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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... letting me go...?"
"I never said anything like that."
"B-but you clearly said you'd show mercy..."
"I said I'd let you live."
And right now, you're alive.
"..."
Not a single word was wrong.
Roger's face drained of color.
"Ah..."
His short knees dug into the snow. Hot tears plopped onto the cold surface.
The Demon King already knew.
He knew Roger had only been pretending to play the spy just enough to make a run for it.
"So happy you're in tears, eh?"
"...Y-yes, of course."
"Get up. We've got a long way to go."
"...Yes."
It was cold. The chill seeped right through his dwarven fur clothes, renowned for their superior insulation. "Erjest" slipped from his lips unbidden.
"Um... so, how far are we going?"
"To the summit, naturally."
"You mean the tower's at the summit?"
He might have been a hero, but lately Roger had lived a reclusive life forging weapons for the princess.
So he had no idea about the new Demon King's arrival.
Nor that this Demon King had kidnapped Hilderan's crown princess.
But he did know that Demon King towers were typically built in moderately dangerous spots—places humans could theoretically reach.
The summit of the Erjest Mountains?
It was bizarre, but Roger wasn't the type to ask outright.
They climbed for ages. His short legs made for slow going, but thankfully his blacksmith stamina held up.
"M-monsters are steering clear on their own."
"Obviously. I'm the Demon King. You think some puny monsters would dare block my path?"
"N-no way... the whole mountain belongs to Lord Demon King...?"
Berge gave no reply. But wasn't silence as good as affirmation?
Really...?
Roger swallowed hard as an ominous chill raced through his mind.
They finally reached the summit. The tower lay hidden in a secluded basin, impossible to spot at a glance.
"Take a good look. This is where you'll be putting in work for me from now on."
"...Me? The tower? How...?"
"You'll figure it out in time."
The tower's door swung open.
Roger squeezed his eyes shut.
The first floor might house relatively weak demonic beasts, but they were demonic beasts all the same. He'd never laid eyes on a live one since becoming a hero—no, not in his entire life—so fear gripped him tight.
"What are you doing?"
"Ah, uh..."
At the Demon King's sharp rebuke, he cracked his eyes open. And stared into an empty cavern.
"Huh...? Is this normal?"
"It is now. We'll stock it up bit by bit."
"Ah, got it. So that's why they said a new Demon King showed up."
Roger nodded in understanding. At least no monsters in sight—a small relief.
"Follow me."
They ascended to the second floor, then the third. The empty levels were much like the first. But the fourth floor left him stunned for an entirely different reason.
A scene utterly divorced from anything resembling a Demon King's tower.
"Spirits...?"
Spirits frolicking inside the mana-scarce tower.
"Ah, you're back?"
A human popped out from amid them, startling Roger even more. She didn't fit the tower one bit.
"Who's this...?"
"Who?"
"This is Hilderan's princess. This dwarf's your new roommate. He's a hero."
"...Princess?"
"...Hero?"
"You two share the fourth floor. You'll be seeing plenty of each other, so say hello."
The Demon King headed up to the fifth floor.
Left alone, the princess and the hero stared at each other in heavy silence.
"You didn't come to rescue me, huh?"
"...Well, at first I did."
"You got kidnapped too?"
"..."
"You're... not a prince, right?"
"..."
"...You are a hero... right?"
"...That too, sort of."
Roger hung his head low.
He had zero pride as a hero, but this was mortifying all the same.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"You want me to remodel the first floor?"
The awkwardness of sharing space with the princess had escalated to suffocating when the Demon King summoned Roger.
And the first order was tough to swallow.
"Didn't you say you'd put your skills to use for me? A lie?"
"N-no, sir!"
"Then this is your chance. Your honor to deploy those lowly talents in service of this body."
"So the first floor... however I want...?"
"Don't make me repeat myself."
Balistas and cannons in a Demon King's tower... instead of monsters?
An unimaginable sight.
Thought he wanted weapons or armor...
Demons wielded weapons and donned armor too. Naturally, he'd assumed that was the reason for dragging him here.
But to pack the first floor with dwarven traps?
"If you're about to whine that you can't kill a fellow hero now, go ahead."
"Really?"
"Of course."
Roger wasn't so dense he missed the seeping killing intent.
"N-no, actually... I really want to."
His own neck mattered more than faceless fellow heroes.
"Can you?"
"I'm one of the top artisans in the dwarf kingdom. If you wish, I'll go beyond basic cannons and balistas—show you the essence of dwarven craft!"
"Good attitude. Need anything else?"
"Depends on the scale and style of the remodel."
"The entire first floor. It's all yours—do whatever."
"The whole first floor...? Then may I draft some blueprints?"
"You have two days."
"Yes, sir!"
"Oh, and..."
The Demon King leaned in close. Those pitch-black eyes loomed suddenly; Roger collapsed to a seat.
A whisper slithered through.
"Feel free to pull any schemes. Just don't forget the instant you do... this being the Demon King's tower will become your personal nightmare."
"Hik!"
The Demon King vanished. Roger remained, alongside his soaked trousers.
"Sniff."
Pathetic.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I'll admit the dwarf."
Not fully convinced even then. But compared to this situation? A hundred—no, a thousand times better.
"But a hero?"
Heroes were the enemy.
Guardians of dimensions, blockers of invasions.
Obstacles that had to be crushed to conquer a dimension.
Aren's peculiarities had led to recent Demon King-human collusions, but they remained irreconcilable foes.
"No Demon King in history has ever brought a hero into their tower!"
"Then I'll be the first."
"Why are you doing this?"
"I explained when I brought the dwarf. Need a recap?"
"But he's a hero."
"He's a dwarf too. A top-tier artisan, even by kingdom standards."
"No, even so...!"
"You gonna build it then?"
"..."
Berge savored his bitter tea as he quelled Gordon's grumbling.
"Figure out how to procure the materials the dwarf wants."
"...Simple. Go shopping yourself."
Gordon shot back curtly.
"Elaborate."
"Splitting purchases across multiple kingdoms is the way to dodge the worst outcome."
"Your worst outcome?"
"Getting caught buying materials. Tracked down. Your plans exposed."
"Countermeasure?"
"Scatter the flow across kingdoms—they won't connect the dots to you. Human logistics follow patterns, but you've got sub-space. Untraceable."
"Not bad. So why the long face?"
"What's wrong with my face?"
Problems? Plenty.
That punchable scowl's begging for a smash.
Before his regression, this guy wasn't like this. What changed?
"Might become a problem soon."
"..."
Gordon flashed a toothy grin at the Demon King's fist. Not a good look.
Berge tapped the table.
Bit of a hassle, but probably for the best.
Dwarven traps lived or died on secrecy.
Striking at utterly unexpected moments.
With utterly unexpected traps.
Even without that, humans sniffing out his actions spelled trouble.
"Fine. Do it that way. Draft a plan: best materials, best sources."
"I don't even know what's needed."
"That a real question? Ask the damn hero."
"Ah."
"Slacking?"
"...No."
"Rebellious?"
"..."
"Top of the training school, my ass."
"...It's not—"
"Whatever. Once blueprints are ready, I'll handle sourcing. You check on the Iasins."
"...Yes, sir."
Berge vanished. Gordon, left alone, slammed his fist into the wall.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Back in the adjutant's quarters, Gordon stomped over and flopped onto his bed.
He was still pissed, no matter how he sliced it.
His own screw-up, sure. Got so hung up on the dwarf being a hero he skipped basic thinking.
But tracing it back? Blame lay with Berge.
"Tolerated a tower on Erjest Mountain."
"Tolerated hiding the damn tower."
"Tolerated not jailing the princess on some floor—letting her roam free and redecorate."
"Tolerated blowing precious magi points on human trash money."
"Tolerated scheming with some elf lackey."
"Even tolerated handing the first floor to a dwarf."
Overlooked all the canon violations, the un-demonlike antics. Because he was the Demon King. The lord he'd sworn to serve.
But now? Kidnapping a hero.
Handing the tower's gateway to a hero.
"Damn it."
This wasn't the Demon King-adjutant ideal he'd dreamed of.
Not why he'd slaved ten years through demon training school.
Not why he'd graduated top.
"No more...!"
Gordon unclenched his fist. A heavy sigh escaped.
Still had to endure.
Demon King and adjutant: strictly hierarchical. Demons prized order above all races.
Defy orders? Death. Standard penalty. Even stricter in the tower than demon realm law.
"Damn, if he weren't the Demon King...!"
But Berge was the Demon King. And Gordon his adjutant.
He pulled out the crystal orb. Channeling magi, it glowed softly and latched a signal.
💬 Adjutant Network
— Kokun
Back already, huh?
— Aina
They said your Demon King showed. Faster than I figured?
"Are Demon Kings always like this?"
Gordon vented his pent-up rage.
— Kokun
Anger in your voice.
— Aina
I get it. Gotta serve 'em, but man, they piss us off sometimes.
— Kokun
Wanna hear what went down.
"Won't even hear me out. Everything's his whim. Why keep me as adjutant if that's how it is?"
— Aina
You too, huh? Mine's the same. Listens now and then, but mostly does whatever.
⭐ Top Comment
— Casey
Sucks for you. My Demon King actually listens to me.
— Aina
Casey, shut it for real.
— Kokun
You shut it, Aina. No class.
The voices that had seemed attentive now devolved into bickering among themselves.
"If he'd listen just once, I wouldn't feel this disillusioned."
— Kokun
That legendary top grad from Demon King Academy? Earning the rep.
— Aina
Oh yeah, Gordon—you topped demon training school too, right? First top grad in Aren. Must feel weird.
— Casey
My Demon King too. Not sure if I'm adjutant or just background hype demon.
"Exactly! If he weren't the Demon King...!"
— Kokun
Don't say that shit to a Demon King's face.
— Aina
Looks hot-tempered. Head gone in seconds.
— Casey
Turns into Gordon? Could be entertaining.
"Don't jinx me."
Aren had a comms network for adjutants serving Demon Kings.
And channels lit up mostly when someone's boss had burst their bubble.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Adjutant private channels guaranteed secrecy, but hyper-loyal ones tattling to superiors wasn't unheard of.
"Figured as much."
Drakson cackled, tearing into raw meat.
"First punk to stiffen up in my face. Got branded a fool at graduation for shitting on canon, but till then? Top dog everyone kissed up to. Gotta be arrogant."
Even non-top grads turned cocky as Demon Kings. Demons gonna demon.
"What's your take?"
"The Demon King? Or the adjutant?"
"Adjutant. Could be bullshitting, no?"
"Didn't seem like it."
The raw fury through the crystal was legit.
"Tower with no summoned demons, no kin dragged along—and on bad terms with his one adjutant. That's a given."
Drakson grinned with keen interest. That explosive first encounter—he'd pegged something special. Just hot air after all?
Nah, there's something.
"What's that slave elf up to?"
Selling magi for human pocket change, then buying slaves? Suspicious from jump. He kept his guard up.
One underling exposed and wrecked, but operation ongoing.
"Heading south with Red Hawk Mercenary Corps."
"Destination?"
"Haven't pinned it yet..."
"Adjutant not spilling?"
"Gripe city, but nada on what Berge is plotting."
"Still got loyalty?"
Not loyalty. Couldn't stomach admitting to peers his lord handed a floor to a princess and recruited a hero.
"Keep the chats going, pry soft. Report anything off."
"Yes, sir."
"Eyes on the elf too."
"Understood."
"The hero?"
"Hillun Kargil's left Hilderan, cutting through Endain Kingdom. Heroes up to 40 now; with mercs and merchants, total 141."
"Faster than expected. Can't wait to see how bloated they'll be by Erjest. Especially against that guy."
Desperate bid to last a bit longer, but worst play ever.
Too risky for randos to bite. Forced kingdom-level top-hero hire.
Core issue: snatching Hilderan's crown princess. Arrogance at root, probably.
"Hillun Kargil."
The real deal who beheaded the Lust Demon King.
"Sucked up Tyurus's fame and power post-kill—who knows how juiced he is now."
"Might legit be the first and last hero Berge ever faces."
"Thunder-rampage boy's in the shit now. Still bugs me though—wanna poke harder?"
"How...?"
"Heroes love their攻略. Info-gathering, methodical takedowns."
Drakson snapped his fingers.
"He wields flames, yeah?"
"Yes—black flames, they say."
"Leak it quiet to the heroes. No trails back to us."
"Got it."
From human side, Berge's deal was a blank. No prep, no strat.
Just tipping flames? Battle shifts hard.
Straight to Berge's sure loss.
Kuhhuhuhu.
Drakson flashed a sleazy grin.