Chapter 17

Chapter 17
Boom boom boom—

The violence of the blows was so intense it seemed impossible for mere knuckles to generate such force. The resulting gusts sent Roger’s hair flying in every direction.

What is my best move here?

Roger quickly sorted through his potential futures. His life had essentially narrowed down to two miserable paths.

He could side with the Demon King and be branded forever as a traitor to his own kind.

Alternatively, he could be handed over to the princess and spend the rest of his days as her personal slave.

There was no point in weighing them; both outcomes were catastrophic.

However, if he was forced to choose the lesser of two nightmares, the first option was actually better.

The Demon King wasn’t quite the monster the stories claimed.

While he was undeniably strange, that very eccentricity offered Roger a tiny bit of wiggle room.

But the princess…

The princess’s instability was legendary throughout the realm. Her fixation on high-quality armaments and jewels—and more specifically, the artisans who crafted them—was nothing short of pathological.

If I fall into her clutches, she’ll milk me for every drop of talent I have.

He would be exploited by the Demon King as well, but surely not with that level of obsessive cruelty.

Furthermore, Berge’s status as the Demon King remained a secret for now. To the public eye, Roger was merely a smith who had run away to avoid working for the princess—not a collaborator with the enemy of the world.

And the biggest factor of all…

Roger reached up to touch the necklace resting against his skin. The second he betrayed the Demon King for the princess, that device would end him. The Demon King wasn’t the type to let a prize walk away.

His decision made, Roger dropped to his stomach and began crawling toward the magical apparatus.

Even moving as fast as possible, I need at least ten minutes.

He had to detach the complex network of conduits that snaked along the workshop walls.

I can’t save the whole system. For now, I just need the core…

Roger’s fingers scrambled desperately. But without his kit, he was making pathetic progress.

I’d give anything for a blade or a hatchet right now…

As long as the primary unit remained intact, it didn’t matter if he disconnected the lines cleanly or hacked them apart—the end result was the same.

Just then, he caught sight of a half-formed hunk of iron out of the corner of his eye. It was a blade in progress.

The catch was that it was currently tumbling around right in the center of the kill zone between the Demon King and the princess.

He swallowed hard.

If he stepped into that space, he’d be flattened into a pancake.

“That blade! I have to have that blade!”

Left with no other choice, he shouted out a plea.

To his relief, the Demon King grasped the situation instantly. The problem was that the princess was just as sharp.

“You dare…”

The Demon King and the princess locked gazes. Simultaneously, both lunged for the unfinished sword.

The princess’s hand clamped onto the metal first. A split second later, a heavy kick whistled through the air.

Whump—

The air left her lungs. Despite the rattling impact, she refused to let go. That stubbornness proved to be her undoing.

Her rival was the Demon King. He wasn’t about to go easy on her just because of her royal title.

Snap.

His heel came down in a vertical strike, crushing her fingers against the floor. A sharp cry of pain—”Aaah!”—erupted from her as the blade slid away, skipped through the Demon King’s hand, and landed perfectly in Roger’s.

“I’ve got it!”

The sequence of events that followed was ideal for Berge and a disaster for the princess.

Because she had been so focused on the metal, her fingers had been broken with ease, crippling her ability to fight back effectively.

The exchange turned into a one-sided beating.

The rhythm of the duel remained the same as before, but the roles had completely flipped.

“…!”

Gashes and bruises began to pepper the princess’s skin. Faced with that overwhelming aura of death, she could do little more than flail and swing blindly in self-defense.

But by a stroke of luck, her desperate resistance bore fruit.

“Your Highness!”

“Intruders!”

The royal guards, drawn by the sounds of the struggle, burst in with weapons drawn.

“I’m finished!”

Roger’s timing was perfect. The Demon King delivered a brutal kick to the princess’s midsection, launching her backward. In the next heartbeat, the massive magical device vanished into thin air.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“Your Highness…! Look at your hand!”

“…”

The princess stared down at her mangled fist. It was petite. Unlike the broad, sturdy hands typical of the dwarf race, hers were small and elegant—even now, shattered and bloody.

The pain was searing, but the blow to her ego was much worse.

If only it wasn’t so dainty.

If only it were as thick and powerful as a normal dwarf’s hand.

She wouldn’t have been disarmed so embarrassingly.

She wouldn’t have been broken and bested so pathetically.

Her directionless fury turned toward her subordinates.

“What were you idiots doing?”

“…Please forgive us.”

“Why did it take you until I was half-dead to arrive?”

“…Please forgive us.”

“Does an apology fix my hand? Does an apology mean you’re going to catch those dogs right now? Stop groveling and get into that tunnel. Tell the lord to hunt those rats down no matter the cost!”

“At once!”

Several guards dove into the secret passage. Riders were dispatched immediately to the lord’s manor.

“…We are returning to the capital.”

“Your Highness?”

“I have to speak with my Father.”

Roger hadn’t been the one to strike her, but his voice was stuck in her head like a recurring nightmare.

—I have to have that blade!

If she hadn’t let herself get distracted by a piece of scrap metal because of him, her hand would still be intact.

She wouldn’t have been humiliated so thoroughly.

Actually, none of this would have happened if that worthless Roger hadn’t walked out on his work and disappeared.

The princess gritted her teeth.

“Roger Friedri thought he could trick and insult this princess. He’s going to learn otherwise.”

“I will personally petition my Father to let me hunt him down myself.”

She would make sure he spent the rest of his life mourning this day.

She swore it.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The dwarf search parties were relentless.

Their short stature didn’t stop them from moving with incredible agility. However, they were up against the Demon King.

A man whose specialty was stealing away royals was a master of staying hidden.

Tracking the Demon King through the open wilds was a task far beyond their capabilities.

“…I think my chances of ever going home just hit zero.”

Roger let out a miserable whimper.

“You’re looking at it wrong. It’s not a ‘chance’—you are never going back. The second you show your face there, they’ll toss you into the deepest cell in the capital. They won’t kill you because you’re too useful. They’ll just turn you into a slave. Maybe a gift for the 2nd Princess, locked in a room making tools until you die.”

“…”

The grim vision of his future made Roger’s face turn ghostly white.

“…Do you really think she’d do that?”

“Definitely. At least, the 2nd Princess I’m familiar with would.”

“You seem quite acquainted with Her Highness.”

“I know her well enough.”

It was a long-standing and bitter history between them.

While Heroes were champions chosen by the fabric of reality to repel invaders, not every powerful figure was a Hero.

Heroes were simply individuals gifted with specific abilities meant for fighting off otherworldly threats. A person not being a Hero didn’t mean they lacked strength.

The 2nd Princess of the Dwarf Kingdom was a rare example of such a powerhouse.

“It doesn’t really matter, does it? Once I claim something, I don’t let it go easily.”

“…As you say, my lord.”

In that moment, the final spark of hope the dwarf craftsman held for a peaceful resolution was finally extinguished.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
It had been three months since the Hero’s quest officially commenced.

Hillun took his time traveling north, purposely moving slowly to hold audiences with people along the route.

Their traveling party grew larger by the day.

And yet, they faced no resistance.

To the public, it looked like a triumphant procession. Rumors circulated that the Demon King was so terrified of Hillun’s reputation that he was hiding his minions away.

However, Granada could see the internal rot starting to form within the ranks.

“What kind of Hero’s journey is this? I haven’t seen a single goblin.”

“Where’s the loot? If we actually found an ogre, we’d have to split the gear between a hundred people. We’re lucky if we find a rusted spoon.”

“And even the scraps go to the high-ranking veterans. Are we just here to look pretty?”

“Well, the food is good. I’ll give them that.”

Hillun had spent his time winning over local dignitaries with expensive gifts. It seemed like a small issue, but Granada recognized it as a major red flag.

It seems the Demon King’s suspicion wasn’t baseless.

Any Demon King with half a brain would see this as an opportunity for a trap.

Granada took a sip of his drink, lost in thought. This particular party was being thrown by a noble who wanted to get close to the Hero’s inner circle.

They claimed it was a celebration of the Hero’s courage, but the real motive was a piece of the pie—the riches expected from the Demon King’s spire.

I’d love to see their faces when they realize the vault is empty.

Granada gave a quiet smirk.

Just then, Bark, who was clearly a few drinks in, leaned over.

“Boss, you hear the latest gossip about the Demon King?”

“The Demon King?”

Granada’s heart skipped for a fraction of a second.

Did they figure out I’m working for him…? No, impossible.

The Demon King had been incredibly careful about his cover. As far as Granada knew, there were no leaks.

He was right to be calm; the rumor was different.

“Word is that the Demon King in the Erjest Mountains is a master of fire magic.”

“Fire?”

He did use fire. Granada had personally witnessed those obsidian flames.

But he was certain no human had seen them yet.

“Who told you that?”

“It’s all the nobles are talking about. The news has already reached the foot soldiers. Everyone is saying we need to prep for heat.”

“Fireproof gear, then?”

“Most likely. With the backing of the Hildean Kingdom and the merchants, they can afford it.”

“Is there any proof he uses fire? Nobody has even reached the front door.”

“Who knows? It’s just what people are saying. But everyone is taking it as gospel.”

Granada leaned his head on his hand.

Something about this smelled incredibly fishy.

I need to report this to the Demon King.

He wasn’t happy about his situation, but elves were a people who honored their word—even when it was given to an enemy.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
“They think I’m a fire mage?”

Berge’s brow twitched. The news waiting for him at the tower was annoying, to say the least.

He didn’t have to guess who started it.

He hadn’t been seen by any humans.

Only fellow demons knew his secrets—and among them, only one would be petty enough to spread misinformation to sabotage him.

“That damn animal.”

“This has to be more than just Drakson Demon King’s doing.”

Gordon chewed his lip nervously.

The Beast Demon King was the lapdog of Archduke Alcaine Blamif. If he was making a move, it was because his master wanted it.

Gordon thought back to the moment they left Aren.

The Archduke had openly wished for Berge’s demise. That spiteful parting had been a clear sign of exile.

Great, how did my career end up in a ditch like this…?

Under normal circumstances, graduating at the top of his class would have led to a life of luxury. Instead, he was sinking into a pit of villainy.

“What’s the plan? This could turn into a real problem…”

“Nothing.”

“I’m sorry?”

“You know what’s waiting on the first floor. Fire resistance won’t help them with that, will it?”

“Oh.”

Magical artillery and dwarf-engineered traps. A few used fire, but the majority were physical. If someone charged in thinking they were safe from heat, they’d be turned into a pincushion in seconds.

“The Erjest Mountains have constant snowstorms. They’ll find out pretty quickly that fire resistance is the last thing they needed.”

The weakened explorers would be easy pickings for the local beasts.

Anyone who survived that would walk right into the cannons.

And if they somehow cleared those hurdles…

“They’ll run into the princess.”

“You’re going to leave the princess there even if the Hero shows up?”

“Think about it. A Hero climbs all that way, finally meets the princess… only for her to stab him in the back. Can you imagine the chaos?”

The mere thought was delightful.

“…You’re not actually going to force a confrontation between the princess and the Hero, are you?”

“…”

“Excuse my bluntness, but… have you lost your mind?”

“How rude.”