Volume 8 Chapter 14 The Coming Of The Warring States
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Yalaan toyed with his long, flowing black hair, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.
”Flamil is Kent Blackdagger’s concubine?! What’s that all about?! Flamil should be at the castle, shouldn’t she?!”
My son’s words took me by surprise; I couldn’t hide my astonishment.
My daughter, Flamil, was supposed to be living at the castle as the decorated Warlord of the Magic Corps, but how on earth did she end up as the South District Margrave King Kent Blackdagger’s concubine?
It made no sense to anyone.
”Ah, my apologies. I haven’t informed you, Father, but it seems Flamil has inherited Lady Fortesia’s soul.”
”What?! Lady Fortesia’s soul?! Why didn’t you tell me that?!”
If Flamil, me daughter, housed the soul of the founding Lady Fortesia, the True Demon elders would quickly shift their support to her.
I could see my throne being contested right before my eyes.
If my position was challenged, Yalaan, right in front of me, would also be in danger of losing his status.
Yet, there was no trace of urgency on my son’s face.
”Father, you’re shouting. It’s alright. I won’t let things go as Flamil wishes. I’ve already won over the elders with my charm.”
Yalaan, with his seemingly weak demeanor, had somehow managed to win over the elders.
Still, he was considered the most talented magician among the young Blackcolor breed, second only to Clayd and Carly.
”Ah, I see. Then I can rest easy…”
”…Damn it, useless father… That’s why I have to get serious. I’ll involve Gwain, and the dukedom will fall into chaos. I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to die. I can’t let Gwain’s bastard mess with Mom’s homeland!”
Suddenly, Yalaan’s tone turned violent as he drew her sword from his hip and thrust it into my heart.
”Guh… What?! Ghaa!”
* * *
*Yalaan’s Perspective
The thing that was once my father lay sprawled on the room’s floor.
This man was nearly incompetent.
Knowing full well he lacked his own abilities, he absurdly craved the throne of the Demon Lord, sovereign of the continent, and committed the grave mistake of summoning the conniving traitor Gwain to the Dukedom.
Gwain, who had long been in contact with my father due to their territories bordering each other, had already gathered numerous sympathizers within the Dukedom.
With his exile, the Dukedom had effectively become Gwain’s autonomous state.
Primarily, a succubus named Felia was rallying the Gwain faction within the nation, scheming to monopolize power.
Currently, about half of the True Demon Dukedom’s territory had broken away from the Dukedom’s control and was aligned with Gwain.
Those who sided with Gwain were mainly non-True Demon Clan nobles and lords of the outskirts.
Our Dukedom had traditionally employed non-True Demon Clan lords in the peripheral regions, and now it had come back to haunt us.
”Is anyone there! My father has fallen!”
I shout deliberately to the guards waiting in the adjacent room.
They were already on edge, and the guards quickly began to deal with the messy aftermath, cleaning up the blood-soaked carpet.
* * *
The next day, nobles gathered at the castle on urgent summons, converging in the throne room.
Murmurs of suspicion about the sudden assembly filled the room, which buzzed with unease.
”The reason I’ve gathered you all here today is to inform you that my father, Rashid, has fallen ill and collapsed.”
Gasps of shock rose from the nobles loyal to Gwain.
”Furthermore, I, Yalaan, will be acting in his stead. If anyone objects, speak up now.”
A silence fell over the throne room.
The True Demon Clan nobles seemed to have no objections to my acting in his place, but the non-True Demon Clan nobles were casting glances this way, as if they wanted to say something.
Then, one noble mustered the courage to speak up.
”Your Highness Yalaan! Shouldn’t we inform the Chancellor or Lord Gwain about the acting governance first?”
”Refuse him!! Gwain, the Chancellor, is someone my father appointed. Ever since I was entrusted with the regency from my father, I’ve intended to remove Gwain from his position as Chancellor. You pest, feasting on our Dukedom! Seize him!”
Following my instructions, the guards began to apprehend the nobles of Gwain’s faction one after another.
The nobles of the True Demon Clan, unable to grasp the situation, simply stood there, turning into mere spectators in their astonishment.
”From this moment on, Gwain is an enemy of the True Demon Dukedom! At the same time, I announce the marriage between my sister and South District Margrave King Kent Blackdagger. Let it be known to all that our True Demon Dukedom and the South District Margrave Kingdom are now related by marriage!”
”What! What do you mean, Lady Flamil is to be married to King Blackdagger! We hadn’t even heard a whisper of this! A royal of the True Demon Clan, of the esteemed Blackcolor lineage, marrying a man of the Majin Clan!”
A senior member of the True Demon Clan stammered out, questioning the validity of the statement.
In truth, it was Flamil who had pushed herself forward, but it seemed King Blackdagger was quite taken with her, as Yuri’s report had indicated.
”Already, the True Demon Kingdom lies in ruins, and this True Demon Dukedom is on the brink of collapse. Cast aside these ancient customs! If we do not, the True Demon Clan may become a race consigned to history. We may no longer be able to make our case to the founding Lady Fortesia! We are the noble, wise True Demon Clan! Open your eyes and look at the world; you’ll see that it’s already a time of chaos. The cradle of paradise created by Demon Lord Orphée Bleu is unraveling.”
It seemed the nobles of the True Demon Clan were finally comprehending the gravity of the word “chaos.”
”So, it all comes down to our actions from here on out. Will we become a race of the past, or will we rise again to be the supreme race of the continent?”
”That’s right. From now on, the True Demon Dukedom will be an ability-first society. Even if you lack magical talent, if you can demonstrate exceptional skills, I’ll grant you a high-ranking position, whether you’re a commoner, a criminal, or even a beggar. Don’t think you can sit in a noble seat without proving your abilities. The elders will also be asked to retire if they can’t show any merit.”
A wave of tension swept through the nobles in response to my declaration.
Most of them had gained their noble status simply by belonging to the True Demon Clan, so being told to prove their abilities made them quite uneasy──that was already something I had factored in.
”Of course, if you think I’m unfit to be king, feel free to try and overthrow me. I intend to pour my heart and soul into being a king. Those with ambition can come and take my throne if they wish. This is all I have to say to everyone.”
After delivering my message, I retreated to my private chamber.
* * *
”That was impressive. As expected of my master. We’ve managed to capture several nobles from the main Gwain faction. Should we use them as hostages to turn the tide?”
Upon returning to my room, I found a succubus from the Dream Demon Clan waiting for me.
She was Yuri, the former Black Dagger of the last generation’s Dream Demon Lord.
My acquaintance with her dated back to when she was the bride of the previous Demon Lord, and it was I who turned Yuri into a woman.
Since then, I’ve had a long relationship with Yuri, orchestrating her conflict with the current clan leader, Miriallia.
”Yuri, I’d prefer your support over schemes to switch sides. I’ve heard Miriallia plans to relocate the hidden village to the South District. What’s going on with that?”
”Yes! Several competent succubi we sent to the South District have been pulled back. It seems they’ve been taken in by the rumored abilities of Lord Black Dagger… As a result, young succubi are starting to flee from the village to the South District.”
Yuri hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words.
It had reached her ears that King Kent possessed remarkable [Sexual Prowess] and an irresistible charm over women, making it seem as if succubi had no chance of resisting him.
”I see… Understood. We can’t ignore the succubi’s recruitment into the South District. Yuri, bring your forces and relocate to my castle. For now, we’ll gather information on the South District through the incubi.”
”Yes. Miriallia might wear a smug grin, but if it’s for my master, I can endure it.”
Yuri had an intense dislike for Miriallia.
Not only had she dismissed Yuri’s suggestion of a bride for the Demon Lord, but she had also gone and gotten engaged to some unknown King Kent, while bringing numerous promising young men from their village to serve her.
Furthermore, she had taken it upon herself to disrupt the information ne2rk of the Dream Demon Clan by meddling with South District’s organization.
Originally, Yuri and Miriallia’s relationship had been uneasy, but with Kent’s appearance, it had become irreparably tangled, throwing the Dream Demon’s assassination group into chaos.
”I apologize. Until we deal with Gwain, I need King Kent’s assistance.”
”No worries. Let’s strategize against Gwain then. Perhaps we should start by capturing that Felia, the Treasurer and Diplomat?”
”Sounds good. Where is she now? At the base in Daracallia?”
”Yes. We’ll take advantage of our Black Dragon Dukedom’s invasion to abduct her. After that, I’ll be relying on my master’s power.”
”Leave it to me. I’ll eliminate the enemies within the Dukedom. Also, tell young Aldo that we’ll be assisting in taking down Gwain.”
”Ha, I’ve got it covered!”
With those words, Yuri vanished from the room.
”What a chaotic time we live in… I wish everything could end without incident… For nearly 4 hundred years I’ve endured, but this time it seems the [Soul of the Overlord] won’t allow that… What a troublesome Gift to receive.”
I sighed while gazing down at the castle town from my window, feeling the weight of it all.
~New Character~
Yalaan, a 398-year-old male from the Blackcolor species, is the firstborn of Rashid, the current True Demon King.
Recognized for his magical talent since childhood, he is the top spellcaster among the Blackcolor clan.
There are rumors that he has successfully slain Beast Monsters in the past, but the truth behind those claims remains uncertain.
Even the elders of the True Demon Clan acknowledge his abilities, awarding him the title of first in line for the throne.
New Skill
[Soul of the Overlord]… boosts the morale of his commanding troops by 500%, and raises all stats by 250%. Additionally, experience points earned from his actions are increased by 1000%. Character cards of color [Black] can only achieve a friendship level of [Neutral]. Skill points earned are 100 Modifier Skills.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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