057. Negotiation
Before his regression, it had happened just like that.
The old Berge, brimming with arrogance and hubris, utterly devoted to worshiping the Demon King's Canon, had charged ahead like a runaway carriage.
He'd kidnapped dozens of princesses. Their resentment had turned into magic points. He'd devoured the life force of the heroes and humans who came to his tower.
A endless virtuous cycle. Deluded into thinking it was all due to his own greatness, he'd made a fatal blunder he never should have.
The kidnapping of Jespain Empire's crown prince.
The empire flipped upside down, and the entire continent rose in outrage.
The empire's massive army united fully with the Hero Guild and besieged his tower.
He'd held out the first couple of times. But humans didn't know the meaning of giving up, and he gradually grew exhausted and worn down. It was in the midst of that chaos that he'd run into another Demon King by chance.
Tsk tsk, that's why I told you not to touch the empire's princesses—you just wouldn't listen. No matter how great you think you are, Alein is completely different from the other dimensions, I said. You should've carved the seniors' advice deep into your bones.
Look at me. I kidnap princesses no one gives a damn about, and it's smooth sailing. You think you know how sweet it is when the king couldn't care less, so only a few weak heroes trickle in now and then?
It was a weakness no Demon King should ever admit from their own mouth.
The Berge of that time had mocked the other Demon King.
You call yourself a Demon King and aren't ashamed? I question how a guy like you even graduated from the Demon King Academy.
But now he knew. Berge had been wrong, and the guy had been right.
Demon King Ugar Belbek had judged Alein more accurately than anyone.
And the name on his lips back then had been Hildean Kingdom's 13th princess.
The princess Berge had originally planned to kidnap—the one so frail she couldn't even manage a political marriage.
"...Ugar kidnapped that princess again?"
『...Again? What do you mean by that?』
"Nothing."
Strictly speaking, it wasn't "again." But to Berge, it felt like it was.
After his regression, Berge had walked a different path. History had shifted with his actions. So why was Ugar following the exact same steps as before?
No way the future's already set in stone...
He shoved aside the ominous thought flickering through his mind. If that were true, Drakson wouldn't have died.
"When exactly, and where."
『Last night, at the villa where the 13th princess left for recuperation.』
Three days after Ugar had said he wanted to buy magic points. Perfect timing.
『You seem surprised, so I take it this wasn't part of some agreement?』
"No need to probe, Hillun. You can probably guess already."
『Forgive my overstep if it was. I vaguely heard something about interactions between Demon Kings.』
Vaguely, my ass.
"Cut the line."
『Yes, my lord.』
Knock knock knock—
No sooner had the communication ended than someone knocked. He knew who it was, so he didn't ask.
"Come in."
Ernan Hildean peeked her head in cautiously.
"......"
"What is it?"
"...May I sit for a moment?"
"Sit."
She took the seat across from him. A heavy silence settled in.
"I hate dragging things out."
"...I know it was rude, but I overheard your conversation earlier."
Earlier.
Until just moments ago, he'd been on the first floor inspecting Roger Friedri's creations. About halfway through, Gordon Dirik had come rushing down in a panic.
My lord! Demon King Ugar has kidnapped Hildean Kingdom's 13th princess! he'd shouted.
Then he'd returned to his office and started communicating with Hillun Kargil.
And on the first floor, it hadn't just been him and Roger—Ernan had been there too. She'd heard? Of course she had. It would've been harder not to.
"Is it true that Elena was kidnapped?"
"If that's the 13th princess's name, then yes."
"It is. Officially, the 13th princess is Elena."
"Officially?"
"Ah."
Ernan clamped her mouth shut. The atmosphere was different from her usual demeanor—strangely agitated, unstable. No need to guess the cause.
"You're worried, huh?"
"She's so frail she can barely move. If she suffers something horrible after being kidnapped by a Demon King..."
"And?"
"......"
"Why tell me that?"
She bit her lip.
He knew. How utterly absurd it was to say this to a Demon King.
But.
"Please help."
Ernan said it anyway.
"Did I hear that right?"
"You did. Please save Elena."
"I'm a Demon King."
"And I'm a princess."
"The 13th princess got kidnapped by a Demon King."
"If she's going to get kidnapped by a Demon King anyway, let it be you."
This conversation felt oddly familiar.
Was it back then?
When Hillun Kargil had begun his hero antics and cornered him.
To survive, Berge had begged Ernan. To stand by his side and block the heroes.
She had, and he'd gotten through the crisis more smoothly than expected. He owed her big time.
But that didn't mean he had to repay it in kind. He'd paid with elixirs. And even if he hadn't, he wasn't the type of Demon King to meticulously settle every debt of gratitude.
"Wrong approach."
"I'll tell you all the secret funds of the kingdom's nobles."
"Now that's tempting."
It was just a kingdom at the southern tip of the continent now, but Hildean had once been a great empire that dominated the land.
Even ruined rich folk last three years, as the saying went. It couldn't compare to its imperial days, but Hildean was still a powerhouse.
The secret funds of those people.
He might end up with more gold than what Jason had paid for the magic points.
But he didn't nod right away.
"Not enough."
"What do you want?"
"I can't trust you."
"Have I ever broken my word?"
No. She'd kept every promise. Served Berge faithfully.
That didn't make it a reason to trust her. Ernan was hiding something. Until it came to light, Berge could never fully trust her.
No.
Even if she confessed it, could he trust her? He wasn't sure. Humans weren't a species that inspired faith.
"That's separate from trust."
"You're wondering why I haven't tried to leave the tower."
"I won't deny it."
Ernan hesitated a moment, then spoke.
"Do you know about the World Tree's Child magic?"
* * *
"Welcome."
Rugged rocky mountains came into view. Wind whistled through the crags.
"I'm Kokun, adjutant to Lord Ugar."
"A Titan?"
"Yes."
Over 4 meters tall—Berge frowned. Having to look up was annoying.
"Where's Ugar?"
"Waiting inside."
Creeeak—
The tower door swung open.
Nine floors.
The tower that had reached eleven floors right before Berge's death was now stuck below two digits.
And the moment he scanned the interior, something felt off.
"A lot, huh?"
"Yes."
Monsters packed nearly to the limit.
After suddenly wanting to buy magic points, was this for summoning more beasts?
It wasn't just the first floor. All the way to the ninth-floor summit, the sheer number of monsters felt excessive.
The tower felt cramped because it hadn't been upgraded enough.
"My lord, I've brought Demon King Berge."
"I've been waiting."
Ugar sat on his throne, tapping a rising hologram. He'd bought a Ma-gye contract and stepped down.
"Take a look."
The terms matched what they'd discussed. Berge infused magic points and signed.
"Kokun."
"Yes."
"Bring the gold."
Kokun fetched a bulging pouch. Berge stored it in his subspace.
"Kidnapped a new princess, I hear?"
"Yeah."
"Hildean's princess."
"Precisely, Hildean's 13th princess. So frail she can't even do political marriages. The king doesn't care, so no big issues..."
Ah.
"Come to think of it, I'm curious. Would you call this un-Demon-King-like, or clever use of a loophole in the canon?"
"Well..."
His fingers drummed the table.
"If I had to say, the latter."
"Unexpected."
"Unexpected?"
"I figured you just hated the canon but were the epitome of an arrogant demon otherwise."
"Why?"
"You took on an Archduke and Drakson, right?"
"Fleeing a fight doesn't make you a demon."
"But the opponent was an Archduke."
"So you take one hit and cower in fear, obeying meekly? Scaredy-cat for such a big lug."
"Don't insult me. Chain of command is natural."
Ugar growled.
"I saw on the way in—you've stuffed the tower with way too many monsters. Buying magic points from me, suddenly kidnapping a princess..."
"Chasing magic points is a Demon King's duty. What's your point?"
"You're scared."
"...!"
"Scared of ending up like Drakson—beheaded by heroes, becoming plain old U/ga/r?"
"I'm Demon King Ugar! You think some human heroes can touch me?!"
Ugar slammed the desk. It shattered with a boom, fragments flying.
Thick killing intent rampaged across the floor like a bucking horse.
It had the dignity befitting a Demon King. So why did it feel like a frightened dog's bark?
History had changed. The future had changed.
All because of Berge's regression.
As he'd chosen and walked a different path, the Demon Kings' relationships and the humans' reactions had shifted too.
He'd forged no ties with False, but bonds with Frost.
The Beast, whose tower had reached sixteen floors unscathed, had died.
And the newly descended Vivian had stirred trouble with typical Demon King arrogance.
Humans raged, tensions between Demon Kings and humans escalated.
So.
At this point, with his ally Beast dead, how would the cowardly baldhead react?
Simple.
Just like this.
Panicking preemptively, overreacting.
"And yet that's the guy trying to buy magic points from me, staying quiet until now, then kidnapping a new princess. I hear not just Hildean's 13th, but Hesse's 8th prince too?"
"What's that got to do with anything? I said it already—Demon Kings crave magic points naturally."
"Stuffing the tower interior with monsters?"
"Weird to have monsters in a tower?"
"Too many, and it gets weird."
"Spit it out. Get to the point."
"Hmm."
Berge's lip curled up.
"You look like a scared little rat, Ugar."
"...!"
"A pathetic rat thrashing to survive, but no lifeline coming down."
"You little shit...!"
Ugar shot to his feet. His 5-meter-plus frame exuded sheer pressure on its own.
Berge calmly crossed his arms.
"You think graduating top of the academy lets you look down on me? I've been a Demon King for decades. A punk like you..."
"Out of all the princes and princesses, you always pick the bottom-rung ones no one cares about? Kingdoms might not ignore it entirely, but no need to overreact either."
"...How do you—?"
"Tough work. Picking those ambiguous targets requires groundwork, full consideration of situations and environments."
Simple in theory, hell in practice. Royal family dynamics, kingdom compromises—countless factors.
For a brute like Ugar to pull it off was impressive. Spoke to his survival instinct.
"If you want."
That's when Berge slowly dangled the bait.
"I could tell you."
"Tell me what?"
"All the princes and princesses I know of that fit your criteria."
"...!"
"In exchange, I have one condition."
He grinned. Ugar's pupils shook.