Continental Conquest

It’s now a fairly decent Demon King’s castle morning.

The corridor, once filled with darkness and dust, was now polished thanks to the 24-hour labor of the skeleton union members, and the empty ramparts echoed with the lively shouts of the Oni warriors.

Ttokttok.

“Haru-nim, I’m coming in.”

Elise came in with a neatly organized stack of reports. Her silver hair contrasted with her black suit, making it shine even more coldly.

“Here’s today’s main schedule. In the morning, we’ll be patrolling the castle with the Demon King-nim, and in the afternoon, there’s a strategy meeting scheduled with the heads of each faction.”

Her report was, as always, perfect without any unnecessary details.

“Darkness?”

“She just woke up. She’s probably having breakfast right now…”

Before Elise could finish, a commotion was heard from down the hallway.

“Uwaaa! This fluffy bread! Tender meat! This comes out every morning!”

It was Darkness’s voice.

We chuckled and left the room.

As we headed to the dining hall, we saw Darkness with her eyes sparkling in front of a mountain of food.

Now, instead of her loose robe, she was wearing a luxurious dress gifted by Bloodmere.

She almost looked like a Demon King… but the sight of her stuffing bread into her mouth with jam smeared all over her face was unmistakably the sloppy Darkness.

“This is… this is the real life of a Demon King…!”

She was so moved that her eyes welled up with tears.

She’s eating and sleeping well, and it seems like she’s gained some weight.

“Demon King-nim, please maintain your dignity.”

Elise sighed and wiped Darkness’s mouth with a napkin.

“Hoe? Ah, sorry Elise… it’s just too delicious…”

Darkness scratched her head, feeling embarrassed.

After finishing our meal, we set out to patrol the castle.

The first place we visited was the training ground where the Oni were stationed.

Kwaaaang-!

The sound of war hammers and axes colliding rang in our ears.

“Kuaaaak! Die!”

“I’ll split your head open first!”

As soon as we entered, a brutal scene unfolded. The Oni were beating each other as if they were trying to kill each other.

One Oni was hit by his comrade’s fist, flying in an arc and crashing into the castle wall.

“Uwaaa! H-He’s dead! Someone’s dead!”

Darkness turned pale and hid behind me.

“Don’t worry, it’s just sparring.”

“Can sparring be this brutal???”

“Of course. Because they’re Oni.”

The Oni who had crashed into the wall dusted himself off and shouted without a care.

“Damn it, I took one! Alright, let’s call it a day and go drink some booze!”

“Alright!”

The Oni, who had been fighting to the death just moments ago, put their arms around each other and ran towards the liquor barrels. That simplicity is their greatest weapon.

The next place we headed to was the information room managed by the vampires.

Unlike the training ground filled with the Oni’s sweat and shouts, this place was filled with a cool atmosphere, the sound of turning pages, and the subtle scent of black tea.

“Oh my, Demon King-nim. Come this way.”

Bloodmere gestured elegantly.

“This person is the sub-manager of the Southern Merchant Guild, and that person has connections with the Imperial nobles.”

Bloodmere greeted us as she gracefully put down her teacup. Around her, dozens of vampires were busy sorting and analyzing information from all over the continent.

“Currently, the war between the Empire and the Order has reached a stalemate. Both sides have suffered enormous damage and are barely managing to maintain the front lines.”

“Wow, this snack is delicious! Nom nom.”

Darkness was mindlessly grabbing the fancy snacks placed on the table. She didn’t care about the report at all.

Bloodmere kept feeding Darkness the finest snacks while giving her report.

‘Hmm, is she planning to win Darkness over first? And then go after my blood? How cunning.’

Of course, Darkness didn’t know about her intentions and was just smiling happily as she accepted the snacks.

“Mmm, delicious! To be able to eat this every day… I’m so happy!”

And so, the peaceful morning patrol ended, and it became afternoon.

The Demon King’s castle conference hall.

Darkness was sitting on the highest throne in the center of the huge round table. Of course, she was fidgeting and kept almost sliding off the chair.

Elise was standing upright to her right, and I was sitting with my arms crossed to her left.

And below the table, representatives from each faction were seated.

As soon as the meeting started, the skeleton union representative jumped up and saluted.

“Comrade Chairman! Reporting in! The bone production of the Northern White Fortress branch has exceeded 300% compared to the previous quarter! This is all thanks to the enlightened leadership of Comrade Chairman!”

The sound of jawbones clattering ‘ttadadak’ echoed in the conference hall.

“Ah, yes… you’ve worked hard…”

Darkness seemed awkward with the title ‘Comrade Chairman’ and was flustered.

“The Oni of the East are ready to deploy at any time! Just tell us when we can smash the heads of those human bastards!”

The teacups on the table jumped up cheerfully.

“Oh my, how barbaric. Now is the time to conserve our strength and gather information.”

“What, what did you say?! You tiny blood-sucking brat!”

“Hoho, at least I use something called a brain instead of a head full of muscles.”

“You bat bitch, you really!”

As the Akaoni jumped up from his seat, the vampires behind Bloodmere bared their fangs in unison.

The atmosphere in the conference hall became tense.

Elise tried to mediate, but the battle of wills between the two, once ignited, did not easily subside.

I quietly unfolded my arms.

And opened my mouth.

“It’s time to shift from defense to offense.”

With my quiet words, all the noise that had filled the conference hall stopped as if by magic.

The Akaoni who had been growling, the smile of Bloodmere who had been sneering, Darkness who had been flustered, even the clattering jawbones of the skeleton.

All eyes were fixed on me at once.

I slowly rose from my seat.

“Look at the current situation. The Empire and the Order are too busy sucking each other’s blood. They’re pouring all their forces into the fight happening in their own backyard.”

I pointed to the map of the continent placed in the center of the table.

“They’re all busy expanding their own forces. They’re too busy keeping each other in check to even care about the Demon King’s army.”

Their eyes began to waver.

“Now is the perfect opportunity. While the strongmen of the continent are tearing each other apart, now, when the vigilance against the demons is at its weakest.”

I slowly looked around at everyone gathered in the conference hall.

“This kind of opportunity won’t come again. We no longer hide in this dark castle.”

My voice echoed softly throughout the conference hall.

“If the world has forgotten us, we just need to make them remember again. To clearly imprint our power, our will, the existence of the Demon King’s army.”

For a hero like me to say these things. How ironic.

I looked at the representatives of each faction in turn.

“Akaoni. You and the Oni tribe are the vanguard. With your uncontrollable power, tear through the human defenses like paper.”

“…Alright! It’s a fight!”

Akaoni’s eyes flashed like a beast.

“Bloodmere. You and the vampires will be in charge of information warfare and rear-guard disruption. Disrupt the enemy with your spiderweb-like information network and guide our path.”

“Yes, as you command.”

An alluring smile appeared on Bloodmere’s lips.

“And the skeleton union members are our backbone. Build supply lines with your endless labor and construct new fortresses in the lands we occupy.”

“War! Absolutely war! All skeleton comrades are prepared for an all-out war!”

Golgolgol-!

All preparations were complete. Now, only the final decision remained.

Everyone’s gaze naturally turned to the Demon King sitting on the throne.

Darkness was trembling with a pale face.

“W-W-War?! Do we… do we really have to have a war?”

She shouted in fear, forgetting her dignity as the Demon King, and jumped up from her chair.

And then, she tried to crawl under the huge conference table to hide.

“Hoeeee!”

“Demon King-nim!”

Elise moved quickly, grabbing the back of Darkness’s dress and barely stopping her.

Darkness struggled and shouted desperately.

“I don’t want to! War is scary!”

Darkness clung to Elise’s arm and struggled. There was not a trace of the Demon King’s dignity, just the appearance of a terrified child.

“Demon King-nim, please calm down.”

Elise familiarly took something out of her pocket and popped it into Darkness’s mouth.

Dried fruit with sweet honey. Darkness’s favorite snack.

“Omul omul…”

Once something sweet entered her mouth, Darkness’s crying subsided a little. But her eyes were still filled with tears.

She sniffled and still didn’t stop trying to crawl under the table.

“But… but people will get hurt! Won’t we… won’t we become bad demons?”

Darkness asked in a trembling voice.

“Can’t we… can’t we just all get along like we do now?”

An innocent question. But all the more painful because of it.

The air in the conference hall became heavy.

I sighed and approached the table where Darkness was trying to hide. And to meet her eye level, I knelt down on one knee and squatted.

“Darkness.”

At my soft voice, her shoulders twitched.

“I know how you feel. Of course, you’re scared. Anyone would want to avoid war.”

I tried to put on the most gentle expression possible.

“Peace is good. All of us here think so. Akaoni, Bloodmere, even those skeletons over there, everyone wants to live in peace.”

Actually, I don’t think that’s true. But I have to say it like this for now.

At my words, Darkness’s eyes widened slightly. Her wariness eased just a little.

“But, Darkness. Reality doesn’t give us that choice.”

My voice lowered slightly.

“The Empire and the Order are fighting each other now, but this is just a temporary storm. Once the storm passes, they’ll look around.”

I explained slowly, making it easy for her to understand.

“And they’ll think. ‘Ah, there was a Demon King in that Demon King’s castle’ they’ll say.”

“…….”

“When their war ends, who will be their next prey?”

Darkness’s red eyes shook uneasily.

“When that time comes, all the happy days you’re enjoying now will disappear. The delicious bread you eat every morning, the interesting books Elise reads to you, the sweet snacks Bloodmere gives you, everything.”

I looked straight into Darkness’s eyes.

“There are two choices. Sit still and wait for them to take everything from us and trample us until we’re destroyed. Or, draw our swords first and protect our future.”

I stood up and pointed to the throne.

“Being a Demon King is about making choices. The fate of all demons is in your hands now.”

“Hoeee…”

Darkness’s face turned pale. She started sucking her finger without realizing it. It was a habit that came out when she felt extremely anxious.

“If we don’t fight now, we won’t even have the chance to fight later.”

I drove in the final wedge.

“Look at them.”

My fingertip pointed to those gathered in the conference hall in turn.

“Akaoni and her tribes. They believe in you and are waiting for your command. Their hot blood is boiling for you.”

Akaoni thumped her chest with her fist.

“Bloodmere and the vampires. They trust your wisdom and are waiting for your plan. Their information network will move only for you.”

Bloodmere bowed her head slightly as a sign of respect.

“And those skeleton workers. Comrades liberated under your leadership. Their bones are prepared to be broken for you.”

Subordinates who deserve the saying ‘unforgettable grace’. Because they’re bones.

The skeleton representative saluted with a ‘ttaktak!’ sound.

“All these people believe in and follow you, Demon King Darkness. But if you hide… what will you say to them?”

“…….”

Darkness couldn’t say anything. She just huddled down and lowered her head.

“Peace is a luxury that only the strong can enjoy. We can’t greet someone who comes at us with a sword with flowers, can we?”

A heavy silence fell in the conference hall.

Everyone was waiting for Darkness’s decision.

How much time had passed?

Elise quietly embraced Darkness’s shoulders, who was huddled up.

“Demon King-nim. The decision must be made by you, Demon King-nim.”

Elise’s voice was soft, but there was a firm core within it.

“Hoeee… Really… is that really so…?”

Darkness raised her head. Her face was covered in tears.

“Then… really… is there no other way…?”

I just looked at her without a word.

Darkness sniffled for a long time, then finally stood up as if she had made up her mind. Supported by Elise, she headed back to the throne with faltering steps.

She sat on the throne and opened her mouth in a trembling voice.

“I understand…”

Her voice was so small that even I could barely hear it.

“I’ll try… war…”

She took a deep breath and spoke again. This time, her voice was a little louder.

“War… I’ll try it.”

But she shook her head and added.

“But! But I’m really scared!”

As soon as those words were finished, Akaoni jumped up and roared.

“Hahaha! Finally, a real fight! Which bastards should I smash the heads of first!”

“Hehe, finally the opportunity to expand our influence has come. I’ll be sure to impress Hero-nim with my abilities on this occasion.”

“Golgol! Unity! All union members will unite and struggle under the leadership of Comrade Chairman!”

All factions expressed their joy in their own way.

Darkness was still terrified as she watched them, but she no longer ran away.

She gripped the armrests of the throne tightly with her trembling hands and shouted with all her might.

“T-Then! From now on! The Demon King’s army’s continental conquest! Begins!”