The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 46

Chapter 46
Chapter: 46

Chapter Title: Promise

—

The battle was won.

However, the triumph was stained by heavy casualties and destruction.

From the base of the spire up to the tenth level, every floor had been thoroughly purged. The stationed guardians were wiped out, and the infrastructure lay in ruins.

The peak of the stronghold, the 11th floor, had suffered an equal fate.

Drakson had stubbornly concentrated his entire military force at the summit. While this secured their eventual win, it forced a brutal confrontation with the hero party, who had managed to conserve their full strength until reaching that final floor.

“Curse it all. Rosel Charnt—that woman and her personal battalion decimated our ranks!”

They referred to her as the Red Flame. Drakson felt his jaw tighten with instinctive fury.

“On the bright side, our reserve of magic points is substantial,” Casey said, attempting to calm him.

While negative human emotions were the primary source of magic points, nothing quite compared to the raw essence of human life. This was especially true since many of those who had stormed the tower and bled within its walls were heroes.

These were individuals who had harnessed dimensional energy, granting them a power that stood in opposition to the invaders—a fact that, ironically, turned them into a much more potent sacrifice for the Demon King upon their demise.

“It won’t suffice for a complete restoration, but we can at least begin the necessary repairs.”

Drakson gave a grim shake of his head at Casey’s update. He was acutely aware that fixing the tower was a vital necessity.

He knew the Heroes’ Guild was currently plotting their retaliation. They might have let him survive once, but there would be no mercy a second time.

Still, Drakson could not bring himself to focus solely on reconstruction.

“I am going to contact Archduke Alcaine and perform a search of the tower’s internal archives.”

He needed to know what had triggered this catastrophe.

It was that interloper. The shadow who had breached the tower and assassinated the second prince of Ormus. One of the fellow Demon Kings must have dispatched that assassin.

If that individual hadn’t interfered, the second prince of Ormus would still be alive. There would have been no massive crusade, no wave of hundreds of heroes, and the tower wouldn’t be sitting in this state of ruin.

Drakson found the situation intolerable. He was consumed by the need to identify that traitor. He had to locate him and deliver retribution.

The final remnants of magic points gathered from the defense against the heroes would be diverted to that task.

Bridging the gap between dimensions required a staggering amount of energy.

Even a basic transmission demanded such a cost, meaning a simple report to Archduke Alcaine would drain a significant portion of their magic.

Once the report was filed and authorization granted, delving into the tower’s archives—a complex and ancient function—would necessitate a truly massive expenditure of power.

“But, my lord…! If another hero crusade is launched while we are vulnerable…”

“I have no intention of dying.”

Drakson didn’t place his complete faith in Archduke Alcaine. Instead, he trusted the steady stream of magic points he had been providing to him.

He believed in his own worth, which ensured that future tributes would continue to flow.

“Archduke Alcaine cannot afford to discard me.”

Aren was a dimension known as the graveyard of Demon Kings. Jason Kokmun had been the longest-reigning survivor in that lethal place, and since his time, a few others had started to endure.

Drakson was the second most established. He had maintained his position for nearly a hundred years. Alcaine would find it difficult to replace a subordinate as capable as him.

“Leave me now. I will initiate contact with His Excellency.”

“…As you wish. I hope you find the answers you seek.”

Casey exited the private study.

Drakson moved toward the focal crystal.

A torrent of magic surged forward. The very foundations of the tower began to vibrate.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The demon realm was governed by ten archdukes.

Every archduke was responsible for a single dimension, overseeing five Demon Kings beneath them.

The status of these archdukes was measured by the performance of their Demon Kings—specifically, the volume of magic sent back and the speed of their conquests.

By those metrics, Aren was an absolute disaster.

Aren had claimed the lives of dozens of Demon Kings, and every such death was marked as a failure for the presiding archduke.

It was considered a land of exile. Once assigned to Aren, any hope of advancement was effectively dead—it was the most despised post in the realm.

“…Though it isn’t entirely miserable.”

For an individual lacking in grand ambition, few places were as relaxed.

In the past, Demon Kings perished on a daily basis, but a shift had occurred. They began to adapt. The death toll dropped, and eventually, the situation reached a plateau.

One position changed hands frequently, but the rest remained stable.

Regardless, Aren was a forgotten realm, ignored by the high council. This meant he could quietly pocket resources without being questioned.

Because of this, Alcaine Blamif actually enjoyed his post in Aren.

Since there was no active conquest, there was no pressure to adapt to new dimensions like his peers.

With Demon King deaths becoming a rarity, his administrative burdens were light.

He maintained his status, received sympathy and extra perks from outsiders, and enjoyed a consistent flow of magic points from certain loyal Demon Kings.

For Alcaine Blamif, who wanted nothing more than to feast for another century before retiring, it was a hidden paradise.

‘It’s not quite perfect, though.’

He thought of a specific troublemaker who had recently caused a stir in the demon realm.

The man was so reckless that Alcaine had accepted him on a whim and sent him straight to Aren. To ensure he didn’t cause problems, he had channeled his directives through Drakson.

‘I expected him to perish immediately, but he’s proving remarkably resilient.’

The barriers between dimensions made regular communication difficult, but he hadn’t stopped watching.

He was aware the fool had abducted the crown princess of Hilde ran, which had ignited the hero crusade—and that the plan had backfired.

‘He constructed his tower in a bizarre location?’

The heroes had been unable to find it. It was the complete opposite of established doctrine, which suggested placing it somewhere somewhat accessible.

It was irritating. Nevertheless, Alcaine Blamif showed patience.

The man had openly mocked their traditions at the academy. This behavior was expected.

‘The placement of a tower is a matter of perspective. Finding a balance between danger and visibility is a judgment call.’

He could find faults, but formal discipline was difficult. So Alcaine waited for Berge to step out of line again.

‘A man like that won’t stop at just one mistake.’

The errors would eventually accumulate. Every one of them would serve to tighten the rope around his neck.

‘It won’t be long now.’

Alcaine took a sip of his crimson wine. The metallic hint of blood made the flavor even richer.

A knock sounded at the door.

“Your Excellency. A transmission is coming in from Aren.”

“From whom?”

“Demon King Drakson Dolph.”

“I’ll take it.”

‘This isn’t the scheduled time for a report.’

Traversing the dimensional divide, even for small talk, required immense energy. Unnecessary contact was unheard of.

He entered the communication vault, locked the entrance, and pushed his magic into the pulsing orb.

『I offer my respects, Your Excellency.』

A familiar face bowed within the light.

“What is the reason for this unexpected contact? You are still a month away from your scheduled report…”

『I am requesting permission to access the tower’s historical logs.』

“…What has occurred?”

Scanning the records was a massive drain on magic. Most Demon Kings avoided it entirely, and during Alcaine’s long tenure, no one had ever requested it.

『A high-level demon has invaded my territory. A high demon…』

The report was grim. If it were true, Drakson was in a precarious position. A second wave of heroes could arrive at any moment.

‘Could Drakson Dolph be killed?’

Losing his most reliable source of magic points for no reason was not a desirable outcome.

“Who do you suspect?”

『I believe it may be Jason Kokmun.』

“Not Berge Dayas?”

『He does not have a high demon in his service.』

It was a logical conclusion. And yet…

‘Something doesn’t feel right.’

The Jason he knew wouldn’t take such a risk. Neither would Reina Sordain or Ugar Belbek.

‘It’s a nagging feeling.’

The image of Berge’s arrogant grin flashed in his mind. Was it just a coincidence? Who else but that deviant would attempt such a move?

“I understand. I will use my authority to bypass the record protections. It will take a little time…”

Alcaine suppressed his growing anxiety. First, he would unmask the traitor who dared to move against a fellow Demon King.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The scent of light incense filled the shadowed bedroom.

The old man’s breathing was shallow and strained.

The servants gently wiped the perspiration from his forehead. Suddenly, the door swung open.

“Your Highness.”

The maids offered a silent bow.

“Leave us. I need to speak with His Majesty in private.”

“But, my lord…”

“I will not say it again.”

“…Of course.”

The servants hurried out of the room.

Only two people remained. The prince pulled a chair to the bedside and looked into the old man’s exhausted eyes.

“…What… is it you want.”

“A message has arrived from the Akan Kingdom. They intend to secretly send an elite unit to completely dismantle the Beast Tower.”

“…No… They will use the tower as an excuse… to cross our borders… we cannot allow it.”

“I have already given them my approval.”

“The tower… it cannot fall…!”

The old man’s eyes flickered with panic. The prince remained unmoved.

“Do you even understand the state of this kingdom? Our two thousand elite soldiers have vanished. Max is dead, and his noble supporters are gone—the vacancy is staggering.”

“And because the hero party was so reckless in provoking the Demon King, the monsters from the wild zones are now pouring into inhabited lands everywhere.”

“Even as we speak, our citizens are dying by the hour.”

For Ormus, the Beast Tower had been a functional necessity.

Demon Kings were technically enemies, but the Beast Demon King kept the monsters of the forest in check, which reduced the kingdom’s military burden.

For a nation struggling for revenue, the influx of heroes and the spending of the guilds were essential for the economy.

But those days were over.

“Regardless of the outcome, Max was the one who invaded the Demon King’s lands first. We violated the unspoken agreement. We cannot know if the Demon King will continue to show us any leniency.”

Furthermore, someone had manipulated Valraf Disroad into sabotaging the crusade. The motive was unclear, but the prince doubted it was in Ormus’s best interest.

“Therefore, the tower has to be destroyed. It is our only viable path.”

However, Ormus no longer had the strength to do it alone. Thus, the decision to accept Akan’s proposal.

“They will enter Ormus in secret. The group is small, so they can avoid notice if they are careful.”

“We simply provide the passage. Then Rosel Charnt’s vanguard and the Akan elites will execute the Demon King.”

“In exchange, we receive a massive amount of gold and the spoils of war.”

It was a short-term fix. But in the middle of a crisis, it was better than nothing.

“But… if that tower is destroyed… the future of this kingdom…”

“That future will not be determined by a dying king in a bed. I will be the one to build it.”

“…How dare you.”

The old man’s eyes burned with a helpless rage.

“You may regret this from your perspective. After all, you chose to favor Max for the throne over me.”

The fact that Max, a concubine’s son, was treated as an equal to the firstborn prince was entirely the old man’s doing.

But now Max was dead, and the king was paralyzed by the shock—there was no one left to support him.

“Just rest. We will manage the kingdom’s affairs.”

The prince stood up to leave.

Ah, that’s right.

He turned back around.

“Kaede Jespain, wasn’t it?”

The imperial princess who had been handed over as a concubine following a tribute. He didn’t criticize the king for wasting resources on a single girl.

It was a bribe to keep the empire satisfied. It was a sign of their loyalty as a subordinate state.

Ormus could not escape the shadow of the empire, especially while bound by the princess’s presence.

“When she is rescued from the tower, I will take her as my own wife.”

She would likely prefer that outcome.

The prince gave one final, polite bow.

“Rest well. I am taking the crown, Father.”

The door clicked shut.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Drakson is a fool.”

Berge was more certain of that than ever.

It wasn’t that he lacked intelligence. He was simply incompetent.

“The humans didn’t notice. Not the elves, the spirits, the other Demon Kings, or even the heroes.”

None of them had figured out that Berge was a Demon King.

The corpse of the Phoenix was that convincing. Yet, in his previous life, Drakson had absorbed that power without actually performing the necessary feats.

In that regard, he was an idiot.

Of course, it wasn’t without some advantage.

Pure mana, which was foreign to a Demon King like Berge, was not easy to control. His body was rejecting it, causing internal burns.

The more he tapped into that power, the more severe his injuries became.

It was a ridiculous irony.

But the potential rewards were greater than the physical toll, so Berge pushed through the pain.

There were limitless ways to integrate this power into the various races of Aren.

“What are you thinking about?”

The voice of Hillun Kagil pulled him out of his thoughts.

“What happens after we hunt the Beast Demon King.”

“You seem very confident of success.”

“We will succeed. There is no other option.”

It wasn’t a boast or a simple declaration. Drakson had to be eliminated, no matter the cost.

“You should be the one to take Drakson’s life.”

A Demon King could grow stronger by killing their own kind and absorbing their essence. Fight, consume, and evolve. That was the way of the demon.

But not this time.

Berge’s physical vessel was already at its limit. He had the magic of two beings crammed into one, with his other half holding a entirely new type of power.

Focusing on stabilizing what he already had was enough.

Beyond that…

If Hillun Kagil, the hero, was the one to kill a Demon King, she stood to gain a great deal.

Fame, power, and a higher standing.

“I will.”

Knowing the benefits, Hillun did not argue.

“And after that…”

Berge drummed his fingers on the table.

“I don’t know much about the inner workings of the Heroes’ Guild, but a hero who has taken the heads of two Demon Kings will certainly have a powerful voice. It should be enough to bury the memory of your two previous failures.”

“Exactly. Rebranding a failure as a stepping stone to a greater victory is a specialty of mine.”

“You are as shameless as ever.”

Berge offered a small, knowing smile.

“I need you to reach the inner circle of the Guild.”

He wanted to tear down his greatest enemy from the inside.

“I want that too.”

Every hero was required to join the Guild. As a collective of every hero in existence, it possessed incredible power.

Many people dreamed of controlling its core.

Hillun was one of them.

“My ultimate goal is to own the Heroes’ Guild.”

“Then I will make sure that dream comes true. From the inside, you can assist m—”

Berge stopped mid-sentence.

There was a knock.

A moment later, the door opened. The person standing there was a stranger—a human, specifically a hero.

“Excuse me. Are you Hillun Kagil and Pale?”

“We are.”

“I have a message from Captain Rosel Charnt: ‘I will show you what was promised. Follow me now.'”

“What was promised.”

Two things: securing Hillun’s spot in the next crusade.

And making sure that crusade happened as quickly as possible.

Hillun had mentioned the Guild was stalling—so what kind of leverage had been used to change their minds?

The answer would be waiting for them.

Berge stood up.

“Lead the way.”