Became the Emperor of the Demon Realm Empire
Chapter 3: The First Step Toward Peace
Chapter 3: The First Step Toward Peace
On the night the Emperor vanished, chaos erupted in the Demon Lord’s Castle.
Despite deploying a search party the size of an army, no trace of the Emperor could be found anywhere.
Naturally, the attendants could not escape Cecilia’s reprimand.
The Imperial Guard loudly proclaimed they would honorably commit suicide after failing their duty.
But to tell the truth, all of this was the result of the Emperor’s own recklessness.
No one dared to intrude into the Emperor’s bedchamber, and if the Emperor wished to disappear without a trace, it would be as easy as snapping their fingers…
“His Majesty must have left of his own accord!”
Sitri, who had urgently summoned the key officials, spoke with conviction.
And rightly so—she had been the first to discover the Emperor’s disappearance.
“Do you think we gathered here because we didn’t know that? If something had happened to His Majesty, I would have been the first to know. The real question is why His Majesty chose to vanish.”
“Hoho. How surprising. Even you don’t know everything, sister.”
Despite the mocking retort, Sitri remained smug.
“What’s gotten into her?”
Regardless, Cecilia pointed out something that had been bothering her.
“I have to ask because I genuinely don’t understand.”
“Hm?”
“Why are you sitting on His Majesty’s throne?”
Sitri, sitting with her legs crossed, shrugged as if it were obvious.
“Isn’t it natural when His Majesty isn’t here? I am the Empress of this nation.”
“If you don’t get down right now, I’ll pluck every single hair from your head.”
“Y-You insolent wretch! I am the Emperor’s lawful wife!”
“Old hag. How about we step outside and settle this?”
“…For once, you’ve said something useful. Let’s all move elsewhere. Come, Miss Echidna? No need to hesitate. She’s not the Empress.”
“She… isn’t?”
As even Echidna began to leave under Cecilia’s lead, Sitri’s face flushed with anger.
Being the mistress of the house, a role she had longed for, meant nothing without subordinates to command.
“Fine, I get it! Everyone, come back. You’re all so boring.”
The moment Sitri stood from the throne, everyone returned as if nothing had happened.
The feeling of being left out made her seethe again.
“When I become Empress, I’ll turn all of you into slaves!”
And so, Sitri stewed in resentment, vowing revenge.
“By the way, Endymion. You’re unusually active in this meeting. Do you have any leads on His Majesty’s whereabouts? Speak up.”
“Ah, well… Might you be referring to…”
“Wait! I have a lead too! Let me speak first…!”
“Shut up, Sitri. One more disrespectful word and…”
“H-His Majesty must have gone to the human kingdom!”
A sudden silence fell.
Surprisingly, Sitri’s claim held weight.
In truth, they should have realized it sooner, but the urgency of the situation had clouded their judgment.
The Emperor’s last words had been about seeking counsel on establishing relations with humans, so the logic fit.
“You…”
However, the fact that this idea had come from Sitri’s mind was deeply suspicious.
Everyone felt the same.
“You’re hiding something.”
Cecilia growled.
Endymion chimed in.
“…Now that I think about it, it is strange. Miss Sitri, how did you know His Majesty had… left?”
“Ahem…”
Cecilia immediately held out her hand—as if she already knew what was coming.
“……”
“Are you going to hand it over or not?”
And indeed, she was right. Sitri, looking like a child caught red-handed, reluctantly reached into her robes and pulled something out.
“I knew it. His Majesty wouldn’t have left without a note.”
“Hmph…”
“If I catch you sneaking into His Majesty’s chambers one more time…”
“Old hag.”
“Indeed.”
Leaving Sitri sulking in the corner, everyone gathered around Cecilia as she unfolded the Emperor’s letter.
And the moment she did—
“Pfft—HAHAHAHA!”
“……Endymion. Do you find this amusing? His Majesty has gone alone to the human continent.”
“Is that so?”
“The Demon Realm has not yet been fully conquered. If, by any chance, the traitors of the Demon Realm were to raise their blades against His Majesty…”
“Old hag. His Majesty has taken action himself. Do you still not understand what this means?”
“……”
“His Majesty is interested in the Hero. This is far more significant than dealing with the nation’s turmoil! Exactly, that’s it!”
Endymion’s face flushed with excitement as he radiated a chilling aura. If the Emperor was intrigued, then the current Hero’s power must be a calamity capable of threatening the Demon Realm itself.
“The moment I heard a Hero had appeared after 300 years, I knew. The time has come—for revenge, for the fulfillment of my long-held ambition! Soon, His Majesty will have to honor the promise he made to me!”
Endymion’s magic surged uncontrollably from his body.
He was dead serious. The deathly energy spilling from him began distorting the very space around them.
“Endymion. You are unfit to serve His Majesty.”
“……What did you say?”
And so, Cecilia had to stop him.
“All demons of the Demon Empire act under His Majesty’s command. If we are to retrieve His Majesty, one of us must go to the human kingdom—but you must remain here.”
“A most unfair decision. Do you truly believe I would accept it?”
“In the event that His Majesty is severely injured or otherwise unable to govern, all authority is delegated to me.”
“His Majesty and I share a bond forged over 300 years. You upstarts have no right to interfere.”
“……Upstarts?”
Suddenly, the throne room was flooded with murderous intent.
Endymion tore open a dimensional rift and drew his greatsword.
“Are you looking for a fight? A pity—your blood magic won’t work on me.”
“Endymion. Have you forgotten who I am in your absence?”
In an instant, their magical energies clashed violently.
The force was so overwhelming that even Sitri, sniffling in the corner, clutched her chest in discomfort.
“S-Stop it…!”
Had Echidna not bravely stepped in, the Demon Lord’s Castle might have been obliterated that day.
“Have you lost your mind? What will you do if His Majesty finds out?”
Echidna’s mediation was surprisingly effective. When a normally quiet person speaks, people listen.
Above all, the Emperor’s command was absolute—even if that command were to die.
“There’s no need for this conflict. There must be a better way than resorting to violence!”
“……Miss Echidna is right. I momentarily lost my composure.”
“Indeed. In situations like this, it’s wisest to settle things that way.”
“……Huh?”
Echidna was bewildered.
She had blurted out the first thing that came to mind to calm the situation, but the others seemed to have taken it as a profound suggestion.
“I propose the method. The one His Majesty taught us for resolving disputes.”
“I agree. One round. Whoever wins shall accept the outcome. Though, of course, I will be the one to retrieve His Majesty.”
The two assumed solemn stances, like scholars preparing for a duel.
Standing close, Cecilia and Endymion gravely extended their hands.
“Rock.”
“Paper…”
“W-Wait! I want in too! Me too!”
Sitri scrambled forward, thrusting out her hand.
***
Beyond the borders of the Demon Continent lay the lands of humanity.
I boarded a carriage headed for Rebellion, a gateway city in the southern part of the Kingdom of Lodeland.
If the original story’s flow remained unchanged, the prophesied Hero would undoubtedly arrive there.
“Listen here, young man. Are you sure about this? This area is infested with man-eating monsters.”
“……”
I remained silent, and the coachman shrugged.
True to his words, I did not head straight to Rebellion but disembarked midway.
I had no intention of passing through the city gates at night.
Without identification, and with heightened inspections at dusk, traveling by daylight was the wiser choice.
“Thank you. Your kindness today may have profoundly influenced the fate of humanity.”
“Haha! You’re a strange one, aren’t you? No need for such fancy words! Just be careful out there!”
The coachman bid farewell and departed.
Left alone on the forest path, I took a moment to appreciate nature’s tranquility.
‘Too quiet.’
The forest was eerily silent—not even the rustling of animals or goblins could be heard.
‘Like a forest of the dead.’
According to the original world’s lore, this was a precursor to a demonic assault on human settlements.
“Surely it’s not because of me.”
Even after suppressing my presence to blend in with humans, it seemed I was still far from inconspicuous.
I had placed restrictions on hundreds of my abilities.
Starting with the most overt powers, I sealed away anything that could draw attention.
‘You damned Alteron—!’
At once, the lingering wills of the countless Demon Lords I had absorbed surged to the surface.
After centuries of suppression, they seized the opportunity to hurl curses and hatred at me.
‘How noisy.’
I forced the rebellious souls back into the depths of my consciousness.
Restricting both my majesty and combat prowess left me feeling like a fly trapped in midsummer heat.
‘More troublesome than I thought.’
I fine-tuned my abilities, filtering out the unnecessary while retaining the essential.
How long had I walked?
Following the forest path, I soon found myself at the edge of a village.
“H-Halt! Don’t move, or I’ll shoot!”
A watchtower guard suddenly aimed an arrow at me.
A local resident, just as I had resolved to spend the night outdoors.
‘Lucky.’
The guard remained tense, refusing to lower his weapon.
Had this happened in the Demon Realm, he would have suffered the most excruciating punishment.
But this was the land of humans.
I needed to understand how humans viewed demons.
And so, as the first step toward peace—
“Hello.”
“…?”
I raised my hands with a harmless smile.
