If it killed him, even better.
All contact had been cut off while he'd been unconscious, and when Berze returned to the Tower, what awaited him was an overwhelming flood of information.
"Where have you been? The entire continent has been turned upside down!"
Gordon greeted him with a brightened face. The stream of words he poured out confirmed that things had escalated far beyond what Berze had expected.
Ormus has issued a full mobilization order.
A formal request has been submitted to the Hero Guild, and heroes are gathering.
He had wanted to screw over Draxon, but he hadn't expected things to go this well.
"Rozel Charnt?"
He scratched his chin at the mention of a new Hero.
『Yes.』
『Hero, Rozel Charnt.』
『A hero from Trafarta, and whenever heroes are ranked by strength, she always lands within the top ten. People commonly call such heroes "Stars."』
『She is a mage—particularly gifted in fire magic. But her close-quarters capabilities are also significant, making her an exemplar of the battlemage.』
『As a note, she was originally designated to become the Captain of the Heroes of the Tower of the Bitter Frost, but she was pushed out… because of me. But since the schedule has gone awry, she has been selected once more.』
Berze, who had been quietly listening, asked:
"So that woman is the captain of the Hero Detachment heading to the Tower of the Beast?"
『Yes. Nearly five hundred have gathered so far, and around two hundred of them are Heroes.』
"…That's disgustingly many."
Memories from the past resurfaced, and Berze grimaced.
『This Hero March will be different from the previous ones. There will be no circuit.』
『Just like the Hero March to the Tower of Lust.』
"So they really intend to take Draxon's head?"
『That's unclear.』
Unclear? Heroes continued to gather, and the Hero Guild was encouraging even more to join. Every sign pointed to them intending to take this to the end.
『The Hero Guild's resolve is firm. But someone has moved. Certain heroes are refusing to lift their heavy asses.』
"That means…"
『Two possibilities. Someone doesn't want the Demon Lord of Beasts to die… or they're spiteful toward Ormus.』
"You're saying an individual—not the Guild—can cause that?"
『Officially, it is forbidden. But there are benefactors who support heroes from the shadows. Those who receive support can't ignore them.』
Heroes needed money, and the powerful coveted the ability to hold a hero in their hands.
Even though sponsorship was officially forbidden—because heroes were meant to act for the safety of the continent, justice, and greater cause—support and lobbying never disappeared.
"You don't have a benefactor?"
『After I cut off the head of the Demon Lord of Lust, I figured I could handle myself, so I severed all ties. Benefactors are nice for money, but their interference is unbearable.』
『But because of someone, that all went to waste.』
Berze snorted and changed the topic.
"Who is it?"
『Honestly, there are too many suspects. Ormus doesn't have great relations with other nations. But personally, I think the First Prince of Ormus is the likeliest.』
"The First Prince?"
『From his perspective, a chronic ache would finally be gone. With the succession secured, he has no need to consume national power marching toward a Demon Lord's tower. But lacking justification, he likely wants to say, "We didn't have enough heroes, so it couldn't be helped."』
"Humans really are amusing."
In some ways, they were more like demons than demons.
It was enough to make him say: No wonder they lost.
"I suppose I should apply myself more."
Facing humans—creatures who would sell off an entire dimension for greed—while trying to fight by clean, predictable methods? Foolish.
Looking back, defeat had been predetermined from the start.
Then a thought crossed his mind.
"How would she compare to you?"
『Whom do you mean?』
"Is pretending not to know just part of your personality?"
『…I lose.』
"You simply lose?"
『Nine times out of ten, she'd beat me.』
"You're Hillen Cargill—the one who killed the Demon Lord of Lust. Aren't you underestimating yourself too much?"
『Do I need to answer?』
"No."
Yes, Berze had already suspected this. Hillen Cargill was lacking compared to his fame. Not that he was weak—far from it. But compared to other heroes of similar renown, he was lacking.
Honestly, I still wonder how he even killed the Demon Lord of Lust.
Thinking back, even before his regression, Hillen had been more noted for things other than sheer combat power.
But it didn't matter. Whatever the truth, Hillen Cargill was a high-grade hero, and since he had killed the Demon Lord of Lust, a brighter future awaited him.
"But here's the thing—I want this subjugation to proceed smoothly and succeed. Absolutely."
『…Aren't you also a Demon Lord?』
"The only thing that mongrel and I share is the title 'Demon Lord.'"
Draxon had willingly become Duke Alkaine's dog and had been a thorn in Berze's side since the early days of descent. Would Berze lose anything if Draxon died? No.
In fact, strategically…
If Draxon died and the humans grew overconfident, all the better. Berze could use that opening to infiltrate them from another direction.
"If I leaked Draxon's weaknesses, what do you think would happen?"
『…If it were truly effective, I would go myself—even under Rozel Charnt's command.』
"Your eyes are practically dripping with greed."
『It's for the greater cause. Shouldn't we reduce casualties as much as possible?』
The shameless man didn't even let his expression change.
Berze considered it. If Draxon was going to die anyway, then having a hero kill him—especially a hero connected to Berze like Hillen—was best.
If Hillen took Draxon's head, fame would follow. Wealth too. The higher Hillen climbed, the more valuable he became.
The problem was—
If he grows too big, he may become hard to control.
Hillen Cargill was a viper. A polite mask hiding lethal venom within.
Even now, though he obeyed, he was surely plotting how to remove the poison Berze had planted in his mind.
Berze knew it was impossible… though perhaps not. Heroes were creatures that could never be perfectly measured by his logic.
But control did not need to be limited to only one method.
"Then do so. I'll organize it soon and let you know."
『Yes.』
"And use the Golden Moon Merchant Company to discreetly sponsor any heroes who show promise."
『…I wonder what kind of faces those heroes will make when they later find out who their generous sponsor really was.』
"That will be far in the future."
『Ah, and one more thing. From the Golden Moon…』
After a while, the connection was cut.
"Hm."
Berze pulled the recorded voice from the crystal orb and stored it inside a memory crystal. He tossed it straight into the Magic Tower's storage room.
Clack—
The half-dozen memory crystals already sitting there welcomed their new sibling.
***
"What is it."
"It's strange."
When Berze hurriedly cleaned up the situation and came down to the 4th floor, Ernan was staring at him with a peculiar expression.
Off to one side, Kaede was swinging her sword. Judging from how she no longer charged at anything, it seemed the conversation had gone well.
"Strange?"
"Yes. Nairuniel said it. That Demon Lord isn't like a Demon Lord anymore."
"What does that mean?"
"She said you feel different. That you don't feel like a Demon Lord. Just… strange."
"And did that damn spirit sew her mouth shut? Why is she hiding behind your back then?"
Nairuniel, who had shrunk herself and perched on Ernan's shoulder, hopped up in anger.
— How dare you say damn!
— I'm being considerate and giving you space!
"If you're going to get lost, go properly get lost in the Spirit Realm. Why are you even doing this pointless nonsense in the first place?"
— That's because… mmph!
Ernan hurriedly covered Nairuniel's mouth.
"She said you don't feel like a Demon Lord."
"Then what am I supposed to feel like?"
"It might sound silly, but she said… you feel more like one of the lifeforms here. I can't really tell myself. You do feel a bit friendlier but…"
— Don't ignore the senses of a high-rank spirit! You changed. You definitely changed! I don't know what changed but something changed! I'm sure of it!
Nairuniel shouted.
"But you don't know what changed?"
— Correct!
"You express your incompetence far too boldly."
— ...…
"But thanks to you, I learned something good."
Even a high-rank spirit—someone more sensitive to mana than anyone—couldn't identify it clearly. That meant the possibility of Draxon or any other Demon Lord discovering the power of the Phoenix had dropped drastically.
"In that case…"
Fwoosh—
He closed his first heart and opened his second.
Mana replaced demonic energy. His hair and eyes tinged a vivid red.
"How about now?"
"…Uh."
Ernan stuttered.
"Milord Demon Lord… are you really you?"
"Do I not look like it?"
"…You look completely human now. No—closer to an elf, actually. Just… normally handsome."
— What in the world did you do!?
Nairuniel was horrified. Her trembling pupils showed her confusion plainly.
— You don't look like a demon at all! You look like you belong to this dimension!
You have so much mana—more than anything else!
Just like she said, more elf than human! She murmured,
— How can a demon—no, a Demon Lord—look like this? I've never heard of anything like it.
— What on earth have you been doing? Did you go around swallowing spirits?
— No, even then you wouldn't look like THIS…
"That's good."
Berze felt his earlier suspicions harden into certainty. If even a high-rank spirit mistook him for an elf, then most beings would react the same way.
Perfect for testing on Logar.
If even a hero couldn't recognize him…
Then there is no reason for me to avoid acting personally.
None at all.
No matter how many restrictions he tried to impose, in the end, the most reliable person was always himself.
Berze headed toward the stairs leading down to the 3rd floor, but paused beside Kaede. He watched her quietly as she swung her sword, then continued down.
"Haaah…!"
Kaede, who had been desperately averting her gaze, exhaled shakily.
Her damp back wasn't wet from training—it was cold sweat from tension.
"What's wrong?"
"…How can you talk so casually with a Demon Lord?"
"I treat him normally and he doesn't do anything bad."
"Kidnapping is something bad! And he is a cruel Demon Lord! That's not something that changes just because his attitude does!"
"Kidnapping is bad, yes. But maybe someone wanted to run away badly enough for that."
Ernan smiled innocently.
"Like how you ran away because you didn't want to get married?"
"W–What— mmph!"
Kaede, her face flushed red, quickly covered her own mouth.
"He told me."
"That cruel Demon Lord! How dare he gossip about someone's personal life…!"
Kaede trembled.
— Oh?
Nairuniel, who had been listening quietly, suddenly jumped. She brought her tiny face right up to Kaede's, eyes gleaming.
— So you really ran away because you didn't want to get married?
— Fascinating. A story fit for a tale—the forbidden bond between a Demon Lord and a princess…
"Nairuniel, could you please go back to the Spirit Realm? I am begging you politely."
Nairuniel ignored Ernan.
— I asked if you ran away because you didn't want to marry.
"…It's not exactly running away. I simply wanted to live as a hero—not as a princess destined for political marriage."
— That does mean you hated the marriage. So much that you climbed all the way up this dangerous Ergest.
"..."
— So who was it? Where is your groom-to-be?
"Well…"
— Speak quickly! Starting a sentence and refusing to finish it is the single worst insult one can give a spirit!
Overwhelmed by the force of a high-rank spirit's aura, Kaede panicked and looked toward Ernan for help—
She stubbornly kept silent, despite my curiosity.
"…It's Ormus."
She finally opened her mouth.
— Ormus, hmm. If I recall correctly, the princes there used to run wild in their youth and all ended up dead except for three.
— Was it the First Prince? The Second? Or the Third?
"…The king."
It was none of them.
"As far as I know, the King of Ormus is bedridden and about to pass any day now…"
— Ssshh. That's not something you say out loud.
Nairuniel hurriedly covered Ernan's mouth.
***
"…I sense no demonic energy at all. In fact, it feels like standing before an elf, or a highly proficient spirit mage. Yes, like the crown princess of Hilderan…"
Berze even confirmed it with a hero.
'Draxon wasn't like this.'
He had never heard any rumors of Draxon pretending not to be a Demon Lord by wielding some other kind of power.
Of course, if he had done such things, it would have been in secret—but Draxon had never left his own territory in the first place.
'Then again, thinking about it… he didn't have the power of fire.'
A near-immortal regenerative force.
And the heatfire that melts all things.
The Phoenix's power was divided into two main aspects, yet even after obtaining the Phoenix's corpse, Berze had never once seen Draxon wield fire. There weren't even rumors of it.
Instead, the rumors said he was a monster who regenerated wounds in real time.
'Draxon had no affinity for fire to begin with. Like a stupid beast, everything was invested into the body.'
So perhaps that was why he only absorbed the regenerative aspect of the Phoenix's power.
'And he didn't have two hearts either, so he couldn't store them separately…'
If it was a difference born from racial traits, it made sense.
"But how did you do it, exactly? This is the first time a Demon Lord has ever felt so… undemonic. If it's not too rude, may I extract a small sample of your blood…?"
"…You. You have skill in magic?"
"I'm not exceptional, but I dabble a little in alchemy and enchantment…"
…He was more versatile than expected.
As expected of someone counted among the top artisans of the Dwarven Kingdom—it wasn't a lie.
"Your torso seems too long. I'll kindly shorten it myself, as a proper dwarf ought to."
"M–My apologies! I was merely curious…!"
"There is a time to indulge curiosity, and a time not to."
"I will remember that, my lord Demon Lord!"
Logar prostrated himself flat. Berze walked past him.
"Where are you going?"
"I plan to descend the mountain."
"Ah, in that case… could you perhaps fetch some materials for me?"
Berze narrowed his eyes at Logar. It seemed he had grown far too bold after being treated well lately.
"…It's just that I can't go down alone. And I can't disobey your order to reinforce the first floor either…"
"If I have time, I'll consider it."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"But if the results fall short of my expectations, you will pay for making me run errands."
"I–I'll do my absolute best!"
Leaving the trembling Logar behind, Berze stepped out of the tower. As soon as he felt the snow crunch beneath his boots, he suppressed his demonic energy and drew out his mana instead.
He confirmed his hair had taken on a soft red tint, then pulled his hood low to conceal his face entirely.
'I had planned to leave everything to others…'
But thanks to the Phoenix's corpse, a new path had opened—and there was no reason for him not to take it.
Berze recalled his communication with Hillen Cargill.
『Aman Catrash, backed by immense investment funds and my reputation, has firmly secured the position of heir.』
He had bound Hillen's soul with the contract of the Black Knight, but humans were cunning creatures. Distance made hearts fade; fiery passion cooled with time.
Of course, as long as the contract existed, his soul would remain under pressure—but…
'With an opportunity like this, staying cooped up in the tower doesn't suit me.'
Before his regression, he obsessed over behaving "like a Demon Lord," clinging to the proper image.
But in this life, there was no need for that.
If something was even slightly more efficient—and helped him tear heroes apart—he would go out of his way to do it.
'I'd love to watch a Hero March myself, honestly…'
He wondered how it would feel to climb a Demon Lord's tower as a hero.
But without absolute certainty that other Demon Lords wouldn't recognize him, that idea was shelved for now.
'Ideally, Draxon would take a massive blow.'
And if he died, even better.
Draxon had no redeeming qualities, so Berze hoped he'd be roasted alive by Rozel Charnt's flames.
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