Chapter 94 - A Male Version of Louise Berft

The tower absorbed all negative emotions, life force, and blood within its territory, converting them into demonic energy points. The same held true outside its territory, provided those things had a clear target and purpose connected to the Demon King.

But human emotions were not always directed at Demon Kings and demons.

Humans liked venting their anger and longstanding grievances at one another rather than at demons. They screamed, cursed, and sometimes put those feelings into action.

War.

To gain more territory. To gain wealth. For honor.

They tore at one another's throats and plunged blades into one another's hearts.

Yet those emotions and that life force were utterly wasted. Humans could not use them, so they had nowhere to go and simply dissipated.

Successive Demon Emperors had found this regrettable and created portable miniature towers. These could collect emotions wherever negativity ran rampant, then be brought back and planted in the tower so it could absorb them.

Berge planted miniature towers in several locations. Hidden deep underground, they were unlikely to be exposed under ordinary circumstances.

'The Philerium War.'

The war had been sparked by the discovery of a mine containing an enormous quantity of mana stones in the Philerium Mountains, which served as a natural border between the two states.

Mana stones were an indispensable, precious resource on the continent, and greed for them knew no nationality.

This war had occurred before his regression as well. But Berge had never been directly involved, and he had nearly forgotten it.

'But it was supposed to happen two years from now.'

Now it was already about to begin.

That meant Jason had intervened. Perhaps it had been part of his plan from the very beginning.

It hardly mattered. Berge was simply pleased at the enormous number of demonic energy points the war would yield.

"It's done. I used spirits to plant them deep underground, so unless a meteor falls and overturns everything, no one will find them."

The masked Ernyan rose like a shadow. Ten elves stood behind her, and a dwarf was beside her.

"Well done."

"Thank you."

Ernyan smiled brightly.

"But what brings us here?"

"You know where we are, don't you?"

"The Philerium Mountains."

"Yes. There is an enormous quantity of mana stones buried beneath us."

"... What?"

"Mana stones...!"

Logger's eyes sparkled.

"I don't know the exact quantity, but there should be quite a lot."

"Then... this is serious."

Ernyan grasped the situation at once.

"The Empire and the southern alliance will clash."

Natural mana stones far surpassed artificial ones in both purity and quality. They were valuable both financially and as strategic supplies.

"This isn't anyone's territory. That means anyone can claim it as their own."

The Philerium Mountains had not become a natural border between the two states simply because of their rugged terrain. They were teeming with monsters, and no one wanted to claim them.

But once they learned of the enormous mana stone deposits, it would only be a matter of time before they changed their minds.

"They don't yet know there's a mana stone mine here."

Of course, they would soon learn. Jason would spread the news.

"And we are already here."

"Then...?"

"Yes. You understand why I brought you all, don't you?"

Normally, mana stones were of little use to a Demon King. Unlike elixirs, they could not be consumed, and there was little else to do with them.

Selling them for money was another matter, but Jason and Berge were unusual in valuing money in the first place.

And Berge needed vast quantities of mana stones for reasons beyond money.

"We'll clean the place out before they discover it and start their war."

"My loyalty is yours! Unconditionally!"

A dwarf who had already gone wild with excitement roared.

* * *

Finding an underground mana stone mine in a vast mountain range teeming with monsters was no easy task.

But with Berge keeping the monsters from attacking, and Ernyan sending spirits to search for mana, it could prove easier than expected.

"I found it."

Ernyan opened her eyes. The intermediate earth spirit sitting on her head opened its eyes as well.

It had taken exactly two days.

"... There's so much. It just keeps going!"

"That's why we're here."

"Oh...! How much, exactly...?"

"Well, the first mana stones were found twenty meters underground. And even after going more than thirty meters farther down, it's still full of them."

"My lord."

"What is it? Why so needlessly solemn?"

"What do you think of building a mana cannon with a ten-meter bore? That quantity of mana stones would provide ample power."

"Would it even qualify as a cannon at that point?"

It would just be an insane weapon capable of wrecking the continent.

"But isn't a giant cannon everyone's dream?"

"Think about that nonsense later. We need to mine the mana stones now."

"Yes, of course! I'll work until my bones break!"

The elves began the work.

The earth spirits they summoned started digging. After they had dug a considerable distance, an enormous natural cavern emerged underground.

Groundwater flowed through its center.

"I can feel the mana stones below this. We should be able to mine them from here before we leave."

"Not bad."

Berge had been concerned that mining from the surface might attract unwanted attention, but an underground cavern like this eliminated that worry.

"Fill in the hole we came through. Leave no trace."

"Yes."

The faint sunlight filtering inside was cut off entirely. Logger took magical lights from his storage-dimension pouch and illuminated the darkness. He set up an excavator, then took out pickaxes and handed one to each elf.

"Where did you say we should dig?"

The best mining method involved earth spirits, but mana stones absorbed the surrounding mana, preventing spirits near them from using their full strength.

They had no choice but to mine by hand. That was why Berge had brought Logger and all the elves.

RRRRR!

The excavator Logger had built himself began digging with a deafening roar.

"Oh, I can feel them."

Once he began sensing the mana stones, he moved the excavator aside and carefully worked the ground with a pickaxe.

After a long bout of grunting exertion, lustrous purple ore finally emerged.

"Oh...! Clear and clean. This should be extremely pure."

It happened at that instant.

"Get down!"

Berge sprang to his feet.

Logger slammed his head against the ground. Stone fragments entered his mouth. The excavator split apart, and he felt searing heat overhead.

BOOOM!

A small explosion erupted. Unable to withstand the impact, the dwarf rolled across the ground. A spray of water struck his body.

When he cautiously opened his eyes, a barrier of water was protecting him. He could see the backs of the masked Ernyan and Berge, whose red hair streamed behind him.

"Who are you?"

Berge stepped forward. Crimson Hellfire rippled around him.

"Who the hell are you?"

A growling voice answered from a tunnel connected to the cavern.

SKRRRR!

A lump of metal scraped along the ground.

"Who are you to dare come after what's mine?"

"Yours?"

"What you're trying to mine."

An enormous figure emerged. Muscles covered his nearly two-meter frame, and the sight of him dragging a greatsword as long and massive as his own body was striking.

"That's mine," the man muttered.

"Yours? Does ore buried underground have an owner?"

"Whoever finds it first owns it. And I found it first."

"Your proof?"

"My memory is proof."

He leveled the greatsword at them.

"Leave quietly, and I'll spare your lives."

He exuded murderous intent.

* * *

Ernyan stood at attention behind Berge. Behind her, the elves drew their weapons.

Berge recognized the man's face.

Before his regression, he had taken little interest in humans. But arrogant as he was, even he had been forced to recognize the most iconic heroes. They were the ones he had clashed with most often, the ones who had climbed the towers most frequently.

The man before him was one of them.

Like Yesica Horton, he was a hero, a Star, and royalty.

The First Prince of the Kingdom of Barkat, which styled itself the leading state of the southern alliance—a union of dozens of small countries.

Pablo Barkat.

'Why is he here?'

Like every hero who had risen to become a Star, he was powerful. The problem was that he was also a prince.

His country was small, yet not truly small in influence. He was the Crown Prince of the kingdom that claimed leadership of the alliance.

He was the southern alliance's spiritual pillar and its de facto leader.

Clashing with him was unwise. Why was he here? Why was he arrogantly claiming ownership of the mana stones?

'I don't know.'

Berge could not determine the reason. Back then, he had not known exactly how the mana stone mine had been discovered or how the Empire and alliance had come to war. Nor had he known how Jason had drawn them into it.

What mattered was that the man was essentially a male version of Louise, and that he had pointed a greatsword at Berge.

"Shall I kill him?" Ernyan whispered quietly.

"... You know who he is, don't you?"

"The Crown Prince of Barkat. We've met."

"And you want to kill him?"

"There won't be a problem if there are no witnesses. Kill him to silence him, and there won't be any."

"Do you dislike him?"

"He visited the kingdom as an envoy once. It wasn't a particularly pleasant experience."

"Just secure your mask so it doesn't come off."

"Yes."

"The same goes for the elves."

"Yes."

At least everyone, including Berge, was wearing a mask.

His identity as Pale, transformed through the Phoenix's mana, had become quite important as well.

'He won't simply let this go.'

He couldn't. A mana stone mine was an extremely important strategic resource.

Moreover, Pablo's personal involvement meant he was certain enough to act. A few words would never send him away.

So...

'I'll capture him.'

Knock him unconscious and dump him somewhere. As long as he didn't die, it should be fine.

Fortunately, the man was alone. Berge would have had a problem if he had been alone too, but Ernyan was at his side.

A princess who, though not a hero, possessed talent comparable to a Star's—no, greater than that.

"We need to knock him unconscious."

"It's all right if his arms break in a place or two, isn't it?"

"That much is fine. But your identity must not be exposed. You mustn't leave anything that could expose you later, either."

"Then I can't use a high-ranking spirit."

Spirit summoners were rare, and those who could summon high-ranking spirits were rarer still. A high-ranking spirit could effectively be considered its summoner's identifying signature.

"Signal the elves as well."

"Yes."

"What are you whispering about?"

"If we give up and leave, will you let us go?"

Berge took a step closer.

"Well, what should I do?"

Perhaps because of Berge's compliant attitude, Pablo muttered with a slightly softened demeanor.

"Let us go, and we'll leave."

"No."

He shook his head.

"I can't simply let people who know about the mana stone vein leave."

"Then?"

"I'll keep you in my custody. Just one month. Behave yourselves for one month."

"You certainly put effort into your bullshit."

"What?"

As Pablo demanded an answer, Berge tensed his legs. He had already closed the distance enough.

Red flames surged as though exploding, rushing forward and swallowing everything in their path.

Pablo raised his greatsword.

"A foolish choice."

The flames split. Orange aura surged high, cutting through the fire and shooting straight toward its master's chest.

RUMBLE!

The earth shook beneath Pablo's legs. His sword tip wavered, slowing his strike.

A vermilion flash narrowly clipped Berge's hair and vanished. Just before the blade could be withdrawn, Berge seized it.

CRACKLE!

Aura and flame clashed as though trying to devour each other. Berge's palm split open. He gritted his teeth against the dizzying pain.

For that brief instant, Pablo stopped moving. Arrows fired by the elves flew toward him, and all manner of spirit magic cut through the air.

Explosions erupted. Amid gouged earth, shattered stones, and hazy dust, he let go of his sword.

"Such a pathetic sneak attack. Then again, I suppose it's foolish to expect courtesy from masked thieves."

He appeared directly in front of Ernyan and swung a fist as massive as those of the northern barbarians.

BOOM!

The hastily raised earthen wall shattered. His sturdy legs crushed the ice covering the ground and propelled him forward once more.

A wind spirit lifted Ernyan into the air. Pablo followed.

The elves' arrows could not keep up with either of them.

The distance between the two closed rapidly. His aura revealed its ferocity.

CRAAANG!

Ernyan's body jolted.

Berge hurled aside the sword, its aura now faded. Tensing his legs, he kicked off the ground and shot straight ahead, using flames for propulsion.

BOOM!

Before the beast's fist could target the princess again, flames engulfed it.

"Where are you looking when I'm right here?"

Berge clenched his fist and thrust it forward. He aimed for the chest, but met another fist instead.

The shock wave shook both their bodies. Fragments of aura and flame scattered in every direction.

The cavern trembled, but neither concealed his hostility toward the other. They punched simultaneously.

Once.

Twice.

Dozens of times.

Fist crashed against fist. Aura and flame gnawed at one another, pouring out everything they had in pursuit of destruction.

The shock waves shook the cavern itself.

The elves screamed and retreated.

The princess intervened in that fierce exchange. She coated blades made by wind spirits in fire and launched them.

The mingled blast of scorching wind drew Pablo's gaze. That opening let the Demon King's fist through.

BOOM!

The prince's body slammed deep into the earth. But when the dust cleared, he was no longer in the crater.

"You insolent bitch...!"

The wounded beast charged to tear out the princess's throat.

His unrestrained murderous intent was savage. His rampaging aura was immense. The speed produced by his well-trained muscles was overwhelming.

Ernyan could neither prepare in time nor escape.

The sword Berge had discarded was already back in its master's hand.

Crude but enormous, the blade grew sharper still when imbued with aura. It thrust straight toward the princess's heart.

Ernyan caught her breath.

The presence of death consumed her surroundings. The crushing aura cut off her escape.

Berge was far away, and the elves could not help.

And so she made her choice.

BUBBLE, BUBBLE!

Droplets formed, blocking the space between sword and princess, between aura and chest.

────!

The cavern shook once more.

Pablo gritted his teeth. An enormous repelling force brought his body to a halt.

- You insolent bastard. Who do you think you're pointing that sword at?

A translucent figure appeared behind the princess.

"A high-ranking spirit?"

Water droplets filled the air. Streams of water coiled around his body like snakes, and a water barrier stood between his sword and Ernyan.

"Die!"

He forced more strength into the sword, which had cut into the barrier but failed to pass all the way through, stopping just short of the woman's chest.

The wall shuddered with a crunching sound.

But that brief opening gave the Demon King enough time to arrive.

"You die."

BOOOM!

The completely unprotected back of his head was crushed. The prince pitched forward and was driven even deeper into the ground.

Berge stamped on his back dozens of times, making certain he was dealt with until the very end.

Then he approached the princess, who had sunk to the ground.

"Are you all right?"

"... Yes."

Ernyan breathed heavily. The sword had not touched her chest directly, but it ached. At the same time, a thin stream of fresh blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.

"It doesn't look that way."

"I'm fine. My chest just hurts, and it feels like insects are gnawing at my whole body, that's all. I only pushed myself a little too hard."

Her mana heart was screaming, and her mana pathways had torn. It was overload. Facing a hero who bore the title of Star, she had not had the luxury of weighing her options.

"Take an elixir when we return to the tower."

"Are you all right, my lord?"

"At least I'm not dying."

Berge wiped the blood trickling from his mouth.

Not dying was all he could claim. That was what it meant to face a Star using mana he was unaccustomed to.

Without Ernyan and the elves, he would have been the one lying unconscious, not Pablo.

"That's a relief. But I ended up summoning Lady Nairuniel. I'm sorry. You told me not to let him find out who I was."

"It's fine. Better that than you dying."

"... What?"

Ernyan asked again, but the Demon King did not hear her.

"Bind him."

"I've got just the thing! The handcuffs you told me to modify last time, Master Pale!"

"... Not a bad idea, but why are you carrying those around?"

"Didn't you tell me to modify them because they were useless trash that couldn't restrain Master Hillen? Isn't this the perfect opportunity to see whether they can restrain a Star?"

"I'm asking why you're carrying them around."

"I thought they'd be useful someday. And see? Now we're using them!"

Grinning slyly, Logger cuffed the unconscious Pablo. The elves asked the earth spirits to bury him, leaving only his head exposed.

'What a relief.'

Berge sighed in relief.

His heart had lurched when the man's blade had come within a hair's breadth of Ernyan's heart.

Ernyan absolutely could not die.

She was a princess. As long as he did not know how Hilderan would act, and unless he intended to fight Hilderan to the bitter end no matter what, Ernyan had to stay alive.

If things went wrong, she could become his lifeline.

'She's injured, but fortunately it isn't serious.'

She would recover with proper rest at the tower.

'Now, then.'

Berge looked down at the prince, of whom only the head remained visible. In that brief moment, he decided what to do with him.

He would use him more efficiently, as a chess piece to expand the game.

He called Ernyan over.

"Are we really doing that?"

"Can you do it?"

"I'm not confident in my acting, but I'll give it a try."

"Good."

"But won't they have to fight anyway, even if we don't do this?"

"Decisions made in anger differ from those made with a cool head."

"Oh, I see."

Just then, Pablo's eyebrows twitched, as though he were about to wake.

"Are you awake, little ant prince of the south?"

"... An imperial dog?"