The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 149

Chapter 149
## Chapter 149: What Should I Do?

A sharp, throbbing ache pulsed through his skull, forcing Roger to drag his eyes open.

In the gloom, he was met by a pair of crimson eyes glowing with intensity. He gulped instinctively, a cold shiver racing down his spine.

“P-Princess!”

“Since you’ve decided to join the living, get off the floor.”

“I’m up! I’m standing!”

“Attention.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

“Now, tell me, what exactly am I supposed to do with you?”

Roger’s mind raced at a frantic pace.

Louise had been snatched away by the Demon King. For her to be sitting here on the tower’s second floor, chatting as if nothing were wrong, could only mean one thing…

‘Did the Demon King talk her over?’

Just like what happened with the others?

‘How is this possible? We should stop calling him the Flame Demon King and start calling him the Swindle Demon King!’

“Ahaha… you’ve likely heard the whole story by now, haven’t you? The truth is, the princess didn’t just vanish—it was a forced abduction…”

“Yes, that is the version she told. Hidden away in a hole like this, it’s no wonder the search parties failed. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“A-Absolutely. My heart was set on returning to your side, Princess, but that silver-tongued Demon King simply wouldn’t permit my departure…”

“And I suppose that’s why you flatly refused to craft anything for a ‘lowlife’ like me?”

“I would stake my very soul on the fact that I never uttered such words!”

Louise let out a dismissive snort. To her, that specific detail was irrelevant.

“In all honesty, considering the mountain of grief you’ve caused me, I’m tempted to end you right where you stand.”

“Eek…! This is all the Demon King’s doing! I’m a victim here!”

“Is that your final answer?”

“I am entirely blameless!”

“Then explain the disgrace you heaped upon me when you showed up at the workshop alongside that Demon King.”

“I-I was a passive observer at the time!”

“You shouted ‘axe.’ Right in the middle of my duel with the Demon King. You drew everyone’s gaze, and because of that distraction, I took a massive blow. If you hadn’t opened your mouth, things would have ended very differently!”

The Demon King wouldn’t have slipped away, and you would be back under my thumb.

“I had a literal explosive strapped to my throat!”

“And? Does a bomb grant you a license to lead your princess into a slaughter?”

“N-No, I didn’t mean it like that… and it really was an axe in that moment… though it might have shifted into a sword halfway through.”

By the time he finished, his voice had faded into a pathetic mumble.

“Does any of that change the outcome?”

“…No, Princess.”

*Thwack—*

Roger’s frame was launched through the air. He soared dozens of meters before colliding violently with the stone wall.

“Gyaargh!”

He collapsed, tumbling across the cold floor.

“Quit your sobbing and stand up.”

“Yes, Princess!”

It wasn’t just sobbing. The palpable aura of death radiating from her was far more motivating than any injury.

Louise nonchalantly brushed the dust from her palms.

“If the Demon King hadn’t specifically requested I keep you in one piece, you’d be a memory by now.”

“Thank you for your mercy!”

“In exchange, your mission is straightforward. You are going to convince them.”

Roger’s gaze followed the direction of Louise’s gesture. At the end of the hall stood forty-nine frozen ice figures.

“It seems I’ve ended up in the same predicament as you for the time being.”

“Wouldn’t they just comply if you commanded them, Princess?”

They would, if they valued their lives.

“They might go through the motions. But that isn’t enough. I need them to pour their souls into the work. That’s the only way I’ll have any leverage with the Demon King.”

Besides, escape is a pipe dream for at least a decade.

Furthermore, the loyalty of these master crafters never belonged to Louise; it was tied to the King or her brothers.

“Make them obsessed.”

“Using the golems?”

“Exactly. Use those extravagant blueprints of yours.”

There was no more effective way to sway dwarf smiths than by showing them a masterpiece they couldn’t resist building.

“That was my intention from the start, but…”

“Why are you still talking?”

“Even if I take the lead… I’ve been a resident of this tower longer than anyone else.”

“Manage the details however you see fit.”

“Understood, ma’am!”

Roger bobbed his head in frantic agreement.

—

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

『I am truly hurt. How could you do this?』

He had handed Ernyan a communication device when he sent her back to Hilderan, but he hadn’t anticipated her calling so soon.

Especially not to spout such nonsense.

“What’s the issue?”

『I specifically requested that you look after the Four Heavenly Kings. You gave me your word.』

“And?”

『Then why on earth did you pick Louise Beruft?』

“Hold on, how did you even get wind of that?”

『The Four Heavenly Kings maintain contact. Is that not common knowledge?』

Well, that was an oversight.

“Fine, let’s assume that’s true. What’s the problem?”

『There are many problems! A literal mountain of them! The one I asked for was the ‘Giant of Hell.’』

“Yes, and didn’t you want me to bring back the princess with the greatest physical prowess? Louise Beruft is at the pinnacle of raw strength. she could crush most heroes, let alone other princesses.”

『I’m not disputing her power. But Louise Beruft is tiny! She isn’t the Giant of Hell; she’s the Midget of Hell!』

“Say that within her earshot, and you’ll have an axe embedded in your skull.”

『She’d probably find it flattering. Dwarves consider being compact a badge of honor.』

“That is information I could have lived without. I’m ending this call.”

『Wait, Demon King, just listen—!』

Unbelievable.

Berge clicked his tongue as he terminated the pointless conversation, turning his thoughts to his next objective.

The most pressing matters were resolved.

The smiths were under his control, and he had secured the materials from the merchant guild’s stores. He had also sent valuable components to Jetson, ensuring that everything required for production was within reach.

‘That leaves one final complication…’

Vivian Blunt.

The pitiful Demon King who had traded her crown and her pride for a chance at survival.

‘A subordinate.’

Up until the moment of contact, his plan had been to accept her proposal without much thought. There seemed to be no obvious disadvantage.

But the more he analyzed it, the more the cracks began to show.

‘Within the borders of Aren, it’s a non-issue.’

Recruiting a Demon King who was on the verge of death wasn’t a scandal.

It was slightly unusual given her status, but Demon Kings enlisting demonkin was par for the course.

‘Besides, Vivian has already informed her peers.’

To the rest of the world, she would just appear to be a strange demonkin; Berge wouldn’t face any social fallout.

But beyond Aren? That was a different story.

The tower.

And the title of Demon King.

What would become of a tower if its presiding Demon King became the servant of another?

And what of the title itself?

Demon Kings weren’t just high-ranking demons. They were official colonial commanders sent from the demon realm to the lower planes.

If he took Vivian Blunt as his subordinate—regardless of her consent—would Archduke Alcaine simply watch?

‘Legally, there’s nothing stopping a demonkin from pledging themselves to another…’

However, Berge was already on the Archduke’s blacklist. The man would seize any pretext to strike.

‘In reality, the Archduke shouldn’t even know about the contract.’

The true problem was the tower. A Demon King’s passing was the trigger that determined if a tower was recalled to the demon realm.

The high command assumed a Demon King was dead if their tower returned.

So, if Vivian becomes a subordinate: Does her tower remain, or vanish?

‘Either scenario is a headache.’

The more he pondered, the more he doubted.

‘Still, I have to investigate.’

Demonkin culture placed a premium on one’s word, particularly an oath sworn on the Founding Demon Emperor and the Standard to a fellow Demon King. He had to at least go through the motions.

If he let Vivian die after she’d spread rumors of their deal, his reputation among the other Demon Kings would be ruined.

Reina Sordain, with her obsession with honor, would be particularly difficult to deal with.

—

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“Welcome!”

The Tower of Lust was situated on one of the numerous desolate islands within the Ceratin Archipelago, better known as the Pirate Isles.

It wasn’t especially well-hidden, making its presence there somewhat conspicuous.

He had heard the raiding parties had caused significant damage, but the place looked surprisingly orderly now.

‘Succubi, incubi, some vampires, and various monsters.’

The succubi were particularly numerous.

Following Vivian—who had met him at the gates—Berge reached the office on the fifth floor.

“…What is this?”

She had seemed somewhat animated earlier, but once they were alone, she immediately dropped to her knees.

“Accept me as your subordinate already.”

“I haven’t actually agreed to that yet.”

“What? You gave your oath on the Founding Demon Emperor and the Standard! You can’t retreat now!”

“My promise was merely to visit your tower. I am here. Promise kept.”

“My followers and I could be an immense asset to you.”

“Perhaps.”

Succubi and incubi were masters of infiltration and intelligence, not frontline warfare.

They used their beauty for honey traps, extracting secrets through the haze of seduction.

The allure of a lust demon was a quagmire that few could escape.

But that was in other worlds.

Places with fewer heroes and fewer dangerous encounters.

Why was she backed into a corner? It was partly bad luck, but mostly because she couldn’t utilize the succubi’s strengths.

Not when faced with over 3,000 heroes—a number that was growing by the minute.

“Have you reconsidered?”

“I never had a settled mind on the matter to begin with.”

“I’ve laid everything bare for you! My life is in your hands!”

“Which is why I’m here. I need to verify one thing first.”

“Verify what?”

“Let’s step outside.”

Berge walked out of the office before she could offer a rebuttal.

“What are we doing?”

“There are two obstacles to bringing you under my command.”

“Right. Your decision and mine. We’re both in agreement, so what’s the problem?”

“Your head is in the clouds.”

“Was that a slight?”

“The first obstacle is the other Demon Kings. The second is the upper hierarchy, specifically Archduke Alcaine.”

“I’m doing this of my own free will. Why does that matter to them?”

“It’s not about you. It’s about the tower. What happens to the tower’s status when its ruler becomes a subordinate.”

“I doubt it changes at all.”

“You doubt it?”

“Becoming a subordinate doesn’t strip me of my status as a Demon King.”

“……”

That was a fair point.

Regardless, he needed confirmation.

Berge walked toward the throne, the seat reserved for the tower’s master. He attempted to sit.

*—!*

A violent surge of energy shoved him back.

⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
Access denied. You are not the master of this tower.
A warning chimed in his consciousness.

“So that’s what it feels like.”

The system’s defense against other Demon Kings was a basic security measure.

Berge countered the force with his own demonic energy. He forced himself onto the throne, shut his eyes, and began to probe the tower’s internal systems.

⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Warning! Unauthorized breach of tower system!]
[Warning! Initiating defensive protocols.]
Suddenly.

*Rumble—*

The entire structure trembled. A massive wave of resistance crashed against Berge’s form.

⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Commencing mental erasure of intruder.]
*Cough—*

Berge spat out a mouthful of blood and recoiled from the throne.

If he had lingered amidst that raging demonic pressure attacking his mind, his brain would have been incinerated.

“I don’t know what you were trying to achieve, but I wouldn’t do that again.”

“…That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said today.”

“And if you’re so intent on checking a tower’s system, why do it here? Just check your own.”

“……”

Wait.

—

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Of course.

Every Demon King possessed a tower, and Berge had full access to his own system’s data.

‘How did I overlook that?’

To be fair, he had been too focused on Vivian Blunt and the specifics of her domain.

⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Authority level insufficient.]
A large portion of the tower’s deeper functions remained hidden.

Fortunately, he located the information he needed.

The rules regarding a tower’s return to the demon realm were fundamental.

‘A tower remains until the death of its Demon King.’

‘A tower is forcibly recalled if its core sustains critical damage.’

Binding Vivian as a subordinate would not trigger a return.

Humans could still force a recall by destroying the core, even if she survived.

It simply hadn’t happened yet.

‘So the tower stays put. There are no major consequences if Vivian abandons her post.’

The catch: She would have to stage her death and live in total shadows. But that wasn’t Berge’s concern.

Having reached a conclusion, Berge returned to the Tower of Lust to finalize the arrangement.

“A brilliant plan!”

“Drop the casual tone from this moment forward.”

“But I’m still technically a Demon King.”

“And now, you are my servant.”

“…Still a Demon King.”

“Irrelevant. Kneel.”

Vivian dropped to her knees and lowered her head. Berge rested his palm atop her crown.

An immense tide of demonic energy erupted.

It permeated her physical form, her magic, and her very essence.

Berge’s energy tore through Vivian’s flesh, consuming her power and surging wildly.

She offered no resistance.

And then.

“Grrgh…”

A searing pain, as if her mind were being branded, forced a groan from her lips.

A subordinate contract was a binding of the soul.

Even with a willing participant, the soul of a powerful demon would instinctively fight against a superior entity.

It was the primal urge for freedom. The agony was hers to endure.

After a long silence.

“Haaah…!”

As the final sigil was etched into her being, she released a ragged breath.

Chains of the soul now bound her tightly.

Waves of spiritual energy rippled through the tower.

Her subjects would feel it. Above their mistress, a far more powerful Demon King now reigned.

The tower remained stable. His research into the system had been accurate.

“Do you regret it?”

“It’s preferable to the alternative.”

“They say a glorious death is the greatest virtue of a Demon King.”

“And they say serving one’s master faithfully is the greatest virtue of a subordinate. Perhaps we can discuss my service tonight?”

Vivian radiated a practiced allure. Berge’s brow twitched in annoyance.

“Don’t try to be clever.”

“A succubus utilizing her natural gifts is ‘clever’? Since I’m now your subordinate, isn’t it only right that I give you my all?”

“I have no interest in crossbreeds who lack tails or horns.”

“Th-That is…!”

The retort died in her throat. They were no longer peers.

Berge ignored her silent frustration and walked toward the throne once more.

He was curious.

Would the tower, which had previously rejected him as an intruder, react differently now that he was the master of its master?

⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Warning! Unauthori— Error.]
The synthesized voice cut off. The tower groaned. A new set of instructions appeared in his mind.

⚔ STATUS ⚔
[Identity Verified: Berge Dayas]
[Status: Superior entity to Tower Master Vivian Blunt]
[Designation: Secondary Tower Master]
[Conditions Met.]
[Two towers in resonance. Tower of Vivian Blunt is being subordinated to the Tower of Berge Dayas.]
[The Tower of Berge Dayas can now integrate the Tower of Vivian Blunt.]
[Proceed with absorption?]

“……?”

What should I do?