< 107. The Existence Called God >
“God?”
God.
The word was so absurd that Berge couldn’t even muster a hollow laugh.
“Do the humans of Alein actually believe in something like that?”
But Hillon Kargil was dead serious.
『Rumors are circulating among the nobles. They’re not the kind of rumors that spring up out of nowhere.』
“There are really people who believe in gods?”
『No one in Alein worships gods.』
There was magic. There was aura. There was mana. There were spirits. What people called miracles from gods required effort and talent, not faith.
No one could prove the existence of gods. There was no such thing as divine power from gods.
In Alein, gods had naturally been weeded out.
『But there are those who treat someone who isn’t a god as one and worship them.』
『I’m talking about a ‘human’ who calls himself a god.』
“It’s ridiculous enough that a mere human would claim to be a god, but the fact that there are idiots who actually believe it is even more shocking.”
The idea that he’d lost and died to scum like that.
“Who is it?”
『The hero who killed two Demon Kings.』
“I never thought you were that crazy. Did getting beaten by Reina drive you insane?”
『…To be precise, it was a hero from about 500 years ago.』
Alein had devoured dozens of Demon Kings over a thousand years. Heroes who’d killed two weren’t that common, but they weren’t nonexistent either.
Hillon Kargil of the present day was one, and looking back a millennium, there were about three others.
『Daniel Dayrus.』
『About 500 years ago, he killed two Demon Kings and gained tremendous power. No one in the world was stronger than him, and he grew increasingly arrogant. He believed himself greater than kings or emperors.』
“The kingdoms and empire wouldn’t have just sat idly by.”
『The circumstances worked in his favor. The continent was engulfed in war at the time. A fire started by the empire’s territorial expansion spread across the entire continent, and the suffering masses grew.』
Humans seek something to lean on when times are tough.
But it wasn’t their nations. To the people back then, the state was an evil that exploited, plundered, and forcibly conscripted.
『That’s when Daniel Dayrus appeared. He helped the people and built his reputation. His followers multiplied.』
『By the time the flames of that decades-long war had died down, his influence had grown beyond control, they say.』
“And then?”
『But in the end, he was just a hero, and the kings and emperor wouldn’t tolerate him.』
『They pinned all sorts of crimes on him and branded him a traitor who’d turned to the Demon Kings.』
“Interesting.”
『When the atmosphere for renewed war arose, he wiped out the allied forces sent to capture him and made a declaration.』
『That he would kill a third Demon King to prove his greatness.』
『That if he returned after slaying the Demon King, they should worship him as one who’d never appeared before and never would again.』
“Did the kings allow that?”
『He set a condition. That he would climb the tower ‘alone.’』
A hero could never climb a tower or kill a Demon King alone.
There were limits to a hero’s individual strength.
At least, that truth hadn’t changed 500 years ago—or now.
“The result?”
『The Demon King’s tower collapsed.』
“He succeeded?”
『But Daniel Dayrus vanished without a trace as well.』
“Mutual destruction.”
『Most people thought he died. But his faithful followers thought otherwise.』
『They claimed he’d slain the third Demon King and finally obtained divine power, ascending to the heavens. That he would descend again in time to save them.』
By that point, Berge couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“Kill three Demon Kings and become a god?”
Then the Mahwang would already be the supreme god.
The Archdukes too.
“Anyway, so there are still morons who can’t forget a hero who died 500 years ago.”
『That’s the summary.』
『Their madness went too far and caused numerous disturbances. There were several subjugation campaigns, and after the one 110 years ago, we thought they were gone for good.』
“Got it. I’ll keep it in mind.”
『Yes.』
“What about the border count?”
『Not bad. At least now there’s a high chance we can join hands if it benefits us both.』
“Not bad at all.”
『Yes, really not bad.』
The Demon King and the hero exchanged smiles. Soon after, the communication cut off.
‘Fanatics.’
Not exactly gods, but rumors like that were circulating in the empire’s south.
‘Traces of them intervening in battles between the alliance and the empire?’
Was Jason Cockmond using them to ignite war between the empire and the alliance?
‘I didn’t spot any suspiciously human figures, though…’
He had no idea that the butterfly effect from his offhand remark was spinning out of control.
‘Whatever. It’s sorted for now.’
His thoughts turned to the hero worshipped as a god.
‘A hero who almost took down three Demon Kings.’
It was no story to dismiss lightly.
What had happened once could happen again.
And no matter that it was his own tower.
No matter that the first floor’s mana cannons and the princesses’ attacks came first.
Really.
‘Can I, as I am now, beat a hero who took down three Demon Kings?’
In Ma-gye, it would be a meaningless worry.
He had absolute confidence he wouldn’t lose to anyone. But weakened by Dimensional Interference now, it was different.
Among the other Demon Kings, excluding Vivian Blunt, he couldn’t beat any.
A handful of those Star heroes strutting around, and he’d have to worry for his life.
In the end, it all came down to personal power.
The final one standing to clash with the heroes would be Berge himself. If he was weak, no amount of building up the rest mattered.
‘Balaf Disrod wasn’t the problem.’
The tower wouldn’t be invaded for the time being anyway. On the flip side, who knew when Berge might have to venture out again.
So.
At least until he deemed himself sufficient.
‘I need to shake off this interference.’
[5,135,110 Magic Points]
All his Magic Points.
[0 Magic Points]
Poured into releasing the Dimensional Interference.
“…The power.”
Gordon Dirik, listening to the report from the elves who’d safely infiltrated the Akan Kingdom, clenched his fist.
His personal condition hadn’t changed much. But it felt like hundreds of weights had fallen off his body.
‘No way?’
Dimensional Interference was released using the tower’s power.
All demons belonging to the tower were affected together.
In other words, releasing Dimensional Interference applied not just to the Demon King himself, but to all demons and monsters under his command.
‘Some of the interference has been released.’
Not all, but even if small compared to the total, it was far from insignificant.
For Gordon, it was the greatest sense of liberation since descending.
It was so refreshing he couldn’t help but smile.
‘Who knew reclaiming what was ours could feel this good.’
Dimensional Interference acted on higher-dimensional power.
Demons and monsters were affected, but fundamentally, it was magic.
Dimensional Interference suppressed magic. A simple suppression of energy, but the driving force for all demons and monsters was ultimately magic. Suppressing magic extended to suppressing their bodies.
Even a slight release meant smoother magic flow and less pressure on the body.
‘I thought he was too busy with the princesses, elves, and dwarves to bother releasing interference.’
Say what you will, a Demon King was still a demon. Demons couldn’t tolerate their own weakness.
『Gordon, come to the office.』
At that moment, the Demon King’s summons came.
“You called for me?”
“You felt it, right?”
“Yes. It feels a bit more like Ma-gye now.”
“From now on, all Magic Points will go toward releasing interference.”
“Really? Then the tower…”
“I’m not planning to sit idle. I just won’t be able to use Magic Points.”
“……”
A heavy sense of foreboding rose. Things never ended well when he got like this.
“I had an idea. How to inflict greater failure and frustration on humans and heroes. How to stop them from growing.”
No matter how weak the monsters placed, denying that killing them helped heroes grow even a little was impossible.
The same for strong ones. They’d panic at first from the unexpected power, but eventually, they’d be defeated. That was humanity’s unchanging strategy.
“Is there a way?”
“Make it so they can’t kill anything. More precisely, give them nothing to kill. No demons, no monsters, no magical beasts—not a single one deployed.”
“……”
‘Why not just fling the doors wide open? Roll out the red carpet and invite them in.’
Experience kept it from slipping out loud, fortunately.
“Your eyes just looked weird.”
“…N-no, it’s nothing. So what will you put in the empty floors?”
“Traps, obviously. We have Roger Friedri, the golem alchemists, and even Ravinia Akan, who knows magic despite being human. Use them to set traps on the 2nd and 3rd floors.”
Not the generic stuff bought with Magic Points, but original, nastier ones.
“For example, lower the temperature itself to damage humans while trapping them in a maze with no exit. Humans oddly stick to paths if they exist. They’ll wander in circles without realizing, freeze to death—should be quite the sight.”
Well, they’d eventually break through the walls.
“But add an illusion array to make them see each other as enemies? Heroes might resist, but weakened humans will fall for it.”
“That’s why you…”
“You’ll lead it. On the 2nd floor.”
“…Cold alone has limits. Mental magic too. Hero parties come equipped with high magic resistance gear as standard. If the Demon King were an incubus and I too, maybe…”
“That’s why you make it penetrable.”
“Got a good idea?”
“That’s for you to figure out from now on.”
“……”
“I just gave the framework. Fleshing it out is your job. What use is an adjutant if the Demon King does everything?”
It was too true to argue.
“Even improved to perfection, it’ll be impossible without Magic Points or tower help.”
Because it involved mental magic.
“How about making it up to that point first, then complaining?”
“…I’ll do my best.”
“I don’t like effort. I like results.”
“I’ll give it my all.”
“Same thing.”
“May I ask one thing?”
“Ask.”
“I agree with making it so heroes gain nothing. But defending the tower is just one step.”
Demon Kings build towers, defend them, stockpile power.
And when the time comes, conquer the dimension.
That was Ma-gye’s, the Demon Kings’ strategy.
“But following your way, they gain nothing—and neither do we.”
“Why do you think that?”
“There is something?”
“I’ll take the mountain monsters as subordinates.”
“Didn’t you say you wouldn’t before?”
“Normal monsters weren’t worth the magic. But turn them all into chimeras?”
“…Ravinia Akan. You mean that princess of Akan.”
“Yes.”
Gordon wanted to protest trusting a human princess, but held back.
“…Attaching a succubus queen’s tail to a titan wouldn’t be easy even for magic-savvy demons.”
“No demon cares about chimera crafting to begin with.”
Demons killed and devoured each other to absorb power; no need for chimeras.
But here, it was different. Without the overflow of demons and monsters like in Ma-gye, no room to prey on kin.
“When heroes come, give them nothing to gain. Meanwhile, take the mountain monsters one by one as subordinates and modify them into chimeras.”
“If that works, it’s definitely good, but…”
“You doubt the princess will do it?”
“Yes.”
“She will.”
“…Are you sure you’re not an incubus instead of a magic dragon, my lord?”
“Don’t talk nonsense.”
“No, otherwise why would heroes, elves, princesses line up for you…”
That was when it happened.
Vrrr—
The vibration came from inside Berge’s pocket.
A faint chill cooled the heat-filled office slightly.
“…Reina the Demon King?”
“Step aside where she can’t see.”
“Yes.”
Berge infused magic into it.
“What’s up?”
『So this is your office.』
Reina skipped greetings and scanned the view through the communication orb.
“Yeah.”
『This time.』
“What?”
The chill in her words made Berge falter slightly, but he kept his expression calm.
“What do you mean?”
『You.』
“Yeah.”
『Have nothing to say to this lady?』
“Say?”
『This lady allied with you.』
『And this lady believes trust is vital between allies.』
『Even if demons are individualistic, that doesn’t change. If you meant to go solo, you should’ve rejected this lady’s offer from the start.』
Berge tapped the desk with his finger.
His mind raced.
‘What? What’s the problem?’
The hints were in her words.
Office. This time. Alliance. Trust.
‘…Caught?’
Rescuing Hillon Kargil from the snowy plains?
His heart sank.
His eyes met Reina’s through the orb. Her pupils were icy and sharp, laced with faint anger, as if facing an enemy.
‘No, not that.’
If she’d caught him interfering by saving Hillon, invading her domain as a Demon King, she wouldn’t phrase it like this.
This felt like one last chance.
‘Then.’
She’d caught something. But not him entering a Demon King’s domain.
‘The communication orb.’
He’d communicated with her from the snowy plains, lying it was the Erjest Mountains. Fortunately, it wasn’t her domain.
So what to do now?
“…Sorry.”
『For what?』
“When we talked, it wasn’t the Erjest Mountains.”
『The snowy plains, right.』
“But it wasn’t your domain. I just didn’t mention it. Not great even if not your turf, but I wasn’t trying to deceive you for some scheme.”
『To save a monster?』
“Yeah.”
He nodded vigorously without even listening properly.
『…So it really was the snowy plains.』
“…Huh?”
What did she just say?
‘Did I just fall for a leading question like an idiot?’
‘This stupid…’
A blunder from his own trap. Berge’s face paled.
Worrying, Reina Sordain’s response didn’t come right away.
‘What the hell have you been up to out there!’
Gordon, in the corner, screamed silently.
Time dragged. One second felt like an hour.
『Good.』
“Good?”
『…Honestly, if you’d lied to the end, I’d have agonized over what to do.』
『Once trust breaks, it can’t be mended.』
Especially for demons.
『But you didn’t. I’m relieved.』
‘…I’m in the clear?’
He sighed in relief. It felt like heaven and hell in an instant.
『I invite you.』
“Suddenly?”
『For why you came to the snowy plains. I’ll give you what you wanted.』
With that, the communication ended.
“……?”
“……?”
Berge and Gordon tilted their heads at each other.
“Did Hillon Kargil get caught by Reina the Demon King?”
“How should I know? You tell me.”
What the hell?
Berge first checked on Hillon’s safety.
Fortunately, he was fine.
“…I apologize for what happened before.”
Reina Sordain said nothing. Berge, who’d been pondering, spoke first.
“Even if it wasn’t your domain, coming near without a word was clearly my mistake.”
No reply still. The mood grew colder. The snowy chill made his nape prickle.
‘Damn it.’
He needed to smooth it over, but no good ideas came.
Then Reina opened a drawer, took out candy, and offered it. He took it and stuffed it in his pocket.
“That part doesn’t matter.”
“Doesn’t matter?”
“It would’ve if you’d lied to the end, but not now.”
Reina rolled the candy in her mouth. A sweet cherry scent wafted.
“A Demon King saving a monster isn’t special. Erjest snows year-round; only the snowy plains match. This lady understands. Not telling the truth from the start was insolent, but you didn’t hide it forever.”
“…Thanks.”
Berge sighed in relief. His heart, nearly stopped, beat again.
“So, did you save a monster you liked?”
“I stuck to the outskirts to avoid your domain, so not really…”
“I figured. This lady said she’d give you what you wanted.”
“No way?”
“Did you see the monsters outside?”
“I did.”
When they’d arrived at the first floor, the tower entrance, hundreds greeted Berge like a welcome party.
“I give them all to you.”
“…For real? Why suddenly?”
More monsters for chimeras was always good. A welcome offer, but too abrupt.
“Because you want them. Coming near this lady’s domain means you need them badly, right?”
“Well, yeah, but…”
“So I’m giving them. It’s natural as allies.”
“…Then I’ll gratefully accept.”
“But.”
She added a condition.
“You must give this lady something in return.”
“That’s not how giving works.”
“I’d love to just give. But one-sided bonds break fast. If something goes, something must come back.”
“One-sided isn’t so bad.”
“Amusing joke.”
Berge pondered.
He needed monsters, but not urgently. He could slowly claim Erjest’s one by one.
No need to trade with Reina right now.
But this was Reina’s generous ally offer.
Grasp the intent over the contents.
‘Monsters are an excuse.’
She just wanted to solidify their alliance, nearly cracked.
“What do you want?”
“What do you think this lady wants?”
“Hmm…”
Until recently, direct aid.
But Gillian Aint and the White Eagle retreated, northern tribes cowered like whipped dogs.
And the Chernian Border Count decided no more disturbances.
‘Wait.’
Did Reina Sordain know that?
Berge learned of the border count’s plans via Hillon Kargil.
And it wasn’t publicized. Given Reina’s disinterest in human affairs, she likely didn’t know.
“I’ll tell you about the empire’s north.”
“Northern situation?”
“The war isn’t officially over, is it?”
“Ridiculous. As if we ever coordinated with humans to end a war.”
“That’s why you need to know their moves.”
“From Jason? That’s not your merit.”
Berge didn’t correct her assumption.
“Anything else you want?”
“Ugar.”
“Ugar?”
“A while ago, Ugar contacted this lady. Then out of nowhere, he said this.”
“What?”
“Jason isn’t the culprit. Believe me.”
“What bullshit?”
“This lady doesn’t know either. Contact cut off after. I wanted to ask again, but with things as they are, I forgot.”
“You want me to check?”
“Not hard, right? Cheap for hundreds of monsters.”
“…Fine.”
‘Jason isn’t it?’
What did he see, what did he hear?
‘Ugar’s a coward and fool, but he doesn’t make up lies.’
‘He didn’t figure out I’m the culprit, did he?’
‘Damn, walking a knife’s edge.’
“I’ll leave it to you.”
“Yeah.”
He took Reina’s offered hand. Unlike her chill aura, her hand was warm.
< 107. The Existence Called God > End