Chapter 142 : Roger’s Trap
Chapter 142: Roger’s Trap?
“Finally.”
The time had come.
Ernan Hilderan had safely fallen into the hands of the Hilderan assault force.
Although the Third Prince appeared to be faithful to the mission entrusted to him, for the moment, there was no talk of launching a hero’s march from the Empire.
Even if it was merely the calm before the storm, buying time was still buying time.
And that precious time was the final opportunity given to Berje.
“Have the blueprints come out?”
“To travel back and forth through the harsh Ergest Mountains without trouble, bipedal or tracked types like catapults won’t work. Because of that, we’re designing it with eight legs so it can move anywhere like a spider. Even if it’s on top of a cliff!”
At first, he had been negative, but once he glimpsed even a sliver of possibility, Roger’s professional spirit exploded.
If he was going to make it anyway, then more beautifully, more reliably, more perfectly.
It was the result of spending several days and nights awake, putting their heads together with the golem craftsmen.
“The size of a single leg will be 22 meters in length. When it folds in half to move, considering the joints, the actual operational height will be just under 10 meters.”
“To ensure fluid movement, each leg is planned to contain 211 joints, and for smooth flow, 315 magi circuits will be drawn....”
“Accordingly, the estimated required materials are....”
The materials spilling from Roger’s mouth were staggering.
What was fortunate, at least in one respect, was that there was no need to create a core just to attach legs to the tower, which could essentially be considered a golem.
The core was the most important heart of a golem, and without a substitute like demonic energy, it wouldn’t have been possible to make one at all, setting aside whether it merely required more materials or not.
After all, the technology to create a power source capable of moving a tower—or a golem—dozens of meters tall did not yet exist even in the Berfht Kingdom.
“What is the estimated time required?”
“The blueprints aren’t finished yet, so it isn’t accurate.”
“So how long will it take?”
“This is the essence of cutting-edge magi-engineering that has never been made before, nor even attempted. Since it’s a delicate mechanical device, it requires many skilled artisans, and naturally, depending on the number and level of those artisans—”
“So in other words, it depends on what I do, is that it?”
“...Ahaha, it’s not exactly that.”
“I’ll take that into consideration.”
“Ahaha....”
“Gordon.”
“I’ve already spoken with the Golden Moon Merchant Company. But it doesn’t seem like it will be easy.”
“What’s the reason?”
“Bringing them into the tower ultimately means they’ll learn about the Demon King and us. It means we can’t send them back to the continent. Skilled artisans without strong enough ties to leave no aftermath are not that common.”
“Then we’ll just have to create some aftermath.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll kidnap dwarves.”
The tower was more important than the Golden Moon Merchant Company, but if the Golden Moon Merchant Company could be maintained, it was right to keep it going.
So rather than artisans obtained through the Golden Moon Merchant Company going missing, it was better for a single Demon King to go mad and rampage, causing artisans to disappear.
“...The Berfht Kingdom won’t stay quiet.”
He knew. It would be best not to be discovered, but if it were exposed, the Berfht Kingdom would be turned upside down. And the moment they resolutely cried out to overthrow the Demon King of Dark Flame, dwarf-made weapons would pour into every nation.
Touching the Dwarven Kingdom was something that should be avoided at all costs.
If there was an aftermath.
“Even if it gets worse, it’s all the same. It’s just the difference between being beheaded and being torn limb from limb. If you’re already dead, what does it matter?”
“Are you saying you intend to die?”
“That’s just how the saying goes. Even if one more enemy is added, won’t it be the same once this plan is completed?”
“True, if we can’t make the legs, whether Berfht is added or not, it’s the same—we die either way.”
“And above all, this is a race against time. We don’t know when the Empire will come knocking, so it’s right to bring as many dexterous dwarves as possible, even if it’s just a few.”
“That’s true as well.”
“Still, it’s utterly pathetic.”
Even if it was true that Berje and the people of the tower could not withstand the Empire’s full might as things stood, the fact that a Demon King had to accept that and run away was disgraceful beyond words.
“One day, we’ll be able to repay this debt for sure.”
“Of course we must. In any case, in the end, there are two things that matter.”
A massive quantity of materials, and the artisans to make use of them.
The materials themselves weren’t a big problem, since they could all be brought back by storing them in subspace. If everything didn’t fit at once, they could just make multiple trips.
The problem was the artisans.
Kidnapping them wasn’t difficult. He had heard from Roger about several secret tunnels he had carved out, and with a means to completely conceal demonic energy, it would be even easier. But after kidnapping them—after being discovered—the issue was bringing them back.
At minimum there would be dozens, and at most possibly hundreds. Dragging all of them along would inevitably draw attention. And there was no way living beings could endure the fourth-dimensional space that was subspace.
“About that part.”
“Hm?”
“There might be a solution.”
“A solution?”
“It’s something I heard from Charlotte. If you freeze people with magic and halt their bodily functions, then block off external flows, it’s said that there’s a chance they can survive in any kind of space. Though it requires the magic power of that level.”
“If you freeze them with magic and cut them off from the outside, even living beings can endure subspace?”
“That’s what Charlotte said. But of course, it’s not easy. She said the level has to be high enough to block the energy of another dimension.”
“With Charlotte’s power?”
“It’s possible for a short while, but....”
“Long-term is impossible?”
“Yes.”
“Then....”
Despite it being impossible, there was an obvious reason Gordon brought it up anyway.
Because there was a way. Or rather, even if there wasn’t one now, if Berje stepped in, some kind of solution might emerge.
Wasn’t there one?
A Demon King who could be called Berje’s only ally, and the master of the frost demons who enjoyed freezing royalty into ice statues(?).
“We’ll have to go see Reina.”
Come to think of it, he hadn’t even asked Ugar what he was supposed to ask him to find out. What kind of price should he promise?
* * *
“Honestly, I wasn’t sure.”
Despite the sudden request for a meeting, Reina Sordein readily accepted.
And facing each other in the Demon King’s office, that was the first thing she said.
Along with her words, a sweet cherry scent was felt.
She really did always keep that candy in her mouth.
“About what?”
“On one hand, I thought you might come to see me like this. But on the other hand, I thought you wouldn’t.”
“And the reason?”
“The former is because of the situation you’re in.”
“So I really am in danger, then. Enough that even you, living a life cut off in the snowfields, know about it.”
“It’s not to that extent.”
Reina’s expression soured slightly.
“And the latter?”
“Pride.”
Crack—
The cherry-flavored candy, already reduced to its smallest size, shattered inside her mouth. After swallowing it, she took out a new candy and put it into her mouth again.
“...Just how many candies do you have?”
“I always prepare them so they never run out. If I conquer Arein, this candy is what I’ll definitely bring back to the Demon Realm.”
“Do you eat this too?”
Berje took out the chocolate he had received from Ernan not long ago. It was well-wrapped, high-quality chocolate.
“Chocolate? Do you like this as well?”
“No, I got it by chance.”
“It doesn’t last as long as candy, but I find it not bad.”
She immediately unwrapped the chocolate and put it into her mouth. A faint smile spread at the sweetness striking her tongue.
“Delicious.”
“I’m glad you find it tasty.”
“But just because I received something like this doesn’t mean I can grant your request.”
“And how do you know what I’m going to ask?”
“I can roughly guess.”
“How?”
“Through the situation you’re in, and through the relationship between you and me. I’m sorry for saying this after first forming an alliance.”
Reina also desperately wanted to help Berje. Among the four other Demon Kings, he was the one Demon King she could trust the most, and they were, at least in name, allies.
But such an action would be a bad move.
Even if she could save Berje, it would only postpone a single hero’s march. And a blade that failed once would become even sharper and change its direction toward Reina.
If it were just her as an individual, she might have helped regardless. She was a noble of the Demon Realm who valued honor, and she knew that responsibility followed the words she herself uttered.
But she was not alone. Countless frost demons and monsters were her kin, her vassals, and members of the tower.
“I cannot help you. I cannot dispatch monsters, beasts, or demons. But anything else I can help with, I will help as much as I can.”
“As an ally?”
“As an ally.”
“I haven’t really done anything for you, yet I’ve only been receiving.”
“I understand, since your situation hasn’t been very good from then until now.”
“And I still haven’t dealt with what you asked regarding Ugar.”
“That’s the same as well.”
“....”
Faced with a demeanour that was almost to the point of self-sacrifice, Berje was taken aback.
The Reina he knew before the regression was not like this. True to the frost demons, true to the Frost Demon King, she had been a cold demon exuding chill after chill.
‘It’s not like we were on good terms back then, but this difference is too great.’
It was almost as if her head were in a flower garden, as though she believed everything would turn out well with pure innocence.
“If I take everything I can get and then wipe my mouth clean, what will you do then?”
“So you’re saying you’ll betray me now?”
“You seem to trust me too much.”
“You’re mistaken about something, Berje Deias.”
Reina’s gaze sank coldly. It was a side of her Berje had not seen since the regression, and he flinched.
It was her true self he had seen before the regression.
“I am not trusting you too much. Do you know the proverb of the frost demons?”
“...That when frost demons harbour resentment, even a volcano freezes?”
“It’s good that you know. The anger of the frost demons is the deepest and coldest in the Demon Realm. And it’s persistent.”
Crack—
Pure white frost settled across the tabletop.
“If you betray me, my ice will turn toward you first, not the humans.”
“...Even if that puts you at risk of falling to the humans?”
“It might be delayed for a while. I’m not foolish enough to watch my own head fall just to freeze someone else’s.”
But.
Crunch—
A pure white icicle fell straight down. It passed by Berje’s cheek, shattered the armrest of the chair, and lodged into the floor.
“We’d have to see it through to the end. Whether I die, or you do.”
“I didn’t mean that I was going to betray you. I said it because you keep giving without reserve, so I was worried.”
“Then that’s a relief. However, it’s excessive worry. I’m not as naïve as you seem to think.”
“...It does seem that way.”
“For now, I’m showing you unconditional goodwill, but I consider this an investment. You’re going through a crisis, so I’m merely postponing the collection a bit longer.”
“That’s frightening.”
“But it’s necessary for you right now. Isn’t it?”
“Even after saying you can’t support me with any demons, monsters, or beasts?”
“I can’t exactly kill my own vassals for your sake.”
“Well, that’s fine too.”
It was about time.
“What I need is the part beyond that.”
“The part beyond that?”
“I need your ability. The cold that freezes everything, and seals it away.”
“Cold?”
“Yes. Cold that can freeze people and imprison them. So that even if they’re placed into subspace, they remain intact. Can you provide that?”
“Are you planning to kidnap someone?”
“Yes. I need to sow confusion among the humans. But if my identity is revealed right now, the situation would only worsen.”
“If I imbue my cold into magic orbs, it’s possible. It’s less efficient than me directly casting the magic, but if I put my mind to it, they can endure in subspace for over a week.”
“Perfect. That’s exactly what I wanted.”
“How many magic orbs?”
“The more, the better.”
The price for this was—
“If I survive, I’ll definitely repay you double.”
“I’ll look forward to it. I sincerely hope you survive.”
“I won’t disappoint you.”
That day, Berje obtained fifty magic orbs imbued with freezing magic.
* * *
“It should be around here.”
Berje, having changed into the identity of Pale, examined the map Roger had drawn.
There were many dwarf cities, but the place Berje chose was the royal capital of Berfht.
Although the vigilance and danger level were more severe than anywhere else, there were just as many outstanding artisans. Talent naturally gathered at the centre.
If he were discovered, it would truly be the worst of the worst, but he had his own countermeasures.
Entering through the dozens of secret passages Roger had carved out.
Some of them would have been blocked after Roger’s abduction, so this was both to check which ones were still open and to conceal the fact that he had officially entered the royal capital under the identity of Pale.
“It’s here.”
Berje squeezed his body into a well-camouflaged crevice between rocks. His face twisted involuntarily as the earth pressed against his entire body.
‘Roger, that bastard carved all of these to fit his own body.’
Come to think of it, even the last time he took the Ghost of Mana, the secret passage had been this narrow, hadn’t it?
The grumbling stopped after ten minutes. There was no need to go any farther—it was blocked.
‘A wasted effort.’
He went around the entire mountain range like that, confirming eight blocked passages.
‘Surely they can’t all be blocked?’
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. The ninth passage stretched on endlessly. Just as it felt like heading toward an underground city, it descended deeper and deeper.
After going on like that for quite some time, the dark passage came to an end. But this felt different from before. When he lightly tapped it, a hollow sound rang out.
This end was open.
Berje broke through the wall in a single motion.
A cloud of dusty earth burst outward.
Berje brightened and stuck his face out.
Whoosh—
“...Who?”
‘Roger, you crazy bastard....’
And with dirt on his face, Berje met eyes with Louise Berfht, who was holding an axe.