Chapter 19 : Dwarves, Orcs, Elves, and Heroes
Chapter 19: Dwarves, Orcs, Elves, and Heroes
“How did you even do this?”
The dwarf flailed his short arms and legs like a freshly caught fish.
His eyes sparkled like a child’s—so pure it made one want to squish them.
“My Ghost of Mana connected to the tower’s core! And it changed like this!”
“Aren’t dwarves supposed to be attached to their own creations?”
Because of that, Berje had expected Roger to grumble.
“That’s not what matters right now. This is an incredible development, isn’t it?”
“What was limited to just the 1st floor spread through the entire tower now.”
“I clearly designed and created it to run on mana, but its power source changed due to an unknown force.”
“And on top of that, it suddenly hid the entire tower? I’ve never even heard of such a thing.”
“How did you do it? No—what is this tower?”
Roger fired off words like a machine gun. It was the complete opposite of the gloomy, passive demeanor he had shown ever since being kidnapped.
“Did you really think the Demon King’s Tower would be ordinary?”
“Of course not, but this is truly astonishing. I feel like I’ll go mad wondering by what principle it can shift like this.”
“And?”
“...Yes?”
“So what is it you want to say.”
“Um… if it isn’t rude, may I take apart—no, just slightly examine the machine and the tower?”
The firmness that clearly meant “no refusal is acceptable” was the brightest his eyes had shone since being abducted.
‘Madness?’
It was a look commonly seen only in demons obsessed with combat. The purpose differed, but the meaning was hardly different.
A dwarf being curious about a mystery he encountered for the first time was nothing new.
“Before that, there must be things you need to do first, right?”
Roger flinched and trembled.
“The hero is getting closer. One month if fast. Three months at the latest.”
According to Granada’s report, the hero was moving at a steady pace, so unless something major happened, he would arrive in two months.
A long time if long, short if short.
“Can you finish it according to that design within that time?”
“I can. No—I will! I swear upon my honor as a hero!”
“You don’t really care about that to begin with, do you?”
“Then I’ll stake anything! So please…”
“Fine. If you keep the deadline, I’ll let you do what you want. But the machine and the tower must suffer no issues.”
“Of course!”
Roger nodded with spirit. The design was done, and the restriction against using mana had been lifted.
He could build it. No—he would build it.
Madness glimmered in the artisan’s eyes.
* * *
‘That energy that absorbed more demonic energy and caused changes beyond expectations.’
The tower had not fully revealed what it truly was.
But he had a guess.
‘Dimensional interference.’
A force that reduced the invaders’ power.
A force that increased the hero’s power.
A force of balance.
When he first met Roger, the man had been crafting a weapon for the princess.
He had been physically very weak, yet his hammer strikes held power. Mana had danced with every swing. Mana had dwelled within the weapon.
‘I don’t know myself, but I was told mana rages whenever I hammer. So, thinking of a way to hide mana, I created the Ghost of Mana.’
Hearing the circumstances behind the creation of the Ghost of Mana, he became certain. Roger had no combat strength as a hero, but all of that interference had been transferred into his hammering.
His skill and passion had earned him a reputation among the best in the kingdom, but one could not deny that the power of the hero had also lent him a hand.
“Is this actually a good thing…?”
He had disliked him for being a hero, but that now turned into advantage.
“What’s ‘good’ about it!”
Just then, Gordon suddenly shouted.
“We must immediately tear off that ridiculous abomination called the Ghost of Mana!”
“Why?”
“What do you mean why? Isn’t it obvious? The Demon King’s Tower must stand taller than any other structure. It must always display its presence with pride and show the dignity of demons—of the Demon King. How can hiding it make any sense?”
Because that was what made one demon-like. Because that was what made one worthy of being the Demon King.
But at those obvious words, Berje frowned.
“Do you know? I’m getting tired of responding to every single one of your complaints.”
“....”
“I don’t fail to understand your pride as a demon, but look at the situation. Do you think we can stop the heroes right now without this?”
“...We cannot.”
“Right. I call people who shout ideals without offering alternatives idiots. I would prefer not to have to call you an idiot.”
“....”
“If you still want to oppose it, then bring me a solution—one that is demon-like and acceptable to me.”
He might hate rigid principles, but he was not a fool who ignored what was right.
Berje whispered.
He hadn’t been like this before. I don’t know why he suddenly became an idiot.
He even muttered nonsense.
‘Don’t make me call you an idiot,’ he said.
But he already had.
Gordon bit his lip.
“...I will definitely bring one.”
His pride as a demon.
His pride as the chief.
Both began to burn.
* * *
Berje conducted several experiments.
“When the door is closed, the mana leaking out drops drastically.”
At first he thought it was complete suppression, but it wasn’t to that extent.
But in terms of effectively concealing the purer mana produced by spirits, its usefulness was undeniable.
“And stealth.”
There were several kinds of stealth.
Concealing presence.
Deceiving sight with illusions.
Becoming part of nature.
The tower’s stealth caused by the Ghost of Mana was all three.
It erased the tower’s presence.
It blended into the surroundings through illusion.
And though crude now, as the tower grew and the interference on Berje weakened, it would surely become more perfect.
“But I can’t use it casually.”
Twenty Demonic Points per second was no small thing. Unless efficiency were improved or the situation became dire, he would never dare to use it freely.
“Ah, come to think of it, I had a promise.”
Remembering the promise with the princess, Berje opened the tower’s storage for the first time in a while. Inside, the three elixirs he had obtained earlier still lay asleep.
“...Tch.”
Steeped in faint demonic energy, parts of them had turned slightly purplish.
It had been intentional, so he couldn’t call it bad. But since he had promised to give Ernan one elixir, he also couldn’t call the current state ideal.
‘I guess there’s no helping it.’
He would have to go looking again.
Since he had entrusted her with an important role, giving what was promised would ensure she did her best.
Berje descended to the 4th floor.
“Are you going out?”
“I promised you a Spirit Blossom, so I must keep it. The ones here are mixed with demonic energy—you can’t use them.”
Humans were not incapable of using demonic energy. Dark magicians existed, and depending on how it was used, it varied—but for spirits, it was pure poison.
“Alright.”
Ernan happily dressed herself. With Roger seeing them off, they exited the tower.
“This time I’ll head in a different direction.”
Fortunately the sky was clear. Ernan sent out a wind spirit.
Footprints of one demon and one human pressed into the snowy path.
“May I ask just one thing?”
“Good timing. I had something I was curious about as well.”
“You go first.”
“Why did you accept my offer?”
“Because it was what you wanted.”
“I did. But I thought it was impossible.”
He had pondered and pondered again, yet he still couldn’t understand.
Why the princess accepted his proposal? Why she threw away the chance to be rescued?
“Because of the elixir.”
“Elixirs are valuable, but as the Crown Princess of Hilderan, it’s not like you’ve never taken one.”
“But elixirs are better the more you have, right?”
“Not enough to antagonise the hero coming to save you.”
“Ah, so it really is too unreasonable, isn’t it?”
Ernan shook her head. Berje looked down at her expressionlessly.
“...Would it make sense if I said I just don’t want to return to the kingdom?”
“You have circumstances?”
“Who doesn’t?”
“I see.”
“You won’t ask more?”
“That’s enough.”
If she had a reason, that was plenty. He wasn’t interested in the details of her family affairs.
He only needed her to remain cooperative as she had been while serving as a hostage.
“Your question?”
“Ah, yes. What will you do if you capture the hero?”
“Worried, are you?”
“Well… he is someone who came to save me.”
“I cannot let him go.”
“I know. From what you’re doing, this place is very different from other Demon Kings’ towers.”
“Get to the point.”
“Are you planning to make Hero Hillan… your subordinate?”
Berje had kidnapped her and made her prepare a floor.
He had kidnapped the dwarf hero and put him in charge of the 1st floor.
So she began to wonder—would he not also try to use Hillan Cargill as one of his subordinates?
“Why are you curious?”
“Because I heard there hasn’t been a Demon King like that in hundreds of years…?”
While speaking, Ernan stopped walking.
“Found it.”
“Already?”
“But…”
A frown creased her brow.
“There are guests.”
* * *
Maybe because it was the exact opposite direction from before, finding the Spirit Blossom so quickly was fortunate.
But having guests was never a welcome thing.
Especially when those guests were the same kind who had left unpleasant memories previously.
Peul Orcs. A larger tribe than before had built a settlement around the Spirit Blossom.
Through the crudely intertwined wooden walls, they saw sentries. Their eyes met.
“...!”
The orc’s pupils dilated. A loud horn blared, shaking the settlement.
“This is troublesome.”
“Should we resist?”
“There’s no rule saying we can’t do something twice just because we’ve done it once already.”
Berje lightly extended his hand. Flickering black flames burned through the wooden wall in an instant.
But—
“....”
“Woah…”
What greeted them was not hostility or murderous intent.
Not crude blades, nor dirty fangs.
“We greet the Demon King!”
“Oh, Demon King!”
Reverence. And submission.
Dozens of Peul Orcs kneeled. They bowed their heads and pressed their foreheads to the ground. They offered worship to Berje.
“…What are they doing?”
At his question, the foremost Peul Orc lifted his head.
“We earnestly beg you—please accept us as your vassals, O Demon King!”
* * *
“Granada. Your efforts—and those of the Red Hawk Mercenary Company—are astounding.”
There had been minor discord here and there, but the hero’s march proceeded relatively smoothly.
The absence of demons and monsters meant fewer spoils and treasures, but at the same time, it magnified the greatness of the heroes.
* The Demon King, frightened by Hillan’s power, didn’t even send demons.
* Nothing can block the hero’s march.
* This hero’s march will surely succeed.
Perhaps because of that—
Even bandits didn’t dare target them. Normally there would be at least some pests buzzing around, but not even that.
Only a few monsters, having lost their fear, occasionally charged in.
And in such small skirmishes, the Red Hawk Mercenary Company stood out the most.
Thanks to Granada the elf’s sharp senses that allowed them to engage monsters faster than anyone.
Partly because the Demon King had ordered him to stand out and build a reputation.
Thanks to that, Granada often crossed paths with the hero, Hillan Cargill.
“It has been a while since I’ve seen another elf like you.”
“Has it?”
“Elves are closed-off. Even with treaties, they rarely leave their own territories.”
Indeed, elves were like that. But so were most other races. There was an instinctive dislike of leaving their territory, but the desire to avoid human interference was much stronger.
Granada did not bother pointing that out.
“But if it’s been a while, you must have known an elf.”
“There was. A comrade.”
Hillan smiled bitterly.
“He laid down his life for me. Thanks to him, I managed to defeat the Lust Demon King, but…”
“I shouldn’t have asked.”
Noticing the sadness in his final words, Granada apologized.
“No, it’s not exactly a secret.”
And as he said so, Granada didn’t miss the single drop of moisture that slipped free.
“He was someone who took the lead in the Demon King subjugation more than anyone. As most elves do. Just as you lead the mercenaries in subjugating monsters. Seeing something so familiar made me sentimental. My apologies.”
“No. It’s perfectly understandable.”
“Thank you for understanding. In that case, shall we have a drink?”
“Yes.”
Their cups clinked.
Hillan laughed cheerfully.
“I look forward to working with you. I feel like, with you, I can trust my back to someone.”
“You flatter me.”
After that, their conversation was trivial.
“Well then, I’ll be going.”
“Yes, I look forward to your continued work.”
“Yes.”
Granada stepped outside.
Left alone, Hillan’s smile vanished as though a mask had been ripped off.
“Yes, elves are trustworthy. Elves.”
Aren’t they?
Smack—
Hillan lightly kissed his ring.