The Demon King's Homework
Seere wandered the halls clutching her bear doll and the Training Journal Nahen had given her. She was determined to complete the practical assignment on kingship he had assigned.
“Oh my, Your Majesty.”
Secily, one of the castle maids, spotted her and greeted her warmly. The fox-eared woman had served the Demon King’s castle since the previous reign, and her glossy, fluffy tail looked as soft as ever. Seere started to bow her head as usual, then remembered Nahen’s assignment and straightened her posture instead.
Secily smiled kindly. “What brings you out alone today?”
Neither Nahen nor Kain was with her. In answer, Seere held up the Training Journal. Secily studied it for a moment, then nodded in understanding.
“Ah, so this is the homework your new tutor gave you?”
Seere nodded firmly. She had decided to put Nahen’s “practical kingship exercise” into action right away. With an adorable little gesture, she planted her hands on her hips and issued a command.
“S-start cleaning at once, Secily!”
Seere usually spoke with perfect politeness, always adding honorifics, but this time she used plain speech. The words weren’t her own; she was simply reciting the line Nahen had given her. The exercise was meant to teach her how to address subordinates properly as a ruler. Even if it felt forced, repeated practice would eventually make it natural.
Secily tilted her head. “Your Majesty, I was already cleaning.”
“Hah!” Seere’s mouth fell open in surprise. Secily let out a soft laugh. Noticing the Training Journal, she quickly played along.
“Still, since Your Majesty has given the order, I suppose I must pay extra attention. I will obey.”
“U-uh-huh!”
Seere dashed past her, white hair bouncing as she ran. Watching the small figure disappear down the corridor, Secily smiled fondly.
“Hehe, she’s just too adorable.”
Seere raced down the stairs and headed for the kitchen. She stopped in front of the door and stared at the handle with bright, determined eyes. She reached for it.
“Nngh…”
Her fingers fell short. Though she was seven, Seere’s growth had been slow, leaving her smaller than other children her age. The kitchen handle had been deliberately placed high to keep her from wandering in and getting hurt near the stoves. She understood the reason, but the door still refused to let her through.
After struggling for a while, she muttered glumly, “Can’t reach…”
“Your Majesty?”
Her savior appeared. A lizardman with sturdy blue scales, a reptilian face, and a long tail stood before her.
“Uncle Mark!”
“Goodness, what brings you here, Your Majesty?”
His name was Mark, the skilled lizardman chef who ran the castle kitchen. He was the one who made Seere’s favorite puddings and cakes. Today he carried two crates of ingredients, apparently returning from the pantry.
Seere almost bowed on reflex, then caught herself with a startled “Hah!” Mark tilted his head.
“Is something the matter, Your Majesty?”
Seere shook her head. Mark didn’t press. With a neat trick, he lifted one crate with his tail and opened the door for her.
“After you, Your Majesty.”
Seere followed him inside and looked around. The kitchen looked exactly as it always did—spotless, which spoke volumes about how seriously the head chef took cleanliness.
“You must have wanted something to eat.”
“Y-yeah!”
Mark raised an eyebrow at her unusually casual tone, but said nothing. After all, her usual excessive politeness had been the oddity; this was how a ruler should speak to staff.
“Just say the word and I’ll make anything you like.”
Seere swallowed hard as she looked at him. Ordering around the man she had always called “Uncle” felt impossibly difficult. But Nahen had warned that there would be no pudding if she didn’t complete the assignment. She raised a finger and tried to sound as dignified as possible.
“M-make pudding!”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
Mark set to work at once. Seere and Heungomi watched with wide eyes as he prepared the ingredients. The way the pudding took shape under his hands looked like magic. She found herself staring, mouth slightly open.
Pudding took time—baking and cooling both required patience. But they were demons who could use magic.
With a flick of Mark’s wrist, the freshly baked pudding cooled instantly. He plated it and set it before her.
“Enjoy, Your Majesty.”
“Kyaa~!”
Completely forgetting her homework, Seere’s eyes sparkled like any ordinary child. Mark watched her with warm satisfaction.
Seere scooped up a generous spoonful. “Mmph!”
The moment it touched her tongue, she felt as though she had entered paradise.
“Mmm~!”
“Is it good?”
“Yeah, yeah!”
Her enthusiastic nodding filled Mark with pride. Nothing pleased a chef more than seeing someone enjoy their food.
“So tasty~♪”
She still wasn’t used to giving orders, but she had to admit this wasn’t so bad after all.
#
Three days had passed since Nahen entered Seere’s castle. In that time, Seere had spent her mornings studying theory and her afternoons putting those lessons into practice.
“Good, Seere. Try moving a little more mana.”
“Y-yes!”
Seere was currently training to draw her mana outward. The goal was to expand her circuits by repeatedly pulling mana from her mana heart into the outside world.
‘Impressive…’
Nahen was genuinely surprised by the sheer amount of mana flowing from such a small body. Even though she hadn’t developed many circuits yet, far more mana than expected was emerging.
‘So this is what a Demon King is capable of.’
The game’s repeated descriptions of the player being astonished while training Seere hadn’t been exaggerated. Even judging from the memories that had surfaced after transmigration, Seere’s mana reserves were extraordinary—far beyond what one would expect from the lowest-ranked Demon King on the 72nd floor.
‘She can handle a bit more.’
It seemed safe to push the training further. Not right now, though. There was a reason Nahen couldn’t keep her on mana exercises for long.
“That’s enough, Seere.”
“Okay.”
When Nahen called a halt, Seere pulled her mana back and began breathing heavily. That was exactly the problem.
‘Her stamina is way too low.’
Raised as a sheltered princess inside the castle, her physical endurance was poor even for her age. Children her age should have boundless energy, yet she tired quickly.
“Let’s rest a bit, then move on to stamina training.”
Nahen made sure physical training was part of every day’s schedule and recorded it in the Training Journal as well.
“Okay.”
Seere answered obediently. Nahen nodded, quietly grateful. Dealing with a rebellious child would have been far more difficult, and she had no confidence in handling that.
After resting, Seere followed Kain back into the castle, changed out of her pretty dress into something easier to move in, and returned—still holding Heungomi.
“Planning to run with Heungomi again today?”
Seere nodded. Nahen tilted her head. Liking a doll was one thing, but this went beyond ordinary attachment.
‘Is there a reason?’
She asked gently, “But Seere, if you fall while running, Heungomi might get hurt. Are you sure?”
“I-I won’t fall.”
“Even so, you never know what might happen.”
“……”
Seere only hugged the bear tighter. Rather than force the doll away, Nahen decided to let her do as she wished.
“All right. If that’s what you want.”
“Yes.”
“Today we’ll run the same distance as yesterday. Ready?”
“Yes!”
Seere began running with determination. Though the sight of her clutching the large doll looked precarious, she surprisingly never tripped.
“Her sense of balance is quite good…”
Nahen still wanted to know why Seere was so attached to the bear. She turned to Kain, who was standing by.
“Kain.”
“Yes, Lady Nahen.”
“Does Seere have a reason for being so attached to Heungomi?”
“Ah, I never mentioned it, did I?”
Kain looked at the running girl with a wistful expression.
“That doll was a gift from the previous Demon King, Lord Seir, for Seere’s fifth birthday.”
Nahen immediately understood. Seere’s fifth birthday—the last one she had celebrated with her father, Seir von Devata. Heungomi was the final birthday present he had left her.
Nahen hadn’t known this detail. It had never appeared in the game’s story, likely an unreleased setting from development.
“…I see.”
She frowned slightly. She knew the full truth behind Seir von Devata’s death. It was a major plot point, and she was well aware of what had really happened.
‘Now isn’t the time…’
It was still too soon to tell a child who hadn’t even finished mourning her father. Nahen wasn’t heartless enough to burden her with that yet.
‘When the time comes to tell her… I’ll need to make sure she’s strong enough to seek revenge.’
Education came first.