Chapter 29

Chapter 29
Chapter: 29

Chapter Title: Jesfain

—

It was truly a matter of chance.

Directly following the departure of the brave party, Ernyan approached Berge with a request.

“There is a favor I require.”

“You don’t strike me as someone who asks for things often.”

“I possess knowledge regarding a hidden cache belonging to a high-ranking aristocrat of this realm.”

“State your business.”

“I need a supply of Seniel powder.”

“The catalyst used for spiritual pacts?”

“Precisely.”

Centuries ago, an elven woman named Seniel fled to a human territory. At the monarch’s behest, she developed a medium to facilitate smoother interactions between humans and spirits. This substance became known as Seniel powder.

“Wouldn’t your own essence be more potent?”

However, that dust was merely a crutch for those with low spiritual resonance. Ernyan, who had already secured contracts and displayed remarkable natural aptitude, had no logical use for it.

“I intend to blend it with my own blood. As is obvious, the ambient mana within this tower is nearly non-existent, so I require the extra assistance.”

“Are you attempting to summon a new entity?”

“Yes.”

“A middle-tier spirit?”

“That remains to be seen.”

Her response was non-committal, yet Berge had a strong suspicion.

A high-tier spirit.

Even in his past existence, such an event had caused a significant stir…

Spirit practitioners were a rarity among humanity. Those capable of binding high-tier spirits could be counted on a single hand.

And yet, she had achieved such a feat at the mere age of twenty-seven. He recalled how the Hilderan Kingdom had broadcasted her success to every corner of the land, enticing spirit mages from all over the continent to migrate to Hilderan.

Now, she was preparing to execute this plan three full years earlier than before.

What had shifted the timeline?

She had been abducted—an event that never occurred in the original timeline.

She had spent several months residing within the tower.

But shouldn’t those factors be obstacles rather than advantages?

He studied her intently, but she merely offered a radiant grin in return. Regardless, it didn’t truly matter. It was a minor detail in the grand scheme.

“The down payment, then.”

“The location is within the Felsan province of the Akan Kingdom. There is a secluded estate inside Peltou Castle. The vault is situated in the basement.”

“They certainly chose a distant hiding spot.”

“It was placed there to avoid confiscation should political tides turn.”

“And how did you come across this information?”

“The spirits witness and overhear a great deal.”

She proceeded to divulge further specifics regarding the noble’s treasury.

“Since it is the private stash of one of Hilderan’s most influential figures, it should be overflowing with misappropriated riches.”

“Is it appropriate for a princess of the realm to betray such secrets to the Demon King?”

“They are illegally moving the kingdom’s wealth to foreign soil, so it is a victimless crime, is it not?”

I suppose I must manage this task personally.

He wished to evaluate the current state of the continent with his own eyes. Fortunately, he was able to travel freely since his identity as the Demon King remained a secret.

“You should be able to procure Seniel powder with ease while in the Akan Kingdom.”

Specialists in spirit magic were rare among the common folk. Infrastructure for their craft was lacking, and only a sorcerous nation like Akan would have the necessary resources readily available.

“Understood.”

With that, he made his way down from the peaks.

—

“If I had anticipated you would be idling like this, I would have simply dispatched you earlier.”

“No, how can you call this idling…?”

“Who do you think you are?”

The warrior who had Granada cornered struggled to stand straight. His fingers tightened around the hilt of his blade.

“The master of the slave you’ve been harassing.”

“Ridiculous!”

“He’s telling the truth! It’s total nonsense!”

The mercenary and Granada yelled out in quick succession.

The mercenary ground his teeth in frustration.

The scene felt like a poorly acted drama. It was absurd that a creature of such power was a servant, and even more bizarre that he was playing along with the charade.

They had been treated like complete fools.

Who is this person? Why is an individual of this caliber staying in a backwater place like Hortonwork…?

“I’ll ask again, who are you?”

“……”

“Silent? I’ve already identified myself.”

Berge gave a thin smile. The hired blades trembled as a murderous pressure radiated from that expression.

A Demon King who has just been summoned is inherently limited. The constraints of dimensional interference exist specifically to repel invaders and provide heroes with the advantage needed to protect their world.

There was only one method to bypass that interference: distorting it through the tower and specific focal points of magic.

Alternatively, one could increase their own base power through potions or magical nodes so that the remaining percentage of power was still formidable.

Berge lacked those resources.

The majority of the magicite was funneled to other Demon Kings to settle his debts, and he had only managed to consume a few rare elixirs. This had granted him only a small spark of magical energy.

However.

It was sufficient.

Restrictions did not apply a flat cap on power; they were proportional. Ten percent of a titan’s strength is vastly different from ten percent of a commoner’s.

And Berge.

Was a Demon King who had earned a reputation as an “unparalleled genius” even within the halls of the ancient Demon King Academy.

His suppressed strength was still leagues beyond the norm.

Furthermore, he was not a man of enough mercy to permit an arrogant “mortal” to look down upon him.

“If you intend to strike me, you should be prepared for the consequences.”

Ghostly violet flames began to dance around the Demon King.

Within the heat, jagged talons began to sprout. Dark crimson scales started to manifest across his skin.

“D-D-Demon…!”

The mercenaries felt the overwhelming surge of unholy energy within the fire. The sheer weight of his presence forced them to their knees as their bodies buckled.

Is he really going to show his demonic nature so brazenly?

The display was so overt that even Granada began to worry—and that very boldness sent a cold chill down his spine.

Only a single man could withstand the crushing aura.

*Crunch—*

“Vile demon trash!”

A radiant azure light erupted from the lead mercenary. It pushed back the dark energy and flooded his frame with power.

His sharpened steel expanded in size, cutting through the demonic pressure. The other mercenaries finally found the strength to breathe.

But his priority wasn’t saving his subordinates.

*Clank—*

Heavy greaves slammed into the dirt. His frame swelled with massive muscle.

*Boom—*

He lunged forward with enough force to crater the ground.

In a flash that mimicked teleportation, the gap between the two disappeared.

The moment Berge registered the man’s movement.

A strike was unleashed.

Concentrated energy detonated. The very air seemed to fracture.

It was incredibly rapid. Violent, sharp, and ruinous.

Where did a man like this come from…?

Granada leaped to his feet involuntarily. This was no common sellsword. He wasn’t the type to waste away in Hortonwork hunting minor beasts.

He can’t possibly lose, right?

A tiny, flickering shadow of doubt emerged. He couldn’t fathom his Demon King being defeated, but the attack was so lightning-fast and surgical that the thought briefly crossed his mind.

And then.

*Clangggg—*

By the time the debris from the impact brushed past his face and settled.

When he saw the composed figure standing within the dissipating dust, he realized his fear was entirely misplaced.

“You see, here is the problem.”

The blade was trapped firmly in Berge’s palm. The energy that could sever anything was stopped cold by black fire, unable to move an inch further.

The mercenary’s complexion turned a deep, pained red.

“I was attempting to practice a bit of restraint on this journey.”

He had already experienced one setback. He had followed protocol but had also acted with the volatile pride of a true Demon King.

In hindsight, reaching the 20th level was a feat. The others must have been stunned by his chaotic, reckless approach and failed to pivot in time.

“So, I actually demonstrated patience once.”

During the abduction of Roger, he had turned away and retreated from a minor princess.

It had been a necessity. He couldn’t blow his cover as the Demon King, and the distance from his tower made the restrictions far more severe.

But the incident had wounded his dignity nonetheless.

“And now, a piece of literal garbage is making a scene in my own territory.”

Should he hold back here as well?

No. While Hortonwork had stronger limitations than the Erjest Mountains, they were negligible compared to the dwarf realms.

And while the princess’s rudeness was tolerable because she was ignorant of his status—this man was a different story.

“Who… just who are you…!”

*Snap—*

The steel shattered. A ribbon of blood leaked from the mercenary’s lips.

“Not a typical demon.”

No more than you are a typical mercenary.

“It is irrelevant now. The deceased don’t share secrets.”

*Whoosh—*

The inferno surged.

The flames devoured the azure energy bit by bit, creeping forward. The mercenary let out a harrowing cry.

“Get out of here! Run!”

With his final breath of command, he collapsed. The remaining mercenaries scrambled to escape.

“Who gave you permission to leave?”

I certainly did not.

Berge took a measured step. The fabric of space folded, cutting off their path of retreat.

He swept his hand through the panicked crowd. Extended claws tore through reinforced leather and painted the ground red.

Suddenly, a newcomer burst into the fray. It was Kaede.

“Hero.”

Berge’s mouth twisted into a smirk as he sensed his ancestral rival. A freezing intent to kill forced Kaede to unsheathe her weapon.

*Clang—*

Her entire body shuddered. Her desperate counterattack was swallowed by the hellish flames. Even so, she managed to force herself a step forward.

She lunged with her sword in a blur, but a minor concussive blast threw her back. She tumbled across the dirt with a pained shriek.

“Stop! You cannot kill them!”

Berge’s shadow loomed over the fallen Kaede. He glanced back at Granada.

“That girl—she is a princess! We have to take her!”

“Is that the truth?”

“……”

“I asked if it was true.”

Kaede bit down on her lip.

“…What are you going to do to them?”

“What is your connection to these men?”

“They are soldiers dispatched to bring me back.”

“…Something isn’t adding up.”

“I departed the imperial palace in secret for personal reasons.”

“…Imperial palace?”

Not a mere royal palace?

“If you swear to spare their lives, I will reveal my identity.”

Kaede’s legs were shaking. Yet, she refused to cower.

“You seem to lack an understanding of your current predicament.”

“……”

“Quiet? Fine. I can simply slaughter everyone here.”

“Jesfain!”

She screamed the name in a final act of desperation.

“I am Kaede Jesfain, the 9th Imperial Princess of the Jesfain Empire!”

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

The Jesfain Empire.

Berge possessed no fond recollections of the most powerful and vast empire on the continent of Aren.

Only bitter ones.

Reflecting on it, the moment his fate was sealed in his past life was when he seized the crown prince of Jesfain.

He had been performing brilliantly, his pride as a Demon King reaching the clouds. Success after success had made his ego swell until it reached the stars.

He believed he could challenge Jesfain and took their heir. From that very second, the entire hero guild honed their steel and hunted him until he was dead.

Wait a moment…

He recalled a specific conversation held among the high-ranking Demon Kings at the peak of the tower.

‘The 9th Princess of the Jesfain Empire has vanished. I’ve been curious—is one of you behind it?’

‘I have no desire to provoke the empire.’

‘Isn’t the 9th Princess promised to the ruler of Ormus or something?’

“You ran away to avoid a marriage?”

“H-How do you—mmph.”

The princess quickly clapped her hands over her mouth, but the secret was out.

The Ormus Kingdom was of little concern.

It held a fair amount of land, but half of it was overgrown jungle and deep woods, leaving its national influence in the gutter.

They lacked significant powerhouses or legendary heroes, so their vengeance was nothing to fear.

The complication was the Jesfain Empire…

Unlike the Hilderan Kingdom, Jesfain had no established successor.

The 1st and 2nd princes, along with the 1st and 3rd princesses, were locked in a brutal conflict, while the lower-ranked children fought hidden wars by aligning with various factions.

Eventually, the 1st prince would purge his siblings to take the throne, but that was a future event.

Family loyalty? It didn’t exist there.

They viewed one another as rivals to be eliminated.

They might even be pleased to have one less claimant to the throne.

Granted, it was best to avoid the empire entirely, but could he truly let a prize that had walked right into his hands simply walk away?

Particularly after he had already exposed his true nature—there needed to be some profit.

There was another motive as well.

The urgent requirement to gather more magicite for his debts, combined with the morale boost from Hillun Kagil’s previous success.

He felt certain.

This was a prize worth taking.

“You are coming with me.”

“Th-The knights…”

“Abducting a member of the imperial family requires witnesses. Your decision has spared them.”

Even if the knights wouldn’t see it as a mercy.

Berge lifted Kaede up.

“Stay here and finish the task as instructed.”

“Understood.”

Berge and Granada disappeared from sight.

The battered knights remained in a stupor until the local militia, alerted by the scent of demonic power, arrived to find them.