Chapter 52 - Did That Happen?

Returning to the tower after several months, Berge found that the first floor had changed.

“A maze?”

It was rather simple for a maze. He saw no notable traps, either.

'He hid them inside the walls.'

Concealed mana cannons lined the passage from end to end.

He walked along the path. It wound back and forth, but there were no forks. About halfway through, the dwarf installing mana cannons greeted him.

“My lord! You're back!”

But the dwarf wasn't alone.

“You're back?”

The princess popped her head out of a pit. Dirt was caked all over her face, yet it did nothing to diminish her beauty.

“... What are you doing?”

“Logger said he needed help, so I was helping him for a bit.”

“Ah, building the walls and digging was taking far too long on my own, so I asked her. If that's a problem...”

“No, it doesn't matter.”

The strange part was that the princess was cooperating at all. If she was willing to help, he had no reason to stop her.

'What was she like in my previous life?'

They hadn't had much contact. He knew nothing of her private life or her personality.

He turned to Logger.

“So, what do you intend to do with the first floor?”

“Yes, well, along the walls...”

The explanation was long-winded, but it ultimately amounted to covering the place with mana cannons.

He'd told Logger to make something the heroes wouldn't expect, and this was the design he'd come up with? Well, unexpected firepower wasn't bad, either.

As long as the heroes died before they could mount a proper response, everything was fine.

“It's not enough.”

But Berge decided to take it a step further. In his view, no number of mana cannons would kill a hero like Ralph.

“In what way...?”

“Let's station a few golems to deal with anyone who survives the bombardment in the plaza. You said you were versed in alchemy and enchantment magic as well, didn't you?”

“Ah, I can do that. But it will take quite a lot of materials.”

“That doesn't matter. What do you need?”

“Any kind of ore will do, but the better the mineral and its quality, the better the golem's performance will be.”

“I'll find something good.”

“Thank you!”

Leaving Logger bowing deeply behind him, Berge headed up to the next floor.

“Logger, you know how to make golems, too?”

“Being so weak personally for a hero was a source of trauma for me. That's why I took an interest in making golems.”

Their conversation faded into the distance.

He passed through the still-empty second and third floors, thinking he ought to fill them with something. The fourth floor, whose occupant was absent, held little interest for him, either.

He tossed a casual remark at the imperial princess diligently swinging her sword as he passed.

“We have a serious problem, my lord.”

When he reached the fifth floor, Gordon called out to him urgently.

“Krutu contacted me. It seems someone is searching for the tower. According to him, the Poil Orcs cannot handle—”

“I've already met him.”

“Pardon?”

“Dafner Philiain. A hero.”

“... Surely not a hero's journey?”

“He's alone, so probably not. But we can consider it groundwork for one.”

There was clearly a determination not to suffer the same failure again.

“Shouldn't we find him and kill him?”

“How?”

“Pardon?”

“He's the fastest of the heroes, and his stealth is renowned as well. In stealth alone, he rivals Demon Kings.”

“That's impossible...”

Stealth was the very first thing Demon Kings began learning at the Demon King Military Academy, and they never neglected it right up to graduation.

And he could rival such Demon Kings?

“... Then there's nothing we can do?”

“I said we couldn't catch him. I never said there was nothing we could do.”

There was no need to catch him. If he wanted something, they simply had to show it to him.

“... What do you mean?”

“We have that device the dwarf brought. We only need to send him in the wrong direction.”

“Ah.”

Gordon gave a small exclamation.

* * *

“You've improved.”

The casually delivered remark, almost proud in tone, brought Kaede's sword to a halt as she focused intently on her training. Its speaker had already vanished.

'... I've improved?'

Of course she had improved.

Ever since the Demon King abducted her, she had thrown herself into training as though her life depended on it, hoping to escape somehow.

Watching a contract being forged with a high-ranking spirit had also helped her advance another step.

But hearing it from the Demon King was another matter entirely.

Kaede was an imperial princess, and he was a Demon King.

She was a hero, and he was a Demon King.

Yet that Demon King had praised her.

He had regarded her progress with pride, utterly unconcerned.

'Does that make any sense?'

It did. If she added one assumption.

From Berge's perspective, he had grown accustomed to the unusual princess Ernyan, and the words had slipped out without a thought.

But Kaede took them differently.

'Could he be trying to make me, too...?'

Into one of his subordinates?

What if that was why he had deliberately let her roam free and treated her kindly?

A princess and hero serving a Demon King. Perhaps she was jumping to absurd conclusions.

But there was evidence she couldn't simply dismiss.

'Ernyan Hilderan.'

She was already the Demon King's faithful servant. She decorated the fourth floor herself and helped the dwarf on the first floor build vicious traps to kill heroes.

'And Logger Fridri.'

He was even a hero. Yet he served the Demon King wholeheartedly.

'No.'

Kaede was a princess of the Empire. At the same time, she was a proud imperial knight and hero.

Her betrayal would not merely be a personal one. It would disgrace the Empire. With her immense pride as a knight, she could never tolerate such shameful conduct.

'I have to escape.'

No matter what happened, she had to escape.

She firmed her resolve.

* * *

[“Go to the Golden Moon Trading Company and find Aman. Tell him you're in charge of the elf business.”]

Granada and the Red Hawk had been excluded from the second hero's journey.

Instead, on Berge's orders, they set out for the Golden Moon Trading Company.

“So we're buying elves?”

“Yes. We have to visit slave markets all across the continent.”

“That sounds like it'll take well over a year...”

“My lord has decided to hire you for another year. At the same rate as before.”

“Uh, if he could pay just a little more... We've climbed Erjest and gone all the way to a Demon King's tower. We've done dangerous work more than once, haven't we?”

“You mean when you ran away before you even fought properly?”

“I'm perfectly satisfied with the original payment!”

“So am I!”

They renewed their contract on the way, smiling happily at another enormous influx of money.

Upon arriving at the Golden Moon Trading Company, Granada met the representative they put forward.

“A pleasure to meet you. My name is Jetoson. I've only recently started working here.”

“I'm Granada.”

“Oh, the famous Granada and the members of the Red Hawk Mercenary Company! I've heard about you. An elf buying enslaved elves to set them free. Ah, how admirable!”

“... Ah, yes.”

Jetoson continued affably.

“In truth, I too have been deeply saddened by the sight of enslaved elves. How long has it been since continental law banned it? And yet such barbaric practices persist. Just trust me. I'll personally do everything I can to save as many elves as possible!”

“... Uh. Thank you.”

Granada's first impression of the human called Jetoson hadn't inspired much confidence. Yet listening to him go on at length somehow instilled a sense of trust.

“I've drawn up a list of major markets likely to trade elves. Don't worry. Once they hear of your reputation, Granada, they'll hand over the elves of their own accord.”

The first place he led them to was the slave market in Pellum, a major city in Iasin.

Elven, home of the elves.

Berft, kingdom of the dwarves.

And the human kingdoms.

Long ago, these peoples, who had constantly fought one another, signed an agreement that officially abolished the enslavement of each other's races.

On the surface, the treaty signed by all the human kings and the leaders of the other races seemed to be observed. But human greed knew no bounds, and behind the light there was always shadow.

The Kingdom of Iasin was no exception.

Virtually every major city had a slave market, and deep underground, accessible only to VIPs, were auction houses trading rare goods and slaves of other races.

“Halt.”

They had entered the slave market wearing masks that covered half their faces. After performing all manner of secret gestures and reciting passwords, they had descended underground through a hidden passage.

Jetoson, who had guided them through all of it, nonchalantly held out a small badge.

“Your identity is confirmed. I'll show you the way.”

They followed the guide toward the stairs leading farther underground.

Granada whispered quietly.

“What is that?”

“Ordinary people can't enter underworld auction houses like this. You need money or power—a high-ranking noble, the head of a guild, the owner of a successful trading company. This is the identification badge issued to the Golden Moon Trading Company.”

“I see.”

“You aren't accustomed to this sort of shady business, are you, Granada?”

“... Well, no.”

Granada had spent five years being passed around all manner of slave markets. In some respects, he was even more familiar with black markets like this.

“Just trust me. I, Jetoson, was raised from childhood to be a merchant and grew up as one.”

“How impressive.”

Despite his words, however, Jetoson failed to demonstrate any particular skill.

A total of two elves appeared at the auction, which proceeded uneventfully.

Jetoson, who had thumped his chest and assured them he would get a bargain if they only trusted him, won the final bid at an expensive three times the starting price.

“That damn pig! Charging in with bloodshot eyes just because they're female elves!”

Jetoson glared at the man chiefly responsible for driving up the price and snorted. Then, seeing Granada's rigid expression, he gave an awkward laugh.

“... Haha, you may have the wrong idea, but this isn't the extent of my abilities. My specialty is actually selling, not buying.”

“...”

“An auction isn't proper commerce. I believe the true merchant's path is to meet face-to-face, talk, and reach a mutually agreeable price.”

“...”

“Not all merchants are the same. Everyone has a specialty, and in my case, it's persuading people face-to-face...”

“Jetoson.”

“Yes.”

“Let's just go collect the elves.”

“... Yes.”

Granada had simply been displeased to see elves treated as human playthings.

* * *

『“This puts me in a rather difficult position.”』

Despite his words, his voice betrayed no difficulty whatsoever.

『“I had quite a few problems raising those funds on such short notice myself. And now you won't even provide the demonic energy on time...”』

At Jason's words, Berge finally had no choice but to reveal part of his situation.

“We have a problem.”

『“What sort of problem?”』

“Dafner Philiain.”

『“So he's searching for your tower.”』

An intrigued laugh came through.

『“It won't be easy to evade his eyes. What do you intend to do? Keeping your tower's location unknown is rather important to you, isn't it?”』

“Must I tell you even that?”

『“As your creditor, I consider it my rightful concern.”』

“I've repaid half.”

『“Which means half remains.”』

“I'll summon demonic creatures and kill him.”

『“... I suspect there's more to it, but very well.”』

『“There's also something I must tell you.”』

“What is it?”

『“I intend to hold a meeting of the Demon Kings at my tower tomorrow.”』

“So suddenly? Isn't the Harmony of Towers still some time away?”

『“Ah, I forgot you're not yet well informed about news outside your tower.”』

『“A problem has arisen.”』

He continued.

『“Drakson Doldorf is dead.”』

Yes, I know. I did it.

Berge replied calmly.

“... Good heavens. Did that happen?”

『“Yes. There is something I need to discuss concerning that. A new Demon King has descended.”』

“... What?”

Already?

This time, even Berge couldn't help being surprised.