< 093. Warning >
Hillon Kargil set off for the northern snowfields alongside Granada and the Red Hawk strike team.
It meant time had passed—and that the Tower Harmony, scheduled for a month later, was drawing near.
But he couldn't help wondering if they could actually hold the Tower Harmony.
Vivian Blunt had been holed up in her tower without showing her face since spouting her nonsense, and Reina Sordain was currently locked in war with the White Eagles, leaving her no room to leave her tower.
『I gave it some thought. Whether it would be right to hold the Tower Harmony with just the four of us excluding Lady Reina, or if we should postpone it.』
"Didn't we say it's only natural to postpone if there are circumstances?"
『We did, but the humans' movements have been suspicious lately. What Lady Vivian did, and Lady Reina too.』
『I thought we needed to gather and discuss countermeasures.』
That much was true.
"The strike team attacked Vivian's tower, right?"
『Yes. But since no princess was kidnapped, they stopped at a moderate level.』
They hadn't kidnapped a princess—which was unfortunate for her, but fortunate in a way.
No, that bitch probably just sees it as straight-up bad luck.
Vivian thought she could've safely escaped this shithole dimension if she'd succeeded.
In any case, thanks to that, the humans were buzzing like a kicked beehive right now.
"So, what's the conclusion?"
『A gathering that started with five must end with five. I don't think it's right to hold the Tower Harmony while excluding Lady Reina, who's consistently worked for it.』
They were postponing the Tower Harmony, in the end.
I'd hoped we'd go through with it if possible.
Even with his regression, the current Alein was far different from the past. The small breeze he'd stirred had grown into a massive storm.
There would be quite a gap between the past he knew and the present the other Demon Kings knew.
If only it weren't for my tower.
『That's why. Though it's not the Tower Harmony, I'd like to arrange a separate meeting with you, Lord Berze.』
"With me?"
『We've agreed to cooperate, but we haven't actually done anything concrete, have we?』
『I have something to say about that.』
"What you want to say?"
『It doesn't seem like something to discuss over communication.』
Jason on the other side of the communication orb was smiling. As always.
Berze racked his brain, trying to recall what Jason wanted to say.
But nothing specific came to mind.
Before his regression, Jason at this point hadn't done much of note. Aside from lending Reina Sordain a massive amount of magic points soon after and using that debt to turn her practically into one of his limbs.
If I don't know, it doesn't mean he did nothing.
He hadn't known back then. Berze had been arrogant, dictatorial, egocentric.
He hadn't cared what Jason was up to or how he was conquering Alein.
Not even.
Why Jason was called the False Demon King.
Or what his race even was.
It hadn't seemed important at the time.
But now it was different.
Jason was definitely up to something. And it wasn't conventional. Not by the book.
If Berze kept going as he was, Jason was the one he'd clash with most.
He had to figure out Jason's direction, his goal. It was essential.
"Fine."
『Should I come to you? Or will you come here, Lord Berze?』
"I'll go."
Like a general heading to the battlefield.
Berze steeled his resolve.
The False Tower he revisited looked exactly the same as before.
Extravagantly ornate, teeming with more monsters and demons than ever.
Succubi guided him to the top of the tower.
He sat at Jason's round table and waited.
"It's been a while."
"It's been a while, Lord Berze."
"Even more monsters now, huh?"
"Thanks to you, Lord Berze. Ah, care for some tea?"
"Gladly."
A succubus maid brought tea, along with simple refreshments.
"So, what is it you wanted to say?"
"Do we have to rush into it?"
He smiled, removed the floating tea leaves, and lightly stirred with a teaspoon.
"Truth be told, I thought you wouldn't last long, Lord Berze."
Berze calmly asked at the sudden jab.
"Why's that?"
"I keep an ear out for news from Ma-gye. Because I think it's necessary, even if it takes a lot of magic points."
"If it's because you heard what I did in Ma-gye, that's not surprising."
"And right after arriving, you kidnapped Hildean Kingdom's crown princess. I'm still curious how you navigated that mess."
"Got lucky."
"That's what you said. Do you still have confidence the humans won't catch on?"
"Depends on what they do."
Crack—
Jason snapped a hard cookie in half.
"Do you have an adjutant?"
"What's your angle? Is there a Demon King without one?"
"Since you graduated top of Demon King Academy, your adjutant must be top of the training academy too. What race?"
"Dark elf."
"Dark elves. Skilled in magic, sharp minds—perfect for managing a tower. Good choice for an adjutant."
Berze set down his teacup. A strange sense of déjà vu, irritation, washed over him.
Today's Jason was different from usual. This was only their second face-to-face, but they'd talked several times via communication.
"Why are you so curious about my adjutant?"
"Your adjutant must be a high demon, right?"
"You know no one but a high demon could presume to be an adjutant."
"No other high demons serve you except the adjutant."
"Get to the point."
"I've been thinking about Lord Drakson's death these past few days."
"And?"
"The Drakson I knew wasn't one to lie outright, even if he bent the truth."
"You're saying the high demon who invaded his territory is telling the truth?"
"Yes."
"Who?"
Hmm. Jason rested his chin on his hand. His nonchalant gaze met Berze's.
"Could be Lord Ugar, or Lady Reina. And I'm keeping you in mind as a possibility too, Lord Berze."
"It wasn't me. My adjutant doesn't leave the tower. You won't say you don't know that."
"Generally, yes. But it doesn't have to be a high demon, does it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Demon King."
He smiled.
"What if the Demon King went themselves, and Lord Drakson mistook them for a high demon in the heat of the moment?"
"……."
Berze exercised superhuman patience against the stabbing blade.
He forced himself to respond calmly.
"A Demon King invading another Demon King's territory? That doesn't make sense."
"Same for a high demon. And Luize Berft."
Jason dabbed his mouth with a napkin.
"The princess of Berft was there. And a prince named Max Ormus."
Berze drummed his fingers on the table.
"So?"
"They came to kidnap the prince or princess, things went south, they failed. And that butterfly effect led Drakson to kill the prince."
Pretty plausible reasoning, no?
The problem was.
"Lady Reina, Lord Ugar, and you, Lord Berze—all of you have directly kidnapped royalty."
"So you're suspecting all three of us in the end. Back to square one."
"Exactly. But it doesn't really matter who did it."
"Why not?"
"If it's true, kidnapping royalty is just what Demon Kings do. Even if someone got caught up unluckily in the process, you can't blame the Demon King who attempted it, right?"
As long as it wasn't intentional harm toward Lord Drakson.
The added line was even chillier.
"That's why I like to just let it slide."
"What do you mean?"
"As I said, whoever did it, it's just doing what we naturally should. Drakson was the one who misunderstood and caused trouble—not the others' fault."
No.
Invading another's territory without permission was clearly crossing the line.
"And Lord Alkain Daegong wouldn't want disputes between Demon Kings either."
He changed the subject.
"How's the 100,000 gold I gave you being put to use?"
Berze met his eyes. Those ever-smiling eyes gave no hint of his thoughts.
The eerie discomfort grated on his nerves.
"Very well."
"If it's not rude, may I ask how you're using it?"
"It is rude."
"I see."
Silence fell after that. The only sounds in the quiet were their sips of tea.
Berze broke it first.
"You keep beating around the bush—so why did you want to see me? To piss me off?"
"Of course not. Didn't we promise cooperation? To help each other."
"Help?"
"War is coming."
"War?"
"Well, not a huge one. A massive mine will be discovered in the Philerium Mountains, and the Southern Alliance and Empire will fight over interests. Quite a bit of blood will flow."
"You're giving that to me?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Didn't I say? Cooperation. I'll help you, Lord Berze, and I hope you'll help me. And for that, I want you to solidify your position even more."
Was this the carrot and the stick?
Berze bit his lip at the feeling of being tamed.
"If you don't want it…."
"No, I'll take it."
"Wise choice."
The conversation after that was like a melon without seeds—neither useful nor enjoyable.
A while later, Berze stood. He tore open space and created a portal back to his tower.
"Farewell. I look forward to seeing you again."
"Yeah."
"Ah."
Jason clapped his hands.
"I have another question…."
Berze shrugged.
"Forgot."
"Playing childish pranks."
Berze growled, slipping the rest of his body through the rift in space.
The space sealed shut.
Crunch—
Jason chewed a cookie. The sweet chocolate flavor was decent.
Ptoo—
He spat it out. Too sweet after all.
"Where the hell is he spending all those magic points he racked up…."
Summoning monsters leaves records. Through Alkain Daegong, Jason had confirmed no monsters or demons had been summoned to Berze's tower.
He'd kidnapped three princesses and repelled heroes—should be plenty of magic points.
Jason leaned back in his chair.
"Since you don't seem keen to answer, I'll hold off for now."
"And my desire to visit your tower."
What could be in that tower standing in the Erjest Mountains?
He was terribly curious.
"…He caught on?"
He had.
It was a guess, and he'd dragged in the other Demon Kings alongside pinpointing Berze.
But Jason was close to the truth.
He'd sniffed out that Berze had invaded Drakson's territory.
Yet he'd said he wanted to cover it up.
And thrown him a carrot called war.
"He hasn't figured out everything."
Maybe he really thought, as he'd said himself, 'went to grab royalty, things went wrong.'
No, that had to be it.
If he knew Berze had climbed the tower and contributed to killing Drakson, he wouldn't have so casually suggested covering it up.
Even though territory was invaded, it wasn't intentional, so let's move past it—that lax attitude.
So this is…
A warning.
The nape of his neck throbbed.
He'd known for a while that Jason was scheming something big.
Berze's moves on his chessboard didn't sit well. So he'd quietly summoned him: behave, take what I give you.
This damn bastard dares to…!
Berze ground his teeth.
After regressing, he'd never imagined something like this.
But he didn't bare his fangs like he would have right after regressing.
He only knows fragments.
He didn't know Berze had turned Hillon Kargil into a complete puppet, or that Granada and the elves were the same.
Or that the tower was guarded by mana cannons and princesses instead of monsters.
Or that Berze, with the phoenix's power, could roam the continent far more naturally than other demons.
He didn't know.
Bringing up the money…
He might even know about the Golden Moon Merchant Guild.
But he couldn't imagine Armani's Orb was embedded in Hillon Kargil's head.
He'd just see it as Berze playing dark lord games.
Berze had to grow his power from that blind spot.
"Still…."
Tsk. He clicked his tongue.
"If you're giving a carrot, make it something I don't know."
Unfortunately, this carrot was something he already knew about.
Though a bit earlier than before. It was originally supposed to happen years later.
"Jason must've pulled some strings."
Or maybe it was a war he'd intentionally stirred up from the start.
End of < 093. Warning >
