I don't know, no
"An expedition led by the Fifth Prince of Acan climbed Mount Ergest. Their goal was to find the Tower."
But as time passed, the ones who returned were nothing but routed survivors.
"And the princess wasn't among them."
"Don't tell me… she was kidnapped by the Demon King?"
"They said it's a bit ambiguous."
Hmm, should I really be saying this?
Count Tomhal stroked his chin.
"Count, we're practically on the same ship now, aren't we?"
"Mmgh… don't go spreading this anywhere."
"Of course not."
After wetting his lips with wine, Count Tomhal continued.
"When a member of the royal family gets kidnapped by the Demon King, what kind of reaction do you usually expect?"
"Why, they fly into a rage and immediately submit a request to the Hero Guild, don't they?"
Typically, they cooperate with the guild and do everything in their power to rescue the royal. There are cases where they don't make a big show of it for less important royalty, but at the very least, they formally report the disappearance and submit a request to the Hero Guild.
"Acan didn't do that?"
"Apparently they've stayed holed up in their assigned annex and haven't made a sound."
It was extremely strange.
"If it wasn't a kidnapping, there's no reason to act like tha—"
"Right. The homeland is also leaning in that direction. A voluntary disappearance."
"That doesn't make any sen… ah."
"You understand now?"
"Yes."
Lavinia Acan's eccentricity was far too well-known.
Not long ago, she was rescued from the Beast Tower, and she said she had walked into it of her own will.
"Ergest is a haven for monsters. It's not strange that the eyes of Lavinia Acan—the greatest chimera creator—might roll at the thought."
"That makes sense."
'At least it wasn't a kidnapping, then.'
A single word can change everything.
If it was a voluntary disappearance rather than a kidnapping, it meant things wouldn't spiral into the worst possible scenario.
"Thank you."
"But why were you curious?"
"No special reason. I just wanted to know anything, even something small, about the Demon King of Ergest."
"Even something small? Why wou—ah."
The Count nodded.
"…I asked something unnecessary."
"No. I'm the one who asked the favor, so it's only natural."
"Thank you for understanding."
"If you ever need my help, please contact me anytime."
"Yes, I'll do that. You're very reassuring! Come, have a drink!"
"Yes."
Clink—
Their wine glasses collided.
***
『I see.』
The dry voice neither scolded nor praised Kain.
There was no affection or concern for his sister. It was simply the tone of someone acknowledging that a person like her would do something like this.
『Return for now. With Lavinia gone, forcing the search to continue is meaningless.』
"My sister…"
『Is there a need to find her? Truly?』
"She is a princess. She is your daughter, Your Majesty. She is family."
But Kain knew such words would not work.
"The Magic Tower won't stay quiet."
『…They won't.』
Tch. A tongue-click sounded.
The king of Acan did not wield absolute power. Though the throne outranked it, even the king could not act recklessly toward the magicians spearheaded by the Magic Tower.
『However.』
『Lavinia disobeyed orders and deserted in the middle of wartime. I will not demand the sacrifice of our soldiers to chase after a deserter.』
"…Yes."
『Return.』
"…Yes, understood."
At the uncompromising tone, Kain bowed his head.
When he placed the communication orb back into its case and stepped outside, the Commander of the Blue Meteor Mage Corps and the Commander of the White Wolf Knights approached.
"What did His Majesty say?"
"He ordered us to return."
"Then the Princess…"
Kain shook his head.
"That can't be allowed!"
The Blue Meteor commander was aghast.
"The Princess is a treasure of the mage world. She must be found."
"It is a royal command."
"…."
"Once we return, I'll find a way. If the Magic Tower steps forward, His Majesty will have no choice but to form a separate search party."
"But will the Princess survive until then…?"
"My sister is not someone who would be taken down easily."
"…Understood."
"Good."
"Please pack up and prepare for departure."
"Yes."
The mage and knight left. Kain went to the quarters assigned to the mercenaries.
"You're back?"
"I bring unfortunate news."
"We're withdrawing?"
"Yes."
"Then the Princess…?"
"We plan to assemble a separate search party after returning. I apologize to both Sir Granada and Sir Hillen. I will never forget this favor."
"It's nothing. We only did what we ought to do."
"Acan will set out again to search for the Tower. I promise we will find her then."
"Thank you."
"And please, visit the kingdom anytime. I will welcome you with the utmost hospitality."
"Yes."
The next morning, the Acan Kingdom army departed Hotenwalk.
***
First floor of the Tower.
With the dwarf watching, Berze stood Lavinia Acan upright and looked her in the eyes.
Slowly, clearly, emphasizing every word:
"That is not right."
"What isn't?"
"That's not a secret."
"Not a secret? Then I say it?"
"No, that's not what I meant."
Berze tapped his chest in frustration. What an infuriating woman.
"I'll ask again. If someone asks you whether you've seen the Demon King's Tower, what will you say?"
"Secret."
"No. You must hide even the fact that it is a secret."
"Hide?"
"Yes. If anyone asks you about the Tower or me, your answer must be: 'I don't know.'"
"I don't know?"
"Yes."
"Lies. I know."
"That's a kind lie."
"Bad."
"You still have to do it. If someone asks whether you found the Demon King's Tower, what do you say?"
"Secret."
"Unbelievable."
Her sullen expression was surprisingly firm. Berze felt flames rising inside him.
But that was simply her own principle. She never spoke lies, and no matter how strange her belief was, she stubbornly followed through if she thought it was right.
The world thought she was insane because that direction was so bizarre.
'No. No matter how crazy she is, she's still human. There must be some point where she's willing to compromise.'
What was the one irresistible urge for Lavinia Acan?
"…."
Something came to Berze, and he opened a pocket dimension.
'It's a waste, but if I can use this to safely build a golem…'
It was a profitable trade.
"…Waaah."
Lavinia's pupils dilated.
Even though it had long been separated from its original body, the thing in front of her was still fresh, still twitching.
Her body trembled at the dense, pure demonic energy.
"This…?"
"A tail of Lust. Belongs to the Demon King."
"Demon King…"
Greed glimmered in her eyes. Without realizing it, she licked her lips—a ridiculous sight.
"Give."
"No."
"Cooperate."
She reached toward the Demon King's tail. Berze snorted and tucked it back into the pocket dimension. Lavinia's hand sliced through empty air.
"…Give."
"I'll ask again."
"What?"
"If someone asks whether you discovered the Demon King's Tower?"
"…."
"If they ask?"
"I don't know."
"If they ask whether you cooperated with the Demon King?"
"No."
"That's it."
Berze extended a finger.
"Come on. A promise."
He felt pathetic, but with Lavinia, something this childish was needed. This kind of ritual mattered more to her than anything.
After a moment of hesitation, Lavinia hooked her pinky around his.
"Promise."
"What do you answer?"
"I don't know, no."
Berze smiled in satisfaction.
The Succubus Queen's tail had now fallen into the hands of the foremost authority on chimera creation.
She beamed brightly.
***
– Dangerous.
The high-ranking water spirit, Nairuniel, rested her chin on her hands at the top of the hill.
"What is?"
– The Demon King brought another royal here. A princess, at that.
– Don't you feel any sense of crisis? Your place is being threatened.
Again.
Ernan let out a long sigh.
"Why is that the only thing in your head, Lady Nairuniel?"
– You're being aggressively polite.
– You weren't like this when we first met.
"Do you not think that you are the reason I became like this?"
– Nope.
– And think about it. If I don't make those kinds of assumptions, what am I supposed to do to pass the time in this boring place?
"You could return to the Spirit Realm."
– That's even more boring.
– Aren't you bored?
"I'm fine."
– Why?
"There's nothing here, but also nothing I have to do."
Even restricted freedom was still freedom. A bird that had been trapped in a small cage was now trapped in a building. It was better this way.
– Still… a princess who makes chimeras?
– She's strange. Much too strange.
– Isn't she even weirder than you?
"I'm not weird."
– People who are weird never know they're weird. Only they don't.
"I'd like to return those words to you exactly as they are."
The high-ranking spirit and the human glared at each other. At that moment, the Demon King came up with the new princess.
A massive titan chimera followed behind her.
– Good heavens. That princess made that?
The ominous, stitched-together demonic energy might have disgusted an ordinary spirit. But Nairuniel was a spirit who had survived over half a year in the Demon King's Tower—she had no prejudice left.
"Stay here."
"Okay."
"Ernan."
"Yes."
Ernan descended from the hill. The chimera, up close, was even larger than expected.
"Guide her well. She'll be staying here for a while."
"For a while? I thought you kidnapped her."
"She came willingly. She's only helping me make a golem core, so don't explain too much."
"…Mm, okay."
Ernan wanted to ask whether that was even possible, but held back. Even so, he could at least be sure the princess standing before him was not normal.
The Demon King vanished. Ernan and Lavinia made eye contact.
"Hello."
"Mm."
"Your name?"
"Lavinia."
"I'm Ernan."
"Mm."
"…"
"…"
A heavy awkward silence settled. It was Nairuniel who broke it.
– Does she have half a tongue or something? Why does she talk so little?
"…She's older than me."
– Oh?
– Sorry. Makes sense, then.
"Idiot."
Lavinia muttered quietly as she stared at Nairuniel.
"What?"
"Where?"
"Hm?"
"Sleep."
"Ah, I'll show you to your sleeping place."
Ernan guided her to an empty patch of ground where there was nothing at all.
"Nothing."
"We're going to make it now."
The spirit of earth was summoned. As the small spirit wriggled its body, the ground rose. It flattened the soil and spread grass across it.
"Waaah."
"Is it alright?"
"Good. More."
"More?"
"Cher."
"Cher?"
Her pale white finger pointed toward her titan standing behind her.
"Ah."
Ernan gave another command to the spirit. A massive bed—one incomparable to Lavinia's own—was formed. Cher lay down on it immediately. It rumbled softly, sounding satisfied.
"It likes it."
"I'm glad. But I heard you made some kind of deal with the Demon King. What was it?"
"…Ah. Don't know."
– Lies!
"Don't know."
She suddenly jumped off the bed. Taking the titan with her, she strode briskly down the slope.
"…"
Left alone, Ernan stared blankly at her disappearing figure.
"…What was that?"
– Don't know. She's weird, that's for sure.
***
A golem artificer is both a magician and a master craftsman.
He designs and builds the magical circuits that form and connect the golem's body, and he constructs the core that provides it with power.
Design, creation, control—everything about a golem begins in the hands of a golem artificer and ends in those same hands.
Raymon of Acan, a golem artificer, took great pride in that fact.
A golem made from an orichalcum alloy. To form its body and operate such a body, new magical concepts and cutting-edge technologies unimaginable to other nations had been incorporated.
And he was one of the key magicians who helped achieve that.
Slap—
"Mmgh."
When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a small pale hand. Behind it was the face of Lavinia Acan.
"Y-Your Highness?"
"Get up."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
He stood up instinctively. But then he froze, confused by the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Wh-Where are we?"
Raymon's last memory was of rampaging Behemoths and the golems fighting them.
"The tower."
"Sorry?"
"Demon King."
"…Hic. You mean the Demon King's Tower?"
"Mm."
She had promised secrecy, but Raymon was an exception. He would be building a golem with Lavinia from here on, and the Demon King allowed that much.
"Why are we in the Demon King's Tower…?"
Raymon looked around. A tall ceiling, interlocking maze-like walls. With no demons or monsters in sight, he couldn't be entirely sure it was the Demon King's Tower—but it certainly wasn't the mountain where he fought the Behemoth.
"Golem making."
"We have to make a golem?"
"You and me."
"With Your Highness? No— we need to escape! What are you talking about!?"
"If you don't."
"If I don't?"
"You die."
"…Your Highness?"
Raymon took a step back.
"The Demon King."
"You."
Lavinia dragged her finger across her neck.
Raymon fell into deeper confusion.
If he didn't make a golem, the Demon King would kill him?
'What kind of nonsense is this!?'
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