< 098. Reina Sordain's Resolve >
The Sordain family was one of the most prestigious houses in the Demon World, counted among the elite even there.
In a realm where power reigned supreme, maintaining the family name across generations by securing key positions spoke volumes about their immense strength and influence.
Reina Sordain was direct-line blood of that very house.
No one knew why she had come to this cursed dimension called Alein, but it was only natural that countless demons from her house followed in her wake.
Jason had adapted best and survived longest overall, but when it came to the quantity and quality of high demons, no one could match those who came with Reina.
In truth, among all the Demon Kings in Alein, Reina Sordain commanded the most formidable army.
Of course, that could change depending on future actions, but for now, it stood.
Humans, however, remained oblivious.
Reina Sordain had stayed quiet for so long that many mistook it for weakness.
She was simply adhering to the canon.
"Start from the beginning and tell it properly."
"...Yes. We encountered Gillian Aint here."
Rewind time a little to the day Hillun Kargil and Gillian Aint crossed paths.
"Pleased to meet you."
"Thanks for accepting my call for help!"
Gillian Aint was the picture of a barbarian. He enveloped Hillun Kargil in a bear hug with his massive frame.
"Oh, was that rude?"
"Not at all. Please treat me casually."
"Then I will!"
Every inch of exposed skin between his furs was pure muscle, scarred from a lifetime of brutal battles that told his story.
"I was gutted when Princess Jessica turned me down. But when they said you'd step in instead, Hillun—man, I was thrilled!"
Gillian Aint spoke roughly but without pretense. His gray eyes sparkled like a child's.
"I'd like to know exactly what you're aiming for."
"Of course! As allies, I owe you that much."
"Chief, this ain't the spot for that talk."
"Whoops, my bad. Rude again."
At his deputy's scolding, Gillian let out an awkward heh heh. He led the Crimson Hawks to an inn where they'd reserved an entire annex.
"Rough trip, huh? Take some time to shake off the travel weariness."
After assigning rooms to his men, he sat down privately with Hillun Kargil and Granada.
"I'm—we're—gonna turn the Frost Demon Tower into our hunting ground."
His grand scheme sounded absurd at first glance, like pure delusion.
'Control a Demon King?'
Demon Kings were mighty.
No matter how many heroes there were.
No matter how much the advantage lay with humans.
That never changed.
'Of course, we haven't left them alone because they're invincible...'
It wasn't quite "left alone," but not entirely wrong either.
To Hillun Kargil, Demon Kings were a necessary evil.
'The Hero Guild doesn't want the Demon Kings gone.'
Demon Kings' existence created the need for heroes, granting humans their current power.
To nations, Demon Kings were irritating obstacles too risky to touch.
Who knew if it would work, but Hillun figured that if powerhouses like Jespain, Akan, and Hildean threw everything at it, they could wipe out one or two towers easily.
But then what? Those nations would likely share the towers' fate, stripped bare.
That, he believed, was the biggest reason Demon King towers—and heroes—endured.
His personal view, sure, with other factors at play, but even accounting for that, turning a tower into a controlled hunting ground seemed insane.
"You think that's feasible?"
"That's why we're trying."
"The enemy is a Demon King."
"We're heroes. White Eagle and I alone? Impossible. But with ten tribes united, and now you Crimson Hawks too."
"If the Demon King or high demons step in..."
"Demon Kings don't budge from their tower peaks. You know that."
"......"
Hillun Kargil had no retort.
Common knowledge held true—at least before meeting Berge.
"Why the long face?"
"...Of course."
'Berge is the exception. Other Demon Kings haven't left their peaks except to kidnap royalty.'
No need to worry, then.
"Plus, once you conquer a tower once, it weakens after. Takes time to recover fully."
He didn't know why exactly, but every hero knew the towers' ecosystem.
"Turning it into a hunting ground ain't glamorous. Just keep climbing layers we can handle, over and over."
Slowly whittle away at the Demon King. Eventually, even if it wanted to act, it couldn't.
"Of course, the Demon King won't just sit idle forever."
Towers were organic. If it caught on to Gillian Aint's scheme late, it'd try something.
"That's where you come in—to block those variables. Alone, I'd stall at the lower floors. With you, we push higher."
"......"
Hillun pondered.
And the subtle possibility started tempting him.
'If we actually pull this off...?'
Not impossible. If the Demon King stayed put—and so far, only Berge hadn't.
Berge was the outlier; that wasn't standard.
'Even if variables arise...'
Gillian Aint was there. And himself.
White Eagle, Crimson Hawks, over a thousand barbarians.
'Success means...'
Demon Kings underfoot. The heroes who achieved it—his fame—would soar.
Hunting tower monsters easier meant faster growth than other heroes.
And later...
'If we even slay the Frost Demon King...?'
Slayer of three Demon Kings.
Hillun Kargil could become an unprecedented legend.
Tempting.
But one thing to clarify.
"I heard one tribe got wiped out by monster unrest. The Demon King's doing?"
"Probably."
"Doesn't that shatter the 'does nothing' premise?"
"Exactly why I need you. Demon King has limits, no matter what. With you, we push it to the brink, eliminate all variables."
"...Hmm."
Hillun grimaced, swallowing a groan. But his mind raced.
'I'm a great hero who slew two Demon Kings.'
Even with Demon King aid, even collaborative, it didn't matter much.
Their power dwelled in him, assimilating day by day.
Berge's vague words nagged, but minor risks he could handle with his strength.
"...You really think it's possible?"
"Absolutely. I'm a hero from the snowlands. Lived my life here, fought as one too. No hero knows the tundra or Frost Demon King better."
"...Very well."
Hillun Kargil nodded.
"Smart choice."
The two heroes clasped hands.
"Things seemed to go smoothly up to that point."
"Any plan sounds flawless on paper."
"Yes, exactly. Anyway, the northern tribes were brimming with fighting spirit—they thought the Frost Demon King took out their kin. So we had fifteen hundred barbarians, White Eagle, Crimson Hawks, plus heroes drawn by Gillian Aint and Hillun Kargil's fame for the spoils."
"That's basically a hero party."
"A bit weak, but honestly, yeah."
Lacking compared to the force heading for Beast Tower, but enough to rival Hillun Kargil's for Flame Demon Tower.
'The problem is...'
Reina Sordain outclassed Berge in every way—authority, personal might.
The fruit of her decades in Alein.
"What happened next?"
He knew the outcome. Just curious about the how.
"We made full preparations and marched on the Frost Demon Tower."
"Monsters were scarce in the tundra that day. Should've been suspicious, but we patted ourselves on the back, thinking even they feared us."
Getting swept up in the mood was natural. With two great heroes and massive forces? Confidence inevitable.
"Took us two weeks to reach it. The tower loomed far off, blizzard fiercer than ever."
Movement was grueling. White Eagle and barbarians managed, being tundra-hardened, but Crimson Hawks suffered.
"Drew near, reformed ranks within sight. Then Gillian Aint gave a short speech."
Today, history turns. The moment barbarians rise to greatness.
Pumped them with flowery rhetoric. Barbarians roared.
And then.
"As if in response, the tower gates opened."
Granada shuddered, recalling it.
"Leading were old demons. Hot as aged peppers, proving the saying."
"Small peppers, no?"
"Shh."
"High demons."
He could guess: the elders behind Reina.
"Behind them, many demons."
"Then even more beasts."
'Sent out the tower's full forces.'
Another canon blind spot. Outside a tower, no need for weak frontline defenses.
"We panicked."
Gillian Aint's entire plan hinged on one assumption.
Weak monsters low, stronger higher up.
Demons and beasts bursting out first? Unforeseen.
Clashing with that might all at once? Even without the Demon King, victory uncertain.
"Gillian realized something was wrong and ordered retreat. But..."
"But?"
"Thousands of monsters hidden in the snow emerged, encircling and blocking escape."
"Thousands of monsters...?"
Demons and beasts differed. Monsters and beasts too.
Unlike Demon World beasts, monsters were this world's natives—descendants of ancient Demon World seeds, fully adapted and degenerated.
Traces of beast blood inspired instinctive awe in demons, but they weren't as easily commanded.
Unlike instant-summoned, loyal beasts, monsters needed conquest and subjugation.
'Reina Sordain...'
Thousands? Not overnight. They'd claimed vast territory.
Seemed idle in the tundra? She'd made it her domain.
Pure canon play.
Berge wondered: admire her amassed forces, or pity how White Eagle's scheme cornered her pre-regression anyway? He shook his head.
'Impressive now.'
She'd just bided her time.
"And?"
"I broke the encirclement with Hillun Kargil. But the monster horde forced us apart."
"Dead?"
"Doubt it."
Berge agreed with Granada.
'Hillun Kargil wouldn't go down easy.'
Two Demon Kings devoured? He'd never have become a Star otherwise.
'Key is the tundra's state now.'
Blind charge risked monsters and imperial forces.
'Contact Reina?'
Demon Kings communicated via towers otherwise impossible, but she'd given him a personal communicator.
'Nothing surer than asking direct...'
Plus, she'd like him now—beyond allies, he'd helped thwart White Eagle easily.
Then.
Hummm—
Berge flinched.
The communicator.
The one he'd meant to use—Reina Sordain's.
"Go summon spirits outside."
"Yes."
Ernan and Granada exited. Ernan summoned spirits to patrol the room.
"Won't that draw more eyes? Lady Ernan's identity must stay hidden."
Hero swarms for tundra unrest were natural. Northern fortress cities teemed with them.
To talk with Reina, he'd reveal Demon King form; amid heroes, someone might pierce stealth and detect mana.
Spirits masked it.
"You have Granada."
"True, I'm an elf. Cover your face if anyone comes."
"Got it."
Alone, Berge infused mana into the communicator.
"What is it?"
Reina's face appeared.
『Your words were true.』
"No preamble."
『Thanks to you, I foresaw White Eagle's scheme and countered.』
『I wish to express gratitude.』
"Ah, that. Heard White Eagle linked with Crimson Hawks. Victory yours, then."
『Your doing. I'll repay this favor someday.』
"I just warned you."
『That warning changed this lady's actions. The process shifted, the outcome too.』
"All of them dead?"
『Not quite. Those humans hailed as Stars—even high demons couldn't guarantee victory easily.』
『Wounded, but they broke the encirclement and fled.』
"I see. What's next?"
『Time for an example.』
"Example?"
『Stayed quiet to avoid provoking the empire, but striking first changes everything.』
『They won't scheme again once humans see the cost. That this lady fears them not.』
"Empire won't sit idle."
『You've changed since descent. Old you would've said smash the humans outright.』
"Never said that."
『Just figured the canon-mocker would.』
Reina smiled faintly.
『Worry not. Seems many humans died, but not really.』
Angry yet composed, she planned ahead.
『Survivors heading back to the empire by now. That's punishment enough.』
"You released the encirclement?"
『Yes. Can't end Jespain yet—must endure.』
But.
Her eyes chilled.
『One exception.』
"One?"
『Examples work best representing humans.』
『Strong.』
『Renowned.』
『What humans pin hopes on. A Star, say.』
"Gillian Aint or Hillun Kargil?"
Berge swallowed dryly. Praying for the former.
But.
『Hillun Kargil.』
The great first Mahwang betrayed him again.
『The arrogant human who slew two Demon Kings must not exist.』
『Perfect chance.』
Fuck.
His hidden hand clenched into a fist.
Nails dug into skin, blood trickling.