Chapter 5 : The Princess of Hilderan
Chapter 5: The Princess of Hilderan
“...Why Hilderan? Isn’t it incredibly far?”
“So they won’t be able to lead an army here.”
“Then why the 13th Princess instead of the 1st Princess?”
“The 13th Princess was like a Grun of the Kingdom of Hilderan. I didn’t intend to bring danger upon myself by kidnapping her.”
“Are you saying she’s completely useless? Even though she’s still a princess?”
A Grun was one of the monsters in the Demon Realm, treated like trash for having no abilities whatsoever.
“There can be such a princess.”
“It goes against the Standard, though.”
The Demon King’s Standard, second rule.
[The Demon King must kidnap a prince or a princess.]
There were no additional clauses attached. But just like with the first rule, demons had established an unspoken rule of their own.
– Kidnap a prince or princess who is closer to the throne and has a known name.
The more important the person was to a nation, the deeper its rage grew. And the purer the demonic energy produced by that rage.
From the perspective that all procedures should result in a greater amount and higher quality of demonic energy, it was the natural choice.
“But you won’t listen anyway, will you.”
“Correct.”
‘I heard he was a devout follower of the Standard during his academy days.’
What in the world had happened for him to lose it right after graduation?
Still, Gordon didn’t view the situation too pessimistically.
‘Compared to his behavior at the graduation ceremony, he isn’t completely rejecting the Standard after all. If I guide him back little by little, maybe he’ll return to his original self?’
He was a Demon King once hailed as the most outstanding chief graduate in history. If he returned to being a proper Demon King, conquering Arein wouldn’t just be a dream.
‘I must support him well.’
Gordon laid out a grand plan.
‘And considering the current situation, His Majesty might actually be correct.’
The demons and monsters who should have been here were nowhere to be found. If they provoked the wrong faction, it wouldn’t be the kingdom that got wiped out—it would be them.
And what Gordon wanted was to conquer Arein with Berje, not commit suicide.
“I shall assist Your Majesty as well.”
“No, I will go alone. Someone must guard the tower, so you are to manage it.”
“...Is there even anything to manage?”
“It bears the name of the Demon King’s Tower. It shouldn’t be left as an empty house.”
With that, Berje descended the mountain. Monsters that prowled and claimed the snowy mountains as their territory prowled about, but they lowered their tails before the Demon King’s demonic aura.
Due to the dimensional interference weakening him, there were plenty who could defeat him if they actually clashed—but they still fled before the inherent dominance of a Demon King.
‘My body is a wreck. If I face the heroes like this....’
That was why she had to be a princess of moderate standing in Hilderan.
The distance was far, and due to political entanglements with other kingdoms, they wouldn’t be able to mobilize an army. Her importance was low, so the king wouldn’t pay much to the Hero Guild.
Those middling sorts wouldn’t dare fight their way through the monsters of the Ergest Mountains.
“Perfect.”
A flawless initial blueprint.
Afterward, he would slowly grow stronger, feeding on the rage that the Kingdom of Hilderan would spew (though its quality and quantity would fall short of what the 1st Princess would produce).
‘A princess isn’t the only correct answer to begin with.’
Kidnapping a princess was merely the most efficient means of harvesting the greatest negative emotions—it wasn’t the only correct path.
‘And if the need arises, I can return the princess and take money instead.’
Because of his previous life’s experiences, he was confident no one understood Arein’s humans and heroes better than he did.
‘Even if she’s like a Grun, she’s still a princess. They won’t reject negotiations. With that money, I could hide my identity, hire humans, and become a mastermind from the shadows. Not bad.’
A mastermind. In a way, it was even something mentioned in the Standard, so other Demon Kings might approve.
That meant less opposition.
Except—
“I must not be the fool who reveals he is the mastermind.”
Once was enough for a stupid mistake.
“To do that first—”
He had to take this first step perfectly.
Berje quickened his pace.
* * *
The faint crescent moon was hidden behind drifting clouds. A chilling wind blew.
Soldiers atop the castle wall endured the cold, relying on the brazier’s warmth.
“Damn, it’s cold.”
“On a night like this, a steaming hot tomato stew would be perfect.”
“Dipping a baguette deep into it.”
“Keuh. Just imagining it feels heavenly.”
I crossed the wall. The soldiers’ idle chatter grew more distant.
The magic circles defending against intruders were fierce, but still not as vicious as those of the Demon King Military Academy.
The royal palace, illuminated by magical lights, wasn’t very dark. Signs of life could be sensed here and there.
I searched for a relatively secluded spot and waited for someone to appear. A servant walking by with miscellaneous items in his arms was just right.
“Mm—who…?”
His body trembled as I restrained him.
“Where are the princesses?”
“I—I can’t say…!”
I lightly brushed my hand over him. The servant foamed at the mouth and confessed everything. I shoved his unconscious body into a corner.
I hadn’t taken any real measures because I lacked the ability to erase memories—and I needed at least a minimum basis for an excuse.
An excuse that I’d left traces in accordance with the Standard.
‘Wealthy.’
Hilderan was a powerful kingdom that dominated the south, and it was considerably wealthy. The fact that all fifteen princesses had individual palaces of their own and resided in them was enough to glimpse a part of that prosperity.
I found the thirteenth annex where the 13th Princess was said to reside.
A palace adorned with beautiful hyacinth motifs, located at the very edge of the royal complex. I opened its window.
“....”
“....”
My eyes met those of a young woman sitting on the bed.
She looked to be around twenty. Platinum hair. Two amethysts that shone as they reflected the moonlight.
I’d heard the princesses of Hilderan were all exceptionally beautiful—indeed, she was lovely.
Instead of freezing in place, I folded myself through the window and closed it behind me.
The princess said nothing until that moment.
“...Are you a kidnapper? Or a Demon King?”
Her first words were remarkably calm.
Her bold question piqued my interest. First, before her small lips could scream, I sealed off the surrounding sounds.
“Would anything change depending on my answer?”
“My response would differ.”
“If I were a common kidnapper?”
“I would resist with everything I have.”
“And if I were a Demon King?”
“Would you be able to handle me?”
A strange question. A kind of confident audacity.
It amused me. Even if this was a dimension where Demon Kings had grown familiar, to be treated this lightly…
“Of course. I am a Demon King.”
“Then I’ll go quietly.”
“You’re strangely composed.”
“It’s not like Demon Kings abducting princes or princesses is anything new. I did think a day like this might come.”
Though I never imagined someone would actually come for me.
She murmured to herself.
‘What is this?’
True, the dimension called Arein was exceptionally accustomed to Demon Kings, and there were even cases where Demon Kings and heroes colluded to play rigged poker. But even considering that, her reaction was far beyond my expectations.
At least in my previous life, no princess had ever stood so proud before me.
No matter how accustomed they were, even if some acted politely to survive, a Demon King was still a villain defined by negative images in the eyes of humans.
A doubt even crossed my mind—was I being deceived?
“If you’re planning to lower my guard and strike my back, give up. I’m desperate in my own way, so I won’t fall for such petty tricks.”
“I’m not. How could I have prepared a trap when I had no way of knowing you would come tonight?”
A fair point.
I spread my sensory aura and probed her inside, but as befitted the frail 13th Princess, I sensed nothing unusual.
There was a chance she had completely deceived my senses, but I didn’t think so. Even weakened by interference, I was still a Demon King. I wasn’t so insignificant that a mere princess—far from a hero—could fool me.
Since I didn’t respond, she posed a question instead.
“But how did you know I was here?”
“It was easy.”
“...Easy?”
As expected of a Demon King. She nodded.
“What will happen to me once I become a captive?”
There were many possibilities.
The Demon King’s Standard didn’t specify the treatment of captives, and every Demon King had a different personality and disposition.
Some treated kidnapped princes and princesses with a degree of courtesy, some treated them worse than rags, and some simply killed them.
In truth, the Demon Realm even recommended the second and third options. Witnessing the victims’ broken state only fueled the kingdom’s rage further.
But in Arein, the first approach was the common practice.
Perhaps that was why this princess was so calm.
Or perhaps she had simply given up.
“I will treat you as I would any other princess. If you cooperate, I will be cooperative. If not, then the opposite.”
“That’s frightening. I suppose I should obediently follow the Demon King’s words.”
She rose from the bed. She slowly approached and held out both hands. Her pale wrists caught my eye.
“Shall we go, then?”
“Let’s.”
I took her with me and left the royal castle.
* * *
The kidnapping proceeded more smoothly than expected.
Before anyone could notice the abduction and cause trouble, we hurried out of the Kingdom of Hilderan.
From that point on, everything happened in an instant. Paying a hefty sum, we used the teleportation circles connecting the kingdoms and moved swiftly north.
“Your Majesty, welcome back safely.”
The Ergest Mountains. Upon returning to the tower after a week, Gordon greeted me.
“You’ve brought the princess.”
“Set up the corner of the 4th floor to resemble a room and have her stay there.”
“Not a prison?”
Gordon, who had been about to take her to the underground, stopped.
“She followed me willingly, so I intend to compromise as long as she cooperates.”
“Understood.”
“Wow, there’s really nothing here? I heard Demon Kings’ towers are usually overflowing with monsters.”
The princess marveled innocently upon reaching the 4th floor.
“It’s the beauty of emptiness.”
“But it’s all empty.”
“Stay here.”
“There’s no bed.”
“The floor is the bed.”
“I’m still a princess, you know…”
“Anyone would think you came on a picnic.”
Leaving her grumbling behind, I tossed her onto the 4th floor and ascended to my office.
* * *
“....”
The princess watched his retreating back.
A Demon King. She had been so startled when he suddenly opened the window and appeared.
In truth, it wasn’t anything special.
The Demon Kings of Arein always targeted princes and princesses. Sometimes they failed, sometimes they succeeded, but the need to always be prepared for danger never changed.
But that was long ago. Demon Kings were no longer only fearsome, and humans had grown advanced enough to track their movements.
That was why she had been surprised.
She believed she knew the faces of every Demon King, but this was someone she’d never seen.
If he were a Demon King, the Hero Guild would never have missed his movements, yet there had been no news.
At first, she thought it was a lie. But the thick demonic energy shouted that he was a Demon King.
The tower atop the snowy mountain was truly a Demon King’s tower.
She had heard that the Lust Demon King had died recently. It seemed a new Demon King had arrived.
“...I really was kidnapped.”
She finally grasped her situation.
“Escape is…”
Impossible.
Perhaps there was no visible surveillance, but the location was the issue. Descending the Ergest Mountains alone would be nothing short of suicide.
“Hm.”
She was a hostage. Hoping for good treatment would be a luxury.
“It’s hard.”
Even so, this was too much. Tok tok—she tapped the floor. It was bare earth, and not pleasant.
“No pillow.”
“No blanket.”
“No maids.”
“No lovely garden.”
“No bathroom.”
Her delicate face wrinkled.
But—
“...Not bad.”
Her heart felt at ease. The pressures that suffocated her had disappeared along with everything else.
She smiled happily.
She removed her ring and stirred her mana. Her friends peeked out.
Tap, tap—
Caressing the rising clump of earth, she began crafting a bed.
* * *
“Did things go well?”
“Mm.”
I nodded to the question that greeted me the moment I entered my office.
Everything had gone smoothly. The planning, the abduction, the escape.
Though Alkaine’s threats made it look as if I had no choice, I had originally intended to begin just like this.
One way or another, to collect demonic energy and reduce interference, I needed to gather the humans’ negative emotions.
But at the same time, I had to avoid inciting too much hatred and becoming the target of a subjugation campaign, and the 13th Princess of Hilderan was the perfect balance.
So I was satisfied.
The first button had been undone perfectly.
* * *
Knock knock—
A splendid palace.
Princess’s knight escort, Eshil, knocked on the door. There was no answer.
“Your Highness, I’ve brought your breakfast.”
Still no answer.
“Is she still asleep?”
“This has never happened before.”
He tilted his head at the chef’s question as the man carrying the meal stood behind him.
“Excuse me, then.”
He knocked again and slightly opened the door. He sensed no presence.
‘Is she still asleep?’
He gently pulled back the canopy covering the bed.
A pillow. A blanket. That was all.
‘...?’
Instinctively, he lifted the blanket. But there was nothing.
He checked under the bed, searched the bathroom. He opened every drawer and looked out the window.
The princess was nowhere.
“...Uh… so…”
Eshil swallowed hard. His mind reeled.
“Sir Eshil!”
Servants rushed in to catch him as he staggered. Their faces turned pale as they confirmed the princess was gone.
“T-The Crown Princess has vanished!”
The disappearance of the kingdom’s heir spread across the royal palace in an instant.