I'm Actually Not Overpowered!

Asa left my office in an excited daze after I promised to help her.

Of course, she put on her Magic Ring and resumed her disguise as a human Adventurer, leaving my abode with a smile on her face. Before she left, though, I had her explain everything in detail, and boy was it a lot!

Apparently, her uncle—Samiel Lucielle—suddenly appeared with power beyond what a normal Elf could wield. He used this power to execute her father and imprisoned her mother, while seeking to eliminate her since she was the sole heir.

All of this happened roughly six months ago, and she had been traveling around in fear of being captured. After a harsh life in the neighboring cities, she finally found Dulum where she could earn a living while building up her strength.

Thanks to her family's heirloom—the Magic Ring on her right hand—she could record one high-level Magic in it. Since it was necessary for her survival, Asa decided to choose the shape-shifting kind.

Once recorded, it took a year before another Magic Effect could replace the registered one, so even in desperate situations, Asa was stuck with the Magic Ring's current power.

As for her home, the Elf Sanctuary, she had no idea what befell it after she left. However, from what she saw before running away, her uncle planned on making a large-scale mine and mill—using the Elves as laborers.

"I can only imagine the kind of hell they're going through." She had said sadly.

Still, Asa's story was quite peculiar. Her uncle couldn't have achieved this much with his ability alone. Besides, the idea of making mills and mines had to come from somewhere or someone else.

From what I gathered from my conversation with Asa, Elves were even more primitive than humans. I mean, even in games and literature, it was common knowledge.

Elves had a specialty of Runes and certain simple Spells that assisted them in their everyday lives, so they didn't need technology. They had simple homes made from dried tree branches and wood.

The fact that her uncle had something so large-scale in the works—and even how he was able to come into power, to begin with—hinted at a hidden power at work.

'So, she suspects her uncle is being backed by someone more powerful, and they're using his lust for power to harvest the Elf Sanctuary's natural reserves.' That was what I was able to glean from our conversation.

And the conclusion?

"This reeks of demons..."

Of course! Who else would it be? The malevolent beings ruled this world, after all.

'I don't know how this will play out, or what to expect.' At the very least, I knew the enemy, and the fact that I should never underestimate them.

'If I'm going to do this, I'll have to think things through. Everything has to be planned meticulously.

I needed to avoid using my Arcana Call at all costs. Dying was also out of the picture. That meant I had to thoroughly prepare for every outcome.

'The Elven Race—no, the whole world—is counting on this!'

And, well, if the plan managed to succeed, perhaps I could tell Asa to convince her Elf brethren to part with some resources. We needed them badly, after all.

'Would that fly? I certainly hope I wouldn't be doing this for free.'

A Hero needed funds too, you know?

***********

'I-I did it! I actually told him!'

Asa's was still in a daze as she left the Hero's office and exited his abode. She was so lost in thought that she could barely bow to greet Lucy, who was patrolling the building with utmost diligence.

'He knows everything now! Finally!' The young Elf realized how pointless her worries had been.

How foolish she was for thinking, even for a second, that the Hero would be too busy to help her. Not only did he calmly listen to her story and make her feel comfortable enough to share her past with him, but he readily agreed to save her people.

He didn't even give it a second thought!

'I always knew he was amazing!'

Sam had exceeded her expectations once more. He was smart enough to outwit a powerful Demon Army, powerful enough to decimate a fully powered Demon Lord, busy enough to cater to an entire City, yet...

He was kind enough to listen to someone like her.

'The Hero is the best!'

As Asa returned to her workplace, she was filled with rejuvenated energy to complete her task—and even work overtime, if it came down to it. That was simply how happy she was.

Somehow, Asa just knew she would sleep soundly that night.

And miraculously, she did.

**************

[THE NEXT DAY]

"I have gathered all of you here for a reason."

Assembled before me were my most reliable subordinates—at least, those who were available. Sarah and Byron were busy with the starter town, so they weren't present. But, other than them, every relevant subordinate of mine stood beyond my desk.

"Lucy. Asa. Zabdel. Hogun. Heshu. Kiko. Pierrus. Adu." I mentioned their names.

At this point, even though Zabdel never outrightly swore his loyalty to me, he could be counted among my lackeys. It was one of the resultant consequences of my acts of valor.

Lucy was by far the most reliable of the bunch—in terms of loyalty and diligence, I mean—and Asa was the most concerned with the current subject matter. As for the demons, they were the most powerful subordinates I had in my arsenal.

All in all, I needed all of these people gathered for what I was about to do.

'I spent all of my time yesterday thinking about everything I needed to do and the steps I needed to take.'

There were still a few uncertainties and one or two things left unaccounted for, but there was a limit to what I could do to plan for this kind of surprise mission.

'I even had to consult Heshu yesterday to find out all he knows about the Elves, considering he's the oldest and most mature of the Demons.'

Unfortunately, he didn't know much. He did mention something interesting, though— part of which I already suspected.

'The Elf Sanctuary and the surrounding area were under the control of another demon faction.'

Bingo!

My theory was spot on, after all.

'All that's left is how to deal with them.'