Ch.1The Demon Lord Has Fallen in Love

It’s an old memory.

“Don’t you want to become king?”

On a night when the red moon rose, she asked Durin.

“I think you could definitely take on the challenge.”

Night was the quietest time during the days of the demon realm, which were otherwise filled with blood and slaughter. Durin’s master, with her gleaming red eyes, would casually toss out questions like this when she was bored.

“I’d gladly accept your challenge. What do you say? Shall we have a match?”

“I apologize, but I prefer my current position.”

“The same answer again? How boring.”

She grumbled as she leaned against the windowsill. The hem of her white nightgown fluttered in the gentle breeze.

“As the defense captain of the Demon King’s castle, you should be more aggressive. If you stay like that, others will look down on you.”

“Since I’ve already killed them all, that won’t be an issue.”

“Right. Didn’t you crush someone’s skull just yesterday?”

Giggle, giggle. A frivolous laugh escaped her lips. Durin’s master smiled as if reminiscing about the scene.

“Sometimes I wish I’d get such challenges too. The castle is too boring and dull. I want to go out to the human realm for a change of scenery.”

“If you fulfill your duties, the opportunity will come someday.”

“That damn duty. Duty. Duty. If it’s going to be like this, I should have just left instead of becoming king.”

She said this while looking at Durin. The yellow eyes shining beneath her dark red hair seemed to have found a new amusement.

“When that day comes, who should protect this castle? What do you think?”

“I will prevent such a thing from ever happening.”

“Well, you never know what might happen in this world. I might leave right now.”

The Demon King cut off Durin’s words with a resolute voice. She strode forward to stand before him.

“So if the day comes when I leave, you will protect the castle. There’s no one more suitable than you around me.”

“……”

“Regent of the Demon King’s castle. Isn’t that impressive?”

“That’s a title I cannot accept.”

“Hey! There you go again. When the king speaks, you obey.”

The Demon King raised her index finger as if to say she wouldn’t allow any objections. For Durin, who had accepted the duty of loyalty to the Demon King and the role of guardian, there was no choice. He quietly knelt down.

“It is an honor, Your Majesty.”

“Good! That’s how you should accept the title I bestow. Understand?”

A smile bloomed on the Demon King’s face. With the red moonlight as her backdrop, she extended her hand to Durin.

“So I’m counting on you. Dedicate yourself to the castle, now and in the future.”

A white hand, unlike that of a typical demon, reached out to him. The dense demonic energy it contained made the Demon King’s smile all the more striking.

“When I’m gone, you’ll be the number one in the demon realm.”

#

Who would have thought she’d actually leave.

“……”

A headache that unfailingly accompanied every major incident pounded at his head.

It had been ten years since he began serving the Demon King, who was born in the year marking 1000 years of demon realm unification.

Having handled all manner of incidents, he had prided himself on the belief that nothing worse could happen. It was one of the things that Durin, the right hand of the Demon King and the defense captain overseeing the dungeon’s protection, was most proud of.

While the Demon King was naturally capricious and acted on her own whims, she had never crossed the line. Even the Demon King, the apex predator in the law of the strong, had duties to fulfill as a ruler. Previous Demon Kings had been somewhat aware of their role, causing incidents only within a manageable range.

With a manual, it was possible to assist them, even if it was difficult.

But this was clearly unacceptable.

‘Durin, I told you before. I don’t want to live buried in that stuffy palace and suffocating meetings. The king’s duties don’t seem to suit me. I’m thinking of going out into the wider world to prove myself freely. There was a party that invaded our continent recently. I think I could live a better life if I go out with him. His face is quite handsome too, more than enough to make him my boyfriend…’

There was no need to read the rest. To summarize the key points:

“So the Demon King fell for the hero who came to the demon castle a week ago?”

“…That’s correct.”

“Her Majesty didn’t think to bring the hero here but instead went outside. And not just to the demon realm, but to where humans live…”

“You understand perfectly.”

“Then while she abandons all her royal duties and runs away, what exactly was the royal guard doing?”

“I have no excuse.”

The captain of the Demon King’s royal guard kept bowing his head in apology. But being a Durahan, all that moved was his hollow helmet, with his thoughts completely transparent.

There was no point in pressing him further.

Looking at the Demon King’s eerily empty chamber, Durin composed himself. He placed the letter the Demon King had left into his breast pocket and surveyed his surroundings. In situations like this, it was crucial to calm his racing mind and formulate a plan. As second-in-command, he intended to fulfill his duty of ensuring the castle’s safety in the king’s absence.

“We need to prepare to find the king immediately. Has there been any report of the hero leaving the border area?”

“Not yet. However, the castle’s sorcerers are tracking the holy power. While they haven’t pinpointed the exact location, they are certain that they are still in the demon realm.”

“Then we must find them before they meet and leave. Deploy all available forces to track the hero’s party and find the king. If we find her before she meets them, bring her back through the royal guard. If the hero resists strongly, I will take the field myself. Understood?”

“I will follow your orders. Royal Guard!”

No sooner had the order been given than Durahan rushed out of the bedroom. As his voice echoed loudly, the dazed soldiers snapped to attention.

With clanking sounds, a great commotion arose. Everyone in the castle moved busily to find the king.

“…..”

Somehow, he had to quell the chaos and hold out until the king returned. If the ripples caused by this incident spread outside…

-SLAM!

The massive marble door closed, and Durin was left alone in the chamber. He slowly moved to the window.

The outside world was still unaware of this commotion. Inside the Demon King’s castle, where only the chosen strong could enter and live. These were individuals who had struggled through labyrinths scattered across the world and earned the status of being under the Demon King’s command.

It was a time when they were sharpening their swords, vowing to fight the hero in place of the Demon King. When the hero had approached the palace, there had been such a rush of volunteers that crowd control became necessary.

What would happen if these loyal subjects were told that their master, the Demon King, had eloped with the hero? The unthinkable assumption was increasingly becoming reality, and it was unsettling.

If the king couldn’t be found, they would riot. They would threaten to leave, saying they couldn’t serve such a ruler.

If the main forces left in that manner, or if they weren’t given the motivation to remain loyal, the prestige of the Demon King’s castle would naturally plummet.

The demon realm operated on the logic of power. Other warlords who had been lying low in the provinces would seize this opportunity to raise their banners once more.

“We must prevent civil war at all costs.”

The end of 1000 years of unification was in sight. The grand plan that had been crafted over a long time to fight against angels was beginning to be buried in chaos.

As the worst-case scenario unfolded in his mind, Durin felt the need to act personally.

“Even if the castle itself is shaken, the forces that would move for me…”

As his mind worked, his headache subsided. The struggle for survival suppressed all negative emotions toward the Demon King. Just as Durin was trying to recall who else in the castle he could discuss this with besides the royal guard—

“Captain!”

The closed door opened again.

“Right now! You must go to the throne room immediately!”

It was the harpy, the messenger of the Demon King’s castle. She fluttered about, making a fuss.

“What’s the matter?”

“T-that is…”

She had come in such a hurry that her words were buried in her labored breathing. Anxiety rose, followed by impatience, and irritation welled up. But Durin couldn’t untangle his emotions on the spot.

“Captain!”

“It’s an emergency!”

Other messengers rushed in one after another, and the flood of information that followed made Durin’s mind reel.

“The ruler of the East is inquiring about the central demonic energy that can no longer be felt. What should we do?”

“The movements in the North are already ominous. The Orc Grand Chieftain is rallying neighboring tribes.”

“The West is still quiet, but they’ve already gathered their forces upon hearing that a hero entered the demon realm. It wouldn’t be strange if they turned their army this way immediately.”

“Regent, where is the king? The ruler of the South has suddenly cut off communication. Even the messenger sent an hour ago hasn’t returned.”

The Demon King is the center of the demon realm. The demonic energy possessed by the king could be felt from anywhere in this world. It was one of the means to firmly establish the presence of the ruler.

Conversely, if the Demon King is not in the demon realm, the demonic energy instantly vanishes from the world. It means the king’s presence can no longer be felt.

The strong are especially sensitive to this change. High-ranking demons, instinctively captivated by the intense impulse emanating from the vacant throne.

They all began to show movement.

This could only mean one thing.

“So you really left to follow the hero.”

The one who left in search of love had abandoned the world. All previous emotions now settled in a different sense.

Now it was time to formulate a plan for survival.

The Demon King no longer exists. There are only new candidates eyeing the empty throne.

It was a day when the Demon King, born in the year of the demon realm’s 1000-year unification, was approaching her coming-of-age ceremony.

The worst turning point, where thousands of demon realm warlords would proclaim themselves as Demon King, was approaching.

It was the result of a small deviation by a Demon King who had fallen in love.