Chapter 66 : Vivian and Berje
Chapter 66-Inedited: Vivian and Berje
He received that message on a bright, sunny afternoon.
『Hello.』
She waved her hand with a somewhat haggard complexion, her former confidence nowhere to be found.
Something had happened.
『I was hoping we could meet for a moment. Would it be alright if I came to your tower?』
What was her intention?
Berje hesitated briefly.
『Is that… not okay?』
When he didn’t answer, the other side muttered anxiously. He didn’t particularly feel sorry for her. As a succubus queen, even that appearance could very well be an act.
“Vivian Blunt.”
『Yes, Berje Deias.』
“What did you want to say? Were you and I ever close enough to speak privately and come and go from each other’s towers?”
『We weren’t… but wouldn’t that depend on how things go from here on?』
“Your tone has become a bit less arrogant.”
『Ha, I never imagined I’d hear something like that from a brat who graduated from the Military Academy only a year ago.』
『Kids these days, I swear. Back in my day…』
“I have no interest in your past. Get to the point.”
After hesitating a moment, she finally opened her mouth.
『I was wondering if you knew.』
“State clearly what you mean.”
『The Hero Guild.』
『In the dimension I conquered, heroes barely numbered around a hundred. A guild? There was no such thing.』
Ha.
A hollow laugh slipped out. Her trembling pupils reflected her state of mind. The absurdity and emptiness she felt were not an act.
“There isn’t a single Demon King who descended upon Arein ignorant of that.”
Even if they didn’t know at first, they eventually learned.
『So I was the only one who didn’t know. Just me. I was the only idiot. Right?』
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
『I told you already! Let’s meet and talk!』
His ears hurt at her shrill voice. He barely resisted the impulse to end the communication.
Even rotting, a Demon King was still a Demon King, and whether he liked her or not, that didn’t change.
Through his regression, Berje had realized how important relationships with other Demon Kings were.
If someone held even a little value, if they could help him even slightly, maintaining the relationship was the correct choice.
Arein was a place he couldn’t be certain of conquering even after exhausting every available means.
All the more reason.
‘Vivian Blunt is highly likely to be Arkaine’s dog.’
The Archduke Arkaine harbored suspicion regarding Draxon’s death. If someone were to pull any tricks behind the scenes, Vivian Blunt was the most likely candidate.
‘Keep friends close, enemies closer.’
It was a saying that circulated among humans. Berje found himself liking it.
“Then I will be the one to go to your tower.”
『I think the opposite would be better.』
“Don’t try something so obvious. If you refuse, I have no reason to deal with you any further.”
『Fine. I’ll leave the door open.』
* * *
The moment he crossed the space, the blazing sun struck down. Wind brushed against his face. A sharp briny smell hit him at once.
‘The sea.’
Come to think of it, Vivian’s tower was said to be located in the Seratin Archipelago. The western sea of the continent.
“Welcome.”
The five-story tower opened. Its interior was splendid. He sensed far too many presences for someone who had only just descended as a Demon King.
‘Succubi, incubi, and various monsters.’
It was enough to make one say she truly was a Demon King who had returned after conquering an entire dimension. Beyond that level—she possessed dozens of demons and thousands of monsters.
‘Well, I was like that too, once…’
He recalled a past that no longer existed.
He had graduated top of his class from the Demon King Military Academy and received enormous support.
Demons from the Demon Race Training School had flocked to serve under him, and Demonic Points and monsters had been provided in abundance.
Vivian Blunt at this moment looked exactly like Berje himself before his regression, freshly descended.
She wasn’t a valedictorian, but she was drenched in privileges gained from conquering a dimension.
Caught in a brief wave of nostalgia, he arrived at the fifth floor.
“Come in, dear.”
The fifth floor, befitting a Demon King’s domain, was lavish beyond comparison. In some ways, it surpassed even Jason’s tower.
However, in contrast to the décor, no demons or monsters were present. In the vast space, only Vivian, seated upon her throne, welcomed Berje.
“My neck hurts already.”
“You really have no respect for your senior. Even so, I’m still a Demon King who conquered another dimension, you know.”
She grumbled as she stepped down from the throne. She took a seat at the round table she’d prepared beforehand. Red wine and several small dishes had been set out.
“Wine is better than tea, right?”
“Don’t ask when you’ve already prepared it.”
“I only said it because I could give you tea if you preferred.”
“I’ll pass.”
Vivian uncorked the wine. With a crisp sound, a sweet aroma drifted softly through the air.
“What did you want to say?”
“So impatient. You could relax a little, couldn’t you?”
“You sounded like you were about to die over the communication device, yet now that you’re in your own territory, you’ve regained some spirit.”
“···Honestly.”
She extended the wine bottle. As he pushed forward the clear glass, the red liquid filled it halfway.
“I called you because I have something to ask.”
“Ask?”
“Your recent actions.”
She held out her glass. It seemed she wanted to make a toast, but Berje simply snorted and took a drink. Vivian sighed and brought the wine to her own lips.
“After all the succubi were exposed in the Kingdom of Dormunt, I looked a little into your recent actions.”
“Your impression?”
“I was shocked.”
After receiving Jason Kokemundo’s warning, she couldn’t believe it.
Three thousand one hundred ninety-eight heroes.
There was no such dimension. There should be no such dimension.
She had conquered only one dimension, but she had interacted with quite a few Demon Kings. And no matter how many heroes existed, she had never seen a place with more than five hundred.
Naturally so.
Heroes were those chosen by a dimension itself. They were mercenaries selected by the dimension to protect itself.
And the power of a dimension was never infinite.
But by the time she realized Jason’s words were true—by the time she realized something was terribly wrong with Arein—it was already too late.
Once officially dispatched to a dimension, the only way to return was either by dying and sending back a corpse, or by completely conquering the dimension.
In the end, the only option she had was the next best one.
Survive somehow. Even if she could not dream of conquest for the time being, at least don’t die.
And under such circumstances, it was only natural that Berje caught her eye.
“Despite only a year having passed, you were showing astonishing achievements.”
Not only had he kidnapped the Crown Princess of Hilderan and the imperial princess of the Zespine Empire, but recently he had kidnapped yet another princess of Hilderan.
It wasn’t strange for a Demon King to kidnap a princess. But now Vivian understood. Kidnapping not just any princess but a Crown Princess in Arein was an incredibly dangerous act.
“And yet you’re alive, and you don’t look like you’ll die anytime soon. Even though you caused a bigger incident than I ever did.”
“So?”
“I was curious. How you were able to do it, what you were thinking, what your plans for the future were.”
“You think I’ll tell you that?”
“···Honestly, I didn’t expect you to say it easily. But I’m that desperate.”
He understood.
Whether the hero’s march would truly develop into a full-scale crusade or not was unclear, but thanks to Vivian, Dormunt was still in turmoil.
That chaos, overlapping with the number 3198, would naturally fill her with fear of death.
“And you already know, don’t you? That it’s too late for you to copy me.”
“You mean hiding the tower.”
Vivian let out an awkward smile.
“That goes against the Standard.”
“If you’re going to spout something that rigid, then this conversation was pointless from the start.”
“Is there really no other method? It doesn’t make sense that you defeated the hero’s march with just that.”
“Even if there were, why would I tell you?”
“I heard you like money.”
She pulled out a heap of money pouches from her subspace.
How had she already gathered so much?
“Though they were caught, the succubi approached nobles, you see. We emptied their vaults.”
Altogether, 411 gold.
She muttered,
“It’s not an enormous amount, but it’s not a small one either. I think it’s worth at least one more piece of advice.”
“It’s certainly not a small amount.”
It was enough to buy close to a hundred elven slaves. Since she was offering it, there was no need to refuse.
‘What would be good?’
Something that sounded like advice but didn’t give away too much.
“You chose your location well.”
“Unlike you, mine has already been exposed.”
“But it’s an island. They have to come by sea no matter what.”
“That’s true.”
“So buy maritime monsters and release them, or accept sea-based beasts as your vassals.”
“You’re telling me to intercept the heroes at sea?”
“It won’t be perfect. But it’ll be easier than dealing with them once they land. Humans are, after all, land creatures.”
“Hmm, for advice, that’s a bit too textbook.”
“Too bad.”
Before Vivian could say anything more, Berje snatched the money pouch.
“I said what I would, and you heard it. That ends the deal.”
“My, such a forceful man. I don’t dislike men like that.”
Vivian let out an unbothered laugh. At her seductive gaze and gestures, Berje frowned.
“I don’t like filthy succubi.”
“As expected of a lofty dragon.”
“If you’ve said what you wanted, I’ll be going. If I stay any longer, I might actually die of irritation.”
“Wait. I heard that when you descended, no one accompanied you except your adjutant.”
“So?”
“And you don’t summon monsters or demons, do you? Jason told me you convert all your Demonic Points into money…”
“So even a mere Demon King like you can tell I haven’t summoned monsters or demons?”
“You must have already suspected it anyway. Though uncovering things bit by bit is one of my specialties.”
Her eyes were already telling him that she knew.
“Fine, I’ll just ask. Were you involved in Draxon’s death?”
“If I said I wasn’t, would you believe me?”
“Of course. Although His Grace the Archduke is suspicious of you, I find it questionable. I heard a high-rank demon invaded, but you don’t have high-rank demons—nor even regular monsters.”
“Perhaps they came under someone’s orders. Are you allowed to spill everything like this?”
“His Excellency hid many things about Arein from me, so I think I’m allowed at least this much leeway.”
“Interesting.”
Whether it was a deliberate performance or sincerity, he couldn’t tell.
“It has nothing to do with me.”
“Then I’ll keep it that way for now.”
“Do as you wish.”
“Oh, and one more thing.”
Vivian flashed an enchanting smile.
“You’d better be careful with Jason Kokemundo. What you see isn’t everything.”
“I should know that better than someone who only just descended.”
Berje tore open space and slipped inside. Vivian licked her lips as she watched his back.
“He is suspicious, that’s for sure.”
Her grip tightened around her wine glass.
“So arrogant.”
“So irritating.”
Crash—
The glass shattered. Bright red wine streamed down her hand.
“Berje Deias.”
“Reina Sordein.”
“Ugar Velbek.”
“Jason Kokemundo.”
She repeated the names of four Demon Kings.
“Jason Kokemundo, I do understand your anger.”
With 3,198 heroes, one could hardly blame him. She too had been immobilized in panic for quite some time.
But that didn’t mean she bore no resentment.
She couldn’t accept that she, a Demon King, had trembled even for a brief moment in fear because of another Demon King’s threat.
Her warning to Berje had been an expression of that pride.
“In any case, I must tend to my task.”
The reason she descended to Arein—to uncover the culprit. She had to discover the truth if she wanted to survive and escape this cursed place.
Fortunately, a path had appeared.
“Reina Sordein… What exactly are you plotting?”
Vivian murmured the name of the Frost Demon King, whom she had contacted not long ago.
* * *
Those who achieved great deeds were rewarded.
If one contributed to a nation, a noble or even a king would grant honors.
For heroes belonging to the guild, official recognition came from the guild headquarters itself.
It was only natural that Hillan Cargill, the hero who killed the Beast Demon King, Draxon Doldov, was summoned to the Hero Guild headquarters.
But that natural event could have become unnatural due to a small conflict. Thus Hillan demanded a guild-level reward as a condition, and so this meeting was arranged.
“Hillan Cargill of Hilderan greets the honored Elders.”
The Great Hall.
A massive chamber capable of holding several hundred people was filled wall to wall.
More than half of them were heroes.
All heroes residing at headquarters had gathered to see the rapidly rising hero.
“To see a great hero in person—what an honor.”
“His momentum is something else.”
“For someone who killed two Demon Kings, he looks a bit…?”
Whispers rippled through the hall.
“Hero, Hillan Cargill, step forward.”
Hillan stepped one pace ahead.
One Elder unfurled a document. The Grand Elder personally began to read.
“Hillan Cargill! You climbed the Beast’s Tower, cleared it, and slew the Demon King…”
His detailed accomplishments were listed one after another.
“To you, we award 5,000 gold, ten pieces of magical equipment from the guild armory, and—”
The Grand Elder paused. His eyes met Hillan’s.
“We appoint you as an Argann.”
It was a title named after the first Guildmaster, referring to an executive who handled the guild’s real affairs.
Those who decided the guild’s direction alongside the Council of Elders.
'It’s done!'
Hillan screamed inwardly.
He had finally reached this point.