< 130. Pursuit >
‘Found it. I found it!’
He had finally located it.
The tallest peak of the Erjest Mountains. In a hidden basin not far from there, concealed from easy view.
An incongruous building that didn't belong amid the mountains stood in that spot.
A pitch-black tower contrasting sharply with the pristine white snow.
The Demon King's tower.
And the Flame Demon Tower.
Orcs filed in a straight line toward it, hauling mana cannons inside.
Mana cannons inside the tower?
Daphne Philian quickly jotted down the coordinates. He recorded them in his log orb to ensure he wouldn't forget and marked them on his handmade map as well.
But this place...
It felt strangely familiar.
This was it.
The basin he'd checked near the end when he'd first climbed the Erjest Mountains in search of the tower.
It definitely hadn't been there before. But now it was.
How?
Did I miss it?
Did the tower move?
Did they hide the tower?
He had no idea. If it was the first option, it was his own carelessness—but after scaling the mountain back then, he'd always stayed razor-sharp.
It might sound like self-praise, but that wasn't the case. He'd never heard of the second possibility, either.
Over the past millennium, once a tower took root, it never changed position until its Demon King died and it crumbled. That was an ironclad truth.
Then...
They must have hidden it temporarily. How? There were plenty of subtle ways.
Using magic, or the terrain itself.
The third prince...
There was no sign of him anywhere. He hadn't spotted any traces of the third prince the entire time he'd trailed the orcs.
No demon there, either. Not the Dark Spirit Summoner.
Not at the tower. So where had they gone?
Head back for now.
Finding the tower was more important than the prince.
Why hadn't the Hildean Kingdom—which had lost its crown princess to kidnapping—rescued her?
Why had the Jespain Empire, which had its ninth princess stolen, and Hildean, which had even its thirteenth princess taken, swallowed their rage without action?
Because they didn't know the tower's location. Because they had no clear target for their fury.
They couldn't pour astronomical manpower and resources into scouring the natural fortress that was Erjest, where the tower's position remained vague.
But now things had changed.
With the tower found, the empire could dispatch a hero party without hesitation. In fact, it was already a foregone conclusion.
So.
“Your Highness the third prince, just endure a little longer in the Demon King's embrace.”
The empire would come to rescue him soon enough.
Sure, the third prince's reputation would plummet after being captured, but who cared?
Daphne Philian's name—the man who found the tower—would soar to unprecedented heights.
The smile curling at his lips deepened.
And soon, he vanished.
This was two days before Berge Dayas arrived, wings unfurled.
“Gone.”
Gone. Completely gone.
Berge Dayas muttered in disbelief upon reaching the tower.
He'd followed the path the Frost Orcs had taken, searching every inch. He'd combed the basin where the tower stood.
Yet Daphne Philian was nowhere to be seen.
But faint traces lingered in the basin.
And that only fueled his rage more.
He'd been here.
He'd spotted the tower.
And then he'd fled.
The worst possible scenario.
He had to catch him. Make sure he never made it down the mountain alive.
Dead men tell no tales, after all.
“Gordon!”
“Without you here, my lord, the tower's functions are greatly diminished. If he'd entered the interior, perhaps, but we couldn't monitor the exterior... My apologies. This is my failure.”
In the end, it was all excuses. A hero had slipped right under their noses, and his adjutant hadn't noticed? Gordon ground his teeth in frustration.
“Forgive me. At the time, I never imagined it could be a hero.”
Krutoo bowed his head low. He'd felt a strange presence just once while returning with the cannons.
But it had vanished quickly, so he'd dismissed it as some animal.
“If Daphne is truly committed to hiding, it's no surprise you missed him.”
If he'd noticed then.
If he'd caught him then.
He wouldn't be racking his brain like this now.
But Berge swallowed his anger and pulled him to his feet.
This is just venting.
Gordon and Krutoo's incompetence ground his teeth, but rage wouldn't solve anything. Right now, he needed to rally the orcs and hunt the escaped prey.
“Cancel blocking the other two kingdoms. From now on, you all hunt Daphne Philian, that damned bastard.”
“Understood.”
“Ravinia.”
“Yeah.”
“How many hellhounds do you have?”
“Five. Fresh ones.”
“Not bad. Release them all.”
“Yeah.”
Hellhounds tracked magic points. They were more sensitive to them than anyone. But that sensitivity to magic points also meant they detected Dimensional Interference—its polar opposite—just as keenly.
All they had to do was sense the energy they hated most.
“Track the interference. Track the hero.”
“Cher. Hero.”
“No. Don't send Cher, and you stay out of it too.”
He had to contain this somehow, but Berge was preparing for the worst. If Daphne Philian escaped the mountain unscathed and exposed the tower, they couldn't afford to let it slip that he'd kidnapped Ravinia—not when it would make Akan Kingdom yet another enemy after Jespain and Hildean.
The hellhounds were unleashed.
The Frost Orcs, having stowed the cannons in the tower, scattered in all directions at their Demon King's command.
“Don't waste time clashing with monsters! Finding that bastard comes first!”
And Berge mounted a wolf with Ernan. Flying was faster, but it missed too much. They needed the wolves to track him reliably.
“You're with me.”
“Shall I release the spirits?”
“Do it. The search parties are elsewhere anyway.”
Dozens of spirits scattered in every direction.
“We'll catch him for sure.”
And kill him.
Berge bared his killing intent.
Bwoooo...!
The horn echoing through the snowy mountains cut off. An arrow had shattered it. The orc with a pierced throat collapsed.
“...They won't even give me a moment's rest.”
Daphne ended his brief break and hauled his weary body to its feet.
How many days had it been?
Fatigue clouded his mind. He only vaguely remembered the nights and days cycling a few times.
Tenacious bastards.
A curse slipped out unbidden.
He sensed presences approaching from afar, drawn by the horn. Frost Orcs on direwolves.
“How many of them are there, anyway?”
He crouched low and ran. Normally, he'd erase his tracks and scent, but he had no time now.
How did it come to this?
It must have been about four days after he'd spotted the tower and begun descending.
Orcs started appearing one by one, then in greater numbers.
Adding the monsters they were herding, they were inescapable.
He couldn't rest properly or sleep.
After three days like that, Daphne realized they weren't just chasing him—they were herding him.
Waiting for someone?
Probably one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
The Dark Spirit Summoner, or maybe that demon. That demon's probably one of the Four Heavenly Kings too.
Could he take two demons at once? Both were high demons, and especially the one wielding black flames—his power was impossible to gauge fully.
In peak condition, maybe. But exhausted like this? No guarantees.
I saw the tower, and they know it.
Hiding the tower was one of the Flame Demon King's greatest assets. With the secret out, they'd do anything to bury it again.
And murder was the surest way.
I can't get caught...!
He'd finally found the tower. That triumph was all his doing. The sweet reward was within reach.
That was when it happened.
A shadow fell over him.
Daphne hurled himself aside. A massive bulk crashed where he'd stood moments before.
“Hero. You won't escape.”
“What the—?”
The one who'd blocked him during the fierce battle, when he'd tried to kill a Heavenly King.
“You?”
The suffocating tension melted away.
“Thanks. You led me right to the tower.”
The helpful fool who'd guided the orcs—and him—straight there.
“...You bastard.”
Krutoo seethed with rage.
Since pledging himself to the Demon King, he'd never seen Berge so furious. Knowing he'd sparked it made his blood boil.
“If it weren't for you...!”
This never would have happened.
Krutoo roared. Black magic points surged over the dwarf-forged, sleek blade.
“Come on, then.”
Daphne gripped his bow.
One aim produced ten arrows.
Shweeeek—
Straight shots, arcing, spiraling. Ten arrows flew in varied trajectories toward Krutoo.
Krutoo leaped from his wolf. The blade deflected half in a single sweep. He rolled to dodge two more, spun to cleave the remaining three.
In that instant, his shoulder was pierced. It shattered the magic cloaking his body and tore into flesh.
“Nice show. But thinking ten shots end with ten? So predictable.”
Two more arrows slammed into his gut. Krutoo gritted his teeth, enduring the pain as he charged.
He burst into laughter only when he closed the distance.
“It's over.”
“Think you can win just by getting close?”
Really?
———!
Sparks flew. Magic points gnawed at aura.
A short dagger appeared. Krutoo swung with all his might, but Daphne didn't flinch.
Kagagak—
The dagger slid up the blade's flat. Aimed at his fingers, the strike forced Krutoo to release it. In that moment, a long gash scarred his face.
“Close.”
Daphne flicked blood from the dagger.
“Could've split your face.”
As Daphne stepped back, he stuck to Krutoo relentlessly. Krutoo snatched up his blade in panic and resisted.
Shweeeek—
The sword traced a blue arc. Krutoo's blood sprayed, staining the white snow red.
His dagger was heavier than Krutoo's sword. Faster. More elegant.
It dominated in every way.
Each swing birthed a new wound.
Bloody and battered, Krutoo dropped to one knee. His collapsing torso barely held against the blade.
Daphne reversed his grip on the dagger.
“Sorry, but I don't have time to play with you anymore.”
Frost Orcs were closing in from all sides. And who knew when those childish Heavenly Kings—demons, really—might show up.
Daphne thrust the dagger down.
In that instant.
Fwoosh—
Black flames clung to it.
A shadow loomed.
Kwaaaang—
A demon with black wings descended.
“Found you.”
Black-haired, black-eyed Berge Dayas stared at Daphne impassively.
“Krutoo, fall back.”
“But...!”
“I won't say it twice. Move Krutoo.”
The Frost Orcs, revering the Demon King's arrival, hurriedly dragged Krutoo away.
Until then, Daphne couldn't move recklessly. Suffocating killing intent and pressure choked the air around him.
“...One of the Four Heavenly Kings.”
“Four Heavenly Kings?”
Berge glanced back, but Ernan was gone. Naturally—she'd spotted the fight and flown ahead.
“...You talking to me?”
“Who else is here if not you?”
“...Me, a Heavenly King?”
Ernan calling him one arbitrarily.
Making Kaede and Ravinia Heavenly Kings.
He didn't care about any of that.
“But calling me a Heavenly King? That's where I draw the line.”
Even if not for that.
“Now that you've seen the tower.”
You're dead anyway.
“You won't leave this mountain alive...”
———!
An arrow cut Berge off. In that brief hesitation, Daphne turned and fled.
“That's cheating! It's polite to let them transform or at least finish talking!”
Ernan, arriving late, shouted.
“What nonsense. Ambushes are standard.”
Berge snorted at Daphne's retreating back.
He'd failed to pursue before.
But not now.
All 5 million magic points had gone toward nullifying interference.
It was a fraction compared to the total interference weighing on him, and the dispelled amount was minor.
But that sliver allowed him to manifest wings.
So once more.
He spread them.
Toward the hero.
And took flight.
< 130. Pursuit > End