Ch.2The Demon Lord’s Castle Without a Demon Lord (1)

“We all gathered to fight the hero, and now look at this mess!”

“What should we do?”

The king’s great hall had turned into chaos. With the ruler who had been handling state affairs just the day before suddenly disappearing overnight, a state of emergency was inevitable. The continuous shouting in the vast marble chamber revealed the unfiltered shock that had struck the Demon King’s castle.

“The king abandoned us! That damned woman! By running away, she’s put our lives in danger!”

“That’s precisely why we need to stick together. The regent appointed by the previous king will surely be able to calm this situation.”

“Ah! You dense fool. Regent or whatever, now that the Demon King has vanished, warlords will be coming from all directions. Can that person really stop them all?”

It was an unusual dispute in the great hall, which had remained calm even during the angel invasion. The high-ranking demons staying in the castle had to give their all to respond to the endless stream of ominous news.

The lions who had been lying low were now opening their eyes. They would try to devour everyone surrounding the empty throne before ascending to the coronation. If they wanted to survive, they had to stop them at all costs.

Fortunately, a small stroke of luck accompanied their efforts.

“Please calm down. The situation hasn’t deteriorated that much yet. Do you realize that more regions haven’t mobilized their forces?”

“I heard the south has withdrawn. Are you saying the rest are fine?”

“There are no signs of unrest, they say. It seems they’re still taking a wait-and-see approach.”

“Hmm… Then I suppose we can breathe a little easier.”

Even amid the confusion, they were the elite guardians of the king’s castle. While other demon folk awaited orders, an elderly demon who appeared to be the highest-ranking and a young lizardman put their heads together. Though sighs escaped them endlessly, they were doing their best.

“So I think we should focus on internal control first. There’s already significant unrest.”

“Indeed. I saw it myself on my way here. They’re already gathered at the training grounds, causing an uproar.”

“The problem is that we can’t do anything about it right now.”

“This is truly maddening.”

The disappearance of the king was problematic because it was beyond their capabilities. It would have been easier if some useless bastard had started a rebellion that they could go crush. But for demons, problems that needed to be suppressed through authority were the most challenging. After all, their loyalty was directed toward someone else, not them…

-Creeeeak!

“Is everyone here?”

The doors of the great hall opened with perfect timing. The murmuring noise vanished in an instant. In the heavy silence that followed, the sound of military boots echoed across the high ceiling.

“It seems so.”

The low voice carried an authority that they themselves lacked.

The demons present hurriedly rose from their seats. A difference in status established solely by the logic of power, not by complex political relationships, blood ties, or regional connections. As if to prove this, when the black knight wearing crude steel armor entered, everyone paid their respects to him.

The captain of the Demon King’s castle guard, holding the position of regent, and the strongest combatant among the demon folk in the current Demon King’s castle.

Having mercilessly crushed the heads of all challenging enemies, he had earned the nickname “Skull Crusher,” the second-in-command of the Demon King’s castle, Durin.

No, now he had become the top figure, freely displaying an undeniable authority.

One couldn’t help but bow their head at the sight of the red glow emanating from his helmet.

“The matter is urgent, so let’s get straight to the point. I want to hear more about the commotion at the training grounds you mentioned.”

“I’ll report, sir.”

The young lizardman opened his mouth, not daring to meet his eyes.

“After the king disappeared…”

“Don’t call her king. She was dethroned the moment she fled. She’s our enemy now.”

“Yes, yes. So it seems the news of that woman’s disappearance has reached the ears of the soldiers. They’re all causing a disturbance, saying they don’t know who to fight for anymore.”

“I understand. I’ll resolve it right away.”

“…..”

The lizardman momentarily failed to respond. This was because immediately after saying he would resolve it smoothly, Durin rose from his seat. Everyone hurriedly got up to match his movement. As the black knight led the way, a long line of demons formed behind him.

Forming a group, Durin left the king’s great hall and descended the central staircase.

A vast plaza spread out before the path leading to the great hall. It was a space for duels prepared for heroes who came to subjugate the Demon King. This time too, numerous demon soldiers had gathered to fight the hero upon hearing news of his invasion.

But in this situation where everything had turned to dust, hostility was being directed elsewhere.

“It’s the captain!”

“The captain has come out!”

The place was in even greater chaos than the great hall. Soldiers armed with weapons were banging their spear shafts on the ground, venting their frustration. As they poured out their directionless anger with all their might, they shouted upon seeing Durin who had just appeared.

“Where is the king? Who are we supposed to fight for?”

“The hero! We want to kill the hero, but now we can’t!”

They were like wildfire. A spark born from a strong shock had instantly consumed everyone, creating a massive wave of emotion.

Soldiers abandoned by their king.

Moreover, they say the king had fled with the hero whom they had been grinding their teeth to kill until just recently.

It was devastating.

“Answer us!”

“What should we do?”

The soldiers looked only at Durin. He was all they had left.

“……”

Durin did not ignore their gestures. After observing the agitated soldiers, he took a step forward.

But the regent did not warmly embrace the soldiers.

Shing-

He drew the sword from his back. And then he drove it straight into the ground.

BOOM-!

A powerful shockwave erupted as if an earthquake had struck. The front-line troops couldn’t withstand the impact and collapsed. Even troops relatively far away couldn’t help but flinch at that moment.

The uncontrolled air was tamed at once. Instead of the wild shouting, pitiful groans filled the space.

“Wait. I will issue orders soon.”

“C-Captain.”

Durin’s red glow glared at the fallen soldier. An orc soldier’s face turned pale under the gaze that seemed to grip his throat.

“If there’s another such commotion, I will execute you on the spot. Stay at your post like proper castle guards.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

“Don’t show such pathetic behavior. There won’t be a second chance.”

With those final words, Durin turned his back.

Clank, clank.

With sharp metallic sounds, his boot steps headed back toward the great hall. The high-ranking demons, who had barely regained their senses, hurriedly moved to follow him.

“…..”

And so the soldiers were left alone in the hall.

The words from the strongest being in the Demon King’s castle were not an explanation or comfort, but an order. There might have been resistance, but in the brief exchange, they actually felt a sense of stability.

An authority that pressed down more strongly than any other high-ranking demon. A powerful status created by strength. It took only a moment for their wavering emotions to calm down.

“We will follow your orders.”

“Everyone, move out.”

The calmed soldiers faithfully followed the command.

He told them to wait. And to fulfill their duty.

Ashamed of having floundered in confusion, the castle guards rose to their feet.

……

“The soldiers are returning to their posts. The castle’s defense system should be fine now.”

The young lizardman aide reported.

He was manipulating a crystal ball with Durin in the king’s office, which oversaw everything in the castle. Purple light emanated from the round surface, creating a massive trunk in the center of the room. The simplified image of the Demon King’s castle projected there showed the current situation in real-time.

Traps and watchtowers that had been empty and marked in red changed to green, signaling that they were functioning properly.

“I’ll switch to full view to show you!”

As he diligently manipulated the crystal ball with his green-scaled hands, a grand sight entered Durin’s eyes.

[King’s Great Hall]

[Hall of Slaughter]

[Queen’s Nest]

[Gray Labyrinth]

[The Barrier]

A thousand years ago, on the day when the demon realm, which had been a continuous series of betrayals and divisions, was unified for the first time under the name of the Demon King. The castle built during that glorious period had been maintained until now, nourished by the devotion of its guardians. They hoped it would stand firm even in the current unprecedented situation where the Demon King had vanished, but major cracks had already formed. Of course, if the castle guards functioned properly, they could protect the main stronghold that served as the foundation of the Demon King’s forces, but naturally, control was impossible beyond that area.

The massive warlords of the east, west, south, and north, who could already rival the central power, were showing suspicious movements. The south, in particular, filled with bellicose demons, had raised tensions to the maximum in less than a day, as if they had already begun preparations for war.

It was essentially a matter of time before they declared independence and broke away from the center. Durin felt the need to strengthen the internal structure more firmly before that happened.

“Spranches.”

“At your command.”

When Durin called, the young lizard Spranches prostrated himself. Afraid to meet the red glow, he dared not raise his head.

“Are there any nobles trying to leave the castle after hearing the news?”

“Not a single one. Everyone is confused, but they’re waiting, trusting in Your Excellency.”

“It’s not trust; they’re just staying put because they don’t know what will happen. But it doesn’t matter. They need to meet with me.”

Spranches slightly raised his head. Small expectations were contained in the little lizard’s eyes.

“Now that the Demon King has disappeared, everything is on the verge of collapse. Tell them to come to the great hall immediately if they want to maintain their current positions.”

“Shall I convey it that way?”

“One more thing.”

Durin paused briefly. Spranches, who had already risen, respectfully folded his hands. It was to receive important content.

“The royal guard will handle the pursuit of the Demon King. Meanwhile, we will hold a meeting in our castle to elect a regent.”

Words more significant than expected flowed from his mouth.

Spranches bowed his head. Everyone in the Demon King’s castle already regarded Durin as the regent.

Yet he still said he would elect a regent according to procedure.

Reconfirming a predetermined outcome meant one thing.

“Everyone will pledge their loyalty to Your Excellency. Please lead us, Regent.”

“Stop with the unnecessary talk and just deliver the message.”

“I will do as commanded.”