Chapter 4 : Advice
Chapter 4: Advice
“Unbelievable.”
Despite the Demon King personally taking the trouble to persuade his adjutant, Gordon denied reality.
“The Standard was not wrong. No matter how much the situation has changed, it has always been absolute.”
That was why it was the Standard. And yet—
“Even if they’re heroes, how could mere humans have created a Standard to counter it?”
“They don’t put the label Standard on it, exactly. But it spreads quietly like an unwritten rule.”
“You’re new to Arein, yet you know quite a lot. Are all First Seats like that?”
I barely suppressed the heat rising in me and asked back.
“Then what’s the reason we haven’t conquered Arein until now?”
“That would be because the Demon Kings dispatched here lacked ability, of course.”
Right. That was another reason the Standard continued on so persistently.
The law of the strong devouring the weak.
A simple logic claiming that failure and elimination happen not because the opponent is strong, but because the one defeated is a weak, pathetic fool.
I, too, only escaped after experiencing it myself—after dying. I had never expected to persuade someone like him in one attempt, not when I’d been the most fervent devotee of the Standard in my previous life.
For now, it was enough if the annoying objections decreased a little.
“All those dozens of Demon Kings who died here, every last one of them, huh?”
“....”
Gordon shut his mouth tight after that.
Having succeeded in sinking his fierce opposition, I slowly looked around the tower.
It was a simple structure. A basement prison on B1 for locking up princes, princesses, or prisoners. Then empty open floors from 1F to 4F. Lastly, the 5F reserved for the Demon King.
The glossy red carpet laid out and the throne on the platform were a consideration—to greet the hero with greater authority.
To my eyes, it looked like nothing more than a slightly more luxurious execution scaffold.
I entered the office behind the throne. A modest desk and chair, and several communication orbs were placed inside.
Uuuung—
At that moment, as if waiting for it, one of the communication orbs began asserting its presence.
“...Hello. This is Gordon, adjutant to Demon King Berje.”
Gordon urgently took the call.
『Good, it connected properly. I am Casey, adjutant to Lord Draxon. I’m contacting you to convey Lord Draxon’s intention to hold a welcoming banquet for the Demon King newly assigned to our dimension.』
Ah, yes.
‘That thing existed.’
To survive in the peculiar environment of Arein, the Demon Kings had changed. They broke from individualism, formed groups, and invited newcomers to banquets, forcing them to join.
They wanted them to enter the small society they had created and become obedient, well-behaved juniors.
In crude terms—
It was Arein’s distinctive hazing culture.
‘How troublesome.’
A sigh escaped me.
“My word, Demon Kings hold gatherings with one another?”
Gordon’s pupils quivered at the message so close to the opposite of demon nature.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of getting along with them. I don’t know about the Standard, but I’ll be the lofty Demon King you want.”
“...Is it not that you won’t, but that you can’t? Since you’ve already gained a reputation as a rebel.”
Even in his confusion, he struck the core with precision.
Truly, ability-wise, the guy was useful.
‘In my previous life, the summons only came after a week.’
The fact that it came this quickly meant—
‘There’s a problem.’
Looks like the rebellious me is more displeasing to them than I thought.
* * *
The Beast’s Tower.
The humans of Arein gave nicknames to Demon Kings depending on their nature and the deeds they displayed.
Draxon, who had invited me, was called the “Beast Demon King” by them—so beast-like he was practically a beast himself.
In behavior and appearance alike.
Grrr—
From the moment I stepped into the tower, the scent of beasts hit me.
A rank stench, a stale heaviness, wildness and madness.
There was nothing pleasant about any of it. Especially when obvious hostility was mixed between the odors.
I had barely taken ten steps from the entrance when disgust surged through me.
I couldn’t endure it, so I didn’t.
“Keep rolling your eyes stiff like that and you’ll never see again. Half-formed excuses for sentient beings.”
At my words, the gnolls— the weakest creatures filling the 1st floor of the tower— let out whining yelps and slammed their heads to the ground.
The same pattern repeated on the 2nd and 3rd floors. That blatant, artificial behavior made me laugh without meaning to.
Childish, now and always.
“Looks like it’s not just your appearance—your brains are beasts’ too, huh?”
“...This is Demon King Draxon’s tower.”
“There’s no need to treat a rude mutt with courtesy.”
“That is true. Even if he’s a newly appointed Demon King, this is far too much for someone they invited.”
I could sense faint anger in Gordon’s voice.
Of course. No matter how thick-headed he might be, if his own lord was insulted and he stayed still, he wouldn’t be an adjutant.
“Don’t step in. I’ll handle it.”
“...Yes.”
We continued up the tower. Up to the 5th floor, it was tolerable. They still rolled their arrogant eyes at me, but showing a little killing intent made them whimper on their own.
But things changed on the 6th floor.
Lycanthropes. At a glance, they resembled the beastkin—half-human, half-beast—but unlike true beastkin who could fully become beasts or fully become humans, these were vermin who could become neither properly.
They didn’t hide their fangs even after my warning. They didn’t conceal their hostility.
Seeing such blatant dogs faithfully carrying out an order from someone at the top made me let out a small snort.
Had they at least been able to hide their trembling legs, it would’ve been better.
“How loyal.”
But since that loyalty wasn’t toward me, I had no reason to respect it.
Kieeeeek—
A lycanthrope screamed. Holding its face, it rolled across the floor. Filthy beast blood pooled thickly.
I tossed the bastard’s plucked eye.
“I had no intention of causing trouble in another Demon King’s tower, but if you insist on giving me a reason, I see no reason not to.”
If you’re underestimated, you’re used. If you’re underestimated, you’re eaten. If you seem easy, they bare their fangs first.
That is the Demon Realm and the demon race.
“Isn’t that right?”
I turned my head. From within the group of lycanthropes, a massive beast rose to its feet.
He snatched the flying eyeball headed toward him.
“Indeed.”
Squelch—
Disgusting fluid dripped down his gray fur.
“I heard you overwhelmingly crushed the other cadets and became First Seat. As expected.”
“Do beasts host their guests like this?”
“I believe coming out to greet you personally shows enough courtesy.”
“Not impatience instead?”
“That too. How could I wait calmly when I’m seeing the infamous trash with my own eyes?”
“Honestly, I felt the same. I was curious what kind of worms Demon Kings had become—so frightened they cling to each other’s hands.”
“Hahaha.... I see. There’s a reason Archduke Arkaine told us to keep an eye on you.”
“You think squeezing lightly like that is enough to burst an eye?”
“It might burst yours.”
He growled. Gordon shrank under the suffocating killing intent. I pulled him behind my back and smirked.
“I really wonder what gives you the confidence to be this arrogant.”
“You’re the honored First Seat who did what I couldn’t.”
“More like a thick-headed idiot who insulted the Standard.”
“So the Standard is that important, yet you threw away your pride as a Demon King?”
The killing intent thickened. Sticky and heavy, it pressed into my skin.
I pinched my nose, frowning.
“I’d appreciate it if you kept your mouth farther away. I’m a bit sensitive.”
“Well, for the blockhead who dared ignore the Standard at the graduation ceremony, I suppose this level of backbone is expected.”
“This talk seems like it’ll run long, yet this place doesn’t even offer tea when speaking with guests.”
Draxon signaled with his eyes to a beastkin behind him. The beastkin came over with a huge lump of meat and handed it to me.
“Incredible. You people drink meat?”
“We eat nothing but meat and blood.”
“Ignorant creatures.”
I noticed there was a document attached to the meat.
“Acting refined doesn’t suit you.”
“Shut up and read.”
Chwarreuk—
The official document made of Demon Realm paper unfolded. Draxon murmured the contents.
“A message from His Excellency, Archduke Arkaine. Demon King Berje Deias is, according to the great Standard, to kidnap a prince or princess within the next month and report the results.”
“If the order is not fulfilled, the system authority of the tower granted to Demon King Berje Deias will be revoked.”
Ha. I closed the mouth I’d opened to bite the meat. My appetite vanished completely.
So they think I won’t obey, and they’re forcing it on me so I can’t refuse?
Even going so far as to pressure me by using another Demon King?
Pak—
I threw the chunk of meat. I crushed it under my heel, grinding it thoroughly.
“I appreciate the hospitality, but I have refined tastes. I can’t eat cheap scraps like this.”
The beasts’ faces twisted viciously.
“I have no intention of forcing our tastes on an idiot.”
“How generous.”
“You still haven’t answered.”
“They said they would revoke the tower’s system authority if I don’t comply?”
Shaaak—
I tore the official document to pieces.
Through the scattering shreds of paper, I heard Draxon’s furious roar.
“How dare you tear the Archduke’s message!”
“Don’t worry. I was planning to do it anyway without this absurd coercive order.”
So in other words—
“Don’t give me orders, you bastard.”
It stank, after all.
* * *
“Why, why, why!?”
Gordon screamed.
“Why did you do that!?”
“Is there a problem? Demon King battles are forbidden anyway. Draxon would never break that. His brain’s a beast’s—he follows his master’s words to a fault.”
“I know that! I’m asking why you tore His Excellency the Archduke’s command!”
Ah, that part.
“Don’t worry. Like I said, I’ll kidnap a princess anyway. The tower system won’t be suspended.”
“That’s not the problem right now!”
“That is the problem. I already intended to do it, but now it looks like I’m doing it because I was ordered.”
“What’s wrong with obeying His Excellency the Archduke’s command?”
“It would’ve been better to part ways on good terms.”
In my previous life, I didn’t have a particularly bad impression of him. But that was the past. Now, he was nothing more than a worm who stripped me of my rightful authority and tried to threaten me.
At my firm tone, Gordon shifted the subject.
“...But didn’t you say you wouldn’t act according to the Standard?”
“I’m not following it perfectly. No need to reject the useful parts.”
“Then which princess? Before I came here, I looked into a few northern kingdoms on the continent and—”
“I told you, I won’t follow the Standard exactly.”
“...Are you saying you won’t kidnap a princess from a nearby kingdom?”
They must have assumed that once I opened the first door, I’d have no choice but to move according to the Standard.
I’d already built the tower—the first step of the Standard—and once I carried out the second step, kidnapping, the next stages would flow naturally regardless of the Demon King’s will.
The enraged king would pay the hero guild to retrieve his lost child, and heroes would move.
But I had no intention of meeting their expectations.
I briefly closed my eyes, and the system displayed the current state of the tower.
[Tower Lord – Berje Deias
Deputy Tower Lord – Gordon Dyrik
Floors – 5]
[Affiliation
Demon race – Gordon Dyrik
Monsters – None
Creatures – None]
[1F – None
2F – ...]
A pitiful sight.
If things flowed naturally from here, I’d be eliminated outright.
So I needed a princess whose kidnapping no one cared about, or a kingdom so powerless it couldn’t even think to resist.
Fortunately, I knew a princess like that.
Long ago—sometime in my previous life.
It must have been when I provoked Arein’s strongest nation.
Back then, my relationship with the other Demon Kings was at its worst, and I was struggling considerably because of the heroes flooding in.
At that time, one Demon King came to see me.
A man drunk on his own importance—particularly stupid even among Demon Kings. A loose-tongued worm who couldn’t stand not bragging whenever he had something to boast about.
He had taken delight in my suffering.
‘Tsk tsk, I told you not to touch an imperial princess but you wouldn’t listen. No matter how good you think you are, Arein is entirely different from other dimensions. You should have carved your seniors’ advice deep into your bones.’
‘Look at me. I kidnapped a princess no one cares about, and life is peaceful. The king doesn’t care, so only a few weak heroes come once in a while—it’s sweet honey. I wonder if you even understand.’
Had battles between Demon Kings not been forbidden, he would have lost his life right there—but oblivious, he left while giggling.
“Back then, I wanted to yank out all his teeth, but it’s coming in handy now.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means I’ve decided which princess I’ll kidnap.”
“Who, from where?”
“The 13th Princess of the Kingdom of Hilderan, at the far south of the continent.”
A frail royal bastard whom the king couldn’t even use for a political marriage.
Her.