The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 64

Chapter 64
## Chapter 64: It’s Not Bad

Parni, a high-ranking official within the Hero Guild, rapped his knuckles against the heavy office door.

“Enter,” a voice called out.

Parni stepped inside. The grand elder sat behind a desk piled with scrolls; despite the deep furrows of age on his brow, his gaze remained sharp and focused. The elder gestured to the side, clearing a space among the paperwork.

“You sent for me, sir?”

“I need you to go and assist Hillun Kagil.”

“So the rumors are true? He’s actually reporting to the central branch?”

“Indeed. He successfully eliminated a Demon King. We have no choice but to bring him in officially.”

Parni frowned, his voice tinged with disapproval. “The man ignored guild protocols and acted entirely on his own. Do we truly want to validate that kind of behavior with an official ceremony?”

“Personal feelings are irrelevant here,” the elder replied firmly. “Whether we like his methods or not, Hillun Kagil has already brought down two Demon Kings and claimed their essences. Like it or not, he is on the path to becoming the most influential hero of our era.”

“But still…”

“Look at the optics, Parni. If we fail to reward a man who has accomplished the feat of hunting two Demon Kings, who would ever risk their life to subjugate another under the guild’s banner?”

“I see the logic, but isn’t there a significant difference between a standard summon and the guild actively seeking him out?”

“It might appear as though we are bowing to him, yes. However, that is a small price to pay to prevent the world from seeing the guild as a mere tool of the Akan Kingdom.”

To ensure the Hero Guild remained the dominant authority, they had to control the narrative. Unlike Rosel Charnt, who had been easily satisfied and compliant, Hillun Kagil was a different breed—he offered cooperation, but only at a steep price.

Parni stifled a frustrated sigh.

“Besides,” the elder continued, “it isn’t just about his merits. We had already planned to put him to use.”

“In what capacity?”

“There are those within our ranks who were pushing for the absolute maximum punishment for both Rosel Charnt and Hillun Kagil, hoping to turn their downfall into a public display of authority.”

“That sounds like Elder Carlo and his associates.”

“Precisely. And then there are those who oppose him with a suspiciously aggressive fervor.”

“Elder Mathias and his group, I assume.”

“Exactly. And behind those factions lie the interests of Jespain and Akan.”

The Empire’s motive for turning this into a public scandal was transparent.

“They want to drag the guild’s name through the mud,” the elder explained. “Akan only stood against it because of their ties to Rosel Charnt; any other kingdom would have seized the same opportunity.”

“Surely the guild is too stable to be shaken by such petty politics,” Parni countered.

“I agree. We have stood for hundreds of years. This won’t break us today. But they aren’t looking for a killing blow; they are looking for a crack.”

The impact of the strike mattered less than the persistence. They would continue to chip away at the guild’s foundation at every turn.

It was a slow process of building precedents, stacking one small grievance on top of another until, eventually, the nations could justify seizing back the power they had ceded to the guild.

“The pressure will only mount. They will jump on any minor failure to scream about guild incompetence. To be fair, they’ve shown more restraint than I expected for this long.”

For centuries, ambitious monarchs had lived with a power that sat above their own borders.

“It’s simple avarice. They were happy to let us handle everything when the Demon Kings were at their peak, but now that humanity has the upper hand, they want the reins back.”

“We are the same, in a way,” Parni noted. “We simply don’t want to surrender our influence.”

“Regardless,” the elder said, shifting back to the main point, “Hillun Kagil is going to be a very effective tool.”

“A way to counter the influence of those two elders and their respective nations?”

“Precisely. Hildean has the military might to rival those empires, yet they have almost no presence within the Hero Guild.”

For generations, Hildean’s primary focus had been its own internal restoration and imperial status. While they didn’t ignore the guild, they didn’t prioritize it. They lacked the aggressive, calculated expansion of influence that Akan and Jespain practiced.

“Furthermore, Hillun Kagil severed ties with all his financial backers before he ever stepped foot in the Erjest Mountains. He’s back in Hildean territory now, but those bridges are burned. He has nowhere else to turn.”

“That makes him perfect for us. However, he is still a man who has slain two Demon Kings. If we lose control of him, he becomes a liability.”

“Which is why I need you by his side, monitoring his every move.”

“I understand.”

“It won’t be an easy assignment, but until the guild master returns, you must ensure these factions keep one another in check.”

“I will give it my best effort, sir.”

“Don’t just give me your ‘best,'” the elder stood up. “Just get it done correctly.”

A soft rap came from the door.

“He’s arrived.”

The door opened slightly as an attendant peered in. “Grand Elder, the Hero Hillun Kagil is waiting to see you.”

—

‘I can settle the debt now.’

After descending from the Adamant Tower following the rescue of Elena Hildean, Berge checked his interface.

**[3,124,512 pt]**

The sheer volume of demonic energy points that had piled up while he was away was staggering. Even after setting aside the 2.5 million owed to Jason Kokmun, he still had a surplus of over 600,000.

The reason was obvious.

‘Elena Hildean.’

The kidnapping of the princess had been the catalyst. He had tossed a torch into a powder keg just as the public was celebrating her return. First Ernyan, then the younger sister—the timing was impeccable.

It was a perfect storm of outrage and drama that fueled the point generation.

‘And then there’s…’

Hillun Kagil’s public address.

That speech had focused the collective rage of the Hildean people. Fury, when experienced in a place of perceived safety, was the sweetest form of energy for a Demon King. The fact that the numbers were still climbing was proof of his success.

A thin smile touched his lips.

A knock sounded at his door.

“Come in.”

Ernyan stepped into the room, offering a respectful nod. “I wanted to say thank you.”

“For what?”

“For bringing Elena back safely.”

“There’s no need for gratitude,” Berge replied coolly. “As a Demon King, I was the one who took her in the first place. It was a business transaction.”

“You can view it that way if you like, but I don’t. She was my only comfort in that palace, aside from our mother.”

“Are these just empty words?”

“Hardly. I believe I’ve paid the price you asked.”

“Value is a matter of perspective,” Berge said. “If you think your sister’s life is only worth a bit of gold, then you can have the money back.”

In truth, from Berge’s point of view, the points and gold were vastly more important. But he kept that to himself. He had seen how much Ernyan truly cared for her sibling over the last few days.

“…You truly act the part of a Demon King, don’t you?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“So, what is it you require now?”

“Kaede Jespain.”

“The princess of the Empire?” Ernyan asked, surprised.

“Talk to her. Convince her.”

“Of what?”

“To serve as my blade.”

“Don’t tell me you’re looking for another Dark Knight…”

“Forget that nonsense you and your sister came up with.”

“…You seem to have a fondness for humans,” Ernyan noted.

“Me?”

“Think about it. There’s Hero Hillun, Granada… an elf, but close enough. Myself. The Red Hawk mercenaries. You surround yourself with them.”

“Your situation is a unique case.”

“Regardless…”

Berge considered it. He did have a significant human presence around him, but that was by design—he needed agents to infiltrate human society.

‘If I can turn the princess into a subordinate, I can strike the heroes from an angle they’d never expect.’

He wasn’t pinning all his hopes on it, though. Ernyan and Elena were exceptions to the rule. This was just another gamble. If it paid off, excellent; if not, it didn’t change his plans.

“…Very well. I will attempt to persuade her. Is that sufficient?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll take charge of her. I’ll make her a Dark Knight.”

“Fine, but leave the ‘Dark Knight’ title out of it.”

“Why? It has a certain ring to it.”

“Kaede won’t go for it.”

“…She won’t?”

“No.”

“How about ‘Dark Spirit Sorceress’?”

“If I had been there for that conversation,” Berge sighed, “I would have checked your heads to see what was wrong with you.”

“…I’ll see what I can do.”

“Good.”

Once she left, Berge closed his eyes.

“The days of struggling for every single point are behind me.”

Now, he needed to focus on the structure of his domain.

‘Surprise and misdirection.’

That was the philosophy of Berge Dayas. He didn’t need the strongest monsters; he needed to create scenarios that left invaders paralyzed with confusion. The magic cannons on the first floor had worked perfectly; he needed a similar psychological blow for the second.

‘I have to break their expectations of how a tower works.’

That was the key. Most towers followed a predictable pattern.

“Start small on floor one, get harder as you go up.”

Berge let out a short laugh.

“I just need to reach 5 million points.”

If he could drop a Balrog on the second floor, the heroes would be in for quite the shock.

—

Kaede Jespain.

The ninth princess of the Jespain Empire lay in her cold, dark cell.

‘How long has it been?’

Without a single ray of natural light, time had become a fluid, unrecognizable thing. She only knew that a great deal of it had passed.

‘When are the heroes coming…?’

She knew deep down that rescue was a distant hope. She had grown frail. The silence, the gloom, and the meager rations were taking their toll. Every day felt heavier than the last. She found herself, much to her shame, almost missing the “consideration” the Demon King had shown her previously.

‘Even so…’

She didn’t regret her choice. She was a knight and a princess. She would rather rot in this cell with her dignity than become a lapdog for a Demon King, betraying her home and her name.

“Are you awake?”

“…How long have you been standing there?” Kaede asked, her voice raspy. She could see the faint glow of purple eyes in the shadows.

“Not long.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I’m speaking now. Here, I brought beef stew. It’s actually quite good—lots of meat.”

A bowl of hot, fragrant stew was placed on the floor beside her.

“…You seem unusually cheerful,” Kaede noted.

“Do I?”

“You’re actually smiling.”

“I’ve always had a pleasant face.”

It was true, but there was a shift in her energy. Kaede couldn’t quite name it, but her gut told her something significant had changed.

“I brought my sister here.”

“…You kidnapped another one? Not just Ernyan, but more of the royal family?” Kaede’s voice filled with disgust. “He is truly a monster.”

“Actually, I’m the one who asked him to do it.”

“…What?”

“The Adamant Demon King took her. I was worried about her safety, so I asked to be the one to go get her. It was better for everyone if I handled it.”

“I see…”

It made a twisted kind of sense. While Demon Kings weren’t known for their mercy, the treatment in this tower was undeniably better than the horror stories of others.

“But does he just let you go and collect people from other Demon Kings?”

“He said no at first. So, I had to be a bit clever.”

“Clever…?”

“I won’t bore you with the details. But I did it myself, and she’s safe. That’s why I’m happy.”

“…Should I offer my congratulations?” Kaede asked. The phrase “did it myself” seemed odd, but she let it slide.

“Why are you telling me this? There’s no one else here.”

“Because I have a point to make. No one is coming for you, Kaede.”

“……”

“There aren’t even any rumors. I checked with Granada, and even the Jespain Empire is silent. They’re likely just waiting because they don’t know where the tower is.”

“But you should know,” Ernyan stepped closer, her voice dropping. “Hero Daphne Philein came looking. She couldn’t find the entrance, so she simply gave up and left.”

“…What is your point?”

“Just an observation.” Ernyan paused, letting the silence hang heavy. “It’s a pity. You could be in this cell for years. Decades. You might be an old woman by the time a hero accidentally stumbles upon this place.”

“Is that why you refused to marry?”

“I didn’t want to spend my life as a decorative doll for some aging king, doing nothing of importance.”

“…Please.” Kaede’s voice trembled. “Stop with these cruel remarks.”

“I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings. I was just checking something.”

“Whose side are you on, Ernyan? Truly?”

“I’m not on the Demon King’s side, and I’m not on the humans’ side. I’m on my own. And right now, I feel pity for you.”

“That’s nonsense. You work for the Demon King. You fight against the heroes.”

“If that’s how you see it.”

“Is it not the truth?”

“It is.” Ernyan shrugged. “But it’s a matter of shared goals. And it’s a much better life than being a ‘loyal’ knight who spends her youth rotting in a dungeon.”

“…More lies.”

“Perhaps.” Ernyan leaned in. “But tell me one thing. A knight is defined by the lord they serve. Who is yours, Kaede?”

“Do not mock me. My loyalty is to the Emperor and the Empire.”

“It seems to me the Emperor wants Princess Kaede, the political asset, not Kaede the Knight. Isn’t your current situation a form of abandonment by your lord?”

“……”

“I wouldn’t know, of course. I’m no knight.” Ernyan tilted her head curiously. “But would a true lord leave a faithful knight to rot without even a search party?”

“I certainly wouldn’t.”

“…What are you trying to get at?”

“Well,” Ernyan blinked. “I’m just wondering if you’ve realized that you no longer have a lord to serve.”

“If a knight has no lord, are they even a knight anymore?”

“No one is trying to save you. Maybe you’ve already lost your status.”

“That is enough.” Kaede balled her hands into fists, the taste of blood in her mouth. “I will not listen to another word.”

“Did I go too far? My apologies.” Ernyan’s tone shifted again. “Back in the kingdom, I heard things. Stories about the Empire.”

“The internal power struggles are getting quite violent, aren’t they? Which side are you on? The first prince? The first princess? Or your own brother, the third prince? His faction is quite weak, isn’t it?”

“Stop it.”

“Who knows? The Demon King might be able to help.”

“Never.”

“Don’t be so certain. Did you know Hillun Kagil is working with the Demon King? If the man who killed two Demon Kings decides to back a claimant to the throne, what do you think happens?”

“A hero would never be a puppet…”

“You’ve seen Roger. Is he just a normal dwarf to you?”

“……”

“Think about it, Kaede. Do you want to be rescued when you’re eighty, or do you want to take a hand that’s being offered now and get the help you need?”

“Which choice is actually better?”

“The Demon King isn’t the monster the stories say he is. You know as well as I do that plenty of humans are already working with him in secret.”

“It really isn’t so bad.”

“I want you to be his Dark Knight.”

With those final whispered words, Ernyan disappeared into the darkness.

Kaede sat frozen. She didn’t move for a long time, even as the stew beside her grew cold and the steam stopped rising.