Chapter 8 – The Demon King’s Army
One never knew how cold a king’s throne was until one sat on it.
But while the towering backrest forced you to straighten your spine, the extravagant design helped to enhance the rank of the person sitting on it.
And so the person had to act like a king, and the subjects had to pay their proper respects.
A fusion of functional beauty and authority. How horrible it was.
“I should change the throne into a rocking chair.”
The Demon King sighed towards the meeting table in front of him.
Not a single one of his subordinate demon generals was sitting there. And there was not a single light in the chandelier that hung above him.
The space was covered in darkness as he leaned on his elbow.
“What do you think, strategist?”
“If it is your wish, Lord Demon King.”
A bitter chuckle escaped him at the indifferent, faded dragon eyes. The beautiful strategist continued to attend him, standing within the throne’s shadow.
“By the way, it is so very dark here. That chandelier is quite a nuisance. What about breaking it all down and opening up the ceiling?”
“The Immortal General’s face will become even more bitter than it already is.”
“That is fine. Proceed with the reconstruction plans.”
He smiled a little and then took a sip from the cup on the table.
Currently, he seemed to be spending all of his time listening to reports and holding strategy meetings.
Night was when monsters were most active. And so they planned during the day and put it into action at night. Well, that was the official reason.
“Please, such jesting cannot be wise. With someone that proud, binding loyalty will have its limit…”
“Do not worry about that. Nobles, after all, are creatures of custom. And the Demon Realm’s most esteemed figure is also a great conservative.”
Vampires proclaimed themselves nobles, and were driven not just by their pride, but by a desperate delusion to cling to their own traditions.
And supported by the overwhelming power of their race, they had been able to enforce such traditions and dominate the Demon World for many years. This had resulted in their kind being hated by many of the other races. In fact, one of the reasons that they made the castle float in the sky was to spite Immortal Lord Coctus.
“Why should I care about offending someone who threatened to overthrow and kill me? If anything, I hope it results in an entertaining explosion.”
“Overthrow?”
“…Fifty years of human life, when compared to the age of the heavens, are but a fleeting dream, an illusion. Is there anything that, once brought into being, is not destined to perish?…”
“…Whose words are you quoting?”
“A long time ago, in a far away land. Some man became a Demon King. And that human used to say those words.”
He understood that the title the man claimed differed from his own definition of ‘Demon King.’ But now that he stood at such a height, the life story he had learned about as a mere pastime, during his pursuit of domination, strangely began to resurface in his memories.
“The Three Great Heads of the Demon Realm…the Demon Clan, the Evil God Clan, and the Vampire Nobility… Those who transform the power within them… And use it to live for endless eons. Compared to them, you and I…are nothing more than fleeting illusions.”
“You are saying…that we are the same as humans?”
“Well…I don’t know about that…”
The demon world had a hierarchy.
From physical strength, magic and special abilities. Everything affected whether you were considered to be superior or inferior. And it was nearly impossible to break through this sturdy power structure.
Humans were creatures who relied on order. And their power structures could be toppled easily. On the other hand, they were weak, and there was always an immense risk of failure when trying to bring about change.
Which was better?
A nearly hopeless ranking system that made one want to give up? Or the frustration of feeling like you could break something, but not be able to make it crumble?
Bonus chapter courtesy of Photo! Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! Thank you for your translations.