Chapter 161 : None
Chapter 161: None
So he really had come.
Martin clutched his throbbing head.
No one else would even imagine it. The fact that the Demon King bastard who had turned the entire continent upside down and become a public enemy of the Empire was calmly enjoying coffee in front of the Crown Prince.
“You look like you truly didn’t expect me to come.”
“That’s only natural. What Demon King in the world would willingly walk into the heart of the Empire?”
And alone, at that.
“Do you know that the hero’s march has begun again and they’re searching for your tower?”
“I know. They’re pitifully wasting their efforts.”
“...Just how did you hide the tower?”
“If I told you, I might have to take your head.”
“Forget it. Then what exactly is that appearance?”
“Is it strange?”
“...It is strange. Far too strange.”
The face was exactly the same. The build was the same. But the color of the hair, the color of the eyes, the air he gave off were different.
The complete absence of demonic energy made it impossible to believe he was the Demon King, no matter how one looked at him.
“What method did you use?”
“No need to know.”
“Can other Demon Kings walk around like this too?”
“Aren’t you being a bit too greedy?”
“What do you want?”
Berje smiled slyly.
“Do you want to know that badly?”
“This is a serious issue.”
“If you want it, there’s nothing I can’t tell you. It just depends on what you can give me.”
“I hear you like money.”
“I do like it.”
“What would a Demon King even use money for?”
“That too? Then the price goes up.”
“...Tell me.”
“I want a merchant company.”
“A merchant company?”
“If you can’t give it, then you can’t hear it.”
It was his own form of preparation.
Having sensed that Jason’s clutches were reaching toward the Golden Moon Merchant Company, he couldn’t just sit back and be taken apart.
Even if the Golden Moon collapsed, there had to be a substitute.
“I own several merchant companies. I’ll give you one of them.”
“One you can dispose of immediately if you don’t feel like it?”
A small merchant company was something an imperial prince could erase at any time if he wished.
Especially if he used the pretext that it had become a tool of the Demon King and eliminated it at will?
Martin Zespine was merely someone he had temporarily joined hands with for his own benefit, not an ally he could trust with his back.
“As a member of the great imperial bloodline, I will keep my word.”
“Are you confident that word applies even to a Demon King?”
“...Of course.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not enough to move me.”
“Then what do you want?”
“A prince of your caliber must have one or two merchant companies in foreign lands as well, no?”
“That is....”
“Don’t tell clumsy lies. Unless you want to step down early from the succession.”
“...I do.”
“The Trafarta Union?”
“There are two merchant companies under the Aincheil Marquis House.”
“Hand one over. Cut ties with the Aincheil Marquis House completely. Ah, of course, it must not look on the surface like the owner has changed.”
“The scale of the two companies isn’t very large.”
The Trafarta Union was the center of trade. It was a wealthy nation where money and people gathered, but there were that many merchant companies as well.
The Trafarta Union pursued a policy of favoring its own merchant companies linked with various small states, so the White Rose Merchant Company and the Hyacinth Merchant Company barely maintained their existence, serving only as information gatherers feeding news from the Trafarta Union.
“Then hand over both.”
“...You’re a bandit.”
“You know better than anyone that it’s worth that much.”
Ah, and.
“Make additional investments into the companies as well. That will determine not only the answer to this question, but also the degree of cooperation I’ll give you in the future.”
“You should have gone into politics instead of being a Demon King.”
“You flatter me.”
“I’ll invest 5,000 gold. That’s the maximum I can arrange right now.”
“Not bad.”
Compared to figures like 100,000 or 60,000 that usually came up, it seemed small, but it was enough for a small merchant company to start a new business.
‘No, not just one—several.’
Someone once said business was done with other people’s money.
“Now tell me.”
“I’m the only Demon King who can move around while perfectly hiding demonic energy.”
“And?”
“You can probably guess the rest.”
“Guessing and certainty are different.”
“Patronage. I support those who are struggling and in need.”
“Obviously not out of pure intentions.”
“Of course. Across the continent, there are quite a few people widely spread out who receive patronage from Demon Kings.”
Berje subtly planted a bomb.
Among the nobles, there were none he supported. But there were likely quite a few supported by Jason.
If the Third Prince dug into the connections between Jason and the nobles and overturned them, it would be quite an entertaining spectacle.
“...That was very expensive information.”
“It was cheap. Better than living each day in fear, believing other Demon Kings can do the same.”
“I won’t deny it.”
In truth, revealing this face wasn’t a good choice for Berje either. Even so, he had stepped forward boldly because he was holding Kaede as a hostage, and because even considering that risk, he wanted to confirm that sword.
If it truly was the sword that had pierced his heart, it would be worth it.
“Now it’s your turn.”
“Did you bring the token?”
“Here it is.”
“Hand it over.”
“After I hear your plan. Before coming here, I heard about the Imperial Palace Archive from Kaede.”
The archive had been built at the same time the Empire was founded, but it had taken its current form about 700 years ago, after a great mage who carved nine Sigils appeared.
“There’s a cavity in the archive and two doors. One connects to the administrator’s space, and the other is the door of the archive itself. Correct?”
“...Correct.”
“The token reacts only to imperial blood, and non-imperials cannot enter the archive even if they possess the token. Even if they pose as an escort knight, the cavity is the limit. The administrator guards the archive, and an imperial who enters can only take out one treasure. Is this also correct?”
“...That too is correct.”
“Then.”
Berje smiled faintly. He did not emit any pressure. His tone and expression were not threatening.
Yet Martin’s skin prickled. He felt like a beast standing before an ogre.
“Is it also true that the symbol of the Empire you mentioned cannot be held by one without qualifications?”
“...!”
Martin closed his mouth.
“...Kaede?”
“Did you really think I wouldn’t ask your younger sibling? After showing such carelessness?”
Or else.
“Did you think she’d spill everything just because her older brother asked?”
“...How exactly did you persuade my sibling?”
“That’s not what matters. If you don’t convince me, even I don’t know what I might do.”
If it came to it, he could kidnap every single imperial. As for the aftermath? After dumping the tower into the sea, why would he bother worrying about aftermaths?
“...The Empire won’t stand still.”
“Didn’t the hero’s march heading toward Ergest lack the Empire’s involvement? What you need to do isn’t some half-baked threat, but offer an alternative that convinces me.”
“....”
There was no such thing.
In fact, Berje appearing right in front of him had already derailed Martin’s plan.
He had never imagined that the Demon King would boldly come to find him while perfectly hiding demonic energy.
If he had taken the token.
If he had even taken imperial blood.
He would have tried to act on his own and failed after running into the administrator and the great magic.
Yet the Demon King had come to the imperial capital as an official guest.
Martin bit his lip.
“You still haven’t answered.”
The Demon King pressed him.
“...That’s right. For hundreds of years, no one has lifted that sword, and I can’t be confident that I’m qualified either.”
“And yet you spouted nonsense about handing it over to me so easily.”
“As a Demon King, you might have another way. You took both the token and my blood, so why are you trying to follow the proper procedure?”
“So you really were hoping I’d fail and fall into a trap?”
“...That.”
“Do you think Kaede wouldn’t have mentioned that defensive magic arrays set by a great mage are installed and constantly reinforced?”
“Why on earth....”
“You should be thanking your sibling instead. Martin Zespine. It was to keep you alive. If I had known nothing and the situation you imagined had happened.”
Berje’s eyes sank coldly.
You would have—
“Died.”
“....”
“This is your last chance. Martin Zespine. Try to toy with me like that one more time, and you’ll face an ending beyond what you can imagine.”
Don’t think I’ll keep sparing you just because of Kaede.
“...I’ll keep it in mind. However.”
“Do you still have something to add?”
“Knowing all that, why did you come?”
“To confirm it.”
Facing the archive’s defensive magic arrays and the administrator, and committing an excessive theft in the imperial capital, was the worst move.
Perhaps it would be different if he released all interference power and fully regained his true strength, but for the current Berje, it was completely impossible.
In the end, the only hope was that Martin Zespine would become Barstain’s master and bring it out properly, but he honestly didn’t expect much.
Believing that a sword without a master for hundreds of years would suddenly choose Martin was excessive optimism.
Even so, he had come purely to confirm it.
If it was brought out, good. If not, then at least to obtain accurate clues about Barstain in the imperial capital and confirm whether it truly was the sword that had pierced his heart.
“What exactly is Barstain to you? That sword has been sleeping in the archive for hundreds of years.”
“That’s none of your business.”
‘And in the unlikely event that he brings it out.’
He would have to take it or destroy it by any means necessary.
That red blade was a single possibility. The possibility of a blade that could kill Berje.
That sharp sword, said to be made from a dragon’s bones, had mercilessly crushed his scales, flesh, and bones.
Even in the hands of an ordinary person, it could fully display its power, and in the hands of an extraordinary one, it became even stronger.
At that time, in that moment.
Perhaps the result of defeat wouldn’t have changed.
But at least.
If that hero hadn’t had that sword, he wouldn’t have lost so miserably and futilely.
At the very least, he would have torn at the bastard’s collar and perished together.
Just eliminating that possibility made it worth forcing himself to destroy the sword. If he couldn’t destroy it, then at least take it or hide it.
“There are two things you must keep in mind.”
First, bring the sword out and hand it over to Berje.
“And if you can’t become its master, at least capture its appearance so I can confirm it.”
“...Understood.”
Berje growled. Martin nodded.
* * *
The Imperial Palace Archive could only be entered by imperials.
Only those with the token could enter, and only one chance was granted in a lifetime.
The treasures inside the archive were each outstanding artifacts capable of turning an ordinary human into a powerful individual, and only one could be taken out.
However, all artifacts had qualifications.
Noble artifacts chose their masters and did not allow the hands of the unqualified.
“I’ve heard there were imperials who came out without taking anything at all.”
“Don’t try any tricks. If you hide something after being chosen, my mercy ends at that moment.”
“...I was merely speaking of one possibility.”
“Shut up and just enter the archive.”“You’re not accompanying me?”
“I am.”
Only up to the entrance, but it was a chance to check the appearance of the archive and the administrator said to guard it.
“Understood.”
Thus, Martin received permission from the Emperor to enter the archive. Berje followed him as his escort knight.
“Welcome, Your Highness. I’ve been waiting.”
They descended deep underground. A massive cavity and a door came into view, and a man guarding it stood waiting before them.
“I am Jaxion, the administrator of the archive.”
“Pleased to meet you, Lord Jaxion.”
“The escort knight cannot proceed beyond this point.”
“Understood.”
While replying, Berje constantly observed the surroundings and Jaxion.
‘He’s strong.’
At least high-grade demon race—no, in some respects, even beyond that. He was on par with Gordon fighting at full power in the Demon Realm.
That wasn’t all. The magic spread throughout the archive was linked to Jaxion.
The moment combat broke out, it would assist him and suppress Berje’s power instead.
‘If I fight now.’
Eight times out of ten, he would lose. There was no need to gamble.
“Your Highness, would you please place the token here?”
“Very well.”
Martin inserted the token into the notch at the center of the door. It fit perfectly with a click. Then he cut himself with a small blade and scattered blood.
Uuuuuuung—
The door and token resonated. With a loud rumble, it slowly opened.
“You may take out only one item.”
“I know.”
Martin entered the archive.
One couldn’t help but marvel at the array of artifacts, each capable of turning an ordinary human into an exceptional being.
But he passed all of them and headed toward the center of the archive. According to what he had heard, the symbol of the Empire would be at the highest point in the center.
“...My heavens.”
But.
Unlike the splendid surroundings.
“...The Red Dragon Sword.”
The most important place was completely empty.
“...None.”
The Red Dragon Sword, Barstain, had already found its master.