Chapter 158

Chapter 158
## Chapter 158: The Exemplary Demon King and His Aide

“How exactly were you able to accomplish that?”

Once the meeting at the Tower of Harmony had concluded, Berge visited the Tower of Frigid Cold. He had gone there because Reina requested a private conversation, and her inquiry was exactly what he had anticipated.

He knew that even if he claimed they had simply botched the search like fools, no ruler of a tower was gullible enough to believe it. Reina, however, had refrained from interrogation in front of the others for a specific reason.

‘Because Ugar arrived right after Jason was eliminated…’

As his supporter, Reina had no desire to humiliate Berge publicly.

‘What is the best move here?’

Berge was prepared to offer some form of compensation, but her assistance had been entirely genuine and selfless from the start. To maintain a true alliance, he needed to return the favor; a relationship where only one side benefited could not last.

However, he was barred from revealing the truth: that he had seized the dwarven royalty and craftsmen to transform his tower into a mobile fortress. Such information was a powder keg that could ignite a massive scandal. Furthermore, he had publicly sworn that he had no involvement with the missing dwarves.

To someone like Reina, who held integrity and reliability in the highest regard, discovering that lie would instantly transform their friendship into a blood feud. Consequently, Berge opted for a strategic blend of reality and fiction. It was a way to settle a portion of his debt to her.

“I have never heard of a tower simply vanishing from existence,” Reina remarked.

“The tower remained exactly where it was supposed to be,” Berge replied.

“If that is the case…?”

“It merely concealed itself for a duration.”

“You managed to hide the entire tower?”

“Through stealth. I shrouded the entire structure in a cloaking spell, ensuring it was invisible by the time they reached the site.”

“…Is such a feat even achievable?”

To Reina’s knowledge, the towers did not possess such capabilities.

“Are you certain you are aware of every single function the tower can perform?” Berge challenged.

“…No, perhaps not all of them.”

The Demon King Academy provided education regarding the towers, and those who descended to establish their own would conduct their own trials. However, most efforts were focused on internal modifications: changing layouts, fortifying defenses, or generating thralls. Because they were demon kings, those standard functions were usually sufficient in other realms.

That long-standing satisfaction had turned into a rigid dogma over the millennia. No one felt the need to investigate the deeper mysteries of the towers. The Demon King Academy had become stagnant and decayed. Berge hadn’t realized it before, but the truth was clear now.

“Are you claiming the tower has an innate function for concealment?” Reina asked.

“No, nothing of the sort.”

“Then how?”

“It does, however, possess the capacity to integrate with artifacts.”

“Fusing with an artifact?”

“The technicalities aren’t the priority. If an item possesses magical properties, the tower can identify it and—by utilizing magic points—assimilate it into its own structure. The item’s function then permeates the entire tower.”

“…Such a thing is possible?”

“What motivation would I have to deceive you?”

“Even so, do you truly expect me to believe a mere magical item could trick a party of heroes?” Reina remained skeptical.

It was a fair doubt. This specific group of heroes was the most formidable in history. Balraf Disrod, Gillian Aint, Aina Diaphrin, and Waton Kollo were the pinnacle of their kind. Being elite meant they possessed an incredible sensitivity to the presence of demonic energy. The more powerful a hero’s interference, the more intense their instinctual rejection of opposing demonic forces.

The idea that a single artifact attached to a tower could bypass their senses seemed impossible. In truth, it would have been; if he had only used the Mana Ghost for concealment, Berge would likely be dead.

“It is possible,” Berge insisted. “It simply requires a massive expenditure of magic points to maintain the deception against them.”

“I see.”

Reina gave a slow nod. The mention of magic points made it plausible. If he had sacrificed a staggering amount of energy to amplify the tower’s inherent hidden traits, even someone as sharp as Balraf Disrod might be misled. If it had failed, it would simply have meant his demonic energy reserves were insufficient.

“So, at this moment, you are…”

“Correct. We escaped this time through a stroke of luck, but the future is uncertain. However, with the rumors circulating that the tower is gone, I expect we will have some peace for a while.”

“Was the reason for taking the princesses during those months to amass enough magic points for this?”

“Precisely. I needed every point I could get. If I couldn’t evade the heroes of the empire, I was finished—there was no room for hesitation.”

“Integrating with an artifact…” Reina pondered, touching the ring on her hand. “This ring holds protective magic, but you aren’t referring to something like this, are you?”

“No. It isn’t a simple handheld item, but rather a large-scale magitech apparatus designed for installation.”

“I understand. Something akin to the braziers found at the academy?”

Those braziers were specialized artifacts created by a demon named Brazer, used as training implements to condense ambient mana and make the drills for demon kings more grueling.

“Exactly like those.”

“That is certainly worth investigating,” Reina noted. She gave a firm nod. “I appreciate this. You’ve shared some remarkably vital information with me.”

“Consider it a small token of gratitude for your support.”

“It seems like a rather modest repayment,” she teased.

“…I didn’t suggest this was the end of it. Since I’m still breathing, I have plenty of time to settle the rest of the debt.”

“I am only joking. Prioritize your own survival first. The empire is unlikely to give up.”

“Naturally.”

“I will reach out to the demon realm and have some artifacts sent from my family estate.”

“That sounds like a wise plan.”

The frozen landscape was about to become even more unforgiving.

—

The revelation that the Tower of Blazing Inferno had vanished sent shockwaves across the lands, but the impact was felt most severely within the empire—and no one was more troubled than Third Prince Martin Jespain.

As reports of the failed imperial expedition circulated, he received a transmission from the very individual who had humiliated them.

“…You intend to travel to the empire?”

『I do.』

“Do you realize the level of turmoil you’ve instigated?”

『Is that something I should be concerned about?』

“How did you manage to hide that tower?”

『I didn’t hide anything. Those incompetent fools simply failed to locate it.』

“You truly expect me to believe that?”

『And what if you don’t?』

Martin suppressed his anger at the cold response. He had to remember that the demon king held all the cards. With Kaede in custody and the evidence in the enemy’s hands, he was essentially on a short leash.

“…No. I overstepped. You have my apologies.”

『As your demon king, I shall be lenient. Regardless, my arrival is imminent—make the necessary arrangements. I want to proceed directly to the annex.』

“What arrangements are you referring to?”

『Have you forgotten? You were the one who suggested I could enter the annex disguised as your personal guard.』

“……”

Martin held back a frustrated groan. Now that he thought about it, he had indeed made that offer. However, he never dreamed the demon king would actually attempt to walk through the front door using his name. He had assumed she would use the blood sample that responded to the magical seals to slip in unnoticed.

『Don’t tell me you’ve changed your mind…』

“O-Of course I haven’t. But you are a demon king. If you appear in the capital city…”

『That isn’t your problem to solve. I can assure you that my demonic energy will not cause any complications for you.』

Martin chewed his lip nervously. “What about your tower? They failed once, but this is far from over.”

The atmosphere was heavy. The emperor was livid, and Balraf Disrod—the champion of the heroes—was in a state of fury. The public was stunned by the first failure of Balraf Disrod, and even the hero himself was struggling to process the defeat. With the emperor’s full endorsement, a second hunt was already being organized.

It wouldn’t take much time to prepare. The first attempt had only failed because the target was missing; they hadn’t actually suffered significant losses. They could redeploy almost immediately. And this time, even if the tower wasn’t in its previous location, they wouldn’t withdraw so easily.

『They can come a hundred times over. It won’t change anything.』

“…You certainly have confidence.”

That assurance left Martin in a difficult position. Yet, having given his word, he couldn’t simply back out. Expecting a demon king to be reasonable was a lost cause anyway.

“…Understood.”

『I will see you shortly.』

The magic communication ended.

“…What am I supposed to do now?”

He saw no easy way out. He remained completely unaware that the demon king had already deduced the location of his younger brother based on the subtle shifts in his behavior.

—

“A second wave of heroes will be arriving soon.”

“I expected as much. With that level of power, they could search every crack of the Erjest range without breaking a sweat. It’s time we relocated the tower again, my lord.”

If the demon king wasn’t present, the tower’s primary systems would be restricted. An assistant couldn’t fully operate it in his stead. If the heroes arrived while he was away in the empire, the consequences would be fatal.

“We must move.”

“Do you have a destination in mind?”

“Further north. To a place where no human could ever hope to find it.”

Relocating the entire tower required a monumental amount of demonic energy. Nevertheless, Berge was filled with certainty because his vault was overflowing.

[12,025,914pt]

His reserves had replenished far beyond their previous peak—and in only a week. The reason wasn’t a mystery. The party of heroes—the absolute best—had returned in failure. Because their leader was Balraf Disrod and the group was filled with legends, the impact was massive.

The demon king who had ended Daphne Philia and kidnapped five members of royalty had vanished once again into thin air. All those rumors of dread were interlinking. That collective terror was fueling Berge with demonic energy—and the flow wasn’t stopping.

“If I may, that isn’t the best strategy,” Gordon remarked.

“Not the best?”

“If we stay within the Erjest Mountains, they will stumble upon us eventually. We can’t just keep jumping from one peak to another forever, can we?”

“That is a valid point.”

“Then why not abandon Erjest entirely?”

“You know that isn’t feasible.”

To the south lay the human realms. There was no way to conceal a massive, moving tower there. The eastern snowfields were devoid of humans—which was ideal—but that territory was firmly under the control of Reina Sordain.

“It isn’t impossible. I’ve never heard anyone claim these towers aren’t submersible.”

“…!”

Berge’s eyes went wide. “Are you… are you suggesting what I think you are?”

“Precisely. I’ve already consulted the dwarves. Saltwater won’t cause corrosion or mechanical failure.”

The ocean was immense. More importantly, it was unclaimed territory. Humans might pretend to own the coastal waters, but they had no presence in the deep trenches.

“You…!”

Berge grabbed Gordon’s hands in excitement. “You’re a genius! No wonder you were the valedictorian of the Demon Aide Academy!”

“I am honored. Though I am still no match for the top graduate of the Demon King Academy.”

“When I first arrived here, I honestly wondered how I’d ever manage to train such a fool…”

“I wasn’t that incompetent.”

“Weren’t you?”

“…I just wasn’t familiar with Aren yet. Yes, it was simple lack of knowledge. I didn’t realize this world was quite so pathetic.”

“It doesn’t matter. Can you imagine the look on the humans’ faces when they’ve searched every inch of the Erjest Mountains and found nothing? It will be priceless.”

“Even better, think of all the monsters that will be killed while they’re wandering around aimlessly.”

“You truly are an exceptional aide.”

“And you are the most magnificent demon king.”

The master of the tower and his dark elf subordinate shared a pair of devious smiles.