Volume 1 - CH 3.5

Translated by: Riciel

Edited by: SevenTails

He rubbed his cheek against Lushiko’s thigh, and she patted him on the head.

“Kukuku, he’s starting to feel better, right, Lushiko?”

“You’re so annoying! It’s just for today! If the Demon King keeps acting like this, the demon world’s order will be shaken. And if the only one who can give Kengo a good shove is this ‘arrogant’ demon general, then I’ll have to step in, won’t I? It’s not like I like it!”

“All right, all right, I’ll listen to all your excuses, and I’ll even admit them all if I have to, so just indulge my Lord.”

“Hmph. I’ve got your word, haven’t I?”

“Kukuku. Did you seriously believe that?”

“I’ll kill you!”

Asumi continued to make fun of her while she protested in a spiky voice, yet the hand that stroked Kengo’s head remained as gentle as ever.

(I just want to stay like this…)

Kengo thought to himself once again.

He didn’t need any special reward or anything. He was a chicken, and he was too self-conscious to do something against it. Instead, it was this kind of gentle skinship that made him happy to the point of being driven to tears. But he still had other thoughts.

(But I’m sure there’s a terrible ending waiting for me in the end anyway.)

For example, when he ordered him not to kill the human army, Sado started a gruesome raid on it. He was reminded of the difference in values between humans and demons. These were the Seven Great Demon Generals who wouldn’t let him stay in a dreamy state.

(Ugh, okay. I have to get better now. I have to come back anytime.)

Despite motivating himself, he felt like crying again.

(I’ll enjoy your lap until then. Come on. I’m not scared anymore.)

As far as his attitude went, it was all in his mind and heart, but in the end, the awful ending never came.

No matter how much he prepared himself, no matter how much he waited, it never came. Both Lushiko and Asumi just continued to act gently, spoiling him peacefully, until the heart hurt by Princess Vannessia completely healed.

“Kukuku. It seems that the Lord has fallen asleep.”

Asumi narrowed her eyes at Kengo, who had begun to breathe in his sleep using Lushiko’s lap as a pillow.

“What a peaceful sleeping face he has. Wasn’t it worth the effort, Lushiko?”

“Hmph. Seriously, what a sloppy face! Wouldn’t it be so easy to break this guy’s neck in his sleep now?”

Lushiko spoke hatefully and poked Kengo irritably in the cheek. However, the way she looked at the sleeping face of her step-brother, who was sleeping in her lap as if he was at ease, was very gentle.

(She’s not straightforward at all. But I guess this is Lushiko’s charm.)

Asumi looked at the two faces alternately and chuckled inwardly. And then…

“My Lord, you have always been a man of simple intentions, but it’s not just about men and women. Doesn’t your heart and soul not match with that of a Demon King’s? Specifically, isn’t yours a lousy one?”

She suddenly dropped a bombshell.

When she looked at Lushiko’s reaction, she saw that Lushiko was covered in a cold sweat, and her eyes were swimming with fear.

“I knew it. I had a sneaking suspicion.”

“I-I don’t know anything! What makes you think that!?”

“The Lord is certainly a novice, but he is not uninterested in women. In fact, he’s a bit of a softie, isn’t he?”

“But he’s been stealing glances at my belly button and at Mamoyo’s and Bellmo’s t**s, you know!”

“Kukuku, he also seems to really like my flat b*****s too.”

“Such an indiscriminate guy, this lewd pervert!”

“The one who is supposed to be so indiscriminate, however, has no intention of laying a hand on his concubines and maidens. If he had ordered us to keep him company, we could not have disobeyed him—no, we would have been delighted to do so. Isn’t this a bit too sweet, a bit too naive, and a bit too unnatural?“

“So that’s why you’re saying this guy’s a slacker? That’s it?”

“The nature and expression of sexual desire is the very essence of demon nature. Don’t underestimate it.”

Asumi assured her that she was the master of Lust.

“Well, I don’t really care whether you know.”

“Then don’t tell me!”

Asumi got amused by Lushiko’s churlishness as she gulped hastily and continued with, “It’s not good for your heart.” So, she changed the subject slightly.

“You don’t know much about your predecessor, do you?”

It was half a year ago that Lushiko had inherited the Demon General title of Arrogance from her father. In other words, the replacement coincided with Kengo’s crowning, so there was no time when she had served the previous demon king.

“I-I know! He liked wars and battles a lot, didn’t he!?”

Lushiko was not one to say, “I don’t know much about it,” so she got pissed off and lied.

Asumi chuckled.

“That’s right. He had no interest in women at all. He was not a person worth serving.”

“Hmm! So, you’re saying that Kengo is worth serving because he’s so h***y?”

Lushiko must have thought she was being incredibly ironic. However, unlike her, who was not always honest, Asumi was an adult and nodded.

“You’re right.”

She had the luxury of enjoying the look of astonishment on Lushiko’s face.

“This mistress is Lust. I am a Demon General, and sexual desires run deeply within me.”

“D-don’t say something strange out of the blue!”

“I want to be pampered by a man who is as gentle and reliable, like a fatherly or a big brotherly figure.”

“Y-you startled me. I don’t think it’s a problem.”

“But at the same time, I want to wrap my motherly instincts around a lovely man like a son or younger brother.”

“Now you’re contradicting yourself!”

“No? Isn’t that just another condition?”

Asumi laughed heartily. At the same time, she stroked Kengo’s hair as if she were caring for him as he slept peacefully.

His Majesty, the coveted Demon King, possessed terrifying power that could instantly undo even the secret arts of the Satan family. And yet, he was adorably naive and might actually be a coward.

“… So, you’re saying that Kengo can satisfy all of those requirements at the same time?”

As expected, Lushiko’s female intuition kicked in, and her eyes suddenly became sharp.

Asumi giggled and added.

“By the way, I’m also fond of women. Especially Lushiko.”

“Pervert! You’ve got a lot of nerve to say that!”

“But at some point, my Lord, you and I will have to share a bed together. Let’s have a nice, gooey, sloppy threesome.”

“I would never do that, you baka!”

Asumi really liked the red-faced, ranting Lushiko.

(At this age, I have a very loving lord and colleague.)

She couldn’t help but feel blissful as she stroked Kengo’s head and teased Lushiko.

It was now the following morning.

Tens of thousands of soldiers left the area in a long line.

The allied forces of the human race surrendered Fort Krall and fled for their lives. Aside from the knights, all the soldiers were honest. As they marched down the road, their backs were all in low spirits. One could see that they were grasping at their own powerlessness against the Demon King’s army.

In fact, their bags were filled with enough food for the return trip, which was donated to them by the Demon King’s army.

All of their rations and food had been consumed during Sado’s attack. Hence, they were well aware that their safe return home was not the result of their own efforts but only because they were pitied.

Kengo watched their melancholic backs from atop the castle wall.

“Are you sure you’re okay with letting them all go?”

Lushiko, who was next to him, asked him bluntly.

She was no longer in her neat, pure white dress. She had gone back to her navel-baring, leg-baring look.

“You’re not going to wear that dress?”

When Kengo had complained earlier, she replied with, “Ba- ba- ba—ka! I-I-I told you it was only for yesterday,” poking him.

“It’s okay if we do that again, I think…”

“So, you’ll wear it once in a while?”

“Occasion～～～ally.”

And since Lushiko had somewhat answered, he had compromised before she became too stubborn.

Anyway…

“Yes, we can let them go. If we take prisoners, it’ll be too much trouble.”

Kengo shrugged.

“Hmm? Well, I don’t mind, you know?”

Lushiko said meaningfully and turned around.

All of the Seven Great Demon Generals but she was left there.

“May I ask why, my Lord?”

The one who asked him timidly was Mamoyo, the Demon General of Greed. She was dressed in her usual military uniform, bent over deeply, and refusing to raise her head.

“It fills me with fear questioning His Majesty’s decision. However, according to your original words, you were going to take them all as your livestock.”

“Y-yes. Of course, there’s a good reason for it.”

Kengo was startled and answered quickly.

“I would like to ask my Lord to impart us your wisdom. I would like to have the honour of knowing your ideas.”

“Y-yes. Since you were the one to ask, then I can’t help but tell you.”

He nodded his head enthusiastically in response to the question but was, of course, unable to give the essential reason.

(How can you be so inhumane as to enslave tens of thousands of people!? I would have a stomachache from the guilt! It would give me even more nightmares!)

If he were to say something like that, his authority as the Demon King would be no more, and it might lead to a coup d’etat.

(Don’t make me say it, it’s horrible! Read the atmosphere, Mamoyo!)

While complaining inwardly, Kengo broke out in a cold sweat. He had thought of a reason for this just in case it happened. However, he wasn’t sure if he could convince the Seven Great Demon Generals with just that. But he couldn’t let them stand in suspense forever.

Everyone’s eyes were sparkling as they waited for the Demon King to tell them his ‘deep’ reason. Only Lushiko had the attitude of ‘don’t look at me.’

Even if he were to make eye contact and eagerly beg for help, she would only give back a look of, ‘I’ve warned you. I don’t know how to help.’ So, he had to be prepared.

“Think about it—why should we be so eager to get a mere few tens of thousands of slaves?”

He started his talk in the most pompous manner and tone of voice possible, filled with eloquence. It was a foolish effort to increase his persuasion power by showing off the Demon King’s flair into the air.

“Hmm, I hadn’t thought of that, but now that you mention it…”

“That makes perfect sense.”

“His Majesty, the coveted Demon King Kengo, is the one who will eventually rule millions of human beings as livestock.”

“It’s only a few tens of thousands that were spared.”

“… I’m hungry.”

The demon generals frequently chimed in. He thought that their reactions were great!

“It doesn’t matter. I thought it would be better to let them return to set the stage for the thousand days ahead.”

Kengo had easily won them over and spoke with a heartfelt sense of pride, not an act. However, it was not much of a story.

After Sado’s raid, Kengo had gone around using healing magics on all the soldiers suffering from hunger. All those who wished to return home, he sparingly released them. He hoped that they would be a little grateful for that, as to make them say, “The Demon King is a surprisingly nice guy.”

He thought it would be a great idea to have tens of thousands of soldiers scatter all over the world, using the power of word-of-mouth. If it caused the people and nations of the world to be unwilling to continue the war, he would have accomplished his purpose. He only had to convince the demon generals with the best excuses he could muster!

Kengo coughed elusively and continued.

“I mean, think of it like this. Sado’s attack—.“

“I get it! This Belhara understands all of your deepest thoughts.”

“Eh? What? How!?”

He was honestly surprised.

“It would be indifference.”

He stared at Belhara’s face, the middle-aged dandy of Sloth, who had a look of satisfaction on his face.

Belhara was said to be the wisest generals in the world of magic. Not only could he hear one thing and know ten, but he could also understand hundreds or even thousands of things. One must not measure the great demons using the human scale or common sense.

“What do you mean, Belhara? Explain it to this mistress.”

“That’s right. You and His Majesty are the only ones who understand each other, and that fills me with jealousy.”

“Don’t make me wait!”

When the other generals urged him to do so, Belhara’s expression showed his superiority.

“If you insist so much, I’ll tell you. Your Majesty, may I explain it to them?”

“Y-yes, of course.”

“As I’ve received permission, allow me!”

So Bellhara faced the other generals while proudly rubbing his M-shaped beard he was proud of.

(It would be more convincing if this guy took over rather than me explaining.)

Kengo also decided to leave him in charge.

“All right, everyone. I want you to imagine what it will be like after those soldiers have safely returned home.”

(Yeah, yeah. Good start.)

“It will be a joy to be reunited with family, loved ones, and friends. I’m sure they will spend the night talking about their experience. The topic of conversation will naturally be what happened at Fort Krall.”

(Well, that’s expected, isn’t it?)

“They were starved almost to death for dozens of days by Sado’s magic. It must have been a living h**l. Their grief and suffering will become a vivid account of their experiences, and their relatives and acquaintances would tremble when they heard it, saying, ‘The Demon King’s Army is to be feared!’”

(What is he saying now!?)

“The word-of-mouth’s effect will be enormous! The humans and nations of the world will see the foolishness in defying us, will be disheartened, feel despair, and will lose their vitality as a species. That’s what His Majesty the Demon King is after!”

(I am not. Wrooooong!. Not one of them matches!)

Kengo turned his head and felt like saying, ‘I can’t learn ten things by hearing one, but I think you found an imaginary number that doesn’t even exist!’

“Oh… As expected of the wise general, Belhara!”

“I’m jealous of your great mind, but thanks to you, we understand.”

“I didn’t know you were thinking of that, Kengo-sama!”

“This mistress thought it would be best to kill them all.”

“But you are indeed His Majesty. How amazing!”

(Don’t tell me you are convinced tooooooo!?) [TL: Lushiko had said the previous sentence.]

Kengo’s mouth dropped open as the generals cheered him on.

(Wasn’t Sado the one who did something terrible? Wasn’t he the one who scarred them? But then what about what happened after!? Remember what I did!)

Inwardly, he felt frustrated and on the edge of his seat. In contrast, Belhara, who received great responses, looked even happier.

“Well, wait, everyone. This is not the end. There is still more to His Majesty’s devious plan.”

He spoke to the other demon generals, continuing.

“Have you not forgotten what His Majesty did when he left the Demon King’s Castle while Sado was still feeding the troops?”

(Oh?)

“Yes. After lifting Sado’s tactical class magic, His Majesty the Demon King saved every single starving human soldier with his healing magic.”

(Oohhh?)

“The human soldiers must have been thrilled to be freed from the living h**l and be saved. In fact, the way they looked at His Majesty the Demon King’s face was as if they were worshipping their saviour.”

(Oohhhhhhh?)

Kengo took a turn and listened with a sparkle in his eye.

“So, you actually realized my intentions. You didn’t misunderstand me, Belhara,” he thought, pleased.

The overuse of ‘His Majesty’ left him nauseated, but other than that, it was perfect.

And then Belhara, while rubbing his M-mustache, said with a stern face.

“Foolish human army, they don’t even know that’s exactly what His Majesty had planned for you! His Majesty gave Sado an imperial order to abuse the human army. After that, he himself appeared as if he was the saviour of the world. What a brilliant, coordinated plan!”

(That phrasing! The way you said it!)

“The joy of being free from the torments of h**l must have been too intense for the human race to see the truth! Or perhaps they have an unconscious defensive reflex to prevent them from seeing it! ‘This person who saved me couldn’t be a bad person.’ How idiotic! He’s the one who threw you all into a living h**l, you idiots! Idiooots!” [EN: I would have died if I left it as this old man saying ‘baka’ like a tsundere.]

(… Don’t… Don’t do that again…)

“Magical brainwashing can only be done with a magic, but he did not need to use magic to implant a false sense of salvation and gratitude in their minds that would last a lifetime. It’s a devious scheme! What a brilliant demonic mind! Even this Belhara is in awe of you!”

(I wasn’t even thinking about that!)

Kengo cried tears of blood in his heart and felt like spitting blood, but he couldn’t clear the misunderstanding. If he were to tell the truth, he would probably be reckoned as a lousy Demon King and suffer from a coup d’état. All he could do was hold on and not about to cower in place.

Meanwhile—

“Do you understand, ladies and gentlemen? His Majesty did not care about mere tens of thousands of slaves but made a move thinking a thousand days ahead.”

Belhara concluded knowingly. He didn’t even come close to what Kengo really intended.

“That’s His Majesty, Kengo-sama, for you! Not only is he strong, but also smart! I can’t help but be jealous, wondering how much the world has granted you.”

Levi-San praised him with a very friendly attitude. He didn’t even know how Kengo was feeling.

“It’s in the blood of His Majesty. Remember ‘The Master of the Carefree Seat,’ as he was known before.” [TL: 安楽椅子名将]

Asumi looked convinced as she cited a distant ancestor whose name he didn’t even know. She didn’t even know what Kengo was thinking.

“Your Majesty. I once again pledge my absolute loyalty to you.”

Mamoyo hung her head and dropped to one knee in a posture that did not leave a single gap. She didn’t even know what Kengo was really thinking.

“Heee~ I didn’t know you were thinking that. I didn’t expect that to be your plan.”

(You too, Lushiko!?)

But the best one was Sado. With dazzlingly innocent eyes like a child’s, he sang out with great excitement.

“I, I was so worried that I’ve messed up something in attacking the fort! But now, thanks to Belhara, I understand! So, I was there to complement Master Kengo! Thank you so much! It’s such a great honour! I’ll continue to do my best to play the role of the hated one for Master Kengo! I’ll do my best to be bloodthirstily brutal and cruelly outrageous, and I’ll do my best to cover myself in mud on Kengo-sama’s behalf and make him shine beautifully! I’m really good at that! Please continue to let me do the dirty work, please!!”

(No, it’s nooooot like that, Sadooooo…!)

He wanted to shout out that he never thought of such a vile thing. But if he shouted out the truth, his authority of the Demon King would be threatened with a coup d’etat. So, in the end, there was only one thing that Kengo could say.

“That’s right, Belhara. You did well explaining my thoughts to everyone.”

He didn’t know what else to say except to say that while pulling a smile on his face.

“I’m flattered.”

Belhara condescendingly showed off by bending his back. Hmmm, it was a little irritating, but Kengo, as the Demon King, had no choice but to smile like a hawk.

“Hahaha, keep up the good work.”

“Kukuku, please leave it to me. This Belhara──no, this is the wisdom of His Majesty the Demon King.”

“Hahahaha-”

“Kukukuku-“

God! Did I do something wrong?

[EN: Yes, you did.]