Became the Emperor of the Demon Realm Empire Chapter 13

Became the Emperor of the Demon Realm Empire

Chapter 13: The Calm Before the Storm

“Lord.”  

“Yes. Have you confirmed the enemy’s numbers again?”  

Enoch, the family steward and a mage, had returned after precisely scouting the orc army advancing across the plains under the lord’s orders.  

“Yes. The orc army’s numbers are confirmed to be exactly 10,000.”  

“……Just 10,000? That’s strange. Were there any other unusual details?”  

“Yes. While carrying out your orders, I confirmed that the orc army is being led by the Orc Warchief, Kalzit.”  

“What?”  

Just like the lord, whose expression darkened, Angela sensed something ominous.  

The current garrison at Rebellion Fortress numbered close to 10,000. 

No matter how fierce orcs were, siege warfare was difficult enough that they would need at least three times the troops to stand a chance.  

Moreover, the orcs had undertaken a long march without proper supply lines. 

If the Rebellion defenders held the fortress for just half a month, the orcs would surely collapse from exhaustion.  

“…It’s possible the Orc Warchief is even dumber than we imagined. But if he were that stupid, he wouldn’t have been able to command such a large army in the first place.”  

The lord tapped his fingers thoughtfully.  

Angela seized the opportunity to speak.  

“Lord. Shouldn’t we request reinforcements from the Kingdom of Lodeland now?”  

“You fool. Spouting nonsense again…”  

“If the orcs truly intend to take Rebellion, they must be hiding something. If we wait to act until we know their plan, it will be too late.”  

Gideon knew Angela’s advice was rational and reasonable, yet it angered him.  

This war, the first in decades, would quench Rebellion’s thirst for glory.  

It was a chance for Rebellion’s prestige, built over centuries, to soar once more.  

But Angela had no interest in such glory.  

Her only concern was protecting her child.  

Even if her child couldn’t come before the family, a pregnant woman could be this fragile.  

“As expected, you lack what it takes to be a lord.”  

“……”  

“If only you had been born a boy instead…”  

Angela gritted her teeth.  

She hadn’t chosen to be born a woman.  

If anything, she had wished to be a man even more than her father regretted her being a woman.  

Had she been born male, her fate might have been vastly different.  

She might have inherited the title over her incompetent brothers.  

At the very least, she wouldn’t have been carrying the child of a father who only wanted a superior heir.  

“…Still, it’s best to prepare for the worst.”  

“……”  

“Enoch. Request fire support from the mages of the Magic Tower. Money is no object—gather as many as possible.”  

Despite the lord’s command, Enoch remained silent.  

Sensing something odd, Gideon asked,  

“Is there a problem?”  

“Well, you see…”  

“Hmph. Mages are all the same. Pay them whatever they ask. I’ll authorize up to triple the usual rate.”  

“That’s not the issue. The mages of the Magic Tower… have already left Rebellion.”  

“What…?”  

Gideon erupted in anger, but Angela didn’t listen.  

She simply held her child and thought—  

—Do you want to be the lord?  

“……”  

If Gideon failed to protect Rebellion…  

Angela would listen to the whispers of the devil.  

*** 

A Demon Lord was an immortal being that would revive even after death.  

Unless a hero pierced its heart with a holy sword, the Demon Lord would eventually return.  

That’s why I had long chosen to collect their souls and seal them within my body.  

I had just caught one.  

[Amon! You came to save us!]  

[No. I got caught too.]  

And so, the number of tenants increased to 68.  

“Three left.”  

At first, they were so unruly that I drew my sword.  

At some point, I killed them all just to survive.  

Now that I was emperor, I had achieved my goal.  

With the demon realm under my control, these stragglers clinging to life couldn’t possibly oppose me.  

Yet, I was still searching for the ones in hiding.  

Because the more souls I took, the closer I came to godhood.  

Even now, after absorbing Amon’s soul, an overwhelming sense of omnipotence pulsed through my veins.  

If I could find and devour the remaining three, I would transcend once more.  

Perhaps I could even steal the hero’s divine protection—or aim for the divine throne itself.  

But the problem was that this plan had many flaws.  

The biggest issue was the uncertainty, I couldn’t guarantee the outcome.  

Above all, they were hiding too well.  

“Well, there’s still time.”  

I looked at Amon’s corpse.  

Amon had gone down in one hit.  

His once-fresh face now looked like a shriveled persimmon.  

I surveyed the surroundings.  

‘Too clean for a battlefield.’  

Leticia and Lorian were temporarily unconscious from Amon’s last-ditch attack.  

Now was the chance to act.  

‘They might suspect something.’  

I unleashed mana, blasting the area to create chaos—making it look like a fierce battle had taken place.  

I also made sure to retrieve the stamina herb Amon had supposedly eaten.  

This would make for good bait later.  

‘Now then…’  

The stage was set. Time to prepare the actors.  

First, I tore my clothes to shreds.  

I snapped the cheap longsword I’d bought in the city in half and messed up my hair.  

Finally, I grabbed my left arm and ripped it off.  

—SCHLICK!  

Hot blood splattered across the damp cave.  

This level of injury was neither excessive nor lacking for someone who had slain a Demon Lord.  

The torn-off limb would regenerate anyway.  

“Ugh…”  

Right on cue, Leticia groaned as her eyelids fluttered open.  

“Ron…?”  

Her bleary gaze turned toward me.  

Still dazed, she alternated between staring at Amon’s slain corpse and my battered form.  

Soon, blood gushed from my severed left arm.  

“……!!”  

Her pupils shook violently in horror.  

Staggering to her feet, Leticia rushed over and embraced me, laying me down to stop the bleeding.  

“Ah… Ron! Stay with me!”  

SLAP! SLAP!  

“……?”  

“Don’t close your eyes!”  

SLAP! SLAP!  

‘…She’s slapping me way too much.’  

After the slaps, I expected punches, so I kept my eyes open.  

It had been a long time since a woman outside my family had slapped me.  

“Endure the pain a little longer!”  

Suddenly, Leticia began cauterizing the wound with holy magic.  

Of course, that holy light, infinitely beneficial to humans, was poison to me.  

Her shallow divinity didn’t even register as pain, just disgust.  

I deliberately slowed my blood circulation to reduce the bleeding.  

“Ah… thank goodness…”  

Finally relieved, Leticia let out a sigh.  

Meanwhile, Lorian was gradually regaining consciousness.  

“Huh…?”  

His busy eyes darted around before frantically patting himself down like a man who’d forgotten his wallet.  

Then, he raised both arms above his head.  

“I-I’m alive? woo-hoo! I’m alive!”  

As he cheered triumphantly, Lorian flinched under Leticia’s sharp glare.  

For the first time, she furrowed her brows at him—despite never scolding him before, no matter what mischief he caused.  

“Lorian. You’ve crossed the line.”  

“……”  

“Why did you leave the party without a word?”  

“Uh, well…”  

It was too embarrassing to admit.  

How could he confess that he’d sneaked out to get stamina herbs?  

Unaware of this, Leticia’s anger boiled over at Lorian’s recklessness.  

“Your solo act nearly got us all killed. If not for Sir Ron, we’d be dead.”  

“Huh…?”  

Only then did Lorian notice Amon’s corpse, his eyes widening before muttering to himself like he’d realized something.  

I could guess why.  

Lorian was checking his status window.  

After I killed Amon, his level had jumped from 13 to 25.  

“…Brother Ron! You can’t die!!”  

“……?”  

“Please live! You’re the only hope in this Pandemonium Mode!!”  

“Lorian! What are you doing?! Get away from the injured man!”  

Lorian shook me like a madman.  

Unfortunately, his hand brushed against my nipple.  

That, too, was disgustingly novel.  

“…Uh. Bro, you’re sitting up.”  

“Ron…? Are you awake?”  

Of course I was.  

I sheathed the broken sword and wiped my brow.  

“Thanks to you, I’m fine. More importantly, we should descend quickly.”  

“Huh? What about the missing adventurers…?”  

“Let it go. They’re all dead.”  

Their expressions darkened.  

No one could miss the implication—the missing adventurers had been sacrifices for the Demon Lord’s resurrection.  

They had to be content with slaying the Demon Lord.  

No, that alone was a monumental achievement.  

“Let’s hurry down. Something seems to be happening in Rebellion.”  

“In Rebellion?”  

Indeed, the ground was trembling.  

The faint but ominous tremors grew stronger, close enough now for even Leticia to feel.  

The epicenter was likely the Rebellion Plains.  

If the tremors reached the mountains, this wasn’t just an orc army.  

Something far larger and heavier was marching toward Rebellion.  

If Rebellion fell, the Demon Empire would lose a strategic foothold.  

“Let’s move.”  

As I took the lead, Leticia nodded and quickened her pace.  

“…As I thought.”  

Meanwhile, Lorian, who had been silently watching me, smiled faintly and muttered under his breath.  

“There’s no way he’d just die like that.”  

He’d saved me twice and even power-leveled me.  

That man was definitely a benevolent unnamed NPC!  

“I’ll treat him as my sworn brother from now on.”  

Lorian’s heart swelled with the thrill of gaining a reliable ally.