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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: Destined for the First Floor
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Beautiful flowers have thorns.
Sweet honey has bees to guard it.
Spirit herbs were more precious than flowers or honey. More beautiful, sweeter, and nobler.
Naturally, many coveted them.
Naturally, many sought to claim them.
Thus, naturally...
"Puer Orcs."
Another hunter seeking the spirit herb existed.
Its entire body was covered in pure white fur. It—no, they—were Puer Orcs, dwellers of the snow mountains.
"What do we do? Even seasoned knights can't stand against them."
"And standing next to you is the Demon King."
I rose to my feet. Slowly, I approached their village.
Kruk—
Kruk?
A monster's cry echoed through the blizzard. Their gazes bored into me.
One, two, three. The golden eyes multiplying one by one brimmed with wariness and hostility.
"...Demonic kin."
A rough voice spilled from one orc's mouth.
Berge hadn't hidden his aura, and they had sniffed out his true nature.
"By the command of the Demon King, leave these behind and depart quietly."
Monsters were ultimately inferior versions of demonic beasts. The demonic beasts scattered across dimensions by the Demon Realm had settled in the middle world, taking on fixed forms.
Dozens, hundreds of generations had passed since their ties to the Demon Realm were severed, but a faint imprint lingered in their flesh.
A loyalty for the demonic kin. For the Demon Realm.
But...
"...No."
"This is ours."
"We heed no demonic words."
The Puer Orcs bared their fangs. Wariness and hostility twisted into murderous rage.
"These things..."
What Berge had overlooked was twofold. First, the connection to the Demon Realm had faded to near nothingness in monsters living isolated lives.
And second, to these instinct-driven creatures, the spirit herb before them was an absolute treasure they could never relinquish.
One they could defy even against some nameless demonic kin.
But the Puer Orcs had overlooked something too: Berge was no mere demonic kin. He was the Demon King.
And that he was one who enjoyed battle.
Whoosh—
Black flames erupted. The pouring snow couldn't dare invade the flames' domain.
"Kill...!"
"Protect what's ours!"
The orcs gripped their weapons and charged with bloodshot eyes.
The black flames parted like massive jaws. They clashed.
Kaboom—!
The lead orc exploded on the spot.
That was the beginning. Explosions, screams, and roars filled the air.
"...Ah."
Ernyan blankly watched the scene.
It was hot.
So hot that the snow mountain blizzard felt like a mere warm breeze.
The black flames moved like a living being.
Melting snow, scorching earth, devouring orcs.
An orc screamed.
It rolled in the snow, but the flames didn't extinguish.
Their fangs never reached the Demon King. Their blades melted pitifully before hellfire.
It was a one-sided massacre. A slaughter.
'Puer Orcs can devour an ogre if five gather. On the mountains, even the strongest knights can't fight them—you must flee if you encounter any.'
'Would I ever have reason to climb a mountain with Puer Orcs?'
'Fair point. Still, best to know, haha.'
Fragments of past memories surfaced.
In the end, it had come to this. Far from any dangerous situation, though.
'This is a Demon King...'
The spirits trembled in fear. They hid behind her back from the absolute one's majesty.
But she couldn't look away. It was beautiful. That strength, that power.
'If only I were that strong...'
Perhaps she wouldn't have lived a prison-like life.
At that moment, darkness fell. The irony of black light vanished.
Hah...
The Demon King exhaled in exhilaration.
The chieftain's body dangled limply in his grasp like a corpse.
Dead? No, not dead.
A faint breath remained. But that was all.
The chieftain was in no state to do anything. Twisted limbs bled, its glossy fur burned away without trace.
Its comrades lay buried in the frozen tundra, blanketed in snow.
"Say it again."
"...W-We offer it."
"I, you see."
The Demon King spat the words like chewing them.
"Hate being ignored. Despise being mocked."
Daring lesser orcs, unworthy of heroes.
The vanguard of the Demon Realm.
"Think I'd be pleased if mangy mutts like you crawled up without knowing your place?"
"M-Mercy..."
"Think mutts who bit their master deserve mercy?"
"W-We serve the D-Demon King."
Creatures filling the Demon King's Tower fell into three broad categories.
Demonic kin.
Demonic beasts.
And monsters.
Demonic kin meant intelligent beings of the Demon Realm.
Demonic beasts were everything else.
Monsters were a branch of demonic beasts long rooted in the middle world.
Two ways to use these monsters as tower denizens.
Imprint a slave seal using Magi Points and the tower's power.
Or crush them with force until they submit willingly.
But Berge had no intention of taking them in.
Even without Magi Point imprints, tower entrants absorbed some of its Magi.
He had no spare Magi Points to waste on such trash right now.
And mutts that bit their master once weren't worth sparing.
"That's not for you to decide."
Crunch—
He claimed its life.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Whoa... The mana purity is incredibly high."
At the heart of the Puer Orcs' village grew plants wafting thick mana scent.
Gulp.
The princess swallowed unwittingly.
"Don't get ideas."
Berge snorted and shoved her aside.
He carefully unearthed three roots and tucked them into his bosom.
This pure white flower called Iasins was a cold herb that grew only in snow mountains.
Holding extreme chill, it was a treasure water spirit sorcerers or ice mages would pay a fortune for.
For a haul found in just 30 minutes, it was too jackpot.
'Who'd have thought a mana-dense spot so close.'
Berge clicked his tongue at the princess, who had gone from dejected to frolicking with spirits.
Even without the spirit herb, this place itself was a grand gift to a spirit sorcerer like her.
'If I'd been more cautious?'
The tower absorbed ambient mana in tiny amounts, converting it to Magi.
Building here would've eased Magi supply somewhat. No changing it now, though.
'Guess exchanging princesses needs more thought.'
He'd considered monitoring the hero situation and shipping off the 1st Princess, then re-kidnapping the 13th if needed.
But her potential made him hesitate.
Erjest Mountains overflowing with spirit herbs.
And a princess wielding top-tier scouts: spirits.
'At least for now...'
He felt the need to exploit her on the side.
Until he minimized dimensional interference and reclaimed his true power.
Until the moment he could sever the necks of the heroes who toyed with him.
'Humans need a proper carrot to put their backs into it.'
"Moving to the next spot. If we find more, might give you one."
"Yes! I'll search hard!"
But as they say, first catch is always luck. Nothing more appeared until she collapsed from exhaustion.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"The heroes have begun their hero's journey?"
"Yes. The elf reported as much."
Returning to the tower, Berge was greeted with news of the hero procession's start.
Hero procession. A term he'd heard ad nauseam in his previous regression.
"...It begins now."
"Thirty-two heroes have banded together."
"Who's leading?"
"A hero named Hillun Kargil. Famous for slaying the Demon King of Lust."
"Hillun Kargil..."
A name he knew. The real deal who beheaded the Lust Demon King.
Of course a heavyweight shows up first thing.
'Payback for building in the Erjest Mountains?'
Meant to filter heroes, but it seemed to draw stronger foes instead.
"How about disrupting the procession as much as possible first?"
"How?"
"Isn't that why you bought Granada?"
"He's for heavier use. Can't waste him frivolously."
"Then buy demonic beasts with Magi Points and send them."
Not worth considering.
Heroes chosen by the world grew by hunting invaders. Heroes leveled up fighting demonic beasts, kin, and kings.
That was the canon, sure.
To hinder their march, while fattening them up to devour later.
Which only fueled his disgust and rejection.
"Rejected."
"No options left then. And if they storm us, we lose for sure. Better spend Magi Points from now on reducing dimensional interference instead of selling?"
"Months at best. Think that'll beat a hero who beheads Demon Kings?"
Impossible. If so, he wouldn't have died in his past life. Back then, he'd kidnapped princesses across countless nations, sowing chaos and infamy.
"So you'll just wait and get hit?"
"No. I'll use it."
"Use it how?"
"Hero procession. How humans adore the spectacle."
Berge knew the procession's weight well. Its ripple effects. The fame they gained.
He'd suffered it endlessly.
"Perfect stage for a mercenary group with skills but no fame."
"Sending Granada?"
"Wish I could have humans cull humans."
Even money-lovers wouldn't assassinate a continent-famous hero aiming for a Demon King's head.
"What else then? They'll still come."
"Nothing."
Sending beasts only grew them. No substitutes existed. So do nothing.
That alone constrained their growth. A procession signaled Demon Kings to send kin—for their growth. Blocking it ensured at least average performance.
"To those hero bastards."
"Pardon?"
"When the princess said she'd furnish the 4th floor, it sparked a thought. Maybe I've been too rigid. Guess I'm just another demonic kin."
Doubt crept in.
Must he reinforce the tower with Magi Points?
Keep traps running at Magi cost?
"What do you think of filling the tower with something other than demonic beasts?"
"What nonsense is that?"
Gordon was aghast.
"Surely not buying more slaves to fill it? Absolutely not! Never!"
"Why?"
"It's a tower! You're a Demon King! You plan to entrust a Demon King's Tower to mere humans?!"
"Not humans. Dwarves?"
"Even worse! You know how stingy those runts are?"
"Short, yeah."
"Imagine those pathetic dwarves greeting heroes from a great tower! What would heroes think?"
"Laugh?"
Picture the tower doors opening to 130cm dwarves. Pretty comical.
"Exactly! We lack dignified beasts as is—trash races? No!"
Demonic kin craved fear, dread, rage, despair.
Would humans fear or despair at dwarves? No. They'd scoff and mock.
That must never happen.
"The throne atop the tower isn't for show. And they won't faithfully obey your commands!"
"Heard dwarves love money too."
"Not like humans selling organs for it. Sneakier, more annoying."
"Stubborn bunch."
"And above all."
"Above all?"
"Weak. Fine as beast fodder, but guardians? No. Towers need the strongest beasts to face heroes!"
"Right. Towers must be packed with the strongest."
"Well said. Now you're acting like a proper Demon King."
Gordon nodded vigorously, relieved to curb his lord's deviation.
"So, we'll fill the 1st floor with dwarves."
"Gah!"
Gordon bit his tongue.
Not convinced at all!