After arriving in Iasin, the coalition army stayed for two weeks to finalize its organization and draw up more detailed plans. The army of 110,000 was divided into three formations, each commanded by a hero.

Balaf Dislord (Dormund front) - Jespine Empire, Kingdom of Dormund.

Roselle Charnt (Korzen front) - Kingdom of Akan, Kingdom of Korzen, Kingdom of Hessen, Kingdom of Iasin, Kingdom of Machiel.

Hillen Cargill (Horton front) - Kingdom of Hilderan, Kingdom of Horton, Traparta Union, Kingdom of Ormus, Kingdom of Gaina.

"So you are Hillen Cargill."

Having advanced into the Kingdom of Horton, Hillen Cargill arrived in the royal capital and met another Star.

Yesica Horton. A princess of Horton, a Star, and one of the few heroes who belonged to a kingdom rather than the Guild.

She was Horton's protecting sword and its last shield. She therefore wished to remain within the kingdom, and although Horton had joined the coalition, she had not.

"It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness."

"Let us dispense with such formalities between fellow Stars."

"I couldn't possibly."

"It has been quite some time, hasn't it?"

"Yes."

"I truly appreciate what you did back then. Thanks to you, I had something to say to Gillian. But I am sorry to think that your life was endangered because of me."

"Not at all. I merely did my duty as a hero. What hero fights a Demon King without risking his life?"

"Not everyone does their duty simply because they should. And it was not your duty in the first place."

"In the end, I failed because my abilities were insufficient."

"It was not your lack of ability. We all underestimated the Demon King of Bitter Cold. Who could have imagined that the Demon King had hidden so many monsters and demonic creatures and laid a trap?"

Hillen barely swallowed the remark that there was also a Demon King preparing mana cannons.

"I have yet to give you the reward I promised, and that is my failing. Is there anything you would like, even now?"

"There is no need."

"Every service deserves recompense. At my request, you risked your life to help Gillian Aint, and I pledged on my honor to reward you fairly."

"... This is rather sudden. Nothing comes to mind at the moment."

"Then after the expedition is over will do. Now that I hear myself, I sound as though I am reproaching you. My apologies."

Yesica smiled bitterly.

"Not at all. Thank you for your consideration."

"It is I who should thank you."

After his private audience with Yesica, Hillen returned to the quarters assigned to him in the royal palace.

"A favor Princess Yesica pledged on her honor to grant me..."

To be honest, he had forgotten. He hadn't fulfilled Yesica's request in hopes of anything particularly grand in the first place.

Renown as a hero, and a connection to her.

The favor had merely been an extra.

The failed expedition had actually damaged his reputation, but he had successfully restored it and left her with a favorable impression of him. Afterward, one incident after another had erupted, and being pushed around by the Demon King had driven it out of his mind.

'This is a useful card to hold.'

It was a favor he could ask of a princess who was also a Star hero, no less. She called it a favor, but given her character and position, she would try to grant almost anything he asked. Its effect would vary enormously depending on how he used it.

'Should I ask her to support me within the Guild?'

'Or to investigate mind magic?'

Though he had become the Demon King's lackey, Hillen never stopped dreaming of escape.

He did not deny that the Demon King had helped him greatly and made him who he was today. But weren't humans creatures who yearned for freedom?

What did it matter how great a hero he became, or whether he killed four or five Demon Kings? He would still be a Demon King's dog.

'... I'll think about it later. First, I need to focus on this expedition.'

A search force of 110,000 and more than a thousand heroes had been mobilized. Even so, Hillen Cargill could not be certain that Berge would die.

That confidence.

It was because of the baseless confidence Berge had displayed.

'No, knowing that Demon King, he must have a reason.'

He simply wasn't sharing it with Hillen.

'His opponent is Balaf Dislord.'

Could whatever the Demon King had up his sleeve really deal a blow to the Dragon Slayer sharpening his blade for him?

Hillen was certain that was the crux of this hero's journey.

'But...'

His thoughts naturally turned to their private meeting the other night, and his brow furrowed.

'Balaf Dislord suspects my relationship with the Demon King...?'

He hadn't said so outright, but there had been something odd in the air. It was only the tiniest hint, yet Hillen had sensed it instinctively.

'Is it because the tower moved, after all?'

Hillen had found it, but Balaf had not. A tower moving was an outlandish occurrence without precedent. It was admittedly more plausible to believe Hillen was hiding something than that the tower had moved.

'But why...'

Didn't he think Hillen had killed the Demon King and concealed it? If the tower was gone, surely his first assumption would be that the Demon King was dead?

Like the Demon King of Carnal Desire.

'I don't know.'

After pondering it briefly, Hillen shook his head. Whatever the case, this matter had long since passed out of his hands.

He closed his eyes and prayed fervently.

'Please let the outcome work in my favor.'

Either Berge could cut off Balaf's head and eliminate the seed of suspicion altogether, or Balaf Dislord could cut off Berge's head and free Hillen from servitude.

Either way, Hillen Cargill would have one less worry.

* * *

To monsters, humans gathered in vast numbers were merely prey that was easy to find.

The Poil Griffins, which held a territory of their own in the monster paradise of Erjest, were no exception. Hairier than ordinary griffins, they lived in flocks ranging from a few dozen to hundreds.

As they flew through the sky, they caught the enticing scent of food. The sight of countless humans made their mouths water.

The lead griffin ordered them to prepare for the hunt. Some protested that there were far too many humans, but their leader ignored them.

Even he could see that there were quite a lot of humans, but that was all. Humans were nothing more than feeble prey anyway. A few might put up a decent fight, but if the griffins swooped down and carried off a handful, the rest would surely lose their nerve and flee.

And so the griffins beat their wings and began diving toward the humans together.

And that...

─────!

...was the lead griffin's final memory.

SLASH

An enormous slashing strike split his body in two. As the griffins reeled at their leader's death, countless arrows and blasts of aura descended on them.

THUD-THUD-THUD

SKREEEEE!

The Poil Griffins' screams shook the quiet, snow-covered mountains.

"Quite a fierce welcome."

Balaf Dislord, who had split the lead griffin with a single blow, flicked the blood from his sword. Without any further intervention from him, the griffins were reduced to bloody pulp and killed in moments.

Only ten or so escaped. Balaf did not bother pursuing them. An attack by a flock of roughly a hundred griffins, a rare sight elsewhere, was simply an everyday occurrence here.

"We will split our forces here."

After their first proper battle since entering Erjest, the coalition troops from the Empire and Dormund nodded, remaining on their guard.

Balaf divided the army of 40,000 into four forces of 10,000 and assigned each its own search area.

Balaf Dislord would command the First Force himself. Gillian Aint would command the Second, Aina Diaphrin the Third, and a hero from Dormund named Buern the Fourth.

For a coalition of 30,000 imperial soldiers and 10,000 Dormund soldiers, the appointments fit perfectly.

"Search every inch as you work your way up from the foot of the mountains. We will not fail a second time. We will find that tower."

"Yes."

"We will."

"I don't want to fail twice either, so I'll have to give it my all."

The search force split four ways, then into dozens more, scouring the mountain range from its foot upward. Monsters whose territories had been invaded tried to throw their weight around, but all vanished with screams, reduced to piles of corpses.

And a Demon King watched it all from afar.

"Are they planning to wipe out every last monster?"

Brainless fools. Berge clicked his tongue.

"Do you recognize any faces?"

"Quite a few."

"Most of them will die."

"They won't all fit inside the tower."

"Let me correct that. Most of the heroes will die."

"Will you spare the rest?"

"If they tuck their tails and run of their own accord, I have no intention of going out of my way."

"That's a relief. Thank you for your mercy."

"Mercy, is it?"

At Kaede's thanks, Berge gave a self-deprecating smile. It wasn't mercy. It was retreat.

Setting a trap did not reduce the overwhelming disparity in their forces. Even if he slaughtered the heroes in one fell swoop, tens of thousands of soldiers would remain. If he gleefully charged out, he would likely come under concentrated attack and be forced into an inglorious retreat.

Every one of them was an elite, not some generic Soldier No. 1.

"Krutu, what would you do?"

"If you give the order, my lord, I will punish them in your name."

"Don't. You would be annihilated."

What could a mere few hundred orcs accomplish?

"Let's just head back."

"Is that all right?"

"I originally intended to guide them toward the tower, but..."

If they were going to work their way up while searching absolutely everything, that changed matters. They would move more slowly, clash with monsters more often, and suffer greater losses, but they would reach the fake tower without fail.

That was enough.

"What sort of hero is Balaf Dislord?"

"I've had no direct dealings with him, so I cannot really say. But I do know he is exceptionally strong and represents the Empire."

Balaf Dislord had maintained ties with the Empire for quite some time. The Empire had long cultivated relationships with several Star heroes, and Balaf was one of the heroes it sponsored.

"Deep ties... Then how likely do you think it is that Barstein has passed into his hands?"

"... What? That's impossible."

"Why?"

"The Red Dragon Sword is the symbol of the Empire. No, of the imperial family. They would never give it to someone who is not of imperial blood."

Kaede hadn't even heard any rumors that Barstein had come into anyone's possession.

"If Barstein had been taken out and its owner decided, the entire Empire would have been in an uproar."

"And if he has it despite that?"

"That would..."

"Despite that."

Berge emphasized each word distinctly.

"If he has it?"

"... The Red Dragon Sword is different from the ordinary relics in the secret vault. They would never allow it to be taken out simply because it had chosen an owner."

"Then?"

"If someone could nevertheless take it out without a soul knowing and hand it to someone outside the imperial bloodline..."

"If someone could?"

"... It could only be my father."

Not the First Prince, the Second Prince, the First Princess, or the Third Prince.

Only the emperor himself could deceive them all.

"...!"

* * *

Meanwhile.

"Come on, let's set sail! To our Demon King!"

"O Carnal Desire! We are coming!"

In the Seratin Islands, where war raged between the pirates and the kingdoms, some could no longer endure the conflict and began to flee.