The Demon King Overrun by Heroes Novel - Chapter 96

Chapter 96
## Union and Empire (2)

The arrival of the crown prince, battered and bleeding, sent the Barcat Kingdom into a state of absolute frenzy.

“The imperial scoundrels have occupied the mana stone deposits and laid a treacherous trap for His Highness!”

The Philerium Mountains served as a lawless frontier, a neutral zone that every power coveted but none officially possessed. For the empire to claim ownership was outrageous, but to spill the blood of the crown prince was an overt provocation of war. It signaled a profound contempt for the entire union.

“We shall not permit those imperial dogs to claim the mana stone mines!”

The Barcat Kingdom immediately mobilized its elite knights and sorcerer divisions, while dispatching frantic messengers to every allied nation within the union. In a heartbeat, the entire alliance was in turmoil.

‘Just you wait, you faceless imperial curs…!’

He vowed to shred them with his bare hands.

Pablo Barcat clenched his jaw, his teeth grinding together as he led his cavalry at a breakneck pace toward the excavation site.

—

Within the Jespain Empire’s ranks, a member of the Blue Griffin Knight Order named Pryon barked at a companion who had lagged behind in the undergrowth.

“Move it, we’re leaving!”

“I’m right behind you.”

The soldier jogged to catch up.

“Did you seriously go to relieve yourself without even lifting your visor?”

“Just keep your helmet on.”

“Is your gut feeling any better?”

“Marginally.”

“Wait… your voice sounds a bit different—”

“Fall in! We don’t have a second to waste!”

“Understood, sir!”

Pryon felt a flicker of confusion but sprinted ahead. The lead contingent—a mix of warriors, wizards, laborers, and geological specialists—had finished their brief respite and was transitioning back into movement.

Pryon moved into his slot. His supposedly ill comrade took the position right beside him.

“Stay sharp. No lapses in concentration. This is Philerium territory. Any further incompetence will result in severe disciplinary action.”

“Understood!”

Pryon gave a stiff nod under the intense scrutiny of the vice captain. He felt a surge of resentment that his friend’s delay had nearly gotten them both reprimanded.

The imperial vanguard resumed its march.

Predators, lured by the scent of fresh meat, snapped their jaws in the darkness.

However, the combatants in this expedition were the cream of the empire’s military.

*Swoosh—*

A blade of compressed air bifurcated an ogre instantly. A burst of knightly aura pierced through a troll’s chest.

Carcasses began to stack up, the stench of death drawing even more monstrosities toward them.

Still, the party advanced in grim silence, carving a path through gore until the mouth of the cavern loomed before them.

‘What on earth? Phile’s prowess has reached a completely different level.’

Pryon watched in astonishment through several skirmishes as his partner moved with uncanny grace.

The man effortlessly sidestepped a lizardman’s thrust, decapitating the creature in a single motion. He toyed with a troll before delivering a killing blow and held his ground against an ogre without breaking a sweat.

‘He was barely my equal just yesterday…’

While he wasn’t revealing his full strength, there was a terrifying efficiency to his actions.

‘Did he experience some kind of epiphany?’

Even the resonance of his energy felt more refined.

It was strange, yet it was undoubtedly Phile. The technique he displayed was the Arong Style, a classified sword art exclusive to the empire’s highest-ranking orders—a style never shared with outsiders.

“Have you been practicing in secret or something?”

“Where did this sudden growth come from?”

Perhaps that was why the other warriors simply admired Phile’s performance rather than questioning it further.

‘No, it’s too strange. It’s as if he’s been replaced by someone else…’

“The cavern is ahead!”

“Silence! Maintain a slow approach! Eyes open!”

Pryon’s lingering doubts were swallowed by the rising tension of the mission.

The imperial forces breached the interior, stumbling upon a massive pack of over a hundred kobolds residing in a sub-chamber.

“Vanguard, shields up!”

“Restrain all fire-based sorcery!”

The knights created an impenetrable wall. The toxic projectiles of the kobolds crashed harmlessly against the magical shields of the mages. Crude blades bounced off tempered steel. It was nothing short of a massacre.

“Proceed.”

Their progress was a cycle of combat and advancement. Every hour brought a new wave of beasts, confirming the lethal reputation of the Philerium range.

Pryon wiped sweat from his brow, his throat parched.

‘Damn, does this tunnel ever end?’

The commander had remained tight-lipped about their true objective. The relentless slaughter was beginning to grate on everyone’s nerves.

Despair flickered in his eyes as he saw fellow searchers fall.

“Halt.”

Then, they stepped into a colossal chamber—one illuminated by a brilliant violet radiance.

Mana stones. They were of a purity so high it took the breath away.

“…The reports were accurate.”

The expedition leader whispered. Pryon finally understood that these gems were the prize.

‘A vein of mana stones?’

This changed everything.

“Establish a perimeter and set up camp.”

The imperial soldiers began their work, erecting structures and preparing fortifications. Then—

The sound of boots thundered from the opposing tunnel, accompanied by a sharp edge of murderous intent. As the newcomers entered the light, every imperial soldier drew steel.

“Southern vermin?”

“Imperial mongrels!”

‘Good grief, that’s…’

The enraged giant leading the charge was none other than Pablo Barcat—a legendary figure of the union and the heart of the southern resistance.

What was he doing in this deep?

As the atmosphere reached a breaking point, the imperial captain stepped into the center.

“It has been quite some time, Prince Pablo Barcat.”

“Austin Croin?”

The commander of the Blue Griffin Knight Order, Austin, slowly angled his blade toward the floor. Pablo’s aggressive posture wavered slightly at the gesture.

“Prince Pablo, what brings you to this location?”

“I should be asking you, you snake. Why are your dogs trespassing here?”

“Is it so unusual for the empire to occupy its own soil?”

“Who gave you the right to claim this land?”

Pablo’s shout echoed like thunder through the cave.

“The Philerium Mountains belong to the southern union, without question. This territory is ours.”

“Ridiculous. Philerium has been imperial property for generations, and that status will not change.”

“You want to settle this now?”

“Consider your next move. The moment steel meets steel, you invoke war. Are you prepared to face the full might of the empire?”

“The southern union exists for the sole purpose of crushing your empire, you arrogant dog.”

“You believe a collection of disorganized insects can survive our fury?”

Pablo let out a harsh laugh at Austin’s confidence.

“Is that why you staged the ambush?”

“An ambush?”

“Are you going to play dumb? You sent those bottom-feeders to assault me and mock my lineage. You talk of war starting with a sword swing? You already drew first blood!”

Pablo’s aura flared back to life, more intense than before.

“Wait. We dispatched no such party.”

“Then I suppose I was fighting shadows?”

Austin looked toward his subordinates, but their faces showed only confusion.

“We are the lead scouts. We have authorized no such operation.”

“That is correct. To my knowledge, no such order exists.”

“Lies!”

Pablo snarled.

“I have been deceived by imperial silver-tongues far too many times.”

“What motive would we have to assassinate a prince?”

“To secure this vein, obviously. I laid claim to it first.”

“The ants truly do come up with the most imaginative fairy tales.”

The comment came from behind Austin, originating from the disciplined lines of the Blue Griffin Knight Order.

“Phile?”

Pryon gasped as his comrade stepped out of line. Phile walked with an arrogant stride until he stood beside the captain.

“We located this site first under the captain’s mandate—myself and my brothers-in-arms. You attempted to seize it through violence, were bested by our blades, and ended up buried in the rubble. You only draw breath now because our captain ordered us to avoid a diplomatic incident with the south if possible.”

“You insolent…!”

Pablo’s eyes bulged with rage. Although the face was hidden by a visor, that specific tone and the look in those eyes were burned into his memory.

“And yet here you are, lacking all gratitude after we showed you mercy.”

“Silence!”

“No, you be silent!”

The knight unsheathed his weapon.

“Captain, as a loyal soldier of the empire, permit me to demonstrate the weight of imperial power to this unthankful wretch!”

“…Hold on. I never gave—”

Before Austin could intervene, the knight lunged at Pablo.

His blade, wreathed in a crimson glow, executed a perfect Arong Style maneuver.

“Contemplate your weakness and the empire’s supremacy as you fall.”

*Clang—*

The red strike was parried, failing to draw blood. The prince remained unharmed, but that single act of aggression was the spark that ignited the kingdom’s fury.

“The empire trash have attacked the Prince!”

“Defend His Highness!”

The blades of the Barcat Kingdom descended upon the lone knight.

“They are striking our brother!”

“Show these insects their proper place!”

The imperial ranks surged forward to protect their own.

Rivals with centuries of hatred finally snapped. Once the initial restraint crumbled, the cavern transformed into a slaughterhouse of screams and blood.

The skirmish became a massacre. War had arrived.

Amidst the heap of the fallen and the echoes of agony, the imperial forces emerged as the victors.

The disorganized Barcat reinforcements were no match for the prepared and disciplined imperial elites. The conclusion was inevitable.

Though Pablo’s desperate struggle cost the empire many lives, the southern union forces broke first.

“You will suffer for this, you monsters!”

Pablo spat blood, gathered his remaining men, and began a forced retreat.

“God damn it…”

Austin pressed his hand to his temple.

Despite the win, the spontaneous conflict had resulted in staggering losses.

This wasn’t just a border scuffle anymore.

A mana stone source was at the center of it.

A royal prince had been targeted, and bodies from both sides littered the floor.

War was no longer a possibility; it was a certainty. The union would never let this go quietly.

“…That soldier.”

Austin’s teeth were set tight.

“Who was that knight, really?”

“I don’t know, sir. I’ve never heard that voice in my life.”

“He uses our secret swordsmanship and wears our colors. You expect me to believe you don’t recognize your own man?!”

“It was Phile! I swear it was Phile, sir!”

Pryon cried out.

“Phile?”

‘That energy… it didn’t belong to Phile.’

It had been fierce and untainted, like a blazing inferno.

As the captain of the Blue Griffins, Austin knew his men intimately, and Phile’s power had never been that concentrated.

‘…It can’t be.’

An icy dread began to crawl up his spine.

It felt like a trap closing shut.

“Bring him to me instantly!”

However—

“He’s gone!”

“Phile has vanished!”

“We can’t even find a corpse!”

“…!”

The faces of the search party drained of color.

—

“It appears the Demon King has a natural gift for theater.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

In truth, it had been a tense ordeal. He possessed no innate skill for deception and had tried to remain as quiet as possible to avoid detection.

He had come close to being exposed several times, but fortune had favored him.

In the end, he had achieved the desired outcome.

‘War is now unavoidable for them.’

A mana stone mine is a sufficient catalyst for conflict, but now their main forces have engaged in a bloodbath.

No sovereign nation would overlook such an insult.

The empire might attempt to de-escalate.

They had the resource and the tactical victory; they would prefer to settle things quietly.

But would Barcat or the rest of the southern union allow it?

Would they let their bitterest enemies harvest a mana vein on land they considered sacred?

Especially after believing the empire initiated a cowardly ambush and slaughtered their kin?

This wouldn’t be resolved with a simple apology.

“It was fortunate you were familiar with the Arong Style.”

“I wasn’t—Lady Kaede was. I merely committed the movements to memory.”

Kaede had spent years mastering various imperial disciplines. A restless Ernyan had watched her practice nearly every single day.

Observing another’s training was usually considered a breach of etiquette, but Kaede never objected. In return, Ernyan had promised to call upon her whenever she formed a bond with a new high-tier spirit.

That didn’t mean Ernyan was a master of the Arong Style. He had only replicated the exterior—a hollow shell without the internal flow.

An incomplete technique like that was dangerous and could backfire on the practitioner, but it served its purpose. It was a performance, and without a deep internal scan, no one could tell the difference in the heat of battle.

“I am genuinely impressed you could mimic it so perfectly after just watching it a few times, my lord.”

“I am the Demon King. I wasn’t labeled the greatest of all time for a lack of talent.”

“Greatest of all time? Is that really what they called you?”

He realized he had shared too much.

“…Be quiet.”

“The greatest ever?”

“Do you have a death wish?”

“Elena would be quite upset if I perished.”

“And?”

“Lady Kaede as well.”

“You’ve become that friendly already?”

“Certainly. We are both members of the Four Heavenly Kings. The Dark Spirit Sorcerer and the Dark Knight.”

“Does Kaede actually agree with that?”

“…Should I call upon Lady Nairuniel to settle this?”

“You want me to endure more of her rambling?”

“Lady Nairuniel holds you in high regard, my lord.”

“She holds a collection of idiotic fantasies.”

“She does seem rather… starved for a wolf’s attention.”

“That is an insult to the entire wolf species.”

Unless it was a starving hellhound at its wit’s end.

Berge let out a short laugh.

Ernyan simply smirked, choosing to ignore the faint buzzing of Nairuniel’s voice in the back of her mind.