The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 57

Chapter 57
## Chapter 57: Negotiation

—

In the timeline before his return to the past, a specific disaster had unfolded.

The former version of Berge had been a creature of pure hubris. Consumed by his own arrogance and an obsessive devotion to the Standard of the Demon King, he had acted with the recklessness of a runaway carriage.

He had seized dozens of royal daughters. The collective misery he sowed transformed into a fountain of demonic power. He feasted on the essence of every champion and commoner who dared to challenge his spire.

It was a self-sustaining cycle of malice. Deluded into believing this was a testament to his own supremacy, he eventually committed the one error that would seal his fate.

He abducted the crown prince of the Jespain Empire.

The resulting fallout fractured the continent’s status quo. The empire mobilized its full military might, forging an absolute alliance with the Hero Guild to lay a permanent siege to his stronghold.

Initially, he held his ground. But the relentless persistence of humanity began to chip away at his resolve, leaving him hollowed out and weary. It was during this period of decline that he crossed paths with a fellow Demon King from a neighboring spire.

‘Tsk, I warned you about touching the empire’s bloodline, but you were too proud to listen. You forgot that Aren operates on rules far removed from other realms. You should have respected the wisdom of those who came before you.’

‘Observe my methods. I take the princesses that the world has forgotten. It is the simplest path. Do you know the luxury of a king who doesn’t care? Only the occasional, pathetic hero bothers to knock on my door.’

It was a confession of cowardice that no self-respecting Demon King should ever voice.

At the time, Berge had looked down on him with nothing but contempt.

‘Do you not feel the shame of the title you hold? I find it hard to believe you ever walked the halls of the Demon King Academy.’

Now, however, the truth was clear. Berge had been the fool, and the other had been the pragmatist.

Demon King Ugar Belbeck possessed a sharper understanding of Aren’s politics than anyone else.

And the specific name Ugar had mentioned during that old encounter was the 13th Princess of Hildran.

She was the same girl Berge had once considered taking—a child so sickly she was useless even for a strategic marriage.

“…Has Ugar taken that girl again?”

『…Again? What are you talking about?』

“Forget I said anything.”

Technically, this wasn’t a repeat event, but for Berge, the memory made it feel like one.

Since his regression, Berge had carved a new path, and the ripples of his choices had warped history. So why was Ugar treading the exact same footsteps as before?

‘Is it possible that certain threads of fate are unchangeable…’

He quickly dismissed the dark thought. If destiny were fixed, Drakson would still be drawing breath.

“Give me the specifics. When and where.”

『It happened last night, at the secluded estate where the 13th Princess was staying to recover before her departure.』

The timing was perfect. It had been exactly three days since Ugar expressed interest in purchasing demonic energy points.

『Given your reaction, I assume this wasn’t a coordinated effort between you two?』

“Don’t go fishing for information, Hillun. You already have a lead.”

『Forgive me. I simply heard rumors of a transaction between two Demon Kings.』

“Rumors,” he thought bitterly.

“End the transmission.”

『As you wish, Demon King.』

*Knock, knock, knock—*

The moment the link severed, a rap came at his door. Recognizing the presence on the other side, he didn’t bother asking who it was.

“Enter.”

Ernyan stepped inside, her movements hesitant.

“……”

“Speak.”

“…Do you have a moment?”

“Take a seat.”

She sat across from him, and a heavy quiet filled the room.

“I have little patience for stalling.”

“…I apologize for the intrusion, but I caught the details of your previous call.”

Earlier.

He had been on the ground floor checking on the progress of Roger’s inventions when Gordon had arrived in a frantic state.

‘Demon King! Ugar has made off with the 13th Princess of Hildran!’ Gordon had cried out.

Berge had immediately retreated to his chambers to contact Hillun Kagil.

Ernyan had been right there on the first floor. Avoiding the news would have been impossible for her.

“Is the report regarding Elena’s abduction accurate?”

“If that is the name of the 13th Princess, then it is.”

“It is. To the public, the 13th Princess is known as Elena.”

“To the public?”

“Ah.”

Ernyan went silent, biting back her words. She was uncharacteristically frayed, her usual composure replaced by a visible tremor of anxiety. The reason was obvious.

“You are distressed for her.”

“She is a fragile child, barely able to walk. If a Demon King subjects her to the usual cruelties…”

“And your point is?”

“……”

“Why are you bringing this to me?”

She pressed her lips together.

She was well aware of how ridiculous it was to make a plea like this to a member of the very class of monsters that took the girl.

And yet.

“I am asking for your intervention.”

Ernyan spoke the words clearly.

“Are you certain of what you’re asking?”

“I am. I need you to rescue Elena.”

“I am a Demon King.”

“And I am a princess.”

“The 13th Princess was stolen by a Demon King.”

“If her fate is to be in the hands of a Demon King, I would rather it be yours.”

The rhythm of this interaction felt like an echo from his past life.

‘Was it then?’

In the old timeline, when Hillun Kagil had risen as a champion and pushed Berge to the brink.

To save himself, Berge had pleaded with Ernyan to stand as his shield against the hero.

She had complied, and her assistance had allowed him to navigate the crisis. He had been deeply indebted to her then.

But he felt no obligation to return the favor now. He had already compensated her with rare herbs. Even without that, he wasn’t the sort of “noble” Demon King who concerned himself with settling moral debts.

“You’re using the wrong leverage.”

“I will give you the locations of every hidden treasury held by the nobility of the kingdom.”

“That is a more compelling argument.”

Hildran was currently a minor kingdom clinging to the southern coast, but its history was that of a continent-spanning empire.

A fallen house still has its secrets. While it couldn’t match the wealth of its golden age, Hildran was far from broke.

Access to those secret accounts…

The gold would likely dwarf the payment he had received from Jason for the demonic energy.

Still, he did not agree immediately.

“It is insufficient.”

“What else do you require?”

“I lack trust in you.”

“Have I failed to deliver on a single promise since I arrived?”

She hadn’t. She had been a perfect subordinate.

But reliability was not the same as trust. Ernyan was harboring secrets, and until he knew her full agenda, Berge would keep his guard up.

‘No.’

Even if she bared her soul, could he ever truly rely on her? He doubted it. Faith was a concept ill-suited for humans.

“Reliability is separate from genuine trust.”

“You suspect me because I haven’t tried to escape your tower.”

“I won’t pretend otherwise.”

Ernyan paused, her expression shifting as she prepared to speak.

“Are you familiar with the enchantment known as the Child of the World Tree?”

—

“You’ve arrived.”

The landscape was a jagged mess of stone and mountain peaks. The wind howled through the narrow passes.

“I am Kokun, first officer to Ugar.”

“A Titan?”

“Correct.”

The giant stood over four meters tall. Berge looked up with a frown of annoyance; he hated having to crane his neck to speak to someone.

“Where is your master?”

“He is expecting you inside.”

*Creeeak—*

The gates of the spire swung open.

‘Nine levels.’

In his previous life, this tower had reached the eleventh level by the time Berge died. Now, it had stalled before reaching double digits.

The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere felt heavy and wrong.

“You have quite the collection here.”

“I do.”

The floors were congested with monsters, packed in like sardines.

So, his sudden urge to buy demonic energy points had been a desperate attempt to swell his ranks.

It wasn’t just the entrance. As Berge ascended toward the ninth floor, the sheer density of the monsters became increasingly apparent.

The tower felt claustrophobic, not because of its design, but because Ugar hadn’t bothered to expand the space to fit his army.

“My Lord, I have escorted Demon King Berge to your presence.”

“I see him.”

Ugar was perched on his throne, his eyes fixed on a glowing projection. He purchased a standard Demon Realm contract and stepped down.

“Review the terms.”

Everything was exactly as they had negotiated. Berge channeled his demonic essence into the document and finalized the deal.

“Kokun.”

“Master.”

“Produce the payment.”

The Titan handed over a heavy sack of gold. Berge swept it into his spatial storage.

“I hear you’ve added a new royal to your collection.”

“I have.”

“One of Hildran’s, if I recall?”

“The 13th Princess, to be exact. A weakling who was of no use to her father. The king won’t lift a finger, so the risk is non-existent.”

I see.

“I’ve been wondering. Should I mock you for being a disgrace to our kind, or congratulate you for finding a loophole in the Standard?”

“Well…”

Ugar drummed his fingers on his armrest.

“I’d prefer the latter.”

“That’s a surprise.”

“A surprise?”

“I took you for someone who despised the Standard—the typical image of a prideful demon.”

“What gave you that impression?”

“Your strikes against Archduke Alcaine and Drakson.”

“I don’t run from a fight that finds me. That isn’t the way of a demon.”

“But you went against an Archduke.”

“What would you have me do? Take a blow and crawl away in fear? You seem far more cowardly than your stature suggests.”

“Mind your tongue. Following the hierarchy is survival.”

Ugar let out a low snarl.

“I saw the state of your tower on the way up. You’re hoarding monsters. You’re buying energy from me. You’re snatching up minor princesses…”

“A Demon King seeks power. That is our nature. What are you implying?”

“You’re terrified.”

“……!”

“You’re scared that you’ll end up exactly like Drakson—executed by heroes, your head rolling across the floor while people spit on the name of Ugar.”

“I am Demon King Ugar! No human vermin has the power to touch me!”

Ugar struck his desk. The wood splintered into a thousand shards, the sound echoing like a gunshot.

A thick, suffocating aura of killing intent flooded the room.

It was powerful enough for a Demon King, yet to Berge, it felt like the desperate barking of a cornered animal.

The timeline had shifted. The future was no longer what it was.

All of it stemmed from Berge’s return.

By choosing a new path, he had altered the balance between the Demon Kings and the human world.

He had orchestrated alliances and rivalries with cold precision.

The powerful beast who had successfully grown his tower to the sixteenth level in the past was now a corpse.

And the replacement, Vivian, had acted with the typical reckless pride of a demon, sparking a firestorm.

Humanity’s rage was boiling over, and the pressure on the Demon Kings was mounting.

So.

Now that his protector and crutch—the beast—was gone, how would this bald coward react?

The answer was simple.

He was doing exactly what he was doing now.

Panic-buying security and overcompensating for his fear.

“And yet, despite your boasting, you buy energy from me and hide away, snatching up low-value hostages. I hear it’s not just the 13th Princess of Hildran, but also the 8th Prince of Heshen?”

“What does that matter? I told you—it’s about the energy.”

“By stuffing your tower until it’s bursting with common monsters?”

“Is it a crime for a tower to have guardians?”

“It is when the numbers are this irrational.”

“Enough talk. What do you actually want?”

“Hmm.”

A cold smile touched Berge’s lips.

“You look like a shivering rat, Ugar.”

“……!”

“A pathetic creature clawing at the walls to survive, knowing no one is coming to save you.”

“You arrogant little—!”

Ugar lunged to his feet. His massive, five-meter shadow loomed over Berge, radiating raw physical threat.

Berge simply crossed his arms, unmoved.

“Do you think your rank at the academy gives you the right to look down on me? I have held this title for decades. A child like you—”

“You avoid the powerful heirs and only target the outcasts. The kingdoms might ignore it, but you’re working far too hard for such small rewards.”

“…How do you know that?”

“It must be exhausting. Picking the right targets requires meticulous research, analyzing every political connection and social vulnerability.”

It sounded easy, but it wasn’t. Navigating royal family dynamics and predicting kingdom responses required a level of nuance.

For a brute like Ugar to manage it was a testament to his desperation.

“If you’re interested.”

Berge finally threw out the lure.

“I can assist you.”

“Assist me how?”

“I can give you a list of every prince and princess that fits your specific criteria.”

“……!”

“In exchange, I have a single demand.”

He grinned as Ugar’s eyes flickered with a mix of suspicion and hope.