Chapter 56 - Isn't She Your Younger Sister?

『What is this?』

Hillen Cargill held a sheet of paper up to the crystal ball.

Ordinary brown hair and brown eyes. A rather mild-looking face.

"A wanted poster."

『... Logger.』

"Yes. The dwarf on the tower's first floor."

『Are you saying there's a warrant out for him?』

"Apparently, a few days ago, the Kingdom of Berft sent this poster to every nation on the continent, requesting their cooperation."

"It's a warrant for Logger Fridri, a traitor guilty of betraying the kingdom."

"What they offered in return is top secret, but judging by how eagerly the kingdoms are searching, I doubt it's anything trivial."

Hillen had been astonished when he first heard. This was the Kingdom of Berft, of all places. And the order had reportedly come directly from the Crown Prince.

"I've wondered ever since I first saw him: how did you bring Logger to the tower?"

『I kidnapped him.』

The sheer shamelessness left Hillen speechless.

"If he was kidnapped, Berft would have no reason to make such a fuss about him being a traitor. And that dwarf certainly didn't seem to be serving you against his will, my lord."

The man called himself a hero, yet he had built mana cannons to kill other heroes.

Fine—even if Hillen bent over backward and accepted that threats had left him no choice, how did that explain blocking an escaping hero's path and showering him with curses?

An ordinary hero would have tried to leave with him, not swung a hammer while screaming abuse.

『Ask him yourself. He'll be positively thrilled when I tell him about this.』

"... Very well. Actually, that wasn't my main reason for calling."

『There's more?』

"The verdict is in."

Some of the elders had accused Hillen and Roselle Charnt of refusing the Heroes' Guild's orders.

Berge had heard that a trial was consequently being conducted in secret within the Guild.

『How did it turn out?』

"No punishment."

『After dragging it out for two weeks?』

"They never had grounds to begin with. Kingdoms are forbidden to intervene because they use it as a pretext to invade other countries, but Ormus, the country concerned, actually came forward to defend Akan..."

That was not to say there had been no opposition.

Quite a number had demanded severe punishment, and Hillen believed they fell into two camps:

Guild supremacists who believed the Heroes' Guild should stand above the kingdoms, and the people who had made Balaf Dislord abandon the hero's journey.

'The Empire? Or another kingdom?'

They covered their tracks so well that no one had ever established exactly who Balaf Dislord's patron was.

"But the prevailing opinion was to let the matter drop. Heroes acting entirely outside the Guild's control tarnishes its reputation. Rather than that..."

『They decided it was better to give you your due and claim your achievement for the Guild. Its reputation is precious, after all.』

"Yes, exactly."

『Humans, honestly...』

『Very well. For now, focus all your efforts on fully absorbing the Demon King's power. At your current level, you cannot accomplish our grand undertaking.』

"Yes. Oh, and Roselle Charnt is desperately looking for you, my lord."

『...』

"She asks me about you every single day."

『Persistent bitch.』

"Why didn't you simply make her one before you left?"

『I believe I told you I forgot.』

"Why not give her one now? Building a good relationship with her and her patron, the Kingdom of Akan, could prove a great help someday."

『And help you as well?』

"I won't deny it."

On the other side of the crystal ball, the Demon King's lips curved upward.

『That's what I like about you. I'll consider it.』

"Thank you."

The connection ended. Hillen stretched.

"... Maybe I can finally get away now."

He had not lied about her visiting every day. He had followed Roselle Charnt to the Union partly because of the trial, but also because she had threatened not to let him leave until she received Berge's mana.

Of course, it had been useful enough that Hillen had made no particular effort to escape. Now was the time to consolidate what he had gained, rather than take action.

KNOCK, KNOCK

"Sir Hillen, you have a visitor."

Just then, someone knocked at the door.

Assuming it was Roselle Charnt, Hillen was about to prepare tea when he paused.

The presence was different. It felt unlike hers.

'It's indistinct.'

Like mist.

"... Who is it?"

He asked cautiously. Instead of an answer, the door opened.

The visitor's filthy leather armor smelled strongly of earth. His coarse beard was unkempt, his hair tousled.

His eyes, however, were alive.

"Well, so you're the famous Hillen Cargill! My name is Dafner Philiain. Have you heard of me?"

With easy familiarity, Dafner pulled up a chair and sat down.

"... I doubt there's a hero who hasn't heard of you."

"I'm honored you recognize me."

Dafner bowed his head playfully.

"What brings you to see me...?"

"Oh, it's nothing serious. No need to be so wary. I'm just curious about something. May I ask for your cooperation?"

"If it's something I can help with."

"Glad to hear it."

Dafner took out a small notebook.

"Then first, I'd like to hear about your hero's journey in detail. In very great detail."

* * *

They wolfed down their food.

Meat vanished in an instant. Well-prepared pasta was sucked into mouths, splattering sauce everywhere.

The diners who had cast aside their forks and knives to grab and swallow food with their hands were not humans, but elves.

Granada sighed at the ravenous scene. Pity came before disgust.

'How hungry must they have been...?'

He, too, had spent five years as a slave. He knew all too well how grueling and painful it was.

"Eat slowly. There's as much more as you want."

"Th-thank you!"

"Thank you!"

The fifteen elves bowed their heads, but their pace did not slow.

"It amazes me every time I see it, but are they really elves?"

"What do you mean?"

"They're so ravenous they put orcs to shame..."

Granada's glare silenced Jetoson.

"Where are we going next?"

"Buarn. Apparently, an elf is being put up for sale at an underground auction."

"Then we won't need your help, Jetoson."

"Pardon?"

"Elsewhere, perhaps, but at an auction, your help doesn't seem particularly necessary."

"Now, that's truly hurtful."

Jetoson thumped his chest.

"I, Jetoson, am Akan's finest merchant. There is no situation in which I cannot be of help."

"But..."

"Even monkeys fall out of trees sometimes. How can anyone be perfect? And that doesn't apply only to humans. Can you confidently say you're perfect in everything you do, Granada?"

"... Well, fine. What do you intend to do this time, then?"

"I've done some studying on auctions."

Jetoson cleared his throat, steadying his voice.

"Ultimately, an auction is a competition between people. You read each other's reactions and the mood, decide on a price, and bid higher than your opponent..."

"Get to the point. Briefly."

"When someone counters our bid, we raise the price sharply so they don't dare make a peep. Seizing the initiative, you might call it."

"Didn't you say you would help us buy as cheaply as possible?"

"This is buying cheaply."

Jetoson took out a notebook and pen and drew a series of lines.

"Look. Suppose the starting price is ten, and we'd have to pay a hundred if the auction proceeded normally. But when the other bidder offers eleven, we offer sixty instead of twelve. That will certainly put them on their guard."

"But if they keep bidding to the end, couldn't we end up paying two hundred for something we could have bought for a hundred?"

"Of course we could."

"You seem confident. I take it you have a countermeasure?"

"No. Someone like that will keep bidding to the end regardless of the price, so it's easier on the mind to accept it."

"Even if we offer sixty for something we could have bought for thirty, and end up paying more?"

"Even the greatest merchant cannot profit every single time."

"..."

What an odd human, truly.

Granada thought he understood why Berge had taken a liking to this human named Jetoson.

Even in Granada's fairly long life, he had never encountered shamelessness quite like it.

"When is the auction in Buarn?"

"Tomorrow evening at eight. It's a major city with a teleportation circle, so we can get there quickly."

The following day, they arrived at Buarn's auction house.

An elf was put up for sale, and Jetoson began bidding. Everything went according to plan—except that the other bidder responded in kind to Jetoson's strategy.

"... I believe knowing when to give up is also a virtue for a merchant."

"I'm not a merchant."

Granada won the elf for twice the price he had expected.

"As I thought, you're really no good at auctions, Jetoson..."

"Wait, please wait a moment. It's too early to judge. The continent is vast, and we have plenty of elves left to buy, don't we?"

"... Are you the ones who've been buying up all the elves lately?"

After the auction, as they headed to collect the elf, someone blocked their path.

* * *

"..."

Berge opened his eyes.

'Now this...'

Was interesting.

The Phoenix's power, which had settled in his second heart, had grown stronger.

There were two reasons Demon Kings, demons, and demonic creatures weakened when they left a tower.

One was that they left the tower's protection against dimensional interference.

The other was that they could no longer replenish their demonic energy.

Just as humans absorbed mana to create aura cores and shape mana hearts, demons absorbed demonic energy to fill their empty vessels.

But since demonic energy did not exist in the Middle Realm, demons had no choice but to rely on their towers.

Berge, however, was different.

Inside the tower, he absorbed demonic energy; outside it, he absorbed mana.

The Phoenix's power made that possible.

'Just what is this creature?'

He had read about the Phoenix in an ancient text before.

It had been discovered in a dimension called Bellars roughly three thousand years ago. Hadn't it said that three Demon Kings had barely managed to defeat it by joining forces?

One Demon King had been crippled and another killed in the process. It had been a hollow victory.

There was no guarantee Arain's Phoenix was exactly the same as the one from Bellars, but the mere fact that its power held its own against his energy as a Demon King made it worth his time.

'The more mana I absorb, the more fully it integrates with my body. I'll have to make a point of going outside.'

Hillen was not the only one weakened by an inability to fully control his power.

It happened then.

The communication orb rang. It wasn't Hillen Cargill.

This was the network linking tower to tower. Another Demon King.

『It's been a while, Berge Deias.』

When he infused it with demonic energy, a massive face appeared.

"What is it, Ugar? We aren't close enough to exchange private calls."

Berge held back the curse that threatened to escape.

『I have a proposal for you.』

"Nor are we close enough for friendly proposals."

『Insolent from beginning to end. Do you think you can get through life entirely on your own?』

"That's hardly something a Demon King should say. I'm hanging up."

『Wait...! You won't lose anything, either!』

"Go on."

『I want to buy demonic energy. I heard you exchange yours for human money. I would also like to buy your demonic energy with money.』

"You want demonic energy?"

Had word spread? Well, it wasn't exactly a secret. The only puzzling part was that the Ugar Berge knew wasn't the sort to do this.

"How much money do you have?"

『3,592 gold.』

More than he had expected. Jason Cockmundo, with his enormous fortune of a hundred thousand gold, was the odd one out. Demon Kings ordinarily had little interest in money.

"180,000 points."

『That little?』

"I promised Jason five million points for a hundred thousand gold, too. If you don't like it, forget it."

『... Fine.』

"Of course, I can't give it to you immediately. I'm making regular payments to Jason. I'll divide it into reasonable monthly installments."

『... Hmm. Very well. Even that is better than nothing.』

After a moment's consideration, Ugar nodded.

He ended the call, saying he would send the money once they drew up a contract.

"Ugar needs demonic energy..."

It was perfectly natural for a Demon King to need demonic energy. But why would someone who disliked Berge go so far as to humble himself for it?

'There's something going on...'

Was it because Drakson had died?

Compared with the situation before his regression, that was the one clear difference.

A Demon King who should not have died had died. As a result, a new Demon King had descended.

Oh, and Vivian's idiocy had also sent wariness of Demon Kings soaring.

'I'll find out with time.'

Berge closed his eyes again.

The Phoenix's mana stirred.

* * *

"Is it about halfway finished?"

"Yes. The moment a hero appears, all these walls will open, and the mana cannons will unleash their firepower."

"I like it."

Berge inspected the work on the first floor. It wasn't finished yet, but the image that naturally formed in his mind made him smile.

He dearly wanted to see the face of a hero confronted with this.

Especially Ralph Schmitz.

'Will your shield stop even this, or not?'

He wanted to put it to the test.

It happened then.

"My lord!"

Gordon came running, out of breath.

"Demon King Ugar has reportedly kidnapped Hilderan's Thirteenth Princess!"

"... What?"

And with that, he dropped a bombshell.

"... Huh?"

Ernyan, who had been helping Logger with an earth spirit, looked shaken.

- Isn't Hilderan's Thirteenth Princess your younger sister?

The tactless water spirit tilted its head.