< 144. The Demon King Feels So Wronged >
"...Who disappeared?"
The fact that Luize Berft had vanished became known immediately after her kidnapping.
"A loud noise and tremors shook the annex where Your Highness resides. The knights guarding it rushed to the scene, but Her Highness was nowhere to be found—only traces of a fierce battle remained."
"Is that what you call a report? Find her at once! Now!"
The royal guard mobilized. They discovered a secret passage not far from the battlefield.
"A secret passage? After Roger Friedri disappeared, didn't we search every passage in the capital and seal them all?"
"We sealed most of them, but perfection..."
"Are you joking right now?!"
The dwarves trembled at the king's fury.
The knights hurriedly investigated the passage.
"There are signs of entry, but none of exit. She hasn't gotten out yet—that much is certain."
"What if she took another passage? If there was one, who's to say there wasn't two?"
"...That's."
"Find her now! If you don't drag that princess-kidnapping bastard before my eyes, imagine the consequences yourselves."
"Understood!"
But the problems didn't end there. As the castle guards joined the massive search, trouble erupted elsewhere.
"Your Majesty! Fire at the royal workshop!"
"...What? How is that possible? How many enchantments protect the royal workshop?!"
The workshop, dealing primarily with fire, had rigorous fire prevention measures. But if a Demon King had smashed all their defenses, it wasn't impossible.
"What about the artisans? The artisans?!"
"The 32 who were out returned safely, but..."
"Report properly!"
"The whereabouts of 49 artisans are unknown."
"...You mean they burned to death in the fire?!"
"No! If they'd burned alive, there'd be remains. But no traces of the artisans were found anywhere in the half-burned workshop."
"That means..."
"They wouldn't have set the fire themselves and fled..."
The reporting minister trailed off. The king's eye twitched violently.
"They were kidnapped?"
"So it seems."
"The princess too?"
"...Yes."
In an instant, the kingdom's pampered princess and top artisans had vanished—no, been kidnapped.
The king went blue in the face for a moment but forced himself to stay calm.
"Seal the capital's entrances immediately and declare a state of emergency. And find the culprits, no matter what."
The capital's entire force mobilized—nearly all troops except those guarding the king and palace.
After issuing urgent orders, the king entered a meeting with his ministers.
"Who do you think is behind this?"
"...Humans, perhaps."
"Agreed. Kidnapping our artisans proves it. Humans have coveted our technology and caused trouble more than once or twice."
It was the most plausible explanation. The question was which human nation—and...
"That means there's a traitor who sold out our race. Right here in the capital."
"A traitor, sire?"
"The princess and royal workshop are in the capital. Do you think humans could brazenly come and go without my permission? Unless someone deliberately hid them. And no one witnessed dozens of artisans vanishing without a trace? Does that make sense?"
"Ah...!"
The ministers gasped. It didn't add up.
An awkward silence fell. The king's logic held, but it required one more premise: the traitor held considerable power in the capital.
They began eyeing each other suspiciously. Then one minister raised an objection.
"However, Your Majesty, the princess herself was kidnapped. Why would humans take her?"
Anyone who knew how much Berft's king doted on his princess would know it crossed an unforgivable line.
"They kidnapped dozens of artisans. They're not thinking about consequences anymore."
"Would humans be that foolish? We'd just promise equipment to neighboring nations and crush them."
"...True enough."
The king and ministers pondered deeply.
"Could it be a Demon King's doing?"
"A Demon King? Why would one kidnap artisans?"
Demon Kings strengthened their towers with mysterious powers. They had no need for dwarven help.
That was common sense. But.
"What if it's not for a tower?"
"Not a tower?"
"The recent Seratin Archipelago incident..."
"Ah...!"
"She already tried kidnapping Your Highness there and got her tail cut off."
"Even so, after getting beaten badly by the strike force, that Demon King would try again...?"
Then came news that nailed their suspicions.
"Your Majesty! Hero Berding found faint traces of demonic energy at the princess's annex!"
The Demon King had kidnapped the princess and artisans.
* * *
Vivian Blunt.
Having conquered one dimension and grown arrogant enough to pierce the heavens, she now faced the massive wall of Alein.
Repeated challenges ended in failure, even humiliation from threats by the same Demon King.
Yet she hadn't exploded in rage because his words rang painfully true.
A mad dimension with over four thousand heroes! If I'd known, I never would've come here!
She lamented her own hubris—assuming other Demon Kings were just weak, and this dimension suited her perfectly after one conquest.
And the vampire archduke who sweet-talked her into this hellhole.
That damned bloodsucker. Should've seen through his excessive kindness.
She should've ripped out that silver tongue promising vast rewards.
Though she couldn't have, really.
"Still, things are getting sorted somehow? I'm alive, steadily building my forces. Yeah, that's what matters, that's..."
Savoring a sweet Shine Muscat, her gaze drifted downward and froze.
"...My tail."
The absence of what should be there never got easier.
"My tail..."
Tears welled up. The wound still ached. It would regrow eventually, but when?
A century? Two?
A succubus's tail, another mana storage organ, wasn't like hair that grew back with time.
"That bastard... I'll have my revenge someday..."
She vowed to enslave him, make him pant at her feet. Someday, for sure.
"Ah."
Opening her mouth to vent her frustration—
"Here you go, hehe."
A sweet fruit slipped in.
"Sweet."
"The finest Shine Muscat from Hesse's southern region. I specially procured it for you, Lady Vivian."
Procured meaning pirated. Neither speaker nor listener cared.
"You there."
"Did I say you could speak to me?"
"S-sorry!"
The footrest pirate slammed his head to the floor.
"What is it? Speak."
"Thank you for your mercy. The Altring faction has been acting suspicious lately."
"Altring...?"
"The largest alliance in the Seratin Archipelago, with eighty pirate crews under them."
"What about them?"
"...As always, they've been slandering us as traitors colluding with demons—of course, not disparaging you, Lady Vivian. Just those arrogant fools..."
"I know. Continue."
"Yes. They're calling us demon collaborators and seem poised for war."
"War because I'm a demon?"
"It's a cowardly excuse. They're just trying to crush us before we grow stronger."
"Hmm."
Vivian rested her chin, lost in thought.
After repeated failures, she'd taken matters into her own hands, embracing her succubus nature.
Seduction was a sticky trap no one escaped, demon or not—her greatest weapon.
Approaching them was easy. Alein's humans were used to secret pacts with demons, especially in pirate-ruled Seratin.
Drug trafficking, smuggling, human trafficking, piracy—these evil hubs didn't discriminate against demons.
Their priorities: survival first, usefulness second.
Thus, Vivian slowly expanded her influence, seducing alone or unleashing succubi to make pirates her slaves.
Like the one kneeling as her footrest, the one fanning her, or the one auto-feeding her fruit.
All powerful pirate figures in Seratin, now her slaves.
Heroes were no different. Seratin's heroes were guild deserters, rogues ignoring orders.
Heroes killed demons, but these were exceptions.
For instance, her footrest reporter was a pirate captain and a hero.
She'd been stunned when that so-called hero offered to lick her soles.
"If war breaks out, can we win?"
Her thoughts returned to the point.
Her forces were still tiny compared to all of Seratin; scrutiny was inevitable.
"We're disadvantaged in numbers, but who am I? Captain of the Black Eyepatch Pirates!"
"Count me in. My Waterfall Beard Pirates will sweep those Altring trash!"
"I...!"
The three charmed pirate captains vied for her favor.
But their oily words changed nothing—they couldn't win.
She sighed involuntarily.
Knock knock—
"Lady Vivian."
A succubus burst in before permission.
Vivian frowned.
"Didn't I say not to enter until called?"
"Message from Demon King Jason. He says take it immediately..."
"Why?"
"He'll explain himself. But he sounded furious."
"Furious? Why?"
I'm holed up quietly in Seratin like he said.
"Everyone out."
At her gesture, pirates and succubus left. Vivian infused mana into the communication orb.
"What now?"
『What now? How can you ask that with that gaping mouth of yours?』
The harsh opening confirmed his anger—directed squarely at her, absurdly.
"What? What did I do?"
She had a defense: nothing.
『I told you clearly: stay put, and especially don't touch the dwarves.』
『How long has it been? Are you brainless?』
"...What nonsense? Touch dwarves? Me?"
Vivian pondered. Was the fan dwarf? No. Footrest? No. Fruit feeder? Obviously not.
Recently, then...?
Any dwarves?
Sure, kidnapped dwarves existed in pirate isles, but she'd never touched one.
She'd swear on the great first Mahwang.
"I don't know what happened on the continent or what mess, but it wasn't me."
『Your excuses are pathetic.』
『Just denying it won't erase facts. I can't help pitying your one-dimensional mind.』
"No, what...!"
『Berft's second princess, Luize Berft, was kidnapped.』
『Along with 49 royal workshop artisans.』
"...What? Luize Berft...?"
『The princess you flailed to kidnap, got your tail lopped off pathetically, and fled from.』
That crude axe flashed in her mind. Pious muscles bursting through clothes. More barbarian than princess.
"She got kidnapped? Serves her right. But I swear, it wasn't me."
『Save excuses for when they're plausible, Lady Vivian.』
"Nonsense! I haven't left Seratin since that day!"
『Tell that to the dwarves aiming cannons at you soon. They might not believe it.』
"...What?"
『How do you think I know? The dwarves issued a public statement.』
『Nations covet dwarf cooperation, their tech. Promise huge rewards to hunt you, and countries will line up.』
"Wait, they declared war on me? Why? It wasn't me!"
『Demonic energy found at the kidnapping site.』
『49 dwarf artisans taken together.』
"That doesn't mean it's me! There are five Demon Kings! Why me?!"
『You have prior attempt on their princess. Your severed tail fuels sky-high grudge.』
『Right?』
"Well..."
Of course. How precious is a tail to a succubus?
『No Demon King kidnaps dwarf artisans. Tower powers make it unnecessary.』
『Even if used, not worth souring ties with dwarf kingdom.』
"I'm a Demon King too—why assume I'm different...?"
『Excluding you, lost in pirate games in Seratin.』
『You know pirates crave dwarf tech for mana cannons on ships. You did it yourself.』
"......"
『You didn't hide your Demon King status. Fine for pirates, not continent.』
『All deductions point to you as culprit.』
『Mass hero expedition to your tower incoming. I'll do nothing, as before.』
『One tip: release the princess and artisans now...』
"No!"
Vivian shouted.
Her pale face lost all remaining allure and grace.
"I said no!"
Her vision blurred.
"Do I look like an idiot? Dumb enough to poke again after last time?"
『Reasonably? Yes, you're a fool. You ignored my advice and tried kidnapping her. So this fits too—impulsive...』
"No!"
Really.
"I didn't do anything this time. Nothing, I swear..."
She sniffled.
"I swear on the great first Mahwang and the Demon King's Canon..."
Chicken-shit tears poured endlessly.
< 144. The Demon King Feels So Wronged > End