Chapter 15 : What Was Needed to Make Use of the Dwarf
Chapter 15: What Was Needed to Make Use of the Dwarf
The hero’s march was not simply about going to the Demon King’s Tower, fighting, and ending it.
They fought against monsters and demons sent by the Demon King.
They shattered the Demon King’s schemes.
They fought monsters along the way that harmed people.
They eliminated bandits for the sake of public order.
Everything above became the heroes’ fame.
And it became money. From the byproducts of monsters and demons to the byproducts of monsters to the spoils taken from bandits.
There was nothing from one to ten that wasn’t valuable, and it was natural for mercenaries seeking fame and money to join in. The same went for merchants.
But all of that was merely byproducts in the end.
The real treasure was the Demon King’s Tower. Demon Kings, who didn’t understand the value of money, stacked countless valuable items in the tower’s warehouse. It was a goldmine everyone dreamed of visiting at least once.
Thus, Arein’s hero’s march was a business.
The stronger the hero who became the leader, the higher the chance of success, and investors and scavenger packs flocked in.
The name Hillan Cargill, the reputation of being the hero who defeated the Lust Demon King, was a symbol in itself.
Countless merchants offered their sponsorship.
Even more mercenaries came looking for him with weapons in hand.
“Welcome.”
“I am Granada, commander of the Red Hawk Mercenary Company.”
“Welcome. Thank you all for coming here to defeat the Demon King and set justice right.”
Granada and the Red Hawk Mercenary Company slipped into the crowd. They met Hillan for the first time as he personally welcomed them.
Granada’s first impression of Hillan was ‘a good person.’
He never wiped the smile from his face as he courteously welcomed people.
The mercenaries gathered like that surpassed a hundred. The Red Hawk marveled at the massive crowd.
“We haven’t even gone a quarter of the way yet; if it’s already like this, I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like later.”
“Just as the commander said, coming early instead of waiting was the right answer!”
“If you understand that, stop yapping and follow properly.”
A hero’s aide guided them to a tent, and the mercenaries began unpacking.
At that moment, the crystal sphere in Granada’s arms rang. It was contact from the tower.
“Stay outside for a moment.”
“Huh? We were just about to sleep.”
“Out.”
The mercenaries, who were undressing, grumbled as they went outside.
“Damn it. They say a rolling stone dislodges a seated one… acting like he’s our master.”
“Commander, you’re not even mad?”
“Just endure one year and a fortune will roll in. Naturally, I shouldn’t get mad.”
“Well, true, nothing heals like money.”
“And who knows? Maybe we’ll handle some money during this hero’s march too?”
Granada, who had expected he would quietly remain as a disguised mercenary, applied for a spar with Bark the moment he became a high-ranking mercenary.
– I have no intention of being under someone weaker than me.
– It’s only for one year, but during that time, serve me as commander. Otherwise, come at me.
Naturally, there was backlash, and a fight broke out.
And they were defeated. Not only in a one-on-one, but even when twenty charged together, they were thoroughly crushed.
Some mercenaries said they regretted accepting the request, but the money was too great to refuse.
‘One year, just endure one year. Then we’ll be rich.’
‘Damn it, but at least since he’s strong, doesn’t that mean our chances of surviving went up?’
And so they had come this far.
And Bark had more in mind than just Granada alone.
‘The true client who purchased Granada. That one is stronger.’
He had money and strength. The thought of what kind of backlash would come if they dared to ditch such a client was terrifying just to imagine.
‘Once this request is finished, I’ll cut ties immediately.’
He felt he should never stay entangled. He had a bad feeling for some reason.
* * *
Meanwhile, Granada, now alone, connected the communication. Gordon appeared.
“...Really?”
『Yes. It is the Demon King’s order to do your utmost to support the hero’s march. Do well.』
“Truly do my utmost to support them? There was nothing else said?”
『Nothing. You’re annoying me, so stop asking.』
The communication was cut unilaterally. Granada’s brow twisted.
“This crazy bastard…”
Then the crystal sphere rang again.
“What now? Isn’t that what you told me to do?”
『Your tone is insolent.』
“Ghk...! I—I apologize.”
Granada hurriedly covered his mouth. He had naturally thought it was Gordon, but the Demon King had thrust his face into view.
『I heard you joined the hero’s march.』
“Yes. But… is it truly all right for me to help the hero?”
He wasn’t thrilled about it, but Granada was, after all, the Demon King’s subordinate.
He had sworn upon the World Tree—helping to sever the master’s head felt wrong no matter how he looked at it.
“I honestly thought you’d tell me to pretend to help the hero and then stab him in the back.”
But that wasn’t the case.
『Do you know why the hero’s march ended up like that?』
Berje spoke again after a brief silence. It had nothing to do with Granada’s question.
“Wasn’t it always like this?”
The hero’s march had been like that long before Granada was born.
『Nothing in this world is “original.” That’s all because of the idiotic Demon Kings.』
“...Hmm.”
He barely held back the words, ‘Aren’t you one of those Demon Kings?’
『You must at least know there’s a law the Demon Kings uphold.』
“I have heard such rumors.”
『They’re true. And that’s why it turned into this mess.』
They refused to leave the tower except in cases of kidnapping, insisting on following The Demon King’s Standard. At most, they sent monsters of moderate difficulty so the hero could grow.
They pretended to be shadowy masterminds, causing a bunch of incidents and scattering gold and treasures around.
They provided a stable supply of byproducts.
『And so certainty was born.』
There was no pushover more perfect than that.
『The best way to break that, honestly, would be to kill them all the moment it begins.』
But Berje, as he currently was, had neither the power nor the forces to do so. Thus, he thought in reverse.
If he couldn’t destroy it, at least he wouldn’t nurture it.
There was another intention mixed into that.
『The hero’s march is the crystallization of human greed. They gather to satisfy their personal desires.』
Some chased fame, some chased money, some chased things beyond those.
But what if all of that disappeared? What if it even diminished?
And what if even more people were drawn by the name Hillan Cargill than before, their expectations higher than ever?
『I will not send monsters.』
『I will not send demons.』
『I will not use any other schemes.』
With no battles, there would be no fame to gain.
With no corpses, there would be no byproducts to take.
With no incidents, the public’s attention would fade.
Once the profits shrank, what would the scavengers—who had been eyeing those profits—do?
With Hillan serving as a focal point, perhaps nothing major would happen. But even minor complaints or trivial disputes would be worthwhile.
Through that, Berje would catch glimpses of new possibilities and consider new directions.
He was also certain that the number of heroes and mercenaries would decrease, even if only slightly.
『You must report to me, promptly and consistently, how the hero’s march is deteriorating.』
“...I will keep that in mind.”
As Granada bowed his head, he felt a chill run down his spine.
‘Good lord… a Demon King who knows human nature too well.’
Money. He had attacked the most fundamental part of the hero’s march.
And that method—
At least to Granada, who had watched human greed as a slave, it seemed far more effective than sending demons or monsters to interfere.
* * *
– I will allow everything. Create the greatest traps you can make.
– Only one condition.
– Do not use mana stones. No traces of mana whatsoever may be present.
It was a single condition, yet an overwhelmingly restrictive one.
“...Hmm.”
Dwarves were gifted with their hands. That craftsmanship led to metallurgy, refining, and manufacturing.
As their ever-advancing skills blended with mana, it was only natural that they expanded into magi-engineering.
Current dwarven technology could not be discussed without magi-engineering.
“Is it difficult?”
“...Ueek!”
Roger flinched violently at the sudden voice.
“Did I startle you? I’m sorry.”
The princess smiled brightly.
“...My heart almost dropped. Please be careful next time.”
“I will.”
‘No matter how many times I see it, I can’t get used to this.’
He was still, nominally, a prisoner, yet she roamed around so freely. The Demon King had told her to, so it wasn’t his place to interfere, but still…
“I'm glad you came. There’s nothing in this tower to pass the time with.”
“That is true.”
“You were captured, but since you’re a hero, I feel a bit more at ease. So, how are you planning to make the first floor?”
“I’m still conceptualizing it.”
If only he could use mana stones, it would be far easier.
He could lay traps from the entrance onward, line up dozens of mana cannons aimed at the entryway—no matter how outstanding the hero was, he would not escape unscathed.
But he could not use mana as a power source.
‘Cannons can be replaced with gunpowder, ballistae with classical mechanisms, and the traps…’
There were plenty of power sources that could substitute for mana. But the question was whether those could produce the destructive force and effects the Demon King wanted.
“That’s true. With crude gunpowder technology, I don’t think we can do anything to Hero Hillan…”
“Hillan Cargill? The hero who killed the Lust Demon King?”
“Yes.”
“That hero is coming? Are you certain?”
“I’m not certain.”
The hero’s march had already begun, but Ernan was completely isolated from the outside world within the tower.
And neither Berje nor Gordon ever informed her of outside news.
But her reasoning was simple.
“Father cherishes me dearly. I’m sure the kingdom is in an uproar, and they will certainly try to save me one way or another.”
“They will commission the most likely hero, and the strongest hero in Hilderan is Hero Hillan.”
“And Hero Hillan won’t be able to refuse. Since I am the Crown Princess.”
Ernan was convinced.
Roger was horrified.
‘Crown Princess…?’
He was hearing this for the first time.
If that were the case, Hillan Cargill would definitely come. And the Demon King was telling Roger to create traps that could stop such a monster.
Without magi-engineering.
Roger collapsed backward.
“Are you all right?”
“I am not all right.”
He wanted to cry.
* * *
“I must have misheard.”
Berje rubbed his ear. The faint contempt lurking within his boredom made Roger grit his teeth.
“I heard there’s a high chance Hillan Cargill will come.”
“Not a high chance—he is coming. The hero’s march has already begun.”
“....”
He was still weak due to the dimensional interference, and now there was even a time limit.
“Hillan Cargill is one of the greatest heroes, the one who killed the Lust Demon King. Creating traps that can stop him is no easy task.”
Not just difficult—nearly impossible.
“So you lied to me. You said you were the greatest craftsman of the Dwarven Kingdom, that you would be useful, and yet you’re useless. And there is no need to keep around a useless ‘hero.’”
Fwoosh—
Berje ignited black flames. Gordon’s complexion turned pale.
“Mana! If you allow me to use mana, it’s possible! I’m not saying it’s impossible—I'm asking you to allow me to use mana so it becomes possible.”
“I ordered you not to use mana.”
And there was no room for compromise.
“Heroes are more sensitive to mana and demonic energy than anyone. Because they are loved by the dimension itself. Do you think a hero wouldn’t notice magi-tools powered by mana stones?”
“It’s possible they might not notice…”
Roger timidly muttered in protest.
“Hero Hillan, in particular?”
“....”
Especially in the Demon King’s Tower. In a world overflowing with demonic energy, mana felt utterly alien.
Would a hero not notice the difference?
Would he not sense something strange?
No. Even if it weren’t Hillan, anyone would feel something was off.
Berje wanted to eliminate that strangeness. A perfect ambush began with perfect carelessness.
“B-but it’s Hillan. Killing the one who cut down a Demon King with outdated equipment without mana is impossible.”
“Turning the impossible into the possible is your job. And besides—I never said you had to kill him.”
“...B-but—”
“I hear humans often say this: a true craftsman doesn’t choose his tools. You claimed you were an excellent craftsman, so you should take responsibility for your words.”
“That’s all human nonsense. We dwarves are more picky about our tools!”
“Would tearing apart that noisy mouth shut you up?”
“Ghk, n-no.”
Roger clamped his hands over his mouth. But he opened it again soon after.
“There is a way. I can use mana—without causing what you’re worried about.”
“Oh?”
Berje’s expression grew intrigued, and Roger’s words sped up.
“There is a magi-tool that hides traces of mana. If I bring it—”
“Are you certain you can fool him? Here, of all places?”
“The tower’s territory has low mana density, but it’s not nonexistent. I can lower the traces to that level. At least until the moment he opens the tower door, I can fool him!”
“That is not bad. Where is it?”
“Uh… in my workshop.”
“....”
“P-please spare me! I’m not trying to escape, I swear! Agh, I can’t breathe!”
Roger flailed his short legs desperately as he dangled in midair.