The Demon King’s Secret Plan
The Demon King wasn’t seriously considering what I thought she was… right?
A few days after the grand victory banquet had concluded, the Demon King sat in her office at the heart of the Demon King’s Castle, as always buried in state affairs. She was overseeing the restoration of the reclaimed territories and the resettlement of their populations. At the same time, she reviewed the military in preparation for any potential future conflict, all while striving to reduce the proportion of troops that strained the nation’s resources simply by existing. The mountain of work before her was truly staggering, leaving her mind spinning. Even as the ruler of a victorious nation, she found no time to rest; each day was busier than it had ever been during the war itself.
‘In a way, this too could be called the duty of a victor… but it really isn’t easy. Even I find this workload burdensome…’
Honestly, the Demon King had always been more of a warrior who preferred the sword over the quill. For someone of her nature, these recent days were inevitably stressful. It was work that had to be done, yet she didn’t particularly enjoy it. In many ways, her life now resembled that of a student cramming for exams.
It was then that Belzebeuty, her close friend and subordinate, watched the weary Demon King and offered a faint, bitter smile.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty? Haven’t you been pushing yourself too hard with these state affairs lately?”
“It would be a lie to say otherwise. But this is simply unavoidable for one who stands above others. There are many citizens to care for and vast territories to govern. No matter how difficult, I have no choice but to press on.”
“As expected… Your heart that always thinks of the people is truly admirable, Your Majesty. In times like these, I consider myself truly fortunate to have a ruler such as you.”
“Enough with the flattery. I have no desire to be praised for merely doing what is expected of me… More importantly, Belzebeuty.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The next moment, the Demon King’s expression grew strangely enigmatic. A shadow of doubt automatically crossed Belzebeuty’s face. Looking at her, the Demon King spoke in a calm voice.
“Regarding that upcoming event… how are the preparations for the Narsil selection tournament proceeding?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Since it has been quite some time since the last tournament, a considerable number of participants have already expressed their intent to join. Even among the corps commanders and royal guards who have never won before, several have stepped forward.”
“Is that so… Even among the corps commanders and royal guards… Then… what about that person?”
“Pardon?”
For a brief instant, the Demon King’s question carried a slightly different tone. Belzebeuty couldn’t immediately grasp its meaning, but the Demon King clarified in a clear voice once more.
“I mean that person. My lover… Is the hero also planning to participate?”
“Ah… Yes, that is correct. According to the reports, it appears so.”
“Hehe. I see. As expected…”
With those words, a meaningful smile began to form on the Demon King’s lips. Seeing this expression, Belzebeuty suddenly felt an ominous premonition that something unusual was about to happen.
And then—
“By the way… Belzebeuty? As far as I know, the condition for entering the Narsil selection tournament is that anyone may participate so long as they have not previously won and claimed the title of Narsil. Is that correct?”
“Yes… that is true, but… why are you suddenly asking…!”
“Hehe…”
The Demon King let out a light chuckle at Belzebeuty’s words. Watching this, a dreadful realization flashed through Belzebeuty’s mind. Her voice trembled with deep anxiety as she asked,
“U-um… Your Majesty? You’re not seriously thinking of doing what I think you’re thinking of doing… are you?”
“Hehehe.”
“Your Majesty! Seriously!”
Belzebeuty’s voice had grown completely rigid as she stared at the Demon King, who merely continued to smile.
The Narsil Selection Tournament will soon be held across the entire Demon Kingdom.
This grand event, held to commemorate our glorious victory, promises to be the largest in history.
Warriors from every corner of the realm are cordially invited to participate.
News of the Narsil selection tournament spread throughout the entire Demon Kingdom. As a result, the nation fell into an atmosphere of excitement reminiscent of the World Cup in the real world just before it began.
“I heard this tournament is on a completely different scale from the previous ones?”
“They say the prize money for the winner is more than double the usual amount.”
“Well, it’s a tournament being held to celebrate our victory, so that makes sense. Plus, it hasn’t been held for a long time because of the war, so it’s only natural that it’s even grander.”
The Narsil selection tournament was essentially an event signaling the revival of the Demon Kingdom, which had suffered greatly during the long years of conflict. Because of this, preparations were being made with exceptional fanfare. As a result, the capital city of Jerusalem was already filled with warriors who had flocked from every region of the Demon Kingdom, along with numerous merchants preparing to do business ahead of the major event.
Demon merchants selling street food, weapons, and souvenirs, and the crowds of people buying and selling their wares. Amid this festive atmosphere that felt like one giant celebration, I couldn’t help but feel just as excited as everyone else.
If a university festival was limited to the school campus, the Narsil selection tournament made the entire city feel like it was immersed in a festival. The scale was incomparable, and the enthusiasm was already blazing hot even though the tournament hadn’t officially begun.
“I’ve heard the stories, but this is truly impressive. It feels like the first time I’ve experienced a festival of this magnitude,” Elisa said.
“Well… it is one of the largest officially organized national events, after all.”
Elisa spoke with a slightly stiff yet noticeably proud tone in response to my comment. As a member of the royal guard, she had been tasked with inspecting the festival’s progress alongside her subordinates. She had asked me to accompany her if I had nothing else to do, and since I truly had no pressing tasks at the moment, I accepted her request.
And so, I ended up walking through the streets with Elisa and her officers, conducting on-site inspections. To be honest, though, I was far more interested in how the festival atmosphere was unfolding than in the inspection itself. The main reason I had accepted Elisa’s proposal was precisely so I could look around and observe the surroundings.
After all, with demons swarming in from all directions, it would have felt a bit awkward for a human like me to wander around alone. In times like these, it was better to move about officially, wearing a public official’s insignia.
‘If only I could walk around like this with our Demon King instead of this… Well, that will only be possible once the tournament truly begins in earnest.’
Spending time with the Demon King, who was currently swamped with work and barely had a moment to breathe, was impossible right now. Feeling a twinge of regret at that fact, I decided to use this opportunity to scout out good locations to visit with her later. I began looking around diligently.
As I did, I noticed that Elisa seemed to have far more energy than usual, perhaps because of how caught up she was in the festive mood. I thought to myself that she had quite an unexpected side to her.
*
Having successfully lured the hero out with a suitable excuse, Elisa found it difficult to suppress the smile that kept blooming on her lips due to the fluttering emotions in her heart.
‘Aah… To be able to spend time together with the hero like this… I’m so happy!’
Although the surrounding atmosphere was chaotic because of her subordinates accompanying them, and she couldn’t afford to neglect her duties, Elisa still felt wonderful simply because she could be with the hero without anyone else stealing him away.
‘Still, I’m glad the hero accepted my suggestion. Doesn’t that mean his heart hasn’t completely gone to Mama yet?’
Of course, one could interpret it as him trying to build a closer relationship with the woman who might one day become his daughter, but Elisa was forcefully blocking any thoughts from flowing in that direction. What she needed right now wasn’t someone to be her father. She needed someone who would become the father of her child.
With that thought in mind, Elisa subtly tried to press her body closer to the hero’s side to feel his warmth as much as possible—when suddenly,
“Lady Elisa. We seem to have covered about half the area by now. How about we take a short break?”
“Ah… Um… Shall we?”
For a moment, Elisa felt slightly annoyed at her subordinate’s interruption, but she quickly reframed the unpleasant feeling into something positive.
‘A break, huh… Yes, that’s not a bad idea at all. Eating together with the hero would be a pretty good opportunity too.’
Having decided to accept her subordinate’s suggestion, Elisa then turned to the hero standing beside her and asked in as natural a tone as she could manage.
“Then let’s take a little rest. It’s about time for a meal anyway. We can grab a light bite.”
“Yes, let’s do that.”
The hero readily agreed. Elisa cheered inwardly and began looking for a suitable spot nearby.
It was then that—
“Hm? That person is…”
The next moment, a familiar face caught her eye. At the same time, the subordinates beside her immediately reacted.
“That person is… definitely…”
The familiar figure that appeared before their eyes was none other than one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the royal guard—Nadan, clad in golden armor that gleamed brilliantly even in the middle of the street.