"Strategy Meeting"
All members of the Tower gathered on the 4th floor.
It was the first time since the Tower had been created.
"The Empire is coming up to Ergest to find my Tower. We must stop them."
"So you're saying the imperial forces will invade—with the royals at the lead."
"Yes."
Ernan was the first to speak.
"I don't think we should try to block the Empire by using the Golden Moon Merchant Guild or Warrior Hillen."
"Because it's impossible to stop them anyway?"
"Yes. If we misstep, we could lose everything."
Before the warrior expedition had been declared, there might have been room for maneuver.
But now that the Emperor's command had been issued, nothing else mattered.
If there was an obstacle, the Empire would not negotiate or bypass it—
they would crush it.
"Do not worry, my lord! I shall handle everything!"
The dwarf warrior thumped his chest proudly.
"You?"
"I possess 321 magic cannons!"
"…That is a lot."
Berze had not fully grasped the significance of the magic cannons before.
But after watching the Empire deploy their own magic cannons, he realized the truth.
How incredible Logar was.
How precious Logar's magic cannons were.
And how devastating more than 300 cannons would be.
If we fired all 321 at once…?
No matter how powerful the imperial forces were, wouldn't they all be swept away?
And the hundreds of warriors joining the expedition—they could be wiped out entirely.
Hope suddenly flickered.
No. Magic cannons alone can't solve everything.
Magic cannons were destructive, yes—but not absolute.
No matter how many barrages he pictured, Berze could not imagine Balaf Dissrode dying.
And what is terrifying about the Empire is not a single failed expedition.
The more they failed, the more furious and monstrous they became.
If they repelled the Empire once, the next attack would come with countermeasures against the magic cannons—
and even stronger forces.
He had to think long-term.
"May I offer my opinion?"
Gordon quietly raised his hand.
"Speak."
"I do not know how strong these imperial forces are."
"If we face them head-on, we lose. Their armies are powerful, and they will not despair after one or two failures."
"So, in short, the enemy we cannot currently defeat also has persistence."
Exactly.
"Therefore, I believe we should not fight in the Tower—but on the field."
"The field?"
Berze's eyes widened.
Not only because Gordon suggested fighting away from the Tower—
but because it was Gordon saying it.
"…What is that look supposed to mean?"
"It simply isn't something I expected to hear from you."
"I told you before. I now believe Your Majesty's methods are correct. This situation is an extension of that belief. I will do everything to help you conquer this world."
"And why do you suggest a field battle?"
"Because we must break them psychologically."
"Psychologically?"
"One moment…"
Gordon went up to the 5th floor and returned with a crystal orb.
He infused it with demonic energy and placed it on the floor—
and a massive hologram rose into the air.
The Ergest mountain range accumulated by the Tower over the past year.
"After living here for a year, I understand very well what Ergest means to humans."
Forbidden. Impassable. A land not granted to humans.
A lair of monsters.
A frozen land where snow fell all year.
"Just wandering through this mountain range exhausts people. Searching endlessly for a tower hidden somewhere in the snow—before even meeting monsters—drains both body and mind."
It eroded flesh and spirit alike.
Berze now understood why building a Tower in Ergest had been the perfect decision.
"But if they find the Tower? It ignites hope. Of course, the Tower is saturated with demonic energy, so we might have the advantage. But compare a hopeless, endless search to a climb where the end is visible. Which do you think people prefer?"
"In a field battle, we can win? In the field, many things are restricted. Some will inevitably escape."
Berze, unlike other demon kings, had filled his Tower with princesses, other races, and warriors.
For first-time intruders, the shock value was tremendous.
But once the world learned the truth, his Tower would no longer have that advantage.
And if elves and princesses were revealed to be serving a demon king—
Berze's long-term plans would be severely disrupted.
Elves, warriors, and princesses following a demon king
would overturn the very foundations of human belief.
In the Tower, he could kill everyone who entered.
But in a field battle—
that secrecy would be impossible.
"If even a glimpse is revealed, it won't be only humans who react. Other demon kings will lose their minds."
"Elves can still be used if we paint their skin darker."
"That alone won't fool anyone."
"If we grind contaminated mana-stones into pigment and carve the patterns into their skin, they can pass as dark elves. The effect will be temporary, but sufficient for camouflage."
The elves flinched at his suggestion.
Berze stroked his chin.
In the demon realm, using dyes infused with demonic energy was common.
The lingering demonic aura made the method extremely popular.
"Not bad. Then what about the princesses?"
"Please call us the Four Heavenly Kings."
"The princesses?"
"…Tch."
"They can wear masks carved with runes that naturally emit demonic energy. In a fast-moving battlefield, no one will stop to question it. No one will imagine they're princesses of Hilderan."
"That is overly optimistic."
It was optimism—
the same optimism that had caused this entire disaster.
Berze refused to repeat the same mistake.
Especially when his life depended on it.
"I am certain."
"Certain?"
"No one on the continent will even consider that princesses are calling themselves the Four Heavenly Kings to serve a demon king."
Gordon looked around for agreement.
"…Well, that is true."
"I think so too…"
"I actually… agree…"
One by one, the elves nodded.
Given elves could not lie, their reactions were genuine.
"Why not?"
Ernan tilted her head in confusion.
"Yes—why?"
Charlotte, who had been the first to respond to the combined argument of the two Hilderan princesses, swallowed hard.
"Well… in what world would a princess help the demon king who kidnapped her, and then fight the warriors who came to rescue—her…?"
There were four such "princesses" sitting right here.
Even if one of them looked like she had no choice, the other three clearly did.
Charlotte faltered, and Ernan shook her head.
"You shouldn't view the world from just one angle. I was taught to look at it broadly. Charlotte, even as an elf, you're no exception!"
"…"
Charlotte had no words and shut her mouth tightly.
Watching that ridiculous exchange, Berze realized something.
Charlotte is right.
No matter how you looked at it, princesses helping a demon king made no sense.
And actively fighting the warriors who came to rescue them?
That was even more absurd.
So why had he simply accepted it as natural?
His gaze drifted toward Ernan.
…She's rubbed off on me.
He had gotten so used to absurdity that he could no longer recognize what was normal.
Berze forced himself to stay alert.
"Fine. The princess situation is handled."
"What? I still don't understand."
"I don't need you to."
Berze dismissed Ernan's protest.
"And the frost orcs—including Krutu—are not affected by this issue. Same for the monsters Lady Reina sent. The real problem is…"
"The magic cannons."
"Yes."
Magic cannons were unmistakably not something a demon king should possess.
In the thousand years since demon kings had descended upon Arein, not a single one had used magic cannons.
But there was no rule in the Canon forbidding a demon king from using one.
Someone like Ugar would rant about "using human technology," but Ugar could be ignored entirely.
The problem was this:
Once the magic cannons were exposed, their advantage would be lost.
Still—
"We proceed."
"Is that wise?"
"They'll find out eventually. Better the magic cannons be discovered than the Tower itself. But once revealed, you must wipe out as many as possible. You can manage that, right?"
"Of course! I will show those arrogant humans the supremacy of dwarf-forged magic cannons!"
Logar snorted defiantly.
"And what about abducting a royal while we're at it?"
"What?"
"If we kidnap one of the royals, we could negotiate—"
"Denied."
"Eh?"
"Absolutely not."
Right now things were still being kept quiet, but once the warrior expedition began, it would be announced across the entire continent.
If instead of destroying the Tower, another royal was kidnapped?
Given the Emperor's immense pride, the Empire would simply declare the captured royal worthless trash and attack even harder.
It would eliminate even the faintest possibility of a negotiated end.
"…If you say so."
"So we'll plan for a field engagement and work out the details. Above all else, the elves and the princesses must never be exposed."
Traditionally, a kidnapped royal was supposed to be hidden in the underground prison until the warrior reached the Tower.
And typically, the final confrontation was supposed to be "with the demon king at the summit."
Some demon kings, due to geography, placed the kidnapped royalty somewhere other than the peak—but always within the Tower, as the Canon required.
But letting princesses operate outside, and even command warriors, would be unforgivable if other demon kings found out.
Ugar, obsessed with his own survival, might overlook it.
Jayson might tolerate it temporarily if well compensated.
But Reina—
Princess of the frostmaiden demons, rigid in her own particular way—
"She will never let it pass."
First persuasion,
then threats,
and finally direct action.
And she was the demon king closest to Berze in proximity—
which made her the most dangerous.
"We'll do everything we can to prevent exposure. But for that…"
Gordon's gaze swept between Lavinia Acan and Charlotte.
He wasn't ignorant of magic—but he needed specialists.
Especially Lavinia Acan, whose skill with demonic energy was exceptional.
"Lavinia."
"Mm."
"I need your help."
"Mm. Many monsters. I help."
Thankfully, she looked pleased, likely because of all the monsters he brought from Reina's domain.
"Oh, and I forgot to mention this earlier—the royals will be moving in four separate groups. They may unite later, but they will start divided. We should consider defeating them one by one."
"Yes!"
""Yes!""
The demon king and his followers burned with determination.
***
"Demon king."
After establishing the broad plan, Berze left the details to Gordon.
He retreated to his office, gripping his aching head.
Then, Kaede Jespine knocked.
"Enter."
She came in hesitantly.
"What is it?"
"…It's just…"
He already knew.
It would be about the Third Prince.
He had seen how deeply the Third Prince cared for his sister—
and Kaede was the same.
"You're saying you can't fight the Third Prince, correct?"
"…I'm sorry, but yes."
"You swore to become my subordinate. And now you refuse an order for personal reasons? Is that what you call knighthood?"
"…"
Kaede lowered her head.
Above all else, a knight's duty was to obey their lord.
She had no excuse.
"Is it only the Third Prince?"
"…What?"
"I asked if you could not attack only the Third Prince."
"…My brother Floyan as well."
It was the Second Prince.
The relationship between the Third and Second Prince didn't seem that bad—
so Kaede felt the same way?
"Then what about the First Princess?"
In that instant, Kaede's eyes changed.
They sharpened—cold and vicious.
A flash of unmistakable rage flickered in them.
"…If you entrust her to me, I will do my utmost."
"How?"
"I will do exactly as you command, Demon King."
"If I tell you to crush her skull and slit open her belly and pull out her guts—would you do it? She is your sister."
"…That would be difficult. But severing limbs is… feasible."
"Good. Your loyalty is proven. Therefore—you will stay and guard the Tower."
"…What?"
What do you mean what?
"You are a princess, but also a warrior. Do you truly intend to let the world know that a warrior like you is serving me as my subordinate?"
"…Ah."
Kaede blinked blankly.
***
While Berze agonized over how to withstand the Empire—
The demon king who had lived the longest in Arein received news of the Empire's movements.
『I will ask only once.』
A voice, gentle yet filled with deep anger, vibrated through the crystal orb.
『Was it you who planted the black mage in Hapstline Canyon and sought the downfall of the Empire?』
"It was not. You know this, do you not? I have no reason to do so. I know the Empire better than any other demon king."
『…And that is exactly why you may have wished to weaken them further.』
"If that were my intention, I would not have handled it so sloppily."
『...』
Silence.
No answer came for a moment.
『I'll ask one last time. Was it truly not you?』
"It was not. If you truly believed it was me, you wouldn't be asking."
『Very well. I will believe you—for now.』
But then—
『This will not end as easily as it did for Lust. You have crossed a line.』
The connection cut off without warning.
Jayson pressed his fingers against his forehead.
Crack—
Under his grip, the wooden table shattered.
"Berze… Berze… Berze… Berze!"
What…
"What have you done?"
Why did you provoke the one you should never provoke?
Why…
"Why do you insist on ruining my plans?"
His eyes went ice-cold.
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