CH 14

A few days had passed since then.

The Demon King’s army was forced to struggle against the human opposition.

Overwhelmed by the military forces and schemes of the invading nations, the monsters lost their leaders on the battlefield, and were buried six feet under one after another.

And the once vast domain of the Demon King was gradually being taken over by humans, and cleansed into a better place for them to live.

[RAAAAHH!! Why are we losing!? …I gave you good-for-nothings better treatment than Satis since you were all supposed to be my second wisest men after her, and yet… What the hell do you have to say for yourselves!?] (Demon King)

The sound of the Demon King’s shouts and his cups being thrown on the floor echoed in the throne room of the Demon King’s castle.

The monsters who presented themselves before the throne were shivering and bowing their heads to the Demon King.

[Our deepest apologies, Your Majesty. We are attempting to formulate plans to the best of our abilities, but…] (Monster A)

[The power of the humans is not to be underestimated. …I must confess that back when Satis was the one devising strategies against the human armies, our progression was—] (Monster B)

[FOOLS!! …So what, then? You mean to tell me that we’ve lost in power compared to when that worthless woman was around!?] (Demon King)

[Not at all! Nothing of the sort…! …However, it appears that humans have many resourceful individuals in their ranks, and they always manage to outwit us. They put those of us who excel at gaining the upper hand with sheer power at a disadvantage.] (Monster B)

[…So Satis’ ingenuity has always been the reason for our constant victories until now. Is that what you’re saying? That I should’ve never stripped her of her position as a leader, plagued her with disgrace and terror, and planned to have her executed!? That woman challenged the Hero’s party on her own and lost over and over again! Are you all saying that I should’ve never ordered the disposal of a failure like her!?] (Demon King)

The Demon King laid his anger bare, vigorously rose from his throne, and scowled at the monsters.

But the fact remained that Satis had done well against the human armies.

Normally, the duty of eliminating the Hero’s party should have been entrusted to a different commander.

But she wanted to earn more military achievements.

If he had persuaded Satis to lead the battle against the country as it was back then, and let another commander take care of the Hero’s party, then the outcome may have been different.

She was desperate to serve the Demon King as much as she could, both in war and in battle.

Looking back on it with a calm head, stripping her of her position as an army leader, lynching her and sentencing her to death may have been too hasty a decision to make.

As the days passed where she did not quite get him the results he desired regarding both the war and the Hero’s party, the Demon King grew considerably frustrated.

As a result, he subjected Satis to torture, and the latter escaped on the day of her execution.

He disregarded it as a minor issue since he thought he could find a replacement, but the result was disappointing.

In reality, the void left by Satis could not be filled.

At this rate, they would end up giving the humans the green light to invade their land.

[…Find her. Find Satis immediately! That woman must still be alive and lurking somewhere. Bring her to me!] (Demon King)

[But my Lord! We have already searched in the neighboring forests and territories. If we search even further, we may end up allowing the humans to proceed with their attacks…] (Monster C)

One of the Demon King’s trusted confidants voiced his opinion.

The lord of the castle ground his teeth in vexation and fell silent in response.

His wicked expression clearly showed his indignation.

[…There is no way we’re going to lose. We monsters are superior to all the beings in the world! We monsters can never be defeated!] (Demon King)

His pride as the Demon King lit a fire in his heart.

To him, monsters were supreme creatures. They were the superior lifeform.

[…Hmph, whatever. We don’t need to rely on Satis’ little tricks, we only need to use our symbolically overpowering might to force the humans into submission. …Keep assaulting the enemy troops! We’ll crush their so-called tactics with our unstoppable power!!] (Demon King)

He let his pride cloud his judgment to the bitter end.

At the words of the Demon King, all the monsters gathered in the throne room let out shouts, and swore to bring victory to him.

They were ready to fight, even if they were fighting a losing battle.

And then, the Demon King made a certain decision.

[My servants. I have made a decision. I know this will be extremely unpleasant for you pure-blooded monsters to hear, but…] (Demon King)

[C-Could it be… Him…? Are you thinking of dispatching that “ex-human”!?] (Monster D)

[That’s right. The newly transformed demonfolk… The man who turned half-human, half-demon. Even if he’s a monster, it somewhat displeases me to rely on the power of a hybrid…] (Demon King)

Some of the monsters in the Demon King’s castle had lived for hundreds of years, and the Demon King was one of them.

Most of them preferred the good old days, and many put a lot of value in tradition and lineage.

Therefore, those who used to be human and later became monsters were always looked down upon.

No matter how powerful they were, since they were not pure monsters, they were often made into regular grunts.

———However, the one that was about to be dispatched was a truly exceptional being.

Right now, that “man” was working with a goblin unit to hunt down the Hero’s party, located beyond a valley.

[That man was once a former boy soldier from a certain country, and at the same time, he’s a brilliant magic swordsman. Considering his power… It would be regrettable to give him nothing but menial tasks given the situation. …His power is truly effective only on the battlefield.] (Demon King)

[But, Sire… He is an ex-human reject. For us higher life forms to be… relying on that madman would just be..] (Monster D)

[Hmph, that doesn’t matter. A battle junkie like him should be exploited to the fullest.] (Demon King)

Thus, a message is hurriedly sent to the goblin unit.

A flying creature flew to the destination of that same unit.

This era was about to change drastically.

That man whom the Demon King mentioned, a magic blade user filled with insanity, was moving forward one step after another.

In order to find a strong opponent.