The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 148

Chapter 148
## Chapter 148: My Knight

“Clear this out.”

“Understood, sir.”

The elven subordinates hoisted the unconscious Roger and disappeared into the shadows.

“…You actually brought the princess back. Is she intended to be the final member of the Four Heavenly Kings?”

“I recall you mentioning your disdain for the title of Dark Knight.”

“I still find it unpleasant. However…”

The memory of Ernyan’s desperate face, pleading with him to gather the Four Heavenly Kings on her behalf, flickered through his mind.

“However?”

“It is of no consequence. You have certainly abducted a high-risk princess, though.”

“Are you familiar with Louise Berft?”

“I am aware she is a premier troublemaker within the Berft Kingdom. Rumor has it she was confined to her quarters following the Tartta affair.”

“I will share a secret with you alone. In Tartta, it was Louise Berft herself who cracked open the skull of Prince Ormus.”

“…I beg your pardon?”

Kaede’s mask of indifference fractured.

“…The reports claimed the Demon King was responsible.”

“That was the official narrative they constructed.”

“How could you possibly know…?”

“I had a front-row seat to the event. In truth, it was largely an act of self-defense. The second son of Prince Ormus attempted to kidnap Louise Berft first.”

“So they shifted the blame to the Demon King as a pretext to hold her and pressure the Berft Kingdom?”

“Most likely.”

Kaede gave a slow nod as the pieces fell into place.

“Even so, how did you avoid detection?”

“There were no survivors on Ormus’s side. The dwarf took care of every last one of them personally.”

“Then why did Roger have such a violent reaction?”

“The project Roger was working on before his abduction was a custom weapon for Louise Berft.”

“That explains it.”

“Care to give it a go?”

“Give what a go?”

“As the premier imperial princess held in this tower, don’t you want to establish the hierarchy for your junior? Personalities like hers are managed more easily if you assert dominance immediately. You are her senior in this residence, after all.”

Subduing Louise wouldn’t be a simple task, but having brought her here, he needed to ensure her cooperation. Assigning a dedicated handler seemed like the most strategic move.

“Could we not simply leave her in her frozen state?”

“Only ice demons possess that finesse. My talents lie in melting and incinerating; freezing isn’t exactly in my repertoire.”

Besides, such a comment probably wasn’t fitting for one princess to make about another.

“It isn’t as if the statue is capable of eavesdropping.”

“Fair point.”

Berge let out a short laugh. Kaede had evolved significantly since her arrival, likely due to Ernyan’s influence.

“So, what is your decision?”

“…Rank, seniority—I find those concepts unappealing.”

*Clink—*

Kaede’s expression turned stone-cold as her hand tightened around the hilt of her blade.

“I am a knight. I shall merely carry out your commands.”

Berge gave a silent nod to the elves who had reappeared after leaving Roger on the second floor. Within moments, the collection of artisan statues was moved out of the way. Berge summoned a flicker of flame.

He cast the fire at the frozen form of Louise, and the flames wrapped around her. Thick clouds of steam hissed as the intense cold met the sudden heat.

And from the center of the mist…

“Wh-what is this…!”

Louise Berft snapped back to consciousness.

Her last memory was the palace garden, locked in combat with the demon who had betrayed her. The total shift in her environment left her reeling.

However, she quickly grasped the situation. Standing in the distance was the demon responsible for her disappearance.

“You did this!”

Whether it was an illusion or a kidnapping didn’t matter. She would simply end him.

Her short, powerful legs sprinted across the stone floor. Her massive axe descended in a vertical arc, seemingly powerful enough to split the earth itself.

*────!*

The impact sent a violent tremor back through her arms, forcing her back two paces. Shards of radiating energy bit into her skin.

But the demon remained untouched. A woman had stepped into her path.

A knight clad in exquisite armor, projecting a lethal aura.

“Who do you think you are?”

“It is an honor to meet you, Lady Louise Berft. This is my first time seeing you in person.”

“Who are you? Actually, I don’t care. If you shield a demon, you’re a demon yourself…”

“Kaede Jespain. Ninth Imperial Princess of the Jespain Empire.”

“…An imperial princess?”

Louise’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“…The one the Flame Demon King abducted?”

“Precisely.”

“Then this place is…?”

“The Tower of Flames.”

“And that piece of trash?”

“Do not refer to him as trash—that is His Majesty, the Flame Demon King. Watch your tongue.”

So, she really had been taken by the Demon King. She hadn’t imagined anyone would have the audacity to kidnap her, which was a change of pace. But given her current predicament, the novelty of being kidnapped was the least of her concerns.

“Why?”

“I don’t understand the question.”

“Why would an imperial princess act as a bodyguard for a Demon King?”

Being kidnapped? She could almost understand a reckless, insane Demon King taking that risk. The Lust Demon King had tried something similar, after all. But a princess serving a demon? It was a concept her mind refused to compute.

Perhaps this was a hallucination. A dream induced by a succubus after falling into the hands of the Lust Demon King. Yes, that was more plausible. That creature likely held a grudge after losing her tail.

“Everyone has their reasons…”

Kaede cut herself off.

*‘I never thought I’d be the one saying those words.’*

It was the very answer Ernyan had given when asked why she served the Demon King. Kaede could empathize with Louise’s internal struggle; the dwarf princess was likely feeling exactly as Kaede once had. Based on her own journey, the most effective path forward was…

*‘To force her to confront the reality of her situation.’*

“Why did you stop talking?”

“Is there a need for further explanation? Regardless of my royal blood, I am now His Majesty’s knight. If you wish to strike down the Demon King and escape this spire, you must go through me.”

“The Demon King’s knight? What kind of madness is…?”

Louise swung her axe upward. A razor-sharp blade cut through the air, clashing against the side of her weapon.

“Is conversation necessary when we both hold such fine steel?”

“…An imperial princess using such underhanded openings?”

“Currently, I am acting as the Dark Knight. I stand before you in that capacity.”

Therefore.

You must fight with everything you have.

Berge noticed the slight, almost imperceptible curve of a smile on Kaede’s lips.

*‘Now that I think about it…’*

This was likely Kaede’s first opportunity to test her skills against a true peer since arriving at the tower. She looked genuinely invigorated.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

It was common knowledge that Kaede Jespain possessed the most refined sword skills within the imperial lineage.

To some, being the best among royals might seem like being a big fish in a small pond, but these were no ordinary individuals. They were the scions of the Jespain Empire, the most powerful nation on the continent.

Since her youth, she had been bolstered by rare elixirs and trained by the most elite masters the continent had to offer. Her education involved the deepest secrets of the empire. Excelling in such an environment, with the best resources and teachers, was no minor achievement.

Furthermore, her arrival at the Demon King’s tower had pushed her even further. In an environment where mana was a scarce luxury, her ability to control her aura had become surgical and lightning-fast. She had also witnessed the summoning of a high-tier spirit at close range, and the pure spiritual energy she absorbed during that event had acted as a catalyst for her growth.

Consequently, Kaede was…

Formidable.

*────!*

A golden aura flared into existence.

The royal sword strike pinned the heavy axe to the ground. Louise was forced to retreat, her body vibrating from the shock of the impact.

*‘What is this power?’*

Before Louise could recover, Kaede blurred into motion again, cutting through the air like a projectile. Her speed converted her momentum into a display of overwhelming force.

*─!*

Louise’s feet skidded across the floor. Her straining muscles and aching bones screamed in protest, but she let out a defiant roar.

“You brat!”

Louise tightened her grip on the axe, shaking off the numbness and delivering a massive horizontal swing. A localized gale erupted from the force. Kaede leaped backward, and Louise reset her center of gravity.

This time, the dwarf initiated the charge.

She brought the axe down, her green aura appearing to slice the very fabric of space. She barely managed to twist her body away from a golden streak aimed at her flank. The cost of her axe finding its mark was a shallow laceration across her shoulder.

*─!*

Yet, the sword that should have been out of position was already back in place. The axe struck the blade instead of meeting bone. The collision of raw strength forced Kaede back two steps.

*Hoo.*

A grin finally spread across Louise’s face.

*Right. If I focus, she can’t just push me around.*

The dwarf’s compact, powerful muscles rippled. She surged after the retreating Kaede, determined to maintain her offensive pressure. The signature Berft royal style created arcs of brown energy, a relentless storm designed to crush everything in its path.

She would grind her opponent down.

Seeing that predatory smile, Kaede sharpened her focus. The whirlwind of the axe meant certain death if she faltered, but that was the only threat.

*Kagagak—*

Her sword danced. It met the heavy axe, then slid off the surface with fluid grace. Once might be a fluke, twice was a pattern, and three times was pure mastery. When chained together, it created an opening.

It didn’t take long for Louise’s grin to vanish.

The power behind her axe grew, cracking the floor beneath them, but it never once touched Kaede.

And then.

Inevitably.

*──!*

The axe was ripped from Louise’s hands. Her palms were torn open, dripping crimson. The glowing blade of the sword came to a halt right next to the fallen princess.

“The match is decided.”

Kaede announced her victory with calm authority.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

*Clap clap clap clap—*

“An excellent performance.”

Berge’s applause rang out through the silent hall.

*‘Truly impressive.’*

In his previous life—the future he had already lived—Kaede hadn’t been a factor. She had perished in the Tower of Lies before ever reaching her full potential. He hadn’t expected her to reach this level of skill.

*‘To completely outclass Louise, who is among the elite even without a hero’s title?’*

It wasn’t a total massacre, but that wasn’t the point. She maintained the upper hand throughout and capitalized on a single mistake to end the fight instantly.

*‘And she’s a princess of the empire.’*

One with strong ties to the third prince and a legitimate claim to the throne. Her worth was staggering.

“Well done.”

“My thanks.”

“Now then, Louise Berft.”

Berge knelt down to meet the gaze of the defeated princess.

“What is your move?”

“……”

“You have been brought to the Demon King’s tower and bested by my knight. You are faced with two paths.”

“Paths?”

“You can struggle until your hands and feet are shackled and you’re left to rot in a cell until a rescue party arrives—or you can enter my service.”

“You are completely out of your mind, aren’t you?”

Louise let out a derisive snort.

“I don’t know what lies you told that idiot over there, but you think someone like me would serve you?”

“The alternative is an eternity in the darkness of a dungeon.”

“Don’t make me laugh. You think the Berft Kingdom will just let this slide? You’re a dead man.”

“Is that so?”

Berge calmly presented her with a document.

“Even a royal troublemaker like yourself should be able to interpret this, being a dwarf.”

“…You’re insane. Completely lost it.”

Louise began to laugh hysterically. It was a blueprint. A design for something that defied all logic.

“I will use this to secure my own position. When the heroes eventually come for you, they will be the ones hailed as legends. You, however, will remain hidden away.”

“You actually believe this can be built?”

“What would prevent it?”

“Are you stupid? If you weren’t, you never would have taken me. Look at this—it’s a golem! It’s over twenty meters tall!”

“And?”

“Even in Berft, where our magitech is the finest in existence, ten meters is our absolute ceiling. And you, a demon who knows nothing of the ‘magic’ required for such tech, think you’re going to build a twenty-meter giant?”

“Naturally, as a Demon King, I am ignorant of magitech. But I am not the one building it. That task falls to dwarves like you.”

“…Dwarves?”

“Take a look at the architect’s name in the corner.”

*‘Roger Friedri.’*

“…Roger?”

“How do you think I came across his name?”

“…Roger is here?”

“I brought him here. Along with you and forty-nine other master artisans from the royal workshops. Look around.”

Not far from the site of the duel, massive stockpiles of resources were visible.

“That is merely the beginning. More supplies are on the way, all designated for the golem.”

“It’s impossible. We can’t build a golem of that scale.”

“The core is the primary obstacle. That’s why your people are stuck at ten meters—you can’t stabilize a core for anything larger.”

“Exactly. The core is the peak of our craft. The entire kingdom can barely manage ten meters. What difference will fifty dwarves make?”

While the royal artisans and Roger were elite, her point about the cores was technically correct. If it were easy, Berft would have had giants years ago.

However.

“I never mentioned building a core. Do you see one in those plans?”

Louise scanned the blueprints again. There was nothing. No schematics for a core were present.

“Then what is this?”

“The tower itself will function as the core. It will provide the necessary power, so a standalone core is unnecessary.”

“That shouldn’t be possible…”

“Demonic authority is a power beyond your understanding. It isn’t limited like the toys dwarves play with in their small corners of the world.”

“……”

“At the very least, Roger recognized the potential. You know his talent better than anyone—weren’t you the one demanding he make your weapons?”

“……”

Louise fell into a silent, deep contemplation. It was clear she was weighing the technical possibility of the project.

“If you stay in that dungeon, you’ll never hold your axe again. You won’t just lose your freedom; you’ll lose your strength.”

“M-muscle atrophy!”

“I’m not sure what that means.”

Berge clicked his tongue and decided it was time to offer an incentive. He held up ten fingers.

“Ten years.”

“What?”

“Serve me for exactly ten years, and I will grant you your freedom. It’s a better deal than a life sentence in a hole, isn’t it? A decade of work for a lifetime of liberty.”

“Liar! Why should I trust the word of a Demon King?”

“I swear it upon the Great Founding Demon Emperor and the sacred Standard of the Demon King.”

“The Founding Emperor and the Standard…?”

“You understand the weight of those symbols to my kind, don’t you?”

“……”

A long silence followed. Finally, Louise looked up.

“One more condition.”

“Speak.”

“Roger. I want the right to deal with that arrogant brat however I see fit…”

“No permanent injuries or death. And nothing that interferes with the construction schedule.”

“Deal.”

“But there is a price for my agreement.”

“A price?”

“Listen carefully while you consume this. If you resist, the orb will break, and you can spend the rest of your days in the dark.”

Berge handed her Armani’s orb.

“You are going to convince the forty-nine artisans I brought with you. Use whatever means necessary.”

With the princess present, he didn’t need to waste time persuading them himself. Especially when he had a brute who preferred using force over words.

“…Fine.”

Louise grimaced as she absorbed the orb, then gave a firm nod.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes?”

“Are the Founding Demon Emperor and the Standard really that insignificant?”

“What are you implying?”

“Based on what you said to Ernyan, Roger, and now Louise…”

Kaede’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Surely the vow you made to me carries some actual weight…?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You are my most valued knight. I would never dream of breaking a promise to you.”

“Is that the truth?”

“The absolute truth.”

“Are you certain?”

“…Would you like some chocolate?”

“…Thank you.”

The piece of chocolate melted in Kaede’s mouth, and her tension visibly dissipated.

“…I will take your word for it, for now.”

“That’s my knight!”