Chapter 89 - I Don't Know, No

"An expedition led by Akan's Fifth Prince climbed Mount Erjest. Their objective was to find the tower."

But when they returned some time later, they were little more than a defeated army.

"And the princess was not among them, I hear."

"Don't tell me the Demon King abducted her?"

"Apparently, that's not entirely clear."

Hmm. Could he really tell him this much?

Count Tomhal stroked his chin.

"Count, aren't we already in the same boat?"

"Hmm... You mustn't spread this around."

"Of course not."

Count Tomhal moistened his lips with wine and continued.

"What is the usual reaction when a Demon King abducts a royal?"

"They become furious and submit a request to the Heroes' Guild, don't they?"

The usual course was to work with the Guild and do everything possible to rescue the royal. Some might not make much of a show of it for less important royals, but they would at least notify the Heroes' Guild of the disappearance and submit a request, even as a mere formality.

"Has Akan not done that?"

"They've remained quietly holed up in their assigned annex all this time, I hear."

That was very strange.

"If she wasn't abducted, they wouldn't have any reason to—"

"Exactly. My country favors that explanation as well. A voluntary disappearance."

"How does that make any—oh."

"You understand?"

"Yes."

Lavinia Akan's eccentric behavior was all too famous.

She had been rescued from The Beast's Tower only recently, and she had said she walked in there of her own accord.

"Erjest is a treasure trove of monsters. Wouldn't it be only natural for Lavinia Akan, the finest chimera creator, to get carried away?"

"I see."

'So, fortunately, it wasn't an abduction?'

A small difference in wording could make all the difference.

If this was a voluntary disappearance rather than an abduction, at least things would not reach the worst possible outcome.

"Thank you."

"But why are you curious about this?"

"There's no grand reason. I simply want to know even the smallest details about the Demon King of Erjest."

"Even the smallest details? Why would you—ah."

The count nodded.

"... That was an unnecessary question."

"Not at all. I'm the one who asked a favor of you. It's only natural."

"Thank you for understanding."

"If you ever need my help, please contact me."

"Yes, I will. What a reassuring offer! Let's have a drink!"

"Of course."

CLINK

Their wineglasses touched.

* * *

『"I see."』

The dry voice neither rebuked nor praised Cain.

Nor did it carry any affection or concern for his sister. It conveyed only the sense that someone had acted exactly as one would expect.

『"Return for now. With Lavinia gone, there is no point in pressing on with the search."』

"My sister..."

『"Is there any need to find her? Really?"』

Cain knew that arguments such as "She is royalty," "She is my sister," or "She is Your Majesty's child" would not work.

"The mage towers won't stand idly by."

『"... No, they won't."』

He heard a click of the tongue.

The king of the Kingdom of Akan did not wield absolute power. Though royal authority held the upper hand, even the king could not treat the mages, led by the mage towers, as he pleased.

『"But consider this."』

『"Lavinia disregarded the operation and abandoned her post in wartime. I have no intention of forcing our troops to sacrifice themselves to find a deserter."』

"... Yes."

『"Return."』

"... Yes. Understood."

Cain nodded at the firm, uncompromising voice.

He placed the communication orb in its case and stepped outside, where the captain of the Blue Meteor Mage Corps and the commander of the White Wolf Knights questioned him.

"What did His Majesty say?"

"He ordered us to return."

"Then the princess..."

Cain shook his head.

"We cannot do that!"

The captain of the Blue Meteor Mage Corps was aghast.

"The princess is a treasure of the magical world. We must find her."

"It is a royal command."

"..."

"Once we return, I'll find some way to resolve this. If the mage towers step in, His Majesty will likely have no choice but to organize a separate search party."

"But will the princess be able to hold out until then...?"

"My sister isn't someone who would be easily overcome, is she?"

"... Understood."

"Good."

"Would you pack our things and prepare for the return journey?"

"Yes."

The mage and the knight left. Cain went to the quarters assigned to the mercenaries.

"Welcome, Your Highness."

"I'm afraid I bring bad news."

"Are we withdrawing?"

"Yes."

"Then what about the princess...?"

"I intend to organize a separate search party once we return. I can only apologize to you and Hero Hillen, Granada. I will never forget this kindness."

"Not at all. We merely did what we ought to do."

"Akan will set out to find the tower again someday. I promise we will find it then."

"Thank you."

"And whenever you visit the kingdom, please come to see me. I will offer you the finest hospitality."

"I will."

The following morning, the army of the Kingdom of Akan left Hortonwork.

* * *

On the tower's first floor, with the dwarf watching, Berge had Lavinia Akan stand before him and met her eyes.

Slowly and distinctly, he emphasized every syllable.

"That's not right."

"What?"

"Not 'a secret.'"

"Not secret? Tell?"

"No, I'm not saying it isn't a secret."

Berge thumped his chest. This infuriating bitch.

"I'll ask again. If someone asks you whether you've seen the Demon King's tower, what will you say?"

"Secret."

"No. You have to hide even the fact that it's a secret."

"Hide?"

"Yes. If anyone asks you about the tower or me, your answer must be 'I don't know.'"

"Don't know?"

"Yes."

"A lie. I know."

"It's a good lie."

"Bad."

"You still have to do it. What will you say if someone asks whether you found the Demon King's tower?"

"Secret."

"For fuck's sake."

The eyes in her sullen face were surprisingly resolute. Berge felt himself burning with frustration.

But this was her own set of principles: never tell a lie, and follow through on whatever she believed was right, however peculiar it might be.

People called her crazy because those convictions led her in strange directions.

'No. However crazy she is, she's human. There must be some common ground where she'll compromise.'

What desire could Lavinia Akan simply not resist?

"..."

Something occurred to Berge, and he opened his storage dimension.

'It's a shame to give this up, but if it lets me make the golem without trouble...'

It would be a profitable trade.

"... Wow."

Lavinia's pupils dilated.

Before her lay something that still twitched with fresh vitality, despite having been separated from its owner long ago.

She trembled at its dense, pure demonic energy.

"This...?"

"Carnal Desire's tail. It belongs to a Demon King."

"Demon King..."

Her eyes gleamed with greed. The way she unconsciously licked her lips was quite a sight.

"Give."

"No."

"Cooperation."

She reached for the Demon King's tail. Berge snorted and put it back in his storage dimension. Lavinia's hand swept fruitlessly through empty air.

"... Give."

"I'll ask again."

"What?"

"If someone asks whether you've found the Demon King's tower?"

"..."

"If they ask?"

"Don't know."

"If they ask whether you cooperated with the Demon King?"

"No."

"That's it."

Berge held out a finger.

"Now, it's a promise."

He felt a sense of self-disgust, but he had to tailor his approach to Lavinia like this. This childish gesture mattered to her more than anything.

After hesitating a moment, Lavinia hooked her finger around his.

"Promise."

"What will you answer?"

"Don't know, no."

Berge smiled in satisfaction.

The succubus queen's tail passed into the hands of the chimera expert.

She beamed.

* * *

- "This is dangerous."

Nairuniel, the high-ranking water spirit, climbed onto the hill and propped up her chin.

"What is?"

- "The Demon King brought another royal here. A 'princess,' no less."

- "Don't you feel threatened? Your position is in danger."

Again.

Ernyan sighed.

"Why is that the only sort of thing in your head, Nairuniel?"

- "Your tone is remarkably sweet and aggressive."

- "You weren't like this when we first met."

"Have you ever considered that you're the one who made me this way?"

- "Nope."

- "And think about it. Without fantasies like that, how am I supposed to pass the time in this boring place?"

"You could go to the Spirit Realm."

- "That's even more boring."

- "Aren't you bored, anyway?"

"I'm fine."

- "Why?"

"There's nothing here, but at the same time, I don't have to do anything."

Even limited freedom was freedom. She had gone from a bird trapped in a cage to a bird trapped in a building. That was better.

- "Anyway, a princess who makes chimeras?"

- "That's beyond eccentric."

- "Don't you think she's even worse than you?"

"I'm not eccentric."

- "Eccentric people never know they're eccentric. They're the only ones who don't."

"I'd like to say those exact words back to you, Nairuniel."

The high-ranking spirit and the human glared at each other. Just then, the Demon King came up with the new princess.

An enormous titan chimera accompanied them.

- "My goodness. That princess made that?"

An ordinary spirit might have expressed distaste at the ominous, patchwork demonic energy. But Nairuniel was an open-minded spirit who had endured more than half a year in the Demon King's tower.

"Stay here."

"Okay."

"Ernyan."

"Yes."

Ernyan came down from the hill. Up close, the chimera was even larger than she had expected.

"Show her around properly. She'll be staying here with you for a while."

"For a while? Didn't you abduct her?"

"She came willingly. She'll leave after helping make the golem core, so don't tell her too much."

"... Um, all right."

Ernyan wanted to ask whether that was possible, but she forced herself to hold back. Still, she could be certain of one thing: the princess before her was not normal.

The Demon King left. Ernyan and Lavinia's eyes met.

"Hello."

"Hi."

"Your name?"

"Lavinia."

"I'm Ernyan."

"Okay."

"..."

"..."

An awkward silence settled over them. Nairuniel broke it.

- "Has half her tongue been cut off or something? Why is she so curt?"

"... She's older than me."

- "Oh, is she?"

- "Sorry. That explains it."

"Idiot."

Lavinia gazed steadily at Nairuniel and muttered under her breath.

- "What?"

"Where?"

"Pardon?"

"Sleep."

"Oh, I'll show you where you can sleep."

Ernyan led her to an empty clearing.

"Nothing."

"I'll make it now."

An earth spirit was summoned. As the tiny spirit wriggled, the ground rose. It leveled the soil and laid down grass.

"Wow."

"Is this all right?"

"Good. More."

"More?"

"Cher."

"Cher?"

A pale finger pointed toward the titan standing behind her.

"Oh."

Ernyan gave the spirit another command. A bed incomparably larger than Lavinia's took shape. Cher lay down at once and gave a quiet rumble of apparent satisfaction.

"Says it's good."

"I'm glad. By the way, I heard you made some sort of deal with my lord. What was it?"

"... Oh. Don't know."

- "Liar!"

"Don't know."

She sprang up from the bed. Taking the titan with her, she strode down to the lower floor.

"..."

Left alone, Ernyan stared blankly at her receding back.

"... What was that?"

- "Don't know. One thing's certain: she's weird."

* * *

A golem controller was both a mage and an accomplished artisan.

They built the golem's body and the magical circuits connecting it, and designed and manufactured the core that supplied its energy.

Design, construction, and control—it was no exaggeration to say that everything about a golem began and ended in a golem controller's hands.

Raymon, a golem controller of Akan, took pride in being one.

Golems made from an orichalcum alloy. Building their bodies and setting those bodies in motion had required new magical concepts and cutting-edge technology that other countries could not even imagine.

He was one of the key mages who had made that possible.

SLAP

"Mmm."

When he opened his eyes, he saw a small, pale hand before him. Behind it was Lavinia Akan's face.

"Y-Your Highness?"

"Get up."

"Y-Yes!"

He rose instinctively, but the unfamiliar surroundings bewildered him.

"W-Where are we?"

Raymon's last memory was of the rampaging Behemoth and the golems fighting it.

"Tower."

"Pardon?"

"Demon King."

"... Hic! You mean the Demon King's tower?"

"Yes."

She had promised secrecy, but Raymon was an exception. He would have to build a golem with Lavinia now, after all. The Demon King had permitted that much.

"Why are we in the Demon King's tower...?"

Raymon looked around. A high ceiling and walls layered like a maze. With no demons or demonic creatures in sight, he could not tell for certain whether it was the Demon King's tower, but at least it was not the mountain where they had fought the Behemoth.

"Golem building."

"We have to build a golem?"

"You and me."

"With Your Highness? No, we need to escape immediately! What are you talking about?"

"If not."

"If not?"

"Die."

"... Your Highness?"

Raymon took a step back.

"Demon King."

"You."

Lavinia drew a finger across her throat.

Raymon was plunged into even greater confusion.

The Demon King would kill him if he didn't build a golem?

'What the fuck is this bullshit?!'