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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Not a Prince, But a Hero
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"Uh..."
Roger's gaping mouth refused to close.
"You're... going to let me go?"
"I never said that."
"B-But you clearly said you'd show me mercy..."
"I said I'd let you live."
And right now, you're still alive.
"..."
Not a single word was wrong.
Roger's face drained of color.
"Ahh..."
His short legs buckled, knees digging into the snow. Hot tears splattered onto the icy ground.
The Demon King already knew.
He knew Roger had been pretending to play the spy just to find a chance to escape.
"Looks like you're so happy you're crying."
"...Y-Yes, of course."
"Get up. We have a long way to go."
"...Yes."
It was cold. The biting chill pierced even the dwarf's renowned fur coat, making "Erjest Mountains" slip from his lips unbidden.
"Um, where exactly are we headed?"
"The summit, obviously."
"You mean the tower's at the summit?"
Roger had lived a secluded life recently, forging weapons for the princess. He'd missed the news of the new Demon King's descent.
He didn't even know that Demon King had kidnapped Hildran Kingdom's crown princess.
But he did know Demon King towers were built in reasonably dangerous spots—places humans could reach, but barely.
The Erjest Mountains' summit?
It was odd, but Roger wasn't bold enough to question it directly.
They climbed for a long while. His short legs slowed them down, but thankfully, years of smithing had built his stamina.
"M-Monsters are avoiding us on their own."
"Obviously. I'm the Demon King. You think I'd let mere monsters block my path?"
"D-Does that mean the whole mountain belongs to you...?"
Berge didn't answer. But silence was affirmation, wasn't it?
Really...?
Roger swallowed hard at the ominous thought flickering through his mind like dark flames.
They finally reached the summit. The tower was hidden in a basin, concealed from easy sight.
"Take a good look. This is where you'll be putting your skills to use for me from now on."
"...Me? For the tower? How...?"
"You'll figure it out in time."
The tower door opened.
Roger squeezed his eyes shut.
The first floor might have weaker demons, but they were still demons. He'd never seen a live one since becoming a hero—never in his life—and fear gripped him.
"What are you doing?"
"Ah, uh..."
Rebuked by the Demon King, he opened his eyes. And faced an empty cavern.
"Uh...? Is it supposed to be like this?"
"For now. We'll fill it up gradually."
"Ah, I see. That makes sense for a new Demon King."
Roger nodded in understanding. No demons to see—at least that was a relief.
"Follow me."
They ascended to the second and third floors. Empty like the first. But the fourth floor surprised him for entirely different reasons.
It looked nothing like a Demon King's tower.
"Spirits...?"
Spirits frolicking inside the mana-scarce tower.
"Oh, you're back?"
A human popped out among them, startling Roger further. She didn't fit the tower at all.
"Who's this...?"
"Who?"
"This is Hildran's princess. This is the dwarf you'll be living with from now on. A hero."
"...Princess?"
"...Hero?"
"You'll both stay on the fourth floor. You'll be seeing plenty of each other, so say hello."
The Demon King headed to the fifth floor.
Left alone, the princess and hero stared at each other in silence.
"You're not here to rescue me, are you?"
"...Well, sort of."
"Were you kidnapped too?"
"..."
"You're... not a prince, right?"
"..."
"...You are a hero...?"
"...More or less."
Roger hung his head low.
He had no hero's pride, but somehow he felt mortified enough to die.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"You want me to renovate the first floor?"
Sharing space with the princess had gone from awkward to suffocating when the Demon King summoned Roger.
And the first order was hard to swallow.
"Didn't you say you'd use your skills for me? Was that a lie?"
"N-No, it wasn't."
"Then this is your chance. The honor of putting your lowly craft to use for me."
"So I can do whatever I want with the first floor..."
"Don't make me repeat myself."
Balistas and cannons in the Demon King's tower...?
Instead of demons. It was unimaginable.
I thought he'd have me make weapons or armor...
Demons used weapons and armor too. That's why he'd assumed that's why he was brought here.
But filling the first floor with dwarf traps?
"If you're going to back out now and say you can't kill fellow heroes, go ahead."
"Really?"
"Of course."
Roger wasn't dull enough to miss the killing intent leaking out.
"N-No! I really want to do it."
His own life mattered more than faceless heroes.
"Can you?"
"I'm one of the top artisans in the dwarf kingdom. If you wish, I'll go beyond simple cannons and balistas—I'll show you the essence of dwarven craft!"
"Good attitude. Need anything specific?"
"It depends on how much of the first floor and how we renovate it."
"The entire first floor. I'll leave it all to you—do as you please."
"The entire first floor...? Then can I draft some blueprints?"
"You have two days."
"Yes, sir!"
"Oh, and by the way."
The Demon King leaned in close. Roger collapsed under those pitch-black eyes suddenly inches away.
A whisper slithered in.
"Feel free to try any tricks. Just don't forget—this is the Demon King's tower. The moment you do, it'll be your worst nightmare."
"Hic!"
The Demon King vanished. Roger remained, with damp pants.
"Sniff."
Miserable.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I can accept the dwarf."
Not fully, but compared to now, it was a hundred—no, a thousand—times better.
"But a hero?"
Heroes were enemies.
Guardians against invasion.
Obstacles to conquer any dimension.
Aren's peculiarities had led to recent Demon King-human collusions, but they were irreconcilable foes.
"No Demon King brings a hero into their tower!"
"Then I'll be the first."
"Why are you doing this?"
"I told you about the dwarf. Need me to explain the plan again?"
"But he's a hero."
"He's also a dwarf. A top artisan in his kingdom."
"Still...!"
"Then you make the traps?"
"..."
Berge savored bitter tea as Gordon's complaints subsided.
"Figure out how to procure the materials the dwarf needs."
"...Simple. Go shopping yourself."
Gordon retorted curtly.
"Details."
"Splitting purchases across kingdoms prevents the worst case."
"What's the worst?"
"Getting caught buying materials, then traced. They'd discover what you're planning."
"Countermeasure?"
"Scatter across kingdoms—they won't link it to you. Humans track logistics, but you'll use sub-space, so impossible to trace."
"Not bad. Then why the sour face?"
"What's wrong with my face?"
Everything.
It's so irritating I want to smash it.
He wasn't like this before regression. What's wrong?
"It might become a problem soon."
"..."
Gordon grinned wide at the Demon King's fist. It was ugly too.
Berge tapped the table.
A bit annoying, but better that way.
Traps by a dwarf thrived on secrecy.
Unexpected timing.
Unexpected traps.
Even without that, humans tracing his actions wasn't ideal.
"Fine. Plan the best materials and sources. Bring a report."
"I don't even know what he needs."
"Is that a question? Ask the hero, obviously."
"Ah."
"Don't want to work?"
"...No."
"Rebellion then?"
"..."
"Top of Demon Aide Academy, huh? Pathetic."
"...That's not it."
"Whatever. I'll check the blueprints myself. Just monitor the hyacinth."
"...Yes."
Berge vanished. Alone, Gordon punched the wall.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Back in his quarters, Gordon stomped and flopped onto the bed.
He was furious, no matter how he thought about it.
His fault, sure—he'd been so fixated on the dwarf being a hero he'd overlooked basics.
But tracing the root? Berge.
I tolerated building a tower on Erjest Mountains.
Hiding it too.
Letting the princess roam the fourth floor instead of a cell, even decorate it.
Spending precious magic points on human money.
Using an elf slave for shady deals.
Even permitting a dwarf to fill the first floor.
He'd overlooked unorthodox, un-demonlike behavior. Because he was the Demon King. The lord he served.
But kidnapping a hero?
Entrusting the tower entrance to one?
"Damn it."
This wasn't the Demon King and vice officer he'd dreamed of.
Not why he'd studied ten years at Demon Aide Academy.
Not why he'd topped it.
"No more...!"
Gordon unclenched his fist. A deep sigh escaped.
He had to endure.
Their relationship was vertical. Demons valued hierarchy above all.
Defiance meant death. Natural punishment. Stricter in the tower than in the demon realm.
"Damn, if he weren't the Demon King!"
But Berge was, and Gordon the vice officer.
He pulled out his crystal orb. Infusing magic, it glowed softly, connecting.
💬 Vice Officer Network — Unknown Back again, huh. — Unknown Demon King showed up, huh. Faster than expected?
"Are Demon Kings always like this?"
Gordon vented his pent-up rage.
— Unknown Anger in your voice. — Unknown I get it. Gotta serve 'em, but they piss us off sometimes. — Unknown Wanna hear what happened.
"He won't listen to me. Everything's his way. Why keep me as vice officer then?"
— Unknown You too? Mine's the same. Listens sometimes, but mostly does his own thing. — Unknown Sucks. My Demon King listens well. — Aina Shut up, Aina. — Cocoon You shut up, Cocoon. No class.
The voices that seemed to listen soon bickered among themselves.
"If he'd listen just once, I wouldn't feel this disillusioned."
— Unknown Top graduate of Demon King Academy? Living up to the hype. — Unknown Gordon, you were top of Demon Aide Academy too, right? First topper in Aren—must be weird. — Unknown Mine too. Not sure if I'm vice officer or just cheering demon #1.
"Exactly! If he weren't the Demon King!"
— Unknown Don't say that in front of your Demon King. — Unknown Looks feisty—head'll roll. — Unknown Gordonized. Could be entertaining.
"Don't jinx it."
Aren had a communication network for Demon King vice officers.
Channels opened mostly when someone exploded over their superior.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Private vice officer comms were secure, but ultra-loyal ones reporting to superiors wasn't odd.
"Knew it."
Drakson chuckled, tearing into raw meat.
"First punk to stiffen up in my face. Even treated like a fool at graduation for insulting doctrine, but top graduate before that. Bound to be arrogant."
Even non-toppers turned arrogant as Demon Kings. That's demons for you.
"What do you think?"
"The Demon King? Or vice officer?"
"Vice officer. What if he's lying?"
"Didn't seem like it."
The rage through the orb was real.
"No demons summoned, no tribe brought, bad blood with his one vice officer. Confirmed."
Drakson smirked intriguingly. Intense first meeting suggested something, but maybe just bluff.
No, there's something.
"What about that slave elf?"
Selling magic for human cash to buy slaves? Suspicious. He stayed vigilant.
One underling busted, but ongoing.
"Heading south with Red Hawk Mercenary Corps."
"Destination?"
"Not yet..."
"Vice officer won't spill?"
"Lots of complaints, but nothing on what Berge is doing."
"Still loyal?"
Not loyalty. He couldn't admit to other aides his Demon King gave a floor to the princess and dragged in a hero.
"Keep chatting, probe gently. Report anything odd."
"Yes."
"Eyes on the elf too."
"Got it."
"The hero?"
"Hillun Kagil left Hildran, passing Endain Kingdom. Heroes up to 40, with mercenaries and merchants—141 total."
"Faster than expected. Wonder how much bigger by Erjest. Especially against him."
Desperate bid to survive backfired.
Too dangerous for riffraff. Forced kingdoms to hire their top hero.
Root was kidnapping the crown princess. Typical arrogance.
"Hillun Kagil."
The real deal who beheaded the Lust Demon King.
"Absorbed Tyrus's fame and power—unimaginable how strong now."
"Might be Berge's first and last hero encounter."
"Thrashed like thunder, now it'll be fun. Still uneasy—poke more?"
"How...?"
"Heroes loveStrategy. Intel, then dismantle step-by-step."
Drakson snapped his fingers.
"He wields flames, right?"
"Yes, black flames."
"Leak it to heroes discreetly. No ties to us."
"Yes."
Humans knew nothing of Berge. No prep, no strategy.
Just "flames" changes the fight.
Toward certain defeat.
Kuhhuhu.
Drakson grinned slyly.