rock wall as before. He'd only just run toward it, yet not even a few minutes later, he was crashing into the same spot again. At that moment, everyone became certain that even Kagami was powerless against it.

'The end of growth. That's what Level 999 means. And even with Skills, a Villager whose base stats are so low can't stand against an opponent like that. No matter how you look at it, a Villager can't do anything. That's the limit of being a Villager.'

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?"

This time, instead of remaining embedded in the rock wall, Kagami burst out of it and spoke as if he still had strength to spare. Blood was gushing from all over his body.

"How's that? This time I braced myself properly and reduced the damage... Though it still hurt like hell. This is bad. Potion, please! Princess, can I get a potion?"

Seeing Kagami keep his composure as he spoke, even the composed Estellera's expression faltered for an instant. But he quickly sneered and returned to his usual expression.

'You certainly have impressive durability. A Villager, whose HP and Durability are even lower than a Mage's... I don't know if you have some kind of Skill for that, but it's thanks to that Skill. You'd be better off giving up while you're still alive.'

"You're not going out of your way to kill us, are you?"

'If you get in my way, I'll kill you, of course. My only goal is to bring down the fortress city of Salmaria.'

Something about Estellera's words struck Kagami as strange, and his expression tensed. He turned to face Estellera, about to press him for an explanation, but Alice stepped in front of him first, arms spread as if to shield him.

"Estellera, stop this! Dad doesn't want this! Talk to Dad again... and then...!"

'I'm sure he doesn't. Neither the Demon King-sama nor you want this... I know that. The Demon King-sama standing right there would say the same thing if you asked him directly.'

"Right there...?"

At those words, Alice and Menou's faces twisted with despair. Estellera had said 'right there' while looking toward the black-armored giant.

'It took me a long time to bring that tremendous power under my control. Weakening him little by little with drugs and making him susceptible to my power was a real struggle. The Demon King-sama doesn't want this battle, you know. I... am the one who wants it!'

"Y-you bastard!"

Laughing loudly, Estellera declared this. Menou's eyes widened and their expression hardened. Menou clenched a fist, kicked off the ground, and leaped toward Estellera, who was floating in the air.