Chapter 75 - To Go Down in History

The friend of the woman who had killed his kin was strong. Terribly strong.

They killed all the other chimeras that poured out, but that was as far as they got. Bloodied from head to toe, Krutu had no choice but to flee.

At his command, his surviving subordinates scattered in every direction. Fortunately, the human and the monster pursued only Krutu.

“Demonic energy. Demonic creature. Demon?”

His blood left marks across the pristine snow, tracing a crimson trail.

THUD, THUD, THUD

The enormous chimera trampled that trail beneath its feet.

'I have to reach my lord.'

It was the only way to survive.

Instinct told him so.

“Ah...”

A little while later, Krutu cried out at the sight of a distant figure and sank to the ground.

WHOOSH

Black flames descended, forming a barrier between Krutu and the chimera.

“My lord!” Krutu shouted.

Berge wore a displeased smile.

“... Forgive me. I failed to carry out your orders, my lord.”

“Stay back.”

Berge passed the tearful Krutu and took a step forward. The chimera shook off the flames. The human perched on its shoulder murmured,

“Demon King?”

Berge made no attempt to suppress the sigh that escaped him.

'How irritating.'

His suspicions had been right.

He had seen that face before. Both before and after his regression.

He had hoped never to see it again. Was this the price of violating the Guide? Apparently, the first Demon Emperor was not watching over him.

'How petty.'

Enough pointless thoughts. Berge looked her over.

Her long, pale-purple hair reached her buttocks and was rather greasy and dirty. Her red eyes, much like the chimera's, brimmed with the innocence of passion and curiosity.

But that innocence was madness.

That was precisely why he must never have anything to do with her.

'What if I just killed her now?'

There were no witnesses. Therefore, there would be no evidence.

She was all but disowned. Perhaps her kingdom would simply shrug it off.

'But surely they know she came up here.'

Her movements were far too conspicuous. At the very least, her kingdom would know she had entered the Erjest Mountains.

They might not know what happened afterward, but even the slightest grounds for suspicion would be a problem in its own right.

“Does the Kingdom of Akan know? That you've come here?”

“You know, me?”

“How could I not?”

“I don't, know you.”

“Does that matter?”

“No.”

She shook her head.

“Father. Knows.”

“Mother knows, too.”

“The royal knights' commander.”

“The Mage Tower Master.”

“My older sisters, brothers.”

“My younger siblings.”

She was answering his question about who knew.

At that point, he might as well assume everyone knew.

“So you didn't sneak out this time?”

“Did, sneak out. Younger sibling. Secretly.”

“Your younger sibling?”

“Down below.”

'... Don't tell me.'

Had Akan deliberately sent an escort with her?

If so, knights would be searching for her.

And this was the Kingdom of Akan. There would be plenty of mages, too.

Given how headstrong the princess was, they must have sent skilled trackers along as well.

A chill ran down his spine.

His instincts screamed that any further involvement would spell trouble.

'Akan is even more powerful than Hilderan.'

Moreover, its magical forces were so formidable that even the empire envied them. It had suffered considerable losses at The Beast's Tower, but those represented only a fraction of Akan's total strength.

“That.”

She extended her hand, her snow-white fingertip pointing at Krutu.

“Give him to me.”

“No.”

“Why?”

Her finger pointed at herself.

“Need him.”

“...”

What was he supposed to do with this damned, innocent princess?

The urge to kill her rose again.

He glanced over Krutu's body. It was covered in wounds. Anyone looking at the path he had taken would recognize the scene of a desperate, bloody struggle.

Erasing all of that would take quite some time.

Could he kill her and erase the traces before Akan's search party, alerted to her escape, found them?

Either way, it was a gamble. Berge had no desire to stake his life on a gamble over one human with a screw loose.

'Fortunately... '

They were quite far from the tower. If he made a determined escape, she would not be able to follow.

The moment he finished thinking, he moved. He snatched up Krutu and spread his wings.

“Ah.”

Left behind, the princess gaped blankly.

“...”

She climbed down from the chimera's shoulder. Stepping onto the ground where the snow had melted completely, she searched for remnants of demonic energy.

Good.

“Demonic energy.”

Good.

“Material.”

She wanted it.

Pure greed stirred within her.

* * *

“Stay put for the time being. Keep the orcs in line, and do not engage her under any circumstances.”

“Yes. Thank you for saving my life.”

After giving Krutu a stern warning, Berge sent him back to the orc tribe.

He went straight up to the fourth floor and sought out Ernyan.

“Do you know about Lavinia Akan?”

“Lavinia Akan? Do you mean Akan's Third Princess?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it's a little improper to say this about a princess, but she's completely insane.”

It was the first time he had heard Ernyan speak so bluntly. But Berge agreed with her assessment.

“What would happen if I killed her?”

“I think it would probably lead to a hero's journey.”

“I heard her kingdom had disowned her.”

“Only as far as the king is concerned. From what I know, the magical community values her quite highly. You may not know this, but she's the foremost authority on chimera research.”

“Isn't she only in her twenties? I didn't realize the Kingdom of Akan was so short on talent.”

“It's less a lack of talent than a lack of mages who have delved that deeply into chimera research. Even if they're researching monsters and demonic creatures, they're still dealing with living beings.”

However many mad mages there were, dealing with life itself was bound to be a sensitive matter.

Yet there was one reason the school of chimera research persisted.

Research into demonic creatures and monsters exposed their weaknesses, one after another.

Heroes played a major part in the current relationship between Demon Kings and humans, but the role of chimera mages was by no means insignificant.

“They're a sort of necessary evil. Of course, she's also a genius. Akan's royal Mage Tower Master heaps praise on her, saying she would have become an archmage if she'd studied conventional magic.”

Ernyan tilted her head.

“But why are you suddenly asking... about her? Don't tell me...”

“Whatever you're thinking, you're probably right.”

“... I heard she sometimes wanders around alone to obtain demonic creatures or monsters, but I never imagined she'd come all the way to Erjest.”

“I was surprised, too.”

“Not to the tower?”

“She's some distance from the tower.”

“Hmm, that's a relief. Then couldn't you just leave her alone? Erjest is vast and full of monsters. She won't be able to handle all of it. I think that's better than stirring up unnecessary trouble.”

Berge agreed. Then, suddenly, he let out a hollow laugh.

'Having a conversation like this with a princess. I couldn't even have dreamed of it before my regression.'

He had long since realized he was changing. That could be a bad thing or a good one.

But at least so far, it had been the right choice. Ernyan's help had benefited him.

In any case, he prayed this ordeal would pass without incident.

He did not want to become entangled with a country like Akan. Not yet.

* * *

“Now, tell me.”

Louise crossed her legs and jerked her chin at him.

“I've given you everything I promised.”

The reward for saving the princess had been anything but meager.

An arms supply treaty had been signed between the Heroes' Guild and the Kingdom of Berft in Hillen's name. At his request, a portion of the weapons would also be supplied separately to the Golden Moon Trading Company.

He had personally received money and the right to obtain equipment made by the kingdom's finest artisans.

In truth, all of that was a bonus. What mattered most was fame. The news that he had saved a princess from abduction by a Demon King had swept across the entire continent in a matter of days.

At Hillen's request, Berft had deliberately spread the story.

“Thank you.”

“You show gratitude with actions, not words. Where is Logger Fridri?”

“Before that, may I ask you one question?”

“What now?”

“Why are you trying to find Logger?”

“Now you want to pry into my personal affairs?”

“As you may have guessed, Logger and I are on fairly good terms. But if you intend to kill him, Your Highness, I cannot tell you.”

“Don't worry. I won't kill him.”

“Then?”

“I'll lock him in a workshop and make him craft my equipment for the rest of his life.”

Oh, surely breaking one leg would be fine? To keep him from escaping.

“... Then I cannot tell you.”

“Ha. So you're picking a fight with me now? You've gotten everything you wanted, is that it?”

“That is not what I mean.”

“Logger Fridri disobeyed my orders and fled in the dead of night. It is entirely my right to capture and punish him.”

He had not fled in the dead of night. He had been abducted in the dead of night.

“Then if he fulfills your orders, Your Highness, wouldn't that absolve him of any further guilt?”

“Are you joking? That's not how you settle accounts. You ought to know better. What's gotten into you?”

Louise slammed her hand on the table. Tea splashed in every direction.

“What are you trying to say?”

“I would like to mediate between you and Logger, Your Highness.”

This was Hillen's own initiative, not Berge's order.

Logger Fridri was one of the three finest master craftsmen in the dwarf kingdom, and the only hero craftsman among those three.

He could imbue weapons and armor with dimensional interference. His equipment commanded whatever price he named, and Hillen wanted it as well.

But the dwarf kingdom's scrutiny prevented him from using it freely.

If he asked the Demon King, he would surely have equipment made for him. Logger's distinctive cloud mark could be changed or concealed.

But there was no guarantee that would work forever.

Dwarves had a keen eye for equipment, and artisans capable of imbuing it with dimensional interference were exceedingly rare.

Naturally, everyone's attention would turn to it, and the Heroes' Guild and the dwarf kingdom would take action one way or another. Any excuse he offered would only require another excuse. And eventually, he would be found out. That might be far in the future, but unless he resolved this problem, it would inevitably happen someday.

“Mediation sounds fine. But there's only one thing I want: the man himself.”

“Logger will not cooperate if you threaten and browbeat him. Surely you know how stubborn craftsmen can be?”

“No, Logger is the type who works better when you threaten him.”

“...”

Judging by his behavior in the tower, that did seem more accurate. But Hillen could not afford to agree.

“Would you at least hear my proposal first?”

“I'm telling you, I don't see why I should negotiate with you over Logger when he belongs to the Kingdom of Berft in the first place. You may be my savior, but don't you think you're overstepping?”

“Don't you want revenge?”

“Revenge? Me? On whom?”

“The Demon King of Carnal Desire.”

“...”

Though the attempt had failed, it had still been an attempted abduction, and Louise had been hurt. Would a woman as proud as her simply dismiss it as something that couldn't be helped?

No.

She would be brimming with determination to tear the Demon King's limbs off someday.

'Louise Berft smashed Prince Max's head. She'll never let this go, either.'

Berge wanted the Demon King of Carnal Desire to remain alive for now, but if the Kingdom of Berft committed itself to the hunt, wouldn't even he be powerless to stop it?

“I will help you.”

Saving the princess had earned him immense fame, and he would gain still more.

But human greed knew no bounds.

Hillen did not want to miss the opportunity to become even greater.

Heroes who had slain two Demon Kings had left their mark on history. But in a thousand years of history, there had never been a hero who had hunted down three.

Hillen wanted to be that one unique figure who would go down in history.