What Do I Do?

A dizzying pain throbbed in his head, forcing Roger to open his eyes.

In the darkness, his gaze met glowing red eyes. He swallowed hard involuntarily, a chill running down his spine.

"P-Princess!"

"If you're awake, get up already."

"I'm awake!"

"At attention."

"At attention!"

"What should I do with you?"

Roger racked his brain desperately.

Luize had been kidnapped by the Demon King. For her to be casually chatting with him on the tower's second floor like this meant...

'She got persuaded by the Demon King?'

Like the other princesses?

'How the hell? We need to change his title from Flame Demon King to Scam Demon King!'

"Ahaha... You've already heard everything, haven't you? The truth is, it wasn't the princess running away—it was a kidnapping..."

"Yeah, that's what happened. Hiding out in a place like this, no wonder no one could find you. Right?"

"O-Of course. I wanted nothing more than to return to you, Princess, but that wicked Demon King wouldn't let me..."

"So that's why you refused to make anything for a thug like me?"

"I s-swear I never said that!"

Luize snorted derisively. In truth, that part hardly mattered.

"Honestly, thinking about all the trouble you caused me, I just want to kill you right now."

"H-Hiiik...! It's all the Demon King's fault! I'm innocent!"

"Is that so?"

"I'm innocent!"

"What about the humiliation you put me through when you returned to the workshop with the Demon King?"

"I-I didn't do anything then!"

"You said 'sword.' While the Demon King and I were fighting. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠It drew attention, and thanks to that, I landed a solid hit on him. If not for that, things wouldn't have turned out like this!"

The Demon King wouldn't have escaped, and you'd be back in my grasp.

"There was a bomb around my neck at the time!"

"So? Does having a bomb mean it's okay to lure your princess into a trap?"

"N-No, of course not... And that was an axe back then... It just looked like a sword midway through."

By the end, his voice had shrunk to a near whisper.

"Does that matter?"

"...No, it doesn't."

Thwack—

Roger's body flew through the air, slamming into the wall dozens of meters away.

"Ugyagyagyagya!"

He rolled across the floor.

"Stop whining and get up."

"Yes, ma'am!"

It wasn't whining. The real-time killing intent pouring from her was just far more terrifying.

Luize casually brushed off her hands.

"If the Demon King hadn't told me to leave you unharmed, you'd be done for here."

"Thank you!"

"Instead, your job from now on is simple. Convince them."

Roger's eyes followed her hand. At its end stood 49 ice statues.

"I've ended up on the same boat as you for now."

"If you just ask them nicely—er, command them—won't they listen?"

They would if they didn't want to die.

"They'd pretend to, sure. But that's not enough. I want them giving it their all. That way, I have something to say to the Demon King."

We can't escape for at least ten years anyway.

And from the start, the artisans' loyalty wasn't to Luize. It was to the king, her brother.

"Drive them insane."

"With golems?"

"Yeah, with those fancy designs of yours."

There was no surer way to convince the dwarf artisans than showing them how incredible the things he'd make would be.

"That was my plan all along, of course, but..."

"Why the extra chatter?"

"Even if I lead them... I've been in this tower the longest."

"Handle that however you want."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Roger nodded vigorously.

『I'm disappointed. How could you?』

He'd slipped Ernan a communication orb when sending her back to Hildean. But he hadn't expected contact this soon.

Let alone such nonsense, like grasping at clouds.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"What is it?"

『I entrusted the Four Heavenly Kings to you, Demon King. And you agreed.』

"So?"

『Then why is it Luize Berft?』

"Wait, how did you even hear about that?"

『The Four Heavenly Kings communicating with each other is only natural, right?』

Well, damn.

"Fine, say it is. What's the problem?"

『Plenty. A ton. The one I asked for was clearly the 'Hell Giant.'』

"Yeah, and didn't you ask for a physical powerhouse princess? Luize Berft is top-tier in raw strength. She could chew up not just princesses but most heroes."

『I know that. But Luize Berft is short! Not a Hell Giant—a Hell Midget!』

"Say that to her face, and an axe comes flying."

『She'd love it. Dwarves think small is a virtue.』

"Info I didn't need to know. I'm hanging up."

『Ah, Demon King, wait... just...』

Unbelievable.

Berge clicked his tongue, cutting off the trivial call as he pondered the next task.

The urgent matters were mostly settled.

The artisans were secured, and all the materials stockpiled by the merchant guild had been retrieved. He'd sent Jetoson valuable byproducts too, so everything needed should be procurable.

'Then the remaining issue is...'

Vivian Blunt.

The pathetic Demon King who'd discarded all dignity and pride as a Demon King just to survive.

'A familiar.'

Until her contact, he'd casually agreed to the proposal. No real downside, after all.

But the more he mulled it over, the more problems surfaced.

'From Alein's perspective alone, no big deal.'

Taking in a soon-to-die Demon King as a familiar wasn't shameful or anything.

A bit surprising that the subject was another Demon King, but Demon Kings routinely took demons as familiars.

'Especially since Vivian's already spread the word to other Demon Kings.'

She'd be seen as an odd demon, but no arrows would fly back at Berge.

But externally from Alein, it changed.

The tower.

And the position of Demon King.

What happens to the tower if its owning Demon King becomes someone's familiar?

And to the title of Demon King?

A Demon King wasn't just any demon. In Ma-gye, they were officially appointed vanguard commanders to lower dimensions.

If he took Vivian Blunt as a familiar—even willingly—would Alkain the Archduke sit idle?

'Technically, nothing stops a demon from voluntarily becoming another's familiar...'

The problem was that Berge was already branded a hothead by Alkain the Archduke. Any pretext, and he'd cling like a leech.

'No, he wouldn't even know about making the familiar.'

The issue was the tower. A Demon King's death was determined by whether the tower returned to Ma-gye or not.

The higher-ups judged a Demon King dead if the tower returned.

So, if he took Vivian as a familiar, would her tower stay or return to Ma-gye?

'Either way spells trouble.'

The more he thought, the more he doubted if this was right.

'Still, I should go check.'

While Demon virtues included double-talk, he'd sworn on the First Mahwang and the Demon King's Canon to another Demon King. At minimum, he had to put on a show.

If Vivian spread needless rumors before dying, his reputation among Demon Kings would plummet, ruining relations.

Especially with honor-obsessed Reina Sordain.

"Welcome!"

The Lust Demon Tower stood on one of countless uninhabited islands in the Ceratin Archipelago, more famously known as the Pirate Isles than by its true name.

Not particularly well-hidden among the islands, its location was ambiguous.

He'd heard the raid force gave it quite the beating, but now it looked neatly tidied.

'Succubi, incubi, a few vampires, rest all beasts.'

Succubi especially abundant.

Following Vivian—who greeted him at the entrance—he arrived at the fifth-floor office.

"...What are you doing?"

She'd seemed slightly excited until alone, then immediately knelt.

"Make me your familiar quick."

"I never said I'd take you as one."

"What? You swore on the First Mahwang and the Canon, and now you're backing out?"

"I only promised to visit your tower. And now, that's fulfilled."

"Me and my subordinates could be plenty useful."

"Maybe."

Succubi and incubi shone in espionage over combat.

Using beautiful or handsome looks for honey traps, seducing info out with sticky allure.

The temptations of lust demons were a swamp hard to escape once trapped.

But that was in other dimensions.

Ones short on heroes, unlikely to encounter.

Wasn't that why she'd cornered herself? Various reasons, but ultimately failing to leverage succubi strengths.

With over 3,000 heroes, growing real-time.

"Changed your mind now?"

"Never properly intended to in the first place."

"I bared everything—guts, gall, all!"

"That's why I'm here. One thing to confirm first."

"Confirm?"

"Out first."

Berge exited the office before Vivian could retort.

"What for?"

"Two hurdles to making you my familiar."

"Right. Your will and mine. Both firm, so already cleared?"

"Your head's in the flowers."

"That's an insult, right?"

"One's the other Demon Kings. The other's the higher-ups, like Alkain the Archduke."

"I'm volunteering. Why's that a problem?"

"Not for you. The tower is. If you, linked to the tower as Demon King, become my familiar—what happens?"

"No change, I bet."

"No change?"

"Becoming a familiar doesn't make me not a Demon King."

"......"

True enough.

Still, better to check.

Berge approached the throne. Meant for the tower's master, he tried to sit.

—!

A warning echoed in his mind.

"So that's the feeling."

Blocking other Demon Kings was basic security, obviously.

Berge pushed back with magic points. Sat on the throne, closed his eyes, infiltrating the tower's system.

Suddenly.

Rumble—

The tower shook. Stronger resistance slammed into Berge's body.

Cough—

Berge spat blood, leaping from the throne.

If he'd stayed amid the furious magic gnawing his mind, his brain would've burned.

"N-No idea what you were trying, but don't."

"...First sensible thing you've said."

"And if you're checking the tower system, why here? Check yours."

"......"

Eh?

Right.

Every Demon King had a tower, and Berge could inspect his own system's functions.

'Why didn't I think of that?'

In excuse, he'd been too fixated on Vivian Blunt and her tower.

Many tower functions were hidden.

Fortunately, what Berge sought was basic: tower return to Ma-gye.

'Tower does not return to Ma-gye unless Demon King dies.'

'If tower core takes excessive damage, forcibly returns to Ma-gye.'

If Vivian became Berge's familiar, her tower wouldn't go to Ma-gye.

Humans could still attack and force return, even if Vivian lived.

Just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠no precedent.

'So the tower persists, no big issues even if Vivian vacates it.'

Downside: Vivian must fake death and live in seclusion officially. Not Berge's concern.

Thus, returning to the Lust Demon Tower, Berge resolved to accept her.

"Great idea!"

"No more cheeky tone from now on."

"But I'm still a Demon King."

"Now my familiar."

"...Still a Demon King."

"Whatever. Kneel."

Vivian knelt, bowing her head. Berge placed a hand on it.

Vast magic points surged.

Body, magic points, deeper essence.

Berge's magic ravaged Vivian's flesh, devouring her magic points ferociously.

She didn't resist.

And then.

"Nngh..."

Pain like her mind burning made her groan.

Demon familiar contracts subjugated the soul.

Even without resistance, stronger demons' lofty souls instinctively rebelled.

Life's instinct craved freedom. The shock and pain had to be endured fully.

After a long while.

"Haaah...!"

As the final engraving settled, she exhaled held breath.

Soul chains bound Vivian tightly.

Soul waves swept the tower.

Her familiars would sense it: above their lord, a greater Demon King now loomed.

The tower unchanged. Good the system intel held.

"Regrets?"

"Better than dying."

"Graceful death is a Demon King's virtue, no?"

"Serving my lord well is a true familiar's virtue. Tonight?"

Vivian exuded seductive allure. Berge's brow furrowed.

"Don't get cute."

"A succubus using her specialty is 'cute'? Now your familiar, I'll give my all—what's wrong?"

"No interest in half-breeds sans tail and horns."

"Th-That's...!"

Words like You demanded it! wouldn't come. No longer equal Demon Kings.

Berge ignored her inwardly grinding teeth, approaching the throne.

Pure ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠curiosity.

Would the tower, once rejecting the unqualified, react differently to the master's master returned?

The mechanical voice cut off abruptly. The tower shuddered violently. New guidance flowed.

"......?"

What do I do?