< 090. Either Way >
Raymond couldn't comprehend Ravinia Akan's words.
He'd thrown a fit, insisting they had to escape right away, but instead of persuading him further, she'd had Cher drag him before the Demon King.
"...Y-You're the Flame Demon King!"
"Choose. Make golems and get rewarded, or..."
"What makes you think I'd betray humanity for the Demon King just to live in luxury?!"
"Looks like there's a misunderstanding. The reward I'm talking about isn't luxury."
"...Then?"
"Your life."
"...Hic."
"I'll let you live."
And so a brief conversation (threat) continued.
"Do it."
"But, Your Highness, I can't help the Demon King...!"
"Do it."
"But."
"Die?"
"......"
"Order. Do it."
With Ravinia Akan piling on the command, Raymond finally backed down.
Ravinia and Raymond headed amicably down to the first floor's Demon World Workshop.
And Raymond was stunned.
"...My God. What are you doing here?"
Roger Friedri.
Raymond gaped at the arrival of a master craftsman counted among the top three in the Berft Kingdom.
From the perspective of a golem sorcerer like him, Roger was naturally an unavoidable authority—the pinnacle of the field.
"...Ahem."
Receiving respect for the first time since entering the Demon King's Tower, he cleared his throat awkwardly. After some deliberation, he decided to brazen it out.
"Is it so strange that I'm here?"
"This is the Demon King's Tower!"
"A craftsman doesn't discriminate by location."
"Location's one thing, but demons are another! And you're a hero, no less!"
"...Prejudices like that need to be eradicated."
"...What the hell does that mean."
But that wasn't the end of it. The Demon King's Tower, which should have been crawling with monsters and demons, was instead packed with mana cannons—not a monster in sight.
"Don't tell me all these are your work?"
"Yes. And now you'll be adding golems to the mix."
"My God..."
Raymond clutched his face and slumped to the floor. He couldn't believe this horrific reality.
"Didn't it ever occur to you that heroes would die to the mana cannons you made?"
"If I don't, my head rolls first—before any heroes die to the cannons. Same goes for you."
"...That's."
"You've already talked it over with His Majesty, haven't you?"
"...Akan's golem-making tech is the world's best! It's top secret!"
"No secret holds up against death. Just give up and go with the flow. You'll feel better."
Roger wore the expression of a man who'd seen it all.
"...So, what exactly do I need to do?"
Raymond resigned himself.
Fine. If the kingdom's top dwarf craftsman and hero was serving the Demon King, what was stopping him?
Besides, he had the princess's orders. A vassal followed their lord's commands—that was only natural.
And so Raymond entered the Demon World Workshop.
His awe at its utterly alien grandeur compared to human workshops was short-lived.
"...So what is it I have to do?"
"Make the golem core with magic points, not mana."
"...A golem core with magic points? That's impossible!"
"Do it."
"Your Highness! This isn't about whether I can or can't—it's fundamentally...!"
"Do it. Already. Paid."
"......"
Having kidnapped Ravinia Akan and the golem sorcerer, Berge turned his attention even more to Hotenwork.
What Cain and the Akan group would do next was paramount.
But fortunately, the world sided with Berge.
Ravinia Akan had a history of sneaking out of the palace to satisfy her whims and wandering off on her own.
She'd ventured alone into monster-infested wilds and, more recently, been found at the Beast Tower.
So they chalked this up to another of her escapades.
Ravinia Akan's deviation.
They hadn't even put in a request with the Hero Guild or gone around proclaiming the Demon King had kidnapped their princess.
They just quietly withdrew.
"Then bring the elves. Watch out for prying eyes."
Of course, he couldn't let his guard down completely. Human hearts were fickle—they might see it as mere deviation now, but twist it into a Demon King kidnapping for the kingdom's honor later.
Vigilance was always necessary.
The communication orb that had shown Granada now displayed Hillon Kargil.
"I heard the gist."
"You seem eager to step up."
"Jessica Horton, huh."
She was indeed an exceptional hero and a princess of great renown. There was even talk that if not for her strained sibling relations, the king wouldn't hesitate to sideline her despite her higher prestige.
'Hmm.'
Berge pondered.
For Hillon Kargil's sake, and for Reina Sordain's, he should block it.
Even before his regression, the White Eagle and Gillian Aint had tried to seize the Frost Demon Tower and farm it like a ranch.
Hadn't Gillian Aint asked Jessica Horton for help back then?
Hadn't she used her circumstances as an excuse to call in other heroes?
No.
'The one who stepped up back then was probably...'
Daphne Philian.
Daphne hadn't assembled a strike team or commanded forces, but he'd shone brilliantly on his own.
But the result?
Defeat. He'd troubled the underestimated Reina Sordain, only to fail against her wrath after she got aid from Jason.
'High chance of failure this time too.'
Even if Hillon Kargil joined instead of Daphne Philian, it wouldn't change. Hillon wasn't fully realized yet.
Berge's prediction: failure.
Reina Sordain would win in the end. For Hillon's reputation, opposing it was right.
But.
'Is that really the best move?'
He imagined Hillon Kargil failing.
Heroes were like rampaging gladiators.
Victories built fame and authority, but one loss could strip it all away.
If Hillon Kargil hadn't killed the Lust Demon King, guaranteeing his future, he'd have been out after failing to find Berge's tower.
Alein had no shortage of replacements.
'But Hillon Kargil's different from the rest.'
Could a hero who'd absorbed two Demon Kings be ordinary?
He'd kept his Star status despite fumbling the tower in the Erjest Mountains because he'd slain the Lust Demon King.
One more failure wouldn't be catastrophic. Sure, he'd take heat, but that was his burden.
'This guy's gotten cockier lately.'
Ever since killing Drakson and becoming an Argan, he'd been full of himself.
Time to knock him down a peg and remind him who was master and who servant.
"No."
But for now, he held him back.
"Reina Sordain's stronger than you imagine. The risks outweigh the gains."
He knew that wouldn't break Hillon's will—that way, when his wings got clipped after more insistence, the fall would hurt more.
"Still want to?"
"Then do it."
Hillon blinked.
"You wanted to, right?"
Quick-witted bastards were annoying.
"Not going if it's suspicious? I'm telling you, I'm not intervening directly."
"You'll find out when you face it. Whether you break through and become the great hero you want—or a pathetic failure—is up to you."
Silence fell briefly. But Hillon soon nodded.
"Hope so."
Hillon bowed slightly. The communication cut off.
"Thanks my ass. I'm the grateful one."
Berge's lips curved up.
He quickly manipulated the orb.
"Reina Sordain. I've got some very useful info for you."
It wasn't just personal grudge against Hillon—he didn't wish for his failure out of spite.
Failure was more likely than success. But Berge wanted gains even from failure.
'If I use this to indebt Reina?'
If Hillon still succeeded despite that, it'd be a win too.
'At Hillon's level, he won't die easily unless he reaches the tower top and faces Reina directly.'
Either way.
Berge would be the one laughing.
"Isn't His Majesty actually the biggest canon lover of all?"
As they reached the fifth floor, Gordon wore a sullen expression.
"What bullshit is that?"
"I'm saying this while you're kidnapping yet another princess. No issues with your usual complaints?"
"Not entirely issue-free, but close enough."
"...What does that mean?"
"Officially, Ravinia Akan wasn't kidnapped. She just ditched her group on her own."
"......"
How the hell does that even work?
The princess ditched her group herself?
In the Erjest Mountains?
Is she insane?
He had a million questions. But Gordon boiled it down to one.
"...You picked up another weirdo princess."
"Normal ones wouldn't cooperate with a Demon King."
"...Fair point."
It made a twisted sort of sense.
"Ravinia Akan and the golem sorcerer will help Roger make golems. She's the human most versed in magic points, so we'll get answers."
"I see. So Akan's fully retreated?"
"Yeah."
"Good."
Gordon sighed in relief.
Berge had been bustling about, and the tower's family was growing one by one.
But still, the first floor's cannons and weird princesses were all they had. Gordon couldn't trust them.
"Earlier, we got word from the Golden Moon Merchant Group."
"What?"
"Routine report. Weapons prices have peaked, so they're selling everything. And reaching into new ventures..."
"Tell them not to sell."
"Pardon?"
"Northern barbarians are picking a fight with Reina. Hillon Kargil's joining too. The situation'll drag on awhile."
"Hillon Kargil? Not going after you next, is he...?"
"Nah. Opposite this time. Fixing that uppity hero's attitude."
"My favorite of Your Majesty's plans."
Gordon smiled faintly.
"Ah, one suggestion?"
"Speak."
"Golden Moon and Hillon Kargil are settled now. How about filling the tower properly?"
"We are."
"Not princesses. Demon King-style! Demon King-ish!"
"Was planning that soon anyway."
"Really?"
Gordon brightened.
"Yeah. Balrocs on the second floor."
"......"
"Can't wait to see the faces on heroes who survive the mana cannon barrage."
Right.
He had zero intention of following canon.
Gordon muttered a quiet curse.
"New princess arrived."
"Saw her."
He'd only glimpsed her during training—just passing by. The massive demon trailing her was impressive, though.
'Ravinia Akan.'
How shocked she'd been when the Demon King brought her.
No royal from empire or kingdom wouldn't know her.
The Akan king's sore spot.
And the kingdom's treasure.
That duality defined her best.
"Akan Kingdom won't sit idle."
The king might secretly be relieved, but the magic tower wouldn't.
"Worried about His Majesty?"
"...Is that how it seems?"
'Worried about the Demon King? Me?'
No way.
If he died, she'd be free of this tower—and without tarnishing the empire's honor.
But she nodded faintly.
"I am His Majesty's knight."
A knight's oath symbolized honor and loyalty. Could she call herself a knight if she broke it herself?
Demon King or not. Semi-forced or not.
She'd sworn it with her own mouth. For at least five years, she'd be the Demon King's most devoted knight.
"Perfect Dark Knight material, as expected."
"...About that, I have words."
"Yes."
"His Majesty never wanted Four Heavenly Kings..."
"Oh, right. No need to worry."
"No, it's not that—Four Heav—""His Majesty said Ravinia Akan wasn't kidnapped."
"...What does that mean?"
"Voluntary enlistment, not kidnapping."
"That could be possible..."
He didn't get it, but it clicked.
Ravinia Akan had wanderlust. Last spotted at the Beast Tower.
"What do you think?"
"Pardon?"
"Ravinia Akan's a chimera maker. The continent's best."
"No idea what you're getting at."
"Four Heavenly Kings. Dark Spirit Summoner."
Ernan's finger pointed at her.
"Dark Knight."
Then at Kaede.
"Hell Giant."
Toward the first floor last.
"And Death Legion Commander."
"...You really."
"Really?"
"Must be insane."
More than Luize Berft or Ravinia Akan.
"That's rude."
"Light compared to you deceiving me."
"I arranged a glorious position."
"Hardly."
"But you're undeniably the Dark Knight now?"
"One missing from the Four Heavenly Kings won't cause much fuss."
"Didn't you call yourself His Majesty's knight? A knight's naturally a Dark Knight. Gonna break your oath?"
"...Haa."
Kaede stood, wiped her sweat roughly, and gripped her sword again.
"Need to continue training. Please leave."
"Rude to do side stuff mid-important talk."
"Not important, and you came during training."
"Skip the trivialities."
"Yes, so will you leave?"
She swung her sword.
But Ernan didn't budge. She squatted, watching the blade slice air.
"When we left to kidnap Elena. Until she reached the palace and the banquet... we had a breather. His Majesty permitted it, so I heard rumors from my info broker. Oh, disguised, so he didn't know I was a princess."
Kaede ignored her. But Ernan continued undeterred.
"Jespain Empire's Eighth Imperial Prince died. Heard his horse went berserk and he fell to his death... Wasn't he an Aura Intermediate knight?"
"......!"
Kaede's sword halted.
< 090. Either Way > End