Chapter 173 : Distribution
Chapter 173: Distribution
“Are you sure?”
『Yes. More than a hundred heroes reportedly died in the battle against the dragon. His name rose to the forefront, but it couldn’t be said to be solely Balraf Dislode’s achievement.』
‘To have driven a dragon this far…’
It would have died even if left alone, so rather than merely driving it into a corner, it wouldn’t have been wrong to say they had killed it.
A hero force that included no fewer than four Stars.
As much as the Empire had poured its heart and soul into it in cooperation with the Hero Guild, the overall level was high.
Comparing that force to a dragon, it couldn’t be said to be unconditionally inferior. In fact, since they had actually killed it, it could be said to have been overwhelming.
‘No matter how many Stars there are, it was a true dragon.’
The power possessed by a fully grown dragon could not be fully expressed in words. Even at the Demon King Military Academy, they taught that in dimensions where dragons existed, one should avoid collisions with dragons as much as possible.
And yet, it had been killed. By a hero force.
‘If that hero force were to storm my tower…’
Nothing but the worst of the worst came to mind.
‘Of course, even now after absorbing the dragon heart…’
It was the same. Although the total amount of power had increased, the interference power remained unchanged. If even the interference power had disappeared, he wouldn’t have cared, but for now, tens of thousands were too much.
‘But what if most of them were wiped out by falling into the fake tower?’
As a result, four Stars—no, since it was an alliance of more than a dozen kingdoms, perhaps even more Stars might come. If he could kill them all.
‘There will be no one left to stop me.’
Except for the Demon King, Jason Kokemundo.
“Understood. Thank you.”
『Did you take the dragon?』
“That’s right.”
『As expected, Demon King, you’re amazing.』
“Don’t spout nonsense.”
『It’s not nonsense. Black hair is nice, but I’m saying it because the dark crimson hair is also very wonderful.』
“…Huh?”
Tuk—
The communication was cut off.
…What was that just now?
* * *
“Dragon, dragon, dragon, dragon, dragon, dragon!”
“We’ll make armour with those scales. Weapons with those bones. Bows with the tendons, and with those teeth…!”
“I want to make it, I want to make it, I want to make it!”
Madness. There was no other word to describe it but madness.
Beside the rapidly rising fake tower lay a single dragon corpse.
The dwarves repeated the cycle of striking their hammers three times and checking the dragon once.
“Khehehehe, to have a dragon’s corpse right before your eyes and do something else is a disgrace to a dwarf craftsman…”
Occasionally, a dwarf who had completely lost his mind would rush toward the corpse, only to be blocked by fellow craftsmen.
“Get a grip! They said if we cause trouble before the tower is completed, they’ll erase our share entirely!”
“You damn bastard! If we don’t get the corpse because of you, you’ll take responsibility!”
While keeping each other in check, their greed toward the dragon only grew stronger.
And that greed was poured entirely into the construction of the tower.
“They say we can’t touch the corpse unless we build the tower? Then we’ll just build the tower!”
“It’s only about 50 meters at most, right? We’ll finish it in two weeks—no, one week!”
And at the very peak of it all was Roger.
A dwarf who had been entrusted with full authority over the dwarf craftsmen by the Demon King and Louise Berfht.
A dwarf whose yearning for dragons surpassed all others.
“Move, move faster! If the condition of the corpse changes, will you take responsibility!?”
“Those brilliant scales! Those mighty bones! Those beautiful horns! Shouldn’t we dismantle and craft them while they’re intact!”
“You’re slower than the chimeras! Do you want Princess Lavinia to take everything from you!”
Roger skillfully commanded the dwarves, drawing on his experience of building the bridge. At the same time, he threw himself into it more passionately than anyone else.
From Berje’s perspective, it was nothing short of immensely satisfying.
‘It was obtained by chance, but this is definitely a good card.’
Dragon scales that boasted extreme magic resistance.
Dragon bones said to be harder than any metal.
Even tendons that could scarcely ever be cut.
All of them were heavenly materials with nothing to discard.
If armor were made from dragon scales, swords and spears from bones, and bows from tendons—
And if the finest craftsmen of Berfht were to make them—
‘Red Dragon Sword, Barstad.’
Wouldn’t weapons at least on par with it, perhaps even superior, pour out?
Even a single sword made of dragon bone became a symbol of the Empire—if all the tower’s personnel were armed with such things.
‘Just imagining it is exhilarating.’
Truly.
It might not even be a dream.
To crush the Empire head-on, annihilate all kingdoms, and conquer Arein.
To bring Arein into the bosom of the Demon Realm and return in glory.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
Berje prayed that the alliance seeking the tower would be formed sooner rather than later.
* * *
Perhaps thanks to the dwarves’ madness—or perhaps Lavinia’s obsession—
The tower was completed faster than expected, and before three weeks had passed, it revealed its majestic form.
“What about the bombs?”
“We created space between the outer wall and the inner wall. We filled all of it with mana bombs.”
“Very good.”
The entire 50-meter tower was plastered with bombs. The moment Berje touched the spell, a chain explosion would completely blow away the surroundings.
How many could possibly survive within that explosion?
After the hero force was annihilated, what emotions would humans be swept up in?
Anger? Fear? Sorrow? Or despair?
It didn’t matter. Those emotions would deepen, and all of them would become Berje’s demonic power.
“Lavinia.”
“Yes.”
“Fill the first and second floors with monsters. They don’t need to be packed too tightly, but they mustn’t be too weak either.”
“Yes. Dragon?”
“Yes, now we need to distribute the dragon.”
“Wow.”
Lavinia beamed brightly. The dwarves, who had been listening quietly, scrambled to sit before Berje.
“We trust in the great Demon King’s fair distribution!”
“We trust!”
At Roger’s lead, the dwarves echoed.
‘The dragon is enormous, and yet…’
Why did it seem endlessly insufficient before the greed of the dwarves and Lavinia?
“First, let’s return to the tower.”
They entered the tower via the sea. The corpse was taken out of subspace.
“What is that? It’s a dragon!”
“A dragon!”
“My goodness.”
The Succubus Queen, humans, the dwarf princess, and the elves all gasped in unison.
“Where did you get this?”
“Picked it up.”
“…What kind of bullshit is that?”
He ignored Vivian as her expression twisted.
“Demon King?”
“You heard me. I picked it up on the way.”
“Is that even possible?”
“It’s possible, since I brought it.”
Berje summoned everyone in the tower to the first floor. Countless bright eyes focused on him as one.
“From now on, I’ll distribute all of the dragon’s byproducts. Raise your hand if you need something.”
Without exception, everyone raised their hand.
“Louise, you too?”
“I need materials to make my axe.”
“The dwarves will handle that.”
“In that case.”
Louise quietly lowered her hand.
“Elves usually don’t make things.”
“We need them for magical research.”
Ellena answered on behalf of the elves.
“We don’t need bones or scales that much. But the blood and eyes are the finest magical reagents.”
“I see. Then what about you, Vivian.”
“…Horn.”
“Horn?”
She pointed to the empty side of her head.
“Yes. A horn.”
“Rejected.”
“Why! If you sold it off, you should restore it! That’s the proper way to treat your subordinate!”
“If I gave it to you, how do you plan to attach it?”
“That crazy princess is here! She’s good at making chimeras—can’t she attach a single horn to my head?”
“I wonder.”
Berje shook his head. No matter how skilled Lavinia was as a chimera creator, she wouldn’t be able to attach a dragon’s horn safely to the body of a Succubus Queen she’d never seen before.
And above all—
“This horn is bigger than your head.”
Thus, rejected.
“N-no! Refining—have the dwarves refine it! Compress it!”
Her gaze chased the dwarves, but the little folk desperately averted their eyes.
“Roger.”
“…Uh, well.”
Under the pouring gazes of his kin, Roger wiped his sweat.
His skin prickled.
“Speak plainly. Don’t try any tricks.”
“It’s possible—possible, but…”
“Your tongue is long. Shall I exclude you?”
“It can be done! Absolutely!”
“So you were just avoiding it because you didn’t want to give up the horn.”
“…Ahem.”
“Khmmm.”
The dwarves forced themselves to avoid Berje’s gaze.
“Lavinia. Is it possible?”
“Demon King, dragon, horn. Fun.”
“You just want to try it because it sounds fun? That kind of recklessness—”
“Do it.”
“She says she’ll do it!”
“…Fine. Then one horn goes to Vivian. Roger, you’ll take responsibility for refining it properly and hand it over to Lavinia.”
“…Understood.”
Berje moved on.
“Lavinia.”
“All of it?”
“Monsters. All of them.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. The only one you can attach a dragon’s corpse to is Cher.”
If even the crude monsters were all grafted with dragon remains, nothing would survive. That would be wasteful.
“…Cheap.”
Lavinia puffed out her cheeks.
“If you don’t like it, then forget it.”
“Cher. Horns, scales, muscles.”
“How much?”
“Cher’s body, scales.”
“Enough scales to cover the entire body.”
“Muscles.”
“You’ll replace some of the muscles with the dragon’s?”
“Yes.”
“And the horns will be embedded in the head?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, then the horns are all gone.”
“Ah…”
“Mmm.”
The dwarves let out regretful groans.
“This is too unfair! Not even getting a chance at the most important horns!”
“You have the largest numbers. The greatest share of byproducts will be allocated to you. Isn’t taking the horns as well too greedy?”
“…Individually, it ends up being the same.”
“I’ll give you a bit more.”
“I believe the Demon King’s opinion is absolutely correct!”
“You traitor!”
“I also think the Demon King is right!”
“I feel the same!”
The dwarves shouted in unison. Even those who had initially ground their teeth at Roger had no choice but to change course.
“Roger, you don’t need the eyes, do you?”
“Eyes aren’t bad, but if we take them, our allocation in other parts will be reduced, correct?”
“Obviously.”
“Then we don’t need them. We’d like more teeth instead.”
“Then these go to the elves. What about the blood?”
“Just give us an appropriate amount.”
“Kaede, what about you?”
“I also want new armor and a sword…”
Kaede murmured shyly. She was a knight, and she desired a good sword and good armor.
Especially if they were made from dragon bones.
“Understood. Roger, you’ll be responsible for making them.”
“Why me again!”
“You’re a hero.”
“………”
“Additionally, make robes using the scales. Two sets.”
“What?”
“One will be for Ellena, and the other will go to Ernan.”
“…Yes.”
“Then that’s it?”
“I-I also!”
It was the golemancer, who had been kidnapped to make a golem core and then briefly forgotten altogether.
“Your name…?”
“Raymond. Great Demon King!”
“And what do you want?”
“I want bones, blood, and eyes! Have you ever imagined it? A golem made from dragon bones!”
A body made of dragon bones, runes and circuits carved with dragon blood, and a dragon’s eye as the core to create a golem. Just imagining that resplendent form was exhilarating.
“It will be the strongest golem in history!”
“Hmmm.”
Berje stroked his chin. Just hearing it was fairly enticing. But one condition was required.
“If you become my subordinate, I’ll let you make it.”
“Uh…”
After a long moment of deliberation, Raymond lifted his head again.
“Perhaps—perhaps I may ask.”
“Speak.”
“If I properly create the golem core and make the golem, will you send me back to Arkan?”
“…Who knows.”
Berje did not answer. He merely smiled ambiguously. And that was an answer.
“…If I can’t go back anyway, then I’ll become a subordinate and at least make what I want!”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t send you back.”
“Then I’ll just become a subordinate!”
“A wise choice.”
Thus, the distribution ended. The dragon’s corpse began to be butchered.
* * *
The Trafarta Union. At the center of the continent, the elites of each nation had gathered in one place.
Raising their respective flags and crests, they steeled their resolve.
“At last, the time has come!”
Rufus Zespine, who held the position of supreme commander of the alliance, stepped onto the podium.
Looking out over the army of one hundred thousand, he unleashed his magically amplified voice.
“About a thousand years ago, the Demon King descended, and we were cast into terror. Heroes appeared and resisted, but we were trapped in a cycle of war and hatred with no end in sight.”
“That changed only a little over a hundred years ago. To sever this detestable relationship, countless lives were thrown away like straw! For humanity! For the continent!”
“By killing four of the five Demon Kings, we seized peace. We proved that humanity stood above them. And we granted mercy befitting that position!”
And yet now—
“That peace is being shaken.”
There exists a Demon King who toys with us and mocks us, exploiting the mercy we generously bestowed.
“Simply because we cannot find the tower, we are returning to weakness. Do you wish for the distant past to return!”
- No!
The resounding roar shook the world.
“That’s right. Therefore, I—we—must no longer stand idly by and watch the Demon King of Dark Flame. We must set an example, a stern punishment, so that no Demon King dares to harbor foolish delusions again!”
And now—
“That moment has arrived!”
Rufus raised the flag.
The continental emblem symbolizing the alliance fluttered in the wind.
“Rise, all of you! Fight for the future of humanity! Find the Demon King and show him that there will be no more mercy!”
The march began!
──────!
With blazing shouts, the allied force of 110,000 set out to find the Tower of Dark Flame.