< 205. The Demon King and the Crown Princess >
The coolness moistening his parched lips made Pablo Barkat open his eyes.
He lifted his head.
Within the dark shadows, gleaming obsidian eyes gazed down at him.
"You said you wanted to see me. That you wanted to make a deal?"
The overwhelming presence made him realize the figure before him was the Flame Demon King.
". . .That's right."
Slap—
His head snapped to the side. His cheek burned.
"Seems you still don't grasp your situation."
"Even as a prisoner, I am the crown prince of the Barkat Kingdom and the de facto leader of the Southern Alliance! No matter how much of a demon king you are, treating me like this is—!"
Slap—
This time, the other cheek.
"Go on, keep talking. I enjoy snapping the necks of stiff-necked fools."
". . . . . ."
Their eyes met. Pablo bit his lip against the feral ferocity roaring between them.
'This guy's insane—a complete madman!'
In the end, he tucked tail.
". . .Understood."
"Now you're in the mood to deal."
Go on, speak.
Grinding his teeth in humiliation, Pablo held his tongue. But he wasn't fool enough to blow the slim chance he'd barely seized by getting indignant.
"It's about Balaf Disrod, the supreme, strongest hero."
"What of him?"
"Does Your Majesty know his true identity?"
"True identity, huh. And you do?"
"Of course."
"How?"
"That much I can't reveal. But I can swear on dimensional interference itself that there's not a shred of falsehood in my words."
"Then what do you want in return?"
"Release me. Just let me go."
"Amusing fellow."
Any other hero in disguise might at least pretend to ask for his comrades' rescue. This one had no such pretense.
Well, he knew the type already.
"Let's hear it first."
"Promise me. Swear you'll release me once I tell you."
"And why should I?"
"Then I won't say."
"You really don't get your position, do you."
"If I'm dying anyway, why spill what I know just to die?"
The sight of him trying to bargain was laughable, like watching a play. Berge's lips curved up.
"Fine."
"Swear it."
"I swear on the great first Mahwang and the Demon King's Canon. If your tale piques my interest, I'll release you."
"Thank you."
Pablo bowed his head. Then, cautiously, he spoke.
"Don't be shocked. Balaf Disrod's true identity is. . ."
"Is?"
"The Guild Master!"
"Guild Master? Their faces don't match."
"He must be hiding it with some special method."
"That's it?"
"That's it? What do you mean?"
"No, just disappointing."
"Disappointing? Balaf Disrod and the guild master who vanished decades ago are the same person!"
I already knew that, so yeah, meh. Instead of responding, Berge shot him a displeased glare.
"Th-then there's something even more shocking."
"Better pique my interest this time."
"The guild master has another hidden identity."
"Another?"
"Ever heard of the hero from centuries ago who slew two demon kings, was about to kill a third, then vanished with its tower?"
"I've heard the tale. Some humans turned zealot and deified him, right?"
"Delusions. He didn't become a god. He's alive and well, playing hero while devouring demon kings."
"Oh? And who might that be?"
"The guild master! Balaf Disrod is the guild master, and the guild master is Daniel Dayrus—the one said to have vanished centuries ago!"
"That's really meh."
"Right? Shocking, isn't it? The vanished Daniel Dayrus. . . huh?"
"What I care about more is—"
The play was over.
Berge's eyes turned icy. Crushing pressure choked Pablo, slamming his head to the floor.
"Wh-what's this?"
"Who told you that? That's what intrigues me."
A truth no one knew.
No one suspected.
That hidden reality.
How did someone learn it at such perfect timing?
"Who."
Berge whispered.
"Who told you that and sent you here."
The Pablo Barkat he knew never strayed from the Southern Alliance.
"I have my guesses, but hearing it from you is different."
"Th-there's no such person."
"Spill it. That's the only thing that'll 'pique my interest.'"
Only then will I spare you.
The demon king smiled.
Two days after being captured by the demon king, no hero remained ignorant of the Four Heavenly Kings' identities.
"The Dark Knight was Princess Kaede Jespain."
"And Luize Berft, the kidnapped one? Hell Giant?"
"She prefers being called a dwarf."
"What about Princess Ravinia Akan? Turned every monster in the tower into chimeras."
"Seen the Spirit King who sank the buoyancy ship? That's the Dark Spirit Summoner, Crown Princess Ernan Hildean!"
Heroes fight demon kings for their dimensions and humanity.
Slay the demon kings, rescue the kidnapped royals. No hero rejected this truth repeated for nearly a millennium.
"Then why do those princesses treat us like enemies?!"
"If only that? There's the Lust Demon King and Frost Demon King too. Weren't demon kings supposed to stay in their towers except for kidnappings?"
"What the hell is this place? The tower's deep underwater, bristling with mana cannons outside!"
Princesses who could beat Stars individually, plus three demon kings. The overwhelming power gap made it a lost fight from the start.
It was absurd that even a thousand heroes and six Stars couldn't close the gap—but it was true.
The heroes lost their will to fight. Already prisoners, what morale remained had plummeted past rock bottom into death row despair.
If anything gave them faint hope, it was the tower's heterogeneous species and princesses.
"Elves are here."
"Dwarves too. Those mana cannons must be dwarf-made."
"Traitors."
"Wait, think. A demon king who accepts princesses, elves, dwarves as kin. . ."
"You don't mean. . .?"
"What nonsense! We're heroes! Betray humanity to become demon king kin?"
"Shut it—does justice and grand causes save lives? What'd the continent ever do for me?"
"Being hailed a hero after I die? What's the point."
Opinions split among the heroes.
Berge had deliberately left them alone for two days, merely having elves and dwarves deliver food, hoping they'd stew in anguish and confusion.
As the situation flowed per his design, Berge drove in the wedge.
"I've become the demon king's kin too."
". . .Embarrassing, but same here."
"Ashamed of demon king kin?"
"Yes. If even Lord Hillon became kin, how can we. . ."
Stars who'd been hero comrades, now demon king kin: Rozel Charnt, Ralph Shmitz, Aina Diaphrin, Waton Colro.
Their declarations unleashed a storm on the already wavering heroes.
". . .Even Stars."
"The Flame Demon King is different from others."
". . .And Hillon Kargil as kin? One more like me won't hurt."
"Hide my identity, keep heroing? Kin help each other?"
". . .Hmm."
"I-I don't wanna die here! I'll be demon king kin!"
"Me too!"
One broke the dam, and pleas to join poured in.
"You damned scum! Betraying humanity for your pathetic lives?!"
"Then toss yours away like trash!"
Fights erupted between duty-bound heroes and the rest. Mana sealed, shackled and cuffed, proper combat was impossible—but hero physiques weren't for show.
"Enough."
Halting the brawling factions stood the Dark Spirit Summoner—no, Ernan Hildean, no longer hiding her identity.
"One warning only."
Her icy command froze every hero.
"Need more talk? Those who'll become demon king kin, right side. The rest, left. Sort yourselves."
"Y-you're Hildean Kingdom's crown princess—why aid a demon king?!"
"Right! No shame?!"
Righteous heroes shouted.
"Should I be ashamed?"
"No pity for those you killed?"
"Kings order wars without remorse—why regret aiding a demon king?"
". . .Sophistry."
"True. But that's not the point."
Water droplets engulfed the shouting heroes, choking off air. They writhed in agony until, on the verge of blackout, the droplets vanished.
"Gah. . .!"
"Hah, hah. . .!"
"You have two choices. Nothing else matters."
"B-but becoming kin means other heroes find out. We'll live hidden forever!"
"We wouldn't take you without countermeasures."
Ernan held out Armani's Orb.
"Unlike regular kin, this perfectly conceals magic points. No detection risk. Downside: must fully drop defenses to accept it."
"N-no such thing exists. . ."
"It does. Discussion over?"
Choose.
"Demon king kin? Or proud human loyalist to die? Not sure anyone'll appreciate it."
If still ashamed,
"Recall: Hildean crown princess—me—my princess sister, empire princess, Akan princess, Berft princess, four Stars already follow His Majesty. You're forced into this."
". . . . . ."
". . . . . ."
Imperfect, but hammer enough to shatter lingering conscience. Nearly all heroes rushed to claim kin status, few holdouts aside.
That day, exactly 722 Armani's Orbs were used.
"Kill all who refuse to the end."
Berge commanded. One mercy sufficed. More was folly.
". . ."
Berge asked Kaede, watching the doomed heroes.
"Pity for fellow humans?"
"Unmanageable prisoners are burdens. You showed mercy once; rejecting it was their choice."
"Thorough in odd ways."
"I'm His Majesty's knight; they're invaders."
Of course, killing fellow humans—heroes no less—wasn't easy.
Before her kidnapping, she'd never imagined uttering such words.
But much had changed. Circumstances, the world, and Kaede herself.
"Those resolved to kill must resolve to die by the blade too."
"Well said."
Berge smiled in satisfaction.
"Kaede. You said the first prince can't rescue you."
"Yes."
"Then show proof."
The first prince was mere scapegoat, not the backer who'd killed his past self—but the fallout was undeniable.
Berge was the type to torment him more if possible.
"These will bear witness."
Their corpses would reveal the massive hero raid's failure.
"Will your brother despair or rage more?"
". . .Quite vicious."
"Tailored to you. Didn't you say much piled up?"
"Seems you're venting on me as pretext. What happened with brother dearest?"
Sharp intuition.
"Nothing. Chocolate?"
"Thank you."
Reading his evasion, Kaede meekly took the chocolate.
It was delicious.
"Thank you."
"Only natural."
And knowing his faint care warmed her, she expressed gratitude.
"You really kept your promise."
"Of course. Who do you think I promised?"
Tower summit. Ernan sat on the massive mana cannon, gazing up. Deep-sea fish swam by.
The ocean's mighty pressure couldn't pierce the Spirit King's barrier.
"You helped big this time. Thanks."
"Natural. And I get paid, right?"
Ernan held out both hands.
"Gimme."
"Already gave some."
"Advance pay. That's exploitation if it's all."
"Good I bought extras just in case."
Berge pulled a sack of chocolates from subspace.
"No."
"What?"
"Not like this. Feed me like Kaede or Ravinia."
". . .Fine."
Berge took one out. She closed her eyes, mouth open.
"Ah."
"Over the line."
"Hurry up."
Grumbling, Berge peeled the wrapper and popped it in.
"There."
"Your turn, Your Majesty. Ahh."
". . .You."
"Hurry. I earned big capturing the buoyancy ship and convincing heroes. Can't you do this much?"
". . . . . ."
True enough.
Her merits were so vast that peeling and feeding chocolate—even eating hers—ten thousand times over wouldn't suffice.
Yet as dragon, as demon king, he rejected dignity's erosion.
"If I leave now, who knows when I can return. Won't see you awhile."
"I'll visit."
"You will?"
"Yeah."
"Great! But that's that, this is this. Hurry."
Dignity warred with rewarding merits, settling on compromise: barely parting lips.
"Close your eyes."
"Why?"
"I did."
"What's that got to—"
"Hurry."
He closed them.
Sweet chocolate entered his mouth.
And simultaneously—
—!
Soft lips brushed his. Eyes snapping open, Ernan was gone.
Berge touched his lips. Warmth lingered.
- Understood.
The Water Spirit King nodded.
- Now I get why Nairuniel's obsessed.
"Don't tease."
- Then don't do that in front of me.
"You're soul-linked to me—impossible to hide."
- Then get shameless. You start things with the demon king, then blush hardest.
- Though that's funnier.
". . .Please don't take after Nairuniel."
- Insulting your king is grave, but you amused me, so forgiven.
"Thanks?"
- At least I'm not spreading rumors. Be grateful.
- Imagine telling Nairuniel. Spirit realms would erupt.
- Or she'd riot over not witnessing it.
The Water Spirit King burst laughing.
Face beet-red, Ernan averted her gaze.
"Unfair. Everyone else stays in the tower; only I must return."
- Just stay.
"Then no securing Hildean. I promised to aid His Majesty as queen. So."
- So?
"Gotta tidy up annoying brother quick, free to visit without eyes on me."
Her eyes iced over.
- Becoming queen?
"No. Just solidify succession. Queen'd be too busy to leave."
The Dark Spirit Summoner, briefly astray, returned as Hildean crown princess.
< 205. The Demon King and the Crown Princess > End