Became the Emperor of the Demon Realm Empire Chapter 18

Became the Emperor of the Demon Realm Empire

Chapter 18: The Origin of the Name

Once I experienced the main story, the knowledge of the original work that I had forgotten while living passed by like a panorama.  

The original chieftain’s level was 120.  

In the Rebellion battle, he always appeared under control, with his level drastically reduced, and the higher the difficulty, the narrower the reduction range became.  

……Normal Mode Lv.25  

……Hard Mode Lv.40  

……Pandemonium Lv.95  

Even though he appears in the same mentally unstable state, why does his level differ depending on the mode?  

If we look at it not from a systematic design perspective but from a realistic basis, it’s probably because the completeness of the mind-control ability varies.  

Cecilia’s progenitor authority does not cause changes in combat level.  

Rather, those under her control are reborn as monsters that surpass their individual limits and obey their master’s commands.  

In other words, those who research and imitate Cecilia’s power are achieving more results as the mode increases, and the fact that those results are influenced by the mode leads to the conclusion that they, too, are considered enemies of the players.  

Perhaps they are the common enemies of the demon world and humanity, and may even become a threat to me.  

Since I have extended my reach across the world, they will inevitably appear before me someday.  

So I will purify myself and wait.  

If they don’t come, I will seek them out first.  

Whatever happens, that day will be a truly glorious one.  

***

“What? You lost a weapon as precious as your life in the sky?”  

“……?”  

I turned my head at the sudden voice.  

The captain of the royal guard was solemnly gathering his troops and enforcing military discipline.  

“Sigh… I’ll let it slide just this once. But if something like this happens again…”  

The bald man with his hands clasped under his chin widened his eyes.  

As the dark clouds cleared and moonlight poured in, shadows began to form on his face.  

“Next time… you might really die.”  

“Ooh…!”  

The troops soon erupted in admiration and applause.  

As the bald man smiled with a flushed face, I blankly watched the farcical scene from afar.  

What are they doing?  

“Royal Guard Captain.”  

“Captain Bomin-dae reporting! You called for me?”  

Though he came running at the call, he couldn’t meet my eyes. 

Of course, he had essentially disobeyed my orders by coming here.  

“I believe I told you to watch over Sonia from the side.”  

“My deepest apologies. I, well…”  

“Enough. Cecilia sent you, didn’t she?”  

“…How did you know?”  

“Isn’t it obvious?”  

Even while the orc army attacked the fortress, I did not summon the legion.  

If likened to a chess piece, I was like a lone king who had plunged deep into enemy territory.  

Just as great power comes with responsibility, Cecilia must have been quite worried, even if she didn’t show it.  

And…  

“There were no casualties, right?”  

“Of course not! For Your Majesty to worry about such a thing… I am at a loss for words!”  

“Wrong. If anyone got injured on a battlefield like this, they wouldn’t deserve to stand by my side.”  

“Hehe, as expected of Your Majesty.”  

“Good work.”  

Suppressing the urge to smack his shiny head, I turned away.  

Though the royal guard captain may seem rough on the outside, he is a powerhouse with strength comparable to or beyond that of a duke.  

Of course, the concept of ‘duke-level’ is based on the current state of the demon world’s strengthened forces. 

Three hundred years ago, he might have even rivaled an archdemon.  

The royal guard captain is a great demon who did not appear in the original work.  

The reason such a being ended up by my side was simple.  

“Was the anniversary soon?”  

“Yes. It is.”  

“Prepare a place. I’ll definitely visit.”  

“Your Majesty’s grace overflows my cup.”  

Before I unified the demon world, there was someone who tried to assassinate me.  

The archdemon Paimon, who appeared without warning in the heavily guarded imperial palace and slaughtered countless ministers and high-ranking beings in an unprecedented massacre.  

She alone broke through all the palace’s defenses and succeeded in facing me, but in the end, she vanished like smoke without laying a hand on me.  

The attack itself wasn’t important.  

That day, the former royal guard captain lost his life.  

Though his body had already turned cold, his hand still tightly gripped his halberd.  

And decades later, he came to me.  

I recognized his potential the moment I saw him.  

Though already strong, he was a warrior born with the potential to grow even further.  

I thought he was truly worthy of standing by my side.  

But even after seeing his upright personality and face, which resembled the former captain’s, I didn’t recognize him.  

The baby the former captain had brought, asking me to name him, had returned to me with a face full of venom.  

By the time he took the position of royal guard captain, I was too busy with affairs of state to pay him much attention.  

At some point, I began calling him by an absurd name. 

When I belatedly realized he was the former captain’s only son, I was uncharacteristically shocked.  

When I asked why he had come to the imperial palace, he answered:  

“To fulfill my father’s will.”  

From then on, I stopped calling him Bomin-dae.  

I tried several times to give him a better name.  

But his status window still read…  

【 Lv.150 Purple Bald Big Head 】  

“Sigh…”  

“Is something wrong, Your Majesty?”  

I briefly wondered what the former captain, Gaf, would say if he saw the name given to his only son…  

‘Bomin-dae? What a manly and cool name!’  

Suddenly, I could almost hear Gaf’s voice echoing in my mind.  

“Your Majesty, your noble brow has darkened.”  

“…Never mind. More importantly, we still have work to do.”  

At my muttered words, the royal guard assembled.  

Stronger bodies. 

Stronger minds. 

Stronger weapons.  

Each of these individuals, who were practically destructive, had combat levels that had long since surpassed three digits.  

This royal guard, raised by my own hands, was my masterpiece, overshadowed only by the achievement of unifying the empire.  

“I will station 20% of the legions waiting on the plains in Rebellion. Before the sun rises today, we will take control of Rebellion.”  

The royal guard accepted the order and pledged to carry it out immediately.  

Meanwhile, I assigned the royal guard captain the role of gatekeeper at Rebellion’s northern gate.  

I intended to completely block interference from other kingdoms until the Demon Empire established diplomatic relations with Rebellion.  

“…Will Your Majesty return to the demon world like this?”  

The royal guard captain asked casually as he received his orders.  

“Return? Yes.”  

I gazed at the distant inner castle.  

“Now, I must go meet the lord of the castle.”  

***

THUD! THUD! THUD!  

The parade of the demon world’s legions, granted permission to enter by the lord of Rebellion, took place splendidly under clear skies.  

The citizens were stunned as they witnessed the legions marching triumphantly through the city’s puddles like conquering generals.  

A few reckless men tried to charge forward but were stopped.  

Adventurers declared they would leave Rebellion.  

And then, an incident occurred where a child threw a stone at the soldiers.  

“……”  

The demon struck by the stone turned its head, stepped out of formation, and began approaching the child.  

The citizens were horrified, and the parents rushed out belatedly, but the demon continued to approach without stopping.  

With a rather sorrowful smile.  

“Tsk tsk… little human girl. It hurts when you throw stones, you know?”  

“……?”  

The soldier, baring his teeth in a sweet smile, pulled something out from his pocket.  

He held it out to the disheveled girl.  

“Want some chocolate?”  

***

Meanwhile, at that moment, the hero’s party was galloping across the plains on horseback.  

“Lorian! Snap out of it!”  

“Guh…!”  

Lorian, forcing his heavy eyelids open, startled awake. 

He had nearly dozed off and fallen from the galloping horse.  

“We’re almost there! Just hang on a little longer!”  

At that moment, Lorian couldn’t understand a word Leticia was saying.  

Where are we even heading right now…?  

“Just a little further, and we’ll start seeing Rebellion! We have to go save Ron!”  

Ah… right. We’re on our way to Rebellion.  

Lorian blinked his bleary eyes hard, shaking off his dazed mind.  

Just a few days ago, Lorian had no idea how to ride a horse and had to learn from Leticia, practicing alone.  

For someone who had just learned to walk, riding through the night was an exhausting mental ordeal.  

Somehow, he managed to endure.  

They had traveled around nearby fortresses, requesting reinforcements, and now only the journey to Rebellion remained.  

But is this really okay?  

After riding all day, his whole body ached.  

Lorian began to doubt whether he’d even be able to fight properly if they arrived in time.  

“You have to stay alive…!”  

Meanwhile, Leticia had been muttering to herself with an anxious expression for a while now.  

She was drenched in sweat.  

Her wet hair clung to her face.  

But soon, color began to return to her face.  

“Lorian! I can see Rebellion!”  

“……”  

Lorian simply watched her from the side.  

Thinking how absurdly pretty she was…  

Phew, but at least we made it somehow.  

A fortress rose beyond the horizon.  

The distance closed quickly, and soon, soldiers patrolling the walls came into view one by one.  

Leticia, her face brightening, mustered her remaining strength and urged the horse forward.  

The reinforcements that had left earlier must have already arrived in Rebellion and ended the situation.  

“You two humans──!!”  

“……!”  

“……!”  

Then, a thunderous shout came from the direction of the gate. 

So loud that Leticia covered her ears.  

“Stop right now, or we’ll attack──!!”  

“Le-Leticia! We have to stop!”  

Lorian panicked upon seeing the gatekeeper standing guard at the gate. 

Every time the gatekeeper slammed his thick spear into the ground, the earth trembled.  

It was a demon.  

And an insanely strong one at that.  

A minotaur clad in golden armor and helmet stood guard over the castle alongside human soldiers.  

Leticia’s eyes trembled violently.  

“How… why…? The reinforcements…?”  

Leticia, who had pulled the reins to stop, looked up at the sky with wide eyes.  

The flag of Rebellion fluttering above the castle.  

Beside it, between the flags of the Lodeland Kingdom and the Holy Imperial Church, the black flag of the Demon Empire waved in the wind.  

“Ah…….”  

The light soon faded from Leticia’s eyes.  

She stood there blankly for a long time, staring desolately at the cityscape beyond the gate.  

Wh-what the hell is that?!  

Lorian was equally confused by the situation. 

Out of nowhere, some Thanos-looking guy who had never appeared in the original work had suddenly shown up.  

Soon, Lorian opened the demon’s status window and began to sweat coldly.  

【 Lv.150 Purple Bald Big Head 】  

……An Easter egg?