Chapter 153

Chapter 153
## Chapter 153: A Forgotten Tradition

“Do you people think this is acceptable?!”

“That’s right! Take us home this instant!”

“You heartless monsters!”

“Please, just let us go!”

Natalia Iasin was struggling to process her new reality. Beside her, the second, third, and fourth princesses of the Iasin Kingdom were experiencing a similar state of total bewilderment.

Only a few days prior, they had been lounging in the royal annex, hosting sophisticated social gatherings for the nobility and cementing their status within the political and social elite.

In the blink of an eye, that life had been snuffed out.

They had been snatched away.

Their captor was none other than the dreaded Flame Demon King, now residing within the Tower of Flames.

The fact that all four sisters had been taken at once provided zero comfort to their plight.

Even more startling was the environment inside the spire. Rather than a nightmare realm crawling with horrific beasts and demons, the floors were populated by spirits and elves.

If it weren’t for the occasional demon descending from the upper levels, one might easily forget this was the lair of a Demon King.

Initially, the sisters assumed these other beings were fellow captives.

However, the elves and spirits showed no signs of rebellion. On the contrary, they seemed to be working in tandem with the demons to make life miserable for the Iasin sisters.

The realization was hard to stomach, and denial quickly boiled over into indignation.

“You are traitors to your own kind! Heaven will punish you for this. People already know where this tower is! Once the hero’s crusade begins, you won’t be able to— Eek!”

“Sister!”

—

The sound of a sharp palm striking flesh rang out, forcing Natalia’s face to whip to the side. Her lip split under the force, and a thin line of crimson began to leak down her chin.

“You… how dare you…!”

“Just be quiet already.”

“Do you have any idea who I am?!” Natalia shrieked.

“Yeah! Do you realize our status?!” her sisters added.

“Then do you lot have any idea who I am, you annoying brats?!”

*Thud!*

A heavy battle axe tore through the air, narrowly missing Natalia and her sisters before burying its blade deep into the earth. Clods of dirt sprayed against their skin, the sting of the impact grounding them in the terrifying reality of the moment.

“You think you’re the only ones who got hauled in here? Who do you think you are, acting like you’re still sitting on thrones?”

“I-I am Natalia Iasin, the first princess of the Iasin Kingdom! How can you presume to swing a weapon at me?!”

“If you’re Natalia Iasin, then I’m Louise Berft, you stupid girl!”

“What?”

“Be sure to send a message to the Berft Kingdom later. Tell them their princess got her face slapped by another princess—and tell them to send the bill for the medicine!”

“…L-Louise Berft?”

“That’s the one. And that girl over there watching us is the ninth imperial princess of the Jespain Empire. You should bill them too. Ask them why they just sat there while a royal got hit.”

“K-Kaede Jespain is here as well?”

“Now that you’ve finally processed that, keep your mouths shut. It’s always the weakest ones who make the most noise.”

The sudden realization that they were in the presence of even higher-ranking royalty silenced the Iasin sisters instantly, and the shock caused them to collapse into a faint.

“We were right in the middle of a good match, and these nobodies had to ruin the flow.”

Louise clicked her tongue in annoyance and pulled her axe from the dirt.

“The path is clear. Let’s get back to it!”

“Don’t you ever get exhausted?” Kaede asked.

“Exhausted? I’m having the time of my life. You have no idea how bored I was, stuck in that annex pretending to be a refined lady.”

“…Fine. Sparring with you helps me improve as well.”

“But what’s the plan for those girls? Don’t tell me you’re going to force those strange orbs down their throats again.”

“I’m certain the Demon King has his reasons for this.”

“You’ve certainly become a devoted follower, haven’t you? Is that just how all knights are? Your emperor would be beaming with pride.”

“The same could be said for your loyalty to the Berft Kingdom.”

“Hmph!”

Louise initiated the strike with her axe.

Kaede shifted to parry the blow.

Ignoring the unconscious princesses sprawled nearby, the two continued their intense duel, determined to fight until the sisters regained consciousness.

—

The Iasin Kingdom did not immediately launch a military campaign to rescue the four abducted princesses. A strange silence hung over the nation, almost as if the authorities were questioning if the event had even occurred.

However, while the royal court remained paralyzed, the public was rife with gossip, which served to take some of the heat off the Golden Moon Merchant Group.

Capitalizing on the distraction, Berge paid another visit to the merchant house.

“The supplies?”

“It’s going to take several more trips to move it all,” Aman replied.

“Then I’ll make the trips.”

“But we have some complications.”

Aman spoke with visible hesitation.

“What kind of complications?”

“Trading the Demon King’s horn is one thing, but quietly arranging buyers with other trade syndicates for the magic cannons is proving difficult.”

The value of a Demon King’s horn was obvious, but magic cannons were high-level military assets that every nation coveted.

No government would simply watch from the sidelines while a private merchant group manufactured and distributed such weaponry.

“There is only so much weight Lord Hillun’s name can carry. Some Iasin aristocrats are already labeling us as puppets for Hilderan. Even the palace is showing signs of a crackdown. The disappearance of the princesses weakened their grip, but that’s only a temporary reprieve.”

They were merely stalling for time.

“That isn’t a problem I can solve directly,” Berge noted.

“We are currently bribing and lobbying officials to hold them off as long as we can.”

“What if we moved the entire operation to Hilderan?” Berge suggested.

With a powerful patron there, the issues would vanish. If Crown Princess Ernyan gave them her full backing, no one would dare interfere.

“Giving up our established base would be the same as destroying the merchant group itself.”

“That’s a problem.”

“It’s not entirely a lost cause, though.”

“Go on.”

“We could gift a portion of the magic cannons to the palace and the high-ranking nobility in exchange for their official protection.”

“Do you have the right contacts for that?”

“It cost us a fortune in bribes, but we managed to get a line to the crown prince.”

“Wait, so that means in the end…”

“Yes, we are going to need a higher volume of magic cannons.”

“I’ll bring a larger shipment next time,” Berge agreed.

It was a better alternative than letting the business fail.

“You have my thanks!”

“But how are you going to justify the disappearance of the other materials?” Berge asked, referring to the golem components he had requested. If massive amounts of inventory vanished under such scrutiny, people would notice.

“We’ll dispatch dozens of transport wagons to our private workshops under the guise of making parts for the Demon King’s magic cannons.”

Producing hundreds of cannons was a massive undertaking. They might be able to mask the missing stock as part of the manufacturing process, but…

“Aren’t the materials for magic cannons and golems completely different?”

There was some overlap, but many components were distinct.

“We’ll claim the materials went toward golem experimentation. With high security and the excuse of massive research costs, how would they prove otherwise?”

“And what about the directors? They still think we’re just selling these, right?”

“As I said, we utilized Lord Hillun’s influence. These are men who have dedicated a decade to this group under their fathers’ legacies—they accepted the explanation.”

Hillun Kagil was the recognized primary investor with the most shares. Naturally, the executives followed his lead.

“As long as the end result is magic cannons, they’ll be satisfied. It might eventually come to light, but for the time being, it’s our best strategy.”

Hillun really was proving to be an invaluable asset.

*‘Giving him Drakson was definitely the right move.’*

Even someone as influential as Hillun couldn’t have managed this without the power gained from defeating Drakson.

Berge let out a quiet, satisfied laugh.

—

“…What exactly are you saying?”

『The strategy has shifted. You are being completely barred from participating in the hero’s expedition.』

Martin struggled to process the news.

Even without his ego, Hillun was the only hero credited with defeating two Demon Kings. Most people believed he was on the verge of overtaking the long-standing champion, Ballarf Disroad.

For a man of his stature—one who had carefully cultivated a relationship with the third prince—to be pushed aside made no sense.

“What caused this change?”

『I don’t have the specifics. His Majesty is keeping his council. He only mentioned that things have changed and it’s no longer a competition between us.』

“So the entire imperial family is out…?”

『Precisely.』

Why the sudden shift?

It didn’t align with the empire’s previous moves. Hadn’t the emperor been totally detached from such matters since he took the throne?

『Your confusion is the same as mine—I simply don’t have the answers.』

“I understand.”

『Regardless—you did well rescuing Ernyan Hilderan. You really stood out.』

“Yes.”

『Tell me, what was your impression?』

“I’m not sure what you’re asking.”

『The tower. The Demon King himself.』

“It seemed standard. Much like the Blizzard or Adamant Demon Kings. He even left the princess on the very first floor. It felt almost too simple for someone who had set such a elaborate trap for us.”

『Standard. I see.』

Martin gave a slow nod.

『Understood. We won’t be marching together this time, but you are now Hilderan’s champion—our connection doesn’t end here.』

“Of course. The time we spent climbing that mountain toward the tower… that’s a bond I won’t forget.”

『Thank you. I’ll be in touch.』

“Yes.”

The magical connection was severed.

On the other side of the communication crystal, the Jespain prince let a smirk cross his face.

“Standard.”

A Demon King who had successfully kidnapped a crown princess and an imperial princess, and was now negotiating with a prince like him.

“There is no way that being is ‘standard’.”

To believe that would be to fall for a cheap trick.

“The Demon King is playing a very clever game.”

By releasing the Hilderan princess early, he had effectively neutralized their reason for an immediate, all-out assault.

“Somehow,” the prince mused.

He had a strong intuition that this Demon King was going to survive this coming crusade as well.

“Are you not going to press him about the Demon King’s horn or the production of magic cannons?” Sir Kawell asked softly from the shadows.

“The merchant group is being secretive about it. They clearly don’t want to talk. Not even Hillun. There’s no point in provoking them right now.”

“But those are significant items, my lord.”

“And? There are plenty of others who will put pressure on the Golden Moon group without me having to lift a finger.”

“True enough.”

“Furthermore, the empire isn’t going to be intimidated by magic cannons coming out of some kingdom’s trade guild.”

It was impressive that they had secured the technology, but aside from Berft, the empire and the Kingdom of Akan possessed multiple world-class workshops.

It was worth keeping an eye on, but not worth a panic.

“I am still quite curious how they managed to get their hands on the Lust Demon King’s horn, though.”

Unfortunately, that secret would have to wait.

—

Following the rescue of Ernyan Hilderan, the already massive reputation of Hillun Kagil reached a fever pitch.

He was inundated with dozens of invitations to balls and social gatherings daily; his residence was constantly swarmed by the curious and the powerful.

However, he was careful not to accept every invitation or meet with every suitor.

While he took great pleasure in turning social ties into networks of power, his alliance with Ernyan required him to be extremely selective.

“Th-this one looks acceptable. We should attend this particular ball.”

“As you wish, Your Highness.”

“Oh, look, a very charming gentleman is hosting this one. What do you think? Do you want to accompany me? You can let Hillun be my escort.”

“That’s in poor taste,” Hillun replied.

“Well, it’s certainly better than the vipers who are constantly trying to steal each other’s seats.”

Day by day, Hillun worked to solidify connections with the nobility that Ernyan had approved of, while simultaneously distancing himself from the factions led by the second prince and Duke Heinz.

Since everyone now perceived him as Ernyan’s primary supporter, it was only a matter of time before the king called for him.

“Enter.”

The king set aside his paperwork as Hillun walked in. A servant arrived shortly after with tea.

“Please, sit.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

A long silence followed, punctuated only by the sound of tea being sipped.

The king was the first to break the quiet.

“I hear you have become the brightest star in the social circles lately.”

“That is likely an exaggeration.”

“Is it? Even with the nobility falling over themselves to meet you?”

It wasn’t just the nobles.

“My children seem to have grown far too fond of you.”

“That is likely because I was the one who returned Her Highness Ernyan to her family.”

“Don’t play the fool with me. If this were a simple case of a hero and a rescued princess, perhaps.”

“……”

The king let out a tired, knowing laugh. It wasn’t shocking—he was well aware of the internal power struggles within his own family.

However, the fact that he allowed it to happen was what was truly strange.

“Does Your Majesty not have a preference for Her Highness Ernyan?”

“Preference? She is the only one of my offspring who possesses the necessary qualities to rule Hilderan.”

“And yet…”

“And yet, why do I permit the others to move against her? That is what you wish to know, isn’t it?”

“…No, Your Majesty.”

“Yes, it is.”

The king smiled thinly and leaned back.

“It is to temper her.”

“Temper her?”

“Ernyan is destined to be a great queen, one who can stand equal to the emperors of the world. If she were to be broken by something as trivial as sibling rivalry, how could she ever hope to navigate the complex world of international politics and high diplomacy?”

“……”

Hillun found the king’s logic difficult to reconcile. However, it certainly shed light on why Ernyan had developed such a sharp, twisted personality.

*‘In some ways, this place is more ruthless than the empire.’*

He fought back a dry, hollow laugh.

“From that perspective, her being taken to the tower was actually a stroke of luck. I was worried that living within these palace walls was making her perspective too narrow; now, she has truly seen what the world is like.”

Hillun wondered what kind of expression the king would make if he knew that his “world-experienced” daughter had actually become one of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings.

The urge to tell him was almost overwhelming.

“I…”

Hillun forced his face to remain neutral. The king’s voice took on a more serious tone.

“Do you know why I am sharing this with you?”

“……”

It was indeed strange. Admitting that he purposefully allowed royal infighting was the kind of scandal usually kept behind closed doors.

A sense of dread began to pool in Hillun’s stomach. The king’s eyes locked onto his.

“…I have no idea.”

“Then why do you think I summoned you here today?”

“To discuss my standing in society?”

“I have a distaste for heroes who meddle in politics, so no. Would I really call for a legendary hero just to discuss gossip?”

“Then… what is it?”

A cold sweat began to form on Hillun’s brow.

“A long time ago, there was a customary practice from the era when the Demon King towers first appeared. It was a time when royals were frequently taken and the Demon Kings were a source of genuine terror. This was centuries in the past.”

“I’m not sure I follow your meaning.”

“That makes sense—it is a forgotten tradition.”

The old era? A custom?

Why was he giving this history lesson?

“In those days, humanity had no way to stand against the Demon Kings, and they lived in constant fear.”

“I am aware of the history.”

“The kingdoms would fall into a panic whenever a royal was snatched. The kings would plead for someone to rescue them, but very few were brave enough to try.”

The situation was different back then—the power of heroes and the status of Demon Kings were not what they are today.

“The kings had to offer a reward that was appropriate for someone risking their life in a tower. And once the royal was returned, they had to ensure a powerful protector was assigned to them to prevent it from happening again.”

A horrifying thought began to take shape.

“A hero who fights his way into a tower to save a member of the royal family—don’t you think that’s a perfect scenario?”

Was he serious?

“What are your thoughts on this?”

“…So what you are implying is…”

Hillun took a dry gulp, silently begging the universe for this not to be where the conversation was heading.

“Yes. What do you think about a betrothal to Ernyan? The Crown Princess of Hilderan and the hero who saved her—it’s a poetic union.”

Especially since the two of them had clearly grown so close during the rescue.

The gods, it seemed, had decided to abandon Hillun.

“……”

Oh, god.

Visions of Berge coming to murder him began to flash vividly through Hillun’s mind.