160. Common Sense
By the time the Flame Demon Tower had concealed itself in the ocean depths and Berge Dayas returned to the continent, the land was ablaze with fervor.
The rage of the dwarves, robbed of their princess and artisans, had swept through Akan toward the pirate archipelago.
The great hero, forced to retreat without even glimpsing the tower's shadow, had set foot in the Erjest Mountains once again.
And one merchant guild was teetering on the brink.
"...What the hell?"
In the eastern city of Kroint in the Dormunt Kingdom, Berge, having enjoyed a light lunch and preparing to head to the empire, crumpled the newspaper mounted in the restaurant.
It was absurd.
'The guild on the verge of bankruptcy?'
'When it was fine just a little while ago?'
The silver lining was that it had escaped the crisis for now. Otherwise, he might have hunted down Arman and ripped his head off.
He devoured the chicken leg he'd been tearing into—bones and all—then stormed out of the restaurant.
'What the hell happened?'
It was over, sure, but it still made his neck stiff with irritation.
The Golden Moon Merchant Guild wasn't just for sourcing materials.
Information. Connections.
The intel from the guild's merchants and their web of spider-silk relationships were its greatest assets.
If the guild went bankrupt, all that vanished in a puff of smoke.
'Now that Ernan's back, there's the Hildean network as an alternative...'
But that wasn't reason enough to abandon Golden Moon. He needed both Hildean for Hildean matters and Golden Moon for its own domain—as extensions of his will.
Berge's furious strides quickened.
Hiccup—
Arman, buried in guild paperwork, flinched at the door slamming open and the furious glare.
"B-bankruptcy crisis? Preposterous."
A wad of crumpled newspaper was shoved in his face.
"And yet it's splashed across the headlines like this?"
"There was a crisis, yes, but we resolved it."
"Without reporting it to me?"
"We did! But you wouldn't respond!"
"You should've kept trying!"
"We did! Over and over!"
Berge swallowed his anger at Arman's aggrieved expression, dripping with injustice.
"When exactly?"
"About a month and a half ago."
"Hm."
That was when he'd been relocating the tower to the sea. With nothing pressing, he'd taken it easy, soothing his subordinates while ignoring all the annoying messages.
'My fault, then.'
But a Demon King doesn't admit fault to just anyone.
"And? You're not seriously telling me you contacted me once and called it quits?"
"There were circumstances! Please, hear me out!"
"Fine, I'll listen."
But if you don't convince me...
Crack—
"The rest is up to your imagination."
"O-of course."
Arman gulped at the splintered armrest of the chair.
"A few weeks ago, we got a call from the White Sand Guild."
The White Sand Guild was based in the empire.
"They wanted to buy mana cannons."
Few guilds in the empire handled war materiel like mana cannons. White Sand was one of them.
A supplier to the imperial army.
"We refused at first."
"Why?" "As I mentioned before, our top priority was the Iasins."
It was the price of protection from the Iasin Kingdom. They had to supply the Iasin royals first and prioritize sales to Iasin guilds.
That's what they'd planned, but the royals had urged trade with the empire instead.
"It was a move to soften the empire's pressure, even a little. Money's money—who cares where it comes from? Especially with a premium on top."
"Go on."
"Yes. The deal went smoothly, and we got 20,000 gold upfront."
Upfront—and full payment. At 10 gold per mana cannon, Golden Moon couldn't say no to that for 150 units.
They left, and the guild loaded up the caravan.
With 150 mana cannons, they took extra care. A hundred escorts—that was plenty.
"But it all went to hell."
Monsters attacked. Over half the caravan died, and most cannons were reduced to useless scrap.
"Monsters? You expect me to believe monsters caused that much damage?"
Monsters weren't weak. But between Iasin and the empire, there weren't habitats for packs of strong ones.
The nations culled them regularly for security.
"...Well."
"Spit it out."
"Most died not to monsters, but chain explosions."
"What?"
"Monsters tampered with the cannon shells, setting them off. Chain reaction..."
"...Hah."
It was so ridiculous he couldn't speak. Sure, mana shells exploded, but they were far more stable than gunpowder.
"I thought they only blew if you hit the circuit with a firing mechanism?"
He remembered Roger bragging about it endlessly.
"A basilisk breathed fire right there."
"Why the hell was a basilisk there?!"
"Don't ask me..."
"...Insane. So?"
"We had to pay triple the advance as penalty."
"60,000 gold."
"Plus lobbying fees everywhere—over 62,000 total."
"2,000 just on bribes? The tail's wagging the dog."
"It wasn't a one-off, right?"
"...True."
Berge planned to procure plenty through the guild, paying with mana cannons most efficiently.
"Anyway, we couldn't raise that much on our own."
No small sum. The 100,000 gold Berge had given was invested in expansion, same with earnings.
No liquidity meant the guild wobbled, rumors flew.
"I get that much. But the key part—you still haven't explained."
Berge grabbed Arman's collar. The man dangled, flailing.
"I-I was just about to!"
"Out with it."
"Hillun said! You're busy hero-hunting, so handle it and wait for your call!"
"Hillun?"
"Ernan passed the message!"
"Ernan?"
"Y-yes. Soon after, 50,000 each from Hildean and Iasin—100,000 total investment. Put out the fire."
"...In Hildean royal name?"
"Yes, both kingdoms'..."
The rest faded from his ears.
"That's fine. My fault too. But did you have to step in yourself?"
She said it laughing—no retort came to mind.
"...Thanks."
"Duke Heinz?"
"Convincing? Not blackmail?"
"Everyone in Hildean seemed thrilled to play along."
"Passing hellhounds would laugh."
"Yeah."
"Because of that?"
And the prime example was mana cannons.
Strictly controlled by Berft Kingdom, now concentrated in three kingdoms.
"Neighboring countries shit themselves."
No human nation watches an ally grow stronger idly, alliance or not.
The arms race curtain rose.
"Couldn't Hildean make their own?"
"...Got it."
Damn Roger. Told to tone it down, and he barely did.
"Iasin wouldn't let go easy."
Ernan smiled brightly.
"I see."
"What?"
"And?"
"...Beastkin? Sure?"
"I see."
"Coincidence."
"A bit suspicious."
But if they saw mana cannons as a golden opportunity and bet the farm, it fit.
Berft and Akan had nations clamoring for them—no need to supply the imperial military.
'Link the two, though...'
Separate, innocuous. Together? Low odds.
'Beastkin.'
Most died with Drakson.
Survivors without a tower? Doomed. None left now.
'Unless subordinates of another Demon King...'
Berge's eyes chilled.
'Subordinates of another Demon King.'
Who?
Not Reina. Climbed her tower multiple times—no beastkin.
'Ugar or Jason.'
One of them.
But why?
'No Demon King touched Berft, yet dwarves misunderstood and stirred shit.'
Jason's final words echoed. That smile, those staring eyes—unforgettable.
Overthinking? Paranoia?
Unlikely coincidence, but world throws them sometimes.
No matter. Investigate—if coincidence, drop it. Effort worth quelling growing suspicion.
'If it's really you...'
Berge reined in his killing intent.
"Got it."
"No need for you. How's the kingdom?"
Hessen guilds boomed in Hildean, Hildean ones in Hessen.
All touched by the second prince. Naturally—he gripped Hessen ties via the princess.
"Expanding influence?"
Merchants, nobles—inevitable. Even great humans bow to gold.
"You good?"
"I'll trust you."
"Yeah."
"Not snag. Destroy."
"Yeah. Shatter it so no one can wield it."
If it pierced his heart, that vile thing's existence offended him.
'And scout around. Wielder of the empire's sword? Tied tight to the empire.'
Initially suspected Balaf Disrod—strongest hero, buddy to the first prince.
But face and vibe off.
'Who else that caliber besides Balaf?'
Checked most Stars—directly or via Hillun. No suspects.
Only Horen Karlife unchecked, but Stars aren't all top heroes.
Ex-Stars retired, power undiminished.
'Wish Hillun'd snag Hero Guild master spot quick.'
Full roster access then.
"You too. Call if you need help—I'll do whatever I can."
Connection cut.
"Amusing."
Pressure via guild failed, but Jason Cockmond stayed cheerful.
"Expected Hillun Kargil to step in, but they reeled him in well."
Hildean's Duke Heinz investing personally.
"Hildean's crown princess involved too."
"Hillun's influence. 100,000 gold disguised as his, poured into Golden Moon."
Jason pieced it together.
Magic points he'd sold Berge for cash—absorbed by Golden Moon. Then the heir, adrift post-hero flop, returned.
Aura hole shattered.
"Made Black Knight, broke aura hole—no external magic leak. Perfect."
"Hillun involved?"
"Likely."
Else, no instant 100,000 from Erjest to Hillun's investment.
"Hillun allied with Berge. Maybe lied about not finding the tower from the start."
"A Star hero, though..."
"Heroes are human. Humans frail before desire."
"Spreading this now? Impossible."
"Agreed. No proof—dismissed as rumor. His rep's heavy; rash moves bad."
Cut guild, dry Hillun's funds, erode rep slowly.
"Wise."
"Next plan."
"And Hildean's princess..."
Jason pondered, continued.
"Leave her. When she learns Hillun's Demon King pawn, rage at betrayal—kill Berge."
"True, all she's suffered."
"Contact Hildean's second prince. Hillun aiding princess? Worse than a thorn."
"Yes."
They missed one flaw in their assumptions.
Might never spot it.
Kidnapped princess becoming Four Heavenly King? Beyond their common sense.