Ch.42Blood Feast (1)

“The situation is dire. We must take action immediately.”

The power of the high-ranking demon, which had seemed ready to spread its wings, suddenly weakened. The main reason was that the troops gathered outside the castle under the pretext of a volunteer army had become useless in an instant.

“The Southern Army is beating our troops wherever they see them!”

“Now they’re challenging us to duels even without provocation. We can’t stop them.”

“Is it difficult to request mediation from the judges?”

“How could we when the Chief Justice is on Durin’s side! We’d be fortunate if they don’t impose punishment on us instead.”

“Hmm.”

Killahal was displeased with the series of events. The crisis facing the Senate was too great.

Though it was said to be a period of decline, that was limited only to the Demon King.

The Red Horns of the Central region were enjoying an unprecedented golden age while amassing troops. They were so confident that they believed they could take to the battlefield even if angels appeared.

Of course, they could say this because there had been no conflicts for the past 100 years, but their momentum was that strong. Moreover, the new Demon King was a young demon who had lived only a few decades, making him easy to manipulate.

“I thought Durin would continue to hold power even after abandoning his position as regent, but I never expected him to be this sincere about his duties.”

Complacency had been their downfall. He regretted not having recognized the man who had simply maintained his position as the castle’s guardian knight. Looking back, he realized he had ignored Durin because he was already building power without drawing attention.

In a way, it was an accident. He had expected the Demon King to abandon his duties due to lack of will, but never imagined he would completely abandon the throne and flee.

The Central region had failed to maintain proper control until Durin set out to suppress the southern rebellion. They had been busy preserving their power as the castle’s situation grew precarious. Failing to send troops at that time wasn’t disloyalty. But it seemed to have earned them resentment.

Using barbaric means to oppress the Red Horn Senate showed his intention to take firm control.

“Is the East in a similar situation to us?”

“Yes, sir. The Green Horns, who only intervene when there’s conflict, also seem to be suffering at the hands of the Southern Army. However, their situation is much better than ours since they will soon welcome the Istria family as their king.”

“That’s inevitable. No matter how powerless a Demon King might be, they’ll still claim all legitimacy and authority.”

The situation was very bad. Killahal stroked his white beard and held back his words. If he, the eldest in the Senate, wavered, the Red Horns would ultimately disintegrate.

They couldn’t afford to give up any more ground when their power was already shaken because of one incompetent legitimate heir. He would maintain the assets from their prosperous era and pass them down to future generations.

That was the only way to survive in this treacherous demon realm.

“Elder, it seems the regent doesn’t intend to completely destroy us.”

“What do you mean?”

“An informant with connections to the royal guard says he appears to be preparing a banquet.”

“A banquet?”

It was an unexpected feast.

In this situation of raising a king, he’s inviting us, who could be considered troublemakers? It was suspicious. Killahal waved his hand to indicate his reluctance.

“The timing isn’t good. It would be better to wait. For now, we should regroup our forces and monitor the situation.”

“About that…”

The response seemed insufficient. The young demon hesitated, unable to speak. Killahal gazed at him steadily.

“What is it?”

“Actually, when the banquet was mentioned, the Green Horns were mentioned together.”

“That makes sense. No, it’s inevitable.”

Killahal sighed. The Green Horns, in their position of serving the heir to the throne, had no reason to decline the invitation. Rather, they would form a closer relationship with the regent to check the Red Horns.

In this situation, from the moment the Red Horns refused the banquet, it would only be a matter of time before the scales tipped.

“We have no justification. We have no choice but to crawl into the trap set by the regent.”

“I’ll move the volunteer army to prepare for any situation. We’ll show a display of force if necessary.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Are you suggesting war against the regent? Don’t do anything foolish and just prepare an elite guard.”

At Killahal’s rebuke, the young demons who had shown their resolve retreated. With the old one’s mood disturbed, they returned to their places without a peep. The old demon stroked his white beard and fell into deep contemplation.

“A banquet… It’s clearly the tiger’s mouth, yet we must enter.”

Is there no way out? If there was a way to escape, they could plan for the future.

Even if they had to bow down for now, they just needed to seize the opportunity to take control of the castle while Durin was at war with the angels.

Yes, this was a stepping stone for that time.

“Accept the banquet for now. If the regent sends an invitation, our Senate will accept it without question.”

“I’ll select the swiftest among our soldiers and have them stand by. We’ll be ready to respond immediately if the Green Horns try anything suspicious.”

“That should be sufficient. Just be careful not to offend the regent.”

“Understood, Elder!”

#

“Sir, they’re starting to take the bait.”

As he was about to head to the throne room to meet Serphin, the captain of the royal guard hurriedly approached. He knelt and reported in detail the movements of the nobles.

“The Eastern demons immediately responded to the banquet invitation. However, they also seem to be moving their troops, seeing this as an opportunity to drive out the Red Horns. The soldiers stationed at the eastern gate of the castle are reportedly gathering weapons.”

“And the Senate?”

“There’s no major movement yet, but they seem positive about the invitation. However, they’re preparing by mobilizing their elite troops already active in the castle, without touching the volunteer army.”

“There could be a major clash between the two forces if things go wrong.”

It seemed they were treating this as a last stand. Although he was forcibly preventing conflict between the two by mobilizing the Southern Army, even that had its limits. They might be physically prevented from contact, but the resentment deep in their hearts would never be resolved. It was a grudge that could only be settled through bloodshed or by watching the downfall of the other side with mockery.

“Berdia.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Withdraw all Southern Army troops immediately. This will be their last assigned mission.”

Berdia, who had been waiting, prepared to receive the order with proper etiquette. However, she seemed to have a question, as her head, which she hadn’t fully lowered, slightly rose.

“Are you allowing an all-out war between the two?”

“I have no intention of wasting valuable troops. I’m just giving them some freedom of movement.”

“But the two demon factions won’t remain idle.”

“It was only a stopgap measure anyway. For a more perfect governance structure, it’s time to end it.”

His resolute voice silenced Berdia. He didn’t allow any further questioning. The barbarian bowed her head and followed his will.

“I will do as you command. But please use us where we are needed.”

“I’ve already arranged everything. I’ll issue orders soon, so prepare to move the army.”

“I will follow your orders!”

Berdia hurriedly withdrew. The moment she left the office, she moved quickly. After sending off one division commander, he immediately gave orders to the captain of the royal guard.

“The same applies to the royal guard. Strengthen the castle’s security and prevent any potential disturbances at the source. Also, select elite soldiers from among the troops and place them near the banquet hall.”

“Should I select those who usually guard your chambers?”

“As long as they are deeply loyal, it doesn’t matter. Choose those who would willingly throw themselves into holy power if the king commanded it.”

“All of our royal guards have such loyalty. However, I will gather especially outstanding warriors separately.”

“If you understand, you may withdraw as well. Time is of the essence.”

“Yes, sir!”

The dull sound of military boots echoed through the corridor. It was powerful enough to drown out the series of disturbances occurring before the coronation. When the iron army rose, the castle would regain stability.

It was time to reap the seeds he had quietly sown.

#

“Ugh…”

Serphin had been training alone in the throne room for three hours before Durin’s arrival.

Even a fleeting moment was precious. To become a king who could fulfill her duties, Serphin gave her all, body and soul. She intended to cultivate the talent that had come to her, who had been merely weak before.

The magic of domination.

This skill, which she had thought was just a strong level of enchantment magic, was actually a blessing passed down through the Istria family. It was evidence of the ruling bloodline, given only to a select few.

She was overjoyed. It meant that she, who had been weak, finally had an ability that set her apart from others.

Moreover, her proficiency wasn’t bad either. Ironically, the time she had spent honing her skills to gather information about the castle had nourished her and helped her become king. Even when she hadn’t fully understood her ability, she could easily handle a succubus, so now she could probably subjugate at least a Durachan.

To see this in practice, she called a soldier guarding the throne room.

“May I make a small request?”

“Just give the order, Heir.”

“Please be my test subject.”

“…”

They had no choice to refuse. The soldiers advanced to the center of the throne room and became Serphin’s dummies. Their duty became resisting the golden magic that poured out ceaselessly.

Efforts to increase the output even slightly continued from morning until late afternoon.

After spending an entire day like this, Serphin finally began to grasp the feeling of the domination magic.

“This is magic that stimulates instinct.”

It was quite different from general magic used like mana in the human realm. Perhaps because it was an ability transmitted from blood to blood, the domination magic delved deep into a demon’s inner self.

It was deeper than the unconscious that enchantment bewitched. Once the golden magic began to infiltrate a demon, it immediately engraved a mark on the soul. It was a realm that couldn’t be casually tampered with unless one was a supreme sorcerer. It was natural that the defensive magic automatically activated in the Demon King’s castle couldn’t block it.

Serphin looked down at her two hands. Though still weak, she was clearly growing. The magic that used to play with the castle’s succubi could now engulf two soldiers, so she began to aim even higher.

“With this alone, I can command an army.”

The moment she had dreamed of was approaching. The modest expectation she had held was gradually swelling. If Durin’s power was added to this, the demon realm could start heading toward its golden age again. They might even reclaim their lost glory.

Flowers began to bloom in Serphin’s mind. Her scattered confidence rapidly returned.

“Good! Let’s try once more!”

Just as Serphin, who had strengthened her resolve, reached out to a Durachan again, unfortunately, someone announced that her allotted time had ended.

Creeeeak-!

“Heir, a message from the regent.”

The one who entered through the heavy gates of the throne room was the captain of the royal guard. A particularly large soldier among the Durachans approached Serphin with large strides. Though she was momentarily overwhelmed by his tremendous presence, which she couldn’t get used to no matter how many times she saw him, she quickly recovered.

Like a proper heir to the throne, she responded with a confident expression.

“A message? Wasn’t today not a lesson day?”

“The regent said to attend the banquet instead of the lesson.”

“Banquet?”

Serphin frowned. A feast suddenly at this time when she couldn’t afford even a moment of leisure? She looked at the captain of the royal guard, thinking it was absurd, but he didn’t move a muscle.

He simply recited the same words again without the slightest error.

“Please attend the banquet. This is a message from His Excellency.”

“Hmm. Can’t it be postponed a bit?”

“The venue is already prepared, and all troops to escort the banquet have been summoned. If the heir dismisses this occasion, all their efforts will be in vain.”

He was unfairly laying out words that could weigh on her mind as a king. Serphin was full of discontent, but the captain’s words were correct.

“Alright. I’ll go back and get ready right away.”

“A wise decision.”

That was the end of it. The captain of the royal guard turned around without hesitation and moved forward. Serphin glared primly at the Durachan as he left the throne room.

“That guy just wasted my precious time. Ugh.”

“There’s no one who cares for the heir more than the captain of the royal guard. He will be your most faithful servant, so please look upon him favorably.”

“I know. I know, but…”

She was bothered by being overwhelmed by his presence earlier. She became grumpy because she felt pushed back.

At that moment, Serphin was startled without realizing it.

“To forget my previous weak self and throw childish tantrums. I’m still lacking.”

“H-Heir.”

“This won’t do. Let’s train a bit more. I need to discipline this foolish heart of mine more strongly.”

Aaaaargh-!

The Durachan’s silent scream echoed through the throne room, but no one listened to his suffering.

It only left the laughter of a few officials who were pleased that the heir was growing.

#

Meanwhile, Berdia had climbed up onto the castle wall. She silently watched the black wave of soldiers spread out on the distant plain.

They were troops that could turn against them at any moment if a mistake was made. She reviewed Durin’s orders once more.

-During the banquet, prevent forces outside the castle from entering. Not a single invader will be allowed.

-There must be no casualties. They are all soldiers of the castle.

-When everything is settled and the heir to the throne comes out of the castle, you will stand at the forefront. Be ready to open the way.

The banquet.

Though it had the pretext of comforting the two forces, the Red Horns and the Green Horns, it was actually the turning point that would mark the end of the Demon King’s selection.

The success or failure rested on Berdia’s shoulders.

If there was even a slight mistake, time would have to be spent healing the opened wound.

That was the worst outcome imaginable for her, who, as Durin’s first sword, wanted to march to the celestial war. She would not allow any mistakes.

Because she considered herself a proud warrior, she gripped her sword firmly.