The Power of Money
"...He asked whether I wanted to buy magi?"
Draxon was so stunned he didn't even realize the meat had fallen from his mouth.
"Yes."
Casey picked up the fallen piece and tossed it into the trash. Then he wiped Draxon's mouth with a napkin.
"Are you certain? That the message really came from him?"
"Positive."
"He truly intends to sell magi?"
"Yes."
"In exchange for what?"
"He mentioned human money."
"For that measly thing? He really has gone insane, hasn't he?"
Magi—converted through human emotions and life force—was fundamentally different from demonic magi.
Because it was tied directly to life itself, it was purer and more refined.
It was the only key that could loosen the dimensional shackles suppressing the demon kings.
And it could become the escape route to shatter long-blocked limits.
It was the very reason all demons struggled desperately to enter the Demon King Academy and become demon kings themselves. In all of history, no demon king had ever sold the magi they collected to another.
Much less in exchange for a worthless human invention—money usable only in Arein?
All emotions and all life were finite.
No matter how violent the rage.
No matter how piercing the sorrow.
No matter how despairing the wish to die.
In time, they all eroded and faded. Naturally, emotions toward a demon king faded the same way. The magi gathered decreased day by day.
That was why demon kings constantly had to kidnap new princes or princesses and intervene in the human world to stir up trouble.
Arein, swarming with heroes, was especially troublesome—collecting magi was harder here than in other dimensions.
Which made this proposal all the more suspicious.
"Berze wants a long-term deal. He said he wants to regularly exchange Hilderan's quantified rage-magí."
"You expect a large amount?"
"Hilderan is one of the strongest kingdoms in the south. And the people's admiration for the crown princess is immense. Taking in that rage and sorrow long-term…"
"Would be astronomical."
Indeed, the Canon was correct. No matter how he mocked it, this was the result of kidnapping the best possible princess according to the Canon.
"What in the world is he plotting?"
"Perhaps… he's simply insane."
Who but a madman would insult the Canon, follow it more faithfully than anyone, and then sell magi?
"Could be."
Draxon rested his chin on his hand, thinking deeply. But soon, he reached a conclusion.
"Accept it. Immediately."
Even if there was a filthy scheme behind it.
Even if it felt horribly unpleasant.
"You'd be an idiot not to take this."
It was an irresistibly sweet temptation.
"...My word. Selling magi for mere human currency?"
Draxon and Casey weren't the only ones who thought so.
The dark elf who had delivered the proposal on the demon king's behalf also couldn't understand it.
Why did demons risk their lives crossing dimensions with their demon king?
Loyalty and trust in the demon king, the desire to earn merit—that all mattered, but the influence of magi was tremendous. They wanted to obtain magi more refined and higher in purity than that of the Demon Realm.
"Didn't you receive funds from the higher-ups when you first descended?"
"I spent all that traveling to and from Hilderan. Teleportation circles cost a fortune."
Naturally, the higher-ups hadn't given him much—money held little value for demon kings. And the journey had crossed the entire continent from one extreme to the other.
"Of course, magi is important. But that only matters if you're alive."
"Hm."
Gordon, who had heard roughly how things were unfolding, reluctantly agreed to that point.
"So with human money, you're saying you'll have a method?"
"Yes."
"And you can't do that with magi?"
"I'll buy something."
An elf.
And—
"I'll need a stand-in."
Demon kings and heroes.
Demon kings and kingdoms.
Though the age of mindless hostility was fading, it was still merely a transitional period—demon kings remained invaders.
Naturally, the races of the dimensions despised and loathed demons.
Which meant that no matter how much money Berze threw at humans, none would willingly listen to him.
They'd report him as a dangerous demon king instead.
So the point was—
"I need a frontman."
To be a proper mastermind.
Someone who could stir chaos in the human world in his stead, while he, as a demon king, roared at the world from behind the curtain.
Someone who would never betray him and follow him faithfully.
'And since it'll take more time than expected for the hero to reach this place, I might as well set the stage.'
Heroes thirsted for fame and never hid their movements.
Whenever a hero began to act, the continent made a fuss. It was as foolish as the Demon King Canon itself—but in Arein, foolish things worked.
Because the Canon was even more foolish.
Traveling across the continent's far corners would take time.
In the end, it was a race against time. Would he secure a frontman and hire humans to disrupt the hero's path first, or would the hero arrive first?
While he pondered, he reached his destination.
The kingdom of Hortin, located near the Ergest mountain range. And its fortress-city, Hotenwalk.
A northern kingdom with barren lands—wide territory, sparse population.
The shield guarding the kingdom's farthest northern edge.
"Halt! Who goes there!"
"A mercenary returning from a commission."
Berze held up the yeti skin he had taken from a beast he'd beaten earlier. Soon, the heavy gates opened.
"You must be brave to wander the mountains alone."
"You caught a yeti by yourself?"
"Yes."
"Never seen your face."
"You speak as if you know every mercenary in the fortress."
Greed flickered briefly in the soldiers' eyes, but they didn't press further. Hotenwalk saw countless mercenaries come and go every day.
But that was the extent of Berze's knowledge.
In his previous life, he had never bothered learning anything about humans.
The one thing he knew for certain—
'There's a slave market here.'
Arein was a dimension where slavery thrived.
Humans ruled most of the continent, and war with other races never ceased. Any captured non-human was made into a slave.
As racial wars faded, humans began filling those slave markets with their own kind—but illegal trade of other races continued quietly.
"Hmm, how did this go again?"
One demon king had once said: the underworld's ecosystem was no different from that of demons.
Survival of the fittest. Strength ruled above all, and if you had it, there was nothing you couldn't obtain.
The slave market and the underworld were inseparably intertwined.
"If I beat them around a bit, they'll talk."
And while he was at it, he could ask how Hilderan was responding.
Berze walked lightly onward.
"Buuurp…"
The mercenary Bark let out a long belch. The fizz of the beer he'd just chugged rose pleasantly.
"You filthy bastard, at least don't do it in someone's face!"
"It's a natural instinct."
"Is instinct supposed to fire five times a minute?"
"That's practically a rabbit."
His comrades burst out laughing.
It was a good day. Monsters had attacked the fortress, and they had driven them off without much damage. Their mercenary group had taken yeti corpses and earned plenty of lucrative by-products.
"Still, shouldn't we leave this place soon?"
"This wonderful place?"
They had settled in Hotenwalk three years ago. They came here to make big money at the risk of their lives—and prepared to die.
But instead, this was a gold mine. Monsters appeared daily, but the veteran soldiers—hardened by years of attacks—handled them effortlessly. Plenty of loot, minimal danger.
"Well, sure, but there are rumors. They say a new demon king built a tower in Ergest…"
"Oh, that nonsense?"
Bark snorted.
"You really don't know demon kings. They don't build towers in places that are too dangerous. They pick spots accessible enough for heroes or soldiers to reach. And why would a demon king in Ergest come all the way to kidnap Hilderan's crown princess? Have you ever heard of a demon king traveling across the continent to snatch a princess?"
"Then the rumor is…?"
"Just wrong. The demon king's probably near Hilderan, or at most a kingdom or two away. That's how it usually is."
"But the Hero Guild is in an uproar. They say even when offered an absurd sum, they refused the request because it's the Ergest mountains."
"That's just theatrics. You know what the crown princess means to Hilderan? She's irreplaceable. The guild knows the kingdom will pay limbs to get her back, so they're just squeezing them for more. You know how money-crazed those hero bastards are."
"Hm. Fair enough."
The mercenaries nodded one by one.
That was when it happened.
"That's quite an interesting story."
A heavy voice pierced their ears. Before they realized what was happening, one mercenary screamed as he was flung into the air.
"Gah—!"
He collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
"…"
Cognitive dissonance. Bark didn't understand what he had just witnessed. Because of that, his reaction was slow—and that brief delay was enough for the stranger to knock out all his companions.
"One mouth is enough. The one who seems to know the most."
The shadowy figure dusted off his hands. His pitch-black eyes, cold as a frozen abyss, made Bark's legs give out.
His drunkenness vanished.
His instincts—honed from long years as a mercenary—screamed at him. You cannot win.
"Don't be afraid. As long as you answer my questions, there won't be any problems."
A pale hand tapped his shoulder gently.
Bark nodded frantically.
"I–If you spare me, I'll tell you anything—!"
"Shh."
A pale finger pressed against his lips.
"My hearing works perfectly."
"Y-Yes, sir."
"That talk about demon kings earlier—quite interesting."
Bark cursed the idiot who had brought up demon kings. If he survived, he swore he'd smash the bastard's skull.
"Is it true? That the demon king is in Ergest?"
"That's the rumor. But not many believe it. Demon kings don't build towers in places that completely reject human presence."
I see.
A smile tugged at the man's lips.
"And the heroes refusing the request?"
"They say they won't accept missions involving Ergest. They claim it's dangerous, but honestly, I think they're just trying to raise the price."
"Even though the crown princess was kidnapped?"
"No, sir. There's no one in this world who loves money more than those hero scumbags. Absolutely. There are even rumors of collusion between the Hero Guild and demon kings, aren't there?"
"Is that so."
The man looked satisfied. Bark let out a sigh of relief.
"One more thing. I searched the back alleys for hours. But nothing."
There was no subject to the statement.
"Is there no underworld in this city?"
"N-No, sir."
Thankfully, Bark knew the answer.
"Hotenwalk always has a stationed legion, so it's well-policed. And so many hardened mercenaries come through that there's no room for the underworld to take root."
"I see."
So it was a wasted effort.
The man clicked his tongue.
"In that case, you'll have to guide me."
"...Sir?"
"Where is the slave market?"
"T-The slave market is near the east gate…"
"So you do know. Good. Lead the way."
"Y-Yes…?"
hic
My suspicion was correct.
'Building the nest in Ergest was the right choice.'
There were no heroes stepping up. Much more time than expected had been bought.
But since Hilderan would be foaming at the mouth in pursuit, they would inevitably send a strong hero. I couldn't afford to let my guard down.
"This way."
The mercenary led me to a massive mansion not far from the east gate. I sensed numerous presences inside.
Tall walls enclosed the area. Beyond them lay a wide garden, and within the garden, several tents were pitched.
Inside each tent stood magically reinforced iron cages—and inside them, slaves bound with chains.
"So this is it."
"Yes, sir."
With the mercenary following behind, Berze quickly scanned the area. There were dozens of slaves.
But not what he wanted.
They were all human.
"…Do none of them please you, sir?"
Seeing Berze's frown, the mercenary asked cautiously.
"Is this all?"
"Th-This is the public section…"
"So there's more."
"Yes. But the private section is reserved for elite customers. They don't let just anyone in."
"And if I absolutely insist on entering?"
"That would be…"
Clink—
Berze tossed a money pouch to him. Bark caught it instinctively. When he checked the contents, his eyes bulged.
"T-This is…?!"
"If you find me a slave I like, it's yours."
"R-Really?!"
It was an experiment.
Berze already knew humans were slaves to money. He had seen them fight and betray each other over it.
But he wanted to know to what extent. Could humans betray their own species—for a demon king?
So he had beaten him. Not as brutally as a demon king would, but enough to see whether the mercenary would still cooperate with someone who had knocked out his comrades—if offered money.
"If you entrust this to me, I will give it my all!"
Greed and determination flashed in the man's eyes.
A complete success.
'At this rate, money is nearly equivalent to magi for them.'
After all, even demons betrayed each other for magi from the middle realm.
"If you entrust this to me, I will give it my all!"
How much is this worth?
The pouch wasn't bulging, but its contents gleamed yellow. Gold coins—not copper, not silver. Two of them, even.
The price was equal to selling all the yeti by-products they had earned today. And he could get this much simply by guiding the man?
Of course he would do it.
Luckily, Bark had connections. Contacts he had formed in the three years he'd spent in Hotenwalk.
"Argh, I really shouldn't…"
"Come on. We've known each other a long time, haven't we? And the customer is willing to pay handsomely. Let's just help each other out."
"Ugh… fine."
He slipped the guide a silver coin, and the man opened the door leading underground.
They descended the dim staircase, where even torches couldn't fully illuminate the darkness, until a vast cavern greeted them. Scattered among the shadows were a handful of iron cages.
Only five.
But Bark was certain the pouch of gold would be his. Because the client's lips had curled into a smile.
What is he looking at?
Bark followed his gaze.
There, inside one of the cages—
Was an elf with snow-white skin.