076. The Demon King Appears
"Don't talk nonsense."
Surprisingly, Luize denied it outright.
"No matter how you slice it, you're just asking me to lay the groundwork because you wanna step up yourself, right? Greedy bastard. Wasn't swallowing two Demon Kings enough for you?"
"It was sincere advice for Your Highness's sake, but I'm saddened if it came across that way."
"The best loyalty you can show is telling me where Roger is holed up."
She chugged the dark beer in big gulps. Stunned by her unexpected resolve, Hillun spilled the beans without a fight.
"He was in Volian."
"The Traparta Alliance? You swear it?"
"I swear."
It wasn't a lie. Back when they were gathering materials for the mana cannons, the Demon King and Roger had dropped by together.
"Tarta before, and now Volian? Slippery little rat."
"Tarta?"
"Mind your own business."
"Are you really sure you don't want revenge?"
"Seems like you're itching for it more than me."
"I'd never."
Luize called time on the guest.
"That's it for tonight. You're dismissed."
Hillun vanished. Luize, who'd been putting on such a show, irritably hurled her mug to the floor.
"...Close call."
She'd almost bitten.
Why wouldn't she want revenge on the Lust Demon King?
She was holding back.
Because playing hero wasn't that simple.
With nations and people all tangled up in the mess...
No, that was all excuses.
She was just watching her old man's mood. She'd already caused a huge mess in Ormus once, so she was playing it safe.
'And anyway...'
From the moment the Demon King tried to kidnap her, her old man would demand payback one way or another.
It hadn't gone off, so he wouldn't go full hero mode as a last resort, but he'd vent his rage somehow.
'Satisfy him with that for now...'
Hillun Kargil's proposal wouldn't be a bad card to play later, when the time was right.
"Ah."
Luize chuckled hollowly as she reached for more beer to wet her throat, only to spot the mug rolling on the floor.
She'd already spilled it all.
Hotenwork was the front line blocking monsters from the Erjest Mountains.
The harsh terrain where monsters gathered, and the standard gateway to the Erjest Mountains.
Soldiers were permanently stationed there, alongside plenty of mercenaries looking for work.
A few days ago, some oddballs had shown up among the mercenaries.
"The lord handed over the castle?"
"Who the hell are they? A prince or something?"
A force numbering at least two hundred. Knights and mages mixed in—they didn't look ordinary to anyone.
No flags, no crests, but the lord himself came out to greet them.
Handing over the entire lord's castle and treating them like royalty? It wasn't just rumors.
The townsfolk of Hotenwork were dying of curiosity.
"No reason for a prince to show up, right?"
"They do pop in for trials sometimes."
"But His Majesty's still fit as ever?"
Hotenwork was one of the most dangerous spots in the Korzen Kingdom, so princes and princesses occasionally visited to test their mettle as heirs.
"But if it was a prince, why hide who they are?"
"Exactly."
It was a rite to prove themselves, so royals always made a big entrance. Not like these castle-squatters.
As the mystery deepened, the lord's soldiers flipped the whole town upside down with frantic shouts.
"Search everywhere!"
"What the hell is this?!"
"Lord's orders. We're looking for someone—cooperate."
"You seen this woman? Yes or no."
"No."
"Lie and you'll face the wrath of the law."
"Why would I lie? What's she got to do with me?"
Streets, shops, houses—everywhere with people, or without, got combed through.
Then, traces turned up.
"Y-yeah, I have. North square..."
"Saw her lurking near the north wall."
"Asked if she could leave—said she couldn't alone."
"Told her to get a permit from the lord, and haven't seen her since."
Right after.
Screeech—
The north gate swung open.
The two hundred guests who'd come to Hotenwork filed out.
"Sis really headed up Erjest."
Akan's fifth prince clutched his throbbing head.
"What's so hard about waiting a bit? Not a place to rush into."
He frowned at the knee-deep snow swallowing his legs.
"Wish we could ride horses."
No steed, no matter how fine, could gallop these snow peaks.
"Shall we rest a moment, Your Highness?"
"No. Found sis's trail?"
"Yes. Lucky no blizzard—search should be smooth."
The princess moving openly with her chimeras helped.
"Ugh, sis really. No fear at all. Heading which way?"
"Upward."
Chopped-up monster corpses littered the path. Blood drew more beasts to pile on.
The fifth prince muttered uneasily.
"This okay? These monsters ain't pushovers..."
"Her chimeras outmatch most monsters. She won't go down easy."
"There's a Demon King up this mountain, right?"
"Yes. That's why she wanted Erjest."
"And why His Majesty approved."
No Demon King had ever hidden their tower this long.
Demon King towers were supposed to be easy to spot—making it simpler for humans to take them down.
But Erjest's was different.
What seemed obvious wasn't. Humans couldn't punish him for his crimes.
Even with a nation's heir kidnapped, they failed to slay the Demon King and rescue her.
Small scale: Hildean Kingdom's issue. Big picture: every kingdom's problem.
Would it happen again?
Jespain Empire's ninth imperial princess, Hildean's thirteenth princess—the kidnappings fueled those fears.
'Your role's crucial. Find the tower, no matter what. Even if you don't kill him right away, finding it gives us control.'
'Or we'll be dragged around by Demon Kings forever.'
He recalled His Majesty's orders.
No one wanted that.
Luckily, Akan had a tool: Ravinia Akan.
Genius chimera maker, more attuned to magic points than any human—despite not being a hero.
The king believed she'd sniff out the tower.
Her sensitivity to magic points outstripped heroes'—common knowledge.
Perfect timing: Ravinia was curious about the new Demon King, and Korzen agreed to share intel for cooperation.
Base at Hotenwork, methodically scour Erjest.
But Ravinia couldn't wait and bolted.
"She won't run into the Demon King, right?"
"Demon Kings don't leave towers unless kidnapping royalty."
"Sis is royalty."
"...But how would the Demon King know?"
"Problem is, sis ain't hiding who she is."
"You think the Demon King chats?"
"Who knows."
"...We'll pick up the pace."
"Good call."
The knight captain barked orders. Mages cast buffs to clear paths easier.
But Erjest wasn't forbidden for nothing.
Hillun Kargil and hundreds of heroes hadn't found the tower for a reason.
And they were chasing Ravinia Akan's blatant trail.
Straight-line blood road, monsters slain.
Blood scent drew packs like wolves.
Nearly two hundred humans? Prime prey.
Fighting nonstop.
"Your Highness, we should retreat first."
"...Gotta find sis!"
The prince shook troll blood from his sword. He caressed his dented armor, blocking an orc's blade from the flank.
"Casualties mounting. We rushed in unprepared. Erjest ain't a joke!"
The knight captain unleashed massive aura, cleaving monsters. Mages blanketed them in spells.
Blood thickened the air.
Huge blasts echoed off the peaks.
Smell, sound, sight.
Battle stimulated monster senses, calling more. Vicious cycle.
The prince bit his lip.
"...Sis."
"Princess'll be fine. You know that."
Her chimeras reeked of something monsters hated. Kept her safe through crazy stunts—but not foolproof.
No magic's perfect.
"Have faith for now."
"...Yeah."
"Retreat!"
"Retreat! Lightning spells to paralyze, break through rear!"
That instant.
Boom!
Something black plummeted from the sky. It crushed a roaring Frost Orc's torso and bellowed.
Monsters hesitated at the thick malice wafting off it.
"Sis!"
The prince spotted the princess perched on the chimera's shoulder.
"Cain. Why?"
"'Cause you snuck off, duh!"
"Soon."
"Soon my ass. Erjest some picnic hill? Why solo it?"
"Hurry. Monsters."
Ravinia's eyes swept the beasts. They flinched at the chimera's ominous aura—but not for long.
Bloodlust and battle numbed reason; instinct would override soon.
"Charge!"
"Break through straight to Hotenwork!"
Knights' auras merged as one. Mages layered spells atop.
───!
The massive aura ram pulverized a monster flank.
Screams roused more. Battle reignited.
Cain climbed the chimera's opposite shoulder.
"Other chimeras in subspace? Pull 'em all—safer..."
"Dead."
"...Pardon?"
Cain was one of the few who could talk casually to Ravinia, knowing her best.
Dozens dormant in subspace—all dead?
"...Erjest, huh."
"Orcs. Tough."
"Orcs took 'em all?"
'Frost Orcs, but still...'
Frost Orcs beat regular orcs, but wipe her chimeras?
"Hundreds swarm ya?"
"One."
"Just one?"
Impossible.
"Strong orc. Horn head."
"...Horn? That's no orc."
"Orc."
"No, horns mean..."
"Orc."
"...Yeah, orc."
Cain nodded awkwardly at her firm gaze.
"Sis, behind."
Cain thrust his sword, slicing a Frost Harpy's wing aiming for her. It screeched, plummeting. The chimera's huge foot crushed it flat.
"Careful."
"Yeah."
"So what happened to that orc? You run?"
"Lost it."
"Lost it?"
"Just before."
"Just before?"
"Demon King."
"Ah, Demon King showed up?"
"Yeah."
"Got it. Demon King took the orc and..."
Cain's jaw dropped. Knights and mages around the chimera snapped their gazes over.
"What showed up?!"
"Demon King."
"Demon King took the orc?"
"Yeah."
"My god...!"
Found it!
While Akan's humans reunited with their runaway princess, Berge watched from afar.
"Looks like two hundred."
Crests wiped clean, but the familiar aura lingered.
'When I went to kill Drakson.'
Lots of Akan mages and knights had joined. Big feats, big losses—but as a major power, they'd rebuilt well.
'Sending them means...'
They're serious this time.
'About what?'
They didn't know where his tower was. Hadn't even properly explored Erjest.
They knew that. So why send such force?
'Leading with that headache of a girl.'
Thoughts chained into a conclusion.
'Hunt the tower?'
Ravinia Akan: chimera mage. Made magic lifeforms from monsters and beasts.
Had to be steeped in magic points. In hero-filled Alein with no necromancers left, none knew it better.
Different from heroes who just recoiled from it.
'So they're using her to find my tower?'
Just a hypothesis.
But his instincts screamed yes.
Every possibility pointed there.
'Ha.'
Berge let out a hollow laugh.
'Fine, I've held back plenty.'
After one failed hero stunt, he'd kidnapped two more princesses—no reaction? Weird.
'My answer's simple.'
Like with Hillun Kargil's hero band, like with Daphne Philian.
'Send 'em home empty-handed.'
Berge vanished.