<075. To Go Down in History>
The friend of the woman who had killed his kin was strong. Incredibly strong.
He had slain all the other chimeras that poured out, but that was the end of it.
Krutoo, drenched in blood, had no choice but to flee.
The surviving subordinates scattered in all directions at his command. Fortunately, the human and the monster pursued only Krutoo.
"Magic points. Magical beasts. Demons?"
His blood left traces on the pristine white snowfield, drawing a trail of gore.
Thud, thud, thud—
The massive chimera's footprints trampled over those traces.
I have to get to the Demon King.
That was the only way to survive.
It was instinct.
"Ahh."
For a brief moment, Krutoo let out a gasp and collapsed at the sight of a distant figure.
Whoosh—
Black flames dropped down, blocking the path between the chimera and Krutoo.
"Demon King!"
Krutoo cried out.
Berge flashed a displeased smirk.
"...I'm sorry. I failed to carry out your orders, my lord."
"Step back."
He brushed past the sniffling Krutoo and took a step forward. The chimera shook off the flames. The human perched on its shoulder muttered.
"A Demon King?"
Berge couldn't hold back the sigh that escaped him naturally.
What a pain.
His faint suspicion had been spot on.
He knew that face. Both before and after his regression.
He had hoped never to see it again, but perhaps this was the price for defying the canon. It seemed the first Mahwang had no intention of looking kindly upon him.
Petty bastard.
Enough with the pointless thoughts. Berge scanned her up and down.
Her long, pale purple hair, reaching down to her hips, was matted and filthy. Her red eyes, reminiscent of the chimera's, brimmed with pure passion and curiosity.
But that purity was madness.
Which was exactly why he could never deal with her.
What if I just kill her now?
No witnesses. No evidence.
She was practically disowned anyway—surely the kingdom would just shrug it off.
But they won't be clueless that she came all the way up here.
Her movements were too conspicuous. The kingdom at least knew she'd set foot in the Erjest Mountains.
What came after was anyone's guess, but even a slight lead would spell trouble.
"Does the Akan Kingdom know you came here?"
"You know me?"
"How could I not?"
"I don't know you."
"Does that matter?"
"No."
She shook her head.
"Father knows."
"Mother knows."
"Royal Knight Commander."
"Magic Tower Lord."
"Big sister, big brothers."
"Little siblings."
That was her answer to who knew.
At that point, it was safe to assume everyone knew.
"So you didn't sneak out this time?"
"Snuck out, yes. Little siblings. Sneaky."
"Little siblings?"
"Down there."
...Don't tell me.
Had Akan deliberately sent escorts after her?
If so, the knights would be searching too.
Akan was a magic kingdom, brimming with mages.
Given her willful nature, they'd surely attached skilled trackers.
A chill ran down his spine.
His instincts screamed that he needed to cut ties immediately.
Akan is a powerhouse even greater than Hildean.
Their magical forces were formidable enough to make the empire envious. Though they'd suffered losses at the Beast Tower, it was just a fraction compared to Akan's full might.
"That one."
She reached out a hand. Her pale white fingertip pointed straight at Krutoo.
"Give it to me."
"No."
"Why?"
Her finger now pointed at him.
"Need it."
"......"
What was he supposed to do with this infuriatingly pure princess?
The urge to kill surged again.
He glanced at Krutoo. Covered in wounds. The path he'd taken was unmistakably the scene of a desperate bloodbath.
Erasing all that would take considerable time.
Would killing her and cleaning up be faster, or would Akan's search party catch on to her escape first?
Either way, it was a gamble. Berge had no desire to risk his life over some loose screw like her.
The silver lining...
This spot was quite a distance from the tower. If he made a determined escape, they wouldn't follow.
The moment he finished that thought, he moved. He snatched Krutoo and spread his wings.
"Ah."
The princess, left alone, gaped blankly.
"......"
She climbed down from the chimera's shoulder. Treading the melted snow into slush, she searched for remnants of magic points.
Good.
"Magic points."
Good.
"Materials."
I want it.
Pure greed flickered in her eyes.
"Don't move for a while. Keep the orcs in check and avoid any clashes at all costs."
"Understood. Thank you for sparing my life."
After sternly warning Krutoo, he sent him back to the orc tribe.
Berge headed straight to the fourth floor to find Ernan.
"Do you know anything about Ravinia Akan?"
"Ravinia Akan? You mean Akan's third princess?"
"Yeah."
"Um, not to speak ill of a princess, but she's completely insane."
It was the first time he'd heard Ernan speak so bluntly. But Berge agreed with the assessment.
"What if someone killed her? What would happen?"
"I'd guess it'd trigger a hero dispatch."
"I heard she was a discarded child of the kingdom."
"From the king's perspective, maybe. But in the magical world, she's treated quite preciously, from what I know. You might not realize, but she's the foremost authority on chimera research."
"She's barely in her twenties, isn't she? I didn't think Akan was so short on talent."
"It's not a lack of talent—it's that no other mage has delved that deeply into chimera studies. Even researching monsters or magical beasts involves handling life itself, after all."
No matter how many mad mages there were, they couldn't help being sensitive about life.
Yet the chimera school persisted for one reason.
Studying magical beasts and monsters revealed their weaknesses one by one.
In the current demon-human dynamics, heroes played a big role, but chimera mages were no small factor either.
"A necessary evil, sort of. Of course, she's a genius too. The royal Magic Tower Lord of Akan has praised her, saying she'd have become a grand mage if she'd stuck to conventional magic."
Ernan tilted her head.
"But why ask all of a sudden...? Don't tell me?"
"It's exactly what you're thinking."
"...I've heard she wanders off alone sometimes to collect monsters or beasts, but I never imagined she'd come all the way to Erjest."
"Surprised me too."
"Not to the tower, I hope?"
"It's a good ways off."
"Phew, that's a relief. Why not just leave her be? Erjest is vast, full of monsters—she won't handle it alone. Better not to stir up trouble needlessly."
Berge shared the sentiment. A hollow chuckle escaped him then.
Having a chat like this with a princess. Something I could've never dreamed of before regression.
He'd long known he was changing. It could be for better or worse.
But so far, it had been right. Ernan's help had benefited him.
In any case, he prayed this ordeal would pass smoothly.
He wasn't ready to tangle with a nation like Akan yet.
"Now, spill it."
Luize crossed her legs and jerked her chin.
"I've delivered on all the promised rewards."
The compensation for rescuing the princess was far from stingy.
In Hillun's name, a weapons supply treaty had been signed between the Hero Guild and Berft Kingdom, and at his request, a portion would go to the Golden Moon Merchant Guild as well.
Personally, he'd gained the right to equipment crafted by the kingdom's top artisans, along with a hefty sum of gold.
Truth be told, all that was secondary. The real prize was fame. The story of saving a princess from a Demon King's abduction had spread across the continent in mere days.
Berft had deliberately leaked it at Hillun's insistence.
"Thank you."
"Gratitude's shown through actions, not words. Where's Roger Friedri?"
"Before that, may I ask one thing?"
"What now."
"Why are you looking for Roger?"
"Now you want my personal business too?"
"As you might guess, I've formed a decent bond with Roger. If your intent is to kill him, I can't tell you."
"Relax. I won't kill him."
"Then?"
"I'll lock him in a workshop and make him craft my gear for life."
Maybe snap a leg or two? So he can't run.
"...In that case, I can't tell you."
"Ha, you wanna go at it now? After taking everything I offered?"
"That's not what I mean."
"Roger Friedri disobeyed my orders and fled in the night. Capturing and punishing him is my rightful prerogative."
It wasn't flight—it was abduction.
"But if I fulfilled Your Highness's command, doesn't that absolve him of guilt?"
"You kidding? That's not how accounts work. Why act like you don't get it?"
Luize slammed the table. Tea splashed everywhere.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I'd like to mediate between Your Highness and Roger."
It was Hillun's unilateral decision, not Berge's order.
Roger Friedri was one of the top three master craftsmen in the dwarf kingdom—and the only hero artisan among them.
A talent who could infuse dimensional interference into weapons and armor. His gear fetched sky-high prices, and Hillun wanted it too.
But using him freely risked the dwarf kingdom's scrutiny.
Ask the Demon King, and he'd craft it for sure. Just alter or cover Roger's signature cloud mark.
But there were no guarantees it'd last forever.
Dwarves had sharp eyes for gear, and artisans who could embed interference were exceedingly rare.
All eyes would turn to it, and the Hero Guild and dwarf kingdom would act. Excuses would breed more excuses, and eventually, it'd be exposed. A distant future, perhaps, but inevitable without resolution.
"Mediation's fine. But I want one thing: custody of him."
"Threats and coercion won't make Roger cooperate. You know an artisan's stubbornness."
"Nah, Roger's the type who works best under duress."
"......"
His behavior in the tower did lean that way. But Hillun couldn't accept that reasoning.
"Will you at least hear my proposal first?"
"Look, I don't get why I'm negotiating with you over Roger, who's originally from Berft Kingdom. You're my benefactor, sure, but this feels overstepping."
"Don't you want revenge?"
"Revenge? Me? On who?"
"The Lust Demon King."
"......"
It had fizzled out, but it was still an abduction, and Luize had suffered for it. Would a prideful woman like her just let it slide?
No.
She'd be burning with the will to tear the Demon King limb from limb someday.
Luize Berft crushed Prince Max's head. She won't let this go either.
Berge hoped the Lust Demon King survived, but if Berft Kingdom went all-in, even he might not manage.
"I'll help you."
Rescuing the princess had brought immense fame, and more would follow.
But human greed knew no bounds.
Hillun didn't want to miss a chance to become even greater.
A hero who'd slain two Demon Kings made history. But one who'd hunted three? In a thousand years, none existed.
Hillun wanted to be that singular figure.
The one etched in history.
< 075. To Go Down in History > End