Chapter 35 - The Queen on the Chessboard

A place within the Jespine Empire's territory, yet beyond its reach.

A place where snow fell all year round and monsters of the snowfields ran rampant.

A place where scattered barbarians struggled to survive.

People had originally called it the land of barbarians. But after a Demon King built her tower and settled there, they began calling it the land of bitter cold.

"I heard you borrowed money from Jason."

Berge walked after Reina, who was personally showing him around.

The eleven-story Tower of Bitter Cold was made entirely of ice. The chill radiating from the tower itself froze his skin and penetrated deep into his bones.

'If it feels this cold to me, weaker bastards would freeze to death on their way here.'

In fact, even reaching this place was no easy task. It was cold, and barbarians and monsters roamed the area.

Of course, it was nothing compared to Berge's tower, high in the cold mountains teeming with powerful monsters.

'Ice skeletons on the first floor. Poil Orcs on the second, frost knights and snowflower wolves on the third.'

Weak creatures on the first floor, growing stronger with each floor above. A thoroughly textbook arrangement.

"... Are you not going to answer?"

"... Hmm?"

The prickling sensation of a stare pulled him from his thoughts. Reina was gazing steadily at him. Behind her, her closest attendants were glaring daggers.

"What did you say?"

"You were not listening to me."

"Your tower is impressive. I was taking it in."

"... I see. That is understandable. I did put some care into it."

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

"So, what was it?"

"I heard you borrowed money from Jason."

"Did Jason tell you that?"

"He said it was hardly a secret."

It wasn't a secret, but Berge had the distinct impression Jason had told her deliberately. Was he making sure Berge couldn't weasel out of paying?

"I did. One hundred thousand gold."

"... I have no interest in human money, but even I know that is no small sum. Jason had that much?"

"He claims he scraped together everything he had, but who knows?"

"What did you offer in return?"

"Demonic energy points."

"Good heavens."

Reina's eyes widened.

"How many?"

"The price of one balrog."

"Five million. That must be a considerable amount in your circumstances."

"That's why I agreed to pay it back over time."

Before his regression, Berge had summoned more than ten balrogs, but five million was by no means a small number.

Points rose by the day immediately after kidnapping a princess, but human emotions were not inexhaustible.

Still, considering what one hundred thousand gold could accomplish in the human world, it was cheap.

"Let's leave that subject there."

"Ah, very well. Then let us get to the point. Tell me: how did you know a hero's journey was planned, and that it would be coming here?"

"Does that matter?"

"It does. You and Drakson brought me the same news at almost the same time."

Berge stopped walking. Reina and her attendants naturally stopped as well.

"Drakson told you the same thing?"

"Yes. He said a hero's journey would take place soon, and told me to prepare because this would be its destination. Exactly what you told me."

Hillen Cargill had said the Heroes' Guild was deciding between Drakson and Reina.

But Drakson had spoken with certainty. Hillen had leaned toward Reina as well, of course, but a guess and a confirmed decision were different things.

'Well, look at this bastard.'

Apparently, Drakson Doldorf was involved in more crooked dealings with humans than Berge had imagined.

And yet he'd tried to hound Berge mercilessly for insulting the Guide?

'Disgusting bastard.'

He couldn't be certain whether Drakson had direct ties to the Heroes' Guild, was involved indirectly, or had planted spies.

But Hillen Cargill had said some Demon Kings had "connections" to the Heroes' Guild. If they had merely planted spies, he would have had no reason to phrase it that way.

"Drakson has spent a long time laying his groundwork, so I can understand his case. But not yours."

"Unfortunately, I don't think I can tell you that."

How could a Demon King proudly admit he'd turned a hero into his subordinate and sent him to infiltrate the Guild?

Reina stared at Berge. Their eyes remained locked for a moment.

"... Yes. It would be strange if you told me so readily. That was my mistake."

"If you already knew, that makes this simpler. What will you do?"

"What is there to do? Nothing changes. I will receive them as usual."

Place increasingly powerful demonic creatures and traps on each successive floor, then wait at the top for the heroes to arrive.

"If anything sets my tower apart from the others, it would be leaving kidnapped princes on suitable floors as decorations."

Before they knew it, they had reached the top of the tower. Reina's office was perfectly ordinary. She sat in a plush chair and gestured.

"But, Your Majesty."

"Demon King Berge cannot be trusted..."

"It is improper for you to interrupt a conversation between Demon Kings. Do not make me repeat myself."

The demons left, looking displeased.

"Sit."

"Your demons care about you a great deal."

"They have followed me since my days in the Demon Realm. I am grateful to them."

Come to think of it, Reina Sordein was practically a princess. Born to the greatest bloodline among the frost demons, she was noble from birth.

"Would you like one?"

She opened a box and took something out. Candy. Red, with a faint cherry scent.

"Candy?"

"It is the only human food I find agreeable."

"I'll pass."

"Will you?"

TAP

Reina put one back and brought the other to her mouth.

"Now, then."

She rested her chin on her hand. That alone changed the atmosphere. The warmth she had shown in the presence of her retainers was gone.

"What brings you here to see me in person?"

"I told you. Having failed to kill me and rescue Hilderan's Crown Princess, the Heroes' Guild has drawn its sword. You're likely to be its target."

"I am not a fool, Berge Deias."

Her eyes turned cold.

"If that were your only reason, you would not have come here. You would simply have warned me through a communication orb and left it at that."

"Like Drakson?"

"Yes, like Drakson. But you did not, even though we are hardly that close. I believe there is one possible explanation. Are we thinking of the same thing?"

"Probably."

"That is strange."

"What's strange about it?"

"My family regularly sends me news from the Demon Realm. Naturally, some of it concerned you."

"What did they say about me?"

"The top graduate of the Demon King Military Academy."

The finest graduate of any class in its history.

"That's a compliment."

"It was not all praise. They also called you the Demon King Military Academy's headcase."

"Just an embarrassing past."

"You may take a little more pride in it. Not everyone can insult the Guide at their graduation ceremony. For better or worse."

Despite her words, her gaze was anything but friendly.

"That is why I am puzzled. Until your graduation ceremony, you were the very epitome of a demon."

Worshipful of the Guide.

Arrogant.

Contemptuous of others.

And utterly individualistic.

"To be honest, I found you exceedingly agreeable then."

"But not now?"

"Insulting the Guide counts against you. If this were not Arain, I might have fought you myself."

"Then I should be grateful this is Arain."

If it weren't Arain, he would have had no reason to do it in the first place. The Guide worked perfectly well in most other dimensions.

"Yet I never expected someone like you to offer me help of your own accord."

"All demons change. I simply changed too."

"I heard you became an entirely different demon at your graduation ceremony. Did something prompt it?"

"Not particularly."

Something had. He had experienced the most conclusive proof possible that the Guide was wrong: losing his own life.

"Perhaps a demon needs no great catalyst to change. But I have seen traces of your former self."

"My former self?"

"At the Harmony of Towers, you opposed Drakson. You disapproved of Ugar and were wary of Jason. You were every inch an arrogant Demon King."

That was because Drakson had been provoking Berge since the moment he descended. Ugar had been an irritating idiot even in his previous life, and Jason remained an inscrutable enigma.

"But you showed no hostility toward me."

"Is that strange?"

"Very strange. And now you have come all this way to bring me news in person. An ordinary demon would never exert himself for someone who had nothing to do with him."

"..."

She wasn't wrong. But Berge was no ordinary demon, either.

"From the moment you said you were coming, I gave it thought. And though it may be an unfounded assumption, I reached one conclusion."

"What is it?"

"This is only hypothetical. Entirely hypothetical, but..."

A faint flush colored Reina's snow-white face.

"Have you perhaps fallen for me?"

"...?"

"If so, you should know that I have no intention of pursuing such matters until I have completely conquered Arain..."

Had she lost her mind? What the hell was she babbling about?

* * *

"I understand, of course. The demons of my family have always said I am more beautiful than anyone else. It must be inevitable that you would fall for me."

Correcting Reina's misconception, given her terminal case of princess syndrome, took considerably longer than expected.

"So you did not choose me specifically out of the other four Demon Kings because you had fallen for me?"

"I said I hadn't."

"If efficiency were your concern, Jason would be the obvious choice. He has been in Arain the longest of all the Demon Kings, and his tower is the tallest. Yet you chose me."

"I'm telling you, that's not why!"

Fucking hell.

Berge barely managed to hold back the curse threatening to escape his mouth. He couldn't understand why he had to raise his voice at Reina over such a ridiculous issue.

"I'm on bad terms with Drakson, and Ugar is an idiot."

"I agree that Ugar is an idiot."

"And Jason is too inscrutable to trust easily. You said that yourself, didn't you? Who does that leave?"

"... I understand."

After a long while, Reina lowered her head, her face red as a tomato. The candy in her mouth dropped onto the desk.

"... I made an embarrassing mistake. I apologize."

"As long as you understand now. I offered to help because I want to maintain a good relationship with you, one Demon King to another."

"I see no harm in cooperating with you either. I accept."

That settled it.

The process had been somewhat unpleasant, but continuing to build friendly relations with Reina Sordein would undoubtedly prove useful someday.

In fact, he didn't need to look that far ahead.

"On that note, I have a favor to ask."

"A favor?"

"You said you were thinking of releasing a few princes this time, didn't you?"

"That depends on what they do. I merely intend to place a prince's statue on the fifth floor. If they cannot even reach the fifth floor, they will pay dearly for underestimating me."

"At any rate, could you make that prince the Crown Prince of the Principality of Asoin?"

"The Crown Prince of the Principality of Asoin... That is not a particularly difficult request."

"Thank you."

Berge smiled slyly.

* * *

"I am terribly uneasy."

Outside Reina's office, her retainers fretted.

"Leaving her alone with that lawless brute! Who knows what that shameless wretch might do to Her Majesty?"

"Precisely. He is an unparalleled headcase who dared insult even the Guide. Do you think he would obey the prohibition on conflict between Demon Kings?"

"Her Majesty is not someone who would fall victim so easily."

"True, but if that filthy scoundrel were to corrupt her delicate nature..."

"The very thought is horrifying."

They were the ones who had received the information about Berge Deias and passed it on to Reina.

They knew all too well what Berge Deias had done and what sort of demon he was.

"What if he falls for Her Majesty and makes advances...?"

"She is the most beautiful person in the world. It is entirely possible!"

"We will certainly not stand for that!"

Many of them had been with Reina since she was a child. Their attachment to her went far beyond what others imagined.

"Please, that's enough. Her Majesty is a full-fledged Demon King, and she has been one for quite some time. Surely she wouldn't lose to a newly descended Demon King in her own domain."

At the words of Nina, her adjutant, the retainers let out reluctant groans.

Just then, the office door opened. Everyone waiting turned to look.

"Then I'll leave with that settled."

"Your visit was so sudden that I could not receive you properly. Come again, and I shall give you a proper welcome."

"I'll look forward to it."

Berge vanished through a dimensional portal. A brief silence fell as soon as the guest was gone.

"Your Majesty, how did it go?"

"Did that shameless bastard try anything improper?"

The retainers poured out the anxieties they had been holding in. But Reina's gaze was far from friendly.

"... Your Majesty?"

Before they could even realize something was wrong, she spoke.

"... You lied to me. You said anyone who approached me for no reason must be captivated by my beauty. Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was?"

Everyone, get out. I do not even want to look at you.

At her abrupt order to leave, they were driven out of the tower.

* * *

"The Crown Prince of the Principality of Asoin will be waiting on the tower's fifth floor. Rescuing him is now entirely up to your abilities."

『"Of course. It has not been announced yet, but I have already been chosen to lead the expedition."』

He had persuaded the elders with the argument that he should clean up his own shit. Naturally, Hillen Cargill made no secret of the enormous sums spent lobbying them in the process.

Competition had been fiercer because this hero's journey was slated to succeed.

『"It is all thanks to your support, Your Majesty."』

"I prefer concrete results to empty flattery."

『"As I told you, the Principality of Asoin was originally a mainstay of the Traparta Union. But after the Demon King of Bitter Cold kidnapped its Crown Prince, civil war broke out among the princes and princesses seeking the throne. Its influence has now weakened considerably."』

『"Consequently, many people wish for the Crown Prince's return. Before his kidnapping, Asoin boasted formidable power under his leadership. They wish to reclaim that former glory."』

"I've heard your plan to rescue that Crown Prince yourself and establish a firm connection with Asoin. What I'm asking is whether you can do it. Are you certain?"

『"Yes. I am Hillen Cargill."』

"I wish you success. But if you fail, I think I will have doubts about your abilities."

『"If I were weak enough to fall on a mere fifth floor, I could never have slain the Demon King of Lust."』

Berge ended the call.

He closed his eyes and envisioned the larger picture.

The Heroes' Guild's new hero's journey was a mighty current. Berge lacked the power to divert it.

So instead, he had chosen to ride that current with Hillen Cargill.

He would use the hero's journey to make Hillen Cargill greater still.

Hillen Cargill...

"Will become my queen."

He would become the finest piece to range across the vast chessboard that was the conquest of this dimension.