Chapter 111 - The Third Prince and Hillen

Making contact with the imperial family was no easy matter. Their standing in the Empire surpassed anything one might imagine, and naturally, they held their heads high. They would not—and could not—meet just anyone who came asking for an audience.

But for a hero of Hillen Cargill's stature, it was a different story.

"Hillen Cargill?"

Martin Jespine, the Jespine Empire's Third Prince, tilted his head at the unexpected report.

"You mean Hillen Cargill has come to see me?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Why?"

"Well..."

"No, wait."

After a moment's thought, Martin shook his head.

Anyone would welcome the chance to forge a connection with Hillen Cargill. But the circumstances were unfavorable. A vicious shadow struggle was underway among the imperial family, and the Empire was teeming with jackals ready to pounce and tear into anyone who offered even the smallest opening.

With a weaker support base than the other imperial contenders, the Third Prince in particular had to tread as carefully as if he were walking along a blade. Even an innocent meeting could give them ammunition if his guest was Hillen Cargill—a hero and an Argan of the Heroes' Guild.

"Turn him away."

"But, Your Highness."

"What is it?"

"He sent this."

It was a small wooden box.

CLICK

There were no special magical protections on the box. Inside lay nothing but a small necklace.

"...!"

A necklace Martin Jespine could never simply overlook.

"... Show him to the reception room at once."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The knight hurried out.

"How did he get this...?"

Martin carefully picked up the rusted necklace. He seemed to feel a faint warmth within the cold metal.

'Kaede.'

Why was her necklace here, when it should have been in the Demon King's tower?

Martin murmured his younger sister's name.

* * *

True to its reputation as the continent's greatest city, the imperial capital was vast. So was the imperial palace within its inner walls.

The interior was lavish, and security was tight. Berge and Hillen walked down a long corridor, guided by a deeply wary knight. After passing through a majestic garden, they finally arrived at the Third Prince's detached palace.

"Welcome. His Highness is waiting for you."

The attendant guarding the reception room door greeted them. His gaze sharpened.

"I respect you, and I respect your achievements. But if your arrogance leads you to show His Highness disrespect, I doubt things will end well for you."

Hillen answered the blunt warning without so much as a change in expression.

"Is this how the Empire treats heroes?"

"His Highness originally intended not to meet you. Nor should he have. Yet he has chosen to expose himself to danger because of a necklace you obtained by unknown means. As his servant, is my anger not justified?"

"Did the Third Prince order you to do that? To run your mouth so insolently?"

Berge snorted. The attendant's face twisted, and the knights snarled.

"How dare you!"

"Do you have a death wish?"

"Pale."

Hillen stepped in front of Berge. Just then, a voice came from beyond the door.

"Let them in."

"... But, Your Highness."

"They are my guests."

"... Count yourselves lucky. Be grateful for His Highness's mercy."

The knights stepped aside, and the door opened.

There he sat, beyond the ornate decorations and fine hardwood furnishings. His luxuriant blond hair seemed to embody the Empire's wealth. The emerald eyes watching Berge and Hillen were deep, his build sturdy, and his presence anything but ordinary.

'They look alike.'

He bore quite a resemblance to Kaede Jespine.

"Sit."

"Yes, Your Highness."

They sat opposite him. The attendant left, and the door closed.

"You are Hillen, and you must be Pale."

"Indeed."

"I heard the mages of Akan were obsessed with your exceptionally pure mana. So it was true."

"Thank you for the compliment."

Martin did not bother to criticize his insolent manner of speech. He merely turned to Hillen.

"I had no intention of granting you an audience. Do you know why?"

"I have a fair idea."

"Then if you lured me into this meeting despite knowing that, the matter must be important indeed?"

"I believe the necklace I sent should be answer enough."

"That depends on what you have to say."

Martin took out the necklace, then drew an identical one from beneath his clothes.

"Our mother gave these necklaces to Kaede and me. They were specially made, and no one but the two of us can possess one."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Why is this in your hands?"

How?

"How did you obtain it?"

"I will explain. That is why I came to see Your Highness."

"You had better explain it well. Convincingly. And speak nothing but the truth."

"Of course. This necklace was received from Her Highness Kaede Jespine."

"...!"

Martin's face contorted.

"I believe I told you to explain it well."

"That is what I am doing."

"I know your movements without having to conduct some grand investigation. You haven't been to Erjest since Kaede was abducted, have you?"

"I said it was received from her, not that I received it myself."

"Go on."

"Are you aware of what happened in Hortonwork several months ago?"

"Akan tried to find the Demon King's tower, with Lavinia Akan leading the expedition, did they not?"

"At the time, I sent Granada, the elf who serves as deputy leader of the Red Hawk raiding party, to join them."

"Are you saying he found Kaede? With that band from Akan who couldn't even find the tower?"

"No. They did not find the tower, and naturally, they did not find Lady Kaede either. But..."

"Lady Kaede came to Granada."

"... You dare spout nonsense to an imperial prince in the heart of the Empire. Do you think your position as an Argan of the Heroes' Guild will protect you?"

Martin was furious.

A full thousand years had passed since Demon Kings began descending upon this world and abducting royalty. Over those thousand years, there had been hundreds of abductions and rescues. Yet not once had an abducted royal broken their own shackles and escaped a tower.

"Just because it has never happened does not mean it never will. Are you aware that only a hero can force open a Demon King's tower? Lady Kaede is a hero."

"How abducted royals are treated varies from one Demon King to another. But they all have one thing in common: they place restrictions on their captives to prevent escape. I know my sister well. She is a hero and an excellent knight, but she is not so overwhelmingly powerful that she could tear those restrictions apart."

"Hillen Cargill," Martin growled. "Has being worshipped by the Heroes' Guild made you blind to everything else? How dare you try to insult a member of the imperial family! Guards!"

Knights burst in at his roar.

"Your Highness! Are you all right?"

They drew their swords and pointed them at Hillen and Berge. Berge clicked his tongue at the murderous intent directed at his throat.

Keeping a wary eye on Berge, who had yet to erupt, Hillen resumed the conversation.

"Let me be clear: I have not told a single lie. Your Highness, Akan's search party was quite serious about finding the tower. It was a large-scale operation involving a mage corps, a knight order, golems, and chimeras."

"And?"

"Now consider the Demon King of Hellfire. His reputation may have been inflated by my failure and the abductions of the princesses of Hilderan and the Jespine Empire's princess, but he is still a Demon King who was summoned only a little over a year ago. And the less time a Demon King has spent here, the clearer his limitations."

Martin did not answer. Hillen continued.

"The Demon King of Hellfire cannot possibly be powerful. Moreover, he reportedly sent monsters out to confront the Akan forces. As you know, the number of monsters he can keep as servants must also be small."

"So Kaede took advantage of the weakened defenses to escape? With the Demon King still there?"

"The tower's prison is underground. The Demon King, on the other hand, is at the top."

"Kaede escaped through a gap in the defenses?"

"That is what I believe."

"Bwahahaha!"

Martin laughed, loudly and uproariously. Then he stopped abruptly. A heavy pressure descended on Hillen.

"Are you playing games with me?"

"I agree that it is unlikely. But I would ask you to consider it calmly."

"Consider it?"

"I could not find the tower. Neither could the Kingdom of Akan. Yet Her Highness Kaede's necklace is in my hands. If what I have told you is not true, do you believe that would be possible?"

It was impossible.

Yet Martin could not readily answer. Nothing in Hillen's reasoning was wrong, but he could not shake his unease.

"Then where is my sister?"

"I was not there myself, so I cannot say for certain. But according to Granada, while climbing Erjest, he happened to spot a figure who seemed to be in a hurry. An attack by monsters prevented him from getting a proper look."

"And when he searched the place where that figure had been, he found this necklace on the ground?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"And naturally, none of the Akan forces saw Kaede?"

"Elven vision differs from human vision."

"Doesn't this sound rather too much like a rigged poker game?"

"Reality can sometimes be more theatrical than a play."

"How amusing."

No, it was not.

Martin suppressed the urge to cut off the head of the hero before him then and there. The story was suspicious whichever way he looked at it, but the necklace was genuine. The necklace, at least.

That necklace alone was lending plausibility to the entire tale.

"Then in the end, nothing has changed. Apart from obtaining a necklace. And your claim that it was received directly from Kaede was a lie."

"I believe it amounts to much the same thing. Granada said their eyes met. And we did gain something else."

"...?"

"The location. If this necklace truly belongs to Her Highness Kaede Jespine, would the place where she was last seen not be our strongest clue to finding the tower?"

"...!"

After a brief silence, Martin spoke.

"So what is it you want?"

"Please help me."

"With what?"

"Allow me to rescue Her Highness Kaede."

"Why do you want to rescue Kaede?"

"Because then Your Highness will help me. Ever since the day my hero's journey ended in failure, I have had but one purpose."

Hillen deliberately displayed his anger. Its ferocity made the knights flinch.

"To find the tower and bring it down. To rescue the two princesses of Hilderan—and your sister, Her Highness Kaede Jespine, as well."

"Even if we desire different things, I believe we can sail in the same boat if our ultimate goal is the same. Please. Help me bring down the Tower of Hellfire."

Hillen bowed his head, his voice trembling. At the sincerity radiating from his entire being, Martin closed his eyes once more.

Meanwhile, Berge...

'I told him to do it, but this is infuriating.'

He was barely suppressing his seething urge to kill. He wanted to set the back of Hillen's head on fire.

* * *

Making contact with an imperial prince was difficult. Staying at his side and guiding him smoothly required greater familiarity; earning the right to intervene was harder still.

They needed a suitable pretext.

Berge and Hillen had pondered the matter and reached a conclusion. Since their involvement with him stemmed from Kaede in the first place, they would use her again.

"Are you truly all right with this?"

"The fact that they are trying to find my tower will not change anyway. In that case, I might as well use it to steer them in the direction I want."

Their leverage was Hillen's justified thirst for revenge, and the bond of blood between Kaede and Martin.

Some information about the tower might come to light in the process, but Berge did not mind. He had the treacherous terrain of Erjest on his side, and he could now use the Poil Orcs to set the stage before anyone reached the tower.

"... How can I trust you when you have already failed once?"

Martin finally spoke after a long pause.

Berge and Hillen sensed that their ploy had worked.

"I failed once, but there are heroes who have never even experienced that one failure. I wandered Erjest longer than anyone else, and although it is slight, I have obtained a clue."

"I understand you are receiving Hilderan's support."

"Surely the more support one has, the better?"

"You are greedy."

"I understand your reservations, Your Highness, but Akan failed as well. I believe no amount of preparation can be enough."

"... Show them to their rooms."

"Your Highness?"

"Now."

"Yes, Your Highness!"

"Follow us!"

The knights sheathed their swords and gestured to Hillen and Berge. Neither rose from his seat.

Martin's face twisted.

"What do you think you are doing?"

"I know what concerns you, Your Highness. And I know the Empire's current circumstances."

"Watch your tongue. However great your reputation may be, Hillen Cargill, this is the Empire, and these are imperial affairs."

"I merely wish to offer advice that will benefit Your Highness. We passed through Habstrain on our way here."

"Habstrain Gorge?"

"I was curious because I had heard that no fewer than five Demon Kings' towers once stood there. In any case, I discovered something rather interesting."

"What do you mean?"

"I did not examine its interior in full, so I cannot say for certain. However, you would do well to gather heroes and arms imbued with dimensional interference. They will further secure your position."

"... What does that mean?"

"We shall take our leave now, Your Highness. Please summon us whenever you have finished considering our proposal."

Berge and Hillen departed.

"Can you guess what he meant?"

"Habstrain is where five Demon Kings descended. A considerable amount of residual demonic energy remains there."

"He mentioned heroes and dimensional interference."

"Monsters driven mad by demonic energy are nothing new. Perhaps that is what he meant..."

"If it were something so trivial, he would have had no reason to tell me."

"Hmm."

Had it been an ordinary hero, Martin would have dismissed it. But this was Hillen Cargill.

"Send someone to investigate discreetly."

"Yes, Your Highness."

"I will postpone my answer until afterward."

"Yes, Your Highness."

The knight bowed his head.