Volume 7 Chapter 7 Demon Lord
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Things had moved at a breakneck pace ever since I received the report about the fall of the Northern Fortress.
Just as Aldo had declared, he somehow managed to inherit the Dracul family’s title from his father the very next night.
He came to my secluded palace as Marquis Dracul.
I have no idea what methods he used.
With Aldo’s succession to the Dracul family, he was able to seize control of the main territory and his elder brother’s lands.
However, it seemed that his younger brother, Nord, had skillfully eliminated the influence of the main family, making it impossible to seize his territory.
Nevertheless, he was sitting before me as the representative of the Dracul family, just as he had promised.
”Kent. I kept my promise. I had a feeling about Big Brother Nord, but it was within expectations. Now, you will come with me to the Royal Palace, right?”
Aldo pressed me to fulfill my promise.
The promise was to act as an intermediary with His Majesty and to become a part of his military backing.
A man who could depose his own father in a single day… Aldo Dracul.
He’s competent, but he seems like a troublesome man to have as an enemy.
I gazed at the plump young incubus before me, pondering what I should do next.
The situation was incredibly tense.
The Gertroud army had taken the Northern Fortress, which was defended by 50,000 Kingdom soldiers led by Gwain, and was advancing south towards the Capital City.
And, according to reports, they would be in a position to engage the Black Dragon army, led by Fabulonova, the Kingdom’s strongest military force, tomorrow.
Because I had brought Aldo, who is also a boss of the pleasure town, into our ranks, Milly’s Intelligence organization could operate more easily in the Capital City, and the accuracy and reliability of the information had improved dramatically.
According to that information, the Gertroud army was increasing its strength by resurrecting the dead of the Gwain army as Living Dead.
The number of soldiers had increased several times over, to nearly 70,000, and since most of them were composed of Living Dead, the army required almost no food.
The situation had reached a point where I had no choice but to adapt my response, depending on whether Fabulanova could repel that massive army.
With Gwain’s life hanging in the balance, if Fabulanova lost, Orphée Bleu would undoubtedly come to take the Capital City from me and the Demon Lord.
Maybe I should have finished him off back then, even if it meant chasing him down…
I was filled with dread at the thought of Orphée Bleu descending upon us with overwhelming forces from the south.
That fiend had harbored a grudge against the Supreme God (Sazukrain) for imprisoning him in another dimension for years, manipulating causality for thousands of years to resurrect himself and gather the finest talents as his vessel.
They said that this body I inhabited was the very one his soul was meant to reside in.
Therefore, the bitterness of Orphée Bleu towards having his body snatched away by me, summoned by the Supreme God (Sazukrain) who sensed the unfolding situation, was immense; he would stop at nothing to annihilate me.
I believed that my survival in this world was thanks to the abilities of this body that Orphée Bleu had crafted.
Since I decided to live here with Milly and the others, I couldn’t afford to let Orphée Bleu take this body back, and I wasn’t naive enough to willingly be killed, even if my opponent was the first Demon Lord.
”Well, that’s fine. I trust Aldo has everything prepared for our entry into the palace, right? I don’t have any connections with the other Nobles.”
”Yeah, don’t worry. Everything is set for our palace appointment.”
”Got it. Let’s head to the palace right away.”
I boarded Aldo’s carriage and set off toward the royal palace.
* * *
When we arrived at the palace, the audience chamber was crowded with Nobles who had been informed of the urgent news regarding the fall of the northern fortress.
Panic was evident on everyone’s faces.
It seemed they were reeling from the reality that this was the second crushing defeat for the Kingdom’s army this year, with 50 thousand troops mobilized from the feudal lords swept away almost entirely by the enemy.
Among the clamor in the audience chamber, voices condemning Gwain’s incompetence rang out loud and clear.
The leading force condemning Gwain was the faction of Lord Velis, who considered himself close to His Majesty.
Among them, a noblewoman with golden hair and piercing blue eyes, clad in knight’s armor, boldly confronted His Majesty, seeking to hold Gwain accountable.
”Your Majesty! Lord Gwain has committed a grave error with these two consecutive defeats. The Kingdom army…no, the Kingdom’s people have lost tens of thousands due to his actions. If we had simply stayed inside the fortress and awaited Lady Fabulanova’s reinforcements, the ambush would have succeeded, and the enemy army could have been easily defeated. It is undoubtedly the fleeing Lord Gwain who is responsible for this defeat!”
The noblewomen’s sharp words left Gwain’s faction speechless.
Her words were sound logic, undeniable facts.
The Gwain faction’s nobles seemed unable to find even a thread of rebuttal.
I decided to ask Aldo, who stood beside me, about the noblewoman’s identity.
”Aldo, who is that noblewoman?”
”Kent, you’re blind when it comes to women… She’s Lord Velis’s subordinate, Letticia Lawrence. She left her family at a young age and was Monster Hunting in the South District, but recently, Lord Velis discovered her talent and made her his subordinate. She’s sharp as a tack, you know. Both Gwain’s faction and Fabulanova’s faction dislike her.”
”As always, Aldo. Thanks for the information.”
”You planning to try and woo her, Kent? Be warned, if you make a move on her, you’ll be making an enemy of Lord Velis. For my part, I don’t want to tangle with Lord Velis until I’ve earned His Majesty’s trust. Whew…”
Aldo sighed, looking me straight in the eyes.
It seemed he thought I wanted to “Carrier” her.
Well, she is undeniably beautiful, and those large breasts under that knight’s armor are certainly eye-catching… But it’s not worth incurring Lord Velis’s displeasure right now… I’ll wait for the right time…
I forced the urge to recruit her down.
”No, I just heard about it. More importantly, shouldn’t we greet Your Majesty quickly?”
”You’re right. Let’s go.”
I began walking towards the audience chamber, Aldo at my side, as people spilled out like a river.
* * *
Upon entering the audience chamber, a murmur spread among the Nobles present.
It seemed they hadn’t expected to see Aldo and me walk in.
I knelt before the throne where Your Majesty sat, bowing deeply.
”Kent Blackdagger. I came to humbly ask a favor of Your Majesty.”
”Ah, Kent. I was just about to summon you. This saves me the trouble. Now, what is your request?”
Shifa, who had called out to us, looked as pale as if he had just received shocking news about Gwain’s defeat.
”Hah, I would like for Lord Aldo, the newly appointed head of the Dracul family, to stand by Your Majesty’s side. He is quite competent and surely will provide valuable advice in this current situation.”
”I am Aldo Dracul. I have recently inherited my title from my father and have come to serve Your Majesty’s needs.”
Aldo bent his plump frame in a deep bow.
Around us, whispers spread among the Nobles──remarks like “That’s Dracul’s foolish son!” and “The foolish third son is the head of the Dracul family?” echoed with disbelief.
”So you intend to help me… Tell me, what should I do?”
Shifa seemed troubled, haunted by the loss of his ally Gwain and the looming threat of Orphée Bleu, who had publicly declared their intention to kill the Demon Lord.
”Ho ho, then allow me to offer a suggestion. Your Majesty should lead the armies in person this time. Of course, military command would be entrusted to Lord Kent or his father-in-law, Arbalest Haydon. If Your Majesty doesn’t stand at the forefront and fight, the Kingdom will be destroyed by Gertroud, that’s for sure. According to the information I have gathered, Lady Fabulanova seems to be conspiring with a faction of Gertroud’s army for the Kingdom’s secession.”
The people present in the audience chamber murmur at Aldo’s bold words.
Shifa’s face pales as she hears that the Kingdom’s last hope, the Black Dragon Army, is in league with the enemy.
”What?! Lady Fabulanova is working with the enemy?! Who would believe such slander. I refuse to believe it!”
Lord Velis, who stood beside Shifa, affirmed Aldo’s statement.
”Your Majesty… unfortunately, it’s true. Lady Fabulanova has been collaborating with Gertroud’s general, Nokin, and has been delaying aid to Lord Gwain. My own men have confirmed this.”
Shifa, who had received word of Fabulanova’s treachery from her trusted Velis, slams her fist on the throne.
Her sharp gaze pierces through the nobles who seemed to align with Fabulanova.
”What?! Fabulanova, you traitor! She’s abandoning me?!”
”Your Majesty, please calm yourself! I have not completely given up on you. The reason I suggested a personal expedition earlier was because I wanted Your Majesty to rise as the true Demon Lord. If You defeat Gertroud in battle, Your Majesty’s might will restore the Kingdom to its former glory.”
”But what if I lose?”
”Even if you sit here in Capital City, you’ll only be killed. Or should you pass the Demon Lord position to Gertroud and plead for your life? Maybe even so, Your Majesty will still be killed.”
Aldo made a provocative remark, urging Shifa to take action.
Anger etched across Shifa’s handsome face.
”I will never relinquish the title of Demon Lord!”
”Then, prove to everyone that you are indeed the Demon Lord by betting your very life. As things stand, Your Majesty is nothing but a false Demon Lord. Only those who stand at the forefront to save the people can be deemed the true Demon Lord. The first Demon Lord, Orphée Bleu, defended the citizens from numerous foes and monsters. Does Your Majesty, Shifa, possess the resolve to save your people in carrying the name of that Demon Lord?!”
Aldo relentlessly interrogated Shifa, who he had just met.
”…Am I a false Demon Lord? Have I not fulfilled the role of the Demon Lord as Lord Gwain suggested…? Do you deem me a fraud? Why must I risk my life to protect the people? What have they done for me? What have they done for someone like me, who has played the fool just to avoid being killed by Lord Gwain?!!”
Under Aldo’s eloquence, Shifa shed the guise of the puppet Demon Lord.
A young man, who had played the parts of both the Asura Clan leader and the Demon Lord since childhood just to survive as a tool for Gwain, cried out.
”Mr. Aldo! It may be disrespectful towards Your Majesty! But even as the head of House Dracul, such words are unacceptable!”
Velis, standing beside Shifa, tried to silence Aldo’s remarks.
The nobles of the Velis faction chimed in, voicing their support for Shifa.
”Lord Velis. I am asking Your Majesty this question. Does the 54th Demon Lord of the True Demon Kingdom, Shifa Secundadi, possess the resolve to save the people?!”
”I… I know nothing of the people…”
”Then, let us rephrase it. Do you have the resolve to save your family, Shifa Secundadi?!”
Shifa answers without hesitation.
”That goes without saying! I won’t become a man who can’t protect his family!”
”Your Majesty, saving the people is the same thing. The people who make up this Kingdom are family to Your Majesty! You said that it is natural to save your family. If Your Majesty is the true Demon Lord, then the people of the Kingdom are family as well! To put it another way, Your Majesty is sustained by the people. It is not the power of Lord Gwain at all! If you cannot save those people, then you should gracefully resign as Demon Lord!”
Aldo, who had said he wanted to be Shifa’s close confidant, was reprimanding Shifa with harsh words.
The severity of his words even made the surrounding nobles gasp for air.
”I am sustained by the people…”
”Your Majesty, whether you are the Demon Lord or not, if there are no people to raise you, you wouldn’t even be able to eat! Your Majesty complains that the people do nothing for you, but from the people’s point of view, they are paying taxes and doing corvée labor, while Your Majesty is doing nothing!”
Shifa had a surprised look on his face.
”Aldo, you’re saying that I already owe a great debt to the people…that’s why you’re saying I should save them at all costs…? things is worse than Lord Gwain…”
”Your Majesty! This is an unavoidable fate as the Demon Lord! Prepare yourself!”
”…However, a Demon Lord without people…that’s just a fool…”
Shifa clenched his fist and pounded the throne.
”Then, once again I ask you. Does Shifa Secundadi, the 54th Demon Lord of the True Demon Kingdom, have the resolve to save the people?!”
”Y-YES! I, as the True Demon King, will wage war to eradicate Gertroud who harms the people!”
Shifa’s declaration caused Velis, who was beside her, to frantically intervene.
”Your Majesty! A Demon Lord should not speak so lightly of waging war!”
”Be silent, Velis! As the Demon Lord, I *must* defeat Gertroud. If I don’t, the people will abandon me. Then, I’ll be nothing more than a jester!”
Shifa stopped Velis with a hand, silencing her.
”Kent, I entrust you with leading the expeditionary force alongside Arbalest. I leave the command of the war to both of you!”
”Hah, I shall protect Your Majesty alongside my father-in-law. I believe my father will arrive in the Capital City within a few days, as he is mobilizing troops from the South District right now.”
Since yesterday, he had already sent a messenger to Dragonewt, so if they passed through Aldo’s territory, the main force of the South District army should arrive in the Capital City within a few days.
The Nobles murmured, surprised by this revelation.
”As expected of Kent. I think it’s a good idea to appoint Aldo, whom you trust, as one of my close advisors?”
”Hah, Aldo seems to desire that as well.”
I was surprised by Aldo’s Talk Skill, but even more so by Shifa’s decisive nature.
He was willing to accept Aldo, who had treated him so poorly, as a close advisor.
If I were in Shifa’s position, I would hesitate to accept Aldo, a man who would surely struggle with such a role.
Shifa’s magnanimity might just make her a great leader.
”Then, I shall serve as Your Majesty’s attendant. Please consider Lord Blackdagger and I as one.”
Letticia, a retainer of Lord Velis who had been silent until now, started to denounce Aldo.
”Your Majesty! Though he may be the head of House Dracul, he is a man without rank or title in the Kingdom. Do not be deceived! What need is there for Your Majesty to lead the charge personally? Eternita is an impregnable fortress. If we fortify our defenses, reinforcements will surely rush to Your Majesty’s aid from all directions!”
”Letticia! Stand down! Your Majesty has made the decision to lead the charge!”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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