Chimera
Before the south reached its dramatic agreement, Kain Acan, the fifth prince of the Acan Kingdom, safely returned to the royal capital.
"His Majesty is awaiting you."
Without even being allowed to settle from his journey, he was summoned to the throne room.
"Your Majesty, the Fifth Prince of the Kingdom, Kain Acan, reporting!"
"Let him enter!"
The chamberlain's cry echoed as the doors opened. Kain stepped forward on the long red carpet, passed the rows of ministers, and arrived before the throne.
He knelt and bowed his head.
"This subject, Kain Acan, has completed Your Majesty's command and returned."
"Raise your head."
"Yes."
He lifted his gaze and saw the king's face.
"You've done well."
There were no questions. No interrogation.
"You must be tired. Go rest."
There wasn't even the faintest sign of concern for Lavinia Acan.
"Your Majesty."
"You still have something to say?"
"Well…"
"If it concerns Lavinia, the matter has already been settled. You need not speak further."
Already settled?
The nobles of the Mage Tower subtly averted their eyes from Kain.
Why?
He was confused. But without the Mage Tower's support, his words held no weight.
"…Yes."
He could only retreat weakly.
"The search party has already departed."
"What?"
After the council ended, Kain was stunned by what he heard from Elder Ekain Volvov of the Mage Tower.
"It was just before Your Highness returned to the capital. His Majesty disapproved, but she is still a member of Acan. His Majesty knows full well how important Princess Lavinia is."
And the King of Acan was not foolish enough to jeopardize national interest for personal sentiment. If he were, he would never have become king in the first place.
"But he clearly told me—"
"It is because of the situation in the Imperial North."
"The snowfield?"
"Yes. The Demon King of Frost is rampaging and sweeping away the northern barbarians. Before that, the Demon King of Lust released succubi into the Kingdom of Dortmund. And before that, the Demon King of Flame kidnapped the two princesses of Hilderan. The demon kings are behaving differently than before."
And that wasn't all. The Demon King of Adamant was suddenly kidnapping various royals.
Though they were mostly distant from succession, the fact of abduction itself was significant.
"All the demon kings except the Demon King of Lies are acting strangely. This may be a leap in logic, but perhaps…"
"Perhaps?"
"Perhaps the demon kings are trying to return the world to how it was 100 years ago."
"…Surely not. That would only be a fatal mistake for them. They're not idiots."
The coexistence between humans and demon kings was based on unspoken mutual acceptance—but beneath it all was the belief humans were superior.
Because humans believed they could use demon kings.
If demon kings began acting differently and proved uncontrollable—
If they were perceived not as a manageable danger but as an immediate enemy to eliminate—
Humans would never tolerate demon kings.
And demon kings would not survive.
"You never know. One hundred years may mean something very different to them."
"…Hmm."
"In any case, with demon activity so unstable, Princess Lavinia's importance has only increased. His Majesty recognizes that."
"How was the search party formed?"
"Mages from the Tower went personally."
The Mage Tower and the royal family were separate.
Though technically under the king, the Tower functioned as an independent institution.
And their combat forces were not inferior to the royal family. Together, the Mage Tower and the crown were the two wheels that drove the Kingdom of Acan.
"Do not worry. The Tower will find the princess no matter what."
"But the snowfield is a demon king's territory. It will not be easy."
"Yet it must be done."
"I only pray my sister hasn't been captured by a demon king…"
Kain clicked his tongue bitterly.
After returning to the capital, Kain resumed his duties.
He attended social gatherings, hosted banquets, interacted with mages, knights, and nobles, and built connections.
He swung his sword, and continued lessons in sovereignty, diplomacy, politics, economics, and swordsmanship—education across many fields.
He was the fifth prince, yet aimed for the throne.
Acan, unlike other nations, prioritized ability. Even the First Prince often failed to become Crown Prince, and those lower in succession often became king.
In truth, Acan had no formal hierarchy of succession. Anyone born royal had equal eligibility. Only the one who proved the greatest worth could become king.
This time was a failure.
By that standard, failing to find the tower and losing Princess Lavinia was a devastating blow.
At a time when every achievement mattered, he had committed a significant mistake.
Of course, more than that, he worried for his sister.
I can't imagine Lavinia being harmed.
The obsession of mages was beyond what ordinary people could imagine—and Lavinia Acan surpassed even them, a prodigy among prodigies.
To Kain's common sense, imagining Lavinia dying was impossible.
Clang—!
A stinging shock hit his palm. He dropped his sword. It fell to the ground and stuck upright.
"Your Highness, your mind seems elsewhere."
The old knight he was training with sheathed his sword.
"I suppose so. My apologies."
"No, Your Highness. Ever since returning from Ergest, you've been pushing yourself every day. Perhaps you should stop here for today?"
"I will."
Kain picked up his sword. As he prepared to sheathe it, a knight ran toward him.
"Your Highness! A visitor has arrived for you."
"A visitor?"
"She calls herself Granada."
"…Bring her to the west annex immediately."
"But she is not alone."
"Not alone?"
"She has come with eleven elves."
"Elves—eleven of them?"
Elves were an extremely closed race. Their nation, Elven, was a land entirely covered by forest, and the powerful will of the forest rejected any unpermitted intruders.
During the Great War long ago, humans advanced only by burning paths through the forest. But after the truce, Elven had become a near-mythical world.
Elves almost never left Elven; seeing one was rare.
"I will go at once."
In the reception hall of the west annex stood Granada and eleven elves. Kain murmured "Elves…" at their brilliant appearance and welcomed them warmly.
"Welcome, Lady Granada."
"It was such a sudden visit—I feared it might be inappropriate."
"Not at all. I told you that you were welcome anytime."
Though he hadn't expected her to come this quickly.
"And these people?"
"Elves who are connected to me."
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
Kain exchanged greetings with the elves.
"If it is not too discourteous, may I request a private audience?"
"Of course. Sir Alban, please guide our guests elsewhere."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The knight named Alban led the elves away. It wasn't really his job, but he was tactful enough to excuse himself.
"Now, speak."
"They are elf slaves scattered across the continent."
When she first heard Berze's order, Granada hesitated. Deciding how to plant elves in Acan was important.
Should she lie? Or tell the truth?
The elves had been slaves. Even if it was a status forced upon them by humans, the person she was speaking to was also human. Being slaves was never a point in their favor.
But lying might be even worse.
Acan's intelligence network was sharp. And if they dug even a little into Hillen, they would find the Golden Moon Merchant Guild, and learn that the guild had been purchasing elf slaves recently.
Eventually, Granada chose the latter—truth.
"The elf slaves the Golden Moon Merchant Guild has been buying… those were them, weren't they?"
As expected, Kain already knew.
"I won't deny it."
"For what purpose?"
"They are slaves—but slavery is nothing more than a status imposed by humans who kidnapped them. They are all precious elves of Elven."
"That is not what matters."
Even if humans had created such a narrow-minded label, Acan was still a human nation.
Humans had won the war against the other races, and even after the peace treaty, humans had always held the advantage.
Even after decades, the accumulated prejudice would not simply vanish.
And beyond that—
"Bringing elves into the Mage Tower means taking opportunities away from humans. The complaints will fall on me. Why should I accept them at such a cost?"
"Please consider your relationship with Lord Pale."
"That matter was already settled with a contract. It is separate from this."
"They are exceptional mages."
"More precisely, spirit mages."
"Spirit magic is still a branch of magic. Even Acan does not deny that, do you?"
"Of course not."
"They will become Your Highness's strength."
"I wonder."
Kain wasn't convinced that the elves would serve him just because he allowed them entry.
"As long as Your Highness does not violate their beliefs or their vows, they will always support you. I can swear it upon the World Tree."
"Elves who break a vow to the World Tree lose all their mana, don't they?"
"Something similar."
That part intrigued Kain. Eleven elves bound by a vow that prevented betrayal.
Given the natural talent elves possessed, they would undoubtedly shine within the Mage Tower. If they gained recognition there, and then openly supported Kain—
"But if it depends on 'not violating their beliefs,' that means they can betray me, if I do?"
"We speak of vows they made before any loyalty to you existed. And of duties elves must follow. For example, even if you ordered it, they would not turn against me."
"I understand. However…"
Kain's eyes sharpened.
"What do you—and they—gain from this?"
"They cannot return to the forest. It pains me to say, as a fellow elf, but elves are closed-minded. They never accept back those who have once been slaves to humans."
"Those who have lost their home need somewhere to stay. But that doesn't have to be Acan."
"Nor does it not have to be Acan, Your Highness."
"Weak argument."
"This is also a gift from Hillen."
"…Continue."
"I gathered them, but I did so under the orders of Hero Hillen Cargill. He wishes to maintain good relations with Your Highness."
"…Are you saying I could one day receive his help?"
"If Your Highness safely settles the elves, there will be no reason he cannot."
"Indeed."
This… was more tempting.
Kain fell silent, lost in thought.
Hillen Cargill.
Even if there were rumors of his failure in the northern snowfield… it did not diminish his worth.
He had killed and absorbed two demon kings. No matter how many times he fell or stumbled, as long as he didn't die, greatness awaited him.
"…Very well."
There would certainly be backlash.
If he suddenly brought elves into the Mage Tower, the mages would revolt.
Let alone the power blocs serving other princes and princesses—those would be far worse.
He would be inviting countless forms of resistance.
So he needed certainty.
"I will need to meet Hero Hillen Cargill and hear confirmation from him."
That he would support Kain.
No—
that he already did.
"That will not be possible immediately. Hero Hillen is currently in the northern snowfield."
"Of course. I can wait a few months."
Hillen's opinion didn't matter much. If the demon king demanded it, he would comply.
And two months later, after firmly establishing ties with the Chernian Border Marquisate in the northern snowfield, Hillen Cargill came to the Acan Kingdom and met Kain.
It was shortly after Berze had met Reina Sordein.
***
"Woooow…"
Lavinia Acan blinked blankly.
Snow fell, but it could not extinguish the burning embers in her eyes.
Hundreds of monsters.
And not just any monsters—
high-grade monsters from the snowfield, untouched by human hands.
Even for the famed chimera artisan Lavinia, seeing this many high-grade monsters gathered in one place was unfathomable.
"All… mine?"
"You planning to swallow them all without even wiping the drool?"
"Chimera."
"Yes, the idea is to make chimeras out of them."
"Lots."
"Of course there are lots."
Truthfully, even Berze hadn't expected Reina to so casually hand over hundreds of monsters.
It showed just how seriously she regarded their alliance.
Which meant—
I must be careful.
If their relationship soured even once, the backlash would be immense.
When the Frost Demons held a grudge, snow fell even in lava fields.
And Reina was a demon exceptional enough to rise to the rank of demon king.
"Really!"
"You can truly do whatever you want with them. However, there is a condition."
"Condition?"
"You said you wanted to make chimeras and keep them in the tower."
"Mm."
"And I wish to accept the chimeras you make as my vassals."
"Branding. I won't do it."
Lavinia gave the answer Berze wanted.
Chimeras, from a human perspective, were violent and chaotic amalgamations of living beings. To control them properly, a safeguard was necessary.
That safeguard was the brand of obedience—
the magical engraving placed within the chimera during its creation.
Of course, even if she engraved obedience brands, they would be broken once the chimeras were accepted as vassals. There was no need to bother with that extra, pointless step.
Still… is this really okay?
As the elves settled in Acan, Granada continued to relay various pieces of information.
Among them was news of a new search party dispatched by the Acan Kingdom.
Their objective was, naturally, Lavinia Acan, and they were currently staying in Houghtonwalk. They hadn't taken action yet, but it was merely the calm before the storm.
They would certainly climb the mountain, and they would be desperate to find Lavinia.
Rationally speaking, the correct choice was to release Lavinia Acan before they came.
But—
I'm greedy.
In his previous life, he had avoided her like a plague. But after spending time with her, he realized she simply had an unusual mental world. Perhaps calling it simple was inaccurate, but she was controllable to a degree.
And the usefulness of a controllable Lavinia Acan was beyond words.
In golem construction, in chimera creation—she was indispensable.
If one were to list the most necessary individuals in the tower at the moment, it would be her and Logar.
At least for now, she cannot leave.
Not until the golem was complete, and these monsters were all transformed into chimeras.
For now, I'll leave things as they are.
There was no need to stir up trouble. Left alone, she would eventually tire herself out and collapse.
"All monsters will be stored on the second floor."
"Mm."
"But before you make chimeras, finish the golem core."
"…Why?"
"Because it's more important, obviously."
"No."
"Chimeras are more important?"
"Mm."
She nodded vigorously and gave him a thumbs-up, as if announcing that nothing in the world was more precious than chimeras.
If she felt that strongly, why didn't she just say so instead of using half-broken sentences? Did someone cut her tongue in half?
"This is not Lavinia's tower—it's my tower. My word is law here, and my orders come first. The golem is more important than the chimeras."
"…Bad."
"Thank you for the compliment."
"Exploitation."
"That happens to be what I'm best at."
"Faster."
"Yes, the sooner you finish, the better it will be for you."
Lavinia drooped her shoulders and trudged into the tower.
"Faster!"
"Your Highness, this is not something that can be rushed—"
"Excuse."
"I haven't rested a single moment since arriving at the tower!"
"Impossible. Work."
Lavinia clamped her hand over the golem artificer's mouth. Under her sharp gaze, the poor man looked ready to cry blood as he was forced back to work in real time.
Berze, leading the monsters toward the second floor, let out a faint laugh at the sight.
A princess exhausting the kingdom's talented personnel for the sake of the demon king. Quite the amusing scene.
I should probably get him an elixir soon.
He couldn't afford for the artificer to die from overwork before finishing the core.
"Ugh…"
"What?"
"I… I don't know. I suddenly feel a chill…"
"Pretending."
"No, truly! Your Highness, isn't this too much?"
"Work."
"…Yes."
The golem artificer, Raymon, wiped tears from his eyes as he resumed his work.
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