Ch.40Coronation (4)

The Demon King’s Castle, which has faced challenges throughout the seasons, now encounters its most chaotic period since its establishment.

With a weak and young king seated on the throne, major powers from each continent prepared to engage in underhanded conflicts. The unity of the castle, barely held together by Durin, was now fractured by political games that spread like wildfire.

The royal guard tried to prevent clashes through patrols, but their efforts were insufficient. Disputes erupted constantly. They looked down on each other, treating rivals as thieves eyeing their positions. Occasionally, the worst-case scenario of swords clashing against each other occurred.

Yet the castle remained unmoved. The command center ignored the nobles’ power struggles.

They didn’t care who died. They declared they would focus solely on the king, protecting him until Serphin reached the next stage. They devoted themselves completely to raising the young demon, even deploying the Golden Guardian Corps, which normally stood like statues unless there was an emergency.

“Truly a demonic sight. Killing and cutting each other. These are genuine challengers.”

Some high-ranking nobles who had just regained stability shouted that this was unacceptable, but their pitiful cries were buried. To demons, this was an opportunity. They judged that properly fighting it out was healthier than dragging on with power struggles that were uncharacteristic of the demon realm.

They joined whichever side could fight and satisfied their desires. The outcome didn’t matter. They were busy fighting on whichever side made the duels more interesting.

“Your Excellency. We wish to join in. Please grant us permission.”

This provoked some of the higher-ups.

The southern demons, including Verdia, couldn’t hide their boiling blood and rushed forward. Though they showed dignity as Durin’s new royal guard, they were essentially barbarians.

Instead of loving culture, they honored struggle.

Rather than being sick of political fights, they considered challenges glorious.

For these southern demons, the bloody conflicts reported every moment were like unforgettable pleasures. This was why Verdia was pleading with Durin, who was arranging Serphin’s royal education schedule.

It was pitiful to see him kneeling on the floor, begging continuously from the moment he carefully opened the office door until now.

When Durin paused while turning a parchment and glanced at him, Verdia seized the opportunity and bowed even more dramatically.

“I’ve heard demons are born to struggle. As I understand, in Law Section 44…”

“Section 32.”

“Ah, yes. According to Section 32, we should prioritize war over peace, struggle over stability as our foundation, and if we apply this to the current situation in the Demon King’s Castle…”

“You want to say that in these chaotic times, you wish to jump in and train your body and mind. Isn’t that what you want to say?”

“That is correct, Your Excellency! Please grant us permission!”

After going around in circles, it was permission. Verdia pressed his head to the floor again.

He was just saying he wanted to fight, in a roundabout way. Though Verdia, who had always been faithful to his fighting instincts, was undergoing changes as a central figure, his essence remained unchanged.

That appealed to Durin. He wanted to measure whether a partially castrated barbarian legion could show their true abilities. Before facing angels, they needed to at least be able to easily defeat noble soldiers to qualify for the battlefield.

It was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate the central army’s superiority over other regions. Having finished his thoughts, Durin put down the parchment.

“You want to fight that badly.”

“Your Excellency! If you command it, I will rush out immediately.”

“As long as you adhere to the principles I set forth, I won’t care what you do.”

“Yes! I will follow them like a parent’s dying wish. Please tell me.”

He’s as passionate a demon as the captain of the royal guard. Thinking this to himself, Durin gave Verdia his orders.

“Intervene in the fight between the Red Horns and Green Horns, but always mention my name. This is my only condition.”

“H-how could I use Your Excellency’s name…”

“It’s to eliminate unnecessary justifications. You’ll be able to duel to your heart’s content against those old-fashioned elders. If you don’t want to, I’ll give you the chance to say so now.”

“Not at all! Not at all! I will always put Your Excellency’s name forward when dealing with subversive elements.”

“Good. As long as there’s a reasonable justification, no one will be able to stop you.”

He was setting the stage for Serphin to focus on training without environmental distractions, while simultaneously gauging the southern army’s combat power.

Before the upcoming coronation, he needed to build up proof and preparation diligently.

“If you understand, spread the order to all southern troops. If you engage in duels within the bounds of preventing division, I will gladly permit your deviation.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency!”

If they won’t risk chaos and conflict for power, he would add fuel to the fire himself. Blood is always washed away with thicker blood.

He intended to watch and see how far they could fight.

#

“Is this really right?”

Three days had passed since she pledged to learn royal studies from Durin.

Recently, she had been learning various subjects through Chief Justice Matheus. She studied the virtues a king should possess and international affairs. But an unfulfilled thirst kept stimulating Serphin.

The young demon wanted to go further. She knew she needed to learn these stuffy, mundane subjects to build her foundation, but she wanted to meet Durin. She wanted to face him and examine his hidden grand plans.

Whenever she felt this way, she would recall dream-like scenes. The image of herself studying under the strongest warrior in the demon realm. It was truly a narrative befitting a legitimate Demon King successor.

Every night, after throwing herself onto the bed, the sudden expectation that came to her would keep her awake all night.

“……”

So while learning from Matheus, she carefully observed the castle. She thought that by studying how Durin navigated through this chaos, she would surely gain something.

This chaotic time was the perfect period to learn that.

“Stop! Red Horns and Green Horns, cease your fighting! If you don’t listen, we will punish you ourselves.”

She was well aware that the castle was in disarray. In fact, this had been common since the previous Red Horn Demon King had neglected his duties and become lazy. Serphin, who considered herself a weak king, expected similar behavior to continue until she acquired proper qualifications.

‘Durin will suppress this with his authority and power. He’ll display his martial prowess like he did during the northern campaign.’

When governing the south, he had set an example through purges, and on the northern battlefield, he had completely turned the tide by demonstrating overwhelming power. Surely he would show something of similar magnitude this time as well.

Despite such expectations, the reality was the opposite.

“To engage in such frivolous acts in the sacred Demon King’s Castle when His Excellency said to unite against the angels… your guts must be hanging out.”

It wasn’t Durin but his chosen royal guards who rushed to the scene whenever a fight broke out and resolved the situation. They responded to all disputes, regardless of severity. They were so eager that they would even arm themselves if a battle seemed imminent.

At that moment, Serphin came up with one answer.

Chaos can be suppressed through strong repression. So an iron mace stained with blood is the answer after all!

“Therefore, you will fight us.”

“……”

No, they just wanted to fight.

The moment she heard the last words, Serphin realized that they too were demons faithful to their instincts. Though they invoked Durin’s name, they were just expressing their desire to join in. They didn’t care about the gazes of other demons.

But surprisingly, it was most effective. They suddenly appeared, built up strange justifications, and then dragged everyone to the training ground, leaving no time to respond. Before the nobles’ soldiers knew it, they were facing southern barbarians with training clubs.

“Listen, let me explain…”

“Duel!”

What followed was one-sided violence. Despite being regularly trained units, they couldn’t overcome the warriors raised by the Rock Mother.

There were aspects being overlooked about how easily the southern rebellion had been resolved.

First, it was an expedition led by Durin himself, and second, most of the troops mobilized were considered the most elite forces within the Demon King’s Castle. When the truths hidden behind the victory were revealed, only punishment for ignorance remained.

“Uraaah! Let’s see what you’ve got!”

With each excited shout, sorrowful cries provided the bass. Between soldiers enthusiastically delivering club beatings, Red Horn and Green Horn demons were being pitifully crushed.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

Even armor was useless. Serphin suddenly thought she was witnessing the demon realm from before the beginning of time.

“They definitely invoked Durin’s name…”

They certainly had permission. Those blindly loyal to Durin wouldn’t dare speak his name carelessly. This meant he wanted and planned for this situation.

For Serphin, who was about to attend her royal studies class, this was a challenge.

Did I think too nobly? Was I expecting those kinds of teachings from heroic epics?

Should demons be raised in a demonic way after all?

As her concerns deepened…

“I understand! We were wrong, so please stop. I acknowledge my defeat in this duel.”

“Haha! Is that so? Then don’t show your face openly from now on! Take your disputes somewhere far away!”

“… I will do so.”

Watching the hierarchy sort itself out naturally, Serphin was left speechless.

Is this the form Durin wanted?

Her concerns grew even deeper.