Chapter 54 : Warning
Chapter 54: Warning
“A new Demon King had descended.”
“So soon?”
“Archduke Arkaine was clearly aiming for something. It would be best to stay alert.”
Vivian Blunt.
Berje did not know much about her. But the fact that a new Demon King had descended less than a week after Draxon’s death was suspicious enough.
“There were some questionable points, but it wasn’t as though a Demon King had never fallen to a hero before, and this was Arein. Nothing here should have struck Archduke Arkaine as particularly strange, ah....”
There was.
“He intended to search for someone who violated the regulations?”
“Most likely. You can assume Vivian was a detection officer sent under the Archduke’s secret orders.”
“...Will we not be found out?”
“We will not. That was the purpose of destroying it in the first place. Just mind your tongue. Always stay wary of Vivian Blunt.”
“Yes, understood.”
Gordon gave a heavy nod.
“Ah, but that wasn’t actually the main thing I meant to say. The Princess of Hilderan opened the main gate without any resistance.”
“She opened the gate?”
“Yes. I wish to ask what on earth happened.”
“Why did she open it?”
“The Imperial Princess of Zespine attempted to escape the tower. It happened in the process of stopping her.”
“Escape, huh.”
Thanks to Elnan’s precedent, he had let her roam too freely, and she had clearly forgotten herself.
“Throw her into the underground prison.”
“Yes, understood. But is that truly your will, Demon King?”
“No, it is the tower’s will. The tower accepted her as one of its own. Roger as well.”
“...What? The tower accepted those who are not demons? Since when...?”
“Since the day Hillan Cargill invaded.”
More precisely, since Elnan and Roger had opposed Hillan Cargill and imprisoned him.
[Tower Master – Berje Deias
Deputy Tower Master – Gordon Dyrik
Floors – 5]
[Affiliation
Demon Race – Gordon Dyrik
Monsters – Peul Orc, Krutu
Creatures – None]
[1st Floor – Dwarven Hero, Roger
2nd Floor – None
3rd Floor – None
4th Floor – Princess of Hilderan, Ernan Hilderan
5th Floor – Demon King’s Floor]
He summoned the tower’s information window.
The 1st and 4th floors, which should have been empty, now had owners.
This was not Berje’s intention.
“I believe the tower recognised them as allies because they opposed the hero.”
“That kind of function.... But you can revoke their qualifications if you wish, can you not?”
“That is true.”
The tower’s will only functioned to support the Demon King. In the end, all decisions were the Demon King’s.
“But there is no particular need. Do you see Roger as someone likely to escape?”
“...Well.”
Gordon could not easily nod.
He disliked the fact that Roger was a hero, but aside from that, he had adapted perfectly.
It was a little humiliating, but it was fair to say he had accomplished more than him, who was the adjutant.
“And the Princess of Hilderan as well?”
“It is a kind of test.”
What had happened with Elnan had not been what he wanted from the beginning to the end.
He had attempted to kidnap the 13th Princess, made a mistake, and that incident triggered the hero’s march, leaving him desperate enough to borrow even a cat’s paw.
And then he was met with cooperation so excessive it felt suspicious.
Since it had been helpful, he stayed silent. He even observed from the sidelines and encouraged her.
But was that truly the right choice? In a genuine moment of crisis, would the humans’ Crown Princess truly take the side of a “Demon King”?
Berje did not trust her completely. Humans were not, in the first place, creatures one could trust.
‘But she must think she has earned my trust.’
On top of that, she had contracted a mid-grade spirit, giving her a degree of personal combat ability.
And now she had learned that she could leave the tower whenever she wished—so long as she exerted her own will.
‘She will show some reaction.’
Sooner or later, even the smallest clue would likely appear.
As to what Elnan Hilderan’s true intentions were.
---
“Hm.”
Kaede opened her eyes. It was dark. A foul smell stabbed at her nose.
“Ah.”
Her arms and legs were restrained. Her aura did not move.
‘I failed.’
And she had ended up imprisoned. So, there would be no further mercy.
“....”
Perhaps this was better.
Being imprisoned as a kidnapped imperial princess would tarnish her honor and the empire’s honor far less than becoming a subordinate—no, a dog—of the Demon King.
A bitter smile tugged at her lips.
Creak—
The door to the underground prison opened. Kaede frowned at the sudden burst of light.
“Are you all right?”
“...Lady Elnan?”
A hand reached between the iron bars. It held a bottle of water.
“Drink.”
“...Thank you. Ah.”
Clang—
The chains blocked her hand as she reached for the bottle.
Elnan extended her arm farther.
“Lean forward and just open your mouth.”
“Yes.”
Cool water fell against her lips. Her parched mouth moistened.
“Thank you.”
“...I told you not to go.”
“...I did not want to become the Demon King’s dog...subordinate. I am a knight of the Empire.”
“I recall that the Demon King never told you to become his dog.”
“No kindness comes without reason. If the Demon King treats someone well, it means he wants something. Even you, Lady Elnan....”
Kaede swallowed the rest of her words. She bowed her head, murmuring a quiet apology.
“Well, I suppose someone could think that way. I only did it because I wanted to.”
“...That is what I cannot understand.”
“Everyone has their own circumstances, you know? Like how you ran away because you didn’t want to get married.”
“...That was—”
“I ran away from the imperial palace, from the royal family, and from Father because I hated them. Well, strictly speaking, I was kidnapped first and then didn’t want to go back.”
“...I still cannot understand.”
The name Elnan Hilderan did not belong only within the borders of Hilderan.
Her talent ranked among the finest on the entire continent, and she was the undeniable successor of the kingdom.
Moreover, she was young and beautiful, so countless nobles from both Hilderan and foreign nations sought to form ties with her.
“Your future is brilliant. Hilderan may have many princes and princesses, but none of them compare to you. Becoming the sovereign of the kingdom is your destined future. To abandon that and become a subordinate of the Demon King is....”
“Have you never thought that was strange?”
“...?”
“Hilderan has twenty-seven princes and thirty-five princesses. The most of any royal family on the continent. But aside from me, not a single one of their names is known.”
“...What do you mean? I thought Hilderan had twelve princes and sixteen princesses.”
“Ah, yes, officially.”
She assumed she would know since she was an imperial princess.
Elnan stood up.
“...Wait. Explain a little more.”
“Ask when you return to the Empire. His Majesty likely knows.”
“....”
Kaede could not say that she and the Emperor were far from close enough for such a personal question.
“I’ll keep visiting. The Demon King told me to look after you because there’s no one else.”
“...Even so—”
“Even so?”
“I understand that you have your reasons. But if this becomes known, it will cause great dishonor to the kingdom and the royal family. Does that not matter to you?”
“A runaway imperial princess who fled because she didn’t want to marry has no right to say that, don’t you think?”
“....”
Kaede’s face flushed red.
“I’m joking.”
Elnan showed a playful smile.
“And I don’t think that way. In a world where heroes and Demon Kings work together, what’s so strange about a princess and a Demon King cooperating?”
“....”
“Rather, I think cooperating with the Demon King to find a direction beneficial to the Empire is better.”
“There is no such method....”
“Just saying. And it’s better than being locked up in a prison, isn’t it?”
Well then. I’ll leave the water here.
Elnan disappeared.
---
“I heard you’ve been purchasing elf slaves.”
“Yes.”
Aman Katrash bowed his head.
The head of the Golden Moon Merchant Company flipped through the papers.
“It’s an order from Lord Granada, I see.”
“Yes. He stated he wished to purchase slaves from slave markets across the entire continent. Sir Hillan instructed us to assist Lord Granada unconditionally, so we placed this as our top priority.”
“And what of the man called Zetoson?”
Zetoson had knocked on the merchant company’s door one day. His shabby appearance had nearly gotten him thrown out, but Aman had stopped that from happening.
“His practical skills are excellent, above all else.”
“Meaning he talks well.”
The company head clicked his tongue.
“No matter how I see it, he’s nothing but a smooth-tongued swindler. Must we really accept such a man as a member of the company?”
He could not forget his first impression of Zetoson.
‘Ah, are you truly the company head? You look so young that I thought you were the successor. Haha.’
‘I truly think the Golden Moon Merchant Company is incredible. The very fact that you managed to maintain it despite past failures shows the dedication of your members.’
‘If large-scale investments are flowing in, surely your vision must be....’
Every line, beginning with flattery and ending with flattery, was the speech of an obvious swindler.
His instinctive aversion had urged him to dismiss the man immediately, but once he heard that Hillan Cargill had personally appointed him, he no longer could.
“Why would a successful hero hire such a swindler?”
“He is managing his work quite well in his own way.”
“Huu. I can see greed overflowing in his eyes. Having greed as a merchant isn’t bad, but his is excessive.”
“He is working with Lord Granada, who is an elf, so it should be fine.”
“Grr, I hope so.”
The merchant company head handed him a newspaper.
“What is this?”
“Read it. Fresh off the press—published this morning.”
【A group of more than ten succubi discovered in the Argenta region... Kingdom of Dormunt’s security situation dire... Citizens shocked.】
【Count of Argenta: “I cannot tolerate this... We must teach the demon race their place....”】
【Demon race infiltrates human lands for the first time in nearly a hundred years — Cause is the new Demon King?】
【New Demon King succeeding the Beast Demon King suspected to have built a tower in the Seratin Archipelago...】
【Fifth Prince of Dormunt kidnapped by the Demon King...】
【“Was Rozel Charnte’s rash action truly not rash at all?”】
【Hero Gillian Aint and the White Eagle Assault Unit heading to the Frost Tower...】
A flood of headlines filled the page.
“...Succubi.”
“Purchase military supplies.”
“You intend to participate?”
“There are few businesses as profitable as a hero’s march. Before, we couldn’t join because we lacked money, but now that’s no longer the case.”
“Do you believe a hero’s march will occur?”
“It doesn’t matter if it doesn’t.”
Recently, hero’s marches had occurred in succession.
A hero’s march targeting the Demon King in the Ergest Mountains, and another targeting the Beast’s Tower.
The reason was simple: Demon Kings were acting in ways they never had before.
They kidnapped heirs of kingdoms, killed first and second heirs to royal thrones.
And now, they were even attempting to use succubi to manipulate nobles.
Suspicion that the Demon Kings were plotting something prevented the kingdoms, the Hero Guild, and the Mercenary Guild from sitting idle.
“War brings money. Even the atmosphere of an impending war brings money. Take responsibility and move this forward.”
“Yes. May I take the newspaper with me?”
“Do as you want.”
Aman left the company head’s office. Returning to his room, he read the newspaper closely for a long while, then took out his communicator.
『Yes, Sir Gordon. It’s me, but, by any chance...』
---
At that same time, there was another who was reading the newspaper just as Aman was.
“Why did you do that?”
Jason set the newspaper aside. He brought a well-grilled rare steak to his mouth.
“What about it?”
“I told you, didn’t I? Not to stir up the demon race externally and to be careful.”
“You called me here over something that trivial?”
Vivian savored the deep-red wine.
“I asked a question, Lady Vivian.”
“I merely kidnapped a prince and, as a bonus, checked something lightly.”
“Checked what?”
“What kind of place a dimension called Arein is. But I didn’t expect to get caught this quickly. I suppose my luck was bad.”
Of all times, a hero happened to pass by.
“You think that was bad luck?”
“I expected it to last at least a few months.”
“Forgive me, but that has nothing to do with luck. Even if you repeated it a hundred times, it would be the same.”
Thud—
The fork pierced the meat.
“The same?”
“His Excellency the Archduke is truly too much. To send an empty-headed, idiot wench.”
“What...? What did you just say?”
Vivian’s pupils stiffened at the sudden shift in atmosphere and tone. Jason tapped his temple lightly.
“Forgive my rudeness. I meant that if you had even a shred of sense, no matter what offer His Excellency made, you would never have come to this damned dimension.”
Why Draxon, why Reina, why Ugar, why Berje—all of them were first-time Demon Kings.
“For a Demon King who supposedly conquered an entire dimension to not know something everyone else knows—surely I am allowed to lose my temper for a moment, don’t you think?”
“What did you just say.”
“How many heroes existed in the dimension you conquered, Lady Vivian?”
“I said, what did you just say!”
“I asked how many heroes existed in the dimension you conquered. Lady Vivian. Please do not force me to lose my manners again.”
Hic-
Vivian closed her mouth.
A serpent-like killing intent slithered over her skin, raising goosebumps everywhere.
“S-seventy... give or take.”
“And do you know how many heroes exist in Arein?”
“...If it’s many, then many. A hundred? Three hundred?”
“You truly know nothing.”
Jason let out a hollow laugh.
“It is tradition not to share precise numbers since many refuse assignments to Arein, but I did not think it was this bad.”
A distorted smile formed on Jason’s lips.
“I understand, though. If you knew even a little about Arein, you would never have chosen to come here, and instead would have chosen a hollow-headed Demon King like yourself. Arrogant, just because you conquered one pitiful dimension.”
“....”
Even at the crude insults, Vivian said nothing. She couldn’t.
“Now open your ears wide, and this time, carve it deeply into that head of yours. And repent forever for the stupidity you committed.”
He whispered low.
“3198.”
“...What?”
“As of one month ago, the number of officially registered heroes in the Hero Guild was 3,198.”
“...Lies.”
Vivian struggled to steady her glass. But already half of the wine had spilled.
“Does it sound like a lie to you?”
Jason calmly picked up his knife.
“So you’re saying it isn’t?”
“Do I have any reason to joke about this? You and I? I am not a leisurely demon like you.”
Slice, slice—
The meat was cut cleanly. Even then, his knife did not stop.
“The succubi you sent being caught was not a coincidence, nor bad luck. That is simply everyday life in Arein.”
Crack—
The plate split.
“There are so many heroes that a Demon King cannot act freely.”
“That a Demon King must watch the eyes of heroes and humans.”
“That even seasoned Demon Kings refuse to come here.”
Jason’s cutting grew harsher.
“That is everyday life.”
“That’s impossible.... No matter how many heroes there are, there must be limits!”
“If there were limits, Arein would have fallen into the hands of the Demon Realm long ago.”
“No, no. It’s not true!”
Vivian rejected the reality.
“What is untrue is your own stupidity—sending succubi out of some cheap confidence and botching the entire situation.”
“Berje Deias can be forgiven. No one told him anything, so he could rampage like any other Demon King. But you should not have. I told you, didn’t I? Behave. Stay silent, like a dead mouse. Wait.”
Crack—
The dining table split apart.
“If you knew what kind of disaster the succubi you sent are causing, even smashing your head into the floor and begging forgiveness wouldn’t be enough.”
Only when the steak and plate fell to the floor with the shattered wood did his cutting finally stop.
“But I won’t demand that.”
Jason exhaled a trembling breath as he calmed himself.
“What you do does not concern me. Who you are, what achievements you’ve made—I could not care less.”
He took out a napkin and wiped the sauce from his fingers.
“But from here on.”
“Do not cross the line I have drawn. Do not overturn the stage I have built.”
He lifted his monocle slightly. His cold gaze fixed on Vivian.
“This is not a request, but a warning.”
May you…
Make the wise choice.