Chapter 207: The cruel and merciless Demon King, part 2
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Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
During the meeting that followed, the Demon King made no attempt to engage with the topic of invading the human realm, initiating discussion about other matters instead. Though she knew that the warmongers present were displeased, she was also certain that they were waiting for the slightest chance to promote their cause and would be unstoppable once they gained momentum.
Perhaps this topic will also be of interest to them, she thought.
「I’ve decided to take a husband. The person I will marry must be stronger than I am — any of you can step up or introduce someone who you deem worthy. I will entertain you at any time.」
It indeed caused a stir, but nothing more.
「May I ask why you brought up something like that?」, inquired the dark elf once they had returned to her private chambers.
「If they’re looking for a scrap, what better opponent is there than myself?」
「There’s no way any of them are a match for your Majesty, and they are all perfectly cognizant of this fact.」
「In the end, I will entertain those who think they can beat me. But I won’t waste my time with those who have no chance of doing so. Unimpressive, the lot of them.」
The Demon King had little sexual or romantic desire, and instead used ‘strength’ as the sole indicator of the allure of a person. At that moment, a chamberlain entered.
「Your Majesty’s father calls for you.」
「Father?」
「Aye. He requests for your Majesty to visit his residence if you have the time to do so.」
「I see. Let’s go.」
She had inherited the throne about a year ago, but it was the first time she had been summoned in this manner. Her father had retired from all political affairs and now lived a quiet life as a farmer, nurturing crops when the weather allowed it and nurturing his mind when the weather did not.
Accompanied only by the dark elf, she arrived at the villa in which her father resided and was immediately granted access.
「It’s been a while, Lylael.」
Contrary to the brash Luther, the Demon King’s father was always accompanied by an air of serenity that seemed to slow time wherever he went. Though he spoke softly, his words were always heard loud and clear. He was the exact picture of a cool, calm and collected ruler, who was said to have helmed his administration with intellect rather than military might.
「Indeed」, replied the Demon King. 「I know you were keen to breakfast together in the morning, but you were not around.」
「You may be the Demon King, but you are also my daughter. If there’s something that concerns you, I’m afraid I have to say it.」
「As you wish.」
「Making my daughter take the heat while controlling matters in the shadows… goes against my personal values.」
「As in, you believe that offering your opinion will influence my actions?」
「I do fear that possibility. There is something, however, that I must say today… if you will allow me to.」
「Go ahead.」
The former monarch paused to find the right words, then spoke again.
「It has reached my ears that the nobles are raring to invade other lands.」
The Demon King had suspected from the beginning that this was the topic her father wanted to talk about.
「It is my duty to protect the kingdom I inherited from you, Father.」
「There has been no lack of warlike individuals since I was in your place. Your reluctance to approach the subject will get you nowhere, Lylael. Find out exactly how powerful the mainland forces are. That is enough. I believe that the hype for war will die down once it is made clear that it won’t go as smoothly as planned — even with the strongest Demon King in history at the helm.」
Her subordinates had once served him, and he knew how to control them better than she did.
「I will.」
「Please see this an opinion, and nothing more.」
「Understood. But what should I do if the survey finds that the mainland can be invaded?」
「If I were in your shoes, I would get the invasion over and done with and negotiate a treaty as soon as possible. It would result in less unhappiness and bring benefits for both sides. You will also satisfy the desires of the demonfolk supremacists who hunger for war.」
「I will ruminate on this matter.」
That was all her father wished to say. The Demon King returned to her castle after a bit of small talk, and finding her father’s advice reasonable, appointed a group of surveyors to scout the mainland. Though they succeeded in establishing a ‘Gate’ on the mainland, they were unfortunately killed in action before they were able to return.
The mission had also been leaked to the warlords, and the purpose of the survey had quickly changed from a simple reconnaissance to a blatant check on the mainland’s military might. Before this, she had wholeheartedly believed that the surveyors had been doing her bidding, and nothing more.
「Half of the surveyors were killed in a skirmish, and most of the survivors captured」, announced an officer who had been placed in charge of this secret operation.
「A skirmish!」, exclaimed the Demon King. 「Who said they were allowed to fight?」
「…!」
Looking at the petrified officer, she calmed down.
「Apologies. Please continue.」
「O-Okay…」
The officer continued, explaining that the surveying squadron had been annihilated save for the one member from which he had learnt of the tragedy. The skirmish had occurred in a kingdom situated to the south of the mainland known as the Kingdom of Jorvenssen. While it was reported that the humans had initiated the skirmish, nobody really knew for sure.
Many who attended the next meeting were keen on deploying an entire battalion of soldiers to rescue the prisoners of war.
「Seeing such a hostile act from those humans, there’s no way your Majesty will take this sitting down, is there?」
This was when the Demon King realised that the squadron of surveyors had not been under her control. They had most likely operated under the orders of the belligerent warlords who had hoped to commit an act that equaled a declaration of war. If she were to allow the deployment of an entire battalion, however, it would pave the way for more troops to be funneled into the war effort.
「I will send an ambassador to negotiate their release — in the meantime, go ahead and test my patience again, won’t you? Do anything rash, and I will crush you personally.」
Try as she might to threaten them, her subjects clearly refused to take her words to heart. After all, who wanted to listen to the orders of a little girl? She decided to dispatch the ambassador before the warlords reached a decision of their own, and the person to receive this assignment was none other than the dark elf — the subject who understood her the most, and who she also trusted the most. The dark elf was also able to change her appearance and reduce her chances of raising suspicion.
With the help of the existing ‘Gate’, the dark elf returned within three days.
「The prisoners are no longer. Their heads… are on display outside the castle」, she informed all who had assembled at the meeting that followed.
「How barbaric!」
「Are they challenging the pride of we, the demons?」
An uneasy murmuring ensued, and the Demon King closed her eyes and frowned. She could feel everything going downhill. Clunk, clunk, clunk… it was picking up momentum, and she was powerless to stop it.
「I asked around a marketplace and was told that it was a display of the royal family’s power.」
What’s the point, thought the Demon King. What good does it do for you?
Seated on the throne, she placed her palm on her forehead and heaved a deep sigh.
「The humans are strongly prejudiced against us demonfolk. I could not approach them even as an ambassador… so I believe that they are not open to negotiations.」
The dark elf was not part of the belligerent faction, and her opinion was objective and unbiased.
「Barbaric low-lifes…!」
「Your Majesty! We must mobilise the forces at once!」
「Those humans trampled on the pride of our comrades, and it is time to show them who’s boss!」
「Please allow us to invade, your Majesty! Even if it’s only my men!」
Regardless of the faction to which they belonged, the warlords were now all keen on invasion.
「Get the invasion over and done with, and negotiate a treaty as soon as possible…」, muttered the Demon King, echoing the words of her father.
Amidst the cries for war which were growing ever louder, she stood up and yelled for her subjects to quieten down. She had made up her mind.
「Once I start something, I will see it to the end! We will activate five divisions, and crush the mainland in one fell swoop!」
The triumphant roars echoed across the room and the warlords pumped their fists in the air. I’ll be able to slam the brakes as long as I’m there, thought the Demon King.
「I will command my forces personally! The humans will be knocked off their high horses, and they will feel our fury!」
The invading forces were assembled in no time at all — almost as if everything had already been planned.
Play a fast game. Negotiate a treaty. Quickly.
Using the Demon King’s magic, numerous troops were sent to the Kingdom of Jorvenssen in an instant. Once the invasion had begun, she remained true to her word and ensured that they stopped at nothing — villages were razed to the ground, cities were erased without a trace and entire settlements were reduced to mere rubble.
While utterly laying waste to the kingdom, she took care to send diplomats whenever she could. None of them were allowed an audience with the enemies, however, and the Kingdom of Jorvenssen soon fell. Two weeks was all it had taken for the castle — which she decided to use as their headquarters — to fly the flag of her army.
Before she was able to fully flesh out the terms of a potential treaty, though, the inhabitants of Jorvenssen had already re-assembled and launched a counter-offensive to reclaim the land which was rightfully theirs. Their enemy, in their own words, was the ‘cruel and merciless’ Demon King.
「What’s going on, Rodje? We speak the same tongue, so why are we unable to settle matters by diplomacy?」
「If you’ll excuse me, it may be precisely because we speak the same tongue.」
「The fate of this kingdom has become a warning for the others. I wonder if there was a better way to approach this. My naivete led me to rely excessively on pure might, and here we are now.」
She couldn’t help but think about what her father would have done in her place.
「Your kind words are wasted on those humans, your Majesty. Their king was an incompetent fool who would have led his kingdom to ruin sooner or later. There is no cause for concern.」
「I suppose this is what happens when you have idiots on both sides. Not reining in my subjects from the get-go was a lapse of judgement on my part.」
「I respectfully disagree.」
「And you have had bad experiences with those humans, haven’t you?」
「Aye. There would be nothing better than for your Majesty to be the sole ruler of all there is.」
「I do not have such ambitions. In fact, I would very much like to try out a quiet life — without my strength or my title.」
「Please do not act rashly, your Majesty.」
「Fufufu. It is but a joke.」
The conflict quickly escalated after that. No matter how many diplomats the Demon King sent, all of them eventually contributed to the tally of those who never returned. It seemed as if out of all the parties involved, she was the sole person willing to negotiate.
A year later, the Demon King was defeated by a party of absurdly powerful ladies known as ‘Heroines’, and the war was finally brought to an end. They found her corpse waiting for them soon after storming the castle — but not before a young man and a black cat managed to escape undetected.
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