The Sandcastle Crumbles - 3
The portal connecting the 68th Floor to the 69th Floor. A group of hooded figures with their faces concealed by masks suddenly appeared. They had even cast recognition-interference magic. Anyone could tell they were up to something. They stood there, watching the portal intently, as if waiting for someone.
“Baruna.”
“Yeah, Commander.”
The masked figures were members of the 4th Legion from the 72nd Floor, led by Rin and Baruna. Four elite soldiers from the legion had accompanied the pair.
“Her Majesty ordered us to handle this quietly.”
“Got it. We can’t use force, then.”
Rin turned to the soldiers and spoke. “The envoy’s party numbers fifteen, according to our intel. You’ll each take out two quickly. Baruna and I will handle the remaining seven. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“What if Decarabia’s Five-Pointed Star escorts them?”
The Five-Pointed Star referred to the five most powerful generals under Decarabia. At the question, Rin drew her sword—not the one she usually carried, but a strange blade instead.
“I’ll deal with them. It won’t matter in the end, since this won’t be traced back to us.”
“Understood.”
Several hours passed before the group they had been waiting for finally emerged from the portal. The moment they appeared, Rin, Baruna, and their soldiers moved.
“Gah…!”
“Kuh…!”
The newcomers had no time to react. Six of them lost their lives in an instant. The remaining members of Decarabia’s envoy panicked as half their party vanished without warning, scanning their surroundings in alarm.
“Ambush! We’re under attack!”
“Damn it, where did these bastards come from?!”
Rin quickly assessed the guards. Decarabia’s vaunted Five-Pointed Star was nowhere to be seen. She smiled inwardly at how much easier this had become and gave the order to Baruna and the soldiers.
“Finish them all.”
“Yes.”
Rin, Baruna, and their troops had served under Seere, the former second-ranked Demon King, from the very beginning. Dealing with a mere envoy from the 68th Floor and their guards posed no real challenge.
“Any wounded?”
“One. Got nicked by a sword.”
“Stop the bleeding and clean up the blood. We can’t leave any trace that this was our doing.”
“Got it.”
Rin stared down at the bodies of the envoy they had eliminated, then drove the sword she had been using into one of the corpses. Baruna and the other soldiers followed suit, discarding their blades near the bodies.
“Let’s go back.”
#
“…What did you say?”
“The envoy from the 68th Floor… they were all found dead.”
Dantalion had sent subordinates to receive the envoy Decarabia was supposedly dispatching. Instead, those same subordinates had returned alone, reporting that the entire party had been slaughtered. Dantalion’s expression made it clear he had no idea how to process the situation. His head spinning, he let out a hollow laugh.
“Dead? All of them? Did the envoy suddenly decide to hang themselves together in front of the portal?”
“It appears they were murdered. We need to inform Decarabia immediately.”
“Inform him? Are you insane? I can already picture exactly how that bastard will react…!”
“…We don’t know who’s behind this, but swords used by our own soldiers were scattered around the bodies.”
“…What?”
Dantalion was stunned. The presence of 69th Floor weapons at the scene made it look as though their soldiers had killed the 68th Floor’s envoy. Of course, Decarabia would realize this was someone’s scheme. But whether it was true or not would hardly matter to him. Their relationship had already ceased to be one of equals the moment Dantalion borrowed funds from him. Decarabia would use this incident as an excuse to pressure Dantalion further, and it was obvious he intended to turn their alliance into a tributary relationship.
“If we leave things as they are, we have no idea what demands Decarabia will make using this as leverage. We need to make the first move before that happens, or we’ll suffer even greater losses.”
In other words, it would be better to throw themselves at his mercy and offer compensation first. Dantalion agreed with the assessment.
“If we try to hide this half-heartedly, the alliance itself might collapse.”
“Kuh…!”
Dantalion clenched his fists until they trembled. Who had been pulling these kinds of stunts since last time? The answer came to him surprisingly easily.
“Sitri… that bitch’s doing!”
“Circumstantially, she’s the most likely culprit.”
“…The rumors about our inventory were probably her work as well.”
Crash! Dantalion slammed his fist against the armrest of his throne. Then he issued orders to the ministers gathered in the audience chamber.
“Prepare for war! I will bring down my iron hammer upon that wench Sitri!!”
“Yes!”
The ministers bowed their heads in unison. Albas, the Minister of Military Affairs of the 69th Floor, and Leonard, the commander who oversaw Dantalion’s forces, quickly left the chamber to muster the troops.
“Prepare thoroughly. Do not underestimate them. Show them that we are nothing like the fool Andromalius!”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
As the ministers began moving busily, Dantalion sank back onto his throne. Pressing his fingers against his throbbing temples, he let out a long sigh. That was when it happened.
“Y-Your Majesty!!”
“What is it now?!”
“Decarabia’s army has crossed the portal!”
“…What?!”
Only then did Dantalion understand exactly what Decarabia had been planning. He had never intended to settle for a tributary relationship. He meant to use this incident as an excuse to subjugate the 69th Floor entirely, turning it into a vassal state with Dantalion installed as its administrator.
“That… that traitor…!”
The fact that Decarabia had struck first without even hearing their side, despite their supposed alliance, suggested he had been hoping for something like this all along. Dantalion ground his teeth.
“Cancel the war with the 70th Floor. Redirect every soldier we have to stop Decarabia’s invasion.”
“Yes!”
#
“…And so, it appears Decarabia has invaded Dantalion’s floor.”
Epsilon, who had been tasked with monitoring the situation on the 69th Floor, gave Seere a thorough report. Seere nodded lightly and glanced sideways.
‘As expected.’
Nahen stood a step behind her, waiting quietly. Meeting Seere’s questioning gaze, he offered a simple piece of advice.
“Do you know the saying ‘the fisherman’s gain’?”
“What does it mean?”
“It refers to reaping the benefits without lifting a finger.”
Seere mulled over Nahen’s words, then tilted her head in confusion. Nahen smiled at the sight.
“I’ll give the orders this time. Use it as a reference for when something like this happens again.”
“Yes, Teacher.”
Nahen stepped forward and addressed Epsilon.
“Commander Epsilon.”
“Yes.”
“Mobilize the army. When the 69th and 68th Floors clash, we will join the fray as well.”
“The 69th Floor is one thing, but the 68th Floor’s military scale is no match for ours. Are you certain about this?”
“Avoid direct confrontation.”
At Nahen’s command, Epsilon nodded.
“Should we cross over and wait in position?”
“Yes. Secure a location from which you can strike Decarabia’s rear and hold there.”
“Yes?… Then how do we avoid clashing with Decarabia’s forces?”
“I’m not telling you to build a defensive position.”
There was only one thing Nahen wanted from Epsilon: cross into the 69th Floor, keep watch on their movements, and draw their attention.
“Follow on Decarabia’s heels and keep avoiding battle. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
“…You want us to draw their gaze.”
“I’m counting on the strength of your 5th Legion.”
“Understood.”
Epsilon bowed his head to Nahen’s orders, then knelt before Seere.
“I will carry out your command, Your Majesty.”
“I’m counting on you.”
Once Epsilon had departed to fulfill his orders, Seere fixed Nahen with a steady gaze.
“Teacher.”
“Hm?”
“Why tell them to just watch the situation instead of jumping straight into the war?”
“I mentioned the fisherman’s gain earlier.”
“Yes.”
“This is how we put it into practice. From now on, I’m going to summon Commander Rin and order her to evacuate the merchants from the 69th Floor to the 70th Floor.”
“…The merchants staying in someone else’s floor?”
“That’s right.”
The reason Nahen had deliberately eliminated the 68th Floor’s envoy upon their arrival at the 69th Floor was to spark conflict between the two powers. The 69th Floor was already unstable thanks to the information Nahen had leaked to the merchants. If conflict with the 68th Floor was added on top of that, the outcome was obvious. The merchants flocked to the 69th Floor because it was safe and offered favorable policies. But now that safety had vanished, and it had come to light that the 69th Floor had been deceiving those it traded with, there was little reason left for them to stay.
“And I intend to implement policies that favor merchants on the 70th Floor as well.”
“Wouldn’t Sitri need to agree to that?”
“Sitri has no reason to refuse. Merchants gathering in the floor she rules? She’s not the kind of person who would turn down money that rolls right into her lap.”
“That’s true.”
“Once that happens, the merchants will leave the 69th Floor in droves and settle on the 70th Floor, where it’s safe and the policies are favorable. In the end, Dantalion’s forces, having lost the merchants’ support, will collapse like a sandcastle.”
Nahen smiled—a confident, assured smile that promised there would be no failure in anything he set his mind to. Seere knew that fact all too well. Still, she thought they could afford to be a little greedier.
“Teacher.”
“Hm?”
“Instead of just rescuing the merchants from the 69th Floor with the 4th Legion, why not conquer the 69th Floor outright?”
“Well, I think the risks are too high. We’d have to drive out Decarabia’s army as well…”
“Then I’ll do it.”
Nahen’s brows drew together sharply.
“No.”
At his flat refusal, Seere puffed out her cheeks slightly. Placing a hand on her chest, she said, “I can fight now too. I’ve trained a lot, and I’ve studied hard. You’ve taught me plenty of magic yourself.”
“I’m glad to see you’re ready to lead an army as a ruler, but it’s still not your time to step forward.”
“Then when exactly is it?”
“…When you’ve grown a little more.”
“I’ve grown plenty already!”
Seere wasn’t wrong. Even among demons, who matured far faster than humans, Seere’s growth had been rapid. She now stood around 160 centimeters tall and had developed a certain feminine maturity. Aside from the lingering youthfulness in her features, she no longer looked like a child to most observers. But to Nahen, she was still just a twelve-year-old girl.
“Be patient. I’ll personally handle the conquest of the 69th and 68th Floors.”
“……”
Seere’s eyes dimmed with disappointment. Nahen understood how she felt. Objectively speaking, her skills had improved to a degree that words like “remarkable progress” couldn’t fully capture. Even so, he still believed it was too soon to send her onto the battlefield. He had no certainty. No certainty that Seere could go to war and return unharmed.
‘If something were to happen to her…’
If Seere were injured or killed, everything Nahen had worked for until now would come to nothing. The day would come when she would have to step onto the battlefield, but he felt that day was not yet here. Feeling a twinge of guilt for denying her what she wanted because of his own anxiety, Nahen spoke.
“In exchange, I’ll grant you one wish once this is over. So don’t be too disappointed.”
“…A wish?”
“Well… pudding’s fine, cake is fine, anything you like. Just don’t make any unreasonable demands, all right?”
“As long as it’s not unreasonable, it’s okay?”
“That’s right.”
Seere’s slightly sullen expression brightened again. She looked at Nahen and said, “Then… when this is over, I want to go out and play.”
“Go out and play?”
“Yes. Anywhere is fine.”
They had gone out together often, but never once for the purpose of simply having fun. Nahen recalled the memories of going on picnics with his parents as a child and realized he had been too strict.
“All right. Now that I think about it, I’ve never once taken you out just to play. Going out for fun once in a while wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Wow!”
Seere beamed like a child, her face lighting up with joy. Seeing her bright smile, Nahen smiled fondly in return.
#
I’m going out to play with Teacher. What should we do? I’m already so excited I can’t sleep.
Seere hugged Baenggomi tightly, her heart swelling with anticipation. She didn’t carry the doll around with her all the time like before, but she still loved it, and among all her toys, Baenggomi remained her favorite. The next most precious was the whale doll—the very first gift Nahen had ever given her. Whenever she looked at the white whale, Nahen came to mind, and Seere would find herself smiling without realizing it.
My kind Teacher who always stays by my side. My precious Teacher.
‘My one and only Teacher.’
The thought of going out to play with him made her heart race uncontrollably. Still holding Baenggomi, Seere gazed at the whale doll.
“If I want to go play with Teacher, this whole thing needs to end quickly, doesn’t it?”
To make that happen…
“…Yeah. I just have to do my best.”
Even if it means becoming a bad child who doesn’t listen.