Became the Emperor of the Demon Realm Empire Chapter 22

Became the Emperor of the Demon Realm Empire

Chapter 22: An Unexpected Encounter

The chieftain’s wife, who had just safely given birth to her 108th child, was immediately appointed as acting chieftain without even a moment to rest, quelling the chaos within the tribe.  

I sent her a congratulatory gift of gold and magic stones to celebrate the new life, along with a personal letter stating my intent to seek a way to reduce Kalzit’s punishment.  

“I appreciate the gift, but he will not accept it.”  

As a side note, the chieftain’s wife’s combat prowess is several levels above Kalzit’s.  

She expressed deep remorse for the disgraceful incident and assured me that the orc tribe, as a vassal state of the Demon Empire, would uphold proper etiquette.  

Of course, this was nothing more than a diplomatic courtesy that would become void once Kalzit returned, following orc tradition.  

‘Should I just keep him locked up?’  

Meanwhile, the diplomatic negotiations were successfully concluded.  

While establishing a new psychic network across Rebellion, I also opened the Garganta.  

High-ranking officials and above, who could use the Garganta without issue, could now travel freely between the Demon Realm and Rebellion at any time.  

All that remained was to use Rebellion as a foothold to extend our reach into the surrounding kingdoms.  

“Your Majesty, did you just say ‘assassination’?”  

“Yes. Since things didn’t go their way, they’ll likely try to kill the lord of Rebellion now.”  

The mastermind behind the orc invasion was a mage named ‘Enoch.’  

Through some means, he succeeded in controlling Kalzit and the Titans, ordered the attack on Rebellion, and then vanished without a trace.  

In response, Cecilia promptly unleashed the shadows to track Enoch’s whereabouts.  

It was later revealed that Enoch was actually a heretic inquisitor from the Holy Church.  

“It seems they’ve been preparing meticulously for quite some time. The fact that the Titans were leaked without our knowledge proves that.”  

“My apologies. The control of the Titans falls under my jurisdiction.”  

“I’m not here to blame you for the mistake. I’m well aware that those Titans were lost generations of specimens that disappeared 200 years ago.”  

The Behemoth Titans were the first primitive demonic species discovered in Tartarus, notorious for their violent and erratic nature so much so that no demon lord could easily tame them.  

In this Demon Realm, only Cecilia and I could freely control the Titans.  

The fact that the Holy Church defied common sense by capturing and taming wild Titans was indeed concerning.  

“It seems you weren’t just imprisoned in the Holy Church for centuries.”  

“……”  

“They concealed you and experimented on you. If they’ve reached the point of extracting personal divine authority, they will undoubtedly become a threat to the Demon Empire.”  

“Your Majesty. For the sake of smooth diplomacy with the human kingdoms, we must not attack the Holy Church now.”  

“You’re right. That would only delay your revenge further.”  

“I don’t mind. Grudges fade with time. What matters most to me now is Your Majesty’s will.”  

There were two major reasons why the Demon Empire couldn’t strike the Holy Church.  

First, there was no way to gauge the extent of the Holy Church’s true power.  

Divine authority extraction… That alone was a feat challenging the realm of the gods. 

But after nearly a millennium of secret experiments, it was unlikely that was their only achievement.  

Moreover, with no Hero appearing in the last 300 years, they had likely already developed new weapons to replace the Hero.  

Of course, no matter what tricks the Holy Church had, we could crush them with sheer force.  

The more troublesome reason was the second one.  

The Hero Leticia and the deeply rooted goddess-worshipping faith among humans.  

This was also why the Holy Church attacked Rebellion.  

Ironically, due to the war I waged against the demon lords and my decree not to harm humans, humanity had enjoyed an unprecedented era of peace for centuries.  

“The Holy Church exists because the goddess exists.”  

“The Holy Church exists because suffering exists.”  

With prolonged peace, the Holy Church was gradually being forgotten.  

To ensure their survival, they had to make humanity hate the demons—and Rebellion became their sacrificial lamb.  

The symbolic invincibility of Rebellion.

The Holy Church exploited that very notion.  

“Politics with politics. War with war. Coincidentally, political maneuvering is my specialty. I’ll prepare for the war that could erupt at any moment.”  

“I will investigate the Holy Church’s military strength.”  

“No. That won’t be necessary.”  

Having infiltrated the Holy Church’s underground before, I knew just how perilous that place was.  

Light was a noose, and darkness was a trap. 

After rescuing Cecilia and Sitri, its structure had likely changed, and security had tightened.  

I didn’t want Cecilia to set foot in that underground again.  

Even with the Four Calamities and high-ranking demons, survival wasn’t guaranteed in that unknown territory.  

“Then who…?”  

“Fortunately, I’ve recently gained a younger brother who can assist with this. Lorian.”  

I turned my head to look at Endymion.  

The skull-headed freeloader, who had no territory to govern and only squandered the imperial treasury, finally had a job to do.  

“……?”  

But something about him seemed off.  

Cecilia noticed and sighed.  

“He set up another skull decoration and ran off, didn’t he?”  

“……”  

Peeling garlic, I pondered.  

How could I make sure word spread that I thoroughly disciplined this guy who only vanished when he was most needed?  

“From now on, I’ll make sure he keeps his eye-lights on at all times.”  

Cecilia was the only one who truly understood me.  

“You always work so hard.”  

“Your recognition leaves me at a loss for words.”  

“Want some garlic?”  

“I’ll pass.”  

*** 

Perhaps due to the aftermath of the Demon Empire’s influence, bandit groups had recently begun running rampant across the kingdom.  

The Hero’s party traveled from village to village, subjugating the bandits.  

Thanks to this, Leticia was able to sort out her chaotic thoughts, and Lorian was finally able to gain experience in the hunting grounds, which pleased him.  

That was why he was unusually enthusiastic about helping the common folk.  

Village maidens, smitten by Lorian’s actions, openly gazed at him with affection.  

‘Yes. This is it.’  

Finally, his luck seemed to be turning. Before he knew it, his level had soared past 40.  

After such a fulfilling day, the Hero’s party decided to spend the night in the village.  

With only one room available, Leticia chose to sleep outside.  

‘Does she prefer sleeping under the stars?’  

Lorian felt a thrill at the thought of learning more about Leticia’s preferences as he laid out his bedding.  

But sleep wouldn’t come.  

Despite being exhausted from a busy day, the more he tossed and turned, the deeper his worries grew.  

‘…Is eliminating the lord of Rebellion really the right move?’  

He had pondered it while eating, even while relieving himself, and concluded that the orc invasion likely had no connection to the Demon Empire.  

It was just a hunch.  

Even in Hard Mode, where the Demon Realm operated on the 71-dungeon system, the orcs had invaded Rebellion.  

If the Demon Empire had truly been behind the orcs, Lorian doubted they would have stopped at just five Behemoth Titans.  

“Just what the hell is going on…?”  

Lorian sighed and turned over.  

Truthfully, nothing had made sense from the start.  

First, he gets reincarnated only to immediately encounter the Demon Emperor. 

Then, the first chapter boss disappears without a trace. Now, Rebellion has formed diplomatic ties with the Demon Realm…  

“Hero.”  

“……?”  

Just as he was lost in thought, around the time when nightmares usually crept in, he heard movement outside the door.  

A stark silhouette pressed against the door before cautiously entering.  

Lorian’s eyes widened.  

“Thank you for saving our village.”  

It was a woman.  

Clad in revealing undergarments, she shyly wrapped her arms around herself—undoubtedly a virgin.  

“……”  

“I was wondering if there was any way I could repay you…”  

In that instant, blood rushed south. Lorian, as if his rationality had snapped, bolted upright.  

“Eek…!”  

Startled by his sudden movement, Lorian shoved the woman’s shoulders against the wall. 

At this dangerously close distance, the flustered girl’s pupils trembled violently.  

“Um… It’s my first time, so please be gentle…”  

“I’m sorry.”  

“……Huh?”  

“Sorry. Not interested.”  

Silence fell in the tense atmosphere. 

The woman’s face gradually stiffened before turning icy.  

Her cold gaze trailed downward.  

Lorian’s lower half remained unresponsive.  

With a look of contempt, she shoved him away irritably.  

“Fucking eunuch…”  

With that, she stormed out, slamming the door behind her.  

Crushed by her words, Lorian felt deeply wounded.  

“I’m sorry. I really am…”  

As the sound of her stomping footsteps faded and the door’s echo died down, Lorian let out a long sigh.  

“Damn you, Amon, you bastard… If you were gonna die, you should’ve died properly…”  

Tears welled up in Lorian’s eyes as he stared mournfully at the full moon in the sky.  

“Brother Ron… I miss you on nights like this.”  

Just what the hell is going on?  

Are you even alive right now?  

With sleep now impossible, Lorian left the village and wandered into the nearby forest path.  

He had stepped out to clear his dampened spirits, but the lonely forest only fanned his misery.  

‘This isn’t the otherworld I wanted…’  

He had believed that even as a cuckolded Hero, he could grow stronger through effort.  

Swallowing his shame, he had asked Leticia to teach him horseback riding.  

He had risked his life searching for the Giant’s Root in the mountains where adventurers had gone missing en masse.  

But less than half of his attempts bore fruit.  

In the end, his efforts betrayed him, and Lorian failed to grow. 

Now, it seemed Kyle would steal Leticia away from him.  

“……”  

But the most unbearable fact was that this was Pandemonium Mode.  

The thought that even greater trials lay ahead brought a tear rolling down Lorian’s cheek.  

“Sniff… Ugh… Wahhh…”  

Amidst the eerie fog obscuring his vision, Lorian wandered the forest like a weeping ghost.  

Hating this world that had wronged him.  

How long had he walked?  

“…Huh?”  

Sniffling, Lorian suddenly widened his eyes.  

A figure emitting a chilling aura was climbing the mountain.  

At a glance, it was a Death Knight—a boss-like entity.  

The demon’s sheer presence alone dispelled the surrounding fog.  

To Lorian, it looked like a delicious chunk of EXP.  

Normally, he would’ve rushed back to the village to fetch Leticia.  

But Lorian, having given up on everything, no longer cared for his own life and chased after the Death Knight up the mountain.  

Upon reaching the hilltop, an ancient, dilapidated mansion—seemingly centuries old—came into view.  

…The scent of burning incense wafted from inside.  

Lorian kicked the door open and entered.  

He knelt in front of Death Knight, who was burning incense in the golden incense burner, and buried his forehead in it.  

“Brother! I need power!!”  

“……?”  

“Please teach me your swordsmanship──!!”  

In the awkward silence, Lorian raised his head and looked at the Death Knight before him.  

[ Lv.300 The Great Hero Andymion ]  

An unimaginable, tremendous encounter stood before him.  

……Time remaining until the assault on Rebellion’s lord: 3 days.