185. The Price Berft Must Pay
Hero expeditions.
Once a feat that made demon kings tremble and offered humans a chance to earn glory, when had it lost its shine?
It was after the emergence of the Flame Demon King.
Even the renowned Stars failed not just at hero expeditions but at locating towers altogether. Despite the entire continent uniting, they suffered over ten thousand casualties, marking the peak of their humiliation.
Demon kings are weak.
Humans hold the advantage over demon kings.
Demon kings can coexist with humans, albeit limitedly.
Under human mercy and necessity.
These notions, subtly ingrained as obvious truths for over a century, had been utterly shattered.
Demon kings are not weak.
Humans and demon kings cannot coexist.
Humans and demon kings are enemies.
Demon kings cannot be trusted.
Yet, there wasn't much humans could do right away.
The damage from the Flame Demon King was snowballing endlessly, but the tower's whereabouts remained a complete mystery.
The grief and rage with nowhere to go turned elsewhere.
Toward the same demon king.
The existence that must be exterminated.
The formidable one who knew the tower's location and inflicted defeat upon humans.
Toward the Frost Demon King, Reina Sordain.
Nearly three hundred heroes.
Fifty thousand allied troops.
And four Stars led by Balaf Disrod.
Considering that hero expeditions typically involved anywhere from a few hundred to at most a thousand, this was extraordinarily unprecedented.
Not merely a hero expedition, but an extension of the alliance.
A war between demon kings and humans. Though the preliminary battle—the search for the Flame Demon Tower—had failed, their resolve burned to reverse that defeat by slaying the Frost Demon King.
"The snowfields are in sight."
"I see."
An endless white world stretching to the horizon. Balaf Disrod exhaled a puff of white breath.
His brow furrowed faintly.
He didn't like it. Though the terrain differed, the commonality of a world blanketed in snow evoked memories of Erjest Mountains, where he'd been bested three times.
"The Frost Demon Tower's location is certain, right?"
"If you follow the map, it's guaranteed."
"I don't trust maps."
He'd been burned once before. Tracking Daphne Philian's recording orb only to find no tower was a bitter lesson he never wanted to repeat.
That's why he'd hired snowfield barbarians as guides. Worried one wouldn't suffice, he'd brought dozens.
"We will surely guide Lord Balaf and the allied forces to the Frost Demon Tower."
The barbarians shouted in unison. He nodded without much faith, since the snowfields were unfamiliar territory anyway.
The snowfields were cold.
They reminded him of that damned place.
Monsters appeared.
Again, reminding him of that damned place.
The fortunate part was the lack of avalanches. Since it wasn't mountains to begin with, avalanches wouldn't...
"Halt!"
Balaf shouted urgently. He stepped forward and swung his sword. A massive slash erupted, sweeping away everything ahead.
─────!
Amid the pristine white snow, crimson flames burst forth. A mana storm devoured the surroundings.
"...What in the world is that?"
"Mana bombs?"
Balaf's eyes widened.
Memories overlapped: the tower exploding, flames engulfing from all sides.
"You bastards...!"
Gritting his teeth, Balaf forcibly calmed himself.
"W-We survived!"
"Thanks to Lord Balaf, we survived!"
"Long live Lord Balaf!"
The key wasn't the trap itself. It was detecting and dismantling it beforehand—and the resulting surge in support for him.
Yes, that's what matters.
So the Flame Demon King might aid the Frost Demon King, huh.
That possibility had turned real.
Balaf's eyes grew icy cold.
Fine, thrash about to the end.
It'll be your last struggle.
He hadn't anticipated a so-called demon king using mana bombs. Balaf wasn't fool enough to fall for the same trick twice.
"We'll bypass this area."
"Bypass it!"
At Balaf's command, the allied forces skirted the blazing inferno.
"Ugh, horrific."
"Those bastards. Demon kings resorting to such petty tactics."
"We must kill every last demon king scum."
The allies ground their teeth. The failed trap only fueled their battle lust further.
At that moment.
─!
The advancing allied forces were suddenly bisected.
The ground collapsed. Humans plummeted into the massive pit. Those blindly following ahead couldn't even scream.
Rumble─
Something rolled. Sounds of falling and crushing echoed.
Kyahaaak!
Kugh!
Painful groans belatedly reverberated outward.
"Wh-What is this...?"
Aina Diaphrin leaped down into the pit in haste. Her plummeting form landed softly at the end.
The pit was deep. Fully twenty meters. No great issue for well-trained knights or mages, but the sudden drop and the sharp weapons littering the bottom weren't to be trifled with.
Especially with massive boulders plummeting like wedges afterward.
"What in the world happened?"
Balaf descended with a hardened expression. His face twisted savagely at the sight of soldiers pulverized under the rocks.
"It's designed to trigger at a certain weight threshold. Once the trap activates and the targets fall, another mechanism shortly rolls pre-positioned boulders down. Exquisite craftsmanship."
"Dwarves?"
"Yes. Likely the work of those craftsmen captured by the Flame Demon King."
"Those damn midgets...!"
Fortunately, the casualties weren't devastating. Completely mana-free construction reduced destructive power in favor of stealth.
But the problem persisted.
The existence of traps—and their elusiveness. Even without immense power, someone always died or got injured.
And no human wanted to be that someone.
Progress would naturally slow. They'd taken a hit.
"Can you detect anomalies mixed in the snow?"
"Possible with detection magic, but it'll drastically slow us down, and I can't cover this vast snowfield alone."
"What if we assign all earth and water mages?"
"It'd improve, but not perfectly."
"Then do it."
"As I said..."
"Any other way?"
"No."
"Then quit agonizing."
"Understood."
Aina gathered the mages. Balaf distanced himself briefly, blocking mana around them.
He pulled out a communication orb.
"You were right. Dwarf handiwork has appeared again."
In the noisy throne room, the king clutched his throbbing head.
How had things spiraled this far?
"Silence! All of you, quiet!"
The throne room fell still.
"Restate their claims."
"Yes, Your Majesty. Akan, Dormut, Hessen, Hildean..."
"Just say 'humans excluding Jespain.'"
"Yes, humans excluding Jespain claim we allied with the Flame Demon King."
It stemmed from the traps driving the alliance to death.
The intricate fake tower erected by the demon king, packed with hundreds of mana bombs.
That inferno had devoured everything, slaying hundreds of heroes and creating over ten thousand casualties.
Humans insisted dwarves designed the tower and collaborated with the demon king.
Absurd from Berft's perspective, but undeniably dwarven craftsmanship—and they suspected the fifty kidnapped artisans.
Berft claimed they were coerced after capture.
It fell on deaf ears. The immense damage couldn't be dismissed with words, and dwarves had built it regardless.
Humans sought outlets for fury. One was the Frost Demon King; the other, dwarves.
Some kingdoms threatened to annihilate Berft outright. Many sympathized, forcing dwarves into utmost humility.
War must be avoided at all costs.
"...Any room for compromise?"
"Akan says if we hand over the culprits, they'll handle it and let this pass."
"They want our artisans and tech gutted."
Greedy bastards.
"The others?"
"Well..."
Mostly similar.
Dwarven tech caused massive damage, but directly only to the empire and Dormut.
Other nations eyed scraps from the ordeal.
"Then."
The king forced open his reluctant mouth.
"Dormut?"
"Their envoy was beaten and ejected. No intent to even talk."
"Sigh. Jespain remains. What do you think they'll say?"
"......"
The ministers fell silent. Answer enough.
"Utterly grim."
"Your Majesty, we must proclaim our innocence across the continent. We supported them fully—against Lust, against pirates."
"Exactly. It's not our fault if those lunatics collectively lost their minds and served the demon king."
The king's brow furrowed.
"We've been over this! It doesn't matter to humans. Dwarves aided a demon king, reasons be damned, causing huge losses."
"......"
Then, the throne room doors opened.
"Your Majesty, the envoy to Jespain has returned."
"Ah, come in! What did the empire say?"
"Well..."
The dwarf, panting heavily, prostrated flat.
"'We deeply regret it and understand your circumstances. But the empire suffered immense losses, and Berft must pay a corresponding price.'"
Good lord.
The king rubbed his face. Ministers sighed.
Worst-case scenario.
"...Do they truly want war?"
"No."
"No?"
"They demand a different price. This humble servant spoke with the emperor and ministers..."
The envoy hunched low. The nobles' hostility paled against the emperor's oppressive aura rattling his heart.
"So Berft claims innocence."
The emperor muttered languidly.
"Yes, we too lost our princess and artisans to the Flame Demon King. Why would we ally with him? We'd fight, not collaborate."
"Then what drove my legions to death? Were they crafted by dwarves or mere midgets?"
"...Likely the kidnapped artisans cooperated to survive."
He wanted to deny it, but evidence was irrefutable. The envoy bowed deeper.
"Coerced cooperation."
The emperor muttered languidly.
Each word chilled the envoy's spine.
"Then you'd understand if we were forced to burn the Berft Mountains."
"Your Majesty!"
"Isn't it unavoidable?"
"Mercy! Berft harbors no enmity toward the empire!"
"Enmity already done. My children screamed dying to your monstrosities. Can 'innocence' console bereaved parents?"
Not to mention, I am this nation's father.
"Your Majesty! Please...!"
Then.
The doors burst open; a herald rushed in. Guards intercepted, whispering to the emperor.
"Hoh."
The emperor's lips twisted. The envoy knew it boded ill.
"Know what I just heard?"
"...No idea."
"The hero party in the snowfields hit mana bombs buried in snow. Clear dwarven work. Sending envoys while still aiding the demon king."
"......!"
The envoy paled.
"Y-Your Majesty...! Berft would never...!"
The emperor stared silently. The weight crushed harder than words.
He begged relentlessly. Visions of imperial boots trampling his kingdom haunted him. He had to stop it. Must stop it.
"...We have no intent to hinder the hero party or allies."
Eons seemed to pass.
Finally.
"I understand."
The emperor's voice, warmer now. The envoy cautiously lifted his head.
"I comprehend your innocence and plight."
Thus.
"I shall grant you a chance."
"Th-Thank you!"
"Duke Osrian. You uncovered it; speak."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The quietly standing Duke Osrian stepped forward.
"Envoy of Berft."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
"Recently, the empire's loyal warriors found the tower's true location. Guess where?"
"No clue."
"A place beyond imagination. That's why the continent couldn't find it despite efforts."
"Where exactly...?"
"That place is."
The king scowled.
"Where?"
"Under the sea."
"Insane."
They'd sunk the tower into the ocean?
Dwarves cursed. It made sense why it evaded detection. Of course it would.
"Thus."
"Thus?"
"The emperor demands Berft's symbol, our national treasure. The Buoyancy Ship! He'll witness our devotion to the greater cause, our will to slay the demon king!"
"......!"
< 185. The Price Berft Must Pay > End