Demon King's Army Without a Demon King
"Belsia…… ma'am!! Are you…… okay? ……?"
Ugh…… What the hell happened…….
"Belsia!!!"
Gasp. The head maid?
"You're awake! Phew…… I thought my heart was gonna drop out!"
"Yeah, I'm fine. By the way, this looks like the treatment room. Why am I here?"
"Ah, well…… Um…… Er……."
Sigh. Seeing that frustrating look of hers after so long is raising my blood pressure. How did she even become head maid?
"You rushed over to the Demon King's side, right? I hurried after you, but when I got there, the Demon King's room was a total wreck…… And you were collapsed in front of it!"
If only she'd stick to the important points. At this rate, discipline in the Demon King's Castle is…… Huh? Wait a second.
"What? A wreck? Where's the Demon King right now?"
"She's gone!!"
BAM!!!!
Belsia bolted out like she'd left her shadow behind!
"Belsiaaa!!!"
Stunned by the sight, the head maid hurriedly chased after her.
Screeech—!
Belsia arrived at the Demon King's bedroom in no time, screaming internally. She had no choice.
The Demon King had been kidnapped!!!
She'd heard from the head maid that the Demon King had revived and rushed over, abandoning her backlog of work. Of course, she knew the Demon King wasn't dead, but after so long unconscious, she was worried. Yet the revived Demon King's antics were beyond her wildest dreams.
The debauchery of the Demon King she'd only fantasized about in her sleep. Her beloved, adorable Demon King doing such cute things!
The shock had made her faint.
So she concluded immediately: Illusion magic.
"You bastardsssss!!!!"
Bam! Bam! Bam! Cracks spiderwebbed across the innocent walls.
There was no way the Demon King would actually do that. It had to be illusion magic to stage a kidnapping!
Just out for a stroll? No way.
Belsia's conviction that the Demon King had been kidnapped stemmed from more than that.
The reason she was the Demon King.
The current Demon King was the world's one and only 'demon'.
Demons wielded immense power, but to maximize it, they had to stay in the Demon King's Castle.
Because the castle housed the Demon Heart.
The Demon King's Castle, sustained by the Demon Heart. Destroy the Demon Heart, and the Demon King dies.
The castle itself was practically the Demon King's body.
What being would abandon its own life like that?
Only Belsia, as the Demon King's secretary, the Demon King herself, and a handful of heroes who'd faced demons knew this. Like the current knight captain of the human kingdom.
Grind.
Belsia gnashed her teeth. Illusion magic…… Illusion magic……!
One of the few remaining mages in the world. And among them, few handled illusion magic.
The Magic Tower's lord, the beastkin shaman, and so on.
As Belsia narrowed down suspects, a skeleton in jet-black armor appeared behind her.
One of the Four Heavenly Kings, the 'Black Knight Cardin'.
"What happened?"
Belsia bit her nails and took a deep breath.
"The Demon King…… has been kidnapped."
Cardin nearly popped an eye socket he didn't have. His beloved Demon King, kidnapped!
"Who the hell kidnapped her! Tell me! I'll kill the bastard!"
"Calm down. The suspects for now are the Magic Tower lord and—"
"I'll kill them right nowwww!!!!"
Riding a black mist of ash, Cardin vanished into a dot in the blink of an eye.
"……."
Left alone, Belsia sighed. To think not a single useful guy around!
She decided to inform the other Heavenly Kings of the Demon King's kidnapping first.
"Huff, huff, wait for meee!"
The head maid sprinting full tilt from behind.
Belsia issued an order immediately.
"You and the other maids clean the Demon King's room spotless. I have urgent business."
You're the only maid, though? That was why she was head maid.
Seon and Yubel arrived at a nearby village.
After thanking the merchant who'd helped them for free, they headed to the adventurer's guild to pick up a quest.
As it turned out, Yubel was broke too, needing to earn fare for a carriage.
Yubel had said, 'The hero's broke?' but luckily, Seon held back his anger.
While Seon fetched the quest, Yubel pondered deeply.
Does turning into a girl always feel this embarrassing?
The Demon King's dressed like a whore, wind slipping right in. And how do you even pee in the toilet? Nothing but worries.
Couldn't keep wearing bloodstained panties, so Yubel had secretly ditched them in the carriage. Blushing like a total perv.
The Demon King's looks were great, but being a girl was nothing but hassle. Periods and all.
And what's the point of good looks if there's no mirror to check.
Glance.
The hero was eyeing quest posters on the board. Taking quests solo, so am I temp party?
To join the hero's fixed party, gotta be strong, right? But I'm the Demon King. Why so weak?
Shouldn't death beams shoot from my eyes or something?
Yubel scowled at a burly guy in the guild.
Whoosh!
The big guy shot up from his seat and approached Yubel!
His girlfriend-looking companion tried to stop him, but he approached like entranced and spoke to Yubel.
"Heh heh…… You hittin' on me now? A cutie like you, I might even date."
Yubel's eyebrow shot up! What the fuck is this meathead saying?
Oh, but something's overflowing with power?
"Babe! What's wrong with you! You're joking, right? Snap out of it!"
The woman tugged his wrist, on the verge of tears.
Seon noticed the commotion and stepped in front of the guy.
"What business you got with my companion?"
Seon moved his hand to his sword to intimidate.
Onlookers started gathering with interest.
Huh. Is it happening? Right here?
Yubel wasn't scared, just intrigued by the situation. She didn't know guild brawls could turn deadly.
"Hey, buddy. Move aside? Didn't you see that babe eye-fuck me first?"
Seon glanced at Yubel's eyes. Anyone could see they screamed 'What bullshit is this?'
Seon glared with more hostility.
The guy shoved off the woman grabbing his arm and struck a karate pose.
"Heh heh, I'm 'Indestructible Hardrock'. Buddy, run before you regret it?"
"Shut up."
Thump thump. Gulp.
The whole room held its breath, focused on the standoff.
"……."
"……."
In that hair-trigger moment.
"Aaaaagh!!!!"
'Indestructible something' screamed and collapsed!
What did the hero do? Everyone stared, but Seon was baffled too.
Turns out, his girlfriend was behind him. She'd nut-cracked him with her foot!
Indestructible's burst balls. Guess he slacked on training there.
"Gahhh!!!"
"Grotesque……."
"Eek!?"
At the brutal sight, every guy in the guild went pale.
And so Indestructible was dragged off somewhere.
Hmm.
Too bad. Could've watched a fight.
But why'd he say I seduced him? Demon King's hot, sure, but I'm a guy inside.
Heh heh.
As Yubel had those ridiculous thoughts, Seon lowered his hand from the sheath and spoke.
"You okay? Not hurt anywhere?"
"Yeah. Totally fine. But you were kinda cool?"
The hero's face turned tomato red.
Look at him, getting shy.
"A-hem. Uh, take a look at this?"
Moments later, back to normal, Seon showed Yubel the quest sheet.
But I can't read it?
"Found a quest. Goblins, monster pests. Easy hunt, right?"
Oh, classic fantasy goblin hunt.
Yubel, new to the world, was curious what they looked like.
But is this guy aiming for an event? Hero saves elf from goblins, smash scene? Kinda rings a bell.
Nah? Too old, fuzzy memory.
Gotta figure out the hero's goal first.
"When we going? Tomorrow?"
"No. Sorry, gotta go today."
We just got to the village! Haven't even toured it!
Guess I gotta stop this horny hero right—
"No money, might have to camp outside again……."
Ah.
Yubel swallowed her words. Hero being a beggar was kinda pitiful.
What kinda hero's this poor? Yubel, master at forgetting her own faults.
"Hey! Hurry up!"
"Monsters might show soon, let's stay alert."
"They know where I am, right? Quit yapping and follow!"
At "might starve without money," Yubel dashed into the forest for goblins.
They ran a full 30 minutes. Seon was tiring, struggling to keep up.
Yubel's still fresh. Beastkin stamina?
As Seon trailed Yubel mindlessly, she crouched behind a tree bigger than herself.
"Almost there—"
"Shh! Quiet. They're over there."
Three goblins where Yubel pointed.
Holding crude stone spears. Their gear suggested a nearby goblin nest.
"Hmm, wanna try preemptive magic? I'll clean up after."
"Yeah. Hold on……."
Yubel looked tense. Not much monster hunting experience?
Seon drew his longsword, ready to charge. More used to it now, but slicing life still sucked.
No choice. Gotta max hero skills to beat the Demon King.
Yubel closed her eyes, gathering mana at her fingertips.
Soon, her body's magic and ambient mana swirled into her hand.
Seon watched from behind. Yubel kneeling, prepping to fire.
That's when Seon noticed. This angle…… her nipples might be visible.
Damn! Once aware, can't focus on battle.
Backless dress barely covering her lower chest. Such provocative outfit on Yubel.
Just a little, just a peek at Yubel's—
Nooo! What am I doing!
Thanks to that, Seon couldn't concentrate.
Then Yubel's quiet mana went berserk!
"Wha? What's happening!!"
"Kyeak?"
Goblins reacted to Yubel's panic.
"Screw it, fire!"
Yubel hurled the rampaging mana.
"Kieeeek!!!"
One leaped aside. One ducked. Last one: 'Huh, what's that?' Hit.
BOOM!!!!!!
Earthquake shook the forest.
Only hit one with the Magic Spiral, but the shockwave turned the rest to bloody chunks flying everywhere.
Plop plop. Splat.
"……."
"……."
Seon was stunned. No way this power.
Yubel too. Me?
Seon couldn't hide his awe.
"Amazing!! Yubel!! Never seen magic this strong!"
Praising her, he turned to Yubel from the goblin spot.
But the silent Yubel was……
"Blurghhhh……."
Stomach turned, she puked her guts out spectacularly.