Chapter 88 - A Deal

"Good heavens, Sister! This isn't funny!"

"Find the princess!"

Akan's forces, eager to leave the bloodstained, corpse-strewn battlefield as quickly as possible, suddenly had an urgent crisis on their hands.

"Cher is missing as well."

"Are you saying my sister hid herself of her own accord? With a mountain of materials like the Behemoth right in front of her?"

"... That would be impossible. Unless something more interesting turned up."

"Nothing could interest her more than the Behemoth right now."

Knights and soldiers searched in every direction. The mages cast detection spells. But their search did not last long.

GRRR...

ROOOAR!

The mountains' longtime inhabitants, drawn by the noise of battle and the smell of blood, had begun gathering one by one.

"... Your Highness, we must retreat for now."

"..."

"Her Highness Lavinia disappeared with the titan. That means she discovered something herself, rather than falling into danger. She isn't someone who would fall victim to a place like this, is she?"

"That's true, but..."

Cain bit his lip. They had to find Lavinia. She was not only his sister, but also the spiritual pillar of the school of chimera research. Many mages did not want her to die, and many would do anything to keep her alive.

But he could not put his troops in immediate danger for her sake. They could hold out here for a while. They still had golems, and their forces were excellent. Yet they could not wait endlessly for her when they had no idea where she was hiding. Considering the battle they had fought and the journey down the mountains ahead, staying was undeniably a terrible move.

"... Let's retreat."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Akan's forces began withdrawing.

* * *

GRRR...

The monsters drawn by the battle and blood smacked their lips at the Poil Orc and human corpses scattered everywhere. But soon they faltered and backed away. An immense presence that appeared after the humans left made them hesitate.

"Leave, you stupid beasts."

Even under the Demon King's threat, the monsters did not withdraw completely. Berge clicked his tongue at the hostility in their eyes.

"I've really lost my edge."

To be looked down on by trash like this.

"This is your final warning."

GRRRR...

The Demon King released demonic energy. His eyes turned black. Dragon scales rose across his skin.

"Get lost."

Dragon Fear.

Faced with the imposing aura of a superior predator, the monsters tucked their tails and fled.

The Poil Orcs formed a circle as though guarding the wreckage.

"Golems! They're golems!"

The dwarf rushed past them and flung himself at a golem buried in snow. He examined its body, knocked on it with his fist, and touched various parts before crying out in admiration.

"That radiant sheen! It's definitely an orichalcum alloy!"

The arrival of monsters drawn by the blood had prevented Akan's forces from recovering everything. The wrecked golems were what they had left behind.

'It would be more accurate to say they were distracted by the Behemoth.'

After all, their comrades' bodies and the Behemoth's carcass had vanished without a trace. They had intended to secure those first, then clean up the rest. That had worked out all the better for Berge.

His gaze shifted elsewhere. A human lay unconscious, as still as death: the golem controller Krutu had abducted on his orders. Akan's forces probably assumed the man had simply been overwhelmed and killed by the orcs. Along with the golems, he was a tremendous prize.

Then it happened. Berge paused as he surveyed the battlefield. Something strange brushed against his senses.

"..."

He lightly extended a hand. Black flames clung to the white snow, melting everything with their scorching heat. Three meters, five meters, ten meters, twenty meters. They bored into the ground. Then a monster emerged. Utterly pale and motionless, it was little different from a corpse.

"..."

"..."

The woman curled up in the monster's arms lifted her head. Their eyes met.

"Demon King."

"Princess?"

Wait, why was this bitch here?

"Why are you here...?"

"Demonic energy."

"You sensed my demonic energy?"

She shook her head. Her finger pointed beside Berge. At Krutu.

"Orc. Run."

She crossed her fingers into an X. She meant she had sensed Krutu lingering nearby instead of fleeing, even while the Behemoth was rampaging.

Lavinia tapped the titan. Its chest, which had given off no sign of life, began moving faintly. At the same time, its almost imperceptible demonic energy stirred.

"...!"

Berge was astounded. It was an extraordinary sight: a titan whose bodily functions had all stopped, emitting no energy whatsoever, coming back to life. That method had fooled even a Demon King, however briefly. And it had been devised not by a fellow demon, but by a mere human.

"How did you do that?"

"Death."

"I know you brought it close to death."

"Well?"

Berge barely suppressed the urge to kill her.

"My lord. I'll kill her."

"No. Stop."

He restrained Krutu, who was thrusting his blade forward. Berge began by considering the fundamentals.

'There's no way those Akan bastards didn't notice her digging this far underground.'

They would never have simply left with their princess missing in the first place. That meant Akan's prince had sanctioned her current eccentric behavior. And the prince's approval was the king's approval. In other words, Akan knew she was lying in wait here.

'For what?'

To find the tower? Or...

'Did they know I'd come?'

A chill ran over him. It was not entirely impossible. Berge had appeared before Lavinia once to protect Krutu. What if Akan had used that to set a trap? What if they knew the Poil Orcs would return to the battlefield after their withdrawal, and Lavinia had approached to find Berge?

Berge reached one conclusion. He absolutely must not kill Lavinia Akan. Nor could he let her meet an untimely death.

'Son of a...!'

He remembered Drakson, whose own neck had ended up in a noose because of Max Ormus's death.

"Why are you here?"

"Can I come out...?"

"Come out."

TAP, TAP.

Lavinia tapped the titan. Returned from death to life, it raised its enormous body and sprang out of the twenty-meter-deep pit in a single leap. Lavinia jumped down from its shoulder.

"Did Akan's prince ask you to do this? To wait for me because I might come?"

"No."

"No?"

"Yes. On my own."

"On your own?"

She hadn't discussed this with the prince or Akan's leadership?

He was dumbfounded, yet, absurdly, it was not entirely beyond understanding. Anyone who knew even a little about Lavinia Akan would know it was not completely impossible. She was a bomb no one could properly control. Still, he could not entirely rule out a trap.

"Why did you wait here alone?"

"Deal."

"You want to make a deal?"

She pointed at Berge.

"Demonic creatures. Demons."

Then she pointed at herself.

"Money. Help."

"You want demonic creatures in exchange for money?"

"Yes."

What shone in her eyes was pure passion. Madness. Greed. He remembered her after her rescue from Drakson's tower. She had said that she had received demonic creatures from Roselle Charnt in exchange for money. And Berge knew that was only part of the story.

'Seen that way, I can understand why she'd hide without telling her younger brother, but...'

"Oh, if you're offering help, then perhaps you could help a little with making golems..."

"Shut up."

"... Yes."

Logger, who had tactlessly interrupted, meekly backed down.

"Did you know I would come?"

"Guessed. Demonic energy."

She had sensed the demonic energy and guessed.

'Wait. If she did this on her own...'

Akan simply thought she had gone missing in Erjest. That meant they would not necessarily assume Berge was involved if she died.

He did not consider abducting her. Keeping her imprisoned in the tower would be a bad move. But...

'What if she simply returned a little late?'

Lavinia Akan was an authority on chimera creation. Despite being human, she was skilled with demonic energy, and with mana as well. As Logger had said, there was no denying she was the right person to create a golem core using demonic energy. What if he completed the core with her help, then sent her back? Wouldn't they simply assume she had gotten lost in Erjest's treacherous terrain?

"If you wish, I can make a deal with you."

"Glad."

"But I have conditions."

"...?"

"I'll take you to the tower. You must cooperate with me there."

"Yes."

"And you must keep everything secret—that you met me, that you went to the tower, and that you found it. You mustn't tell anyone."

"Why?"

"Because that's what I want."

"Yes."

She nodded readily. Berge knew she would keep her word.

'She did before my regression, too.'

He had never dealt with Lavinia directly. But he had heard of her accomplishments, recounted like legends.

'Even after the whole world learned she'd cooperated with Jason, she never revealed what she'd done.'

When asked why, she had said it was because she had agreed to do so. Even under pressure from countless kingdoms, she had reportedly kept her mouth shut to the bitter end. Berge decided to trust that precedent—and her peculiar mind.

"Let's go."

The orcs collected the golem wreckage. With the princess and titan added to their party, they returned to the tower.

"Tower..."

"Yes, the tower."

"Cannons."

"Mana cannons."

"Lots."

"All my handiwork, Princess!"

Logger cleared his throat and squared his shoulders proudly.

"I..."

"Help Logger make a golem core. Persuade this fellow yourself, too."

Lavinia nodded, then held out a hand.

"Demonic creatures."

"The golem core comes first."

"... Promise."

She held out a finger.

"All right."

"Promise."

She did not withdraw her finger. Berge had no choice but to hook his around it. He was the one who needed her help right now.

"Yes, I promise. Then you must also keep your visit to the tower, your cooperation, and everything you've seen here secret."

"Yes. Promise. Keep it. I'll keep it. Too."

She nodded.

Then, suddenly, a tiny flicker of unease arose. She was innocent. And because of that, she did not lie. If Berge asked her to keep the tower's location secret, she would. She would keep her word even with a blade at her throat. But if Akan asked her about it, would Lavinia Akan really say, "I don't know," or would she say, "It's a secret"? With a deepening sense of foreboding, Berge cautiously asked:

"If your younger brother asks whether you found the tower, what will you say?"

"Secret."

"... Oh, fuck."

* * *

"When exactly will I be able to reach him?"

『Wait.』

"I've already waited several days."

『And?』

Hillen inwardly ground his teeth at the dark elf's curt reply. But he had worked too hard on his image to let it crumble over something so trivial.

"Is Akan still giving him trouble?"

It was frustrating to receive no information from the Demon King's side. Especially when he wanted to hear about the land of bitter cold from the Demon King quickly and take some sort of action.

『That's none of your concern.』

"Very well. Please tell him I'd appreciate a reply as soon as possible."

『Understood.』

The connection ended. Hillen immediately sent a servant to the Guild's guest palace, where nobles from various countries who had come for the banquet were staying. With so many heroes gathered, many had yet to return home, hoping to cultivate connections with them.

"He has sent word asking whether you would join him for lunch today."

"Tell him I'd be delighted."

The appointed time arrived before long.

Dressed in a neat suit, Hillen entered the guest palace. The knights guarding the entrance recognized his face and opened the doors. He followed the corridor into a spacious, lavish dining room. Someone was already there.

"Count Tomhal."

Hillen bowed his head.

"It's even better to see you like this, great hero Hillen Cargill!"

Count Tomhal welcomed him with delight.

"Sit down."

"Thank you."

At the count's clap, servants began bringing in the food. Warm tomato soup was served first.

"I was surprised when you suddenly said you wanted to speak with me."

"Were you?"

"Pleased, too. Am I not the first person you've approached on your own initiative?"

"You are."

"Heh heh. Eat. The chef here is superb."

The tomato soup was pleasantly tart and salty, with an exquisite, rich flavor.

"It's delicious."

"The main course will be even better."

The main course was roast chicken, cooked beautifully with all manner of seasonings tucked between its skin and flesh. The juices bursting from each bite were fantastic. The count set down a chicken bone and spoke.

"Now, tell me."

"Do you know what's happening in Hortonwork?"

"Hortonwork, you say."

Count Tomhal swallowed a low hum. His curious gaze swept over Hillen. Under that scrutiny, Hillen spoke again.

"I know Akan's forces have arrived in Hortonwork."

"... How?"

"It isn't exactly a secret, is it?"

"It was a secret, even if word has spread. And it isn't something you would readily learn."

"I'm an Argan of the Guild."

"Akan took the lead in this affair. They didn't cooperate with the Heroes' Guild."

In other words, no information had leaked to the Heroes' Guild.

"Nor does Hortonwork have a Guild branch."

"After retreating without even finding the Demon King's tower, I planted someone in Hortonwork."

"Someone?"

"As a precaution. I thought they might spot demons coming down to abduct royalty."

"A strange excuse."

"But it's the truth."

"Then you can ask that person."

"I'm asking because they've reported a commotion in Akan's camp, but say everything is being kept strictly secret."

Hillen made his gaze more intent.

"Count, given our relationship, surely you could tell me this much? Who knows? I might be able to lend you my strength."

"Hmm."

After a brief hesitation, the count nodded.

"Don't forget this favor."

"Of course not."

"I don't know the exact details myself, but I hear..."

"You hear?"

"Akan's Third Princess has gone missing. In Erjest."

"... The Third Princess? You don't mean...?"

"Yes. That Chimera Princess."

"...!"

Holy shit.

There were things in this world you could touch, and things you must never touch. The great bloodline of those tenacious dwarves. And the idol of those magic-obsessed lunatics.

And Berge had gone and touched them both.