Roselle Charnt had provided a wealth of invaluable information.

The dwarves had agreed to supply their levitation ship. The navies of Akan, Hessen, and Dormund would mobilize, joined by elite troops from each nation. The hero's journey would begin in two weeks at the earliest, and within a month at the latest.

Six Stars would participate: Balaf Dislord, Roselle Charnt, Aina Diaphrin, Ralph Schmitz, Watton Collo, and Pablo Barkat.

“I didn't know why they left Hillen Cargill out, but now I do. The Guildmaster realized that bastard is a Demon King's lackey.”

Those were Roselle Charnt's parting words.

Berge had anticipated that much himself. That was why he had already told Hillen to prepare for what would happen once this was over.

The problem was that he didn't know whether those suspicions stopped at Hillen or extended all the way to Ernyan and Hilderan.

'They most likely stop at Hillen.'

The Guildmaster might suspect he had ties to a hero, but surely he couldn't know Berge had joined forces with the princess he had kidnapped.

Still, certainty was dangerous. Berge decided to keep the possibility in mind.

'What matters right now is how to stop the hero's journey.'

The expedition's broad outline was much as he had expected. The kingdoms' navies would transport a vast army, while the heroes boarded the levitation ship and advanced on the tower.

The gain lay less in learning anything new than in turning assumptions into certainties.

He had already settled on his approach: meet the enemy as usual.

Those with overwhelming strength could win without devising any elaborate schemes. Even so, to eliminate unforeseen complications, he would first greet the enemy with traps, then concentrate all his forces at the summit.

That would be enough. However many enemies there were, only the heroes aboard the levitation ship could enter the tower anyway. The others could fire their mana cannons and make all the fuss they liked, but how would they reach the deep sea?

The dwarves might make diving suits, but there wouldn't be many. Even if the mana cannons had sufficient range, shots that had fought through the resistance of the water all the way down couldn't put a single scratch on the tower's exterior.

Why else had humans given up on destroying the tower itself?

“So, in the end...”

“We need a way to capture the levitation ship,” Reina murmured.

“Can those levitation stones really be attached to the tower?”

“With the tower's powers and the dwarves, certainly. We just need to add demonic energy points.”

“Remarkable. If it is possible, I would very much like to see it.”

It wasn't that she harbored any romantic dreams of a sky tower. She simply found it fascinating. She wanted to see for herself because she could hardly believe a tower could do such a thing.

“Once the heroes enter the tower, the levitation ship will be empty. What if we seize it then?”

“Not a bad idea.”

“It is a bad idea.”

Louise flatly contradicted Kaede's suggestion.

“Even if all the heroes get off, the dwarves will still be piloting it. Father will have ordered them to put the ship's safety first, so they'll flee the moment anything seems wrong.”

Lavinia quietly raised her hand.

“Monsters.”

“You've tamed a few sea monsters, so you want to use them to hold it in place?”

She nodded.

“Are you kidding? That thing has hundreds of mana cannons. A few sea monsters would be reduced to mush in an instant.”

“Since you have made that hero Roselle Charnt our ally, why not have her wreak havoc inside?”

“That would only get Roselle killed after all the trouble we took to plant her there.”

They were dealing with Balaf Dislord, after all.

“What if I seduce all those dwarves?”

“We have standards, you know.”

“Oh my, what is this dwarf babbling about now?”

“I'm saying proud dwarves won't lose their heads over some Demon King who's been reduced to an ordinary demon.”

“Even if I'm not a Demon King, I can handle one little brat like you easily enough.”

“Wouldn't my axe smash your skull first?”

“Why do you two fight every time you meet?”

“This uppity dwarf bitch keeps picking fights!”

“That lanky demon keeps trying to bewitch the dwarves!”

Berge's brow furrowed.

“Have you?”

“... Well, rather than me bewitching them, you could say even dwarves recognize my superior beauty and sex appeal?”

“Don't.”

“... Seduction is practically instinct for a succubus. Telling me to suppress and hide my instincts is no different from castrating an incubus...”

“Don't.”

“... Tch.”

“You have the pirates, don't you?”

“They're outside the tower. That's no fun.”

“Then you may live on that island too.”

“Really?”

“As long as you conceal your identity properly... No, there's no need to hide it anymore. Just go pirating with them.”

“And run back to the tower if things go wrong?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

Vivian looked intrigued. Life in the tower must, in fact, have been quite stifling for her.

Succubi possessed an instinctive urge to seduce others, but here she couldn't properly do anything while worrying about Berge's reaction.

Being worshipped as a queen by the pirates, harming humans, and building her notoriety would be better.

“Let's leave that aside and return to the matter at hand.”

“What about having the dwarves make a restraint? Something to tie the levitation ship down so it can't move.”

“Ordinary restraints wouldn't hold it, would they?”

“Probably not?”

“We don't have much time.”

Even the dwarves couldn't make something capable of completely immobilizing a treasure like the levitation ship in the time available.

“I can do it. The moment they anchor the ship, I shall freeze everything.”

“Oh?”

It was a rather appealing suggestion.

Reina Sordein would have to remain outside the tower and consequently couldn't participate in the battle against the heroes, but he didn't think losing her alone would lead to defeat.

'We have Roselle Charnt on our side now, after all.'

As a precaution, he couldn't ask her to openly betray them, but telling her merely to pretend to fight would take one opponent out of the equation.

That left four.

Berge would handle Balaf Dislord himself, while Ralph Schmitz, Aina Diaphrin, Watton Collo, and Pablo Barkat could be entrusted to Kaede, Lavinia, Louise, and Vivian respectively.

The self-proclaimed Four Heavenly Kings had grown exponentially stronger after absorbing elixirs derived from the dragon. Their equipment was also being made as a top priority, so by the time the expedition arrived, they would all be outfitted with the finest arms and armor.

That would be enough. They could take on the Stars.

*'Even if the remaining heroes are strong, we have dozens of high-ranking demons...'

Vivian's succubi were another matter, but the frost demons Reina had brought were undeniably powerful and dependable.

The problem was...

“Reina, can you hold out?”

“What do you mean?”

“A thousand or so heroes will enter the tower. Even including the elite troops who aren't heroes, there'll be two thousand at most. But outside, there will be hundreds of ships.”

Along with tens of thousands of soldiers.

Unless they were fools, they would come with their own preparations for naval combat.

“If you freeze the sea, they'll discover you. You'll come under concentrated fire.”

However powerful a Demon King Reina was, this was an army tens of thousands strong. No one was invincible against sheer numbers.

“They'll have plenty of mages too. Can you be certain your ice won't thaw when hundreds of mages cast a joint spell? The levitation ship will naturally do everything it can to escape.”

“I can hold out.”

“No matter what?”

“I will prove it.”

Her eyes filled with resolve, but Berge couldn't shake his unease.

Whenever he felt this anxious and brushed it aside, assuming things would work out, something inevitably went wrong.

“Um.”

Elena raised her hand.

“The issue is keeping the levitation ship safely pinned down while the battle is taking place inside the tower, right?”

“Yes.”

“And it'll be in the sea?”

“We'll move the tower, but ultimately, yes.”

Even now, they were moving in search of deeper waters to make the enemy's approach more difficult.

“And the sea is water.”

“That's obvious.”

“Then it would be an ideal environment for a water spirit, wouldn't it?”

“... You want to bring Ernyan here?”

“She'd come running if you called, my lord.”

“But it's too dangerous—”

“My sister contacted me.”

“Contacted you?”

“She said she'd contracted with a spirit king.”

“...!”

* * *

『“Is it true?”』

“It's true. It's all thanks to the dragon blood you gave me, my lord. Thank you.”

Ernyan bowed her head.

She had already been standing at the threshold. The overflowing mana within the dragon's blood had carried her to a higher realm of mastery.

To a contract with Naias, the water spirit king.

“I wanted to tell you myself, but Elena beat me to it.”

『“Impressive.”』

“I am rather impressive.”

She cleared her throat and proudly lifted her chin.

“So, did you contact me just to ask about that?”

『“No.”』

“Then tell me.”

Ernyan met the Demon King's eyes through the communication orb. Her amethyst eyes sparkled brightly.

『“I need your help.”』

“How?”

『“While the battle is taking place inside the tower, I want you to hold the levitation ship underwater so it cannot escape.”』

“In what capacity?”

『“... As one of the Four Heavenly Kings, the Dark Spirit Summoner.”』

“With pleasure!”

Ernyan smiled radiantly.

“But is that a request or an order?”

『“Is there a difference?”』

“If it's a request, you'll need to compensate me. If it's an order, I'll simply have to obey as one of the Four Heavenly Kings, won't I?”

『“What compensation?”』

“Chocolate.”

『“Chocolate? But you gave me—”』

“Exactly. I haven't received any chocolate from you myself, my lord.”

『“...”』

The silence lasted only a moment.

『“I'll give you some.”』

“I like chocolate with almonds.”

『“I don't think there was any like that among the ones you gave me...”』

“Exactly.”

『“... Understood.”』

Chocolate was a small price to pay for putting a spirit king to work.

Berge did his best to console himself.

『“I'll contact you again soon, then.”』

“Yes.”

The connection ended.

“Whew.”

Ernyan released the breath she had been holding.

He seemed even more handsome now.

A faint blush rose to her cheeks.

- This is the best part.

- You're both starting to find each other adorable, aren't you?

- You want to hug him, don't you? You want to do all sorts of things, don't you?

Nairuniel poked her face out past the darkened communication orb.

“Yes.”

- You're not even denying it anymore?

“I've learned how to deal with you, Lady Nairuniel.”

- How to deal with me?

“Lady Naias.”

HUMMM

An immense presence manifested.

- Uh...

“Would you remove her?”

- If you hadn't asked, I would have stepped in myself.

The queen of all water spirits took graceful form.

- H-hey, you can't treat a spirit like luggage!

- I'm the one who's been by your side all this time!

- You can't throw your old spirit away like a worn-out shoe just because a new one showed up!

Nairuniel wailed.

- Be quiet. I've already heard that your lewd fantasies are spreading through the Spirit Realm and corrupting the minds of young spirits.

- I-I've been wronged! Fantasies? It's all perfectly real!

- That's the part you object to?

The queen smiled.

- You are barred from entering the Middle Realm for the time being.

- N-no! Not being able to watch this fun firsthand anymore is far too harsh a punishment!

- Judging by your reaction, I would say it is quite appropriate.

Naias dragged Nairuniel back to the Spirit Realm by her hair.

The noisy room fell silent once more.

“Well, then...”

Ernyan took out the mask she always carried close to her chest.

It bore no particular enchantment and looked like something one might wear to a masquerade ball.

But it was the symbol of the Dark Spirit Summoner.

“It's time to return to my real work.”

She gave an alluring smile.

The thought of returning to the tower after so long had her humming without even realizing it.