"Did that happen?"
After returning to the Tower for the first time in months, he found that the first floor had changed.
"A maze?"
For a maze, it was a bit simple. No noticeable traps, either.
They hid it inside the walls.
Invisible mana cannons were lined all along the passageway.
He walked along the path. It twisted here and there, but there were no forks. About halfway through, a dwarf who had been installing mana cannons greeted him.
"Lord Demon King! You're back!"
But he wasn't alone.
"You're here?"
A princess—her face smeared with dirt, yet her beauty still undiminished—peeked her head out from a pit.
"...What are you doing?"
"Logar said he needed help, so I was giving him a hand."
"Ah, it was too slow to build the walls and dig the ground by myself, so I asked her. If this causes a problem…"
"No, I don't care."
The strange part was that the princess was cooperating at all—if she was willing to help, he had no reason to stop her.
How was she in my previous life?
They hadn't had much interaction. He had no idea about her private life or what kind of personality she had.
He turned to Logar.
"So, how exactly are you planning to design the first floor?"
"Yes, well, following the walls…"
His explanation was long-winded, but in the end, it amounted to plastering the entire place with mana cannons.
He had told them to create something the Heroes wouldn't expect—and Logar had brought him this. Still, overwhelming firepower that caught them off guard wasn't a bad idea.
As long as the Hero died before he could mount a proper counterattack, everything was fine.
"It's not enough."
But Berze intended to take it a step further. No matter how many mana cannons he installed, killing a Hero like Ralph wouldn't be possible—at least in his judgment.
"What do you mean…?"
"For those who survive the bombardment in the plaza, we'll station a few golems. You said you had knowledge of alchemy and enchantment magic, didn't you?"
"Ah, yes, I can do it. But it requires quite a lot of materials."
"That's fine. What do you need?"
"When it comes to ore, the type doesn't matter much. But the higher the quality, the stronger the golem will be."
"I'll find something good."
"Thank you!"
Leaving Logar bowing behind him, he went up to the next floor.
"Logar can make golems too?"
"My personal strength was always too weak for a Hero, and it became a trauma. So I grew interested in golem-crafting."
Their voices faded behind him.
He passed the still-empty second and third floors, thinking he needed to fill them with something. He had little interest in the now-vacant fourth floor.
He tossed a passing remark to the imperial princess who was tirelessly swinging her sword.
"We're in trouble, my lord."
By the time he reached the fifth floor, Gordon called out urgently.
"Kruutu contacted us. It seems someone is searching for the Tower. According to him, the Feral Orcs can't handle—"
"I already met her."
"…What?"
"Daphner Philian. A Hero."
"…You don't mean a Hero Expedition."
"She's alone, so probably not. But it could be considered preliminary groundwork for one."
It was obvious she intended never to repeat a past failure.
"Should we find and kill her?"
"How?"
"What?"
"She's the fastest among the Heroes, and her stealth arts are widely renowned. In stealth alone, she rivals the Demon Kings."
"That can't be…"
Stealth was the first thing the Demon Kings learned at the Demon King Academy, and the last thing they ever neglected before graduation.
And she rivaled that?
"…Then is there no way?"
"I said we can't catch her, not that there's no method."
He didn't have to capture her. If she wanted something, he only had to show it to her.
"…What do you mean?"
"The dwarf brought an artifact. All we need is to mislead her direction."
"Oh."
Gordon let out a small exclamation.
***
"Your skill has improved."
At that single casual remark—thrown out as if he were praising a child before disappearing—the sword of Kaede, who had been deeply focused on her training, stopped.
…My skill improved?
Well, of course it had.
Ever since being kidnapped by the Demon King, she had trained desperately, ready to die if that's what it took to escape.
And after witnessing the contract ritual of a High-Rank Spirit up close, she had taken another step forward.
But hearing it from him was another matter entirely.
Kaede was a princess of the Empire. And he was the Demon King.
She was a Hero. And he was the Demon King.
And such a Demon King had complimented her—so calmly, as though her growth were something he found admirable.
Does this make sense?
It did—if she added one assumption.
From Berze's perspective, he had simply grown accustomed to the eccentric Princess Ernan and had spoken without much thought.
But Kaede interpreted it differently.
Don't tell me… he's trying to make me his subordinate too?
Releasing her on purpose, treating her kindly—because he intended to recruit her?
A Hero and a princess becoming the Demon King's subordinate—that was a stretch, perhaps.
But the evidence was hard to ignore.
Ernan Hilderan.
She was already the Demon King's loyal servant. She decorated the fourth floor on her own, and helped the dwarf on the first floor create a cruel trap that would slaughter Heroes.
And Logar Friedri.
He was once a Hero—and he now truly served the Demon King.
No.
Kaede was the Empire's princess. A proud knight of the Empire. A Hero.
Her betrayal would not be a personal disgrace—it would be the Empire's shame. With her knightly pride, she could never allow such filth.
I must escape.
No matter what it took—she had to escape.
She steeled her resolve.
***
Go to the Golden Moon Merchant Guild and find Aaman. Tell him you're in charge of the elf business.
Granada and the Red Hawk were excluded from the second Hero Expedition.
Instead, by Berze's orders, they were dispatched to the Golden Moon Merchant Guild.
"So we are purchasing elves?"
"Yes. You must visit every slave market on the continent."
"That'll take over a year…"
"My lord has decided to employ you for another year. The pay is the same as before."
"Uh, could you perhaps pay a little more…? We climbed Ergest, reached the Demon King's Tower… we've risked our lives more than once, haven't we?"
"You mean the part where you ran away before even fighting properly?"
"I'm already satisfied with the original payment!"
"I feel the same!"
On the way, they signed the contract extension, and the enormous amount of money they received once again brought bright smiles to their faces.
And upon arriving at the Golden Moon Merchant Guild, Granada faced the representative they had prepared.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Jetoson, newly assigned to work with you."
"Granada."
"Oh—so you're the famous Granada and the members of the Red Hawk Mercenary Corps. I've heard the stories. Buying enslaved elves to free them… kyaah, that's admirable."
"…Ah. Yes."
Jetoson continued politely.
"In truth, I've always felt heartbroken seeing elves enslaved. It's been ages since the continent outlawed such barbaric acts. Just leave everything to me. I will personally take responsibility and do everything I can to rescue as many elves as possible!"
"...Uh. Thank you."
Granada wasn't very convinced by the man named Jetoson.
But as he kept talking, for some reason, a strange trust began to form.
"I've compiled a list of the largest markets where elves are likely to be traded. Don't worry. When they hear your name, Granada, they'll willingly hand over the elves."
The first place he guided them to was the great city of Pellum, in the Kingdom of Iasin.
The homeland of the elves—Elven.
The dwarven kingdom—Verpt.
And the human kingdoms.
Long ago, incessant conflict had driven them to sign a pact, officially abolishing the enslavement of each other's races.
On the surface, the treaty signed by all human kings and the leaders of the other races seemed to be well respected. But human greed had no end, and every bright surface cast a shadow.
The Kingdom of Iasin was no exception.
In nearly every major city, there was a slave market. And deep underground—restricted to VIPs—existed secret auction houses where rare goods and non-human slaves were bought and sold.
"Stop."
Wearing a mask that covered half his face, he entered the slave market. After whispering a series of secret gestures and passwords, they descended into the underground via a hidden passage.
Jetoson, who led all this without hesitation, casually handed over a small identification plaque.
"Identity confirmed. This way, please."
They followed the guide toward the stairs leading down.
Granada whispered quietly.
"What is that?"
"These black-market auction houses don't accept ordinary people. Only high nobles, guild masters, or prosperous merchants with wealth or influence. This plaque is an identification pass issued under the Golden Moon Merchant Guild."
"I see."
"Granada, you aren't used to these darker dealings, are you?"
"…Well, no, not really."
In truth, Granada had wandered through slave markets for five years.
In some ways, she was even more familiar with these black markets.
"Please trust me. I, Jetoson, was raised as a merchant from childhood and grew up as a merchant."
"Impressive."
But despite his words, Jetoson did not show much competence.
Only two elves appeared at the auction, and the event progressed without incident.
Yet Jetoson, who had beaten his chest saying to trust him—who claimed he would get them cheaply—ended up winning the final bid at a price triple the starting value.
"You damn pig! Charging in with bloodshot eyes just because it's a female elf!"
Jetoson shot a glare at the man who had driven up the price, then let out an awkward laugh when he saw Granada's hardened expression.
"...Haha, I feel like you might be misunderstanding. This isn't all I can do. My specialty isn't buying—it's selling."
"..."
"Auctions aren't true commerce. True business is done face-to-face—talking, negotiating until both sides reach a mutual agreement."
"..."
"Not all merchants are the same. Everyone has a specialty. In my case, persuading people directly—"
"Jetoson."
"Yes?"
"Let's just go retrieve the elves."
"…Yes."
Granada simply couldn't stand seeing elves treated as toys for humans.
***
『You're making this very difficult for me.』
Despite his words, his voice did not sound troubled at all.
『I had to scramble to gather funds, which caused me more than a few issues. And yet now, you say you won't even send the magic stone payment on time…』
Hearing Jayson 's complaint, Berze had no choice but to reveal part of the situation.
"There's a problem."
『A problem?』
"Daphner Philian."
『So she's searching for your Tower.』
A low, amused chuckle followed.
『Avoiding her gaze won't be easy. What do you plan to do? The Tower's unknown location is quite important to you, isn't it?』
"Do I have to tell you everything?"
『Considering you still owe me a debt, I would say I have the right.』
"I paid half."
『Meaning half remains.』
"I'm going to summon a monster and kill her."
『…It sounds like there's more to it, but very well.』
『And there is something else to tell you.』
"What now?"
『Tomorrow, in my Tower, I intend to hold a meeting between Demon Kings.』
"Suddenly? I thought the Tower Concord wasn't due yet."
『Ah, I forgot—you aren't yet up to date on information outside your Tower.』
『There has been an incident.』
He continued:
『Draxon Doldov is dead.』
Yes, I know.
Because I killed him.
Berze responded calmly.
"…My goodness. Did that happen?"
『Yes. And regarding that matter—there is more. A new Demon King has descended.』
"…What?"
Already?
Even Berze couldn't hide his surprise this time.
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