Chapter 6

Chapter 6
## Chapter: 6

### Chapter Title: Becomes 1

—

“The Hilderan Kingdom is in a total state of chaos.”

“That newcomer certainly has some nerve.”

*Crunch—*

Drakson tore a massive chunk of crimson, blood-soaked meat with his teeth.

“I gave him instructions to seize a princess, and he actually targets Hilderan. Not just any royal, but the crown princess. What do you make of that choice?”

“It is a clear sign of his vanity and lack of wisdom,” his subordinate, Casey, answered without hesitation.

“Your reasoning?”

“To begin with, he openly mocked the Standard of the Demon King during the graduation rites at the Demon King Academy. Secondly, he showed his fangs to you, a Great Demon King. Thirdly, his reckless confidence suggests he failed to even investigate Aren properly. He is the sort of individual blinded by his own ego, oblivious to his surroundings.”

“I anticipated he would ignore the usual protocols. Yet, here he is, snatching the crown princess and adhering to the rules more strictly than anyone. How am I supposed to interpret this?”

Drakson had assumed the youth wouldn’t bother with a kidnapping at all. And even if he had, who would have guessed he’d go for the primary heir to the throne, exactly as the ancient scripts suggested?

“A typical Demon King might follow that path. but this is the man who treated those very traditions like garbage. Do you truly believe he is now the most devout follower of the code?”

“However, he defied the norms in other ways. His citadel is situated in a desolate, inhospitable wasteland, and he selected a kingdom across the world rather than one nearby.”

“An erratic fool.”

*Crunch—*

Drakson gnawed with annoyance on a bone jutting from his meal.

“Even so, I suspect his urge to satisfy the standard is his driving force.”

“Why is that?”

“Because he possesses nothing other than his vice officer. Consequently, he is twisting the standard to fit his meager circumstances, selecting the most effective route available to him.”

Regardless of how fresh the new arrivals were, Berge stood no chance against any opponent of actual consequence.

“Adjusting to his reality?”

“He lacks an army, so he erected his spire in the Erjest Mountains to avoid early conflict. Yet, still wishing to satisfy the tradition, he abducted the crown princess.”

“Keep in mind—he spat on that tradition at graduation. Still, your theory aligns with his behavior since arriving in Aren.”

“Acting as if he loathes the code while actually embracing it more than anyone? It seems contradictory.”

“Could he be mentally unstable?”

The Demon King and Casey fell into a brief silence. After a few moments, the Demon King broke the quiet.

“Reach out to him. Thus far, he has performed remarkably—it is only right to offer some recognition, isn’t it?”

And while they were speaking, he would uncover what the boy was truly plotting.

—

I felt a sense of unease because the volume of magi being processed into points through the spire was extraordinarily high.

**⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙**
**[13,219pt]**

……?

I blinked and rubbed my eyes, but the digits remained the same.

How is this possible?

This was far too much magi for a few days’ worth of captivity, especially considering I had taken a neglected, illegitimate princess whom the king himself ignored.

“Demon King. A communication is coming in from Demon King Drakson.”

“Once more?”

That was when Drakson’s image flickered to life.

『I am calling to offer my congratulations. We didn’t exactly part as friends, but as your elder, I felt it necessary to acknowledge your success.』

『Claiming to despise the standard while following it to the letter? Maintaining a facade that contradicts your true nature is a mark of a powerful demon, but you have surpassed even that. You played me for a fool, didn’t you?』

“What are you rambling about?”

『Still playing the part of the ignorant youth? Very well, I won’t pry into your secrets if that is your wish.』

“Has that raw meat finally rotted your mind? I’m asking what you mean.”

『There is no need for such secrecy. Fine, I will be blunt.』

『I may find you personally distasteful, but your achievements are undeniable. You claimed everything was calculated, but I never imagined you would actually manage to seize the crown princess of the Hilderan Kingdom.』

…

The crown princess?

『Whether this was a grand design or merely the recklessness of youth, I wish you luck. Regardless, if you thrive as a Demon King, we all stand to gain, right?』

The communication crystal went dark.

“……”

I was left in a stunned silence.

What did he just say?

The crown princess? Not the 13th?

A heavy wave of dread washed over me, and the skin on the back of my neck crawled with cold. By the time I regained my senses, my legs were already carrying me at a sprint toward the fourth floor.

‘That’s impossible.’

The girl I had captured was taken directly from the 13th princess’s quarters. True to her status as an unwanted child, there hadn’t been a single soul guarding her palace. She possessed no martial skill or magical aura.

‘The crown princess is a master of spirits.’

While Hilderan and the southern territories weren’t my primary focus in my previous life, her reputation was legendary. She was a prodigy who had formed pacts with spirits of four different elements at a tender age due to her sheer brilliance. Hilderan was so protective of her that no Demon King had ever dared to target her.

So it couldn’t be.

A crown princess would be radiating an immense pool of mana.
A crown princess would be surrounded by a legion of elite guards.
A crown princess certainly wouldn’t be found in the 13th princess’s bedroom.

As I tried to convince myself and burst onto the fourth floor—

I saw something that defied all logic.

A “barrier” had been erected.

In a previously vacant corner of the simple room, a spirit was gently tapping on a wall made of packed earth. A dry, mirthless laugh escaped my throat.

“You’ve arrived?”

As if on cue, a door formed from the soil opened. A princess emerged, her clothing slightly messy but her grace intact, offering me a guileless greeting. I pushed past her and walked inside.

An earthen bed, earthen furniture, an earthen stool. This was not the work of a powerless 13th princess. The unmistakable residue of spirit energy was everywhere.

And even more absurd—

‘…The mana is stifling.’

Energies I hadn’t felt from the moment I seized her until this very second now pricked at my skin like needles.

“…What are you exactly?”

“I don’t understand the nature of your question.”

“The 13th princess.” I stared her down. “…No, you aren’t her.”

“Of course I am not Elena.”

That one sentence demolished my final shred of hope. Her eyes moved with curiosity.

“You truly believed I was Elena…?”

“Give me your name.”

“Ernyan Hilderan.”

The first princess. The heir. The celebrated spiritist I remembered from the past.

“Why on earth were you in that palace?”

“Because you were the one who abducted me.”

That wasn’t the right question.

“Wasn’t that the 13th princess’s residence?”

“It was.”

“Then why were you there?”

“Does the reason truly matter?”

It mattered immensely.

“That is why I asked you before. Can you truly handle the consequences of kidnapping me?”

She had said those words. Why hadn’t I questioned her confidence then? Why hadn’t I verified her identity?

“I thought your actions were strange, but it was just a blunder? Well, even the most insane Demon Kings usually avoid the heirs of powerful nations.”

She offered a smile tinged with self-deprecation.

“What now? Are you going to return me?”

Her casual, superior tone struck a nerve.

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

She assumed I would simply scurry back and return her like a frightened child. She believed that I—the man who once brought empires to their knees—was currently trembling in fear.

“My target was the 13th princess, but that changes nothing regarding your current status.”

Pathetic human, to think she could—

‘I am not afraid.’

This was merely a strategic deviation. A momentary pause before a massive leap forward.

She remained quiet, but her peculiar look irritated me.

“I have no intention of sending you back.”

I made my stance clear.

‘Hilderan and Erjest are on opposite ends of the world.’

The northern continent versus the southern. The sheer distance made moving a conventional army a logistical nightmare.

‘Furthermore, the Erjest Mountains are an impregnable fortress.’

A region crawling with ancient beasts that humans couldn’t hope to challenge. Even as a Demon King, there were some creatures I couldn’t interfere with, and the storms here were eternal. Very few heroes possessed the strength to even reach this height. Moreover, the tower was nestled in a hidden basin. Even if they made the climb, they would never find me.

“I am the Demon King, and you are my captive. If you wish for a peaceful existence, do not test me again.”

“…I understand.”

The princess, Ernyan, gave a nod of compliance.

“But how did you deceive me? I detected zero mana from you.”

“…That.”

Ernyan paused, then touched a ring on her finger.

In that heartbeat, the spirits vanished. The heavy pressure of mana evaporated as if it had never existed.

“…A relic.”

Even in my current weakened state, it had managed to trick my senses.

“A royal heirloom. It is said to be an artifact once used by a legendary hero.”

“A hero’s artifact…”

Diminished or not, if it could cloud a Demon King’s vision, it was a high-tier item. A spark of greed flickered in my chest.

In that moment.

**⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙**
**[Powerful emotions have identified their target.]**
**[Massive levels of fury focused on Demon King Berge Dayas have been detected.]**

They had locked onto me. The real harvest of magi had officially begun.

—

Inside a magnificent palace, the great hall—filled with dozens of high-ranking nobles—turned chillingly silent.

“What is the meaning of this…”

The king struggled to contain his wrath.

“What were those pathetic excuse for knights doing?”

He didn’t scream, but the vibrating fury in his voice was terrifying.

“…We beg for mercy. While the princess evaded her detail and made her way to the Hyacinth Palace.”

“And then.”

The king struck his throne with such force that stone fragments sprayed across the floor.

“You fools didn’t even realize the crown princess of this kingdom had been taken?”

“Execute us for our failure!”

“We deserve death!”

The knights threw themselves onto the floor in supplication.

“If death is what you crave, I can provide it with my own hands.”

“……”

“Your Majesty, our priority must be identifying the culprit behind this abduction.”

“Who else could it be? It is obviously the work of a Demon King.”

Regardless of Ernyan’s impulsive behavior, this was the heart of the royal palace. Only a Demon King could bypass the security and knights so silently. They were the undisputed masters of such abductions. That was the only reason the king hadn’t already ordered the knights’ execution.

“But why would any Demon King violate the unspoken laws and take Princess Ernyan…?”

“That is what I wish to know. Unless they have completely lost their minds, there is no logic to it.”

“Didn’t the Demon King of Lust recently target the crown prince of the Akan Kingdom, only to have his head taken by hundreds of heroes? After such a public execution, they would have to be…”

The minister stopped, gasping as realization dawned on him. The king and the gathered nobles all reached the same conclusion simultaneously.

“…A new one has arrived.”

“If it were an established Demon King, the Heroes’ Guild would have detected the movements. It must be a newcomer.”

“Like a plague. They simply keep appearing, without end.”

The king ground his teeth together.

“Send word to the Heroes’ Guild immediately.”

“I dread to think of the gold those greedy scavengers will demand.”

“Is the rescue of the princess not our primary concern?”

“Indeed, it is.”

Ernyan was his greatest pride. Her talent dwarfed his own, and her character made her the perfect vessel for the kingdom’s future. If the vessel is stolen, the future is lost. He had to get her back. By any means necessary. And he would make the culprit suffer so that no one would ever think of such an act again.

“Pay whatever they ask. Trace his path, locate his spire. Commission the Heroes’ Guild to bring me his head and return my daughter.”

“At once, Your Majesty!”

Messengers from the Hilderan Kingdom began to depart in every direction.

—

“We have discovered signs of the new Demon King and the princess!”

“Their trail leads toward the north! They utilized teleportation circles across several kingdoms!”

“The… the final destination… it appears to be the Erjest Mountains. All sightings stop there.”

Initially, the Hilderan Kingdom and the Heroes’ Guild didn’t view the situation as dire. While the kidnapping was an outrage, the context was almost comical. It was just the idiocy of a newly summoned, rookie Demon King. He had acted without any reconnaissance. They believed taking care of him would be simple.

“Newborn Demon Kings are pathetically fragile. Dispatch a few heroes and bring me his head.”

However, once the location—the site of the tower—was confirmed as the Erjest Mountains, the mood shifted.

“Why would he go there?”

“Why travel so far from Hilderan?”

“This one is different from the others.”

Demon King towers were usually placed near kingdoms, but never in areas that were suicidal to enter. They were never this isolated. No one knew the reason for this pattern, but it was the norm. The people of Aren were accustomed to it. This newcomer had broken the rules.

Ordinarily, people would dismiss it as a demon’s whim. The problem was that Hilderan and the Guild actually had to go in there to save the princess.

“The Erjest Mountains?”

“You want us to enter that cursed place?”

The heroes began to turn down the job. The Erjest Mountains were a death trap; nine out of ten people perished in the never-ending blizzards or to the monsters of the snowfields. Even heroes blessed by the world had their breaking points.

“We signed up to kill a Demon King, not to commit suicide!”

The rescue mission ground to a halt.

“Then I shall lead the army myself. I will march into the snowfields and tear them down.”

“Your Majesty, you cannot!”

“It is impossible!”

“The neighboring nations would never permit such a mobilization!”

“Then do we simply leave her to rot?!”

“There is a hero who might be able to do it.”

“Who?” The king looked up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

“Do you recall the heroes from the recent campaign against the Demon King of Lust?”

“Two hundred went in, and half didn’t come back. Only three survivors actually faced the Demon King.”

“One of them was instrumental in the execution. Your Majesty knows him well…”

“Hillun! Hillun Kagil, the hero of Hilderan!”

“Exactly! He has the strength to traverse the mountains and claim the Demon King’s life!”

“But will he take the job? He has been keeping a low profile lately…”

“He has a thirst for glory. Send our knights to make the request public. Frame it so the people see him as our only hope…”

“I see.”

The king and his advisors nodded, their eyes gleaming with new intent.

—

“…This is getting out of hand.”

**⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙**
**[45,228pt]**

The converted magi count was skyrocketing. It was a massive windfall, but I couldn’t find it in me to celebrate. It was a direct reflection of Hilderan’s immense fury. Their retaliation was going to be overwhelming.

My only shield was the natural environment of Erjest. The issue was that even those mountains wouldn’t stop a truly powerful hero.

‘Climbers who can actually find this place? I stand no chance against them at my current level.’

Should I dump all this magi into my personal strength?

‘No, that isn’t the best move.’

Magi generated from negative emotions could be used in various ways through the tower’s interface. It could lower the interference on myself and my demons, be absorbed to increase my raw power, create familiars, set up magical traps and circles, or expand my influence through demonization. But none of these options provided a guaranteed instant fix. The points were rising, but they weren’t enough to stop a kingdom’s full might.

‘I need a different strategy.’

Something that stops them before they even get here…

‘Wait.’

A bolt of inspiration hit me.

‘I am aiming to be the blackAct regardless…’

I don’t have to do the dirty work myself. Why not use others to trip up the heroes?

‘Humans are driven by their own selfishness. and the ultimate form of greed is gold.’

People will betray their countries, their guilds, their families, and even their parents for it. If I can use that greed to clog the heroes’ path with obstacles.

“Gordon!”

“At your service, Demon King.”

Gordon, who had been standing by, entered the room.

“Get in touch with Drakson immediately.”

“What message shall I deliver?”

“Ask him if he is interested in purchasing Hilderan’s magi in exchange for human currency.”

No Demon King used gold, but the tower systems allowed for the transfer of magi between us.