The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 145

Chapter 145
“…Are you truly willing to swear upon the First Demon Sovereign and the Flag of the Demon Monarch?”

『I am serious…! I have nothing to do with this!』

Jason adjusted his eyewear, pushing his monocle higher on the bridge of his nose.

Vivian was certainly a fool, but even she lacked the reckless audacity required to invoke the names of the First Demon Sovereign and the Sacred Flag while peddling a blatant deception. No ruler of the Demon Realm would dare utter those names and follow them with a lie; the weight of the oath was absolute.

The only exception was Berge, that eccentric who had treated the hallowed Standard like a piece of refuse during their commencement.

Therefore, Vivian was clearly not the perpetrator.

‘If not her, is there another Monarch involved?’

He ran through the candidates.

A typical Ogre would be far too prideful for this; their deep-seated arrogance made them view reliance on the craftsmanship of dwarves as a mark of shame.

The haughty Reina, on the other hand, rarely ventured beyond the borders of the Empire without a grave reason. Unlike the impulsive Ugar or the dim-witted Vivian, Reina possessed a sharp intellect and a clear understanding of her own limitations. She wouldn’t have done it.

‘That leaves only one.’

Through a process of elimination, a single name surfaced.

‘Berge, was this your handiwork?’

The Berge he remembered was highly capable. He had a knack for navigating the complexities of the human world and had managed to emerge unscathed from every disaster he encountered. He was a dangerous man, but one who always managed to pivot circumstances to his own advantage.

Under normal conditions, there was no logical reason for a man like that to provoke the Berft Kingdom.

However, these were not normal times.

The Empire was currently baying for blood, desperate to see the Flame Demon King dead.

‘A desperate man will resort to any measure.’

Actually, Berge didn’t even need to be desperate.

‘He is the type of man who treats any means as justified by the end.’

From their first encounter, Jason had felt a slight sense of revulsion toward him. Behind his petty streak of defiance, Jason had caught glimpses of a terrifying ambition that reached far into the distance. Berge Dayas would sacrifice anything to ensure his own triumph and survival. He didn’t blink at performing acts that were considered beneath the dignity of a demon.

That was the very reason he had borrowed funds from Jason and played a part in the demise of Drakson.

Though Jason lacked hard evidence, he was intuitively certain.

‘I once believed he could be a partner of sorts.’

It seemed, however, that two individuals of their ilk were destined to walk separate paths.

‘If Berge is indeed the one behind this, his strategy is transparent.’

He was goading the dwarves into a hunt for heroes. By forcing a collision between the dwarves and the Empire—which was already hunting him—he was creating a scenario where his enemies would simply annihilate one another.

‘No, he’s going even further than that…’

It was also a ploy to shift the blame onto Vivian. The Empire could never tolerate a situation where high-quality dwarven military technology was being funneled to other powers.

But.

‘You’ve made a miscalculation this time, Berge.’

Fortunately, the Empire’s attention would not shift. It was a lucky break; there was no telling how the situation might have spiraled out of control if Berge’s plan had succeeded perfectly.

‘I must keep a much closer eye on these developments.’

He could not allow any more unpredictable elements to disrupt his vision.

“I shall take you at your word. It appears, Lady Vivian, that you are not responsible for this particular incident.”

『I’ve been telling you that from the start!』

『So, you’re going to help me now, right?』

“Help you with what?”

『Since you know I’m innocent, you have to do something to fix this!』

“I see.”

Her plea was drenched in desperation. It made sense; her situation was dire. However, that was Vivian’s burden to carry, not his. Jason calmly took off his spectacles and began to wipe a speck of dust from the glass.

“Regrettably, I am unable to assist you.”

『…Excuse me?』

“As you are aware, I maintain certain connections with the human world, but that is the very problem—they are humans.”

Dealing with the dwarves was a completely different matter.

『But what about the nearby nations…』

“Regardless of the truth of your innocence, every piece of evidence currently points directly at you. Overturning that perception is an impossible task.”

“Furthermore, even if it were possible, I have no intention of exerting myself considering the level of suspicion and hostility I would have to face on your behalf.”

In Jason’s worldview, Demon Kings were sorted into three groups: the useful, the useless, and the harmless. Vivian might have potential utility in the future, but she held no value in the present. She simply wasn’t worth the cost of absorbing the dwarves’ fury.

『That’s total garbage!』

『I didn’t do it! You said you believed me!』

“My personal belief is irrelevant. In the land of Aren, the only thing that matters is what the inhabitants of Aren believe.”

Therefore.

“I shall offer a prayer that you, as a distinguished Monarch and the spearhead of our realm’s expansion, will crush those who have been deceived by these lies and leave the mark of the Demon Realm’s power upon them.”

In plain terms: stop pestering me and go face your end.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“So these are the ones…”

Aman couldn’t help but let out a soft whistle of shock as he surveyed the impressive line of fifty magic cannons. Each was a masterpiece of dwarven engineering. The value of such a collection was nearly incomprehensible; he couldn’t even estimate the fortune they would command on the open market.

“And you mentioned there are a hundred more?”

“That’s right. They were crafted by dwarves, but they operate on the same principles as human artillery. They’ll suffer from severe overheating if you fire them continuously, so you can’t rush the shots, and there’s a risk of failure if pushed too hard. Even so, they’ll outperform almost anything else out there—certainly anything the humans are building.”

“That is more than sufficient. This will be enough to win over every skeptical executive in the guild.”

It was a bit of a tragedy that they couldn’t market them as genuine dwarven products, but the inherent quality of the cannons remained undeniable.

The true problem was the optics.

If a massive shipment of dwarven magic cannons suddenly appeared on the market, it would raise immediate red flags. The saving grace was that the Golden Moon Merchant Guild operated its own secret armories. They had purposely dampened the aesthetic quality of these cannons so they wouldn’t immediately scream “dwarf-made.”

“As things stand, if these were identified as dwarven work, we’d be finished. People would immediately link us to the Lust Demon King…”

“Lust? What are you talking about?”

“You haven’t heard? Not long ago, the princess of the dwarf kingdom and nearly fifty of their master craftsmen were abducted. The Kingdom of Berft has officially named the Lust Demon King as the prime suspect.”

“…Lust?”

Berge cocked his head to the side. He had been fully prepared for the dwarves to come hunting for his head.

“On what grounds?”

“Because the princess taken was Louise Berft, the second in line. You know the history there…”

“The one who cut her tail.”

Still, that seemed like a flimsy basis for such a massive accusation.

“That’s part of it, but the main reason is the craftsmen.”

“How does that link to Lust?”

“Most Demon Kings don’t deign to use human or demi-human labor, right? And specifically targeting dwarven artisans is something that has never happened before.”

“I suppose so.”

“Initially, the dwarves thought humans were behind it, but when they detected traces of demonic power at the scene, the suspicion shifted.”

“And the connection to Lust specifically?”

“It’s not common knowledge, but the Lust Demon King has been operating as a pirate in the Pirate Isles recently.”

“…A pirate?”

This was a surprise. A Demon King playing at being a sea raider? The world really was turning upside down.

“Yes, she’s been seen working alongside certain pirate crews.”

“And humans are actually willing to partner with a Demon King?”

“To a pirate, that doesn’t matter. They don’t care about your species as long as there’s gold to be made.”

“…Go on.”

“For a pirate, their ship is their life. And after the ship itself, the most valuable assets are magic cannons.”

“Magic cannons?”

“Are you familiar with modern naval combat? It’s no longer just about boarding actions and swords. Now…”

“They strap magic cannons to the decks and sink each other from a distance.”

“Exactly. So, having a supply of cannons is the highest priority for any fleet. Pirates have tried to kidnap dwarven smiths many times in the past for this very reason.”

“So, the logic is that Lust is the only Demon King desperate enough for cannons to work with pirates and kidnap artisans? And the history with Louise Berft makes her the perfect target?”

“That is the consensus, yes.”

It was perfect.

“I certainly don’t see it that way.”

“You are as perceptive as ever, my lord.”

“No, anyone who has the misfortune of knowing you would reach the same conclusion.”

“I see. Well then.”

Berge looked genuinely amused. To him, the perpetrator, the theory was complete nonsense, but he could see why it sounded logical to everyone else.

‘This works out well.’

Vivian was going to take the fall for his actions. He hadn’t planned for her to be the scapegoat, but he wasn’t about to correct anyone. He hadn’t cared if the dwarves were angry about the tower being moved, but if someone else wanted to volunteer to face their wrath, he wasn’t going to stop them. As for feeling bad for Vivian? Not a chance. Demon Kings were solo players by design.

“Have you collected the list of supplies I requested?”

“We don’t have everything just yet…”

Aman hesitated, though the amount they had gathered in such a short window was actually quite impressive.

“I’m not telling you to take your time, but there’s no need to panic. We can begin the initial phase with what we have on hand.”

“Most items are just a matter of time and logistics; we can get them eventually…”

“But?”

“There are a few extremely rare materials that will be difficult to track down quickly.”

Golems represented the peak of magical engineering. Even with the tower replacing the traditional core, the structural requirements remained the same. The frame of a golem required materials that were far more mana-conductive than those used in standard weaponry—materials that were both scarce and incredibly pricey.

“What is the estimate?”

“I’ve sent guild agents across the entire continent. Luckily, Jetoson is a master of his craft, so we should be able to move the timeline up.”

“Jetoson?”

“The merchant from Akan you introduced to us, my lord?”

“Ah, that fellow.”

The man who had the balls to try and swindle both a Demon King and a dwarven princess.

“Yes. He claims he was a major player in Akan, and to be fair, he’s been remarkably efficient so far.”

“A major player in Akan?”

“His words. He said he was a tycoon who controlled the magical commodity markets.”

“…And you believed him?”

“I had my doubts, but since he came with your recommendation, I gave him the benefit of the doubt. Regardless of his past, his performance has been stellar—especially when it comes to reading people and closing deals.”

Of course he was. He was a professional silver-tongued liar.

“And so?”

“I’m not entirely sure of your end goal, my lord, but the materials you’ve requested are almost identical to high-end golem parts.”

That was because the tower, while massive and unprecedented, was essentially a giant golem.

“Because of that, I decided that sourcing the items from Akan would be the most efficient route.”

“That makes sense.”

If you couldn’t get what you needed from the Berft Kingdom, Akan was the next best thing for magical tech.

“Wait. Who exactly did you send to Akan?”

“Jetoson.”

“…You’ve lost your mind.”

If Berge remembered correctly, that man was essentially a persona non grata in Akan society.

‘This could be a problem.’

A sense of impending trouble washed over him. He couldn’t just stay on the sidelines for this.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Dammit. My big mouth is going to be the death of me.”

Why had he spun such a transparent lie that was bound to be exposed the moment he stepped foot back home?

‘Actually, the guild is to blame here. Don’t they check references before handing out major assignments?’

They were being incredibly reckless with such important work.

“Is something wrong, sir?”

“No, nothing at all.”

He wasn’t traveling alone. The guild had provided him with a team of ten fellow merchants, along with porters and a security detail—fifty people in total. And Jetoson was the one in charge of the whole operation.

‘I have to find a way to make this work…’

He couldn’t afford to lose the standing he had built. If the truth came out that he was a fraud, he was finished. But if he pulled this off, he would be set for life. The profits would be astronomical!

‘There has to be a way.’

He just had to turn the lies into reality. He would secure every item on the guild’s list.

‘My reputation in the Akan markets is absolute zero, but…’

He was now a rising power within the Golden Moon Merchant Guild of the Iasin Kingdom. He was the commander of this expedition.

Jetoson unfurled the parchment. It contained dozens of rare, high-priced items. Even in the magical hubs of Akan, these things were not easily found. To get them without a hitch, he would need to negotiate directly with the Magic Tower for their reserves or with the major guilds that supplied them.

‘The Magic Tower doesn’t care about money.’

They had gold coming out of their ears. They didn’t need more suppliers either. What they craved were rare finds. Exotic materials that were worthy of high-level research.

‘Does Golden Moon have anything that would tempt them?’

No.

But a true merchant didn’t quit just because the odds were bad.

‘A real professional could sell a heating lamp in the middle of a desert.’

It was all about willpower and the pitch.

‘I need something that sounds plausible.’

He needed to package something that would make wizards lose their minds.

‘Ideally, something from a high-level monster or a demon… something from a Demon King would be the ultimate prize.’

Nothing came to mind. He decided he would start by scouring the capital’s high-end auction houses for anything rare.

‘Please, just give me one break.’

He just needed one person who didn’t know the true value of what they were holding. A total sucker.

And then.

『Sir, you need to get here immediately.』

“What’s happened?”

『We have a transmission from Demon King Vivian.』

“Vivian? Since when do we have a line to her?”

『It’s complicated, but…』

“Just tell me!”

『…She’s asking for your help.』

『She’s currently crying in front of the communication crystal, begging for you to save her.』

“…?”

Somewhere out there, the perfect, voluntary sucker was practically walking through his front door.