The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 37

Chapter 37
Chapter: 37

Chapter Title: My Axe on Your Skull

—

Volbof attempted to convince Louise to change her mind, but his words fell on deaf ears. Left with no other choice, he prepared to send word back to their home country regarding the current mess.

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『You actually permitted this to happen?!』

“Please accept my apologies.”

『If they refuse to cooperate, you force their hand! I don’t care how careful those Demon King scum are acting; walking straight into their domain voluntarily alters the entire board! The risks are astronomical!』

“…I am truly sorry.”

『If the King catches wind of this… if any harm comes to the princess…』

On the opposite side of the magical transmission, the minister pressed his palm against his forehead. It was common knowledge throughout the land how much the King adored his youngest daughter.

『…It isn’t your burden alone. This is simply the price of His Majesty’s indulgence and how he raised her.』

『Try to stall for a few days. I will find a way to dispatch reinforcements and leverage some influence.』

“Do you believe Ormus will simply watch from the sidelines?”

『Those people only care about gold and steel. Their delays are nothing more than a play for a higher price. The finance minister will surely skin me alive for the budget, but we have no alternative. With the princess’s safety at stake, we must secure her return regardless of the expense.』

“…I will do my level best.”

『Yes, ensure it happens by any means necessary.』

However, the delay the minister prayed for was never realized.

“Wait for what? What if Roger disappears for good while we sit here? Use your head!”

Driven by the forceful will of the stubborn princess, the unit of one hundred soldiers began their march directly into the Demon King’s lands.

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The Kingdom of Ormus.

This realm, with half of its territory consumed by dense jungle, lived in perpetual poverty.

The earth was barren, and the inhabitants were few.

With monsters spilling out of the tropical overgrowth nearly every day, internal security was a constant nightmare.

Ormus survived purely through aggression.

Though their numbers were small, the harshness of their lives made them formidable.

They survived by raiding neighbors and each other. Because their land was largely worthless rock and vine, many neighboring kingdoms complained but rarely bothered to launch a full-scale invasion.

Eventually, however, the boldness of Ormus’s bandits irritated the Kingdom of Jespain enough to push the nation toward total ruin.

Following that era, they shifted toward commerce. They began exporting jungle predators and materials harvested from monsters across the continent, and state-sanctioned raiding was outlawed.

“Louise Berft is moving into the Demon King’s territory?”

But that shift was merely a band-aid. With their income drying up, Ormus remained hungry, their avarice never truly satisfied.

The offer from the Berft Kingdom was like a sudden downpour on a parched desert.

Dwarven-made equipment was invaluable, whether it was used to arm the Ormus military or sold for massive profits on the black market.

“This is quite the unexpected windfall.”

This greed was exactly why Ormus had demanded more gear, preventing the princess from getting her way initially.

They had used the requested waiting period as leverage to extort more wealth, but they hadn’t expected her to charge straight toward the Demon King’s domain.

“Princess Louise has made a grave tactical error. She might find herself as the Demon King’s prisoner.”

The Beast Demon King and Ormus existed in a state of quiet, mutual benefit.

There was no signed treaty, but Ormus respected the borders of the Demon King’s land, and the Demon King refrained from attacking them.

Because of this arrangement, Ormus made a killing off the adventurers and heroes who passed through to challenge the Demon King’s tower, all without suffering any real casualties.

Naturally, Ormus wanted to maintain this status quo. But the potential capture of a dwarven princess changed the math.

“If we fail to intervene, that primitive, savage Beast Demon King will surely subject the princess to terrible indignities. Am I right?”

“Very perceptive, Your Highness.”

“The jungle is a death trap for those without a guide—she might never find her way out. We must mobilize a rescue team immediately.”

The advisors nodded in unison.

“And the Berft Kingdom will be eternally in our debt once we deliver their princess.”

“Naturally, assuming they have a shred of gratitude!”

“Furthermore, for her own protection, shouldn’t she remain under our supervision even after the rescue?”

“Precisely. It would be irresponsible to save her only to let her wander back into peril.”

The second prince of Ormus stood up from his chair.

“Call the knights and assemble the militia at once. We will secure the princess first, and I will discuss the political details with my father later.”

“As you wish!”

Under the command of the second prince, two hundred Ormus troops set out toward Mercon Mountain.

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Kwail was a bear beastkin.

As one of Drakson’s trusted lieutenants, he held dominion over legions of monstrous creatures.

Sniff, sniff—

Kwail’s nostrils flared. His sharp animalistic instincts began parsing the scents carried on the humid air.

“I smell humans and dwarves.”

“Not only dwarves?”

“Soil, sweat, and a familiar animal musk. The smell of the jungle—the stench of Ormus.”

“Why are they encroaching here?”

“It makes no difference.”

Kwail showed his teeth in a predatory grin.

“My instructions from His Majesty were clear: no one enters Mercon Mountain. Whether they are Ormus humans or dwarves is irrelevant.”

Despite his words, Kwail retrieved his communication orb. He was a loyal and literal-minded servant, but he wasn’t foolish enough to disregard the complexities of his master’s desires.

『……』

The silence stretched on. Drakson did not respond immediately. Kwail waited with the patience of a hunter.

『…Frighten them off. Use just enough force to make them turn back.』

The words were thick with a fury that was being desperately held in check.

“…Is that sufficient?”

『Do not push me. My rage is greater than yours right now.』

Kwail fell silent at the sound of that low, guttural growl.

『I want to butcher every last one of them. I want to snap their limbs, rip out their hearts, and feast on them.』

『My borders have been breached, and they treat me like I am weak. They dare to treat Lord Drakson as if I were some common stray dog!』

But he had to exercise restraint.

The consequences were too easy to foresee.

If he killed Louise, the catalyst of this situation?

The King of Berft’s obsession with his daughter was legendary. If she were slain, Berft would wage a war of total annihilation.

The tragedies of two centuries ago would play out all over again.

He had to endure the insult.

『But the wait is almost over. If this succeeds…』

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“…Everything will change.”

Drakson forced his anger down into a tight knot.

“Ormus as well. This is not the moment for a war with them.”

『Then I shall engage them half-heartedly and lead them away from the mountain.』

“Precisely. Exercise extreme caution regarding Princess Louise. Her death is strictly forbidden.”

The light of the orb faded. Drakson ground his teeth together so hard they threatened to shatter.

“Are you doing alright?”

“The time is near.”

Drakson tightened his grip on the wolf skull he had been turning over in his hands. The bone snapped without a sound.

“If we retrieve that item from Mercon Mountain, our problems vanish. We just need a little more endurance.”

“It isn’t a magical solution to every problem.”

“It gives us more leverage than we have now.”

Drakson shredded the wolf’s pelt with his claws. Only then did his blood pressure begin to drop.

“Where in the world is that miserable Roger hiding?”

His monsters and scouts combed the land, yet the dwarf remained a ghost.

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The jungle was a living nightmare.

The earth was a swamp of mud, and the air was thick with stinging insects. Predators lurked in the shadows, and monsters snapped from the brush.

The environment was a constant obstacle, and the dwarves were struggling to adjust to the humid, claustrophobic terrain.

For the people of Ormus, however, this was their backyard.

The dwarves were sturdy but slow; the Ormus scouts were nimble and fast.

This disparity allowed the Ormus forces to catch the dwarves by surprise at the very edge of the Demon King’s land.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Is this your first time seeing us in person?”

A wall of hundreds of warriors surrounded the dwarven unit. The dwarves drew their steel, the air thick with sudden tension.

“A pleasure to meet you, Princess of the Dwarves.”

The line of soldiers parted. A tall, imposing figure stepped forward from the rough-looking Ormus ranks.

“I am Max Ormus, second prince of this realm.”

His dark eyes narrowed into thin slits.

“What do you want?”

“You really are as the stories say—not very much like a dwarf at all.”

His eyes traveled disrespectfully over Louise’s form.

“People who speak to me with that tone usually don’t live to regret it.”

“Am I the first exception?”

“No, they’re all dead. I cracked their skulls with my axe.”

Louise’s fingers tightened around the handle of her massive weapon.

“How terrifying. Is that a sign of insecurity? I actually appreciate that you don’t look like your kin.”

Max smirked, his tongue darting out to lick his lips.

“Stop looking at me with those filthy eyes.”

“Princess.”

Volbof placed a hand on Louise’s arm to hold her back.

“I’m aware.”

Louise fought to control her temper. She was hot-headed, but she wasn’t so reckless as to start a war with an Ormus prince in the middle of his own territory.

“Step aside.”

“I would love to oblige you, but I’m afraid I cannot.”

“Are you looking for a fight?”

“You understand the danger of provoking the Demon King. As a prince of Ormus, it is my duty to prevent such a mistake.”

“I’ve paid your kingdom a fortune in gold and equipment to search these lands. That gives me the right to be here.”

“That agreement did not cover the Demon King’s border.”

“It did in my version of the deal.”

Their eyes locked in a silent battle of wills.

“Move.”

Louise repeated, her voice dropping an octave.

“If you persist, then for your own well-being and the stability of Ormus, I will be forced to take you into custody.”

“Are you trying to bait me?”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Volbof stepped in front of the princess, addressing the prince.

“In that case, we shall withdraw.”

Volbof was almost relieved by Max’s interference. Being detained by Ormus was a far better fate than being captured by the Demon King, even if Louise was currently vibrating with fury.

However.

“You require our escort. Given the princess’s legendary temper, she might simply double back into the Demon King’s lands the moment we turn our backs, wouldn’t she?”

“What did you say, you snake?”

“And for how long?”

“Who can say…”

His evasive tone made his intentions obvious to everyone present. Volbof clenched his teeth. He realized now he should have stopped Louise by any means necessary before it came to this.

“Prince Max! Do you think the Berft Kingdom will tolerate this? This will lead to disaster for everyone!”

“That is merely your interpretation.”

“Prince!”

“We did everything in our power to protect the princess from her own recklessness, but the volatile dwarf attacked our men first, leaving us no choice but to defend ourselves. Then, tragically, a beast attack caused further casualties. Does that sound plausible?”

Ting—

He flicked the blade of his sword with a smirk.

“A few losses are a small price to pay for the ‘rescue’ of a princess.”

“If you don’t kill me, I’ll tell everyone the truth.”

“That isn’t really a concern.”

As long as the princess was in Ormus’s hands, they held all the cards.

Ormus had no real loyalty to Berft. They could squeeze a fortune out of the dwarves and then sever ties without losing a wink of sleep.

The mask of civility dropped, and a cruel smile spread across Max’s face.

“Escort the Princess of Berft with the highest level of care. Any who try to prevent her safety…”

Max released a wave of murderous intent.

“Eliminate them. We can blame the jungle monsters later.”

The Ormus warriors let out a war cry. Their weapons glinted under the canopy.

“I never imagined I’d be slaughtering dwarves with their own superior steel.”

“Form a perimeter! Protect the princess!”

The two forces collided. The air was filled with the sounds of battle, sending the local wildlife fleeing in terror.

“Show these humans the strength of the dwarves!”

The dwarves stood their ground. To them, the princess was a sacred figure; they were prepared to die to ensure her safety. Their devotion was absolute.

But it wasn’t enough. They were outnumbered, and the jungle was the preferred hunting ground of the Ormus warriors.

One by one, the dwarves began to fall. The dark soil drank their blood.

“What a magnificent show this turned out to be.”

A voice spoke, cold and sudden as a shadow.

“……!”

There had been no warning. It was as if the speaker had materialized out of the air itself.

Max hadn’t sensed a thing until the voice reached his ears. A cold shiver ran down his back.

“…Who are you?”

Max dropped down from the rocky outcrop where he had been watching the slaughter.

“Prince, we can deal with this interloper.”

“Stay back. This one is beyond your level.”

Every instinct Max possessed screamed at him to run. But he forced the fear down.

This was a scene of a massacre; there could be no witnesses left alive.

None.

Max was one of the elite combatants of Ormus, and he had the backing of his entire army.

“…I don’t know how you stumbled in here, but you can blame your terrible luck.”

“Luck?”

“A dead man doesn’t need explanations.”

“So you truly believe you are capable of killing me?”

Max’s response was a lightning-fast strike. His body, hardened by the brutal jungle, was a weapon in its own right. His fists were capable of crushing bone and steel alike.

Craaang—

The impact sent a shockwave through the clearing.

Both the stranger and Max were forced back a single step.

“…Just as I thought!”

His intuition had been correct; this would be a real fight.

For the first time in years, he had encountered someone who could match his raw strength.

“This is getting interesting.”

His fear was replaced by a rush of adrenaline. His muscles coiled with the excitement of finally finding a worthy adversary.

He lunged forward again, his internal energy—his aura—surging. A crimson light of murderous intent wrapped around his knuckles.

A red streak cut through the humidity.

Craaaaang—

The force of the collision was massive. Yet Max pushed through the resistance, taking a step forward to deliver a follow-up blow with his other fist.

The stranger retreated.

“Stop holding back. Show me your aura.”

Max hissed through his teeth.

“Is this all you’ve got?”

The thrill of the fight was intoxicating. He wanted to see his opponent’s true power before he ended him.

And then.

“If that is what you desire.”

The stranger complied.

“I will show you.”

In that heartbeat—

An explosion of pressure occurred.

Roooaaar—

Something twisted and dark manifested. A suffocating gloom. An endless pit of despair.

It was viscous, malevolent, and weighed down on the soul like lead.

Facing the wave of black energy, Max’s confidence evaporated. The heat of battle turned to ice. His skin crawled.

“…Ma…gic?”

It was a demon. And one of unimaginable power.

Booom—

A devastating impact followed; Max coughed up a spray of blood. He was launched thirty feet backward. The arm he had raised in a frantic block went numb with agony.

“Let’s see how much more you can take.”

The voice was a whisper, soft but filled with a madness that made Max’s own bloodlust look like a joke.

“Gaaahhh!”

His internal organs felt as though they were being put through a grinder. His body refused to obey. The pain was cascading; he could barely keep his guard up, let alone find an opening to strike back.

He was driven back further and further. He wanted to scream for his men, but the air wouldn’t reach his lungs. There was no room to breathe.

This was death. True death.

Was this the end? Now, when his plan was working perfectly? To be killed by a random demon?

“Is this the Beast King’s command?!”

Max shrieked in desperation. The stranger paused for a fraction of a second.

“Are you really going to tear up the truce between Ormus and the Beast Demon King?!”

“Yes, I am, you piece of trash.”

The answer, however, didn’t come from the man in front of him.

Crack—

A blinding, sickening pain shattered Max’s world. Warm blood began to pour down his face, obscuring his vision.

“Ah.”

“My axe on your skull.”

He forced his eyes to move. The shadow of a massive blade loomed over him.

He hadn’t realized it. In his desperate retreat from the demon, he had backed himself right into the path of the princess who wanted him dead. He had offered her his back without any defense.

“I warned you. Those who mock me end up in the ground.”

“…You… damn… woman…!”

Those were his final words.

Thud—

Max slumped to the ground, his eyes losing their light as they stared at nothing.

“The Priiiince!!!”

The Ormus soldiers erupted in a chorus of horror and rage.