Chapter 116 : Departure
Chapter 116: Departure
『Are you insane?』
“Such crude language.”
『You’d have to be insane to babble about me entering the Empire and helping a Crown Prince.』
“You are a hero. If there is a Black Mage and a Demon King, it is only natural to rush in regardless of the country.”
『Cut the rigid bullshit.』
“I will give you mana.”
『That much is a given.』
『You already signed a contract with the Fifth Prince, didn’t you?』
“I will prioritize you above the kingdom.”
『And?』
“And?”
『Even if you cross over to the kingdom, snatching you back wouldn’t be difficult. It would be a bit troublesome, and some dissatisfied humans would grumble, but that’s hardly a one- or two-day affair.』
『You’re not going to spout nonsense about compensation just for giving what you’re obviously supposed to give, right?』
『Or are you really that much of a lowlife?』
On the other end of the communication device, Rozel Charnte licked her lips.
“What do you want?”
『Well, if I’m running all the way to an Empire I don’t even like to work for a Crown Prince, something ordinary just won’t cut it.』
“Do not make me ask twice.”
『Something thicker than mana. Something closer to the source.』
Rozel’s eyes were stained with madness.
『Your blood.』
『Your hair.』
『Your aura pathways.』
『And your mana hole and your heart... was that too much?』
“I admit it. You really are a crazy bitch.”
Berje stroked the goosebumps rising on his skin. Since becoming a Demon King, this was the first time he had ever felt such chills.
And from a mere human, no less.
At the same time, anger surged.
How dare some impudent human hero covet the body of a Demon King?
“Just get lost.”
『What?』
“And the contract is void. I will accept the penalty fee. The reason for termination is Rozel-crazy-Charnte. Understood?”
Berje realised it then.
This had nothing to do with his ties to Arkan. The madness Rozel Charnte exuded was anything but ordinary. And humans like her always brought incidents and disasters in their wake.
If the target was Berje himself, the deeper he got entangled, the more certain it would become a ticking bomb.
So it was right to cut it off.
The penalty fee? It was a bit of a waste of money, but cheaper in the long run. And his connection with the Kingdom of Arkan could still be maintained to some extent through the elves.
Of course, it would not be easy to sever ties. Rozel Charnte’s obsession would not give up so easily.
But at the very least, a clear line had to be drawn. One she could not cross, and even if she did, she would restrain herself unless it was the absolute, final extreme.
『No, wait a second.』
“Why are you so surprised? Did you think I would endure that kind of talk? I’m not the one who stands to lose.”
『No, no. It was a joke, right?』
“I am serious.”
And from the start, so were you.
『That would be troublesome. The King and the master of the Mage Tower will throw all kinds of fits.』
『All the mages of the Mage Tower too.』
“That is for you to handle. A mage wouldn’t have spoken thoughtlessly, would they?”
『...So you’re going to come at me like this?』
“And if I do?”
『Fine. Then just as the original proposal, I’ll only take mana. How about it?』
“Spilled water cannot be gathered back.”
『Bullshit! There’s nothing magic can’t do!』
...That is true.
『Fine. I’ll concede. Free of charge. I’ll work for free as an apology. I’ll do the job, so stop terminating the contract!』
“...Hmm.”
『This isn’t an opportunity that comes every day. If you miss this, you’re an idiot.』
“...If you want to help me that badly, then.”
Berje’s lips curved into a crescent. Only then did Rozel realize she had been tricked, her face turning hollow.
『...You bastard?』
“Cross over immediately with the Red Flame Assault Unit and find Hillan Cargill. Surely a great hero and mage wouldn’t speak out of both sides of their mouth. Then.”
『Hey, you son of a—!』
Berje cut the connection.
Rozel’s final words vanished into the air.
* * *
The Emperor of Zespine was someone who understood the importance of just cause and spectacle.
Imperial royals practicing noblesse oblige and personally going to subjugate Black Mages, the agents of evil.
Was there any need to hide such a thing and proceed in secrecy?
An Empire that possessed the greatest power on the continent?
Nonsense.
It was better to express it boldly, spread rumors, and move noisily.
That way, the people would know.
That way, the people’s loyalty would rise.
That way, it could be shown to everyone.
To nobles and commoners alike, the imperial royals could be put to the test.
Only those who proved their qualifications under their gazes could ascend to the imperial throne.
Sching—
The Emperor drew his sword.
The dragon treasure sword symbolizing the Zespine imperial family and the Empire.
He raised the sword high into the sky. The brilliant blade reflected the sunlight.
“Subjugate those audacious Black Mage scum who dared trample and defile the name of the Empire.”
“March forth!”
Though short, it carried power.
The voice, amplified by magic loudspeakers, struck the ears of all the people of the imperial capital.
Waaaaaa—
As if responding to their blazing cheers, the four imperial royals knelt and bowed their heads.
“We shall obey the command!”
“We shall obey the command!”
Boom boom boom—
Drums were beaten and trumpets were blown. The swelling cheers were so heated that one might believe it was not a war, but a festival.
Naturally so. It was a war no one believed the Empire could lose.
Thus, the Hapstrain Gorge Black Mage subjugation opened its curtain.
* * *
The four imperial royals each received the Emperor’s command before the people, accompanied by the imperial royals who followed them and the major nobles.
Hillan and Berje, along with the newly joined Rozel Charnte, watched the scene as mere members of the crowd.
“Seriously, those Empire bastards never sit right with me. They want to use heroes, but don’t want attention scattered at official events?”
“This is the Empire. Speaking ill of the Empire is not a wise choice.”
“Shut up, you thieving demon.”
“You’re the louder one.”
“Shut it, you swindler.”
Rozel Charnte, who had ended up doing unpaid labor with her nose ringed, had been in a foul mood since the moment she arrived in the Empire.
The Empire’s cold treatment of heroes only fanned those feelings further.
“It is finished. Let us go to the eastern gate.”
“I’m curious how many troops and heroes those other imperial bastards have gathered.”
Berje and Hillan headed toward the eastern gate of the imperial capital. Rozel Charnte followed behind them.
At the outer eastern gate, a massive crowd had already gathered.
In the distance, the subjugation force could be seen. Four knight orders, four mage corps, and eight hundred soldiers.
Compared to the five knight orders that symbolized the Empire, they were of a lower tier, but by no means insufficient.
When the imperial royals appeared, they formed ranks and bowed their heads.
What was interesting was that they alone did so.
“A battle of wits.”
“Yes. I expect most will join midway.”
The competition had begun the moment it was decided that the subjugation would be carried out by the hands of the imperial royals.
Hiding what one had and exaggerating what one lacked was the most basic of strategies.
By the time today arrived, stories about which hero had received a request from which imperial royal burst out in the newspapers day after day, yet only a small number of people actually stood here.
They were deliberately hiding it.
“Originally, we should have hidden ourselves as well, but....”
“Shall I gouge your eyes out?”
Hillan shot Rozel a sidelong glance. Rozel growled.
Originally, the Third Prince had wanted to hide Rozel’s existence as much as possible and have her join near Hapstrain, but Rozel had refused.
She had sent the Red Flame Assault Unit over there and run here alone, whining to have just one storage orb filled.
Of course, that had not been granted, and thus today arrived.
If there was any consolation, it was that she had covered her face as much as possible with a robe and was not blatantly exposing herself.
“Where is the Third Prince’s side?”
“Over there.”
At that moment, a knight engraved with the dragon emblem symbolizing the imperial family rode up on horseback and dismounted in front of Hillan.
“Are you the famed Lord Hillan?”
“I greet His Highness the Sixth Prince.”
“To behold with my own eyes the hero who defeated two Demon Kings! A pleasure! I have very much wished to meet you!”
With that small happening concluded, the four units led by the imperial royals set out for Hapstrain Gorge.
* * *
Hapstrain was not a single gorge. Dozens of split and fractured paths stretched in all directions, and the Empire had built fortresses to block off the largest and most important among them.
There were a total of four fortresses surrounding the gorges from the east, west, south, and north, and there were likewise four imperial royals serving as the main pillars this time.
The four groups were to disperse to different fortresses, surround the gorge, and advance toward the center.
“So this is Dortin Fortress.”
In the distance, a massive fortress blocking the entrance to the gorge could be seen.
The subjugation force, which had started with 50 knights, 30 mages, and 100 soldiers, had nearly tripled in size with the addition of five hundred troops from the Aincheil Marquis House, 21 members of the Red Hawk Assault Unit, and 50 members of the Red Flame Assault Unit.
“The White Eagle Knight Order is the strongest knight order of Aincheil, isn’t it?”
“We’re eagles too.”
“Can you even compare us?”
“You’re the Red Hawk Assault Unit. What is there to be inferior to White Eagles?”
“Of course, vice-captain. It’s different from when we were mercenaries.”
“Still, the White Eagle Knight Order is a bit....”
“Well, it’s not like we’ve become exceptionally stronger compared to back then, right?”
“Can’t you stop already?”
At the sight of the knight order clad in brilliant platinum armor, the members of the Red Hawk Assault Unit whispered among themselves.
Hillan clicked his tongue silently at their pride crawling along the ground on its own.
“As expected, forming an assault unit out of mercenaries was not the right choice. I should have recruited proper individuals and built it up from the ground up....”
“That would have taken ages. And what you just said sounds like it’s my fault for attaching mercenaries to you?”
“Of course not, but if that’s how it sounded....”
“Shut up.”
“Yes.”
The elites of the Aincheil Marquis House, representing the Empire. Objectively speaking, the Third Prince’s forces were not weak.
Yet the Third Prince could not feel at ease.
Everything was relative. The forces gathered here were strong, but compared to the other imperial royals, they felt lacking.
‘My elder brothers and sisters will have received even more support.’
The First Prince and the First Princess would be leading the elites of ducal houses. Objectively and subjectively, they were superior to the forces of the Aincheil Marquis House.
Furthermore, the Second Prince would have hired an enormous number of mercenaries using the vast funds of the Bolderbof Marquis House. The Marquis House’s knight order would be a bonus on top of that.
‘That much was expected.’
That each would receive support from their family was something everyone could guess. Even so, the reason they hid their forces and joined midway was to conceal their heroes.
‘In the end, what matters is the hero.’
In Hapstrain, saturated with demonic energy, those who could ultimately perform greater feats against undead and Black Mages were heroes.
‘Who could it be.’
There was a strong possibility they had recruited Stars. Setting aside the fact that the Empire disliked the Hero Guild, heroes themselves knew that forging ties with imperial royals led to immense wealth and power.
‘We should have hidden our side as much as possible too.’
All of their forces were exposed. Hillan had been revealed from the start in the imperial capital, and Rozel Charnte, whom they had wanted to hide, had come to the capital despite his attempts to stop her.
They had hidden what they could, but still.
‘Even so....’
His gaze shifted toward the Red Hawk Assault Unit. Toward the hero at the forefront leading them.
‘All necessary preparations are complete. My brothers and sisters do not know this much.’
It was thanks to Hillan. His advice had allowed them to prepare a trump card.
“Enter the fortress.”
“Yes!”
The gates of the fortress opened. As he looked upon the group of the castle lord who had come out to welcome him—
‘I will personally kill the Black Mage group. And I must help Hillan attack the Tower of Dark Flame.’
He vowed deeply.
To become Emperor, to save his younger sibling, and to ensure they would never be caught up and die in a blood-soaked struggle for succession.
His eyes flickered with solemn resolve.