Chapter 399: A Dream (5)

Eugene opened his eyes.

The very first thing he saw was Noir's face, which had pressed right up against his nose. She should have also just woken up like Eugene had, but no, it looked like she probably hadn't even fallen asleep in the first place.

"Get lost!" Eugene growled, pushing his chair back with a disgusted expression.

Noir, who had been relishing being close enough to feel Eugene's breath tickling her skin, clicked her tongue in disappointment and said, "It would have been so romantic if you had jerked forward in surprise and our lips just so happened to touch."

She had gotten so close to him in the first place because she had been explicitly hoping for such a thing to happen. If all that Noir wanted was a kiss, she could have gone ahead and done so whenever she pleased while Eugene was still caught inside the dream, but that wasn't the type of flirtation that Noir preferred.

Eugene glared at Noir, who was idly licking her lips, and glanced up at the sky. Although it had felt like they had been inside the dream for quite some time, it didn't seem like too much time had passed in reality.

Music was playing in the banquet hall below as if the gathered people wanted to brighten the suppressed mood. However, the usual sounds of enjoyment that should be heard from a banquet were absent. Everyone at the banquet was still distracted by the thought of Eugene and Noir being together as they climbed up the tower for some privacy.

After glaring at Noir for a few more moments, Eugene let out a frustrated sigh and started scratching his head in annoyance.

"I was right, wasn't I?" Noir asked with a bright smile before continuing to speak. "I told you you would regret it if you chose not to see it. And wasn't I right?"

Eugene just stayed quiet.

Noir smirked, "Hehe, no way, Hamel. Could it be that you're currently refusing to respond because it would hurt your pride? I really like how you have such a personality. Should I call it one of your unexpected charms? It's quite cute."

"Aren't you going already?" Eugene barely managed to grind the words out, even as his insides were boiling over in anger.

Noir grinned as she stood up, "To make our memories of today even more beautiful, how about we go downstairs and take a turn on the dance floor?"

Instead of replying, Eugene just raised his middle finger. While curiously looking at Eugene's long, rugged finger, Noir leaned back against the railing.

Noir smirked, "Your fingers are quite long—"

"Stop right there!" Eugene barked.

"Fine, fine. It's not like you're a child, so I don't know why you react so prudishly to things like that," Noir complained as she tilted her head to the side and looked down from the terrace.

Her eyes met with the gazes of those staring up at her from the banquet hall below.

After noticing some particularly fierce gazes coming from Sienna, Kristina, and Ciel, Noir grinned, "Despite acting so innocent and pretending not to care about such things... it seems that you're still just a man, aren't you?"

"What do you mean by that?" Eugene demanded.

"Just counting the women that I can currently see, you've already enthralled three of them," Noir accused. "Though hmm, indeed, with your appearance and skills... three isn't all that much, is it? If you add up all of the young ladies who are interested in you, we could line them up all the way from the Lionheart estate to the capital of Kiehl."

There weren't any feelings of jealousy in her voice. Noir didn't have the slightest doubt that the relationship between herself and Eugene had to be the most sincere, deep, and romantic relationship that Eugene would ever have.

Theirs was a relationship more passionate and faithful than the typical love story. Ordinary lovers could only experience a relationship limited to a single lifespan, but Noir shared with Eugene a bond and a fate that had literally lasted beyond the grave.

"Dancing, hmm...," Noir muttered to herself.

Now that she thought about it like that, her desire to dance with Eugene, hand-in-hand, down in the banquet hall, felt rather trivial. If they truly did end up dancing together, then it had to be the kind of event that would make her happy whenever she thought back to it in the future — while also being a heart-wrenching memory that would bring her pain once she had experienced his loss.

"Let's dance next time," Noir firmly decided. "After all, this isn't a stage set for just the two of us."

For such a momentous occasion, she didn't want to have her 'first' in a place like this. Although it was, in its own way, a luxuriously decorated banquet hall, it fell far short of Noir's standards.

With a giggle, Noir unfurled her black, bat-like wings, "If you decide to come to my city just to have fun rather than kill me, I'll be sure to give you a sincere welcome."

Noir gently waved goodbye to Eugene as she rose into the air.

Without getting up from his seat, Eugene glared at Noir as she flew up. Noir climbed to the ceiling, which had been charmed to look like the night sky, and easily passed through the physical structure before disappearing.

"Haaah," Eugene let out a long sigh once he was sure Noir had indeed left.

While tilting his chair back onto its hind legs, Eugene's brow furrowed in thought.

'She's even more of a monster than I thought,' Eugene admitted to himself.

The Queen of the Night Demons, Noir Giabella; even three hundred years ago, that woman could already be counted as one of the handful of higher-ranking demonfolk that were the strongest of all the demonfolk apart from the Demon Kings. But now — she had accumulated enough strength that there was no longer any need to exclude the Demon Kings.

During the few times that he had met her in the past, Eugene had already been able to sense Noir's strength and how high-leveled she was. However, this was the first time he had properly experienced Noir's ability.

The dream that he had seen just now was incredibly realistic, so much so that it would have been impossible for him to realize that it was a dream if he hadn't known it was a dream from the beginning. In the dream, it wasn't just Noir who served as the center of the dream, which had seemed vividly realistic; everything that she had seen and experienced had also seemed genuine.

'Just on a basic comparison, she is much stronger than Iris,' Eugene judged.

Powerful enough to make even Raizakia feel insignificant. Even if Iris had shown up in front of her as the new Demon King of Fury, Noir would still have been able to look down on her in amusement.

Eugene frowned, 'Just in terms of her dark power alone, she has already far surpassed the level of an ordinary Demon King. Since that crazy bitch didn't take any precautions, I was able to maintain my awareness, but....'

In a fight where they were both genuinely determined to kill each other, would Eugene still be able to stay aware?

Noir was a monster that could turn even a fleeting drowsiness into an unending slumber with just a touch. Even if it was just for the blink of an eye, if Eugene were to fall asleep, his consciousness might be drawn into an endless dream. What was even more horrifying was that Noir's use of Hypnotism and Entrancement that she cast through the Demoneye of Fantasy could actually target more than one person at a time.

So even if you lead an army of soldiers that numbered in the hundreds of thousands, it would all be meaningless in front of the Queen of the Night Demons. This had already been proven in the distant past, during the era of war, when Noir had easily led a large army, numbering thirty thousand in all, into the wilderness before drowning them.

Now that she had become incomparably stronger than she was back then... no matter how many soldiers were brought against her, they would all be annihilated the moment they entered Noir's sight.

Eugene sighed, 'At least there's some good news... I'm able to resist it.'

But what about Sienna and Anise? Three hundred years ago, they had suffered a lot due to Noir, but they still had been able to show some resistance to the ability from the very beginning.

...Would that still be possible now? The conditions weren't exactly the same. The past Noir was weaker than she was now, and she hadn't been able to use the Demoneye on someone standing right in front of her. She had always fiercely and persistently aimed for the moment when Eugene and his comrades were forced to take short rests, exhausted from their journey through the Devildom.

In other words, Sienna and Anise had never been subjected to a 'direct' casting of the Demoneye.

'The reason I could resist it should be the small amount of divinity I possess. And that will only get stronger as time passes,' Eugene realized.

The more worship that he received, the stronger his divinity would grow. Eugene took this fact as a small consolation and let out a deep sigh.

In the end, it was just as Noir had said. If Eugene and Noir were to fight, then probably — no — almost definitely, Noir would win. Even Eugene himself couldn't determine any possibility of victory in a battle against such a ridiculously strong demonfolk.

Even as Eugene was lost in thought, his face twisted into a scowl, music continued to flow up towards him from the banquet hall below. Although everyone had seen Noir leaving the banquet hall, that didn't mean they could just resume the banquet as if nothing had happened. This was because Eugene, who could be considered the protagonist of this banquet, still remained isolated up in the tower.

"What's with that expression?" Sienna asked as she climbed out onto the terrace, having come to look for Eugene personally once he had failed to make his prompt return. "Did that slut, Noir, do anything disturbing to you?"

"I'll tell you about it later," Eugene promised as he smoothed his expression.

Vermouth was in Ravesta. This information wasn't something that Eugene would be keeping to himself. He had to share this news with his comrades Sienna, Kristina, and Anise. But even so, he couldn't just inform them immediately.

This luxuriously decorated banquet could be described as the conclusion to the triumphal festive commemoration of the Hero, Eugene Lionheart's, first defeat of a Demon King. The atmosphere here had already been chilled by the sudden intrusion of the demonfolk. If Eugene were to lower the mood even further, this banquet would be ruined.

'We can't let that happen,' Eugene decided.

For the sake of the guests who had come here — or rather, to prevent any damage to their reverence for the Hero — Eugene would have to return to the banquet with a calm smile on his face.

"Hmm...," Sienna pursed her lips as she examined Eugene's expression, then she handed Eugene a glass of champagne she held in one hand. "There's no way that you did something you can't talk about with that slut, right?"

"So even you are going to insinuate strange things like that?" Eugene grumbled as he accepted the drink.

Although it wasn't a beverage usually meant to be swallowed down in a single gulp, he poured the champagne down his throat to soothe his upset stomach.

Instead of continuing to ask more questions, Sienna burst into laughter, "If you're feeling better, my disciple, then let's head down together."

Eugene smirked, "Something feels off when you use that sort of tone with me...."

After exchanging a few light-hearted words with each other, Eugene and Sienna descended into the banquet hall together.

Eugene could feel gazes following each and every one of his actions. Although everyone looked curious about what kind of conversation might have taken place between Eugene and Noir, no one was willing to ask about it outright.

"By any chance, did you manage to learn what brand that swimsuit came from?"

The only one who would ask such a question without caring about the attention it would draw her was Melkith.

It wasn't just a joke to ease the still tense mood either. When it came to unconventional fashion choices, Melkith had never once been outdone, but at today's banquet, she had been completely overwhelmed by Noir.

However, Noir's appearance had been so unconventional, yet also so beautiful, that Melkith had no choice but to acknowledge her defeat. So Melkith had decided to give her respects to Noir, regardless of the fact that the latter was a demonfolk, and was genuinely curious about the source of the bikini that Noir had worn.

"How the fuck would I know that?" Eugene cursed.

Melkith pouted, "You.... No matter what, don't you think it's too much for you to swear at your big sister like that? In the past, you always treated me with respect while calling me big sister Melkith, but now that you have gotten a big head because of all the people calling you a hero, you even dare to swear at your big sister like that?"

Eugene protested, "When did I ever call you big sister, Lady Melkith?"

Melkith sniffed, "Whatever, in any case, your words have really saddened me. As such, I demand you lend me Wynnyd."

"You still haven't given up on that yet?" Eugene sighed.

"Give up? The words 'give up' don't exist in my, Melkith El-Hayah's, dictionary. Honestly, Eugene, even in your opinion, he's going too far, isn't he? No, just think about it. Three of the Spirit Kings have already accepted me. The Spirit King of Lightning, the Spirit King of Earth, and the Spirit King of Fire are all satisfied, content, and happy to have signed a contract with me. So why is it only Tempest who keeps refusing? Doesn't that mean Tempest is the strange one? You understand what I'm saying, right?" Melkith poured out this torrent of words without pausing to breathe.

Although it might just be Melkith's forcefulness temporarily overwhelming his reason, when he thought about it logically, Eugene had to concede that Melkith's words were correct. Even if she wasn't the most normal person, it was true that Melkith was an unprecedentedly talented Spirit Summoner who had managed to make a contract with three Spirit Kings.

And looking at how the Spirit Kings had reacted to Melkith's foolish actions back at the port and the fact that they didn't object when she had used her Signature spell, Spirit Combination, just to march in the parade... it also seemed to be true that the Spirit Kings were satisfied with their contracts with Melkith.

[Hold on, Hamel, there's a problem with the very basis of that opinion. Since they already made a contract, isn't it only natural for them to follow their Spirit Summoner's requests? And also, while I'm not sure about Earth and Lightning, we do know that the Spirit King of Fire didn't sign a contract with Melkith El-Hayah because he approved of her. He only signed a contract after Melkith proved her determination to prevent the birth of a new Demon King,] Tempest's voice urgently spoke up inside Eugene's head.

Since both sides had a point, Eugene nodded with the grave majesty of a stern Supreme Court Justice and pronounced, "If that is how Lady Melkith feels, I am willing to lend you Wynnyd for some time, subject to certain conditions."

Tempest let out a roar, [Hamel! Have you lost your mind? Besides, Wynnyd doesn't belong to you. It is a treasure of the Lionheart clan! That means Vermouth entrusted it to the protection of the clan! It would be absurd for you to just lend it out to someone of your own volition!]

Thinking about it, Tempest also had a point. Back when he was studying abroad in Aroth, Eugene had to get the guarantee of Carmen and the Knights of the Black Lion as a whole to briefly lend Wynnyd to Melkith.

However, at that time, Eugene had only been a seventeen-year-old teenager, and he hadn't yet been recognized as the Hero; it was also his first time meeting Carmen.

"Is that okay?" Eugene turned his head and asked.

But what about now?

'Just who do you think I am?' Eugene asked Tempest.

The God of War, Agaroth.

The Pride of the Lionhearts.

The Hero of Light.

The Black Lion....

"As long as the conditions are appropriate," Carmen readily agreed to Eugene's request with a nod.

"It's not like you're handing it over completely, so it doesn't really matter if it's just allowing her to borrow it for a few days," the Council Head Klein nodded along in acquiescence.

"Eugene, just do as you wish," Gilead also gave a final nod of approval.

[Gaaaaagh!] Tempest let out a terrible scream.

"Kyaaaaah!" Melkith cheered in excitement.

Her shout of joy completely changed the atmosphere in the banquet hall. After exchanging a few glances, the band began playing some livelier music, and the gazes fixed on Eugene also quietly slid away from him.

As the change of atmosphere slowly ripened, Eugene closed his eyes for a few moments to listen to the music.

Though, in fact, no matter how hard he tried to appreciate it, it wasn't of any use. Although he had listened to this type of music from a young age as part of his aristocratic education, whether it was in his past life or his current one, Eugene had no clue in regards to music, and he also lacked the sensitivity needed to feel the subtle nuances when appreciating music. He couldn't remember it clearly, but he felt like that must have also been the case when he was Agaroth.

Even so, he could at least dance while following the flow of the rhythm. That might not have been the case in his past life, but in this life, he had received a thorough education in how to do so.

One, two, one, two, three.

Eugene idly tapped the tips of his shoes as he reminisced on his childhood. His extraordinary figure, accompanied by his long limbs, could make any observer think he was a pretty decent dancer just by shaking his body roughly in time with the rhythm.

'Alright,' Eugene came to a decision and headed over towards Sienna.

Sienna, who had been having an idle conversation as she stood in a group with Lovellian, Melkith, and Hiridus, suddenly gulped, the hand holding her champagne shaking when she saw Eugene begin to approach her.

"Master," Eugene called out to Sienna.

He couldn't call her by her name since there were too many eyes on them. While carefully managing his expression, Eugene politely came to a halt in front of Sienna.

"Would you be willing to grant your disciple a turn on the dance floor?" Eugene formally requested.

A blush appeared on Sienna's cheeks. Before she could even give her reply, tears were already flowing down from Lovellian's eyes.

Although he hadn't managed to obtain a definite answer, Lovellian had guessed that Eugene was indeed the reincarnation of Hamel. That was why Lovellian couldn't help but feel such a great surge of emotion at this moment. Two heroes — who had met a tragic ending three hundred years ago and lost their chance at happiness — were now reigniting their past romance.

A warrior who had died alone in the battle was reincarnated as the Hero and a massively accomplished wizard who had lived in solitude for hundreds of years, filled with grief despite the world's admiration. Such a pair, who had managed to transcend over three hundred years, were now holding hands and dancing right in front of Lovellian....

In that case, there was no way that he, Lovellian Sophis — who had enshrined the Wise Sienna as his grandmaster and who had somehow become the teacher of Eugene Lionheart, who was formerly known as the Stupid Hamel — could just watch this happen without doing anything. Lovellian immediately made an arcane hand gesture to summon something.

A beautifully curved violin appeared in his hands. Next to magic, playing this instrument was the skill that Lovellian held the most confidence in. Since he was a young man, playing this instrument had been one of his passions. And even to this day, this violin was something that he played in the solitude of the early hours of the morning when he was filled with emotion. Moreover, this was a magical violin.

"Allow me to play everyone a song," Lovellian declared.

Who could have imagined that the oh-so-serious Red Tower Master would even take it upon himself to perform for an audience? Melkith and Hiridus, who held identical positions as Tower Masters, turned to look at Lovellian in astonishment. However, without feeling even the slightest speck of embarrassment, Lovellian positioned the violin onto his shoulder and rested his chin on the chinrest.

Tiriring~

A sparkling bow of light grazed across the strings, producing enchanting music.