The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 116

Chapter 116
Chapter: 116

Chapter Title: Outward March

—

『Have you lost your mind?』

“Mind your tone.”

『You truly believe I’ll just stroll into the empire and assist some royal brat without my sanity snapping?』

“You are a hero. In the presence of a dark mage and a Demon King, your instinct should be to strike, regardless of the borders.”

『Spare me the righteous clichés.』

“I will provide mana.”

『That is the bare minimum.』

『You have already signed a pact with the 5th Prince, haven’t you?』

“The kingdom is secondary—you are my main concern.”

『And then?』

“And then?”

『Even if I traveled to that kingdom, taking you for myself would be effortless. A few pests might whine, but that’s nothing I haven’t handled.』

『You aren’t suggesting that something you are required to give me counts as ‘compensation,’ are you?』

『Or are you truly that much of a criminal?』

Rozel Charnt ran her tongue over her lips through the glowing communication tool.

“What is your price?”

『Listen, rushing off to an empire I despise to slave away for a prince? Standard rewards won’t suffice.』

“Do not make me repeat the question.”

『Something more potent than mana. Something closer to your essence.』

The light of insanity flickered in Rozel’s eyes.

『Your blood.』

『Your hair.』

『The pathways of your mana.』

『And your mana core and heart… is that asking too much?』

“I see. You truly are a deranged woman.”

Berge rubbed the skin where his hair stood on end. It was his first experience with true dread since ascending as the Demon King.

And it was triggered by a mere mortal.

Simultaneously, a wave of fury crashed over him.

How could a lowly human hero dare to hunger for the physical form of the Demon King.

“Just get out.”

『What?』

“The agreement is nullified. I will cover the cancellation costs. The stated reason: Rozel Charnt is a lunatic. Understood?”

A realization hit Berge.

This no longer concerned his alliances with Akan. The instability pouring from Rozel Charnt was far from typical. Individuals like her were magnets for chaos.

If she was fixated on him, their continued association would only turn her into a ticking explosion.

It was wiser to sever ties immediately.

A penalty fee? A minor financial setback was a small price for peace. His bridge to the Akan Kingdom could be maintained through the elven tribes regardless.

Naturally, she wouldn’t let go without a struggle. Rozel Charnt’s fixation wouldn’t vanish easily.

However, he needed to establish a boundary—one she wouldn’t dare cross unless she was prepared for the consequences.

『No, hold on a moment.』

“Why the surprise? Did you think I would accept such filth? I am not the one in need here.”

『No, no—that was just a joke, wasn’t it?』

“I am entirely serious.”

And you were serious as well, from the very start.

『This would be a catastrophe. The sovereign and the head of the tower would lose their minds.』

『Every mage in the tower would as well.』

“That is a problem for you to manage. Surely a mage knows better than to speak without filtering their thoughts?”

『…You’re playing a dangerous game, aren’t you?』

“And if I am?”

『Fine. Only mana, just like my initial proposal. Do we have a deal?』

“You cannot gather water once it has been spilled.”

『That’s a lie! No magic exists that can’t mend what is broken!』

…She had a point.

『Fine, I’ll yield. For free. I will perform this task for nothing as an apology. Just don’t scrap the contract!』

“…I see.”

『An opportunity like this is rare. You’d be a fool to pass it up.』

“…If you are truly that desperate to assist me.”

A predatory smile touched Berge’s face. Rozel finally saw she had been trapped, her expression falling blank.

『…You snake?』

“Connect with the Crimson Flame Assault Squad and find Hillun Kagil immediately. I trust a legendary hero and mage will keep her word. Goodbye.”

『You son of a—!』

Berge terminated the signal.

Rozel’s parting insult dissolved into silence.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The Emperor of Jespain was a ruler who recognized the power of theater and public optics.

The imperial bloodline, fulfilling their duty of noblesse oblige, heading out in person to eradicate the servants of darkness—the dark sorcerers.

Why keep it hidden? Why operate in the shadows?

For the most powerful empire on the continent? It was nonsensical.

They should announce it with pride, fuel the rumors, and turn it into a grand event.

That way, the populace would understand.

That way, their devotion would intensify.

That way, everyone would witness their power.

Both the high-born and the low-born could observe the struggles of the royals.

Only those who could prove their capabilities under that intense scrutiny were fit for the throne.

Shing—

The sovereign unsheathed his blade.

The dragon-etched sword that stood as the emblem of the Jespain dynasty and the realm itself.

He thrust it toward the heavens. The polished metal caught the afternoon sun.

“Exterminate the arrogant masses of dark sorcerers who dare to stain the glory of this empire.”

“Begin the march!”

His voice was quiet, yet it carried immense weight.

Magnified by sorcery, it vibrated in the ears of every inhabitant of the capital city.

Roooaaar—

In answer to the deafening cheers, the four royal heirs dropped to their knees and lowered their heads.

“We shall follow your command!”

“We shall follow your command!”

Dong-dong-dong—

The rhythm of drums and the blare of horns filled the air. The rising excitement felt more like a celebration than the start of a conflict.

It was to be expected. No one doubted that the empire would emerge victorious.

Thus, the curtains rose on the campaign to reclaim Hampstrine Gorge.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The four heirs each received their official imperial mandates before the throngs of people, flanked by their personal guards and prominent supporters.

Hillun and Berge faded into the sea of spectators like commoners, accompanied by their newest recruit, Rozel Charnt.

“Gods, I despise these imperial fools. They use heroes but hate giving them the spotlight at state functions?”

“This is the empire. Speaking ill of it is unwise.”

“Be quiet, you Demon King thief.”

“You are being much louder.”

“Close your mouth, you swindler.”

Rozel Charnt, dragged into unpaid labor by her own words, had been in a wretched mood since stepping foot in the empire.

The empire’s dismissive attitude toward heroes only added fuel to her anger.

“It is finished. Let us proceed to the eastern gate.”

“I wonder how many soldiers and heroes the others managed to gather.”

Berge and Hillun moved toward the capital’s eastern exit. Rozel followed sullenly behind.

The area outside the east gate was already packed with people.

In the distance, the combined campaign force was gathering: four divisions of knights, four circles of mages, and eight hundred infantrymen.

It was small compared to the empire’s legendary five great knight orders, but it was far from a weak force.

As the royals drew near, the ranks of soldiers stood tall and lowered their heads in respect.

Interestingly—they were the only ones visible.

“It is a contest of secrets.”

“Indeed. Most of the reinforcements will likely link up during the journey.”

The rivalry had started the moment it was decreed that the success of the mission rested on the royals’ shoulders.

Conceal your true strength, exaggerate your weaknesses—that was basic tactics.

The news had been filled with daily reports on which heroes had sided with which prince or princess, but only a handful were present now.

It was a calculated move to hide their hands.

“We were supposed to stay hidden as well, originally…”

“Do you want me to pluck your eyes out?”

Hillun glanced at Rozel. She snarled in response.

The 3rd Prince had intended to keep Rozel hidden until they were closer to Hampstrine, but she had flatly refused.

He had sent the Crimson Flame Assault Squad ahead and arrived alone, begging her to charge a storage orb for him.

Naturally, she had sent him away, and now the day had arrived.

At least she had pulled a hooded robe over her face to stay somewhat low-profile—no overt grandstanding.

“Where is the 3rd Prince’s unit?”

“Over in that direction.”

Just then, a rider wearing the imperial dragon crest galloped toward them and hopped down in front of Hillun.

“Are you the legendary Hero Hillun?”

“It is a privilege to meet Your Highness, the 6th Prince.”

“To see the hero who vanquished two Demon Kings with my own eyes! What a joy—I have been eager to meet you!”

After a brief exchange, the four royal-led divisions began their trek toward Hampstrine Gorge.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Hampstrine was not a single canyon. Dozens of divergent trails branched out like a web, and the empire had reinforced and blocked the largest, most critical path.

Four strongholds surrounded it from the cardinal directions—matching the number of leading royals.

The four units would divide and head to their assigned fortresses, encircling the gorge before closing in on the center.

“So this is Dortin Fortress.”

A massive stone structure appeared in the distance, obstructing the entrance to the gorge.

The mission force—which began with 50 knights, 30 mages, and 100 infantry—had tripled in size with the addition of 500 troops from Marquis Aincheil’s estate, 21 members of the Red Hawk Assault Squad, and 50 from the Crimson Flame Assault Squad.

“The White Hawk Knights—those are Aincheil’s best, right?”

“We are Hawks as well.”

“Are you really going to compare us?”

“What’s the issue with Red Hawks versus White Hawks?”

“Of course, Captain. Our days as mercenaries are behind us.”

“Even so, those White Hawks are on another level…”

“True. We aren’t exactly world-beaters compared to our old selves.”

“Can you all just be silent?”

The Red Hawk Assault Squad whispered among themselves at the sight of the knights clad in shimmering platinum plate.

Hillun clicked his tongue internally at their lack of confidence.

“Building an assault squad from mercs was a blunder. I should have found real talent and trained them from scratch…”

“That would have taken years. And are you implying it’s my fault for lending you the mercenaries?”

“Not at all, but if it seemed that way…”

“Shut up.”

“Understood.”

Marquis Aincheil’s family was among the empire’s elite. The 3rd Prince’s forces were not weak by any objective measure.

But he could not be complacent.

Everything was a matter of perspective. They were powerful on paper, but they might be lacking when measured against the other royals.

‘My siblings will have secured even greater support.’

The 1st Prince and 1st Princess likely commanded the elite of the ducal houses—forces that surpassed Aincheil’s in every category.

The 2nd Prince, supported by Marquis Boldrov’s immense wealth, had likely purchased a private army. Their knights were just the beginning.

‘I expected as much.’

It was common knowledge they would use their family ties. Hiding soldiers for later was a tactic to mask their heroes.

‘The heroes are the deciding factor.’

In the demon-tainted air of Hampstrine, facing the dead and dark mages, heroes would be the most effective weapons.

‘Who did they recruit?’

Legendary figures, surely. The empire might look down on hero guilds, but royals offered gold and status—and heroes were pragmatists.

‘I should have kept ours under wraps longer.’

All his cards were on the table. Hillun had been visible since they left the capital; Rozel, despite his protests, had shown up anyway.

Hiding her now? Impossible.

‘And yet…’

His eyes moved to the Red Hawk Assault Squad. To their primary hero.

‘The groundwork is laid. My siblings are unaware of this hidden card.’

Thanks to Hillun. His guidance had created the ultimate weapon.

“Enter the fortress.”

“Yes, sir!”

The gates creaked open. They were met by the welcoming party of the castle’s commander.

‘I will eliminate the dark sorcerers myself. Then I will assist Hillun in the siege of the Flame Tower.’

He hardened his heart.

He would take the throne, rescue his brother, and ensure he never had to witness the horrors of a civil war.

His gaze burned with a dark, focused resolve.

End of Chapter 116: Outward March