Chapter 79 : Had No Intention of Doing Anything
Chapter 79-Unedited: Had No Intention of Doing Anything
『How did you know that?』
Hero, Gillian Aint.
The White Eagle Assault Unit he led.
They had come to the Frost Tower right after Draxon Doldov fell.
“It was all written in the humans’ newspapers.”
It would have been a lie to say he had not been surprised when he first heard that.
Because the White Eagle Assault Unit was originally supposed to come to the Frost Tower five years later.
Berje realized that the actions he had taken had changed the future.
『I see. Well, human heroes were obsessed with fame and accomplishments.』
“That’s no different for the demon race, is it?”
『That’s true.』
Reina gave a short laugh. But something about it felt bitter.
“How many times has the White Eagle Assault Unit come to the tower?”
『Was even that written?』
Impossible.
“Yes.”
Before the regression, Reina Sordein had suffered at the hands of the White Eagle Assault Unit.
It did not mean she had died. But if someone asked whether that was better than dying, Berje would not have agreed.
‘When I first learned that, I laughed at it.’
He had said she was pathetic, focusing only on appearance and ending up being treated like livestock by mere humans.
He had always said that he’d rather die than live like that. And she truly had died.
『They invaded the tower twice, and I repelled them both times. I used a fair amount of Demonic Points, but it was no major issue.』
『I see no reason I would need your assistance.』
“Do you truly think so?”
『…There is something I do not know, then. Is that it?』
“There is.”
『And what is that?』
“Their tricks won’t end after one or two attempts.”
Dozens of times—perhaps hundreds—Gillian Aint would torment Reina Sordein. Slowly, little by little, he would eat away at her.
『No matter how many times, I can block them all. Do you think I cannot?』
“No. You can. You’re strong.”
Reina Sordein was strong. Both objectively and subjectively.
If it was not a hero’s march but merely the White Eagle Assault Unit, she could repel them numerous times. No—she could annihilate them.
『…You’re unusually generous with praise.』
She cleared her throat and looked away.
“But it won’t be easy. He’ll use the surrounding barbarians.”
『No matter how many gather, it changes nothing.』
“That’s only true if you go down and kill Gillian from the start.”
『Are you telling me to leave the summit? I cannot do that. Upholding the standard is only natural.』
“When you first descended, didn’t you say Jason recommended it?”
『This is different. It is clearly stated in the standard that the Demon King must guard the summit of the tower.』
But abducting high-ranking members of royal families was merely an encouraged action, nothing obligatory.
She would try to follow it as best she could, but she had no reason to risk her life for it.
“…Well, fine.”
Berje had not expected Reina to comply from the start anyway. He only needed her to stay vigilant and keep her demonic influence away from Louise.
“But postpone the kidnapping of Louise. You must not leave the tower empty right now.”
『…If you insist this much, I suppose there must be a reason.』
『The White Eagle…』
After a moment of thought, Reina nodded.
『You wouldn’t say such things without reason. I’ll take your advice into account.』
“You made the right choice!”
『You’re too pleased. What part of this is cause for you to rejoice?』
“…Losing a Demon King whose thinking aligns with mine is sad. The opposite is joyful.”
『I see.』
“Oh, and.”
『There’s more?』
“If you ever run short on demonic energy later, don’t ask Jason for help.”
『……?』
Once the communication ended, Reina Sordein remained steeped in lingering thoughts for a long while.
“…Not bad.”
Receiving concern from another Demon King. In a way, it made her feel somewhat belittled, yet the sincerity behind it made it far from unpleasant.
“But…”
What did he mean by telling her not to ask Jason for help?
“My demonic energy becoming insufficient?”
“And so I’d ask Jason for help?”
Reina denied the idea, yet she could not completely exclude the possibility that it might happen.
If the White Eagle proved to be far more troublesome than expected—if the monsters and magical beasts were all killed and problems arose—then the possibility of asking Jason Kokemundo for help was not entirely zero.
Since among the Demon Kings, he was the only one who currently had room to spare.
If this were the past.
“Jason may have killed Draxon. I cannot take a debt from someone so suspicious.”
Meaning, Berje Deias worried about a needless matter.
Of course, he had likely said so with that in mind.
“Nina.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At Reina’s call, the adjutant who had been waiting outside entered.
“Send out the demon race and observe the White Eagle’s movements. Gather the monsters.”
“Do you intend to deal with them before they enter the tower?”
“For now, I will watch.”
“Yes. Understood.”
Nina exited.
“It’s best to listen to heartfelt advice from an ally.”
Reina rose from her seat.
Right before Berje was troubled by the Kingdom of Arkan, and Reina was troubled by the White Eagle, Vivian Blunt—who had just failed to kidnap Louise Berfht—returned to her own tower.
Boom!
A massive hole opened in the first floor’s ground. The monsters trembled violently and clung to the walls.
“My tail! My precious tail!”
Her rampage continued for another hour. Only after she spent Demonic Points to repair the completely destroyed first floor did she storm up to the fifth floor in a huff.
“Demon King.”
“What is it.”
“A message has arrived from Demon King Jason. He asked that you contact him immediately upon reaching the tower.”
“Ha…!”
Vivian let out a snort.
It was obvious what he intended to say.
“He must be angry that I didn’t listen to him, right?”
To cause a fuss the moment she returned.
Though she understood. As he had said, Arein was no easy dimension. The 3,198 heroes, the escort hero guarding the princess—none of it was normal.
This dimension was wrong.
But.
Because of that—
Vivian had to kidnap Louise Berfht even more. The only clue that could reveal the truth behind Draxon’s death.
‘I need to get out of this damned place.’
By principle, once a Demon King descended into a dimension, they could not leave unless they conquered it or died.
But all principles existed to be bent by those in power.
Having received a promise from Archduke Arkaine, Vivian had no choice but to cling to that promise all the more.
‘I must kidnap her somehow. Somehow.’
There was no time. Having failed once, the humans would be furious. If heroes like the ones she encountered in the Kingdom of Berfht came charging in droves, she would die.
Biting her nails, she infused demonic power into the communication orb. Immediately afterward, a mask of calm expression covered her face.
“What is it?”
At her composed question, a voice full of suppressed anger came from the other side of the orb.
『Was it truly so difficult to follow my advice?』
“…I have no reason to obey you. That’s what advice is, isn’t it?”
『Haha. Truly, truly amusing. You are, Vivian.』
Jason lifted his monocle.
『I was prepared to overlook it since you were fulfilling the mission of your descent. That is, if you had shown even the slightest hint of remorse.』
“You’re saying nonsense. And if you don’t overlook it? What exactly will you do?”
『What can I do to a fellow Demon King.』
Jason laughed. Vivian felt an inexplicable chill.
『Until now, I’ve been doing things.』
『But from this moment on, I intend to do nothing.』
『Yes. That is all.』
“…What nonsense is that?”
『Just talking to myself. Something you need neither know nor understand.』
The connection was cut unilaterally.
“You damn…!”
Vivian spat a curse.
“He won’t do anything? And what exactly has he been doing until now?”
She repeated Jason’s words to understand them. And the meaning—
She learned it a few days later.
“Demon King! Heroes have invaded the tower!”
The heroes had come to the tower.
* * *
“So it’s time for the Harmony of the Towers again.”
Ugar received Jason’s message.
“A month from now?”
『Yes. It is your turn. In truth, we are already very late, but due to circumstances, it cannot be opened sooner.』
The Harmony of the Towers was held once a year, rotating among the Demon Kings’ towers.
But this time, the one-year interval could not be kept. Ever since Berje had descended, incidents had continued without pause.
‘Harmony of the Towers…’
Until recently, he had never questioned it.
In Ugar’s eyes, Jason had worked harder than anyone for the Demon Kings, and without him, Ugar would not be where he was today.
The Harmony of the Towers had also been created with such good intentions. It wasn’t always beneficial, but the exchange of information had undeniably helped them.
However—
Doubt was also unavoidable. Because no matter how he thought about it, only Jason could have been capable of killing Draxon.
“…Do we truly need to hold the Harmony of the Towers during a time like this? It might be better to delay it.”
Perhaps sensing his hesitation, Jason let out a sigh.
『There is no reason not to hold it.』
『I am aware that suspicion toward me has formed among Lady Reina, Lord Ugar, and Lord Berje.』
『But I did not kill Lord Draxon.』
“…But the high-rank demon—”
『Are you certain it was truly a high-rank demon?』
『Do you have any definitive proof?』
None.
It had only been Draxon’s claim. He had tried to verify it by searching the tower’s records, but failed.
“But for Draxon to go that far, he must have had some degree of certainty.”
『And I too have certainty. Certainty that I did not do it. Certainty that I had no involvement in Lord Draxon’s death. Certainty that I had no reason to.』
『Which is why I, too, wished to access the tower records.』
『Only then could I dispel the suspicions of Lord Ugar and Lady Reina.』
『Unfortunately, that is no longer possible…』
Jason hesitated briefly before speaking again.
『Would you come to my tower?』
“…So suddenly?”
『I have devoted myself tirelessly to conquering this dimension. I intended to do so alongside Lord Draxon, Lady Reina, and Lord Ugar. Do you truly believe someone like that would have killed Lord Draxon?』
In truth, that very question had lingered in Ugar’s mind as well.
If not for Jason, the Demon Kings of today would not exist. Would he truly have gone out of his way to kill Draxon?
『I swear upon the great Demon Emperor and the Standard that I did not kill Lord Draxon.』
『If you come to my tower, I will show you proof that I did not. Proof that I had no reason to.』
“…I will go.”
Knowing the weight of an oath made upon the Demon Emperor and the Standard, Ugar stepped into the rift leading to Jason’s tower, determined to resolve this doubt.