Spy
『Join Hillen Cargill's hero expedition as a mercenary.』
『Do your best to assist him and build up renown.』
"…Are you sure this is really an order from the Demon King?"
『It's Demon King "sir." Mind your manners.』
"No, Demon King, Demon King-sir, whatever—this is weird, isn't it? What kind of Demon King in all the worlds orders someone to help a Hero?"
『How could filth like you fathom His profound intentions.』
"Oh? And you understand them perfectly?"
『Shut up and obey.』
At the low growl, Granada snorted.
"Well, a slave doesn't have many choices. Fine. At this rate, I wouldn't be surprised if I end up cutting the Demon King-sir's throat myself. From following orders too well."
『As expected, you pale-skinned elves are the kind who need to die before you behave.』
"And you black-skinned elves are no fun at all."
The two elves glared at each other through the crystal sphere. A strange tension filled the air. The first to look away was Gordon.
『How could His Majesty employ such a brute… tch.』
He let out a sharp breath and cut the connection. Granada scratched the bridge of his nose.
"What the hell is he plotting?"
Joining the very hero expedition meant to slay him?
Granada weighed the difference between his current self and the Demon King.
During the battle in the Tower, after long years of slavery, he had not been in proper condition. His body was diseased, his skills rusted—no better than a cripple's.
But now?
He wasn't perfect yet, but with his restored self, even if five enemies jumped him at once, he could kill them all.
And yet—
"I still can't get a read on him."
He must have just descended as Demon King, yet his strength was incomprehensibly vast. And his peculiarities too.
"Well… I guess it doesn't matter."
Strong or weak, once Granada swore upon the World Tree, unless the Demon King died, he owed him a century of service.
A short time for elves? Not at all. But Granada did not regret it. Better to serve the Demon King and slaughter humans than live pathetically as their slave.
'Especially that bastard.'
The hunter who captured him and sold him to slavers.
Granada's lips tightened. He snapped out of it and left the hidden room, then smacked the backs of the mercenaries—including Bark—who were drinking heavily.
"Agh! What was that for, Captain?!"
"We have an order from our lord."
"At last?!"
"Yes. We're joining the Hero's expedition."
"Hillen Cargill?"
"The Hero of Hilderan?"
"Aha, so that's why you've been asking the information guild about Heroes? To join up with him?"
"…You could say that."
It wasn't, but it was a convenient excuse. Maybe the Demon King truly intended that.
"But Hillen Cargill's expedition will have way too much competition."
A Hero famous for having supposedly slain the Demon King—such a renown was rare. Since success was all but guaranteed, hordes of hyenas would gather to fight for scraps.
"That's why we go quickly."
To become the biggest hyena of them all.
The Red Hawk Mercenary Company headed south.
"…What is this?"
Gordon, having delivered the Demon King's orders to Granada, stopped upon reaching the 4th floor.
"You're here?"
The princess greeted him with a bright smile.
"I decorated it with scenery that spirits would love. What do you think?"
"…Spirits would certainly love this scenery."
Yes. Spirits would love something like this.
"Is that… a river?"
"I wanted to make it bigger, like a real river, but my ability's limited. A valley stream was the best I could do."
Water spirits jumped and played in the winding stream that cut through part of the 4th floor.
"And that tree…"
An earth spirit was sprawled lazily on its branch, napping.
At the campfire, a fire spirit danced. The enclosed Tower's winds were stirred by a wind spirit overhead.
So she really does manipulate all four elements…
"Over here is the forest, and this side is a meadow. Refreshing, isn't it?"
"It's… refreshing."
Too refreshing. A gentle breeze tickled Gordon's hair.
It was a full ecological system.
Inside the Demon King's Tower—she had created an ecosystem of nature.
Small in scale, yes, but the princess was clearly no ordinary person.
"If I could, I'd decorate the entire 4th floor like this right away… but I guess I can't. Maybe the mana here is too thin?"
"For thin mana, you've done remarkably well."
Naturally. The Demon King's Tower overflowed with demonic energy, leaving mana faint.
For her to create this despite that was worthy of praise. If only she weren't a kidnapped princess. If only she weren't doing it inside the tower of the Demon King he served.
'I want to destroy all of it.'
If not for his master's orders, he would've done exactly that—forcefully banish the spirits and throw the princess into the underground dungeon.
'I must make absolutely sure no Hero ever reaches the 4th floor.'
Gordon clenched his resolve. No human could be allowed to witness this disgrace.
'Why is His Majesty being so kind to some human princess?'
He understood Arein's dimension was different. He understood there were reasons to show her convenience.
But this was far beyond convenience.
"Oh, um—did His Majesty mention when he'd go looking for Spirit Dew again?"
"That is for His Majesty to decide."
"Ah… yes. Sorry."
She lowered her head.
So Gordon did not see her expression.
Things had become tangled.
He could no longer deny it.
He had kidnapped an excellent craftsman—but also a Hero.
Following the dwarf's waddling rear as it led the way, Berze felt waves of killing intent rising.
Though this wasn't the one who killed him, nor the one who climbed the Tower to mock him… a Hero was a Hero.
He wanted to rip its limbs apart and crush its skull.
Craftsmen could be replaced. The kidnapping would spread among the Dwarves, but he could deal with that.
But Berze endured.
Because this one was a Hero.
Because he himself had once been used and killed by Heroes.
'There's no rule saying I can't use a Hero.'
Driving this Hero like a dog, abusing him as trash—returning the humiliation he'd suffered a thousandfold would be far sweeter.
He forced down his anger.
He reopened his eyes—only to see the dwarf's backside again. Irritation surged instantly.
He'd been told to lead him to a secret path, and the little bastard had brought him to some filthy tunnel where he had to crawl on all fours. Was this deliberate?
He briefly considered smashing the dwarf's rear. Then decided it might kill him, so he stopped.
"Are we heading toward the exit?"
"Y-yes…!"
But the passage led even deeper underground. A small abandoned mine opened before them.
Berze smacked the dwarf's head without a word. The dwarf yelped.
"T-that way! The exit is that way! It's an old abandoned mine, but I dug out a new passage!"
After one hit, his tone had grown much more polite. Not bad.
"I'll trust you this once more. If it's another lie, this won't be fun."
"It's not a lie at all…"
"...."
"N-no! That's not what I meant! But… may I ask just one question?"
Berze tilted his head slightly.
"Why did you kidnap me, a Hero?"
"You're the one who said you'd get captured in the princess's place."
"Well, even so…"
A Hero and a Demon King were incompatible—like water and oil. No Demon King in history had ever spared a Hero, nor had any Hero ever saved a Demon King.
…Though there was one exception.
But that situation had been different.
Simply choosing not to climb the Tower's summit wasn't the same as saving the Demon King.
"Don't just stand there. Hurry and guide me."
"Y-yes, yes!"
Logar squeezed into a narrow opening.
"You expect me to go in there?"
"It's a tunnel I secretly dug. The entrance is narrow, but it widens inside, so please endure just a bit…"
Crash—
Part of the entrance collapsed. The wall pressing on Logar vanished.
"As I thought. The passage isn't that narrow."
"I–if you touch things carelessly, the mine could collapse."
"And yet it didn't."
"Well—luckily it didn't, but underground, you never know when—"
"It makes me wonder if you're intentionally dragging your feet to stall for time."
"T-that's absolutely not the case! L-let's go quickly!"
The passage sloped steeply upward like a crude staircase. Logar scrambled upward with his short legs.
'What happens to me now…?'
He was helping the Demon King escape because of threats, but the future was a complete unknown.
Escape was impossible. And why would the Demon King spare him instead of the princess?
"...What will you do with me?"
"Do you want to live?"
One piercing question made Logar flinch violently.
He was a Hero. Though an odd one who never went hunting or fought monsters, still…
Still, he was supposed to be dignified—someone who would never beg for life before the Demon King—
"…I want to live."
Logar's voice trembled. If he could throw his life away so easily, he would be on the battlefield, not in a workshop. He had never even wanted to become a Hero in the first place.
"We'll see."
Something cold brushed his throat. Logar collapsed onto the ground.
"Why should I, the Demon King, spare you, a Hero?"
"I–I'm very useful! My combat ability is trash as a Hero, but my craftsmanship is excellent!"
"You're just one Dwarf among countless others."
"N-no! It may sound like bragging, but in the Dwarf Kingdom, everyone knows the name Logar! When it comes to craftsmanship alone, I dare say I am the best among Dwarves!"
"Fine. I'll be generous and assume that's all true."
The Demon King's acknowledgment made Logar nod frantically.
"But you—a Hero—would use those skills for me, the Demon King? You think that makes sense?"
"Why wouldn't it make sense?!"
Logar desperately racked his brain.
"Hero Pallas paid a great sum of gold to buy back the kidnapped princess from the Demon King of Lies!"
"The King of Hortin made a pact with the Demon King of Deceit!"
"The Demon King of Steel accepted a commission from the Iasin Kingdom to exterminate the monsters in the Ians Forest!"
"The Demon King of Frost sent twelve Heroes away unharmed after they entered his Tower!"
Rumors trickled down from royal circles and between Heroes—he spewed them like a rapid-fire barrage.
"Cooperation between Heroes and Demon Kings is practically an open secret! So why wouldn't I work for Your Majesty as well?!"
He felt the Demon King laugh behind him.
Logar couldn't see his face, but he imagined a smirk tugging at the Demon King's lips.
He didn't know if that was approval or mockery. Cold sweat trickled down his back.
"I came to kidnap a princess, and instead I'm receiving the desperate courtship of a tiny dwarf."
"A-at the very least, I would be more useful than most! I can even serve as a spy!"
"That's not for you to decide. That's for me to judge."
"O-of course! Of course!"
Hmm.
The Demon King stroked his chin.
"Whether someone like you is useful or not…"
A moment of silence. Logar's breathing grew rough. His body quivered uncontrollably.
"…But since you're crying and begging this much, I suppose I could show mercy. I am a generous Demon King."
Logar turned and slammed his forehead to the floor.
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Your Great Majesty! Long live the Demon King!"
"Get up."
The Demon King helped him rise.
"And do try to remember—"
He patted Logar's shoulder with a smile.
"Don't forget the resolve you showed today, little Hero."
If he did—
"Then the worst-case scenario you're imagining won't come to pass."
"Of course! I will carve today's mercy deep into my bones! Truly, thank you! Thank you so much!"
'I-I survived… I really survived…!'
Logar's legs gave out again. He collapsed, choking back snot and wiping tears.
'I'll never get involved with the princess again.'
Even if the Demon King used him as a spy, he would avoid her at all costs.
And when the time was right, he would hide somewhere far from the Demon King's reach.
So he would never suffer misfortune like today again—or rely on a miracle like being spared by the Demon King.
He swore firmly—very firmly.
Relief washed over him. A faint smile crept onto Logar's face.