Ch.17The Demon Lord’s Qualification (1)

The Demon King’s castle was noisy from early morning.

Many demons were on edge due to recent frequent incidents. If such an atmosphere had formed yesterday, there would certainly have been those who burst out in anger. But today, no one showed any discomfort.

“His Excellency has returned. Prepare to welcome him.”

At the warp gate located on the eastern side of the castle.

When the sorcerer shouted from there, the gathered crowd parted to the left and right. They made a path so that Durin could proceed immediately when the surging demonic energy spat him out.

It was evidence that the southern conquest had boosted the regent’s popularity.

Until now, there had been more people doubting him than expected. This tendency was especially prominent among the high-ranking demons who had spent many years in the castle.

No matter how much the young nobles who were captivated by his power praised Durin, the old nobles remained unmoved. To those who had seen stronger Demon Kings over hundreds of years, Durin’s power was merely a prerequisite that was taken for granted. No one doubted his individual prowess, but the issue was whether he could lead many soldiers as the commander of the castle.

‘Can a former gladiator gain trust? I’m not sure.’

‘Some eastern families have also sent messages saying they cannot trust him.’

‘If this subjugation drags on, even his personal abilities will be questioned. Then we must make a decision.’

But Durin proved himself in the south.

As the second-in-command of the castle, he was not just a demon with great strength but a commander who could lead soldiers. While other high-ranking demons were arguing in the great hall, he moved before anyone else. Cleaning up the chaos was always his responsibility.

This led to a fracture in the Senate. With the angels’ invasion slowly approaching, they were growing anxious.

They were divided between those who wanted to trust Durin more and continue with him as regent, and those who insisted on quickly establishing a new Demon King to reduce the regent’s power.

“Stop doing useless things and enjoy the moment. It’s a rare victory after all.”

Fortunately, the situation did not worsen further. Ludmila, the Grand Sorceress who shared power with the regent, maintained a completely neutral stance in the power struggle, creating an unstable balance. This came as a shock to the faction supporting a new Demon King, as she had been the one who clashed most severely with Durin from the beginning.

“And you too. Focus on the ceremony now.”

The retention faction wasn’t in a position to smile either. Ludmila did not lend her support to Durin. She helped with what was necessary for the castle, but that was all. The Demon King’s seal she possessed still hadn’t fallen into the hands of a single person.

“If you don’t want to die, you’d better behave yourselves.”

Kwaaaaa-

As soon as Ludmila finished speaking, the gate began to shake violently. Purple demonic energy poured out, spitting out demons.

At the forefront was, of course, Durin. With him were veteran soldiers of the Golden Guard and Verdia, the blue-horned barbarian.

Step. Step. Step. Step.

With each step he took, he captured the attention of his admirers.

Without anyone’s instruction, the young nobles all bowed in unison. Their bent backs decorated the path leading to the king’s hall.

The expeditionary force marched proudly along that path. The royal guards who had found a new master showed confidence. The march of the castle’s finest elites, rarely seen in a lifetime, provided an answer to the castle’s anxiety.

At the end of the procession that took place under countless gazes, there was a meeting.

Durin stood before Ludmila, who had been waiting.

“As promised, I’ve brought victory.”

“Did we make such a promise? I thought we were too busy tearing at each other.”

Ludmila smiled slightly as if speaking to someone. But there was no joy in her red eyes. Durin could roughly guess from the energy he felt around him.

“You’ve been through a lot.”

The divided national opinion, the movements in heaven, the Demon King who crossed into the human realm, the warlords’ activities, the eastern region’s actions, and so on…

Unlike Durin, who had invested everything in the south, Ludmila was burdened with overwhelming tasks. A grave crisis that she couldn’t overcome alone was pressing down on her.

“Let’s go inside and talk.”

“I’ve been waiting for those words.”

Though Ludmila spoke calmly due to the presence of other demons, there was considerable worry and concern hidden within.

The life of struggle had gone wild, bringing endless war.

This time, a major turning point was approaching that would determine not the authority of the castle, but the survival of the demon realm.

“……”

Even as Durin entered the king’s hall without concern, Ludmila glanced back.

The nobles were still engaged in a battle of nerves, asserting their opinions. It would have been better if they had at least left comments appreciating the march. Seeing them immediately return to fighting as soon as the situation stabilized slightly, all she could do was sigh.

#

After the grand ceremony had passed, silence fell upon the king’s hall.

“I’d like to see the hero’s face. I heard you nearly killed him?”

Drip. Tea poured by a succubus maid filled the cup. Durin stared at it quietly before looking up.

“I didn’t see him during the march earlier… Seems like they managed to hide him well.”

Ludmila’s expression was brighter than before. She seemed much better now that the commotion in the castle had subsided. The subtle tea fragrance spreading around transformed this place from a hall into a reception room. Was it to relieve mental burden?

Durin pushed the tea aside.

“I twisted the warp coordinates. He’s scheduled to be transported to the outskirts, not here in the castle. Part of the royal guard has been deployed, and Spranches will also join them.”

“Those friends are trustworthy. But if you want to manage him directly, shouldn’t you bring him into the castle? Have you thought about a location?”

“At first I thought about putting him in my office, but I changed my mind. The reception room at the monster farm should be sufficient.”

The hostage facility where the warlord’s successor stayed. It was the place where he first met Verdia. Even now, if one went out to the garden, half-rotten heads were still bearing fruit on poles.

“Hmm… I’m concerned about how weak humans are. He might go mad seeing that spectacle. I don’t particularly like having mentally unstable hostages.”

“It’s a hero party, Ludmila. You don’t need to worry too much.”

“That’s true. I won’t interfere since you’ll handle that matter… But the real problem is this.”

Ludmila gestured. The maid who had been waiting with the teapot withdrew. Her place was taken by another maid carrying an elegant parchment.

“You should prepare yourself.”

A brilliant light shimmered on the jade table. The maid who placed the parchment quickly retreated, unable to withstand the holy energy. It was a power rarely seen in the demon realm. No, it was a power Durin had seen plenty of recently.

“Holy power.”

“Yes. It came directly from heaven. It was delivered by a messenger exactly two hours before you arrived.”

“Did they leave any message?”

The castle had lost its power. The haughty angels wouldn’t just sit still.

Ludmila confirmed with a bitter smile.

“The castle became noisy because they sneered and left.”

“But it wasn’t anger.”

“It was worry. Everyone’s in a frenzy trying to find someone stronger because they don’t know what the future holds.”

The emergence of a new Demon King. It was the ultimate goal desired by the nobles of the castle.

This path was the best way to alleviate their anxiety. But the conditions to become a king as defined by the demon realm’s laws were strict. Not just anyone could sit on the throne.

One had to either hold a high position in the central authority that could determine the castle’s direction, or at least command five warlords. Not only that, but to win the demons’ favor, one’s inherent power had to be at least strong enough to easily crush an angelic warrior commander.

One might wonder if a Demon King should be able to face multiple archangels, but that power was artificially created. The power of the Demon King, passed down for 1000 years, was inherited through generations. The demonic energy accumulated over the ages was hidden in some secret place, and on the day of the coronation, the successor would inherit that power.

“But I told you before, didn’t I? There’s no one. Really, no one at all. I almost wish someone would come forward claiming the throne so we could test them immediately.”

“Ludmila. You said the national opinion was divided.”

“I didn’t say it, but… what you felt is correct.”

“Then there must be a faction that wants to keep me as regent, and on the opposite side, those who want to establish a new king. Am I right?”

“Y-yes?”

Ludmila felt uneasy. When Durin spoke like that, it was like declaring he was about to undertake something. She quickly asked:

“Are you… planning another purge like before?”

“Purges are only for traitors. They’re not trying to bring me down, and they’ve presented an answer to the problem, so I won’t say much either.”

“Still, go and intimidate them a bit. If they think it’s okay and step out of line, even I won’t be able to handle it.”

“Then I’ll deal with it according to the law. So first, tell me this person’s name.”

Durin crossed his arms and looked at Ludmila. His sharp gaze fixed on the sorceress.

More commotion would come. The thought gave her a headache, but it was a future that had been foreseen. This was why being a sorceress who could see beyond the veil through the stars was exhausting. She carefully opened her mouth.

“For now, among the remaining continents, only one is maintaining stability.”

“The eastern continent.”

“Yes. There’s a warlord there with quite strong power….”

#

“The regent has arrived?”

The reception room at the monster farm was a place where nobles exchanged hostility and harmony. As it was where those designated as heirs from each region gathered, the battle of nerves between them was no joke.

Due to the many heads that had been cut off during the recent southern noble purge, they had been more restrained, but as time passed, they began to creep out again.

“The rebellion has been completely suppressed. The regent himself brought back the leader’s head, so it’s truly over.”

“My goodness… even though he took the castle’s royal guard, it only took a week?”

“Well, he was the warrior most favored by the previous Demon King. He must have that kind of power and ability.”

The conversation was too uninhibited to be taking place in the castle. The nobles of the east were such beings. A continent where true demons lived, unlike the barbaric other regions. The birthplace of all demons, where the first demon was born and raised. Just being born in this region granted authority.

“As regent, he would have been in danger if he couldn’t resolve the issue quickly. He could have fallen from power if he made a mistake.”

Among them was one with the most powerful strength, namely Serphin Del Istria, daughter of the eastern grand noble. She was a demon of such high status that her lineage had produced a Demon King in the past, and she had the power to back it up with the support of the eastern warlords.

“Lady Serphin.”

“What is it?”

“Your words might reach other ears. You should be careful.”

“Huh. I’m not worried.”

The nobles who had been conversing swallowed their fear, but Serphin remained confident. She knew her position. Previously, she would have had to remain quiet, but now the situation was different.

Those who had reluctantly supported the regent to end the chaos began to show their true colors one by one. They wanted a Demon King. A demon with both qualified power and good bloodline.

“We were merely discussing the situation the castle is facing. Is there any reason to be cautious?”

Serphin couldn’t help but be excited. Among the various names the old demons had put forward as candidates for the new king, hers was included. This was a fact she had discovered by slipping gold to a succubus maid.

That’s why she could smile leisurely while covering her mouth with a fan.

“Besides, he eventually succeeded. He conquered the south. It will remain as a great epic of how he overcame this crisis without any problematic elements.”

“That’s right. Haha. The regent is an amazing person.”

Those who laughed awkwardly began singing praises again. They were doing their best, thinking there were eyes here. But that was a problem that arose due to low authority.

Serphin Del Istria was of the bloodline of the Demon King who died heroically in the heavenly war 587 years ago. Honestly, this position was beneath her. She wanted to play in bigger waters.

Creeeeak-

“Lady Serphin?”

“Ah, I just want to get some fresh air. Please excuse me for a moment.”

Saying so, Serphin left her seat. The thought of a brilliant future suddenly made her dislike being around these people. It gave her goosebumps.

Tap tap tap.

She quickly left the reception room and headed for the balcony. It was a place with a good view of the central park. She felt she could only create a mask to talk to those people again after calming her mind by looking at the severed heads of the traitors.

“……”

When she opened the door, fresh air rushed in. Her head cleared.

Serphin leaned against the railing and closed her eyes.

It had been 20 years of holding her breath. The throne her family had always longed for.

Beyond her dark vision, it kept shimmering. A white hand reached out toward somewhere untouchable. Though her trembling fingers felt only cold air, she would claim it someday.

“So I must overcome it.”

Regent Durin. The great mountain range she had to cross.

And thinking of the historic rival she would fight for the throne, she made a firm resolution.