095. The Alliance and the Empire
A single piece of information flew into the capital of the Barkat Kingdom.
"There's a mana stone vein in the Pillerium Mountains?"
"Yes, I saw it with my own two eyes! Here's the proof!"
The Pillerium Mountains were crawling with monsters and fraught with danger, but mercenary bands occasionally ventured in for the promise of riches.
The mercenary presented the mana stones he'd supposedly mined himself, and word of this major mineral discovery quickly reached Pablo Barkat, the crown prince of the kingdom.
"I'll go check it out myself."
"But, Your Highness."
"We have to verify if it's real or fake. I'm the only one who can scout the Pillerium Mountains without issue."
"Your escort..."
"Too troublesome. The more people, the more monsters swarm us."
Pablo took the mercenary who'd first discovered the vein as his guide and slipped away to the Pillerium Mountains in secret.
"Right here."
"A cave?"
"Yes. Follow the path straight in, and you'll reach a massive cavern. The mana stones are below it."
"Monsters?"
"Plenty, but in front of Your Highness..."
"The mana stones are real, right?"
"Who would dare lie to you?"
The cave stretched on endlessly, sloping downward into the depths.
"When does this cavern show up?"
"We need to go deeper."
"This deep?"
"That's why it hasn't been found until now."
Bats fluttered about. Kobolds dwelling in the cave brandished rusted blades at the intruders, only to have their throats slit.
"Why'd you come all the way down here?"
"We heard there was a basilisk..."
Kwaaaah—
A monstrous roar echoed through the cave. The source of the heavy, thudding vibrations was none other than the basilisk they'd just mentioned.
"...It really is here."
The massive basilisk exhaled its breath. The petrifying blast that turned everything to stone was terror incarnate.
Pablo swung his greatsword. He charged through the petrifying breath and jammed his blade into the beast's maw.
Kwaaaahhh—
The creature thrashed. Its tail whipped the cave wall. Its front claws lunged at Pablo in succession.
"Damn it..."
The fight grew fierce.
The basilisk's head eventually fell to Pablo's greatsword, but its rampage caused half the cave to collapse.
Pablo spat out the grit that had gotten in his mouth.
"Dead?"
The mercenary who'd guided him was nowhere to be seen. Pablo pondered briefly. Turn back, or press on?
"We've already taken down a basilisk. Might as well see it through."
Hunger gnawing at him, he tore into the basilisk's raw flesh. It was tough and foul-smelling. He spat it out after one bite.
He descended for a full day like that.
Kwarung—
Then he heard the sound of a magic digging tool boring into the earth. Amid the signs of human activity and cracked fissures, he sensed the vast mana of the mana stones.
That was Pablo Barkat's final memory.
When he opened his eyes, his body wouldn't move. His mana felt unnaturally blocked, as if sealed by something.
"Awake, Mr. Queen Ant?"
"...Dogs of the Empire?"
He shouted instinctively.
He saw a mask fit for a ballroom. A cheerful smile played on her lips.
It was the spirit sorceress who'd blocked his attack—summoning a high-level water spirit, no less.
"You bastards are the Empire's dogs?"
Pablo gnashed his teeth.
The Empire was arrogant and imperialistic. They called the northern barbarians savages and belittled the southern petty kingdoms as ants.
They dubbed the Alliance an anthill and mocked Barkat's king as the queen ant.
"You filthy scum...!"
"Filthy? You're the ones who attacked first."
"Lies! The guy behind you swung first!"
The man in the back nodded.
"I did."
"Then that must be it."
"What the...?"
"But you blocked people who were leaving peacefully. You can't deny that, right?"
"I wasn't trying to talk to filthy Empire dogs! I should've cut your throats on the spot!"
"So ants just covet others' things as a hobby?"
"It's mine!"
Pablo bellowed.
"Barkat's people found it first, and I came! If it's not mine, whose is it?"
"The Empire's."
"Shut up!"
"Did you mine it yourself? Or leave some marker saying you found it first? No? But we're already mining it."
"Shut your mouths, you disgusting Empire scum! Pillerium is Barkat's, and the mine belongs to the Southern Alliance!"
"Words aren't getting through. You're so shameless it's almost admirable."
"Figures. Just swap Luize Berft's gender, and it's him to a T."
"Whoa. Spot-on comparison."
"You bastards! You know who I am and...!"
"That's why you're still alive."
Ernan Hildean's hand lifted his chin.
"Pillerium is Empire territory, and there's no reason these precious mana stones should go to ants. If you weren't the queen ant, you'd be dead already."
"Shut up!"
"And the mana stones are already flowing into the Empire's coffers."
Pablo whipped his head around. He screamed at the sight of masked figures swinging pickaxes and the pure violet mana stones being extracted one by one.
"My... my mana stones!"
"Not yours."
"Stop right now!"
The elves flinched at his bloodthirsty roar. Berge Dayas strode over, grabbed Pablo's head, and yanked it up.
"Gaaah!"
His body rose. Dirt cascaded down.
"Hand me another pair of shackles. One set isn't enough to hold this guy down completely."
"Yes, sir."
Roger Friedri pulled out another set and clamped it around Pablo's ankles. The magical restraints expanded to fit.
Berge released his head, and Ernan buried him back in the earth.
"Carry on."
At her glance, the elves resumed mining.
"You think you'll get away with this scot-free?!"
"Who knows? Ants can rage all they want—they're still ants. Why not kneel before the great Empire and beg for mercy? Who knows, we might toss you a mana stone crumb."
"I am Pablo Barkat!"
"And I'm Luize Berft."
"...?"
"...?"
"...You're not a dwarf!"
"Assuming you're really Pablo Barkat, that is."
"How dare you mock me! I am Pablo Barkat!"
"Quiet."
Pablo thrashed. Ernan formed a water droplet and shoved it into his mouth.
Berge sat on a nearby rock, chuckling at the sight.
Simply capturing Pablo wasn't the right long-term solution.
There were plenty of ores. But skilled miners were few and far between.
Pablo was alone. But behind him loomed a kingdom and an alliance.
They could hold him for a day or two, but eventually, the kingdom would notice something amiss and come searching.
As a Star hero, he'd buy them some time—but not enough to mine everything.
Ultimately, three options.
Release him at the right moment.
Or hold him until the bitter end.
The latter meant kidnapping—a Demon King abducting a prince.
But that was the worst move.
Luize Berft with swapped gender wasn't just about personality.
His fame. His backing.
To Barkat Kingdom and the Southern Alliance, Pablo Barkat was the vanguard and spiritual pillar against the Empire's beast.
Kidnapping him meant declaring war on the entire Southern Alliance.
It went beyond symbolism; there'd be no escape until one side was crushed.
But really, there was no need to cling so desperately to the mana stones.
They weren't unnecessary, and money mattered—but not enough to upend the big picture.
So...
Escalate. Stoke their rage. Balloon the war's scale.
Compromise on some mana stones, but reap far more Magic Points.
Still...
She's playing him better than expected.
A natural talent?
Berge's lips curved at Ernan Hildean's playful grin.
Pablo shed bloody tears.
It grieved him to be defeated and toyed with by Empire scum.
It enraged him that his kingdom's resources were being plundered by them.
I'll have my revenge.
But the Empire bastards were no pushovers. Even if he hadn't let his guard down, victory wasn't guaranteed.
Weakened by defeat and aura-sealing shackles, he felt pathetically small.
And he wasn't alone.
They're probably just the vanguard. More Empire dogs will come.
He had to escape before then and bring back allies.
Luckily, the Empire dogs who'd mocked him to their hearts' content had grown lax in watching him.
Pablo calmly circulated his aura.
The shackles on his wrists and ankles disrupted the flow with jolts. They drained not just aura, but his physical strength too.
Still, he gritted his teeth.
Slowly, painstakingly, he gathered his aura.
It felt like his veins were tearing. They were tearing. Muscles ruptured. He thrashed to burst the dammed barriers.
And finally.
Pop.
His hands and feet were free.
Aura surged through his cleared channels. The wounds screamed, but he didn't groan.
Not yet.
Strength slowly returned. But he stayed put, gauging the enemy.
Laughter rang out as they mined mana stones.
That'll be your last laugh. I swear...
He bided his time until night. They halted mining at dark and fell into deep sleep.
It pissed him off how they underestimated him, but it was a golden opportunity.
Night fell. The Empire dogs retreated into their magic tents.
Pablo, who'd been waiting, finally emerged.
He blasted a tent once, then bolted for the cave he'd come from.
He didn't know eyes were watching him.
"Think he bought it? My acting was a bit rough."
"He bought it. Luize Berft with a gender swap."
"Even the hair?"
"Near identical in every way."
"So he'll bring the kingdom's army back?"
"Probably with full preparations. A week at most."
"Only a week of mining, then."
"Grrr... Damn bastard. Filthy cur."
Roger Friedri shed bloody tears and cursed at the thought of leaving most of the mana stones behind.
"Next time we meet, I'll blast him with the mana cannon...! Volley fire until not even bones remain...!"
Berge ignored him.
"But won't they get suspicious when we vanish?"
"No. The Empire will send troops too."
"You've already laid the groundwork?"
"Not me."
Just as Jason Cockmond intended, Barkat's prince had come here. But the Empire hadn't shown hide nor hair.
Had Jason really pulled no strings with the Empire?
Unlikely.
Two possibilities.
They're delaying to assemble a proper army for solid proof.
Or scouts already came, and now they're mobilizing fully.
Empire forces would swarm soon enough.
And clash with Barkat.
Right here.
Fueled by pure hostility, Pablo wouldn't hesitate to attack the Empire troops on sight.
And that moment would ignite the war.
The war originally ended in a flash.
The Empire's overwhelming forces seized and held the mine.
He hadn't known how before, but now he did.
When Pablo probed awkwardly like this, they dispatched a real army and preempted him.
That boldness. That decisiveness.
Let's see it again this time.
Just in case, though...
One more scheme wouldn't hurt.