Chapter 181: Conditions of a Retainer
The tower disappeared.
But it did not return to the Demon Realm.
Which ant Vivian was alive.
She had moved the tower.
How?
He had never thought that that stupid fool knew how to move a tower. Then had she latched onto soone capable of moving it?
There was only one such person.
“Lord Berje. Is it you again?”
When had he reached out to Vivian this ti?
‘No, Lord Berje wouldn’t have had that kind of leeway.’
Jason considered the possibilities. How had a Demon King like Vivian Blunt ended up receiving help from Berje Deias?
‘Was it back then?’
He had heard that when he abandoned Vivian, she had clung disgracefully to every Demon King. Naturally, Berje Deias would have been among them.
‘But at that ti…’
It had been right before the hero’s march was scheduled. At a ti when even defending his own tower had been difficult, he had helped another Demon King?
“You were playing
from the very beginning. You never once thought you would die.”
Jason burst into loud laughter.
From start to finish, from one to ten, everything had been danced upon in Berje’s palm. No matter what Jason did, Berje had responded appropriately and even counterattacked.
The more he understood, the more absurd it felt. He had thought Berje was a pawn that moved according to his will, only to find the opposite was true.
“But.”
That too ended now.
It had been concluded that Vivian was alive, so the advent of a new Demon King had been dismissed as a non-event, but that had been secondary from the start.
What Jason truly wanted was to find the location of Berje’s tower.
And to expose the atrocity of him killing a Demon King, cutting off support from the Demon Realm.
The role of a tower was to release interference power. There were other functions, but few had been revealed, and even fewer could be utilized.
For a Demon King, what mattered most were the monsters and demons that could be summoned at the cost of Demonic Points, and the legions created through them.
A demon without a legion was rely a slightly strong demon, and monsters were lacking compared to the higher demons and monsters of the Demon Realm.
“Demon King. Archduke Arkaine has transmitted the locations of each tower.”
Just in ti, what he wanted arrived.
“Good.”
Now it was truly over. If he just sent a horde of enraged heroes here…
“...?”
Jason tilted his head as he checked the coordinates.
“Lady Aina.”
“Yes.”
“Is this correct…?”
“…I thought it was strange as well, but His Grace the Archduke said it was certain…”
“…This is the sea.”
And not just any sea, but a vast open ocean without a single island nearby.
*
*
*
『You trash bastard.』
Balraf crushed his lips together. A deep loathing for Demon Kings seeped out.
『I knew better than to trust Demon Kings. You colluded with the Demon King of Dark Fla and led
into a trap.』
“That can’t be true. More than anyone, I am the one who wishes for his death.”
『Shut up! Then why didn’t you give
the exact location until now? And now that you finally do, you give
this ridiculous farce?』
“Didn’t I tell you? I learned this at the cost of considerable bloodshed myself. I have no intention whatsoever of deceiving you. I can hardly believe it either, but the tower is definitely here.”
“If I intended to trap you, would I use such a crude thod?”
『Who knows. Perhaps you think that now that a useful Demon King like the Demon King of Dark Fla has descended, it’s ti to wipe out humanity. Aren’t you a Demon King as well?』
『A Demon King among Demon Kings, one who would sell out even his own kind for himself.』
“Humans sell out their own kind far more often.”
“And I have done my utmost to help you until now.”
『Because I was useful. It was the sa for . I joined hands with you because you were useful. But is there any reason to keep trusting soone who pulls this kind of stunt?』
“…I swear upon the great First Demon Emperor and The Demon King’s Standard. I paid the price directly to an Archduke of the Demon Realm to obtain this.”
“If the Archduke did not deceive , the tower is here. And the Archduke has no reason to deceive .”
At that point, Balraf could no longer rebuke him.
『…It’s the sea.』
“I know.”
『A vast open ocean without even a single island.』
“Yes.”
『You expect
to believe that the one who was in Ergest is suddenly underwater?』
“I know it sounds absurd. I feel the sa. But it is the truth.”
『The Demon King of Dark Fla built a tower under the sea.』
How ridiculous.
Across the communication device, the eyes of the Demon King and the hero t. The hero nodded.
『Fine. I’ll trust your words one last ti.』
“Thank you.”
『But before that.』
『I will subjugate another Demon King.』
Jason’s brow twitched.
“…What do you an by that?”
『When I fought the Demon King of Dark Fla, I felt it wasn’t easy. I need more power.』
“That can’t be. It’s only been two years since Lord Berje descended. He cannot be your equal!”
『I didn’t say he was my equal. I didn’t go all out.』
He had fought sincerely. But before he could pour everything into it, the Demon King had turned his back and fled.
『But the Demon King was the sa.』
No matter how much ntal strain he had suffered after being trapped, no matter how fatigued he had been fighting monsters on the way up, it couldn’t be denied.
The Demon King of Dark Fla was strong. Stronger than any Demon King he had faced before. He was not an opponent to underestimate just because only two years had passed.
Of course, if they fought to the end with everything they had, he was confident he would win. But the fact that even the slightest doubt crept into that victory displeased him.
Fortunately, there was a way to remove that doubt. If power was lacking, then he would grow stronger.
Heroes had a reliable ans to beco stronger in a short amount of ti.
『I’ve waited about a hundred years. That’s long enough. Ripe fruit should be harvested.』
“…That cannot be allowed!”
“They are ones who submit to order with . They are different from Berje!”
『They’re Demon Kings all the sa.』
“Lord Balraf!”
『Jason Kokemundo.』
Balraf Dislode’s eyes sank coldly.
『Do I look like I’m asking for your permission?』
Jason’s face stiffened.
“…Do you truly intend to go that far?”
『If you had given
the proper location before the Demon King of Dark Fla kidnapped the dwarves, this wouldn’t have happened.』
“…Are you saying this is my fault?”
『I wouldn’t say you bear no responsibility. You could have been more certain, yet you stood by.』
『And if things had turned out well, that would be one thing. But because of that, stars died. Hundreds of heroes died, tens of thousands of legion soldiers died. And my honor was buried beneath the ground!』
『Do not test my patience! The fact that I am even still talking to you shows how much I am enduring!』
“...”
Jason bit his lip.
He couldn’t stop him. Balraf Dislode was neither his retainer nor his subordinate. They were equals in a cooperative relationship.
They had joined hands only because each wanted sothing, maintaining the relationship for that reason alone.
“…The Frost Demon King.”
『What?』
“If you intend to subjugate another Demon King, then subjugate the Frost Demon King.”
Ugar and Reina both submitted to Jason’s order.
But unlike Ugar, who followed him with full trust, Reina rely complied with reality out of necessity.
That difference was absolute. If only one of them had to remain, Ugar was preferable to Reina.
“Gillien Aint, the spiritual pillar of the tundra barbarians, has died. The shock to the barbarians is imnse, and their fear of the Frost Demon King has only grown.”
“If you declare that you are subjugating the Frost Demon King for their sake, you will gain both justification and tangible benefits.”
『I’ll take your advice into consideration.』
『If you learn anything more about the Tower of Dark Fla, report it imdiately.』
The connection was cut.
──!
A glass shattered instantly.
“These bastards, every last one of them!”
Jason’s mask t the sa fate. Dozens of glasses turned into fragnts, the shattered pieces carpeting the floor.
Only after a long while did Jason finally calm himself, breathing heavily.
“Aina.”
“Yes, Demon King.”
Aina, who had been waiting outside, entered. She cleaned the floor with practiced ease, brought a new glass, placed it in Jason’s hand, and poured wine.
“Contact Lord Ugar and tell him to do nothing and lie low. Tell him not to draw attention by attempting sothing half-baked at a ti like this.”
“Then the subjugation of Demon King Berje…”
“There’s no need for Demon Kings to move. Lord Balraf will move with all his might anyway.”
“Yes.”
“And Lady Reina…”
Jason hesitated for a mont.
Now that Balraf had set his sights on Reina, she would die. That was no longer sothing that could be reversed.
Then should he simply leave it be, or intervene sohow to extract the maximum benefit?
Jason shook his head.
If he interfered unnecessarily and Balraf noticed, it would beco irreparable. That must not happen. Having spent long years together, they knew each other too well.
Even though he did have a hidden card, avoiding the worst was still paramount.
‘Then I won’t be directly involved.’
What about forcing a loss rather than gaining a profit? At the sa ti, it would be an opportunity to gauge just how strong Berje truly was, as highly regarded by Balraf.
‘I can’t believe he’s equal to Lord Balraf after only two years. No matter if he’s a Demon Dragon.’
He had to see it with his own eyes.
In that case.
“I will handle Lady Reina myself. For now, do not tell anyone that Lord Berje has beco a target for execution.”
“Won’t His Grace the Archduke relay the order?”
“He delegated all authority to . A cunning old man. He intends to pin everything on
and slip away unless the evidence is airtight. But this works out better for now.”
“Yes.”
Aina left the office.
Jason contacted Reina.
“Lady Reina, this is serious. The heroes are planning a hero’s march aid at you.”
If he warned her in advance, Reina would prepare for the hero’s march.
And that preparation would surely include seeking help from Berje.
If that happened.
‘I’ll be able to see more clearly what kind of power and forces Lord Berje possesses.’
And he fervently hoped that all of it would collapse together with Reina.
*
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*
[You have been stripped of qualification to trade with the Demon Realm.]
[You cannot return Demonic Points to the Demon Realm.]
[You cannot summon goods or lifeforms from the Demon Realm.]
It happened suddenly.
It was sothing that would happen eventually. Jason, who knew that he had been involved in killing Draxon, would never leave him alone. It had been foreseeable that it would reach Archduke Arkaine and lead to the current situation.
But anticipating sothing and experiencing it firsthand were different matters.
“So this is how you’re coming at .”
“What should we do?”
“Well, does anything really change?”
“…Nothing, does it.”
Gordon exclaid in admiration.
“Don’t tell
this was part of your plan as well? Did you refrain from summoning demons and monsters because you anticipated this? Just how grand a sche are you drawing?”
“It used to be a problem that you thought I was too much of a blockhead. Now it’s a problem that you rate
too highly.”
“…Isn’t it?”
“That’s not it. Still, you’re calr than expected. Shouldn’t you be raging after being abandoned by the Demon Realm?”
“Actually.”
“Actually?”
“I sowhat expected this.”
“You expected it?”
“Although the Demon King has been moving while seeking your own solutions, you’re not exactly ticulous, are you? Becoming top of the Demon King Military Academy wasn’t because of brains, but sheer strength itself.”
“So you’re saying I’m stupid?”
“That’s not what I ant.”
It sure sounded like it.
Just then.
The tower trembled.
The special communication device for contacting the Demon Realm vibrated violently.
“…The Archduke.”
“He’s going to interrogate you.”
“Probably.”
It didn’t matter. He had been thoroughly disliked from the start, and cutting the connection first before contacting him ant they already knew the circumstances and had made up their mind.
He had anticipated this to so extent. So it was fine.
‘Though how I’m supposed to return to the Demon Realm is another matter.’
Damn it, that was the most important part, but it was his own doing, so he had no one to bla.
Berje was about to accept the communication.
[This is a communication sent to the tower of the absorbed inferior entity – Vivian Blunt.]
If the tower’s guidance hadn’t struck his mind.
“…A communication sent to Vivian?”
Why?
“They may have realized the tower disappeared.”
“Then all the more reason it shouldn’t be Vivian…”
“Since the tower didn’t return to the Demon Realm, wouldn’t they think Lady Vivian is alive?”
“…That’s true.”
That made sense. He had been too fixated on the act of absorbing the tower itself.
“Call Vivian.”
A mont later, Vivian arrived.
“What is it?”
“That.”
Berje pointed at the violently ringing communication device.
“Archduke Arkaine contacted you.”
“But my tower is gone?”
“That’s why it ca here. The Archduke probably thinks you’re alive.”
“I am alive.”
“With your tower intact.”
“Ah.”
“You take it. Hide the fact that you beca my retainer.”
“Can I curse him out?”
“…Out of nowhere?”
“He’s the vampire bastard who tricked
and shoved
into this damned dinsion.”
“Do you have no intention of returning to the Demon Realm?”
“From what I hear, you can’t return either, right? Then where would I go as your retainer? As long as I’m alive, this place isn’t bad.”
Insanely positive. Or just stupid?
“Do as you please.”
Berje allowed it, and Vivian accepted the communication.
『Vivian Blunt. You seem fine. The other Demon Kings thought you were dead. What did you do?』
So that was it. It seed he had finally heard from Jason that Vivian was dead. Yet since the tower hadn’t been forcibly summoned back, he sensed sothing was off and tried contacting her.
“Why do you think I owe you an explanation?”
『What?』
“Just thinking about the suffering I went through because of you makes my teeth grind even in my sleep. I feel like barging into your dreams and sucking out every last drop of vitality you have, you old vampire bastard!”
And she truly did as she pleased.
“…I understand now why the Demon King accepted Lady Vivian as a retainer. She was more than qualified.”
“Qualified for what?”
“For being abnormal. She’s just like those batshit-crazy princesses who call themselves the Four Heavenly Kings.”
“…Shut up.”
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