Found It!
Since descending into Arein,
Berze had only ever seen the red blade once.
Before regression—
right before he died.
The sword that pierced his heart was red as blood, and its heat was scorching.
Since regressing, he had searched among the Heroes for anyone wielding a red blade—but nothing ever turned up.
But it had been in the Empire all along?
That sounds plausible.
The root cause of Berze's death back then had been the kidnapping of the Crown Prince.
If the Empire, enraged by the kidnapping, had chosen an exceptional Hero and bestowed upon him the imperial sword—
Then everything made sense.
But that doesn't guarantee anything.
It was only a hypothesis.
I need to confirm it. If that sword is really that sword, then it's the first clue leading me one step closer to that Hero…
The bastard who mocked Berze—
who stabbed his heart.
"The blade is red, you say?"
"Yes."
"If it symbolizes the Empire, shouldn't it be gold?"
"Do you know the Empire's history?"
"Do I need to?"
"When the Empire was founded…"
"The point."
"There were originally five swords, but four were lost. Only the Red Dragon Sword remains."
So that was why it became the sole imperial symbol.
"And yet you easily offer it to me? Even though you want to become Emperor?"
"A symbol is only a symbol. As important as the Red Dragon Sword is, it is still better than becoming your puppet. In the end, it's just an object."
Hmm.
It didn't seem that simple. But between Martin, who would rather die than become a subordinate, and Berze, who needed to cooperate with him somehow, it was the only feasible compromise.
But the fundamental problem remained unresolved.
"I cannot trust you. What guarantee do I have that you won't simply run after promising me the Red Dragon Sword? You said yourself you'd rather die than become my subordinate."
"I understand. And I cannot fully trust you either."
"If you want to live—and if you want your sister safe—"
Give me something that convinces me.
"..."
Martin fell silent.
He had spoken with Kaede, but his information on the Demon King was fragmented.
He had no certainty of what the Demon King wanted, or what he himself could offer.
Nor what would minimize the damage to him.
"So let me ask in return. What do you want?"
"I'm the one asking questions."
"..."
Martin silently bit his thumb.
A bead of blood fell onto the ring on his left hand.
The ring shuddered, and a small pocket dimension opened.
He reached inside and retrieved a metal plaque.
"This is an entry pass to the Imperial Vault. Solid orichalcum. Engraved with circuits and sigils by a Grand Mage."
Berze accepted the plaque.
The complex magical formulae made his vision blur.
"There were only five ever made when the Vault was created. They have neither increased nor decreased for hundreds of years. The plaque itself is a sign of imperial legitimacy. Of the imperial family, only my two older brothers, my sister, and I possess one. If I lose it, I become a criminal of the highest order."
Not literally a traitor, but—
His honor would be ruined. His influence would collapse.
A disappointed emperor could strip him of every right he possessed.
He would be eliminated from succession entirely.
"All this… over this?"
"It is not 'just' anything. It is an ancestral symbol of the imperial line."
The Imperial Vault housed everything of the Empire.
Only the Emperor—or someone close to the Emperor—could hold its key.
At some point, possessing a plaque had become a sign of imperial succession, and a declaration of one's intent to ascend the throne.
Not unusual.
Berze glanced at Kaede.
"It's true. It's that important," she said. "If people believe my brother betrayed the Demon King and let him steal the plaque, he will be seen as incompetent and lose everything."
"And if I spread that rumor myself?"
"It would have the same effect."
Hmm.
Kaede did not lie. Berze trusted her partly because of her disposition, but also because he could verify her condition with Arman's Orb.
So this is a key that could destroy the Third Prince.
A kind of leash.
"…Fine. But—"
"But?"
"Your blood as well. Who do you take me for, an idiot?"
Even now, the plaque in Berze's hand resisted him.
He could see through the enchantment—
the pass would not activate without the blood of its registered owner.
In other words, without the Third Prince's blood, this was nothing more than a symbolic token.
Even if everything Martin said was true, Berze needed a way to activate it himself.
"…Very well."
Martin retrieved an empty vial from his pocket dimension and filled it with his own blood.
He handed it to Berze.
"One last question, then?"
"In celebration of our partnership, I'll answer."
"Your face—it resembles someone so much it was bothering me. Do you know a man named Pale?"
Berze's expression twisted.
"Do you know someone named Valkasis?"
"No. Who is that?"
"A demon of the Demon Realm."
"How would I possibly—"
"Then why, as a demon, should I know your humans?"
"…I understand."
And so, the deal was struck.
***
I will live.
Martin Jespine wanted to live.
He wanted to become Emperor.
Not die alone on a snow-covered mountain—
but rule the continent as emperor.
But his chances were slim. The First Prince, the Second Prince, and the First Princess—
none of them were inferior to Martin.
The mountains he had to climb were too high.
So he had risked everything to climb Ergest.
To gain merit.
To overturn his situation.
He had failed—and ended up like this—but his desire had not diminished at all.
"I don't want to see you die, Brother."
"Kaede…"
Kaede told him to use the Demon King.
She swore the Demon King would definitely help.
Her earnest plea stoked his ambition—
and so he accepted the deal.
Except for one thing:
becoming a subordinate of the Demon King.
If the Emperor is merely someone's puppet… is he truly Emperor?
The Emperor is absolute.
The ruler of all.
If such an Emperor was nothing but the Demon King's puppet?
Better to die.
He refused—and thankfully, a compromise was found.
The Red Dragon Sword, Barstain.
He had spoken no lies.
Its blade truly was red.
It symbolized the Emperor, the imperial bloodline, and the Empire.
Without it, legitimacy faded.
It truly rested deep within the imperial treasury.
He did indeed possess one entry pass.
And he truly could escort one knight to the Vault entrance.
They had simply omitted one detail:
That the report had been designed and crafted by the first and last Archmage in human history ever to carve nine seals, and that it had been continuously reinforced ever since.
Which meant—
For the Demon King to successfully steal the Red Dragon Sword was almost impossible.
In the end, the Demon King would fail.
But Martin would have kept his promise, ensuring the seed of cooperation between them survived.
"Cooperation with the Blazing Demon King may become a means to elevate my reputation."
Humans and demons were enemies.
But precisely because they were enemies, there were things they could give each other.
So long as the secret alliance with the Demon King remained undetected, it would undoubtedly become a great source of strength for Martin.
The danger lay in what would happen if it were discovered—but if it wasn't? Then it didn't matter.
"So now, release me."
Martin put on a resolute expression.
***
"I will search for His Highness myself."
"Lord Daphner?"
"Yes. He will not have gone far. I can catch up to him. But moving as a group will draw the monsters' attention and slow you all down. Me retrieving him alone is the best option."
The enemy was at least a high-ranking demon.
To chase him down and rescue the prince alone—only Daphner could manage it.
"No one here is faster than I am. And no one is better than I am at tracking and pursuing someone."
No one objected.
Jaximus, the commander of the Blue Wyvern Knights—temporarily leading the troops in the kidnapped prince's absence—nodded.
Balaf also nodded.
Regardless of whether the prince could be saved or not, opposing this would inevitably anger the Empire.
"Please rescue His Highness."
"I will do my utmost."
Daphner left the search party.
I will find him.
He had declared he would surely bring Martin back,
but truthfully, the prince himself didn't matter to him.
The prince was kidnapped. Which means… that demon will certainly take the Third Prince to the Tower.
Therefore, if he chased the demon—
He would reach the Tower.
A simple, clear deduction.
I will find it. This time, without fail.
There could not be a second failure.
His gaze tracked the traces left by the demon.
***
After Daphner disappeared, the search party regained its bearings.
The Empire wished to rescue the prince.
The Kingdom wished to find the Tower.
Their goals were the same.
Balaf could not afford to waste this opportunity.
If we fail this time, we might never find the Blazing Tower.
The Empire had mobilized in earnest—this was the perfect chance.
The Third Prince had been kidnapped, but the forces remained largely intact.
If they found the Tower, everything would be resolved.
Regardless of casualties, the Tower had to be found.
At that moment, Jaximus shared an enticing piece of information.
"Your Highness. Lord Hillen found the location where Princess Kaede's necklace was dropped. Should we head there first?"
"A necklace?"
Balaf lit up.
If the necklace had been found there, then it must be on the route toward the Tower.
"…Allow me to guide you."
Without hesitation, Hillen led them—
in the complete opposite direction of the actual Tower.
***
"My lord. They are heading northwest."
"Hillen is doing well."
Because Hillen had provided the clue—the necklace—he was inevitably involved.
That was why Berze had given him prior instructions:
If they ask you to guide them, lead them in the opposite direction.
Toward deeper regions with stronger monsters.
The allied force was not weak, and Hillen was with them, so they would not be annihilated.
But they would suffer—severely.
"Kruutu, take Logar and Kaede and move the mana cannons back to the Tower. Then immediately suppress the other two kingdoms."
"Yes, my lord."
Korzhen was not the only search group climbing Ergest.
Teams from Dormunt and Hotenwalk had also joined the Empire and were ascending.
So far, Berze had focused all efforts on suppressing the Korzhen team, the closest one.
Now that they had some breathing room, the other two kingdoms also had to be checked.
"Especially Hotenwalk—Yessica Hotenwalk is leading their force personally. Go there. Do not underestimate her."
"I will keep it in mind."
Originally, they knew nothing of Hotenwalk's or Dormunt's composition.
But thanks to kidnapping Martin, they had gained that invaluable information.
"Ernan. You will accompany me."
"Are you planning to follow the search party?"
"The situation isn't over."
He had merely broken their momentum—nothing was truly finished.
The avalanche, mana cannons, and monsters had created chaos,
but the actual damage was not as large as expected.
Because their level was high.
"We do not relax until they descend the mountain."
In Arein, Berze had learned something:
The moment you relax, disaster strikes from behind.
He had felt that when he kidnapped Ernan but gloated believing he had captured the Thirteenth Princess…
When he kidnapped Logar and returned to the workshop for the Mana Phantom…
When he acquired the Phoenix corpse…
Each time, disaster followed, and he had to rush to clean it up.
He would not repeat the same mistake.
And now the greatest risk was clear:
The Third Prince dying unexpectedly to monsters before he can rejoin the others.
If the kidnapped prince ended up as a corpse rolling in the snow, nothing could be salvaged.
Either the Empire would die—or Berze would.
One of the two.
"My lord, here it is."
"Hurry."
Kruutu brought a large Frost Wolf.
Ernan climbed onto its back and slapped the seat behind her.
"…Who is the Demon King here, I wonder."
Perhaps he should have established hierarchy earlier.
Ever since he asked her to fend off the Heroes, the buttons had started fastening wrong.
***
"..."
Daphner Philian slowed his steps.
He held his breath and lowered his body.
He blended perfectly into the snow and peered down.
Below, he saw monsters shifting around.
Feral Orcs.
Hundreds of Orcs—each carrying something on their shoulders.
What are those?
He infused mana into his eyes and zoomed his vision.
Mana cannons?
The massive barrels—
his eyes could not be mistaken. They were mana cannons.
Orcs are handling mana cannons?
Impossible.
Even as he watched it himself, he could barely believe it.
Demons do possess intelligence. But I have never seen a Demon King use mana cannons.
Mana cannons were dwarven marvels of mage-engineering.
Demons were often talented in magic—
but they were never known for engineering.
Then…
Someone must be helping the demons build mana cannons.
There was no other explanation.
Who the hell would do such an insane thing?!
Hundreds of them.
These could not have been built in a day or two—
meaning the demons had been receiving continuous assistance.
"Mana cannons are strategic weapons. Other than the Dwarf Kingdom, the Empire, and the Kingdom of Acan, no nation can even manufacture them properly."
Even then, the Jespine Empire's and Acan's models were leagues inferior to the dwarven ones.
"It can't be the Dwarf Kingdom. Those dwarven bastards guard their mana cannons like their lives."
They ensure no cannon ever leaves their borders.
There was no way mana cannons had leaked from the Dwarven Kingdom.
"Then it's either the Empire or Acan…"
Geographically, Acan was closer.
And…
"Those mana cannons are definitely the ones that fired at us earlier."
The explosions that shattered the ice wall and ripped apart their formation—he had thought they were flame spells, but they had been mana cannon fire.
It was so ridiculous it numbed his tongue.
But would the Empire really be stupid enough to hand over mana cannons to be used against them?
"Impossible… though not absolutely impossible…"
Acan was the likelier culprit, but the Empire's succession struggle was in full swing.
If the Third Prince set out to build his reputation, and another prince who disliked that sought to get rid of him?
"No, not even then—"
At that moment, the demon at the rear, urging the orcs forward, turned its head.
Daphner quickly lowered his gaze.
"Tch—almost got spotted."
He had been too lost in thought, letting his presence slip.
He pushed all speculation aside for the moment.
"I can't miss this chance. This is the first and last."
Whatever the source of the mana cannons, one thing was certain:
If he trailed these orcs, he would eventually reach the Blazing Tower.
"But… the one at the front doesn't look like an orc."
The vanguard was too far away to discern clearly.
Daphner began to move again.
***
"…What did you say?"
『Lord Daphner Philian has split off alone to rescue the Third Prince.』
Berze turned toward Ernan.
She shook her head.
"There was nothing."
Yes—nothing.
They had been trailing the Third Prince and his escort knight released into the snowy mountains, but they found no trace of Daphner.
A heavy dread stabbed Berze's mind.
Hillen had directed the search party away from the Tower's real path.
The Third Prince and his escort were following the search party's tracks.
Berze and Ernan were staying near the prince to protect him.
Thus, all three groups were naturally moving in the opposite direction of the Tower.
But if Daphner Philian had picked the correct direction toward the Tower…?
If he had simply gone unnoticed…?
No way…
And if—
by absolute misfortune—
"…he discovered the orcs transporting the mana cannons?"
"…Surely not."
Mana cannons were heavy.
Not so heavy as to slow orcs drastically, but heavy enough to leave deep tracks.
Tracks Daphner could easily detect and follow.
If Daphner was tailing the orcs—
If that were true—
How many days had passed since the battle?
Four? Five?
At the orcs' pace, more than enough to reach the Tower.
"Why are you telling me this now?!"
Berze's eyes widened.
His fists trembled violently.
If Hillen Cargill had been present, Berze would have ground his face into the snow.
『We're in the middle of the enemy's territory. After the Demon King's attack, security tightened. Making outside contact has been nearly impossible.』
『Even this message was sent only because I barely found an excuse to slip outside…』
Hillen protested, but Berze wasn't listening.
"Your group is not far from the Third Prince and his escort. Take them with you."
『W–what? What do you—』
Berze cut the connection one-sidedly.
"We're going."
"To the Tower?"
"Yes."
He seized the Frost Wolf's reins.
The wolf turned sharply and ran.
But even its speed felt unbearably slow to Berze.
He grabbed Ernan.
Startled, she instinctively clung to him.
"Hold tight."
"…Eh?"
RIIIP—
His clothing tore open behind him.
Black wings unfurled into the world.
"…A dragon?"
Ernan's whisper did not finish.
Because they were no longer there.
Only their fading echo remained.
***
"I found it…!"
Found it!
At last—
that damn Tower!
"I've found it!"
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