Sweet Dream
Rozel combined the magical reagents.
Pop—a small flash burst out. Franz spoke up.
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"All magic comes with danger."
She set the crimson reagent aside and reached for the next set of materials.
"Have you heard?"
"Heard what?"
"That Her Highness the Princess has gone out again."
Rozel's hand paused for a moment.
"Which princess?"
"You know who."
"Our princess is certainly busy. It hasn't even been that long since she was rescued from the Beast's Tower."
She imbued mana. Fwoosh, the mixture ignited.
"Where is she this time?"
"I heard she headed to Ergest."
"Is she planning to tour every Demon King's territory? It's strange how the Demon Kings just let her run around."
"They didn't exactly leave her alone."
"It's ridiculous that she even traded money with the Beast. A so-called Demon King acting like that. But don't tell me I'm supposed to go fetch her?"
"I heard His Majesty permitted the trip this time. The Royal Knight Order and the Royal Mage Order are accompanying her."
Rozel unconsciously turned her head.
"What's gotten into him?"
"They can't stop Her Highness's stubbornness, so they're at least trying to make use of it."
"Ahh."
She chuckled.
"So they're putting their hopes on whether our princess can find the Tower?"
"Yes, but—uh—is that alright?"
"My reagent! You distracted me!"
Rozel hastily blew on the spreading flame. Mana-infused wind suppressed it.
"So how do you plan to use that?"
"That's what I'm researching right now."
In Franz's hands were two large orbs.
Storage spheres. Mana changed color depending on its affinity, and these held beautiful crimson streaks of light and a faint, hot radiance.
They held pale's mana.
"I've only seen mana this pure once before."
"Wouldn't this be the first time for most people?"
"Spirits."
That made it even stranger. How could a human's mana resemble that of a spirit—mana incarnate?
"I got curious and dug around old records. Found mention of a 'lifeform' with mana similar to a spirit."
Rozel stroked the sphere. The heat seeping through it made her shiver slightly.
She extracted a drop and dripped it into the reagent. The flame that surged up was far stronger than when she had infused her own mana.
"What is that?"
"A phantom beast."
"The phantom beasts I know are just stronger animals."
"Not all of them. There are dragons, for example."
"Dragons only show up in texts from two thousand years ago."
"That's true."
"So are you telling me Pale is a dragon?"
"Are you insane?"
She had considered phantom beasts—but a dragon was a ridiculous leap.
"Dragons may be the representative species, but phantom beasts aren't limited to dragons."
"As I said—"
"I know. I've never seen a phantom beast like that, and I'm not insisting Pale is one."
Just that the resemblance was strong—strangely strong.
"So what do you plan to do?"
"Well… not much, actually."
"Because it's just mana in the end, isn't it?"
"That's the problem. From the way he fights, he's closer to a mage than a warrior, so his heart must be a mana heart. Honestly, I'd love to rip his heart out and study it."
"That statement—"
"What?"
"It could cause problems. Please refrain from saying that in public."
"Who do you take me for, a maniac?"
Clicking her tongue, Rozel withdrew the mana from the sphere, absorbed it fully, and quietly examined her body.
"No matter how I look at it, it's fascinating."
She murmured with her eyes closed.
"What is?"
"It resonates with my mana completely naturally. The amount is small so it fades quickly, but…"
Fwoosh—
She formed the hand-sign for Fireball. Nothing about her technique had changed—this was something she had done all her life. And yet the Fireball's size and quality were completely different.
"I really want to dissect him."
"Again… again…"
"How can I make my mana like this?"
No.
"How can I possess this?"
Greed—deeper than what she felt even for a Demon King's corpse—seized her completely.
***
"Yes, it seems difficult for the moment."
『As expected. Finish things properly and return. Louise must not be kidnapped.』
"Yes."
The communication ended. Hillen, who had been watching beside her, spoke.
"Was that Lord Berze?"
"Yes."
The honorific—once used because others were watching—had now settled in as habit.
"A group entirely made of elves… You never fail to surprise me."
"The feeling is mutual."
"Is this alright from an elf's standpoint?"
"At the very least, it's better than living as a slave and dying miserably."
"Well, that's true."
Not wanting to linger on an unpleasant topic, Granada changed the subject.
"Did the talk go well?"
"For now, yes. But it depends on how the King responds. Everything hinges on the Second Princess."
"For some reason… it feels possible."
The King and the royal family adored their late-born Second Princess so much that even other kingdoms knew it.
"Please refrain from saying something so foolish. The King of Verft has made mistakes because of Princess Louise before, but he has never gone beyond the limit."
Of course.
"This time, however, the matter is severe enough to cross that limit a hundred times over. I'm certain he will cooperate."
"You just don't like me, do you?"
"—If Princess Louise doesn't reveal that the Demon King is coming."
But Louise would not reveal the Demon King's kidnapping plan, just as Hillen asked. Even if she did, she lacked the justification to explain how she knew.
Well, he seemed confident. I trust he has his own methods.
Strangely, he wasn't worried.
***
Ahem.
The King of Verft showed clear displeasure.
His late-born daughter munched cookies with an innocent, oblivious expression.
"You gave Hillen Cargill the palace annex?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Hillen Cargill had visited the royal castle officially as an envoy of the Hero Guild.
Not only was he the guild's Argane, he was a rising Hero who had slain two Demon Kings, so the kingdom received him with utmost sincerity.
Their motives might be many, but there was no reason to start with a bad impression.
When Hillen suddenly asked for a private audience with Louise, the King didn't think much of it.
He wanted to pass on clues about Logar—fine. Given Hillen's fame, it would be unreasonable to insist the meeting be held only in public.
But why had that meeting somehow ended with Louise granting him the palace annex right beside her own?
He had already been assigned quarters.
"I liked it."
"…"
He should not have asked.
One sentence stabbed right into his heart. The King ground his teeth.
"What about him do you like?"
"Must I explain?"
"Of course! Tell me exactly what you like! What tricks he pulled on you! Every—single—detail!"
"Why?"
"…'Why'? What do you mean, why?"
"Father, I'm not a child anymore."
"To me you are still—!"
He barely swallowed the word child. Louise hated it.
"Even so, it makes no sense to keep a grown man at your side for an entire month. As your father, as King of Verft, I forbid it."
"It's necessary."
"Why? Don't tell me you're planning to—to—"
"No."
The King let out a soft sigh of relief. Louise sighed as well.
"Then why?"
"Because I need him."
"I am asking why."
She couldn't tell the truth. No one besides the knights present at the time knew she had killed Max herself.
"I felt my inadequacy."
"Inadequacy?"
"That day in Ormus, I failed to protect the knights. I caused dwarves to die meaninglessly because of me. I don't want that to happen ever again."
"A commendable mindset."
But that was all.
"The kingdom has many talented people. Some are even stronger than Hillen Cargill."
"But none of them are Heroes like Hillen Cargill."
"There's no need specifically for a Hero—"
"It was a demon who humiliated me that day."
"There are Heroes stronger than Hillen Cargill! What about Rozel Charnt—"
"Father."
"…Hm?"
The King flinched at her chilling glare.
"Rozel Charnt is a mage."
"…Yes, that's true. But even so—!"
"It's only one month, Father. Please."
"…"
"It is not the kind of relationship you are imagining."
"…Fine."
In the end, the King had no choice but to grant his daughter's request.
***
"You."
But that did not mean his anger had vanished.
He may have been powerless against his daughter, but as the King, he held authority over the Hero Guild's Argane.
"So you're the one?"
"I'm not sure what Your Majesty means."
"I heard Louise gave you the palace annex right beside hers."
"Yes."
"I had already assigned you quarters elsewhere."
"Her Highness requested instruction."
"Yes, I'm aware. She asked you first, did she not?"
"Yes."
The King felt a burning urge to smash the man's smiling face. Just imagining the tricks that silver tongue had used to sway his daughter made his blood boil.
"Hillen Cargill, Argane of the Hero Guild."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Are you truly fine staying here for an entire month?"
"Of course, Your Majesty. If Her Highness wills it, I could stay two."
Normally, that would be absurd. A Hero could do countless things in a month—why waste it on guarding a princess?
But when he thought of the achievements and fame he would gain in a month, he accepted gladly.
And to the King, that answer meant something very different.
"So you have improper intentions toward Louise?"
"…Pardon?"
"I asked if you're lingering here for a month or two because you have designs on my daughter."
…What is this now?
He had heard the rumors that the King doted on the Second Princess excessively—but seeing it in person was something else. A laugh nearly escaped him, but fortunately, his expression held.
"You misunderstand."
"To be misunderstood, there must be something worth misunderstanding."
"You're saying this is not a misunderstanding?"
"Of course not. I'm certain."
This was not the gaze of a king addressing an envoy. It was the fierce glare of a father staring down the suitor his daughter dragged home.
"…What must I do to earn Your Majesty's trust?"
"Refuse Louise's request and leave the kingdom."
"That is impossible."
"Impossible?"
"I came here with the status of an official envoy. I cannot return with no achievements."
"I am telling you that I will provide those achievements."
The King clicked his tongue. He felt like he was being manipulated—but anything was better than watching that man hover around his daughter.
"Her Highness will not accept it."
"…Are you threatening me?"
"How could I dare? I only pray for Your Majesty's mercy."
"Hmm."
The King stifled a groan.
He had scolded Hillen in anger, but ultimately, it was a battle he could never win.
Hillen was an Argane, a Star, and he held the pretext of fulfilling Louise's request.
The King could interfere and overturn everything—but the consequences would not be pleasant.
Even so, he persisted only because he was a father with a beloved daughter.
"...Be careful. I am always watching."
"There will never be anything Your Majesty fears."
"That, too, is unpleasant to hear. Are you saying my daughter isn't pretty?"
"...Of course, Her Highness is more beautiful than anyone."
"Then you do have impure intentions after all!"
"…"
Hillen was not released for another hour of questioning.
"Please understand. His Majesty cherishes Louise too much. That's all."
"It's fine."
One of the kingdom's princes comforted the mentally exhausted Hillen Cargill.
"Still—surely you don't actually harbor impure intentions toward Louise, correct?"
"…"
The Second Princess was adored not only by the King.
***
Reina Sordeine's proposal was rather intriguing.
At the same time, suspicious.
Why?
The words "cooperation" and "demon" rarely went together.
Especially not for Demon Kings who descended from other dimensions—each one a staunch individualist. Since they all raced toward the same objective, dimensional conquest, they saw each other as competitors.
But they did not deliberately sabotage one another.
They did not cooperate, either, unless some malice bound them together.
Which made Reina Sordeine's willingness to assist him all the more suspicious.
Reina Sordeine is involved?
Starting with Berze Deias—whom the Archduke Arkaine had warned him to observe closely—then Reina Sordeine, Ugar VelVek, and even Jayson Cochmoon, who had threatened him…
Vivian considered every Demon King a suspect.
Naturally so. The high-ranked demon Draxon mentioned before his death could only be commanded by a Demon King.
"There are two possibilities."
Reina Sordeine was not acting alone. Ugar velvek was with her.
This meant two Demon Kings were joining forces.
It was astonishing enough that Demon Kings mingled in the Tower's gatherings—but two cooperating toward a single objective?
The very idea was startling, but it also meant the situation was extremely serious.
Hyperbolically, it was akin to one Demon King killing another. If they desperately wanted to clear the accusation and avoid suspicion, cooperation would be understandable.
"If not that…"
Then one of them was the culprit, and the other was helping conceal it or pin the blame elsewhere.
Vivian leaned toward the latter.
The very fact that they plan to kidnap the princess themselves is suspicious.
Simply passing on information should have been enough—yet they were being far too proactive.
He suspected they intended to kidnap the princess and use the commotion to hide evidence.
The Archduke is watching closely. They may be pretending to help to avoid suspicion.
A very reasonable suspicion.
Which was why he refused Reina's offer to kidnap Louise Verft personally.
"Who do they take me for, an idiot? Demon Kings of Arraine—each and every one thinks too highly of themselves."
Under a cloudy full moon, Vivian Blunt spread his black wings.
He slipped quietly into the Kingdom of Verft.
I hope that dwarf Louise has solid evidence… Archduke Al kaine—surely you haven't lied to me or broken our deal…
Vivian sank into the sweet dream of returning to the Demon Realm.
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