195. The Gift
Sudden visitors had arrived.
They were elves from the Golden Moon Merchant Guild.
"His Majesty the Demon King asked us to deliver this to Lady Ernan."
"To me?"
Inside the glass vial enchanted with magic swirled a crimson heat, iridescent and fiercely intense.
Whoa, isn't this dragon blood?
The high water spirit recognized its value at once.
If you absorb this properly, summoning a Spirit King might not be so far off.
Known as dragon blood, it was a treasure brimming with pure, violent, and immense mana.
The only issue was its scorching heat, which clashed with Ernan's affinity—but a few rounds of refinement would fix that.
Sure, much of the mana would be lost in the process, but the blood's worth would still shine through.
Yet the dragon blood was just the beginning.
"This is a robe crafted from dragon scales. His Majesty ordered Roger to prioritize it."
"...It's beautiful."
The cloak gleamed with a subtle red hue, noble and exquisite beyond words.
Ernan slipped it on. It draped softly, enveloping her form.
"Lady Sharlot worked directly with the dwarves to engrave the magic seals. Normally, it hides with an invisibility spell, revealing itself only at your command. It boasts high magic resistance and enchanted spells..."
The elf explained its many other functions.
"...Please tell him I'm grateful."
"Of course."
"No, actually, I should thank him in person."
"Understood."
Who would've thought such a gift would come her way?
A smile tugged at Ernan's lips, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"...And nothing for me?"
Hillun, standing nearby, spoke up. Dragon byproducts, crafted by dwarves themselves—he wanted it, desperately.
"Nothing."
"Pardon?"
Hillun's face hardened.
"That can't be. I'm His Majesty's first familiar, his most loyal one. There's no way he wouldn't prepare something for me..."
"I was joking. He said to tell you that if you start rambling like that."
"...I knew I could trust His Majesty."
The elf drew a sword. It was a dull gray, yet it drew the eye inexorably, its restrained sharpness laced with ferocity.
"What's this?"
"To hide that it's made from dragon bone, it's alloyed with dragon steel and others. But Roger insists the result is equal to—or better than—pure bone-forged blades."
"...That mad dwarf might actually pull it off."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing, nothing."
Hillun smiled and sheathed the blade.
"Convey my thanks to His Majesty."
"Yes, I will. Oh, and one more thing."
"Something else?"
"He asked to pass along some chocolate and candy."
"Chocolate too?"
"Yes."
"I remember giving him a huge bundle... Enough to last years if he rationed one a day."
"His Majesty does tend to hand them out freely..."
"I gave them so he'd bond with the princesses, but now he's won over the whole tower. Did you get some too?"
"...Yes."
It was a good sign.
The fact that the elves accepted chocolate from the Demon King without hesitation meant he was closing the gap between himself and his subordinates.
The tower—cobbled together from forcibly gathered races—was starting to gel, piece by piece.
"Wait a moment. I have something prepared anyway."
"Thank you."
That was when it happened.
"Hilluuuun Kaaaagiiiil!"
A booming voice echoed through the annex.
"You can't just barge in here!"
"Let go! I said let go!"
A frantic voice followed.
"...That voice?"
"Rozel Charnt?"
"There you are!"
—!
The door flew open amid pounding footsteps. Red hair whipped in the wind, and crimson eyes sharpened like a hawk's upon spotting Hillun.
"Found you."
"Barging in like this—what's the meaning of this?"
"This much is fine between us, right?"
"And what exactly are 'us'?"
"Close buddies who took down a Demon King together."
Rozel Charnt grinned. The smile felt ominous; Hillun couldn't return it.
Good connections were always among his top priorities. A Star hero and grand mage with seven engravings was prime networking material.
But instinct told him she wasn't here with pure intentions.
"Mind your manners. You're in the presence of the crown princess."
So he threw Ernan under the bus. Her piercing gaze stung, but he blinked desperately for backup.
"Crown princess?"
"Pleased to meet you, Lady Rozel."
Ernan rose from her seat.
"I'm Ernan Hildean. First time seeing me in person?"
"The crown princess of Hildean? I had no idea you were here."
"I came representing Hildean to cooperate on the hero expedition. We'd been discussing it with Lord Hillun. But may I ask why you're interrupting our meeting?"
Rozel's urge to grill Hillun faltered at the chill in the air.
"Uh..."
It wasn't just royal etiquette. The gaze, the presence—they told her Ernan was no inferior.
Genius, they called her a genius.
How old was the princess again? Still in her twenties, if memory served.
Her thirst for pure blood deepened.
"My apologies. I've been rude."
"Apology accepted."
"I'm looking for someone."
"Someone?"
"Me?"
"Not you. Hillun Kargil. Someone you're acquainted with."
"Who might that be?"
"A man named Fail."
"Fail?"
Ernan and Hillun exchanged glances.
Fail—that's Lord Berge, right?
Yes, Lord Berge.
"Why are you looking for Fail?"
"I need him."
"Mind sharing why?"
"This is between Hillun and me."
"But you're the one who crashed our meeting—between Hillun and me. And I have ties to Fail too."
"Is that the crown princess speaking?"
"Does that make it invalid?"
Hmm. Rozel swallowed a groan. Ernan showed no sign of backing down, and she was indeed the intruder.
No harm in telling her.
It wasn't a secret anyway.
"There's a contract between Fail and our kingdom's fifth prince."
"A contract?"
Ernan glanced at Hillun.
"Yes. A formal deal from Akan to purchase Fail's blood."
"Why?"
Hillun mouthed it big, out of Rozel's sight.
For the phoenix.
Ah.
Ernan nodded. She'd heard: Berge's mana, purified by absorbing a phoenix corpse, drove mages wild.
But.
"That's not binding. He gives blood, they buy; he doesn't, they don't. That's the deal. No reason for you to hunt him down via me..."
"Exactly!"
Rozel shouted.
"I want to fulfill that contract. I need that blood now!"
"Lady Rozel, charging in like this won't—"
"I'll pay! Take my money and shut up! That guy's crazy about cash—I saw it myself!"
She roared.
Instead of rage at the insult to Berge, Ernan saw an opportunity in Rozel's desperation.
"Desperate people will do anything to grasp what they crave."
And there was no substitute for Berge's blood.
No one else had devoured a phoenix corpse.
"True enough. But what are you scheming?"
"What you think?"
"That's..."
Insane!
Hillun barely swallowed the words rising to his throat.
"...Impossible."
"Why?"
"Rozel Charnt. Akan's hero, Akan's champion. The woman who's always led demon purges—why would she serve Lord Berge, who's handed her defeat after defeat?"
No need to invoke Berge specifically. A hero serving a Demon King defied all common sense.
"Aren't you a hero, Lord Hillun?"
"...My case is different."
Captured by the Demon King, he'd had no choice for survival.
"Isn't the crown princess the same?"
"No, mine was voluntary."
"......"
"Anyway, just put her in the same spot as you. She'll join the real hero expedition for sure. Turn a Star like her into His Majesty's familiar, and won't that make things easier for him?"
"...Sometimes I wonder if Your Highness is human or demon."
"Not the words of His Majesty's 'most loyal familiar.' And what's the difference?"
Humans had slain far more humans than demons ever had.
"I don't care about good or evil. Just my people versus outsiders."
"Am I one of your people, Your Highness?"
"His Majesty's familiar—and my knight."
"...Lucky me."
"Think about it. If she says no, will you just nod and move on?"
"...Indeed."
Convinced in an instant.
"So what's your plan, Your Highness?"
"Simple. If she wants blood, give her blood. If she wants to find Lord Berge, lead her right to him."
"Dig a trap so he can capture her?"
"Yes. He'll handle the rest. The man who turned you into a familiar and built the Four Heavenly Kings."
"...The Four Heavenly Kings were your doing, Your Highness, not—"
"Details. Rozel's waiting."
They'd left Rozel in the office and retreated to an inner chamber, blocking sound with a mana barrier under the pretense of consulting "Fail."
"One problem."
"What?"
"If Rozel vanishes after her last sighting with us..."
"Suspicion might fall on us. That's why Erjest Mountains. It's where she met Akan's fifth prince—we can spin a plausible story."
With or without the Demon King, no Star hero could be careless there. They'd suspect, but not prove intent to kill Rozel.
That sufficed. No gutsy fool would target the top hero (sans Balaf) and Hildean's crown princess amid uncertainty; no nation would risk the loss.
"Too optimistic. Consider Rozel's value to Akan—we must prepare for worse."
"His Majesty can persuade her to return."
"That confident?"
"Ever imagine you'd become his familiar? I think you're a greater hero than Rozel."
Implying: if you fell, how could she resist?
"...I'm truly glad to be your knight, Your Highness."
"I'm glad you're mine."
Ernan opened the door. Rozel brightened.
"What'd he say?"
"He'll meet you. But he can't move right now, so come to him."
"No problem."
Rozel nodded.
"But I don't recommend it."
"Why?"
"It's dangerous."
"I'm Rozel Charnt."
"Erjest Mountains. Even for you, no place to let your guard down. I'd rather you wait till Fail returns—half a year at most."
"Half a year?"
Ridiculous. The hero expedition would be long over.
"Impossible."
"Then a condition."
"Name it."
"Stop by Akan first, declare your destination. If something happens to you after meeting us, who'll get blamed?"
"Fine."
Soon after, Rozel stormed off with the location.
"Shall we report to His Majesty now?"
"You're sending Rozel Charnt my way?"
『No, we've already sent her.』
"So you've arranged for her to come straight to my tower?"
『No, northwest Erjest.』
"Why?"
『To find you, Your Majesty. Specifically, you as 'Fail.'』
『She wasn't backing down easy. Seemed desperate, like something was chasing her. She'd have found you by any means.』
And above all.
『She likely knows about the real hero expedition.』
"So you want me to..."
『Make her a familiar. Like with Roger and Hillun.』
The specific examples? Simple.
『You have what she desperately craves.』
Blood infused with a phoenix corpse's pure fire mana.
Dragon blood from its corpse.
『Mages—especially high-rank ones—share that with dwarf artisans in some ways.』
"Obsession and madness?"
『Exactly.』
Berge nodded.
"I'll gladly accept the gifts."
『Think nothing of it.』
Ernan beamed.