191. Pirates
Alkan of the Black Eyepatch Pirates.
Miriel of the Waterfall Beard Pirates.
And Rui of the Night Sea Pirates.
These pirates, who roamed the archipelagos and vast oceans plundering at will, had no prior connections between them.
That is, not until the Demon King Vivian set foot on the islands and the three pirate captains fell under her spell, becoming her familiars.
Pirates had no prejudices. In their brutal lives where death was always a breath away, demons were simply divided into "useful" or "useless."
They were drawn purely to the succubus queen's beauty and enchantment. Now as her familiars, they were bound eternally unless she died.
But that alone hadn't driven them out into the distant seas.
The kidnapping of the dwarf princess by the Lust Demon King (now revealed as the Flame Demon King).
The dwarves, desperate to reclaim their princess and craftsmen, went berserk—but when the Lust Tower vanished overnight, their target shifted to the pirates.
Unable to withstand the dwarves' fierce assaults, the pirates resorted to a last-ditch measure.
Sacrificing the three pirate crews linked to the succubus queen as scapegoats.
To survive, they had to flee. And since they were fleeing anyway, they decided to head toward their lord.
That was why they were being chased across these wide-open seas.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Mana shells rained down, sending up massive sprays of water. The rocking ships barely skimmed across the waves.
"Damn it, those dwarf-made mana cannons have the shittiest range ever."
"Isn't that Alkan's crew? What the hell are they doing all the way out here?"
"That's the least of our worries! Hessen's Southern Fleet was there too!"
"What the fuck?"
"Looks like they're gearing up for war among themselves! Fucking bastards!"
"Doesn't look like it—they seemed way too chummy!"
The long chase ended only after one ship sank.
"...They won't keep chasing us, right? Tell me they won't."
"They're gone."
"First Dormut, now Hessen and Akan too. Are they seriously starting a war or what?"
"Who gives a shit? Probably off to subjugate somewhere."
"Not us?"
"They chased us like hell to kill or be killed, but us specifically? They were probably mustering to invade the islands again, and we just got unlucky running into them."
"That makes the most sense."
"Or maybe they've already pinned the blame on us."
"Whatever—at least we shook 'em! Even if we lost three ships. Goddamn it!"
The pirates grumbled.
"Fuck, we've dealt with monsters, storms, and now navies too—where the hell is Lady Demon King?!"
Alkan, captain of the Black Eyepatch Pirates, ground his teeth.
Their journey had been a nightmare.
They'd clashed bloodily with former allies trying to block their escape, endured sea monster attacks, and weathered storms.
Struggling on the edge of life and death for so long had left them ragged and cornered.
From Dormut to Akan. With kingdom navies pushing into the deep seas, survival had become their only goal—not finding Vivian.
"What if Lady Vivian's already dead? What if we're just chasing a pipe dream?"
"Better to be dreaming. She's the one giving us the dream."
"Not bad. Then starving and thirsting out here in the middle of nowhere is just a dream too."
The relentless pursuit had prevented proper resupply. They'd lost their storm provisions too.
Everyone was starving to death, and mutiny if they turned back wouldn't be surprising.
What held them together was their shared bond as Vivian's familiars. Though treated differently, she'd turned every last pirate in their crews.
Ironic that the very Vivian who'd landed them in this mess kept things from falling apart through that bond.
But even that had limits. The hunger-crazed pirates were on the verge of turning on each other.
"Can't we just eat some monsters?"
"You mad?"
"Do I look sane right now?"
That was when it happened.
Rumble—
The sea churned. The ships rocked violently.
"Hold steady!"
"Helmsman!"
"What the—?!"
Weak cries from the starving crossed in the chaos.
"Another monster?"
"Fuck, we don't even have the strength to fight."
"Catch it and eat it."
But what burst from the waves with the spray wasn't what they'd expected. It was the very one they'd desperately hoped to find.
"...Lady Demon King?"
"It's the Demon King!"
"Lady Demon King!"
The irresistibly alluring and seductive woman. Radiating raw sensuality and ominous demonic energy—a dangerous presence, yet utterly familiar to them.
Vivian Blunt, the Lust Demon King they'd all thought dead.
Her missing horn was odd, but the atmosphere kept anyone from pointing it out.
"You lot."
Vivian flapped her wings, looking down at them.
"Crossed the seas to find me?"
Eleven pirate ships, brimming with nearly seven hundred lives.
"Of course!"
"Knew you'd still be alive!"
"Lady Demon King! I love you!"
The pirates cheered, squeezing out every last ounce of strength to shout hoarsely.
The three captains leading the fleets were especially fervent—they'd basked in her favor, utterly smitten.
Which only fueled their rage.
"Tch, can't watch without tears. Pirates crossing oceans for their Demon King."
At the sight of some bastard casually draping his hand on their beloved Vivian's shoulder.
His handsome face only made it worse.
"Who the fuck is that prick?!"
"Who the hell does this bastard think he is, touching her shoulder?!"
"I'll chop off every damn finger!"
"Load the mana cannons!"
Berge smirked at their furious roars. Pathetic.
"...Good lads."
"Your definition of 'good' seems different from mine."
"They came all this way to find me."
"And now they're cursing me and aiming mana cannons."
"Still useful, though."
"Can't deny that."
Berge wasn't stupid enough to discard familiars who'd rolled right in, bringing over a dozen ships.
"They might actually fire. You won't use that as an excuse to wipe them out, right?"
"They're your familiars."
"Now they're mine too."
They just hadn't realized it yet—Berge was fully suppressing his aura.
"All of you, stop."
Vivian finally stepped forward. The pirates loading shells froze.
"But Lady Vivian, who the hell is that bastard?!"
"Are you abandoning us after we came all this way?!"
"Milky-white Vivian!"
"I love you!"
It was pandemonium. Vivian sighed deeply and released her demonic energy.
"Quiet."
The pirates shut their mouths.
"Berge isn't someone you can mess with. No, it's not even about 'messing with'..."
"It means all of you must absolutely obey me."
Berge pulled Vivian back and stepped forward.
"What?"
"The hell's that bullshit?"
"Lady Vivian?"
"Who the fuck are you to spout that exalted crap?"
Alkan bellowed—then slammed face-first to the deck. Overwhelming demonic energy crushed every pirate.
Their eyes met. Chills ran down spines. But most shocking was the resonating souls.
They felt the connection: from Alkan and the pirates to Vivian, and from Vivian to the demon before them.
This bastard—no, this lord—is our master.
Their souls instinctively knew.
The pirates smashed their heads to the deck.
"...We lowly ones humbly ask your name."
"I am Berge Dayas."
"The world calls me the Flame Demon King."
"Your eternal master from now on."
Seven hundred pirates had tumbled into his fleet intact.
Berge first herded the ragged pirates into the tower and fed them well.
"Ugh, we're alive."
"Yeah, this hits the spot."
He'd stocked massive subspatial stores of food for princesses and dwarves—no shortage there.
"Humans this time—and pirates, no less."
"Lucky break. Who'd have thought pirates would track us down right after moving the tower to sea?"
"Don't forget it's all thanks to me."
"You're taking them all in?"
"Why not? Don't like 'em?"
"...No, not that."
Reina shook her head. The haughty frost demon just disliked taking humans as familiars, period.
But she knew better than to argue. No longer a Demon King, she was Berge's familiar. She wouldn't second-guess his decisions.
Especially not after dwarves and elves were already in.
"So, how should we use these guys to make a name for ourselves?"
"Do we need the fame?"
"Just a figure of speech. Guess our stiff ice demons don't get jokes?"
"A succubus's mouth never rests. Tempted to shut it myself."
Berge ignored the growling Demon Kings and turned to Gordon.
"Pirates are most valuable roaming the seas as pirates."
"Gotta fix up those junker ships, huh?"
"Lucky we have dwarves. Problem's their base."
"Their base."
"We're deep sea now—can't drag warships into the tower. Need a harbor for docking and resupply."
"Any islands nearby?"
"Northwest about 200 km—decent-sized one."
"How'd you find that?"
"Ravinia's got sea monsters scouting as familiars."
"..."
"Good?"
"Yeah. Good job."
He tossed Ravinia a chocolate.
The island was remote from the continent, barren with scant life. Lacking everything for a pirate base.
"Hm."
Berge pondered briefly, then summoned Sharlot.
"Can you make barren land fertile?"
"How barren?"
"Not desert, but few trees, almost no life. Hopeless for farming."
"You want those humans settled there, right?"
"Yes."
"Then yes. Elves can grow flowers and trees anywhere. Plant fruit saplings for food, revive the ecosystem."
"Where from?"
"Already planted plenty on our floor."
"Aren't those fake spirit-made ones?"
"When we went out with you, Ernan bought a bunch—including saplings."
Ernan's shopping spree had included saplings, huh.
"Not bad."
"Issue is tending them till roots take."
"Do it."
"Really?"
"Heroes won't hit the tower anyway."
"True."
"Go prep with the elves."
"Yes."
Sharlot vanished. Berge shrugged.
"Settled."
"Send dwarves too—build a harbor while at it."
"Fine."
Luckily, materials for golems and fake towers overflowed in subspatial storage.
Thus, the pirates' fate was sealed.
"That's definitely an elf?"
"That's a dwarf."
"She's the princess?"
"That one's an imperial princess, they say."
"Heard she's one of the Four Heavenly Kings."
"Am I dreaming?"
"Probably."
With full bellies, the pirates finally looked around. They gawked at the tower's surreal interior, nothing like imagined.
Dwarves crafting mana cannons. Elves summoning spirits.
Princesses and imperial daughters claiming Four Heavenly Kings status.
"...This ain't the Demon King's tower I pictured."
"Me neither."
"I've seen other towers—as a hero in raids. Nothing like this."
Alkan, a former hero, laughed hollowly.
"Deep sea tower? Makes no sense."
An invisible force had plunged them into the ocean depths. They'd thought it was over. But no chill, no pressure—just fading light revealing a massive tower.
"...Glad I'm Vivian's familiar. No way to conquer this. Deep sea? Good luck finding it."
"Same."
"Milky-white Vivian."
"Shut it, Rui. She is milky-white, but read the room."
After glimpsing part of the tower, the pirates meekly awaited their lot.
The Flame Demon King's overwhelming power and the tower's majesty deterred any rash moves.
And then.
"...So, you're using dwarves to repair and upgrade our ships?"
"Dwarf-made mana cannons too?"
"Even making us a self-sufficient island with elves?"
"Dwarves building the harbor?"
"We're already your loyal familiars, and you do this much...?"
The three captains exchanged glances, then nodded.
"Loyalty! Alkan of the Black Eyepatch Pirates offers his soul to Lord Berge!"
"I pledge my loyalty!"
"Milky-white Berge!"
"Call me that vulgar shit one more time, and I'll rip your jaw off. Got it?"
"Yessir! My deepest apologies!"
Rui of the Night Sea Pirates clamped his mouth shut.
[191. Pirates] End