The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 144

Chapter 144
Chapter: 144

Chapter Title: The Demon King is Too Wronged

—

“…Who has gone missing?”

The news regarding the disappearance of Louise Berft reached the throne immediately after her seizure.

“A tremendous blast and vibration rocked the residence where Your Highness was staying. The guardians protecting the perimeter charged toward the noise, but Her Highness was nowhere to be seen—only signs of a violent struggle remained.”

“Is that the best you can report? Track her down! This instant!”

The royal defense forces swung into action. They uncovered a concealed tunnel situated quite close to the site of the skirmish.

“A hidden route? After the disappearance of Roger Friedri, didn’t we scour the entire capital and block every underground path we came across?”

“We obstructed the vast majority, but to be perfect…”

“Are you mocking me right now?!”

The dwarves shuddered under the weight of the king’s indignation.

The soldiers scrambled to examine the subterranean passage.

“There are tracks showing someone entered, but none indicating a departure. They are likely still within the system.”

“What if they utilized a different exit? Finding one path doesn’t mean a second one doesn’t exist.”

“…That is.”

“Locate them! If you fail to bring the criminal who snatched my daughters before me, you can start imagining the consequences.”

“Understood!”

However, the crises did not conclude there. While the castle guard was being deployed for a city-wide manhunt, chaos broke out in a different quarter.

“Your Majesty! A blaze has broken out at the royal workshop!”

“…What? How can that be? Think of the number of fire-shielding enchantments woven into that facility!”

The laboratory dealt constantly with heat and flame, so it possessed the strictest safety measures. Yet, if the Demon King had pulverized all their magical wards, it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.

“What of the craftsmen? What is their status?!”

“The 32 individuals who were away are unharmed, but…”

“Give me a proper account!”

“The current location of 49 craftsmen is unknown.”

“…Are you saying they perished in the flames?!”

“No! Had they been incinerated, there would be physical remains. However, we discovered no evidence of bodies within the charred ruins of the facility.”

“Which implies…”

“They certainly wouldn’t have ignited the shop themselves to stage an escape…”

The reporting official’s voice trailed off. The king’s eyelids pulsed with a violent rhythmic twitch.

“They were taken?”

“That is our current theory.”

“Along with the princess?”

“…Precisely.”

In a single stroke, the crown jewels of the realm—both his cherished daughters and the most skilled technicians—had vanished. No, they had been snatched away.

The monarch turned ghost-white for a second before regaining his composure.

“Seal all exits from the capital at once and proclaim a state of total emergency. And find the perpetrators, regardless of the cost.”

The entirety of the capital’s military was activated—virtually every soldier save for the king’s personal retinue and the palace elite.

Once the desperate commands were given, the king convened a session with his advisors.

“Who do you suspect is behind this?”

“…Perhaps the humans.”

“I concur. Snatched craftsmen are proof enough. Humans have lusted after our craftsmanship and caused friction on numerous occasions.”

It stood as the most logical deduction. The mystery was which human territory—and…

“This suggests there is a turncoat betraying our kin. Right here within our walls.”

“A traitor, Your Majesty?”

“The princesses and the royal laboratory are centered in the capital. Do you believe humans could stroll in without my leave? Not unless someone actively shielded them. And how could dozens of craftsmen disappear without a soul noticing?”

“Ah…!”

The advisors gasped. The situation didn’t make sense otherwise.

An uncomfortable quiet took over the room. The king’s deduction was sound, but it led to a grim requirement: the mole held a position of high authority in the city.

They began to cast wary glances at one another. Then, a single official voiced a doubt.

“But Majesty, even the princess was taken. Why would humans risk taking her?”

Anyone aware of how much King Berft cherished his child knew that such an act crossed a line from which there was no return.

“They seized dozens of smiths. They aren’t weighing the long-term fallout.”

“Would humanity be so reckless? We would simply offer armaments to the surrounding territories and let them annihilate the offenders.”

“…That is true.”

The monarch and his council fell into deep contemplation.

“What if the culprit is the Demon King?”

“Why would a Demon King care about kidnapping smiths?”

Those of that rank typically fortified their spires through dark sorcery. They had no requirement for the craftsmanship of dwarves.

That was the standard belief. However…

“What if it isn’t for the sake of the tower?”

“Not the tower?”

“Not long ago, in the Seratin Archipelago…”

“Ah…!”

“She previously attempted to snatch Your Highness in that region and barely managed to flee after being severely wounded.”

“Even so, after being decimated by our military force, would the Demon King truly be so bold as to try again…?”

Just then, a piece of information arrived that solidified their doubts.

“Your Majesty! The Hero Berding has detected lingering traces of demonic energy at the princess’s quarters!”

The Demon King had seized both the princess and the smiths.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Vivian Blunt.

She who had once dominated a whole realm and held her head high was now facing a brick wall named Aren.

Constant attempts ended in disaster, including the indignity of being intimidated by a fellow Demon King.

Yet she suppressed her rage because his observations were agonizingly accurate.

A chaotic realm infested with over 4,000 heroes! Had I known, I would never have set foot here!

She cursed her own pride, having assumed that because the local Demon Kings seemed weak, this world would be easy pickings after her previous conquest.

And then there was Archduke Alcaine, who had enticed her into this nightmare with honeyed words.

That miserable vampire. I should have recognized the warning signs when he was being overly charitable.

She wished she had torn out that silver tongue that spoke of endless wealth.

Though, in reality, she probably couldn’t have.

“At least I’ve salvaged things to some degree? I’m still breathing, and I’m slowly gathering my strength. Yes, that is what truly counts, that’s…”

As she enjoyed a fresh Shine Muscat, her eyes wandered downward and stopped.

“…My tail.”

The loss was a void she couldn’t get used to.

“My tail…”

The sting of tears arrived. The site of the injury still throbbed. It would grow back eventually, but when?

A hundred years? Two?

The tail of a succubus, which functioned as a secondary reservoir for dark energy, wasn’t like a lock of hair that returned with time.

“That monster… I will have my vengeance…”

She swore to make him her thrall, to make him crawl at her feet. One day, certainly.

“Ah.”

She parted her lips to let out a sigh of annoyance.

“Please, have some, hehe.”

A piece of sweet fruit was placed in her mouth.

“Delicious.”

“The highest quality Shine Muscat from the southern plains of Hesse. I acquired it specifically for your pleasure, Lady Vivian.”

“Acquired” was a polite way of saying stolen from a ship. Neither the speaker nor the listener cared for semantics.

“Um, Lady Vivian.”

“When did I grant you permission to speak?”

“M-My apologies!”

The pirate serving as her footrest slammed his forehead against the floorboards.

“What is it? Go ahead.”

“Thank you for your kindness. The Altring group has been behaving strangely of late.”

“Altring…?”

“The dominant coalition in the Seratin Archipelago, commanding eighty different pirate fleets.”

“What about them?”

“…As per usual, they are spreading rumors that we are demon sympathizers—of course, I mean no disrespect to you, Lady Vivian. Those haughty bastards are just…”

“I understand. Go on.”

“Yes. They label us as turncoats for associating with demons. Their troop movements imply that a conflict is about to ignite.”

“A war because of my presence?”

“It is a pathetic pretext. They simply want to eliminate us before our power becomes too great.”

“Hmm.”

Vivian rested her chin in her hand, drifting into thought.

After several disasters, she had decided to lean fully into her succubus heritage.

Allurement was the most inescapable snare—once someone was trapped, they couldn’t break free, whether they were demonic or not. It was her primary tool.

Gaining access to them was simple. The humans in Aren were cynical enough to make backroom deals with devils, particularly in the pirate-controlled Seratin.

These centers of illicit trade, human trafficking, and raiding did not care about demonic status.

Their concerns were survival first and utility second.

Thus, Vivian had gradually pushed her reach into the pirate ranks. She seduced some personally and set her lesser succubi on others, turning them into her marionettes.

Just like the pirate captain acting as her footrest, the one fanning her, or the one feeding her fruit.

All were once major figures in Seratin, now reduced to her heroic slaves.

Heroes were no different here. In Seratin, they were mostly deserters from the guilds or criminals who ignored the mandate to hunt demons.

Take the footrest currently speaking: a pirate leader and a hero.

She had nearly burst out laughing when this supposed hero begged to lick the soles of her feet.

“If a conflict starts, are we capable of winning?”

She brought her focus back to the crisis.

Her contingent was still small compared to the entirety of Seratin; drawing attention was unavoidable.

“We are fewer in number, but do you know who I am? I am the leader of the Black Eyepatch Pirates!”

“Count me in as well. My Waterfall Beard Pirates will obliterate that Altring scum!”

“I will…”

The three bewitched pirate leaders scrambled to earn her favor.

But their empty promises didn’t change the reality—they were outmatched.

She let out an involuntary sigh.

Knock knock—

“Lady Vivian.”

A succubus entered the room before being granted entry.

Vivian glared.

“Did I not instruct you to wait until summoned?”

“A communique from Jason the Demon King. He demands that you receive it this instant…”

“To what end?”

“He said he would explain personally. But he sounded absolutely irate.”

“Irate? At what?”

I am staying here quietly in Seratin exactly as he suggested.

“Everyone out.”

With a flick of her hand, the pirates and the succubus departed. Vivian channeled her energy into the magical orb.

“What is it this time?”

『What is it? How can you sit there asking that with such a vacant expression?』

His opening words were laced with fury—directed squarely at her. It was ridiculous.

“Excuse me? What have I done?”

She felt confident: she had done nothing.

『I gave you a simple order: stay out of sight and, above all else, do not provoke the dwarves.』

『How much time has passed? Are you truly incapable of basic reasoning?』

“…What are you talking about? Provoke dwarves? Me?”

Vivian searched her memory. Was the fanning man a dwarf? No. The footrest? No. The fruit servant? Clearly not.

Had there been any recently…?

Any dwarves at all?

Certainly, there were kidnapped dwarves in the pirate havens. But she had never laid a finger on one.

She would swear it on the soul of the Founding Demon Emperor.

“I have no idea what has occurred on the mainland or what chaos has broken out, but I am not responsible.”

『Your denials are insulting.』

『Simply saying no won’t change the evidence. I am genuinely stunned by your lack of foresight.』

“No, listen—!”

『The 2nd Princess of the Dwarves, Louise Berft, has been abducted.』

『Along with 49 master smiths from the royal workshop.』

“…What? Louise Berft…?”

『The very princess you failed to catch, the one who took your tail and sent you running like a coward.』

The image of that muscular woman with the axe surfaced in her mind. Holy strength bursting through her attire. More like a savage than a royal.

“She was taken? She deserves it. But I tell you, I didn’t do it.”

『Keep your lies for a time when they are actually believable, Lady Vivian.』

“This is insane! I haven’t stepped foot out of Seratin since that day!”

『Go tell that to the dwarves who are currently pointing their siege engines at you. See if they care for your story.』

“…What?”

『How do you think I am aware of this? The dwarf nation has made a public proclamation.』

『Every country wants dwarven technology and help. If the dwarves offer rewards for your head, people will be lining up for the hunt.』

“Hold on, they declared war on me? Why? I am innocent!”

『Traces of demonic aura were detected at the scene of the kidnapping.』

『And 49 dwarven artisans were taken as well.』

“That doesn’t point to me! There are five Demon Kings! Why am I the target?!”

『You already tried to take their princess once. The fact that they have your severed tail only makes their thirst for revenge absolute.』

『Isn’t that right?』

“Well…”

Naturally. A succubus’s tail was an object of immense value.

『No other Demon King has any interest in dwarven smiths. The power of a Tower makes them redundant.』

『Even if they could use them, it isn’t worth ruining a relationship with the dwarf kingdom.』

“I am a Demon King as well. Why do you assume—”

『Except for you, who is busy playing pirate in Seratin.』

『You must realize that pirates are desperate for dwarven engineering to mount mana-cannons on their vessels. You’d know that, considering you’ve been doing exactly that.』

“……”

『You didn’t keep your Demon King status a secret. The pirates might not care, but the rest of the world does.』

『Every piece of evidence points to you. The dwarf kingdom has named you as the primary suspect.』

『A massive coalition of heroes is heading for your tower. I am staying out of it, just like last time.』

『A piece of advice: give back the princess and the smiths right now…』

“I don’t have them!”

Vivian shrieked.

Her pale face lost all its typical charm and composure.

“I said I don’t have them!”

Her vision began to swim.

“Do you take me for a fool? Am I stupid enough to harass them again after what happened last time?”

『Based on the facts, yes. You ignored my warnings and went after the princess once before. So this is perfectly in character—』

“No!”

Truly.

“I haven’t done a single thing this time. Nothing at all, I promise…”

She began to sob.

“I swear it on the great Founding Demon Emperor and the very Honor of the Demon King…”

Searing tears flowed without end.

The End of