181. Conditions of a Subordinate
The tower had vanished.
But it hadn't returned to Ma-gye.
Which meant Vivian was still alive.
She had moved the tower.
How?
He didn't think that brainless idiot knew how to move a tower. So perhaps she had latched onto someone capable of doing it.
And there was only one such person.
"Berge. You again."
How had she reached out to Vivian at a time like this?
No, Berge wouldn't have had the leisure for that.
Jason considered the possibilities. How could a Demon King named Vivian Blunt have ended up under Berge Dayas's protection?
Was it then?
He'd heard that when he abandoned Vivian, she had desperately clung to every Demon King out there. Naturally, Berge Dayas would have been on that list.
But at that time...
It was the moment when his hero act was scheduled. At a time when he could barely defend his own tower, had he helped another Demon King?
"You've been playing me from the start. You never once thought you'd die."
Jason burst into laughter.
From one to ten, beginning to end—he'd danced in the palm of Berge's hand. No matter what Jason did, Berge had countered perfectly and struck back.
The more he learned, the more infuriating it became. He'd thought the pieces moved at his will, but it was the opposite.
"But."
That was over now.
Vivian's survival meant the new Demon King's descent was off the table, but that had only been a side issue anyway.
What Jason truly wanted was to locate Berge's tower.
And to spread word of the Demon King's killer, cutting off Ma-gye's support.
A tower's primary role was to nullify dimensional interference. There were other functions, no doubt, but few were known or exploitable.
For a Demon King, nothing was more vital than the magic point-fueled summons of demonic beasts and demons—and the legions they formed.
Demons without legions were just strong demons. And monsters paled against Ma-gye's elite demons and beasts.
"Demon King. Archduke Alkain Daegong has sent the locations of all the towers."
Just what he'd been waiting for.
"Excellent."
Now it was truly over. All he had to do was send a horde of furious heroes there...
"...?"
Jason tilted his head as he checked the coordinates.
"Aina."
"Yes."
"Is this right...?"
"...I thought it was strange too, but the Archduke insisted it was accurate..."
"...This is the ocean."
An endless expanse without a single island in sight?
* * *
"That filthy bastard."
Balaf chewed his lip. Thick disgust for the Demon King seeped through.
"I knew not to trust Demon Kings. You conspired with the Flame Demon King to trap me."
"Impossible. No one desires his death more than I do."
"Shut up! Then why didn't you give me his exact location until now? And this nonsense you call intel now."
"I told you. It cost me heavy losses to obtain. And I have no intention of deceiving you, Balaf. I can hardly believe it myself, but the tower is definitely there."
"If I meant to trap you, would I use such a crude ploy?"
"Who knows. Maybe with a useful Demon King like the Flame one descended, you think it's time to wipe out humanity. You're a Demon King too, after all."
"The king of Demon Kings who sells out his own kind for personal gain."
"Humans do it more."
"And I've done my utmost to aid you until now."
"Because I was useful. Same for me—I allied because you were. But do I need to keep trusting a schemer like you?"
"...I swear on the great first Mahwang and the Demon King's Canon. I paid Ma-gye's archduke directly for this."
"If the archduke didn't deceive me, the tower is there. And he has no reason to."
With that, Balaf couldn't press further.
"...That's the ocean."
"I know."
"A boundless sea without a single island."
"Yes."
"You expect me to believe the one from Erjest Mountains suddenly sank into the sea?"
"I know it's absurd. I feel the same. But it's true."
"The Flame Demon King built his tower underwater."
Infuriating.
Across the communication orb, the Demon King and hero's eyes met. The hero nodded.
"Fine. I'll trust you one last time."
"Thank you."
"But first."
"I'll subjugate another Demon King."
Jason's brow twitched.
"...What do you mean by that?"
"Fighting the Flame Demon King showed me it's no easy foe. I need more power."
"Impossible. It's only been two years since Berge descended. He can't match you!"
"I never said equal. I didn't go all out."
He had fought in earnest. But before pouring everything in, the Demon King turned tail and fled.
"The Demon King held back too."
No denying it, even if the trap drained his stamina or the monsters tired him on the ascent.
The Flame Demon King was strong. Stronger than any he'd faced. Not someone to underestimate after a mere two years.
Of course, if they went all out, he'd win. But even a sliver of doubt about that victory grated.
Luckily, he had a way to erase it. If power was lacking, gain more.
Heroes had a surefire way to grow stronger quickly.
"A century's a long wait. Time to harvest the ripe fruit."
"...You can't!"
"They're under my order, compliant like me. Not like Berge!"
"Still Demon Kings."
"Balaf!"
"Jason Cockmondo."
Balaf Disrod's eyes turned ice-cold.
"Do I seem to be asking permission?"
Jason's face hardened.
"...Must it come to this?"
"If you'd given his location before he kidnapped the dwarves, this wouldn't have happened."
"...My fault?"
"Not entirely absent. You stood by when you could have acted decisively."
"If things had gone well, fine. But Stars died because of it. Hundreds of heroes, tens of thousands of troops. And my honor's dragged through the dirt into the depths!"
"Don't test my patience! I'm enduring much just talking to you!"
"......"
Jason bit his lip.
He couldn't stop it. Balaf Disrod wasn't his vassal or subordinate. Equals in alliance, bound by mutual gain.
"...The Frost Demon King."
"What?"
"If you're subjugating another, make it the Frost Demon King."
Ugar and Reina. Both compliant with Jason's order.
But while Ugar trusted him fully, Reina merely bent to reality.
The difference was vast. If one had to go, better Ugar than her.
"Gillian Aint, spiritual pillar of the steppe barbarians, is dead. Their shock is immense, worries about the Frost Demon King greater."
"Subjugating her for them gives you cause and gain."
"I'll take the advice."
"Report any new intel on the Flame Tower immediately."
Communication cut.
──!
The glass shattered in his grip.
"This one and that one!"
Jason's mask cracked too. Dozens of glasses exploded into shards, littering the floor.
Only after a long while did Jason calm his heaving rage.
"Aina."
"Yes, Demon King."
Aina entered from outside. She swept the floor routinely, fetched a new glass, handed it to him, and poured wine.
"Contact Ugar. Tell him to do nothing and stay quiet. No half-baked schemes now to draw eyes."
"Then the subjugation of Berge...?"
"No need for Demon Kings to move. Balaf will handle it fully."
"Yes."
"As for Reina..."
Jason pondered.
With Balaf targeting her, she was doomed. Irreversible now.
Leave it be? Or intervene for max gain?
Jason shook his head.
Interfering risked Balaf's discovery—irreversible disaster. They'd known each other too long.
He had a hidden card, but worst case must be avoided.
Then I'll stay hands-off.
How about forcing a loss instead? It was also a chance to gauge how strong Berge really was, per Balaf's high regard.
Equal to Balaf in just two years? Impossible, even for a dragon.
He had to see with his own eyes.
Then.
"I'll handle Reina. Don't tell anyone Berge is now a priority target."
"Won't the Archduke relay orders?"
"He delegated full authority to me. Sly old fox. Plans to pin it on me and slip away if evidence lacks. But this works better now."
"Yes."
Aina left the office.
Jason contacted Reina.
"Reina, big trouble. Heroes are planning a subjugation on you."
Warned ahead, she'd prepare.
And that prep would surely include begging Berge for help.
Then.
I'll know exactly his power and forces.
And pray it all crumbled with her.
* * *
[Trading privileges with Ma-gye have been revoked.]
[Magic points cannot be returned to Ma-gye.]
[Ma-gye items and lifeforms cannot be summoned.]
It happened abruptly.
Inevitable eventually. Jason knew of his hand in Drakson's death—he wouldn't stay quiet. Alkain Daegong passing it on led to this, foreseen.
But foresight and reality differed.
"Playing hardball, huh." "What now?"
"Does it change anything?"
"...No."
Gordon marveled.
"You planned for this too? No summons because you foresaw it? How grand is your scheme?"
"You saw me as a blockhead before. Now you overhype me."
"...Not?"
"No. But you're surprisingly calm? No meltdown over Ma-gye abandoning you?"
"Truth is."
"Truth?"
"I half-expected it."
"Expected?"
"You find solutions on the fly, but lack precision. Top of Demon King Academy? Brute force, not brains."
"So I'm dumb?"
"Not what I meant."
It sounded like it.
Then.
The tower shook.
The special communication orb for Ma-gye links vibrated fiercely.
"...The Archduke."
"To interrogate you."
"Probably."
No matter. Already despised, him cutting contact first meant he knew and had hardened his heart.
He'd half-anticipated this. So fine.
Returning to Ma-gye is the question.
Damn, that was key—self-inflicted, no one to blame.
Berge reached for the comm.
Incoming communication to the tower of absorbed subordinate entity -Vivian Blunt-.
If not for the tower's alert in his mind.
"...Communication for Vivian?"
Why?
"They noticed the tower's gone." "Then why not directly to..."
"Tower didn't return to Ma-gye, so they think she's alive."
"...Right."
Made sense. He'd fixated on absorbing it.
"Fetch Vivian."
Soon, she arrived.
"What?"
"That."
Berge pointed at the furiously buzzing orb.
"Alkain Daegong's contacting you."
"My tower's gone."
"So it rerouted here. He thinks you're alive."
"I am."
"With your tower intact."
"Ah."
"You take it. Hide you're my subordinate."
"Can I curse him out?"
"...Suddenly?"
"That vampire bastard tricked me into this hellhole."
"No plans to return to Ma-gye?"
"Heard you can't either? Where would your subordinate go? If alive, this ain't bad."
Insanely positive. Or just dumb.
"Do as you like."
Berge permitted; Vivian answered.
"Vivian Blunt. You're fine. Other Demon Kings thought you dead. What did you do?"
As expected. He'd heard from Jason she died, but no forced recall puzzled him into calling.
"Why tell you?"
"What?"
"Thinking of my suffering because of you makes my teeth chatter even in sleep. I'd invade your dreams and drain every drop of your essence, you old vampire fuck!"
And she really went off.
"...I see why you made Vivian your subordinate. More than qualified."
"Qualified?"
"In being unhinged. Same as those self-proclaimed Four Heavenly Kings princesses—total psychos."
"...Shut up."
< 181. Conditions of a Subordinate > End