Became the Emperor of the Demon Realm Empire Chapter 17

Became the Emperor of the Demon Realm Empire

Chapter 17: The Emperor’s Judgment

Every political decision entails sacrifice.  

Where there is light, there is shadow, and where there is birth, there is death, just as even the wisest decision requires giving up one thing to gain another.  

In that sense, the philosopher-king governance I practiced worked favorably as a means to promote my ideology and the empire’s principles.  

The loyalists who gained my favor through majority support and vested interests were both devoted and competent.  

And though it’s unlikely anyone would be so foolish, I was always prepared to crush any challenger to my authority.  

Of course, I couldn’t entirely dismiss backlash from the established powers, but no matter what, my position was unshakable, if I pressed down hard enough, they would have no choice but to submit.  

They would obey, or they would break.  

However, the full weight of responsibility for such actions fell upon me alone.  

***

“Your Majesty. Please give your command.”  

The kneeling chieftain, forced down by the Captain of the Royal Guard, glared at me with murderous intent.  

I had to decide his fate here and now, while he was still disoriented.  

Would I be an emperor lenient toward treason?  

Or a tyrant ruthless against betrayal?  

Weighing the loss of military strength against the need to make an example of rebellion, I recalled the days I had spent with him.  

—This guy’s the Demon Lord? With that pretty-boy face, I doubt he could even act like a proper man.

—Coward! How dare you use magic in a sacred duel! What? You say you’ll win without it?

— Hahaha! Here, drink this—the Oath Brew! What? You ask why you should drink bitter ale with me instead of someone nicer? You’re more prickly than you look…

His overbearing masculinity made him an exhausting presence, but among the orcs, he was at least somewhat human-like.  

I had once owed him a debt, but I had repaid it long ago and then some.  

Even if any debt remained, personal feelings had no place in this situation.  

The Emperor of the Demon Realm must be absolute.  

The higher one climbs, the deeper the abyss beneath.  

The chasm yawned beneath my feet, watching me.  

A single misstep would send me tumbling into the void, losing everything.  

“Chieftain. Lift your head.”  

The days of leading a lone dungeon 300 years ago were over.  

Now, I had people to protect.  

I couldn’t set a precedent that would allow maggots to crawl over my legacy.  

I could never allow another incident like the Hilde Incident to repeat itself.  

“Y-Your Majesty! This man is a traitor!”  

“I know.”  

I pushed aside the Captain of the Royal Guard, who had half-blocked my path, and placed my hand on the chieftain’s head.  

…I could see the parasite gnawing at his soul.  

The same mark of domination as the Behemoth Titan.  

Even now, I felt the chieftain’s desperate will to resist control.  

The parasite, fighting for survival, had worn down his soul to tatters.  

Even I couldn’t remove such a deeply embedded parasite without damaging the soul.  

Forcibly tearing it out risked triggering its venomous self-destruction, killing both host and invader.  

This was why Cecilia’s mind-control abilities were so troublesome—safe and complete removal was nearly impossible.  

I had no choice but to purge it, even at the cost of his soul’s integrity. 

Like searing flesh with a red-hot iron, I had to crush the parasite with pure magical force.  

‘Could he endure this pain in his right mind?’  

The question was meaningless.  

He was an orc.  

“Did you really fall for a cheap imitation of dark magic? If this were Cecilia’s mark, your soul would have rotted away long ago.”  

“……”  

“Since you’ve annoyed me, I’ll make the removal as painful as possible.”  

“…GAAAAAAAH—!!”  

I bound his thrashing limbs telekinetically. 

His scream tore through the sky like a blazing comet.  

But the pain was fleeting—he soon fell still. 

White smoke rose from his shaved head like an executed prisoner in an electric chair.  

“Come to your senses.”  

I crouched to meet his gaze. Slowly, Kalzit gasped for breath and jerked his head up.  

“…Kkh! Refreshing!!”  

“…?”  

“Hah! My scalp’s been itching for days—thanks! I haven’t washed my hair in a while.”  

“……”  

“Sorry, but could you scratch it a bit more?”  

Panting and drenched in sweat, the chieftain laughed boldly, putting on a ridiculous front.  

Some things never changed. 

I couldn’t help but smirk.  

“Let’s hear your explanation first.”  

The Royal Guard pressed a spear to his throat. 

The watching orcs flinched, but the chieftain just snorted.  

“Hmph! I don’t know. If I remembered, I’d have torn them all apart by now.”  

“I figured. Didn’t expect much anyway.”  

“……”  

“Orc Chieftain. Your reasons don’t matter. You committed treason and still owe me a debt. What should I do with you?”  

“…Do I have a choice?”  

“Why ask the obvious? No.”  

“Hah! You’ve gotten sharper. Do as you please. Orcs don’t fear death!”  

His eyes, filled with grim resolve, met mine before his tone softened slightly.  

“…Just send my men home safely. They did nothing wrong—only followed my orders.”  

“Hmm. That might be harder than sparing you here.”  

“Then… so be it. Since there’s no alternative, I’ll just kill you and take you to the afterlife with me.”  

“You bastard!!”  

The Captain of the Royal Guard erupted with killing intent.  

Fury boiled from deep within, his spit flying onto the chieftain’s face.  

“……”  

Amused, I laughed.  

The chieftain joined in, roaring with laughter.  

The flustered captain scratched his shaved head in confusion, the sound grating in the air.  

“Keh, brings back memories. When you led that little dungeon.”  

“Back then, we were both hot-blooded. If you hadn’t gotten caught eyeing your sister-in-law, you wouldn’t be wearing that mask now.”  

“…? Why bring that up now?”  

“They say an orc missing a tusk is ugly. When you cried after losing yours, I went easy on you.”  

“What nonsense is this? Are you saying you held back in our duel?”  

“You never stood a chance against me. Your record was one win, twenty-three losses. Hardly impressive.”  

Kalzit’s head drooped, his eyes trembling.  

He looked genuinely shocked, without a hint of pretense.  

Of course—an orc’s duel must be fought with full strength. 

Anything less is an insult.  

“Alteron! You’ve been mocking me all this time?!”  

“That’s why you’re still alive.”  

The rain had stopped unnoticed.  

As the chieftain’s anger subsided, I spoke quietly.  

“You’re too valuable to die here.”  

“……”  

“If you’d begged for your life, I would’ve killed you.”  

“Hah. Disgusting. What twisted words will you use to manipulate me now?”  

“This failure will haunt you forever. Yet I’ll give you a chance. Execution is swift, but someone like you would take a century to reappear in this world.”  

“Wrong. A mere century? I’m a warrior born once in a thousand years!”  

“Fine. Then I’ll make my offer to the arrogant warrior.”  

“An offer?”  

“Swear fealty to the Demon Realm Empire.”  

Kalzit stared silently before raising his middle finger.  

A vein bulged on the captain’s shaved head.  

“You don’t have to answer now. You’ll have plenty of time to think.”  

I motioned the guards back and declared:  

“Orc Chieftain Kalzit. You have repeatedly ignored my warnings against coveting the human continent—a grave crime.” 

“Hmph!”  

“Though unintended, raising your blade against me is an unforgivable sin. Generations of your bloodline could never repay this debt.”  

“Hmph!”  

“Thus, I decree: Orc Chieftain Kalzit is sentenced to 2,000 years of penal labor in Tartarus.”  

“Hmph… Wait, what? 2,000 years?!”  

As he lurched up, the captain restrained him.  

The stunned chieftain tried to shake off the hand on his shoulder but was overpowered.  

“Bastard! You’d have me rot in prison for life?!”  

“Since my coronation, I’ve reformed Tartarus. Model prisoners can learn skills for reintegration.”  

“Enough lies! Just kill me now!!”  

“Oh, joining hobby clubs can reduce your sentence. Not that I expect an idiot orc like you to behave.”  

“Grrrrr—!”  

“But if you’re interested, I recommend the newly founded ballet club. 

A burly orc in a tutu, dancing Swan Lake—priceless.”  

“You devil! I’ll drown you in sewage! Have you no heart?!”  

As I turned away, the guards dragged him off.  

The more he raged, the wider my grin grew.  

“Ah.”  

I added one last thing.  

“Don’t even think about challenging me to Mak’gora out of spite.”  

“Hah! Reading my mind now? Scared?”  

“……”  

I swung my greatsword in the air.  

The blade’s arc, darker than night, split the sky.  

Like a single brushstroke, it carved a vivid line across the fortress walls.  

“I repeat—Mak’gora is not an option.”  

“──!!”  

The heads of the Titan vanguard soared into the air.  

Their headless bodies collapsed, the sound of tearing flesh following a beat later.  

Kalzit stared at me, horrified.  

“Next time, it’s you.”  

You might really die.