Chapter 183: Back to the Snowfield
The Frost Tower.
It would be a lie to say it was not tempting.
After absorbing Vivian’s tower and learning its taste, the towers of the other Demon Kings looked to Berje like exceedingly sweet fruit.
But there was an order to everything. Even if he bluntly told them to beco his vassals, none would comply.
Conflicts between Demon Kings were outright forbidden, and even fighting another Demon King inside a tower itself was problematic.
A tower reinforced its owner with greater power and hindered intruders, so fighting the tower’s owner inside another’s tower was no different from battling after having one’s wings and scales torn off.
The three Demon Kings were not opponents one could lightly expect to defeat under such conditions.
So he put it aside. He decided that if an opportunity ca soday, he would take it.
But not now. Berje barely suppressed the desire surging up inside him.
“...Do you know what my thod is?”
“I do not know exactly. It would not be sothing as simple as concealnt, like you ntioned last ti.”
But whatever it was, the fact that the results were good could not be denied.
“You have no intention of fighting?”
“I will fight. This one will face them proudly as a Demon King.”
For nearly a hundred years, she had slowly released the interference power and reinforced her tower.
She had summoned monsters and demons, turning the monsters of the snowfield into her vassals.
She prided herself on being able to contend even with an average kingdom.
As a Demon King, she could not turn her back without doing anything, not if she were to protect the honor she proclaid.
“But your opponent is the Empire.”
No, it was the entire continent, poisoned with rage after falling into Berje’s trap.
“Failure is covered by success. Balraf Dislode chose you as the scapegoat. Rather than an ordinary hero’s march, there is a high chance that another alliance will be ford.”
Because it had to succeed.
They would not tolerate two failures.
“How many Stars might be included, I wonder.”
Of course, this was different from when they searched for Berje’s tower.
The Frost Tower’s location had already been revealed, and all they had to do was select elite heroes to kill her.
But what if there were hundreds of heroes?
Berje could not imagine Reina’s victory at all. Especially if Balraf Dislode were their commander.
And failure ant death.
“Are you worried about this one?”
“For now, we are allies.”
“This one does not mind dying.”
Becoming a Demon King and descending into a lower dinsion ant conquering a dinsion with one’s life on the line.
Naturally, one had to keep death close at all tis. Although Demon Kings held the advantage in most dinsions, the possibility of ‘what if’ always existed.
She had prepared herself for that much.
But.
“My retainers, my vassals, are different.”
They, too, were prepared for death. They risked their lives to be with Reina. But from her standpoint, she could not simply go along with that resolve.
They were those who trusted her and followed her. To make them face a battle that was clearly dood to defeat was not courtesy toward vassals who believed in her. It was not right.
“This one wishes to keep them alive. That is why this one asks you for a thod.”
“....”
At her sincere words, Berje pondered.
Then he decided to be honest and lay everything out. If he stimulated her desire to save her vassals and made her realize that there was only one path of survival, perhaps she would walk it herself.
“There is a thod. But you cannot use it.”
“Why?”
“There is no ti.”
“Ti?”
“I used the dwarves. While helping Vivian, I was able to receive the help of the dwarves she had abducted.”
“I know that you made a fake tower and laid a trap. I am asking how you hid the real tower.”
“I did not hide it. I moved it.”
“...Really?”
“I made an artifact using the dwarves. Sothing vast and magnificent enough to move a tower.”
“...Good heavens.”
“It took several months to make it. It was possible because it was . It was possible because my tower was hidden.”
It had also been possible because the alliance delayed things by preparing to explore an unknown land to find a tower that had not yet been discovered.
“But your situation is different.”
The Frost Tower’s location had already been exposed, so there was no need for that.
“There is also the problem of procuring materials. At the ti, I had rchant companies under my control, but after the clash with Jason, they left my hands.”
“You said it was the Golden Moon, did you not?”
“Yes.”
“...Then it cannot be helped.”
Reina smiled bitterly.
“Then may this one ask for other assistance?”
“Anything I can do.”
“I would like you to support
with the monsters and monsters beasts you gave .”
“As long as you provide storage orbs imbued with freezing magic, I can do so as much as you like.”
Previously, they had simply walked them over, but in the current situation, if monster hordes moved on a large scale, they could not avoid human attention.
“And give
mana bombs.”
“Mana bombs? I did not think you would use such things.”
“There is no clause in The Demon King’s Standard that forbids using items of the Middle Realm.”
“Fine. If you want, I will even make traps on top of that.”
“Thank you. Lastly, there is one more thing.”
“Speak.”
Reina took a deep breath and spoke heavily.
“If I fail to hold them back, I ask that you accept the surviving frost demon race as your vassals.”
“...Do not think of the worst.”
“In this situation, looking only optimistically would be foolish and naive.”
Berje barely swallowed the words that they could live if they beca his vassals.
Not now. Proposing sothing like that to Reina, who had steeled her resolve, would only make things turn for the worse.
“The frost demon race will not accept it, will they?”
“This one will speak with them properly.”
“...If that is what you wish.”
“Thank you. But this is only if. This one has no intention of dying obediently.”
She would prepare with all her might. She would face the enemies with all her might and bestow death upon many.
Balraf Dislode, and the Stars. She would cast down those praised by humans from the heavens and engrave the greatness of the Demon King.
“That is this one’s role as a Demon King.”
“...I feel needlessly sorry. This hero’s march is partly because of .”
By dropping monsters on the Black Toad rchant Company, Berje had driven vigilance toward Demon Kings to its peak, leading to the formation of a large-scale alliance.
And after defeating that alliance, the lingering rage changed direction and headed for the snowfield.
The gust raised by Berje had beco a storm, now bearing down on Reina.
It would be a lie to say there was no remorse. At the very least, she had always helped him.
“...Yes. When you put it that way, that is true.”
Reina murmured quietly, then soon shook her head.
“No, you rely did your duty. This one has no intention of faulting a Demon King for fulfilling a Demon King’s responsibility. If there is a problem, it is that this dinsion has too many heroes and humans, and they are too strong.”
Reina murmured calmly.
At that sight, Berje admired her. She was the complete opposite of Vivian, who had begged and abandoned everything in the face of death.
“I will help as much as I can. I will break Balraf Dislode’s neck.”
“Thank you.”
Berje gathered the storage orbs containing freezing magic and returned to his tower.
Reina sat upon her throne and summoned her vassals.
“War is unavoidable. The heroes will co to take this one’s head.”
“That will never happen. We will freeze all who dare aim for Your Majesty and turn them into decorations of the snowfield.”
“Reassuring.”
Reina smiled. Vitality filled the frigid tower.
“Armand.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Gather all monsters of the snowfield. Not a single one capable of fighting is to be left out.”
“Yes.”
“Nina.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Berje will soon co with dwarves. When that ti cos, ensure that monsters and monster beasts are well controlled so they do not target the dwarves.”
“Dwarves, you say?”
At the puzzled expressions of Nina and the demons, Reina spoke.
“Berje aided Vivian Blunt. In return, it is said that the dwarves she abducted are with Berje.”
“My goodness, so that is how they survived.”
“It did seem strange.”
The demons clicked their tongues.
“Still, they will be of help now. They will make mana bombs and plant them throughout the snowfield.”
“Yes.”
Reina issued further detailed instructions. After so ti, her deanor changed.
“Have you all understood?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“It seems they found this one exceedingly easy.”
That was why they were searching for her after being dealt with by Berje.
In a way, it was not wrong.
Reina did not have abilities like Berje’s to hide her tower or create a fake one to lay traps.
But she had a hundred years.
During that ti, the released interference power had revealed her true strength.
She had ten thousand monsters, one thousand monster beasts, and one hundred demons.
Reina let her chill spill forth.
“This one will show them.”
How wrong this choice was.
Why she was called the Frost Demon King.
“The snowfield will beco a hell that devours them.”
“It will be as Your Majesty wills!”
The demons prostrated themselves all at once.
Reina calmly composed her expression.
No matter how urgent or dangerous the situation, a Demon King must not show agitation before her vassals.
---
“...So the Demon King is going to the snowfield, right?”
Roger asked with an awkward expression.
“Do not deny reality. You and all the dwarves will go to the snowfield together.”
“Why?”
“Roger, the cold should be more familiar to you. It is to aid the Frost Demon King.”
“T-that is....”
“That cannot be allowed!”
An old dwarf objected.
“Why?”
“We are busy modifying the tower. We must modify it as soon as possible....”
“You have to dismantle the tower?”
“...Ahem, not necessarily that, but for Your Majesty....”
─!
Berje’s flas exploded. Blackish-red heat lted part of the tower.
“...How did it break so easily?”
“When I tried, no matter what nonsense I did, it would not break....”
It was only natural. The interior of the tower was as sturdy as the exterior. The current situation was no different from the tower weakening itself in response to its owner’s will.
“You bastards tried to dismantle my tower at will?”
“N-no, that is not it....”
“It was him! I know nothing about it!”
At the babbling dwarves, Berje snorted and threw the scattered fragnts toward Roger.
“It was promised.”
“Th-thank you!”
Roger’s complexion brightened, and the eyes of the other dwarves were stained with greed.
“You lot.”
“Yes!”
“Will you go to the snowfield or not. Will you make mana bombs and traps there, or not.”
“If, uh...if my thinking is correct, if we go...?”
“That would be correct. I am not a Demon King stingy with rewards. If you work, I give ample compensation.”
“I will go!”
“No! I have more expertise with bombs than this fool!”
“I am a Peul Dwarf! I endure the cold well!”
“Where do you even have fur, you short bastard!”
“Hair is fur too! Oh, do you not have any?”
“You unfinished, dented shield of a man!”
“Take off your hat, I cannot hear you well with all that sniveling!”
At the chaos that erupted in an instant, Berje silently threw a magic orb. All the dwarves turned into ice statues.
“Lavinia.”
“ too?”
“No. Gather all the monsters here.”
“Okay.”
In truth, there were not many monsters. Most had died fighting heroes at the fake tower.
Still, it was better than nothing.
“ too.”
“You want to investigate the snowfield monsters?”
“Yes.”
“Listen well. Heroes will co there. Humans will co. There are plenty of people with considerable influence, so your face would be recognized quickly.”
“A mask.”
“The Four Heavenly Kings do wear masks. But denied. Above all, just imagining how Reina would react is terrifying.”
“....”
Lavinia puffed out her cheeks.
Berje shoved a piece of chocolate into her mouth.
“...Sweet.”
“It is sweet because it is chocolate. If there is ti, I will catch a few snowfield monsters for you.”
“Really? Promise!”
“You could stop with the childishness.”
“Promise.”
“Is there not at least that much trust between you and
now?”
“Promise!”
Damn it, how did I end up becoming a babysitter?
Berje hooked his finger with hers.
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