Confession
“……”
Silence blanketed the Demon King Castle. Not a single monster dared to speak.
In the midst of that heavy quiet, one brave monster finally broke it.
“Phew. What a relief.”
“Huh? A relief?”
Sung-tae had braced for backlash, but this unexpected response made him widen his eyes and scan the monsters. Their faces were lit with relief and joy, as if a massive burden had been lifted.
“We thought you loved invasions, my lord, so acting like we did was exhausting.”
“Yeah, invasions in this day and age? Total old-school thinking.”
“So we don't have to pretend anymore?”
Sung-tae stared at them in bewilderment. He'd assumed monsters would naturally prioritize invading the human realm, but this reaction was beyond his wildest dreams.
It made perfect sense, though. Most of these monsters had been forcibly dragged here by Ignis. Terrified of the new Demon King who'd slain him, they'd imagined he craved invasions and played along—but none truly wanted it.
“M-my lord... you're really not doing the invasion...?”
And Gepelt's misconception played its part too. Realizing his efforts had gone to waste in an instant, the old wizard despaired.
Sung-tae patted the elder's shoulder reassuringly.
“No invasions. But I appreciate your hard work, Gepelt. Thanks for sticking by me. From now on, instead of prepping for that, how about something else?”
“Something like...?”
“You know, productive stuff? Or keep doing your research if you want. I've been enjoying watching it.”
He didn't know the details, but a guy crunching numbers and experimenting with magic might eventually produce something amazing. How could he dislike talent like that?
“Research... research...”
Gepelt mulled the word over. No Demon King or person had ever valued his research before. They'd all called it boring and scolded him for wasting time. The joy of someone appreciating it was overwhelming.
Ecstatic, Gepelt seized Sung-tae's hand.
“Yes! I'll keep researching hard for the Demon King Castle!”
“Good. Thanks.”
Sung-tae surveyed his followers. The monsters were thrilled by his confession, and Gepelt had forgotten all about punishment, dashing off to his lab. Leaving them behind, he headed to his room.
But one person wasn't convinced.
“My liege, are you truly... abandoning the invasion? Or did you never intend to do it at all?”
“Garba.”
She'd followed him in, her face etched with anxiety. Having believed he'd conquer the human realm, she couldn't process this sudden shift. Is this really my liege? Or did I misread his will all this time?
“Then... have you been deceiving us all along?”
“No, not deceiving. I just changed my mind.”
“Changed it? Why?”
“Garba, remember the first time we went to that Demon Kings' gathering?”
“Yes, I do.”
“That's when it started. I've been wrestling with it ever since.”
Sung-tae hadn't dwelled much on his power until he'd toppled Ignis and become Demon King. Not until meeting the others and hearing their stories.
“The Demon Kings said it: they started out friendly toward humans. But living so long got boring—even watching humans lost its appeal. So they decided to rule them.”
“That's right.”
“I don't want that.”
Sung-tae stopped walking and locked eyes with Garba. Neither looked away.
“I might not live as long as them. Or maybe longer. Either way, boredom could hit someday, making life dull and tedious. If I were a weak human just scraping by, no big deal. But I'm too strong.”
“……”
“I'd end up like them. Right now, I hold back, don't kill carelessly. But when that day comes? I might destroy everything.”
Garba pictured it: Sung-tae annihilating the world. An unstoppable avatar of destruction.
“The other Demon Kings have heroes as a failsafe. But me? Who could stop me? No one. The world would end.”
“N-no, my liege!”
“No, Garba. Humans are simple. That's why they adapt fast—to good or evil. Hours, days in a changed world? That's humanity. The moment I invade and they get used to the deaths...”
Flashes flooded Sung-tae's mind: apocalyptic ruins from movies, fleeing survivors, orphans wailing, people screaming.
“No going back.”
“My liege.”
“Not saying I'll be a pushover and never fight. I just want to avoid needless killing. But war doesn't work that way, right?”
“My liege!”
Garba dropped to her knees before him—the same pose from when she'd sworn fealty.
“You don't need blood on your hands. I, Garba, will be your weapon and annihilate the enemies!”
“So you're saying... we should go to war?”
“No! How could I force what you don't want?”
“Garba.”
She'd followed him thinking him a great warrior. Even after his honest confession, she'd stay? She didn't want the warrior him?
Sung-tae's thoughts tangled.
“But I'm no warrior. Weren't you following me as one?”
“At first, yes. But not anymore. Serving a warrior liege was my joy. But now...”
Her eyes gleamed with unyielding trust—a gaze no twisted soul could meet.
“Being by your side is enough. Even without fighting side-by-side, entrusting lives to each other... just being with you makes me happy.”
“Happy... with me?”
“Yes. Happy. Not sure if that's the right word—it's new to me, so I can't say it better.”
What do you call this feeling? Relief when together, longing when apart.
When did it start? Not when I first called him liege. That much I know.
Right. In the ruined high elf forest, when I failed to protect him and he saved me. That's when? Craving his approval more. Wanting to stay even without it. Thinking of him endlessly, even if apart.
Garba wanted to stay by Sung-tae's side forever.
“Garba...”
“Yes, my liege!”
Sung-tae clenched his fist, shattering the gauntlet. Then he stroked her head bare-handed.
“Thanks.”
“M-my liege!?”
His touch on her pointed ears flushed her face. Warmth seeped through her hair.
Irresistible instinct surged. Can't wag the tail. It's shameful for a warrior!
For wolfkin, wagging at non-family was humiliating—like admitting attraction. Among wolfkin, it was outright lewd, equivalent to baring oneself naked.
She'd done it before, first submitting to him, seeing him as family. But now? She couldn't bear showing it.
Why am I embarrassed now? She didn't realize why.
No... no!
Swish swish.
“Garba, you must feel good. Your tail's wagging.”
“Ngh...”
“Makes you look like a puppy—adorable. Thanks for liking me. I'll try to be a good liege.”
“Th-thank you...”
“Hey, Garba. Can I ask a favor?”
“Yes, anything.”
“Can I touch your tail?”
For a wolfkin, where wagging equaled nudity, letting someone touch it was...
“If... if my liege wants...”
“Always wanted to. Your tail looks so soft.”
Hic...
“Even softer than I thought.”
Sob...
“Keeps swishing—tickles, but feels nice.”
Hah!
Satisfied, Sung-tae let go. Garba gritted her teeth to hide her reaction, so he noticed nothing.
“Thanks, Garba.”
“N-no problem... Glad I could help, my liege.”
“Heh. Let me again sometime.”
...Did he really not notice? Sung-tae's smile was sly yet innocent—ambiguous.
“A-again later?”
“Why not?”
“N-no, if you want... anytime.”
“Good. Need a break. Heart's still racing from confessing to everyone.”
“R-rest well, my liege.”
Garba bowed her head silently until he vanished. Then she collapsed, face burning so hot her brown skin looked black.
“Haaah...”
A most unwarrior-like sound escaped her—her first ever.
＊＊＊
“Heave-ho, heave-ho!”
After Sung-tae's honest confession, changes swept the Demon King Castle.
First: the monsters prepping for human realm invasion. No more combat drills—they were renovating and expanding the castle instead.
“Everyone's working hard.”
“They're all eager to build you a new home, my lord.”
“Hm. Guess they took my words that way.”
The reason was simple. Since Sung-tae, unlike Ignis, wanted no war, they figured they should remodel Ignis's warlike castle to suit him.
They'd left it untouched assuming similar tastes, but he was different—so adapt to the new lord.
Ignis's castle screamed “I'll conquer the world!” just looking at it.
“So, what's the plan?”
“Secret until done. Look forward to it.”
Clueless about architecture, Sung-tae trusted the monsters and Gepelt. But he had one burning question.
“Gepelt, any way with my armor?”
“Can't change the shape while keeping functions.”
“Got it.”
He played it cool, but inside he seethed. The Saint Country fiasco made him crave freedom from it more than ever.
He'd endured long enough—lust stayed dormant now, like calm before a storm. But one spark on that oil-soaked haystack, and it'd blaze.
“You want resizing or easy on/off without altering the ore itself—impossible.”
“Grr... Ignis...”
Sung-tae clenched his fist. Only his hands could escape, by brute force. Testing, shattered gauntlets reformed in about 10 seconds.
“Impossible after all...”
“My lord, if you haven't picked your next adventure, may I suggest something?”
“Suggest?”
“Yes. If my power falls short, borrow others'. Other mages' help.”
Other mages. Not trustworthy.
“You're a top mage. If you can't, who can?”
“No, I'm strong due to my specialty: multi-casting. Top-tier single spells? Still lacking compared to humans.”
“Really?”
“My quality's fine, but humans occasionally birth geniuses. They call them heroes or prodigies.”
“Heroes... that strong?”
Interesting, but strength didn't impress him. Great mage? Hero? Still below heroes proper.
“Think they're weaker than heroes?”
“How'd you know?”
“Common misconception. Most humans think great mages inferior to heroes. Wrong.”
Humans saw heroes as the continent's apex. Laughable. The world wasn't easy enough for sudden power-ups to kingship. Lazy wishful thinking.
“Stronger ones exist. Just hidden.”
“Many stronger than heroes?”
“Heroes get fame by slaying Demon Kings themselves.”
“So the strong ones skip Demon Kings?”
“Why bother when heroes handle it? Unless battle-mad, rare.”
“Fair.”
“And not that many. Among humans I know, stronger than heroes... hmm, three.”
“Three? Who?”
“Rulers I'd recommend to you.”
The magic city, mages' paradise. Its three archmages might solve his issue.
“The three towers called every mage's endgame. Their lords are those three.”
“Towers?”
“Yes. Mage guilds. Dispatch mages, research advancement. The greatest three cluster in one city—their masters might help.”
“Where? Wanna check it out.”
Gepelt smiled, pleased Sung-tae accepted.
“Magic City Yuglatsil. Paradise where all continent's mages gather.”