WARNING
"A new Demon King has descended."
"Already? This soon?"
"Archduke Alkaine is aiming for something. We'd best stay alert."
Vivian Blunt.
Berze didn't know much about her. But the fact that a new Demon King manifested barely a week after Draxon's death was more than suspicious.
"There are questionable parts, but it's not like a Demon King has never fallen to a Hero before. And this is Arein. There's nothing particularly strange for Archduke Alkaine to—ah…"
There was something.
"He's searching for someone who broke the law?"
"Most likely. It wouldn't be wrong to say Vivian is an Inquisitor sent under the Archduke's secret orders."
"…And we won't get caught?"
"We won't. I made sure of that when I brought it all crashing down. Just keep your mouth shut. Always stay wary of Vivian Blunt."
"Yes, understood."
Gordon nodded heavily.
"Oh, that wasn't even what I meant to say. The Princess of Hilderan opened the main gate without any resistance."
"She opened the gate?"
"Yes. I'd like to ask what in the world happened."
"Why did she open it?"
"The Jespine imperial princess tried to escape the Tower. In the process of stopping her, it happened."
"Escape, huh."
Because of Ernan's precedent, Berze had let things slide too much, and now she'd lost her sense of measure.
"Lock her in the underground prison."
"Yes, understood. But… is that Your Majesty the Demon King's will?"
"No, it's the Tower's will. The Tower accepted her as one of its own. And that bastard Logar as well."
"…What? The Tower accepted beings who aren't Demonic? Since when…?"
"Since the day Hillen Cargill attacked."
More precisely—since Ernan and Logar opposed Hillen Cargill and imprisoned him.
***
[Tower Master – Berze Deias
Deputy Tower Master – Gordon Dyric
Floors – 5]
[Affiliations
Demonic – Gordon Dyric
Demonic Beast – Furl Orc, Kurutu
Monster – None]
[1F – Dwarf Hero, Logar
2F – None
3F – None
4F – Princess of Hilderan, Ernan Hilderan
5F – Demon King's Floor]
He summoned the Tower's status window.
Floors that should've been vacant—1F and 4F—now had owners.
This wasn't something Berze had intended.
"I think the Tower recognized them as allies because they opposed the Hero."
"The Tower has functions like that…? But can't you revoke their qualifications?"
"I can."
The Tower's will only assists the Demon King. Ultimately, all decisions lie with the Demon King.
"But there's no reason to. Does Logar look like someone who's going to try escaping?"
"…Well."
Gordon couldn't nod easily.
He disliked Logar being a Hero—but aside from that, Logar was completely assimilated.
It was a bit humiliating, but one could even say the man had accomplished more than the Deputy himself.
"Then what about the Princess of Hilderan?"
"It's a kind of test."
What happened with Ernan was never what Berze had intended from the start.
He mistakenly kidnapped the 13th Princess, which triggered the Hero expedition. He was desperate enough to borrow even a cat's paw.
And then she displayed cooperation to an excessive degree.
It was convenient, so he stayed silent. He even encouraged it by leaving her be.
But was that truly right? In a real moment of crisis, would the "crown princess" of humans truly side with the "Demon King"?
Berze didn't fully trust her. Humans were not trustworthy creatures.
'But she must believe she's earned my trust.'
On top of that, she had contracted a High Spirit and gained her own considerable power.
And now she knew she could leave the Tower as long as it matched her will.
'She'll show some kind of reaction.'
Sooner or later—some small clue should emerge.
Something that would reveal the true intent of Ernan Hilderan.
***
"Mm…"
Kaede opened her eyes. It was dark. A foul smell stabbed at her nose.
"Ah."
Her arms and legs were bound. Her aura wouldn't move.
'I failed.'
And now she had been imprisoned. So—there would be no more mercy.
"..."
Maybe this was better.
Being an imperial princess abducted and suffering hardship was less damaging to her honor—and the Empire's honor—than becoming the Demon King's subordinate.
She let out a bitter smile.
Creak—
The door to the underground prison opened. Kaede squinted at the sudden light.
"Are you alright?"
"…Ernan?"
A hand slipped through the bars. It held a bottle of water.
"Drink."
"…Thank you. Ah—"
Clank—
Her chains blocked the hand reaching for the bottle.
Ernan reached further.
"Lean forward and just open your mouth."
"Yes."
Cool water fell into her mouth, wetting her dry lips.
"Thank you."
"…I told you not to go."
"…I didn't want to become the Demon King's d—… subordinate. I'm a knight of the Empire."
"I'm pretty sure the Demon King never asked you to become his dog."
"There is no such thing as kindness without reason. If the Demon King treated me well, then he must want something in return. Even you, Ernan, must have…"
Kaede swallowed her words. She bowed her head with a soft, "I'm sorry."
"Well, I suppose you could see it that way. But I did it because I wanted to."
"…That makes even less sense to me."
"Everyone has their reasons, you know? Just like how you ran away because you didn't want to get married."
"…That was—"
"I ran away from the palace. From the royal family. From my father. Well, technically I was kidnapped first, but after that I didn't want to go back."
"…I still don't understand."
The name Ernan Hilderan wasn't confined to Hilderan alone.
Her talents were among the greatest on the continent—she was an undeniable heir to the kingdom.
She was young and beautiful; countless suitors across the continent tried to form ties with her.
"Your future is brilliant. Hilderan may have many princes and princesses, but none of them compare to you. Becoming the sovereign of the kingdom is your destined path. To throw that away and become the Demon King's subordinate…"
"Don't you think that's odd?"
"…What?"
"Hilderan has 27 princes and 35 princesses. More than any other royal family on the continent. But aside from me, not a single one of them has a known name."
"…What? I thought Hilderan had 12 princes and 16 princesses?"
"Ah, officially, yes."
I thought you would know since you're an imperial princess… but apparently not.
Ernan stood up.
"…Wait. Explain a little more."
"Ask when you return to the Empire. His Majesty the Emperor should know."
"..."
Kaede couldn't bring herself to say that she and her father were nowhere near close enough to ask such things personally.
"I'll keep visiting you from now on. There's no one else, so the Demon King told me to look after you."
"…Even so."
"Even so?"
"I understand that you have circumstances. But if this becomes known, it will greatly damage the honor of the kingdom and the royal family. Are you saying that doesn't matter to you?"
"Is that something a princess who ran away because she didn't want to get married should say?"
"..."
Kaede's face turned red.
"I'm joking."
Ernan gave a playful smile.
"And besides—I don't think it's that strange. In a world where Heroes and Demon Kings work together, what's the big deal about a princess and a Demon King cooperating?"
"..."
"I think it's better to cooperate with the Demon King and find a direction that benefits the Empire."
"There's no way such a method—"
"I'm just saying. It's still better than being stuck in a prison, right?"
Well then, I'll leave the water here.
Ernan disappeared.
***
"I heard you've been purchasing elf slaves."
"Yes."
Aman Catrash bowed.
The head of the Golden Moon Merchant Guild flipped through some documents.
"A request from Lady Granada, I see."
"Yes. She said she wants to purchase slaves from the slave markets across the entire continent. Since Hero Hillen ordered us to unconditionally assist Lady Granada, we're giving it top priority."
"And what about the man called Jetoson?"
One day, Jetoson knocked on the merchant guild's door. He looked shabby—Aman was the one who stopped them from throwing him out.
"He's exceptionally capable when it comes to actual work."
"He just has a smooth tongue."
The Guildmaster clicked his tongue.
"No matter how I look at him, he's a conman with a silver tongue. Why should we accept someone like that into the guild?"
He could never forget Jetoson's first impression.
'Ah, are you truly the Guildmaster? You look so young—I thought you were the successor! Haha!'
'The Golden Moon Guild is truly impressive. The fact that you continue to endure despite past failures shows the dedication of your members.'
'Ah, if a large investment is coming, then surely there must be great vision…'
Flattery from beginning to end. He looked like a scammer to anyone.
His instincts told him to fire the man immediately—but because Hillen Cargill recommended him, he couldn't.
"Why would such a successful Hero hire a scammer like him?"
"He's doing fairly well."
"Hmph. I can see the greed in his eyes. A merchant having ambition isn't bad—but he goes too far."
"He's working with Lady Granada, an elf. It should be fine."
"…I hope so."
The Guildmaster handed him a newspaper.
"What is this?"
"Read it. Fresh article from this morning."
[A group of a dozen succubi discovered in the Argenta region… Dorlmunt Kingdom's public security in crisis… Citizens outraged.]
[Count of Argenta: "Unforgivable… The Demonic race must be taught their place…"]
[Demonic infiltration into human territory for the first time in nearly a hundred years—cause: the new Demon King?]
[The new Demon King succeeding the Beast Demon King, suspected of establishing a Tower in the Seratin Archipelago…]
[Fifth Prince of Dorlmunt kidnapped by the Demon King…]
["Rozel Charnt's 'impulsive action'… actually not impulsive?"]
[Hero Gillian Aint and the White Hawk Assault Unit depart for the Frozen Tower…]
Multiple headlines were scattered across the page.
"…Succubi."
"Purchase war supplies."
"You're planning to get involved?"
"A Hero Expedition is one of the most profitable businesses. Before, we couldn't afford it. But now we can."
"Do you think a Hero Expedition will happen?"
"It doesn't need to. We'll profit either way."
Recently, Hero Expeditions had been occurring one after another.
A Hero Expedition toward the Demon King in Ergest.
A Hero Expedition toward the Beast Tower.
The cause was the Demon Kings behaving differently than before.
Kidnapping heirs of kingdoms. Killing the first and second heirs to succession.
And now, using succubi to manipulate nobles.
The suspicion that Demon Kings were plotting something kept the nations—and the Hero and Mercenary Guilds—from staying still.
"War brings money. Even the possibility of war brings money. Handle this project yourself."
"Yes. May I take the newspaper?"
"Do as you like."
Aman left the Guildmaster's office. Returning to his room, he read the newspaper thoroughly, then took out his communication crystal.
『Yes, Lord Gordon. It's me, but… perhaps…』
***
Around the same time, someone else checked the newspaper.
"Why did you do it?"
Jayson pushed aside the newspaper and took a bite of his perfectly cooked rare steak.
"What?"
"I told you, didn't I? Don't provoke the Demonic race. Be careful."
"You called me here over that?"
Vivian sipped her blood-red wine.
"I asked you a question, Vivian."
"I just kidnapped a prince and took the chance to check something."
"Check what?"
"What kind of place this dimension 'Arein' is. But I didn't expect to get caught this fast. My luck must've been terrible."
Of all times, a Hero had been passing by.
"You think that's bad luck?"
"I thought it would last at least a few months."
"Forgive me, but that's not luck. It would've been the same even if you tried it a hundred times."
Stab—
The fork pierced into the steak.
"The same?"
"His Excellency the Archduke went too far… sending a brainless slut like you."
"…What did you just say?"
At the sudden shift in tone and atmosphere, Vivian's pupils stiffened. Jayson lightly tapped her head.
"Forgive my rudeness. What I meant is this—if you had a shred of intelligence, no matter what offer His Excellency made, you would never have come to this damned dimension."
Why were Draxon, Reina, Ugar, and Berze all novice Demon Kings?
"And for a Demon King who supposedly conquered a whole dimension not to know this—I can't be blamed for losing my temper, can I?"
"…What did you just say."
"How many Heroes were in the dimension you conquered, Vivian?"
"I said—what did you just say!"
"I asked how many Heroes existed in the dimension you conquered. Vivian. Please don't make me lose my manners again."
"Hic—"
Vivian closed her mouth.
A crawling, serpentine killing intent ran down her spine.
"Around… seventy."
"And do you know how many Heroes Arein has?"
"…If there are many, then many. A hundred? Three hundred?"
"You really know nothing."
Jayson laughed faintly.
"No matter how many refuse the Arein assignment, for you to not know the actual scale… truly remarkable."
Jayson's lips twisted upward.
"I understand. If you knew even a little about Arein, you would have never come here. You would have chosen a pathetic, empty-headed Demon King like Vivian did. Getting full of yourself just because you conquered one mediocre dimension."
"..."
Despite the blatant insult, Vivian couldn't say a word. She couldn't refute it.
"Open your ears and carve this deeply into that hollow head of yours. Then repent—again and again—for what a stupid thing you've done."
He whispered low.
"Three thousand, one hundred ninety-eight."
"…What?"
"As of one month ago, the number of officially registered Heroes in the Hero Guild is 3,198."
"…Lies."
Vivian struggled to set her wine glass upright—but half of it was already gone.
"Does it feel like a lie?"
Jayson calmly picked up his knife.
"Do you think I'm joking? With a Demonic like you? I'm not a Demon with that much time to waste."
Scrrch, scrrch—
He sliced the steak. Even after it was cut, his knife didn't stop moving.
"The succubus you sent getting caught wasn't bad luck. It wasn't misfortune. It wasn't coincidence."
"In Arein, that kind of thing is normal."
Crack—
The plate split.
"There are so many Heroes that Demon Kings can't afford to act recklessly."
"Demon Kings have to watch their step around Heroes and humans."
"This is why even the more seasoned Demon Kings refuse to come here."
Jayson's cutting grew harsher.
"It's normal."
"That's impossible… Even if there are many Heroes, there should be a limit!"
"If there were a limit, Arein would have fallen to the Demon Realm a long time ago."
"No… no! That can't be!"
Vivian denied reality.
"What isn't real is your pathetic confidence—the confidence that led you to send succubi and ruin everything."
"Berze Deias can be forgiven. He wasn't told anything, so he behaved like an ordinary Demon King. But you had no excuse. I told you, didn't I?"
"To stay quiet. To wait. To act like a dead mouse."
KRAK—
The table split.
"If you knew what kind of mess the succubus you sent is causing, you'd be slamming your head into the floor at my feet begging for forgiveness."
Only when the steak, plate, and splintered wood hit the ground did his knife finally stop.
"But I won't ask that."
Jayson exhaled sharply, steadying his breath.
"I don't care what you do. I don't care who you are. I don't care what achievements you've accumulated."
He took out a napkin and wiped the sauce from his fingers.
"But from now on—"
"Do not cross the line I've drawn. Do not overturn the board I've set."
He adjusted his monocle. His cold, piercing gaze locked onto Vivian.
"This is not a request. It's a warning."
Please—
Make the right choice.
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