<159. Reorganization>
Sinking the tower into the sea.
It had its pros and cons.
The advantages were clear: complete freedom from prying eyes, and a drastic reduction in the risk of attacks on the tower.
The downsides...
External operations would be nearly impossible. The tower was sturdy enough to withstand the ocean depths, but its monsters couldn't breathe underwater.
I'll leave the Frost Orcs as they are.
Locking orcs—who needed to roam the snowy mountains and indulge their instincts—inside the tower was no way to go.
Let them loose, and they'd expand their territory and build their legions on their own. Why interfere?
Of course, since I won't be nearby to help anymore, I'll take in as many Frost Orcs as possible as familiars first, so they don't feel abandoned.
He'd already told Krutoo to bring the finest warriors. It would increase magic point consumption a bit, but his overflowing notoriety was generating massive amounts in real time.
But will the legs hold up even underwater?
The dwarves insisted there'd be no issues, and from what Berge could see, the tower-enhanced legs looked solid enough. Still, you never knew.
No one had ever sunk a tower into the sea before, after all.
"The tower... into the sea?"
"To witness this behemoth strolling through the ocean depths? I'd die without regrets."
"No regrets? Why not? Golems yearn to rise from lying down, walk after rising, run after walking, and fly after running!"
"Well said. And will we stop there? We've created a masterpiece, but we can make it even greater!"
"First, we need to test if it'll hold up in the sea. This could be invaluable data."
"Fascinating."
Berge was awed by the dwarves' collective madness—their voluntary frenzy to maintain the legs if anything went wrong.
Running? Flying?
Running seemed plausible. With enough magic points poured in, it might even be feasible right away.
But flying through the sky.
The Sky Tower, huh.
Intriguing, in its way. Worth trying someday, if the chance arose.
No one else opposed sinking the tower into the sea. The more recently kidnapped princesses had grumbled at first, but Luize Berft had quieted them down.
They didn't have speaking rights anyway.
Not all princesses are exceptional, after all.
Ernan, Kaede, Elena, Ravinia, and Luize. They were the standout ones—the uniquely brilliant, or rather, peculiar.
The other five princesses lacked their value. They were just magic point generators, nothing more.
—!
—!
"My lord, I shall make the entire mountain range your domain."
"Don't set foot in the areas I warned you about."
"Yes, sir!"
After taking on a hundred more Frost Orcs as familiars and awakening Krutoo, Berge set the tower in motion.
It was tediously slow.
The mountains were vast, and the tower lumbered. The ever-changing scenery outside was entertaining enough for a day or two.
Berge decided to thoroughly inspect the tower's interior. He had to head to the empire soon—no issues allowed.
"I'm fine either way. Stopping monster hunts is a shame, but with Luize Berft around lately..."
Kaede wasn't a perfect substitute for Ernan, but she filled some gaps. She commanded the elves, taught swordsmanship, and rode wolves with the orcs to hunt monsters.
It built real combat experience. But ever since the battle-hungry Luize Berft started challenging her daily to spars, it had lost its point.
"I see. So you're mostly satisfied."
"Yes. And as your knight, this might not be appropriate, but I actually prefer submerging."
"You'd fight if needed, but you'd rather avoid clashing with the empire?"
"...Yes. Sorry."
"No need to apologize."
He understood. No one fully escaped their origins, and she'd more than earned her keep as the Dark Knight.
"Thank you for understanding."
"Want some chocolate?"
"...Ah, thank you."
Kaede's lips curved up as she nibbled the small chocolate.
"Anything else?"
After handing her a few more chocolates and sending her off, Elena entered next.
"I like the sea. Besides, I'm still stuck in the tower wherever we go."
"Speaking of, you've already engraved your third one?"
"Yes."
Three engravings in just a year since properly starting magic.
As expected, her talent rivaled Ernan's. Twin geniuses.
And both sisters are mine.
He hadn't formally contracted Ernan as a familiar, but they shared something deeper.
"I hear you have a knack for wind magic?"
"Yes. It suits me best. Easier than other spells, no resistance, and fun."
Some beings had an affinity for certain elements. Elena's was wind, apparently.
"Show me your hand."
"Okay."
He grasped it and probed inside. Her mana heart in her core and the three clear engravings within were vivid.
The once rampaging mana now obediently nestled in the engravings.
But it's not perfect.
Untamed mana still permeated her body. The heart was too small to contain it all.
If she went outside without returning to the tower, problems would arise.
But not for long.
The fourth engraving.
That should prevent her body from exploding from mana overflow. And it wouldn't take long to reach it.
"Want chocolate too?"
"If you're offering."
*Crunch.*
"From the Daily Bread shop in the capital?"
"Familiar taste, huh."
"The most popular chocolate there. My sister likes it too."
"I see."
"Ah, but she prefers tarts over chocolate."
"Didn't ask."
"I'm all for it, though."
"What nonsense is this?"
"Nothing. Just saying."
She talks just like Ernan.
Elena took a few more chocolates and left.
"Sea. Sea monsters."
"You want to research sea monsters and make chimeras?"
"Yeah, yeah! Big ones. Huge ones."
Ravinia spread her arms wide in a big circle.
"Sea Serpent?"
Holy Sea Serpents exceeded 30 meters, with power rivaling high demons and immunity to interference. In the ocean, they outmatched even Demon King Vivian.
Not on Leviathan's apocalyptic level, but one of the sea's apex monsters. Catching one would be a hassle. Annoying, basically.
Worth it?
"Yeah."
"Denied."
"...Meanie."
"Instead, I'll have some nearby sea monsters caught for you."
"Yeah! Volcano."
"Volcano next? Don't be ridiculous."
Ravinia trudged out, sulking and grumbling. He offered chocolate, but she refused.
Most childish of them, but picky with food.
"The sea? As long as I don't die, who cares. Oh, one favor."
"What?"
"Can I fight that dark elf Gordon too? Huh? The craftsmen all take his orders—you scared 'em good."
She must've seen him teaching Kaede.
"I'll think about it."
"Looking forward to it!"
Luize shoved all her chocolates into her mouth at once, grimaced at the sweetness, and left.
After the princesses, he summoned Vivian.
"Why am I last? As a former Demon King, shouldn't I be first?"
"You came latest."
"But I'm a Demon King."
"Just a high demon now."
"Who saved by your ass? Admit it—without my tower, you'd be dead."
Not wrong.
Merging the towers boosted every efficiency. Put differently, the legs that cost 7.2 million magic points could've easily doubled without her tower.
Since learning that, Vivian's nose had been in the clouds. He wanted to smack it down, but she wasn't lying.
"Even good words grate after three or four times."
"Fine, enough. But I can ask one favor, right?"
"I haven't even stated my business."
"I don't mind going underwater. Happy?"
"What bullshit."
"No? The princesses said..."
"You're no princess, Vivian Blunt. You're my familiar. You do what I say. Your opinion's irrelevant."
"...Some princesses are familiars too."
"Feeling wronged? Be more useful than Kaede or Elena."
"...First humiliation since becoming a Demon King."
Vivian bit her lip, indignant.
"Your Demon King title's gone, so it's natural."
"...Then why'd the great lord summon this lowly demon?"
"Don't cross the line, Vivian Blunt."
"...Tch."
With her reined in, Berge got to the point.
"Vivian Blunt, you're officially dead. You know that?"
"Of course."
"But the tower wasn't destroyed, and the Demon King didn't die, so no reverse summon to Ma-gye. They probably don't know you're dead."
"Likely."
"But they won't forever."
If no new Demon King descends, others will notice. They'll contact Ma-gye.
"When they do, what do you think Archduke Alkain will do?"
"Not just him—Ma-gye as a whole."
The tower hadn't returned. Losing one of just fifty was a huge blow to Ma-gye.
"True. So Ma-gye's response?"
"What're you asking? They'll investigate. If you're the cause, force a summon."
They'd dig for the truth relentlessly. Eliminate any problems.
"If I don't want that?"
"Cut off support? Use other Demon Kings to take you out."
The tower's master was the Demon King, bound by tower, system, blood, and soul—with priority rights.
But Ma-gye wasn't lenient. A place of endless rebellions under survival of the fittest.
Would they leave potential rebels—a Demon King and their tower—without safeguards?
No.
The tower linked to Ma-gye, and they could sever it.
All support vanished: strengthening traps, terrain shifts, summoned beasts and demons.
Everything cost magic points to pull from Ma-gye.
Interference negation was the tower's innate power, but without the rest, it meant nothing.
A lone tower could do zilch.
"But doesn't it suit you? Elves, dwarves, humans, heroes. Only one dark elf vice officer, no demons or beasts—just monsters."
Not intentional, but true. Even repairs could go to the dwarves—no need to rely on Ma-gye.
Shortsighted, though.
"I'm talking long-term. Severed support means they brand me enemy. Conquest or not, returning to Ma-gye becomes an issue."
"That's too far off."
"The future's now. I'll conquer Alein and return to Ma-gye."
"...Sure, but nothing we can do immediately."
"Tch."
She was right.
Who knew it'd end like this.
He hadn't known absorbing the tower would erase the other. If he had, he might not have nodded so casually.
No, I would've.
Without the merged efficiency, he couldn't have added legs at the perfect time.
Inevitable.
"Fine. So what's your favor?"
"My familiars are floating around uselessly."
They'd helped with the legs, but as demons, they instinctively shunned mixing with dwarves or elves.
Succubi especially lacked fitting roles.
"Guarding floors is a tower demon's job."
"You don't usually assign succubi to that."
"You want succubus-appropriate work."
"Exactly. Not me, though."
Vivian, transcending standard succubi as a Demon King, was the exception.
"Succubus work, huh."
Seducing someone. But in Ma-gye, succubi weren't just dream phantoms.
"You want to manage the tower?"
"Contribute, as a member. As familiars. Leaving them idle breeds fear."
Dark elves and succubi were infamous in Ma-gye for admin prowess.
One issue, though.
"Know this? My vice officer Gordon doesn't do much. More time wasted than working."
Mostly solo training, wandering the tower, or teaching Kaede.
As the tower grew, management mattered—but Berge's was different.
Some floors empty; elves under Kaede, dwarves under Roger or Luize, monsters under Ravinia. No need for Gordon.
"True, the tower's pretty empty."
"Still, I'll mention it to Gordon. The tower'll grow, and syncing with him won't hurt."
"Thanks."
Her lips advanced in glee, blocked by a thick palm.
"No funny business."
"...Doesn't work."
She clicked her tongue at his growl.
After Vivian left, Berge called Gordon last.
"Manage the tower well with the succubi."
"Much to manage?"
"Appearances matter. Think you'll stay this idle forever?"
"...I'll try. But must you go to the empire? Too dangerous."
"I can conceal my magic."
"Even so... Must you enter that meeting?"
Deep in enemy territory, like a king. If the ploy worked, a dagger in the heart. If not, death.
Tower reverse-summoned, all over.
"I must."
Berge wouldn't budge. His gaze wasn't on Gordon.
"I've never forgotten that sword."
How could he?
The one that pierced his heart, delivering death.
"Sword?"
"Nothing. Forget it."
"You won't be dissuaded."
"Obviously."
"Then my only words: return safely."
"Obvious."
Several weeks passed.
The tower finally ended its long trek. Legs submerged one by one. Fish scattered from the roar.
At 100 meters depth, in the dim sea, it halted.
And then.
"Ooh, amazing."
"The door's open, but no water inside."
"No special magic vibe."
"No engravings."
"Intriguing. Want to disassemble it."
"Ahem, I earned that right from the Demon King."
"What?"
"Bring effective strengthening methods for the tower, and you can have access too."
"Ooh, really?"
"Access...!"
"Efficient strengthening. Legs on the tower—why not arms, make it a humanoid golem?"
"Inefficient. His lordship likes mana cannons—mass-produce thousands and plaster the whole thing?"
"A mobile fortress blasting cannons. Thrilling just thinking about it."
Ignoring the dwarves' heated debate, Berge set foot on the continent once more.
< 159. Reorganization > End