The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 95

Chapter 95
## Chapter 95: Union and Empire

A singular report surged into the heart of the Varkat Kingdom’s capital.

“A deposit of mana stones has been found in the Philerium Mountains?”

“Indeed! I witnessed it myself! Look, here is the evidence!”

The Philerium Mountains were a treacherous range teeming with lethal creatures, yet bands of sellswords occasionally braved the peaks in pursuit of wealth.

The mercenary displayed several mana stones he claimed to have extracted personally. News of this massive mineral find traveled rapidly to Pablo, the kingdom’s crown prince.

“I shall investigate this personally.”

“With respect, Your Highness…”

“I must confirm the validity of this claim. I am the only one capable of navigating the Philerium Mountains without falling into a trap.”

“What of your personal guard?”

“They would be a burden. A larger group only serves to draw out more monsters.”

Escorted only by the mercenary who had reported the discovery, Pablo departed in confidence, making his way secretly toward the Philerium Mountains.

“It is through here.”

“Inside a cavern?”

“Yes. If you follow this tunnel straight, it opens into a massive subterranean chamber. The stones are located in the lower reaches.”

“Are there beasts?”

“Many, though they are nothing before Your Highness…”

“This vein is genuine, I assume?”

“I would not dare deceive you.”

The tunnel was extensive, carving a steady path deep into the crust of the earth.

“How much further until this chamber?”

“We must descend deeper.”

“This far down?”

“That is precisely why it remained hidden until now.”

Colonies of bats swept past. Groups of Kobolds living in the shadows swung rusted iron at the intruders, only to have their lives snuffed out in an instant.

“What brought you so deep into these tunnels?”

“There were rumors of a basilisk…”

*Kroooaaar—*

A monstrous howl thundered through the stone passage. Heavy, rhythmic tremors signaled the arrival of the basilisk, appearing exactly as predicted.

“…It is truly here.”

The gargantuan reptile exhaled its lethal mist. The petrifying vapor, capable of turning flesh to stone, was a vision of pure dread.

Pablo gripped his greatsword and lunged. He tore through the petrifying clouds and drove his heavy blade deep into the basilisk’s throat.

*Kroooaaarrr—*

The creature went into a violent frenzy. Its massive tail shattered the cavern walls, and its claws struck out at Pablo in rapid succession.

“Confound it…”

The struggle turned brutal.

Eventually, the basilisk’s head was severed by Pablo’s blade, but the creature’s final death throes caused a massive cave-in, sealing half the tunnel.

Pablo spat the dust and grit from his mouth.

“Is it dead?”

The mercenary guide was nowhere to be found. Pablo hesitated for a moment. Should he retreat or continue the hunt?

“The beast is slain. I might as well finish the journey.”

Feeling the sting of hunger, he attempted to eat the raw meat of the basilisk. It was stringy and tasted of rot. He spat it out in disgust.

He continued his descent for an entire day.

*Ku-ku-ku-ku—*

Suddenly, the mechanical drone of magic drills echoed through the tunnels. He felt the presence of other humans and the overwhelming resonance of mana stones bleeding through the stone walls.

That was the final memory Pablo Varkat held before the darkness took him.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

When he finally regained consciousness, his limbs were frozen. His internal mana felt stagnant, suppressed by an external force.

“Are you awake, Mr. Queen Ant?”

“…Are you lackeys of the Empire?”

He barked the question out of pure instinct.

Before him stood a woman wearing a mask designed for a masquerade. A mocking grin touched her lips.

It was the spirit caster who had intercepted his strike earlier. She had invoked a high-tier water spirit to halt his momentum.

“You people… you serve the Empire?”

Pablo ground his teeth in fury.

The Empire was synonymous with arrogance and expansionism. To them, the northern tribes were merely barbarians, and the southern principalities were nothing more than insects.

They sneered at the Southern Union as if it were a common anthill, and they mocked the Varkat monarch by calling him the queen ant.

“You wretched snakes…!”

“We aren’t the wretched ones. You were the aggressor.”

“Lies! The man standing behind you struck first!”

The man in the rear gave a casual nod.

“I did.”

“There, you see?”

“What of it?”

“You attempted to block people who were trying to depart in peace. You cannot deny that, can you?”

“I have no desire to speak with Imperial filth! I should have ended you the moment I saw you!”

“Is it a trait of ants to always lust after what belongs to others?”

“That belongs to me!”

Pablo roared.

“The people of Varkat were the first to find this place, and I have come to claim it! If it is not mine, then whose is it?”

“It belongs to the Empire.”

“Quiet!”

“Did you dig for it? Did you leave a claim marker? No. Yet, here we are, already extracting the ore.”

“Hold your tongue, you miserable Imperial dogs! Philerium is the domain of Varkat, and this mine is the property of the Southern Union!”

“He is beyond logic. His audacity is almost impressive.”

“It makes sense. He’s essentially a male version of Louise Berft.”

“Ha. That is a flawless comparison.”

“You trash! Do you have any idea who I am…!”

“That is the only reason you are breathing.”

Ernyan reached down and tilted his chin upward.

“Philerium is now territory of the Empire. There is no reason for these exquisite stones to be wasted on ants. If you weren’t the queen ant, you’d be a corpse.”

“Shut your mouth!”

“And the stones are already being transferred to the Imperial treasury.”

Pablo turned his head sharply. He watched in agony as masked figures swung their picks, pulling high-grade violet mana stones from the walls one by one.

“My… my stones!”

“They aren’t yours.”

“Cease this at once!”

The elven workers hesitated at his bloodthirsty scream. Berge walked over, seized Pablo by the hair, and yanked his head back.

“Kaaack!”

His body was pulled upward, dirt falling from his clothes.

“Give me another set of bindings. One pair isn’t enough to restrain this man.”

“Understood.”

Roger produced a second set of shackles and snapped them around Pablo’s ankles. The enchanted metal adjusted its size to fit perfectly.

Berge let go of his head, and Ernyan pushed him back into the dirt.

“Keep working.”

At her command, the elves returned to their labor.

“You think you can get away with this?”

“Who can say? A frustrated ant is still just an ant. Perhaps you should bow before the glorious Empire and plead for a favor. You might get a scrap of mana stone for your trouble.”

“I am Pablo Varkat!”

“And I am Louise Berft.”

“…?”

“…?”

“…You aren’t a dwarf!”

“That’s assuming you are actually Pablo Varkat.”

“How dare you insult me! I am the true Pablo Varkat!”

“Be silent.”

As Pablo began to thrash, Ernyan conjured a sphere of water and forced it into his mouth to gag him.

Berge sat on a nearby stone, watching the display with a dry chuckle.

Keeping Pablo captive indefinitely wasn’t a sustainable plan.

The mine was rich with ore, but they lacked a large workforce and only had one true specialist.

While Pablo was currently alone, he represented an entire kingdom and the Union.

They could manage for a day or two, but eventually, his kingdom would notice his absence and send a rescue party.

Despite his noble standing, Berge didn’t have the resources to mine the entire vein before reinforcements arrived.

He saw three paths forward.

Release him when the timing was right.

Or hold him until the end.

The second option was a kidnapping—a Demon King abducting a prince.

That was the most dangerous move.

The comparison to a male Louise Berft wasn’t just about his ego.

It was about his reputation and his support.

To the Varkat Kingdom and the Southern Union, Pablo Varkat was the primary defender and the soul of the resistance against the Imperial threat.

Taking that prince meant an all-out war with the entire Southern Union.

Once a symbol is touched, there is no turning back.

However, there was no need to be obsessed with the mana stones.

While the wealth was useful, it wasn’t worth jeopardizing the grand strategy.

‘Therefore…’

The goal was escalation. Fuel his hatred, broaden the conflict.

Yield some mana stones to gain a greater harvest of magic points.

‘Even so…’

She is playing her part better than I anticipated.

Perhaps she has a gift for this?

Berge’s lips tilted upward as he watched Ernyan’s mischievous smile.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Pablo wept tears of blood.

The humiliation of being bested and mocked by Imperial scum cut him to the core.

The sight of his kingdom’s wealth being stripped away by their hands sent him into a silent rage.

‘I will have my vengeance.’

But these Imperial agents were formidable. Even at full strength, victory wasn’t a certainty.

Currently weakened by his loss and the aura-suppressing chains, he felt utterly powerless.

And he knew he wasn’t alone in his plight.

‘These are likely just the scouts. More Imperial soldiers will be arriving.’

He needed to break free before the main force arrived and bring his own army.

Fortunately, the Imperial dogs who had been so arrogant seemed to have grown careless in their surveillance.

Pablo began to circulate his aura with quiet intensity.

The shackles on his wrists and ankles fought against him. They drained not only his energy but his physical vitality.

He clenched his teeth until they nearly cracked.

Slowly, with agonizing patience, he pooled his aura.

His veins felt as though they were being shredded. Some did burst. His muscles tore under the strain. He fought to break through the internal blockage.

And then, it happened.

*Pop—*

The pressure snapped. His limbs were unburdened.

His aura surged through his body once more. The pain of his injuries flared like fire, but he didn’t make a sound.

‘Not yet.’

His strength was returning, but he remained motionless, watching his captors.

He could hear them laughing as they continued to harvest the stones.

‘Enjoy your laughter. It will be the last sound you make…’

He waited for nightfall, observing their patterns. When darkness came, they ceased their work and fell into a deep sleep.

Their blatant disregard for his potential to escape infuriated him, but it provided the perfect opening.

As night deepened, the Imperial agents retired to their enchanted tents.

Pablo, having waited for the perfect moment, finally rose from the earth.

He unleashed a single blast toward one of the tents before sprinting back toward the tunnel he had first entered.

He was unaware that eyes were tracking his every move.

“Did he fall for it? I felt like my acting was a bit forced.”

“He fell for it. He’s the male version of Louise Berft, after all.”

“Does he have her brains too?”

“They are practically identical in every sense.”

“So he’s going to return with the royal army?”

“He’ll be back with everything they’ve got. A week at the most.”

“That only gives us one week left to mine.”

“Grr… That bastard. That son of a bitch.”

Roger looked as though he were crying tears of blood, cursing the fact that they wouldn’t be able to take the majority of the stones.

“Next time, I’ll blast him with the mana cannons… I’ll vaporize him until there’s nothing left…!”

Berge paid him no mind.

“But won’t they find it odd when we aren’t here?”

“No. Because the Empire will be sending their own troops as well.”

“You’ve already set that in motion?”

“It wasn’t my doing.”

According to Jason’s design, the Varkat prince arrived. Yet there was no Imperial presence.

Would Jason really leave the Empire out of his calculations?

Impossible.

‘There are two likely scenarios.’

Either they have the evidence and are taking time to mobilize a proper legion, causing a delay.

Or their scouts have already been here and are currently assembling a strike force.

Imperial reinforcements would arrive soon.

And they would collide with Varkat.

Right here.

Driven by his newfound hatred, Pablo would strike any Imperial soldier he saw without a second thought.

At that moment, war would be inevitable.

‘In the original timeline, that war ended instantly.’

The Empire used sheer numbers to crush the opposition and take the mine.

I didn’t understand the mechanics before, but it’s clear now.

When Pablo made his clumsy move, they responded with overwhelming force to secure the claim.

‘That level of decisiveness.’

I expect nothing less this time.

‘Just to be safe…’

Should I add one more layer to the plan?