The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 79

Chapter 79
Chapter: 79

Chapter Title: Resolved to Do Nothing

—

『How were you aware of that?』

The champion, Gillian Aint.

The White Eagle Strike Team under his command.

They had discovered the Tower of Extreme Cold immediately following the downfall of Drakson Dolph.

“It was plastered all over the human news outlets.”

It would be dishonest to say he wasn’t shocked when the report first reached him.

The discovery of the tower by the White Eagle Strike Team was an event that, in the original timeline, shouldn’t have occurred for another five years.

Berge understood then that his intervention had shifted the course of history.

『Understood. It seems human champions remain preoccupied with reputation and public glory.』

“Is that not the case for demons as well?”

『It is indeed.』

A faint laugh escaped Reyna. Yet, there was a trace of melancholy in the sound.

“How many times has the White Eagle Strike Team launched an assault on the tower?”

『Was even that detail included in the news?』

It certainly was not.

“Correct.”

Prior to his return to the past, Reyna Sordain had been defeated by the White Eagle Strike Team.

She hadn’t perished. However, if one were to ask if her fate was preferable to death, Berge could not bring himself to agree.

‘I treated it as a joke when I first found out.’

He had ridiculed her, claiming that her obsession with status would lead her to being kept like a pet by insignificant humans.

She had declared she would prefer the grave over such a life. Eventually, she truly did die.

『They have attempted two breaches, and I drove them back both times. It drained a notable amount of demonic energy, but there are no significant complications.』

『I see no reason to depend on your assistance.』

“Do you truly believe that?”

『…You possess knowledge that I lack. Is that what you are implying?』

“Precisely.”

『Speak, then. What is it?』

“Their plots will not conclude with a mere couple of attempts.”

They would persist in tormenting Reyna Sordain dozens, perhaps hundreds of times. They would chip away at her defenses bit by bit, slowly eroding her strength.

『It matters not how many arrive; I shall repel them all. Do you doubt my capability?』

“No. You are capable. You are powerful.”

Reyna Sordain possessed immense strength, by any objective or subjective measure.

If she were facing only the White Eagle Strike Team and not a gathering of true heroes, she could withstand them indefinitely. In fact, she could wipe them out entirely.

『…That is uncharacteristically generous praise coming from you.』

She cleared her throat, shifting her eyes away.

“But it will be a difficult path. They intend to mobilize the neighboring barbarians.”

『The numbers do not concern me.』

“Perhaps, if you were to descend from the peak and eliminate Gillian immediately.”

『Are you suggesting I desert my post? That is impossible. Adhering to the standard is a fundamental duty.』

“When you first arrived, you listened to the counsel of Jason, didn’t you?”

『That situation was different. Maintaining the tower summit is explicitly mandated by the standard.』

However, the abduction of high-ranking nobility was merely a suggested course of action.

She would strive to accomplish it, but she wouldn’t gamble her existence on it.

“…Very well.”

Berge had anticipated her resistance from the start. As long as she remained vigilant and stayed away from Luize, it would suffice.

“At the very least, postpone the kidnapping of Luize. You cannot afford to leave the tower unguarded right now.”

『…If you are making such a serious request, there must be a valid reason behind it.』

『The White Eagle, I see…』

Reyna contemplated for a moment before giving a nod of agreement.

『You wouldn’t raise this issue without cause. I will take your warning under advisement.』

“A wise decision!”

『You seem remarkably satisfied. What about this brings you such joy?』

“…It is a tragedy when a fellow demon king is lost. Seeing the opposite happen is a reason to be glad.”

『I understand.』

“And one more thing.”

『What is it now?』

“Even if your demonic energy becomes depleted later on, do not go to Jason for help.”

『……?』

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The transmission ceased, and Reyna Sordain sat in the lingering silence for a moment.

“…Not bad at all.”

Being the object of another demon king’s concern was a strange feeling. A part of her felt slightly insulted, yet the genuineness of the gesture felt pleasant.

“However…”

What was the meaning behind his warning not to seek help from Jason?

“Will my reserves truly run that low?”

“Low enough that I would have to beg Jason?”

Reyna dismissed the thought, yet she couldn’t completely ignore the tiny possibility.

If the White Eagle became a greater nuisance than she anticipated, as Berge suggested, and all her demonic beasts and minions were slaughtered, she might find herself forced to ask Jason Corkmoon for support.

He was currently the only demon king with the resources to spare.

That was the situation in the past.

“Jason is a suspect in the death of Drakson. I cannot be indebted to someone so untrustworthy.”

In essence, Berge Dayas’s worries were unnecessary.

Though, he had likely already considered that.

“Nina.”

“I am here, Demon King.”

Following Reyna’s command, her subordinate assistant entered the room.

“Deploy the demons to track the path of the White Eagle. Assemble the monsters.”

“Are we planning to intercept them before they reach the tower?”

“We will monitor them for the time being.”

“As you wish.”

Nina exited.

“I should respect the earnest advice of a comrade.”

Reyna stood up from her throne.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Just before Berge made contact with the Akan Kingdom, and while Reyna was managing the threat of the White Eagle, Vivian Blunt—who had failed her mission to seize Luize Berft—made her way back to her own tower.

Crash!

A giant crater formed in the ground floor. The resident monsters shivered, pressing themselves against the stone walls.

“My tail! My beautiful tail!”

Her fit of rage continued for another hour. It was only after she expended mana points to fix the decimated first floor that she stomped her way up to the fifth level, breathing heavily.

“Demon King.”

“Speak.”

“A dispatch from Demon King Jason. He requests that you get in touch with him the moment you return to the tower.”

“Ha…!”

Vivian gave a derisive snort.

She knew exactly what his lecture would entail.

“Is he furious because I ignored his warnings?”

Causing a scene the second she walked through the door.

Of course, she recognized the truth now. Aren was a nightmare dimension, just as he had predicted. The 3,198 heroes, the champion standing guard at the princess’s chambers—all of it.

Something about this dimension was fundamentally broken.

However.

That was exactly the reason.

Vivian was even more determined to seize Luize Berft. The girl was the sole link to the mystery of how Drakson died.

‘I need to escape this hellish place.’

As a rule, a demon king who has descended cannot depart without either subjugating the dimension or meeting their end.

But rules were only as strong as those who enforced them.

With the guarantee of Archduke Alcaine in hand, Vivian had to cling to that arrangement.

‘I must kidnap her, no matter the cost.’

Her window of opportunity was closing. Since her first attempt failed, the humans would be on high alert. If one of those champions from Berft Kingdom came hunting for her like a wild animal, she would be finished.

She gnawed on her nails before channeling mana into the device. Instantly, she projected an image of calm indifference.

“What do you want?”

Her words were steady, but the voice responding from the orb was thick with restrained irritation.

『Was it truly that difficult to heed my counsel?』

“…I am not obligated to follow your orders. That is the nature of advice, is it not?”

『Haha. You are a truly, truly entertaining individual, Lady Vivian.』

Jason adjusted the lens of his monocle.

『I was prepared to overlook your inability to complete the mission. If only you had shown a shred of regret.』

“Stop the lecturing. What are you going to do if you don’t ‘overlook’ it?”

『What power do I have over a fellow demon king?』

Jason offered a smile. Vivian felt a sudden, inexplicable shiver run down her spine.

『At least, I had no power until this moment.』

『From this point forward, I have decided to do nothing.』

『Yes. That is all.』

“…What is that supposed to mean?”

『Merely thinking out loud. It is nothing you need to concern yourself with, Lady Vivian.』

The connection was abruptly severed from his end.

“That absolute bastard…!”

Vivian screamed obscenities.

“Do nothing? What has he even been doing until now?”

She puzzled over Jason’s statement, trying to decipher the hidden threat. The clarity she sought arrived only a few days later.

“Demon King! Champions have breached the tower!”

The heroes had arrived at her doorstep.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“The Tower Conclave. Has that time already arrived?”

Ugar viewed the notification from Jason.

“In one month?”

『Indeed. It is your turn to host. It has been delayed significantly, but current events make it impossible to open the gates immediately.』

The Tower Conclave took place once a year, moving in a cycle between the towers of the demon kings.

However, the usual schedule had been disrupted this time. Chaos had been constant ever since the arrival of Berge.

‘The Tower Conclave.’

Up until this point, Ugar had never questioned the event.

In his perspective, Jason had been the most dedicated advocate for the demon kings. Ugar wouldn’t even hold his current status without him.

The conclave was born from that cooperation. While not always perfect, the sharing of intelligence had been undeniably beneficial.

But.

The seeds of doubt had been planted. No matter the angle, Jason was the prime suspect in Drakson’s murder.

“…Is it wise to hold the Tower Conclave right now? Perhaps a further delay would be prudent.”

As if sensing the uncertainty, Jason let out a weary sigh.

『There is no cause for further delay.』

『I am aware that you, Reyna, and Berge view me with suspicion.』

『However, I state firmly that I did not kill Drakson.』

“…But the perpetrator was a high-rank demon…”

『Are you certain of that classification?』

『Do you possess undeniable proof?』

He did not.

It was merely what Drakson had claimed. Ugar had searched the tower logs for confirmation but found nothing.

“But for Drakson to be so adamant suggests he was certain of what he saw.”

『I am certain as well. I am certain that I am innocent. I had no hand in Drakson’s passing. I had no motive.』

『That is precisely why I wanted to examine the tower logs myself.』

『To clear my name in your eyes and Reyna’s.』

『Sadly, that path is now closed to us…』

Jason paused for a heartbeat before continuing.

『Will you come to my tower?』

“…So suddenly?”

『I have given everything to conquer this dimension. My wish was to achieve victory alongside Drakson, Reyna, and yourself. Do you honestly believe I would murder Drakson?』

In truth, that was the same logic Ugar struggled with.

The current demon kings owed their existence to Jason. Why would he eliminate Drakson?

『I swear upon the great Demon Emperor and the sacred standard: I am not responsible for Drakson’s death.』

『If you visit my tower, I will provide the evidence of my innocence. I will show you why I had no reason to act against him.』

“…I will come.”

Bound by the weight of an oath to the Demon Emperor and the standard, Ugar stepped into the dimensional gate leading to Jason’s tower, intent on putting his doubts to rest.

[079. Resolved to Do Nothing] End