145. Voluntary Sucker
"...You're swearing on the name of the first Mahwang and the Demon King's Canon, is that right?"
『That's right...! I'm innocent!』
Jason pushed up his monocle with one hand.
Vivian wasn't that stupid—or bold enough—to swear on the first Mahwang and the Canon while spouting blatant lies.
No Demon King anywhere would dare utter a falsehood under such a sacred oath.
It was Berge who was the freak, treating the holy Canon like trash at graduation.
Which meant Vivian wasn't the culprit.
Another Demon King, then?
Who could it be?
Ugar was too straightforwardly demonic for something like this.
His towering pride would see relying on dwarf tech as a disgrace.
The haughty Reina rarely strayed far from her empire.
Unlike Ugar or Vivian, she had a sharp mind and knew exactly what she could get away with and what she couldn't.
So, not her either.
In that case.
A simple process of elimination left just one possibility.
Berge, was that you?
The Berge he knew was competent. He'd known exactly what to do upon descending, surviving every crisis and turning it to his advantage.
Dangerous as he seemed, he'd always steered things toward his own benefit.
There was no reason for such a man to touch the Berft Kingdom.
Normally.
But now?
With the empire gnashing its teeth and howling for the Flame Demon King's death?
A cornered man will do anything.
No, he didn't even need to be cornered.
A man who'll use any means for his ends.
When they'd first met, Jason had sensed a faint disgust—and spotted the ambition burning beyond that rebellious streak.
Berge Dayas would do anything for his victory and survival. He didn't limit himself to demonic deeds.
That's why he'd borrowed money from Jason and gotten involved in Drakson's death.
No proof, but Jason was certain.
That's why I thought he'd be useful.
But it seemed kindred spirits couldn't walk together after all.
If Berge is the culprit, his goal's obvious.
Incite the dwarves to rebellion against the heroes. Pit them against the empire, bloodthirsty for his capture, and let them clash in a mutually destructive fight.
No, more than that...
A strategy to divert attention to Vivian. The empire wouldn't sit idly by while superior dwarf strategic goods flowed to other nations.
But.
You're wrong this time, Berge.
At least, the empire's eyes wouldn't turn here. Good thing, too—no telling how the board might flip if his plan worked.
I need to focus even harder on this.
No more variables.
"I'll trust you. At least this time, it doesn't seem to be your doing, Lady Vivian."
『I told you it wasn't!』
『So, you'll do something now, right?』
"What do you mean?"
『Now that you've cleared me, you can take some action!』
"Hmm."
A desperate cry. Understandable, given her situation. But that was her problem.
Jason calmly removed his monocle and dusted off a speck on the lens.
"Unfortunately, I can't help you."
『...What?』
"As you might guess, I do have some ties with the humans—but they're humans, that's the issue."
Dwarves aside.
『But the surrounding kingdoms...』
"Whether you did it or not, all the evidence points to you right now. Reversing that is next to impossible."
"And considering the suspicion and backlash I'd face over this, even if it were possible, I have no desire to push myself."
To Jason, Demon Kings fell into three categories.
Useful, useless, or neither but harmless.
Vivian might be useful someday, but not now.
Not worth shouldering the dwarves' wrath for her.
『What kind of bullshit is that?!』
『I didn't do it! You believe me!』
"What does my belief matter? In Alein, it's what Alein's creatures believe that counts."
So.
"I pray that you, as a great Demon King and vanguard of the Demon World's dimensional conquest, dispel those swayed by agitation and fabrication, and etch the Demon World's greatness upon them."
Don't bother me—just die quietly.
"These are them..."
Dwarf-made mana cannons.
Aman let out a gasp of admiration at the splendid sight of the fifty cannons.
Each one was worth a fortune—astronomical sums. He couldn't even fathom the total if they sold them all.
"You said there are a hundred more?"
"Yeah. Dwarf-made, but they function just like human ones. They'll overheat badly during sustained fire, and some might explode. Still, they'll be superior to most. At least compared to human-made ones."
"That's more than enough. This'll convince all the executives opposing the current plan."
It was a shame they couldn't sell them as genuine dwarf products, but that didn't diminish their value.
The real issue was elsewhere.
If mana cannons suddenly appeared out of nowhere, everyone would get suspicious.
The silver lining: the Golden Moon Merchant Guild had its own workshops producing military supplies.
And these cannons' quality was lowered enough not to scream "dwarf-made."
"In this situation, dwarf-made mana cannons popping up would doom us anyway. Better this way—no one'll suspect ties to the Lust Demon King..."
"Lust? What're you talking about?"
"You didn't hear? Recently, the Berft Kingdom's princess and forty-nine royal artisans were kidnapped. And they pointed to the Lust Demon King as the culprit."
"...Lust?"
Berge tilted his head. He'd assumed the dwarves' rage would turn on him.
"Why?"
"Because the kidnapped princess is Second Princess Luize Berft. As you know, she's the Lust Demon King's..."
"The one whose tail she cut off."
But that alone seemed like too much of a stretch.
"Of course, but the main reason is the artisans."
"How does that prove it's Lust?"
"Demon Kings generally don't borrow human or other-race power, right? Especially not targeting dwarf artisans—never happened before."
"True."
"So the dwarves first suspected humans, but demonic mana at the scene changed their minds."
"What does that have to do with Lust?"
"You might not know, but the Lust Demon King is currently pirating in the Pirate Isles."
"...Pirating?"
First he'd heard of it. A Demon King turning pirate?
What a messed-up world.
"Yes, spotted acting with some pirates."
"Humans teaming up with a Demon King?"
"Pirates don't care about that. Demon King or human, as long as it profits them."
"...And?"
"Pirates prize ships above all—their lifeline. And right after ships? Mana cannons."
"Mana cannons?"
"Know how naval battles work? Used to be boarding and melee, but now..."
"They mount mana cannons and blast from afar."
"Exactly. So navies and pirates value them highly. They've tried kidnapping dwarves for them more than once."
"So the only Demon King who'd kidnap artisans is Lust, the one colluding with pirates? And the grudge with Luize Berft seals it?"
"Yes, exactly."
Of course.
"I don't think it's her, though."
"You're quite capable, as expected."
"Anyone who knows you, my lord, would think the same."
"Hmm. Anyway."
Berge looked intrigued.
Absurd nonsense from his perspective, but plausible enough to the clueless.
Not bad at all.
Vivian footing the bill for his deeds? Not intended, but no need to correct it.
He didn't care if moving the tower pissed off the dwarves, but having someone else take the fall for his mess was always right.
Sorry for Vivian? As if. Demon Kings were individualists by nature.
"Got all the materials I mentioned?"
"Not all yet..."
Aman trailed off, but what they'd gathered in such short time was no small feat.
"No rush, but don't slack. We can start production with what we have."
"Most aren't hard to get—just time-consuming."
"But?"
"A few rare ones will take longer."
Golems were the pinnacle of magitech. Even without the core issue solved, the basics remained.
Golem bodies needed special mana-sensitive materials, rarer and pricier than weapons or armor.
"How long?"
"We've dispatched guild members across the continent. Lucky part: Jetoson's skills should shorten it more than expected."
"Jetoson?"
"The Akan merchant you sent, my lord?"
"Oh, right."
The guy who'd dared scam a Demon King and a dwarf princess?
"He said he was a big shot in Akan—turns out he's pretty capable."
"Big shot in Akan?"
"Yes, his words. Claimed he dominated the magic market."
"...And you bought that?"
"Suspicious, yeah. But since you sent him, I figured it was fine. True or not, he's freakishly good at his job. Especially dealing with people and negotiating."
Of course. Glib-tongued scammer.
"So?"
"Not sure your exact plans, my lord, but the materials you want mostly match golem components."
Obviously. The tower replaced the core, but it was still a golem—unprecedented colossal one.
"So we judged Akan fastest."
"Fair enough."
Akan had top magitech materials outside Berft.
"Wait. Who'd you send to Akan?"
"Jetoson."
"...You're insane."
That guy was half-blacklisted in Akan society, as far as he recalled.
Hm.
A sense of crisis hit. He couldn't just sit this out.
"Damn it. This mouth of mine—always getting me in trouble."
Why'd he lie when it'd be obvious soon enough?
No, the guild's the weird one. Shouldn't they verify boasts before assigning big jobs?
Critical task, yet handling it so sloppily?
"Something wrong?"
"No, nothing."
He wasn't alone. The guild had assigned him ten merchants, porters, and guards—fifty in total.
He, Jetoson, was in charge.
Somehow, I gotta get them...
Couldn't blow all the trust he'd built. If word got out his claims were lies, he was done.
But overcome this, and he'd soar higher. Make more money!
There's a way.
Make the lies truth.
Procure everything the guild wants.
Even if my rep in Akan's market is rock bottom...
Now, he wasn't some rundown stall owner—he was a rising star in the Golden Moon Guild from Iasin Kingdom.
Leader of this expedition.
Jetoson unrolled the list. Dozens of expensive rarities.
Even in Akan's magic market, not commonplace.
To acquire smoothly: negotiate with the Magic Tower for their stockpiles or supplier guilds.
Dealing with the Tower? Money's not key.
They had plenty. Suppliers too.
They craved materials.
Rare, valuable for research.
Does Golden Moon have anything they'd want?
No.
But quitting now? Not a true merchant.
A real merchant sells magic lamps in the eternal night of the northern tundra.
Will and silver tongue matter most.
Something plausible?
Package something mages would drool over.
Ideally demon or monster byproducts... Demon King stuff best.
Nothing jumped out.
He'd scour the capital's auction houses for rares first.
Please, just one sucker.
A blind fool who undervalues their goods.
And then.
『My lord, you need to come quick.』
"Why?"
『Message from Demon King Vivian.』
"Vivian? We that close?"
『Hard to say how to put this...』
"Spit it out."
『...She's begging for her life.』
『Sobbing by the communication orb right now, demanding I bring you.』
"...?"
Somewhere on the continent, a voluntary sucker was walking right in.