Chapter 196: Compatibility
It was an interesting matter.
No, was it truly interesting? Wasn’t it irritating instead?
Lavinia Arkan—vanishing wasn’t enough as a princess of the kingdom; even Rozel Charnte, a hero who represented the kingdom, had disappeared as well.
‘And on top of that, both of them were headed along the exact same route toward Ergest.’
Cain Arkan, the Fifth Prince of Arkan, let out a bitter smile.
Had Ergest been cursed?
‘Pale was there?’
No matter how one looked at it, this was absurd. She appeared out of nowhere, declared she was leaving for Ergest to find someone called Pale, and then vanished again.
If she was going to say something like that, she should have formally reported it to the Magic Tower or to His Majesty the King.
Fortunately, there were not just one or two nobles who had witnessed that eccentric behavior and heard her purpose. Of course—after all, it had been a social gathering.
‘Then where in the world is my sister, really?’
She had gone missing in Ergest. But whether she was still in Ergest was another matter.
Even the allied forces, who had tried to scour the entire mountain range in search of the Tower of Dark Flame, had failed to find her. Even if they hadn’t searched every single mountain.
‘Could it be…?’
She wasn’t dead. She couldn’t be.
Cain forcibly suppressed the creeping anxiety. He reassured himself that there was no way.
That was only natural. What kind of person was Lavinia Arkan? There was no way she would meet a meaningless death in some mountain range.
‘Sister, please be safe.’
That way, wouldn’t she be able to witness her younger brother—who owed her so much—becoming king?
The reason he, merely the Fifth Prince, could confidently step into the succession struggle was because of his close relationship with Lavinia, who had the backing of the Magic Tower. If it was a request from Cain, she almost never refused.
“Sir Klein.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Send word to the Magic Tower and to His Majesty about Duke Rozel’s movements.”
“I receive the order.”
The knight disappeared. Cain clapped his hands to dispel the unsettled atmosphere.
“There was an unexpected incident just now. It has been resolved, so we will resume the banquet.”
The orchestra began to play once more.
The Fifth Prince’s struggle to build friendly forces that supported him had only just begun.
* * *
“Defection?”
“Rather than a defection, it was said that she departed for Ergest to search for someone called Pale.”
“The reason?”
“His blood, most likely. It is said that the blood of a man named Pale was as pure as that of a spirit, so many mages coveted it.”
“Why didn’t I know about this?”
“Mages are like that. They don’t announce good things; they try to keep them monopolized among themselves.”
“That isn’t a problem of mages. That is the nature of the human race.”
“Khmm.”
The Grand Elder swallowed a groan.
The Guildmaster propped his chin on his hand and sank into thought.
“Then we should assume that Rozel Charnte will be unable to participate.”
“Judging by Rozel Charnte’s behavioral patterns so far, that would be the correct conclusion.”
“She met Hillan Cargill and then headed to Ergest. Is it just my imagination that Hillan might have deliberately excluded Rozel?”
“However, it is said that Rozel Charnte was the one who went to see Hillan first. And it is also true that Pale and Hillan Cargill were acquainted.”
“I find that strange.”
Pale.
“He was, at best, a single human. His mana was as pure as a spirit’s? Could such a human even exist?”
“He might have consumed Spirit Blossom or elixirs.”
“How many humans have consumed Spirit Blossom or elixirs? As I said, Hillan has ties to the Demon King. Perhaps this is…”
“Are you saying it might be a scheme of the Demon King?”
“Yes.”
“But as I mentioned…”
“Yes, Rozel Charnte went to him first.”
To claim that it had been guided to happen that way would have been excessive speculation. Rozel Charnte had been holed up in the Magic Tower since the failure of the hero’s march, while Hillan Cargill had been busy day after day preparing a new hero’s march.
Still, they couldn’t exactly go and capture someone called Pale right away, so no clear answer emerged.
After pondering briefly, the Guildmaster made a decision.
“Leave it be, but just in case, attach a few people to follow behind Rozel Charnte. If anything happens, she must be kept alive.”
“Yes.”
“How many stars agreed to participate in the real hero’s march?”
“Six.”
Balraf Dislode, Rozel Charnte, Ralph Schmitz, Aina Diaphrin, Watton Colo, and Pablo Barkat.
Considering Jessica Horton, who would not leave the kingdom; Hillan Cargill, who had been deliberately excluded; Hollen Calife, who like the Guildmaster had disappeared without a trace over a decade ago; and the still-vacant seat of Gillian Aint, it would not be an exaggeration to say that all the stars had agreed to participate.
That was only natural.
Heroes were humanity’s hope, and stars were the pride of heroes.
The stars had been gripped by the confidence that they could slay monsters, demonkind, and even the Demon King.
When that confidence was utterly shattered, their pride was deeply wounded. Their honor had fallen, and doubts about the Hero Guild and the stars were gradually surfacing.
To placate this and restore their shattered pride, they were sharpening their blades.
“Even so, Pablo Barkat is unexpected.”
He was the sort who stayed holed up in the Southern Union on the frontier, preoccupied only with strengthening his own nation. Yet he had declared his intent to participate in response to a messenger sent without much thought.
“It is said that the Southern Union has become fairly stable. Perhaps he wishes to make his name known in the central regions now.”
“Well, more combat power is a good thing.”
The Guildmaster shrugged indifferently.
“Considering the possibility that Rozel Charnte doesn’t return in time, that makes five.”
“The floating battleship we will borrow from the dwarves will be filled entirely with heroes. In addition, the navies of Arkan, Hessen, and Dormunt, along with their ships, will carry elite forces from the Empire and various nations.”
“Without Hillan Cargill knowing?”
“Yes. Hilderan as well.”
“Interesting.”
The Guildmaster smiled.
This time, for sure.
‘You won’t be able to run.’
Even if he did, it didn’t matter. This time, they wouldn’t let him slip away.
Sensing the thick killing intent, the Grand Elder lowered his posture even further.
* * *
Krrrk—
The pitch-black lump of charcoal that had ‘once been’ a monster let out a bizarre scream as it burned away its final spark of life.
“What a pathetic thing.”
Whoosh—
As the flames were extinguished, the fierce blizzard swept away the remaining heat. Rozel irritably stepped through the pure white snow.
“What in the hell is there in this damned place that makes someone hole up here?”
There was nothing but snow, blizzards, and monsters. Now that it had been revealed the Demon King wasn’t even here, it was even more worthless.
Moreover, if her senses were not mistaken, Pale was a fire mage. Rather than an environment so antagonistic to fire, it would have been better to immerse himself in a volcano.
Ironically, her thought was correct. Berje, who had absorbed the power of a Phoenix, grew stronger within a volcano.
If there was one fortunate thing, it was that there were fewer monsters than expected.
Perhaps their numbers had greatly decreased during the allied army’s climb as it swept across the entire mountain range. That was her thought.
In any case, it benefited her. No matter how strong she was, numbers were still a burden.
“Let’s see.”
It should have been around here.
She spread out her mana, expanding her sensory perception.
In a place crawling with monsters, concealing one’s presence was basic. Even so, she was confident she could find it.
For a long while, she repeated the process—killing monsters, advancing, and spreading her mana.
Then she felt an extremely faint sense of dissonance. It was warmth that could be felt even within the freezing frost.
Rozel flew as if gliding. At the destination she finally reached, there was nothing but pure white snow.
‘Is it not here?’
No, it was here. The strange dissonance, the warmth within the cold, tapped insistently at her nerves.
Whoosh—
She conjured flames and hurled them. The snow melted away. There was no other change.
But she was certain. Seeing that mana could not be observed on the snow, she cast another flame.
─!
A small spatial fissure.
She forced mana into the gap, pried it open, and tore it apart.
───!
A massive spark engulfed the surroundings. And there, the blizzard was gone. Between the half-melted snow, a door appeared.
Creeeak—
When she opened it, a staircase leading downward came into view.
She descended the stairs slowly. The door closed on its own, but the surrounding mana lamps emitted light, so it wasn’t dark.
‘I can feel heat.’
Warmth could be felt.
Thirty meters? Fifty? She didn’t know exactly how far she had descended. But when she felt she had gone down an enormous number of steps, the floor finally revealed itself.
An laboratory filled with various beakers and magical materials came into view. And in the center of that laboratory, there was a roaring furnace—and a familiar back handling something beside it.
“Rozel Charnte.”
Without even turning around, he recognized the identity of his guest.
The low voice matched exactly what she remembered.
Rozel rejoiced silently.
She had found him.
“Why did you come looking for me?”
“You don’t seem surprised. I suppose you knew I would come?”
“I heard from Hillan.”
“Ah, right.”
“Do I need to ask twice?”
“I came to give you money.”
“Money?”
“Yes. You like money, don’t you?”
“What you want is my blood?”
“The Kingdom of Arkan made a contract with you. If it pays a fair price, I think it has at least the right to claim your blood.”
“An interesting idea.”
Pale turned his body halfway. His hair and eyes were still red. But something was different. It was as if black light had been mixed in.
“…It seems something happened to you?”
But the mana she felt was even purer. The heat was even more intense. Such outward changes could not restrain her greed.
“It did. Many things.”
“Sounds like it went in a positive direction.”
“You could say that.”
Pale turned fully around.
“But that doesn’t become a reason for me to give you my blood, does it?”
“What?”
“I did promise a transaction. But that was literally just a transaction. If I refuse, it ends.”
“Why?”
“There’s no need for me to do so.”
“…No. I need your blood.”
“You look desperate. Why?”
“…I can’t say that.”
“Even if I give you my blood in return?”
“………”
Rozel bit her lip.
“No.”
“Did you make a mana oath?”
An oath made by mages using their own Sigil. If broken, their mana would be lost—something they valued more than life itself.
“Even if it’s not that, trust is important.”
“Then I can’t give you my blood.”
“…If it’s another price, I can give you anything.”
“Are you certain you possess another price that I want?”
“I am Rozel Charnte. If I put my mind to it, I can do anything.”
“Are you thinking of defeating me and taking it by force?”
“…No.”
She hadn’t not considered it. But the moment the conversation began, that thought vanished.
The natural pressure that seized the space and bore down on her made it so.
He was strong. Pale was extremely strong.
She, a great mage who prided herself on soon engraving eight Sigils, could not glimpse his limits.
‘Just what…?’
The deeper her doubts grew, the thicker Pale’s smile became.
“Well, if you want, I could give you blood.”
“Really?”
“It depends on what you can give me.”
“What do you want?”
“Well. What would be good.”
Pale scratched his chin as if pondering.
“Loyalty.”
“What?”
“I want your loyalty.”
“Have you lost your mind?”
Rozel let out a hollow laugh.
“That’s enough indulging you. Say something proper.”
“No, I’m serious. It wouldn’t be bad for you either. I can give you, in abundance, even the things you desire—no, dream of.”
“Stop spouting nonsense. No matter how valuable your blood is, it’s not enough to bind my freedom.”
Rozel quietly began chanting a formula.
A deep sense of foreboding made her instincts sound an alarm.
“What if I give you my blood without limit?”
“That’s all?”
“What about dragon blood?”
“…You have a dragon’s blood? Don’t talk nonsense!”
“Whether it’s nonsense or not, you’ll know if you see it.”
“What did you say?”
“Balraf Dislode said he slew a dragon, but all he brought back was the tail and a single wing. Then where would the rest be?”
“…That.”
In truth, it was something many people found strange. But it had been buried due to the needs of those in power.
“…You have it?”
“I’ve lived here for quite some time.”
“I can’t believe that.”
“Not just blood. What if I give you scales, bones, muscles, tendons, and even the eyes?”
Gulp—
Rozel swallowed dryly. It was instinct, not intention.
‘No, don’t be fooled.’
Logically, it made no sense.
Dragon remains—were those something one could obtain so easily?
“Why leave out the heart? If you’re promising a dragon, shouldn’t you give the most important heart first?”
“That would be a waste to give to you.”
“For something that doesn’t even exist, you’re oddly realistic about the details?”
“The corpse exists. As I said, it’s everything Balraf Dislode couldn’t take.”
“…Really?”
“Yes.”
“And you expect me to believe that?”
“And if you don’t?”
Pale took a step closer. Rozel unconsciously stepped back.
“What are you, really? Are you the Pale I knew?”
“I am. Ah, and what if I could also obtain the Demon King’s horn or tail? Or perhaps the essence of demonic energy.”
“What?”
This time, it was even more absurd than the dragon.
“Fine. Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that you obtained a dragon’s corpse.”
The fact that Balraf had cut off a dragon’s tail and wing, and that there had been a battle, was something the heroes all claimed.
If the dragon had been wounded, fled, and Pale had finished it off and devoured it, it wasn’t completely impossible.
It was hard to accept, but barely conceivable.
But the Demon King was another matter entirely.
“How could you possibly obtain the Demon King’s remains?”
“If it were possible? Something like the Succubus Queen’s wings or tail, or the Frost Demon King’s icy essence.”
“And not just one, but remains from two different Demon Kings? Why not say you’ll give me remains from the Demon King of Dark Flame, or the False Demon King, or the Gold-Steel Demon King as well?”
With a shrug, Rozel decided to hear just how far he would go.
“The False one or the already-dead Gold-Steel would be difficult, but if you want, I could give you some scales of Dark Flame.”
“What a spectacle.”
Fine.
“If what you say is true, I’ll become your subordinate. But if it’s not, then you must let me draw your blood whenever I want, as much as I want.”
“Can you swear as a hero?”
“Of course. I swear on the power of a hero—if what you say is true, I will become your subordinate.”
“Don’t forget that promise.”
At that moment—
“……!”
Seeing the deep smile curve on Pale’s lips, a chill ran down Rozel’s spine.
“Wha—!”
Whoosh—
The spell she had been gradually preparing manifested. Scorching flames that melted everything erupted in a straight line.
Pale did not block it.
Yet Rozel was horrified.
The flames did not harm him in the slightest.
“…What is this?”
“Come to think of it, for the you of now, this is truly unfortunate.”
Pale smiled.
“Your power is strong enough to contend with a dragon for a brief moment—but your compatibility with me is the worst possible.”
He had, from the beginning, been a Demon Dragon of Dark Flame who tempered black fire.
He had devoured the corpse of a Phoenix, a divine beast reborn by throwing itself into flames.
And he had consumed the heart of a Red Dragon that possessed the authority of fire.
“Fire.”
Never.
“Can not encroach upon me.”
“…Ah.”
A mage who had lost her strongest weapon panicked.
Crunch—
A rough grip tore through the space and came flying at her.
Crimson flames resisted. But the hand covered her without the slightest hesitation.
And that—
Thud—
Was her last memory.