As soon as Seong heard the na, his body tensed up instinctively.
Hindel.
Hero Hindel.
A flood of thoughts raced through his mind, overwhelming him.
Wasn’t this the past setting from the Overlord main quest?
eting Hindel... did that an...
"Am I supposed to fight Hindel?"
An utterly bewildering situation.
At that mont, Hindel gave an awkward laugh, his expression tinged with embarrassnt.
“Haha... I guess this is your first ti hearing about ? I suppose my fa hasn’t spread far yet...”
“Oh, no, I’ve heard of you. Hero Hindel.”
“Oh? Really? What have you heard?”
Damn it.
An interrogation?
If Seong hadn’t been calm and composed by nature, he might have panicked.
But Seong wasn’t one to crumble easily.
Quickly, he scanned Hindel from head to toe.
He wasn’t sure about the exact tiline, but Hindel seed to have shed his apprentice status.
And judging by the sword he carried, it was leagues better than the one Hindel used as a novice.
Using his wits, Seong replied smoothly, “I heard you sealed away the terrifying beast, Barfur.”
“Ah! That... That’s embarrassing, really. Haha. It was just a small feat from my apprentice days, but I’m surprised you know of it.”
“Haha...”
He was safe.
Seong wiped the cold sweat off his brow internally as he swallowed nervously.
The awkward laugh seed to have diffused the situation.
Surely, Hindel wouldn’t press further?
But what exactly was he supposed to do here?
Still confused by the situation, Seong looked at Hindel curiously.
Hindel, noticing his expression, carefully spoke up.
“You must be wondering why I’ve co all the way here.”
Yes, please, enlighten .
But Seong chose to stay silent, waiting for an explanation.
Hindel, looking slightly uncomfortable, continued, “I know this is awkward, given my title as a hero, but I have a favor to ask...”
He’s not about to ask to die for him, right?
Seong tensed up, ready to fight at any mont.
However, the atmosphere felt... different.
Neither Hindel nor his companions seed hostile.
“Would you consider assisting us in our journey to the Dark Castle?”
“...???”
“We can’t do it alone. The Dark Castle is infamous as the dwelling of Demon King Helena. We need your help. Of course, we’ll compensate you...”
“Wait, hold on. You want to go to the Dark Castle?”
Could he even do that?
This was the Overlord main quest. Joining forces with the hero to attack the previous Overlord?
Was this so twisted succession ritual?
Seong’s head spun in confusion as Hindel added hesitantly, “I’m aware you’re a dark mage, but please don’t worry. Not all dark mages are evil.”
“Uh... Yes, that’s true.”
He wanted to ask why they were attacking Helena in the first place but held his tongue.
“Leaving Demon King Helena unchecked would plunge the world into chaos. With power greater than the Archdukes of Hell, who knows when she might decide to destroy the world?”
“...Ah.”
Seong knew that wasn’t true.
But with no clear idea of how to proceed, he found himself at a loss.
At that mont, the system granted him salvation.
[You have been transported to the past of the Dark Citadel.]
[Overlord-exclusive Main Quest: "Entrance to the Dark Castle" has spawned a sub-quest.]
[Overlord-exclusive Sub-Quest: "Together with a Forr Foe" has been generated.]
So that’s what it was.
Seong opened the quest window, suspecting the worst.
And, of course, the worst was true.
[Together with a Forr Foe]
Sub-Quest
To locate the Dark Castle, you have arrived at Despair’s Gorge, where the castle once stood in the past. Following a note's guidance, you entered a cave in the cliffside.
After defeating the gatekeeper, you were transported to a distant past.
Here, you encounter the hero Hindel, who offers you a proposal.
The proposal is to join him in an attack on the Dark Castle, ho to the first Overlord and the forr Demon King, Helena.
Accompany the hero Hindel to the Dark Castle and see for yourself how it once looked.
Rewards: Clues to the Entrance of the Dark Castle, additional rewards (determined by your performance).
Failure: You will have to repeat the past.
"You’ve got to be kidding ."
Partnering with Hero Hindel to attack the Dark Castle and its Overlord, Helena?
Anyone could see this was suicide.
Seong looked at Hindel with sheer disbelief.
But Hindel and his companions, noticing Seong’s expression, looked visibly disheartened.
“We know it seems reckless, like a suicide mission,” Hindel admitted. “And honestly, as a dark mage, you probably understand better than us just how powerful she is.”
“...”
Though Seong didn’t respond, his expression said it all.
Hindel, however, stood firm, his voice unwavering.
“But I am a hero. No matter how overwhelming the odds, no matter how transcendent her power, if I don’t step up, who will?”
Seong couldn’t help but be impressed.
Hindel knew exactly what he was up against.
He knew he would most likely lose.
After all, Hindel eventually did die at Helena’s hands.
Yet he never gave up, never stopped pursuing her.
Even though Helena wasn’t the villain they believed her to be, his determination and nobility remained untarnished.
Perhaps that’s why Seong felt a strange tug in his heart.
Of course, as the quest was already active, participating was inevitable.
But for so reason, the guilt he felt about attacking Helena began to fade, just a little.
It was the past, after all—it wouldn’t affect the present.
As these thoughts swirled in his head, Hindel forced a smile, trying to appear unfazed.
“But I won’t insist. Thank you for even considering my request.”
He wasn’t feigning retreat as a negotiation tactic.
Hindel genuinely didn’t want to pressure Seong and was about to leave.
How could Seong not be moved by that?
When even Hindel’s companions silently began rising from their seats, Seong finally spoke.
“No, I’ll join you. My skills may be modest, but I’ll help.”
“...!”
Though he hadn’t been eager to volunteer, Seong’s acceptance left Hindel visibly stunned. The hero struggled for words before bowing deeply in gratitude.
“Thank you... Truly, thank you.”
For a hero, Hindel seed awkward and a bit clumsy.
Maybe that’s why his sincerity shone through so clearly.
Seong grasped Hindel’s shoulder and helped him up, extending his hand.
“Let’s work well together, even if it’s just for a short while.”
“Yes! I’ll do my best as well!”
And so began the strange partnership between Hero Hindel and the second Overlord, Seong.
0.
Hero Hindel’s Party.
Seong, who had chosen Hindel Village as his starting point back in the beginner days, imdiately recognized their faces.
Starting with Hero Hindel himself, there was a calm-looking woman with long, thin silver hair that radiated a sacred aura.
“Greetings, my na is Adeline de Aquitania. Though unworthy, I was chosen as the Saintess for this generation from Aquitania. I pray my blessings, humble as they may be, will guide you on every path you take, Seong.”
“No one would ever call the Saintess’s blessings ‘humble.’ Thank you.”
The Saintess greeted Seong warmly.
Next to her stood a person with long, braided purple hair—a youthful figure with androgynous features that leaned more toward male but could easily be mistaken otherwise.
Sohow, he reminded Seong of a particularly troubleso boy he had recently t.
“Nice to et you! Eeeek! Having soone like you join our team is just so delightful, isn’t it? I’m Plang! Though, not to brag, I’m also called the Sage.”
“…You seem to have a… free-spirited personality. I look forward to working with you.”
The Sage, whose deanor felt oddly similar to soone Seong knew in the present day, gave an enthusiastic greeting.
Lastly, there was a woman with short, neat bob-cut hair in a light green shade, and pointed elf ears.
“Elven… Lyiaden.”
“It’s a pleasure.”
The elf archer Lyiaden gave a brief but courteous introduction.
Each of these figures was legendary, immortalized as statues in Hindel Village. Yet Seong didn’t feel particularly awed.
He had already experienced that sense of awe when eting Hindel himself, so seeing the other mbers of the hero’s party didn’t evoke the sa feelings.
However, one thing did strike him as odd.
One person was missing.
Gjordren von Rieskan, the knight of the hero’s party.
He wasn’t there.
“Perhaps he hasn’t joined them yet?”
The reason was unclear, but Seong decided not to ask. Whether he hadn’t joined yet or had temporarily left, there was no benefit in revealing what he already knew.
Having learned his lesson earlier, Seong wasn’t about to make the sa mistake twice.
Even if he was curious, he let it slide.
The introductions and greetings concluded. It was only natural to exchange nas with people he would inevitably spend so ti with.
“We’re so grateful that you’ve decided to join us, Seong. Although we have Plang the Sage, our ties with the royal court and magic tower aren’t particularly strong, so we’ve been in need of soone with high-powered magic like yourself.”
“…I see. That makes sense.”
Though this differed slightly from the history Seong had learned, it didn’t seem like the tiline had reached that point yet.
Based on what he’d learned from Helena, Hindel’s estrangent with the royal court and magic tower happened after he was manipulated into turning against her.
But for them to already not be on good terms?
Though Seong hadn’t observed Hindel for long, his personality made it easy to believe he had already made enemies.
Could that be why Gjordren wasn’t here?
But why turn against Helena at all?
“Well, I guess I’ll find out eventually.”
As Seong silently set this as a new goal, Plang muttered in frustration.
“The royal court and those senile old n at the magic tower are the real problem! Has Helena ever attacked a human village or struck first? Never! Yet they keep squawking about how she needs to be dealt with, like parrots! We refuse to follow their orders! Ugh, idiots.”
“Plang…”
“Apologies, but I fully agree with Plang.”
“…True words.”
Hindel tried to rein Plang in, but the rest of the party nodded in agreent with him.
They seed to understand that Helena wasn’t evil.
So why were they going to attack her?
It felt contradictory.
Seong looked at Hindel with a puzzled expression, which the hero seed to interpret as a request for an explanation.
Perhaps he felt it was fine to share now that Seong was a party mber.
“…I told you we were going to stop her, but in truth, we aim to persuade Demon King Helena.”
“Persuade her?”
“Yes. As Plang said, Demon King Helena—or should we even call her that?—has never directly attacked human villages. The only people who’ve died at her hands were evildoers. But her imnse, transcendent power terrifies many, and the royal court and magic tower are determined to kill her.”
“So, you plan to persuade her?”
“Yes. That’s the goal of our party. Haha… It’s a bit embarrassing to admit.”
Hindel’s sincerity made it impossible to doubt him.
His words aligned with what Helena had told Seong.
If that was the case, this must be before Hindel was manipulated.
Was there a specific reason why he’d eventually believe the lies?
Given Plang’s earlier complaints, the magic tower masters seed to be the likely culprits.
It might be difficult to confirm the exact details in this fragnt of the past.
But at least he had a lead now.
“I can investigate this once I return to the present.”
The thought reignited Seong’s interest.
How could soone as righteous and upright as Hindel have fallen for such deceit? Uncovering Hindel’s footsteps suddenly felt more aningful.
But that was a question for later.
For now, Seong’s priority was aligning with Hindel’s current goal.
“Then the first step is to create an opportunity to speak with her.”
“Exactly.”
“Though I imagine that’ll be the hardest part~,” Plang quipped with a sigh.
No one present could deny that claim.
It truly was like trying to crack a rock with an egg.
As Seong wondered where this story would lead, he sensed a presence nearby.
And he wasn’t the only one.
Hindel, Plang, and Lyiaden noticed it too, as did the non-combatant Saintess.
Even from afar, it was clear this wasn’t a typical monster.
Or was it even a monster at all?
If one were to sculpt a sli into the shape of a person, it might look sothing like this.
But this creature was different from any sli.
Its body shimred like the vast night sky, a deep, mystical shade of navy speckled with stars.
Its overwhelming presence filled the air with tension.
Everyone in Hindel’s party was on high alert.
Everyone but one.
One person stared at the creature and murmured softly.
“Fiora, is that you?”
Heh? No, I’m not~.
…Though it clearly was her.
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