059. A Typical Demon King
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
In truth, he wasn’t.
Berge roughly wiped the blood trickling from his shoulder.
Who would’ve thought he’d run into Daphne Philian here of all places.
Daphne’s final arrow had pierced through the flames all too easily.
It had crushed his skin and burrowed into his flesh.
He’d nearly exposed his magic points from the exploding aura inside him. Even thinking back on it sent chills down his spine.
“That doesn’t look fine at all. You need treatment.”
The dripping droplets of blood had turned into a steady stream. As his robe stained red, Ernan hurriedly summoned Nairuniel.
“No need.”
“But…”
—She’s right. No need.
Nairuniel shoved her face into the wound. Berge grimaced in disgust.
“What the hell are you doing?”
—I’m just curious. What the heck did you eat?
Berge’s wound was regenerating—slowly, but steadily.
—You didn’t swallow a high spirit or a Spirit King, did you?
“You think that’s possible?”
—No, probably not.
—Spirits don’t make contracts with Demon Kings in the first place, and eating one’s impossible.
—But this energy feels even closer to a spirit’s…
—No way, a familiar?
Ignoring Nairuniel lost in her own thoughts, he examined his body. Real-time flesh regeneration was a realm of mystery even veteran Demon Kings couldn’t achieve. But it wasn’t all good.
‘The efficiency’s abysmal.’
Was it because the wound was fairly large, or due to the lingering aura interfering with the healing? An enormous amount of mana was being consumed in proportion to the regeneration.
He grumbled about the sheer inefficiency before quickly accepting it.
‘For a demon body to even use mana in the first place, I should be grateful.’
Once it had healed decently, he deliberately cut off the mana flow.
“It’s not fully healed yet.”
“Keep it up, and we’ll have to head back to the tower.”
He shed the torn section and draped a new robe from his subspace. Ernan stuck close by his side.
“Heading to the Diamond Demon Tower now?”
“Not yet. One stop first.”
“Where…?”
“Demon Kings have territories they must never trespass.”
“Humans are the same. There are lines you don’t cross.”
“Then you’ll understand quickly. No Demon King hands over kidnapped royalty to another Demon King.”
“Pride?”
“A matter of honor.”
“Sure, if the Diamond Demon King kidnapped her and we go to rescue only to find her gone, it’d be ridiculous. So you’re going by the book?”
“By the book?”
“Assembling a hero party or strike team to assault the tower. You must have some deal with the Diamond Demon King, so not a kill squad?”
“…That book.”
A brief trauma flashed through his mind.
“Right. We’ll form a strike team and officially assault the tower. In the process, you and I will be erased from existence, and the princess will be ‘rescued’ by the team.”
“Hillun Kargil as leader, and the Red Hawk mercenaries as the members?”
“Quick on the uptake.”
“But then Elena returns to the kingdom’s embrace.”
A rescued princess safely returning home was the ideal scenario everyone hoped for. But it wasn’t what Ernan wanted.
“The moment she returns to the kingdom is when the 13th princess gets kidnapped a second time.”
Having properly returned to the capital, neither Hillun nor the Red Hawks bore responsibility. At the peak of everyone’s relief and carelessness from their simultaneous return.
The perfect moment to strike.
“Can I do it?”
“…?”
“If you kidnap her, Elena will be shocked. She’s a fragile girl.”
“I get why you hate the kingdom so much now, but every time you pull this, I wonder if it’s all a trick.”
“I’ve never lied to you once.”
“If I’d known you were the 1st princess from the start, I wouldn’t have brought you.”
“I never said I was Elena.”
“You never denied it either.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“That’s a shocker. Me, not asking.”
Ernan averted her gaze from Berge.
They arrived at the city of Piller. Originally, Piller barely qualified as a city.
Perched midway up a mountain, transportation was inconvenient, and the surroundings were barren rock. Piller, once a simple slash-and-burn village, boomed into a metropolis after the Diamond Demon King settled in the range.
Heroes, knights, and mercenaries gathered one by one, drawing merchants eager to fleece them. As the population grew, the village officially became a kingdom city and expanded.
“Heroes everywhere. Heroes over there too. A damn hero den.”
The heroes, thanks to Phoenix’s power disguising him, didn’t sense Berge. But he felt the dimensional interference clinging to them.
“It’s a city for heroes.”
“Demon Kings used as a money-making gimmick. This dimension’s fucked up beyond repair.”
Not just Piller—all cities near towers were like this. Ormus especially made it a national industry.
Lamentable that Demon Kings conquering dimensions were exploited by humans instead.
“…I won’t say a word. Human or not, I need your help right now.”
Her pale fingers toyed with the necklace around her neck.
“Plus, I’ve got this. Who knows if an annoyed Demon King might just pop my head.”
“Sarcasm?”
“Sorry. Been a while since I’ve been out—got a bit excited.”
“Mercy once only.”
“I’ll be careful.”
Berge found the prearranged spot. The inn called “Star’s Haven” was fairly upscale and crowded.
“Welcome.”
“Reservation under Granada.”
“Ah, yes. They’re waiting. Right this way.”
The clerk led them to the annex, where Granada and the Red Hawk mercenaries waited.
“You’ve arrived.”
“Yeah.”
Berge scanned the mercenaries standing rigidly behind. Familiar faces, including Bark from his first entanglement.
“Not a single change.”
“As you know, their survival instincts are… exceptional. Excessively so.”
“Survival’s a plus for mercenaries. As long as they don’t ditch their duties and run.”
The mercenaries flinched. Berge snorted at his indirect warning. Ernan slightly lifted her robe and approached Granada.
“Lord Granada. Long time no see.”
“Long time? Who are you?”
Granada froze.
The face was different. But the unique mana, scent, aura—it was all the same.
“Exactly who you think.”
“…Have you lost your mind?”
He glanced at the Red Hawks and whispered.
“Bringing the princess out like this? What if she runs?”
“Won’t happen.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Think back to when you came to the tower with Hillun Kargil.”
“…Ah.”
“And that necklace is a leash. You think I’d step out without precautions?”
“…I’ll trust you know what you’re doing.”
“You’re getting naggy too. An elf thing?”
“Please don’t compare me to that darkie.”
Granada led them deeper into the annex, leaving the mercenaries behind.
Click. The door shut, and he poured three cups of tea. He wove a faint sound barrier with mana.
“Hillun Kargil?”
“Said he’d arrive from yesterday evening to morning, but no word yet.”
“Late.”
“He’ll be here soon. But really planning to conquer the tower with this crew? Can I even say this with a Demon King here?”
Granada eyed Ernan.
“Doesn’t matter.”
“I know you helped with the Beast Tower, but us leading the conquest is another issue, no?”
“The Demon King conquered the Beast Tower?”
“He did.”
“But same Demon King?”
“You’re all the same humans, yet you helped capture Hillun Kargil.”
“Demons have complicated interests too, huh. Sorry. Go on.”
Ernan brushed it off casually.
‘Am I the abnormal one?’
No Demon King had ever aided in killing another—not once in history. And the first time it happened, her reaction was less than hearing some bard’s good tune.
If not for his World Tree oath, Granada would’ve spread it everywhere.
“But back then, the tower was already damaged from the first hero raid. The second had tons of heroes too.”
“And now?”
“What’s there to say? Twenty Red Hawks, you, me, the princess, and Hillun Kargil. That’s it.”
“Sufficient. Deal’s already struck with Ugar Belbek.”
“Good to hear.”
“We won’t go past the third floor. The princess is inside, we rescue and extract.”
“Frozen like an ice statue, like the Frost Demon Tower?”
“Ugar’s problem. He’s not dumb enough to kill her outright—worry not.”
“Third floor, then…”
A Demon King’s tower meant even the third wasn’t trivial, but with a Demon King, advanced spirit summoner, and Hillun Kargil, it might work.
“Third floor…”
Ernan nodded firmly, steeling her resolve.
“One question?”
“Speak.”
“Not to speak ill with Ernan here, but why rescue Hildean’s 13th princess?”
Even climbing another Demon King’s tower for it.
“Ugar won’t hand her over easily out of pride.”
“Not what I meant.”
“She’s useful.”
“Word is she’s frail from birth, can’t do anything.”
“So it seems.”
Berge glanced at Ernan.
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Elena’s frail, true. An invalid, and most rumors are accurate. But she’s not useless.”
“Rumors wrong?”
“Rumors aren’t wrong. Just one lesser-known fact.”
“Which is?”
Knock knock—
Someone rapped outside. Before they could respond, the door burst open.
It was Hillun Kargil. And…
“Found you at last.”
A red-haired woman bared her teeth in a grin.
“…What the hell is this?”
“Rozel Charnt.”
“Not what I asked.”
“Sorry, couldn’t shake her.”
Berge pinched his brow. Late for a reason like this.
“Dragging her in front of everyone?”
“What’s going on?”
“What? Debt collector’s here.”
“Debt?”
“Ever seen such cheek? Promised two, give two—not eat one and run.”
“Yeah, was that.”
“Was that?”
“Forgot.”
“Forgot? Forgot you’re human too and I can just chuck this at your head?”
A blazing flame of unknown origin heated the air.
“I’ll give mana. Not hard.”
“Exactly—not hard, so more pissed.”
“But not now.”
“Fight me then?”
“Followed Hillun, so you know why he’s here.”
“Something about forming a strike team for a low-floor raid? But the team’s pathetic—just one merc group from what I saw.”
“That’s why not now.”
“Fine, got it.”
Rozel nodded.
“Then I’m coming too.”
“No need.”
“Need me. How know you won’t run? Or drop dead—worse.”
“I don’t die in trash towers like that.”
“Seen tons overflowing with confidence. More gone than still around.”
“Don’t lump me with those worms.”
“Funny now. Should be honored? Great Rozel Charnt joining your shabby raid?”
‘Definitely…’
Not bad.
He itched to snap her arrogant neck forcing a Demon King, but impossible.
Even all here couldn’t catch her. Might injure badly, but not stop escape.
Everything built so far would crumble after.
So Berge hid his fangs and properly considered her joining.
‘Could shake the leech and take our time.’
Rest days after paying, then attack. But why bother?
His goal wasn’t Hillun’s raid experience anyway. Just the narrative: heroes rescued princess, Hillun saved 13th.
Process irrelevant if result good.
‘Rozel wrecks? Not my tower.’
Damage on Ugar fully.
And Berge was a perfectly typical Demon King who hated seeing others thrive.
“Fine.”
“Finally talking sense.”
“Oh, by the way.”
She grinned.
“Heard ‘Diamond Demon Tower raid,’ brought whole Red Flame strike team. All coming.”
“Not bad at all.”
“Suddenly too nice—suspicious?”
“Respect for the great Rozel Charnt.”
“Love that!”
The Demon King and hero clasped hands, laughing.