Chapter 18 - No Other Choice

“Uh... Did I hear you correctly?”

Ernyan blinked her large eyes.

“You did.”

“But...”

No matter how she thought about it, she could not understand.

“I’m a princess.”

“I’m a Demon King.”

“The hero is coming to rescue me.”

“He’s coming to kill me. So?”

“I can’t.”

“Yes, I thought you would say that.”

Berge had not expected much, either. It was simply that Ernyan’s strangely cooperative attitude, and the way she behaved without any aversion to the Demon King’s tower, had made him wonder whether it might be possible.

He had no intention of forcing her. If humans would sincerely help someone just because they were forced to, he would never have needed to go to such lengths to acquire an elf.

Still, he might as well try the inducements he had thought of.

“Hillen Cargill is a powerful hero. There’s a good chance he’ll kill me and rescue you. A good chance he’ll take you back to the kingdom.”

“Oh. Back to the kingdom...”

Berge did not miss the change in her eyes. There was definitely something there.

It was almost instinctive. He did not know why, but Ernyan was reluctant to return to the kingdom.

‘What would have to be waiting at home for someone to dread it more than a Demon King?’

Berge could not imagine it, so he did not try. Instead, this time he offered a carrot.

“Come to think of it, you seemed interested in elixirs.”

“Elixirs?”

“I could give you some, if you want.”

“... If I turn against the hero?”

“That would be the arrangement.”

She fell silent, working her tiny lips. Then, after a long while, she gave a relatively encouraging answer.

“... Could I think about it for a bit?”

... This was actually working?

* * *

To be honest, it had been a gamble.

It would be ideal if she agreed, but he had considered the chances very low. So he had simply thrown the proposal out there, only to receive a reasonably positive response.

That left Berge at a loss.

He had thought he understood humans fairly well, but that understanding needed a complete overhaul.

“Aren’t humans attached to their families?”

Then why did the princess dislike her own kingdom so much? He had heard she was considered a promising talent there.

He did not know the reason, but he could not deny that things had worked out well.

“If Hillen Cargill reaches the fourth floor brimming with confidence and encounters the princess...”

He could vividly picture the hero’s bewilderment.

He had never expected the princess to win. What Berge wanted was the opening that would appear when the princess turned against the hero who had come to rescue her.

“Are you saying the princess really agreed?”

“It isn’t settled yet.”

“Of course, it’s good news, but that woman must be insane.”

“Perhaps she is.”

Gordon clicked his tongue. Perhaps because one worry had been lifted, his thoughts turned elsewhere.

“But is it really all right to take no action against Demon King Drakson?”

“What action would I take?”

He could not send demonic creatures, nor did he have any to send. A written protest would clearly earn nothing but a scoff.

“If he keeps insisting he knows nothing and didn’t do it, we can’t pin it on him.”

“But if we sit by and he even spreads the rumor that Granada is your subordinate...”

“You said you didn’t like the plan, but apparently you don’t want it going wrong, either?”

“That’s not it. But this is a scheme you’ve put considerable effort into, Your Majesty.”

“Your loyalty brings tears to my eyes. If only you always responded so promptly instead of arguing with me.”

“...”

And if only he would graciously accept it when someone showed concern for him.

Gordon shut his mouth. No matter how he looked at it, he did not like this damned lord of his.

“Still, there’s no need for pointless worries.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean it would accomplish nothing.”

* * *

CRUNCH, CRUNCH

“He’s completely fucking mad!”

A massive bone crumbled. Drakson gulped it down and burst out laughing.

“Is that true?”

“Yes. The Red Hawk Mercenary Company has joined Hillen Cargill’s hero’s journey.”

“And you’re certain Granada is with them?”

“Granada is currently the Red Hawk’s captain.”

“Then that settles it.”

Drakson swallowed the rest of the bone. Red blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

“He was so insolent that I assumed he had something up his sleeve. But I never imagined it would be sending an elf on the hero’s journey. What do you think he’s after?”

“A spy. I suspect the elf will betray them when the hero’s journey reaches its climax.”

“That’s how I see it, too. And the more I think about it, the better it sounds.”

None of the Demon Kings had thought of it. Yet it was ingenious enough to make him wonder why they had not.

Bringing something down from within was far easier and more effective than destroying it from outside.

“Interfering would be pointless.”

“Even if we reveal that Granada is a Demon King’s spy, no one will believe it.”

“No, I suppose not.”

There were precedents among humans. Even aside from dark mages who received power from demons, humans occasionally sided with Demon Kings to satisfy their own desires.

But not elves.

Elves had the unwavering support of the World Tree. To protect it, they opposed demons.

In the hundreds of years since the Demon Realm discovered the dimension called Arain and descended upon it, not a single elf had sided with demons.

“How in the world did he persuade an elf?”

“Perhaps it’s easier than we think.”

“Easier?”

“There are elves in other dimensions, too. Knowing how resolute they are, hasn’t everyone simply concluded that elves cannot be persuaded? As far as I know, no one has tried in Arain.”

“I heard there were a few attempts in the early days. But they all failed, and afterward people stopped even trying.”

“Couldn’t that simply be prejudice? A few more attempts might have succeeded, but everyone drew conclusions based on other dimensions.”

“But Berge charged in without knowing a damned thing and stumbled into beginner’s luck... Is that what you mean?”

“Yes.”

“We can’t be certain, but it’s worth considering.”

Drakson stroked his chin.

“For now, keep watching Granada’s movements. Approach the elves discreetly as well and explore the possibilities.”

“Yes.”

“And you said Berge came down?”

“Yes. He disappeared with a dwarf through a dimensional transit circle in Hortonwork. We established that his destination was Ansila, but we could not trace his movements afterward.”

“Ansila isn’t my territory, so that’s to be expected. But a dwarf?”

“Yes. We believe he abducted him.”

“When did he acquire a dwarf?”

“He seems to have done it during the gap after Rosal returned from his severe beating at Demon King Berge’s hands.”

“A dwarf after an elf...”

Did he think demonic creatures were no longer an option, now that his idiocy had put him at odds with the grand duke?

Was he planning to exclude demons altogether and fill his tower with beings from the Middle Realm?

“I don’t believe he would do that.”

“No. Surely even he wouldn’t go that far as a Demon King.”

His pride as a demon refused to accept that possibility. However much of a fool Berge was for rejecting the established approach, that was inconceivable.

“I suspect he intends to send the dwarf out as a spy, like the elf.”

“Look into it. Find out where he sends the dwarf, and if he has already done so, don’t lose him. Watch him all the way through.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“I wonder what he’s really planning.”

Drakson picked up another piece of meat.

* * *

Ernyan Hilderan, the kingdom’s princess abducted by a Demon King, threw a ball made of mud.

A wind spirit darted after it and brought it back in its mouth. When she stroked its head to praise it, it danced. They repeated this several times.

‘Stop Sir Hillen...?’

She honestly could not quite imagine it.

Hillen was the Hero of Hilderan, and she had met him several times as Hilderan’s Crown Princess.

He had been endlessly kind. He had seemed endlessly good-natured.

Now he was coming to rescue her. Should she really stop him with her own hands?

‘But...’

She did not want to return to the kingdom.

For her, rescue was not rescue. Just as abduction was not merely abduction.

Life in the tower was boring. There was nothing here, and no one paid her any attention.

The limited freedom suddenly granted to her was dull and tedious.

But at least it was better than the suffocation and pressure of the kingdom. Better than the looks people had directed at her.

And lately, she had not been particularly bored.

When her thoughts reached that point, she rose and went down the stairs to the first floor. Tools and wires strewn in disarray greeted her.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG

Loud hammering rang out.

WHOOSH

Fierce heat warmed the air. In the workshop set up on one side of the first floor, she could see the back of a dwarf busily hammering away.

“What are you doing?”

There was no answer. But this happened fairly often. Hadn’t he said he could not hear people when he was concentrating?

With nothing else to do anyway, she sat quietly and watched the blazing flames. A fire spirit slipped into them and danced, making the fire burn stronger.

Ernyan flinched, but Logger said nothing. Since it apparently did no harm, she left it alone.

A long while passed.

“... What are you doing here?”

Logger finally noticed Ernyan.

“I have a question.”

“A question?”

“Why are you working here, Logger?”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You’re a hero, after all. And you were abducted. I was wondering why you work for the Demon King.”

“...”

Why? Because he had no choice. If he refused, he would die.

And he could not escape because he now knew that even if he did, nothing but a bleak future awaited him.

He suspected that, outside, the princess was searching for him with bloodshot eyes by now.

“... I simply have my reasons.”

But his pride would not let him tell her the truth. Coward though he was, and however little he had let his position as a hero dictate his life, there were still boundaries he had to defend.

“Is that so?”

Ernyan tilted her head.

“Still, that helped.”

“... I’m not sure what answer I gave you, but I’m glad it helped.”

“The Demon King asked me to stop the hero if he reaches the fourth floor.”

“... What?”

Logger dropped his hammer. He cautiously looked around, then whispered.

“Has the Demon King lost his mind?”

“I don’t think so. He seemed perfectly fine.”

“And he said that to you?”

“I spent a lot of time wondering whether to do it.”

“You actually considered it?”

That was not even worth considering.

Surely she should pray for the hero to kill the Demon King, then return to her kingdom.

“But hearing what you said helped me decide.”

To do it.

She murmured resolutely.

“I have circumstances I can’t do anything about, too. What rights does a hostage have? If I want to live, I have to do what my kidnapper tells me.”

As far as Logger could see, she merely needed an excuse to convince herself. She had already reached her conclusion on her own.

‘... Is Hilderan’s Crown Princess insane?’

He could not help thinking so.

Meanwhile, Ernyan settled on her course by herself.

“But I don’t want the hero to die. So I’ll make that my condition.”

“I doubt the Demon King will agree to that...”

Just as heroes grew stronger by killing demons and demonic creatures, Demon Kings grew stronger by killing heroes. A powerful hero in particular would be prey no Demon King wanted to let go.

“You think so?”

“I’m certain of it.”

That was why Logger was confident. There was no way that greedy Demon King would pass up one of the rare, finest offerings.

“I agree.”

“Thank you.”

“...”

Logger gave up trying to think.

* * *

Growing stronger was not what mattered right now.

Survival was.

Only by living could he grow stronger. Could he take revenge.

Thus, the certainty of capturing the hero mattered more than the possibility of growing stronger by slaying him.

“And if they never get past the first floor in the first place, all these assumptions are meaningless.”

HIC

Logger, who had followed Ernyan out of curiosity only to suddenly find himself under scrutiny, jerked his shoulders.

“How is the work progressing?”

“... The Mana Ghost’s installation is finished, for now. Actually, that’s what I came to report.”

“Let’s take a look.”

They went down to the first floor. The device called the Mana Ghost had been installed inside a deep recess cut into one wall. The branches extending from it covered the entire floor, lending the place an eerie feel.

But plenty of Demon King towers were stranger than this, so it was hardly a problem.

“I’ll start it up.”

“What powers it?”

“Normally, it draws in ambient mana and runs almost indefinitely. For now, though, it needs mana stones.”

“Start it.”

“Yes.”

Logger flipped the switch. The magical device began to shake with a tremendous noise.

Something brushed against Berge’s skin. A hazy veil enveloped the entire first floor. He sensed no malice in it.

‘Containment.’

It worked by preventing the energy inside from leaking out.

‘Wait.’

Berge paused just as he was about to test its performance. A magical device. And the tower.

[“Bring the relics scattered among humans into your tower, and you can put them to better use. There’s no need to foolishly waste demonic energy points buying everything!”]

Was it coincidence that he recalled another boast from the Demon King who had told him about the thirteenth princess?

Recognition and assimilation were among the tower’s functions.

It was a system that enhanced Middle Realm artifacts to suit the tower.

But he had never bothered with it. He had felt no need to spend demonic energy points enhancing inferior Middle Realm objects.

Back then, he had been obsessed with the established approach and demon supremacy.

Berge carefully stroked the magical device’s core.

At that moment:

[The tower recognizes the magical device ‘Mana Ghost’ installed on the first floor.]

[Confirmed to have been installed at the Tower Master’s direction. The device can be assimilated into the tower.]

[1000pt required.]

[Proceed with assimilation?]

1000pt was no trifling amount. It was all the more precious because he converted most of his points into money through Drakson.

But demonic energy points were no longer all-powerful to him.

“Proceed.”

[Consuming points.]

[12182▶11182]

As he gave a small nod, demonic energy surged.

CRACKLE

The tower’s demonic energy rushed toward the device all at once. Then, the moment it reached the core, a massive spark shook the entire floor.

[A massive quantity of mana energy detected.]

[Assimilation failed.]

“Failed?”

[More demonic energy is required for complete assimilation.]

[Consume 10000pt to proceed with assimilation?]

What was this?

A failure, followed by a tenfold increase in the required points. That was effectively everything he had at the moment, but the mention of massive energy piqued his curiosity.

“I accept.”

[Consuming points.]

[11182▶1182]

The device, which had stopped, began shaking again.

Its branches linked together in finer, denser patterns. Rather than running along the walls, they burrowed into the walls, floor, and ceiling alike, becoming one with them.

At last:

[Mana Ghost recognizes the Tower Master, Berge Deias, as its owner.]

[Mana Ghost’s power source is fully replaced: mana▶demonic energy.]

[Mana Ghost’s purpose changes from concealing mana to concealing all energy except demonic energy. The degree of concealment is proportional to the level of the tower and the Demon King.]

[Mana Ghost’s range expands to encompass the entire tower.]

[Energy within the tower is concealed at all times.]

[Demonic energy points can be consumed to conceal the tower itself.]

“I-I didn’t do anything strange! There was no problem in the workshop, so why would it suddenly...”

“I did it. You’re distracting me, so shut up.”

“Yes!”

“Princess. Summon a spirit and cast any spell.”

“Are you sure?”

“Whatever you like.”

Berge went outside the tower.

Slowly. Very slowly.

He stepped through the doorway, trod on the pure white snow, and turned around.

Even then, Berge could not sense a single ripple of mana.

Nothing.

He snapped his fingers. Responding to his will, the tower drew in demonic energy.

Then it vanished from sight. Though the effect was not perfect, unless he looked directly and closely at it, it disappeared like a mirage.

“...”

Berge trembled with exhilaration.