A Role That's Familiar to Me (1)

I gaze at the message that pops up.

It's unmistakably a quest format... but why does it start with question marks?

The question lingers, but I check the content first.

That lets me piece it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠together.

This doesn't seem like an Arcana quest. It feels more like something from the Demon Realm.

And not only that—this quest is treating me explicitly as a king. More precisely, as the new demon king who's claimed Buer's seat.

'As if I'd be thrilled to be called a king.'

From the Ten Thrones onward, they're true kings. Does that mean anyone, regardless of race, can claim a throne?

Pretty open-minded, the Demon Realm.

Well, even that undead lich, Discus or whatever his name was, was gunning for Buer's throne.

'A human as a demon king, though? Still can't wrap my head around it.'

Hard to believe, sure. But the system message doesn't lie.

Challenge, proof, choice—all mine, as the king.

For now, I murmur:

"Checkmate."

Not even at a chessboard. And I barely know how to play chess.

Bluntly declaring checkmate out of nowhere.

"...Ch-Checkmate, sir?"

I feel the eyes on me.

Whether they know chess or not, they can guess the meaning. The king is in danger.

'All that pomp, but it's not wrong.'

If it were doubly true, maybe. But just looking at the two quest objectives makes it clear.

Yes—as the demon king of the tenth throne, I can challenge the thrones of the other upper demon kings.

And simultaneously, as one of the Ten Thrones demon kings, I must prove my worth against countless challengers.

I mutter inwardly.

'Talk about being caught between a rock and a hard place.'

Brutally honest assessment.

The reason's simple: I don't have the power to take down an upper demon king yet.

Buer was slain by Grandfell, not me.

'Discus the lich is the same.'

If challengers were all demons, that'd be one thing. But if unrelated challengers show up?

I couldn't even rely on my trusty Predator-Prey Relationship.

Attacked from both sides, salt in the wound.

But my mouth isn't so honest.

"Two birds with one stone."

Perhaps puzzled by my successive murmurs, Chainwalker asks cautiously.

"Commander, has something happened?"

Not just Chainwalker.

Nam Taemin and the rest of the Giant Alliance stare at me with serious expressions.

My avatars, High El and Diend, bow their heads and speak.

"My liege, we never wish to regret again."

So I have no choice but to meet their gazes seriously.

Proof of the Ten Thrones, my ass. The tenth throne was basically handed to me by Buer.

Never sat on a throne myself, but instinct tells me.

No wonder it's a Demon Realm quest. Threats on a whole other level could be overflowing.

The true war might finally be starting.

'Everyone's going to be in danger.'

No room for hiding a thing.

My stubbornness won't allow it.

I cut straight to it.

"Are you prepared to wage war alongside me?"

The weight of war sinks in.

Victory or defeat decides countless lives.

I could die on the battlefield first.

Even Chainwalker, armed in dwarf gear, might fall miserably.

Nam Taemin, Hisagi, Leoni, Skal—not to mention real-world players—none exempt from the threat.

So I want clear answers.

To steel myself first.

But the responses come faster than expected.

"What kinda talk is that, Commander?"

Booming with hearty laughter.

Chainwalker grins in satisfaction.

"You haven't forgotten why your title is Commander, have you? If you had... well, I might feel disappointed in you for the first time!"

Title: Holy War Alliance Commander.

That hits me.

'They've been prepared for ages.'

Was that it...?

Maybe I was the only one not facing reality.

They'd staked their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lives the moment they joined the Holy War Alliance.

From that point on.

'...Yeah, Commander.'

The title "Commander," which always made my skin crawl, no longer feels cringy.

Water under the bridge from my dark history? Maturity? Pride?

Who knows. But one thing's clear.

This is the true holy war beginning.

So I don't hesitate.

"I, Lee Hoyeol, offer my respects to your resolve."

I declare outright.

"As commander of the Holy War Alliance."

...Still not easy saying it out loud.

Outskirts city of the Empire, Langery.

Ryu Ojuncheon gazes at the message in the lord's castle.

Simultaneously scanning the Five Stars' faces.

No change in their expressions.

'This message is for me alone.'

His gaze returns to the message.

Before and after the cataclysm, Ryu Ojuncheon operated as a top ranker.

As guild master of Cheonha Tongil, he'd accessed vast information.

Even such a seasoned player's eyes fix on the message's first characters.

The question marks.

'Even the system can't evaluate this quest's value.'

Ryu rereads the content repeatedly.

Summary's simple.

Kill a Ten Thrones demon king and claim their throne—the chance has come.

'Just like the new tenth throne demon king did.'

Tenth throne demon king, huh.

Ryu has no idea who.

But he can guess...

The protagonist of that other message that appeared before.

'Grandfell.'

The one who started a mythic quest. Can't rule it out.

Either way, an unknown entity.

Ryu reveres or fears it not.

What matters: he's qualified as a challenger.

'Qualities of a king.'

Undoubtedly referring to his Monarch class.

Only Monarch player among players.

Past Monarch players existed, but most deleted characters pre-cataclysm due to high growth difficulty, rerolling.

Post-cataclysm awakened Monarchs?

Swipe.

Ryu's gaze flicks to the Five Stars' sword hilts.

He killed them.

Not one spared.

Reason simple: class quest.

Unique among same class.

Only the chosen can undertake—to claim it himself.

No backlash?

As if.

No one noticed.

Except the Five Stars.

Ryu, whom Cheonha Tongil couldn't trust, never got caught.

His lips curl up.

Indeed, my judgment wasn't wrong.

As the sole player Monarch, securing a shot at a Ten Thrones demon king.

'However.'

This is the Arcana Continent.

Can't guarantee how ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠many others share Monarch qualities.

So Ryu plans to wait first.

'Opportunity will come.'

Besides, demon kings.

'Might even profit as a bystander.'

Yes.

Lee Hoyeol, who hunts demons like bugs, has fully entered the Arcana Continent, hasn't he?

Ryu murmurs.

"For the first time, I might owe you one."

Utterly unaware of his massive misconception...

Mage Tower.

Crystal Hall.

Marcelo surveys the murmuring crowd.

'As expected, not easy, sir.'

The new tower master still calls the chief mage "sir."

No choice.

Marcelo doesn't believe he's tower master material.

'Even so, I'll try.'

It's the only way to share Hoyeol's burden.

Marcelo merely shoulders the tower master's role.

'Demon King Struggle.'

He'd experienced it once before.

The 72 thrones. Struggle to fill demon king seats fallen to hell.

But AAU speaks up.

"Excluding the top 10 upper demon kings, other demon kings were deleted for balance. Updates have never erred, so this struggle refers to upper demon king thrones."

Senior flame mage Bensy William grimaces.

"Hmph, I could say that. The chief warned of upper demon kings, right? Problem's how to face them, Banggrit Senior?"

"Well, yeah..."

"Exactly! How to handle upper demon kings rampaging now. No telling where they'll burst from. The board's set for them!"

Seems like arguing at a glance.

But Mage Tower and AAU. Arcana and reality.

Two worlds colliding to decipher the [Strange].

So AAU Korea chief Park Minjae speaks.

"Senior Bensy William's right. Even from pre-cataclysm view, upper demon kings rampaging probability rises. Past cases confirm."

Tap tap.

Park's glance, Yoon Sugyeom types laptop.

Hologram rises in Crystal Hall.

Past Demon King Struggle scenes.

Frost. Star pattern of corpses. Decarabia's photos scroll.

"Normally, summoning demon kings needs sacrifice. But with the struggle board? Strong demons challenging thrones poured out sans sacrifice."

That's why Park grits teeth at Raymon Sean.

"Same as then. Upper demon kings needing vast resources may flood reality unchecked. No ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠need explaining challengers eyeing those seats."

"..."

First head-to-head wasted.

Raymon Sean tosses unsolvable puzzle, as always.

His communication style.

Senior mages confer on Park's words.

"Can our Mage Tower handle it?"

"Give me a decisive magic tool, and I'll burn any upper demon king...!! Banggrit Senior, you've seen my forbidden magic, right?"

"Yes, impressive. But upper demon kings surpass dragons? Tougher than corrupted Yunak Seus..."

Even tougher than Yunak Seus.

"Ahem."

Even Bensy quiets imagining.

Silence falls over Crystal Hall.

In uneasy quiet, Seong Hyunjun mutters.

"...Hope we're wrong."

Upper demon kings bursting sans sacrifice?

Too unfair.

But Seong's wish goes ungranted.

Click-clack—

"...!"

Footsteps alone tell.

Hoyeol.

Returned from Arcana to reality.

For Mage Tower regular meeting.

AAU general assembly, never misses.

Even listening to discussions.

Strides Crystal Hall, speaks.

"I praise your pursuit of the strange. Correct. Ten Thrones demon kings need no sacrifice to appear in Arcana Continent or reality."

Stands tall at podium, drops bomb.

"For I am a demon king of the Ten Thrones."

"...?!!"

Nuclear bomb.