The Demon King Who Was Supposed to Lose Ended Up Defeating the Targets, and Now the Heroine Has Been Sent as a Sacrifice - Chapter 35

Chapter 35: The Demon King Supposed to Lose, Consults with His Advisor

I returned to the Demon King’s castle once again

Elsia was still searching for the escaped ones and preparing strategies for when she found them.

I was glad to see she was full of energy.

“Balzac, I’m back.”

“Welcome back, my Lord!!”

Balzac greeted me with a beaming smile as soon as I arrived. 

His eyes were sparkling, reminding me of a huge dog we used to have at my old home in my past life.

I wonder how that guy is doing.

“So, what is it you need to discuss?”

I had come to the castle today to consult Balzac about something.

And that consultation was…

“Balzac, what exactly is the role of a Demon King?”

Even after thinking about it again, I still don’t understand.

For one, demons don’t have concepts like laws or rules.

They just freely kill and devour humans and rampage as they please.

The Demon King is the only one who can give them orders and make them obey, and that’s the extent of it.

Oh, it’s not that the Demon King has the power to force other demons to follow orders.

The reason, though not entirely clear, is that every demon has an absolute loyalty to the Demon King, which makes them follow orders.

…I got a bit off track.

In any case, the Demon King can only give orders to other demons and doesn’t necessarily have specific duties.

That’s just my own view.

From the perspective of ordinary demons, there might be certain expectations or desires they have for me as the Demon King.

Balzac is the one to consult when in doubt. He answered my question with a very serious expression.

“Clearly, it’s world domination!!”

“World domination…?”

“Yes!!”

I’m not quite sure what to make of it, but Balzac said it with great enthusiasm.

“Several hundred years ago, you, my liege, were unfortunately sealed away by the saintess and the hero. You were just one step away from destroying humanity and making the world your own.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s right.”

“But!! In this era, there are no heroes, and the saintess has even become your consort!! There is no one to obstruct your path to domination now!!”

“Hmm, that’s not exactly what I meant…”

World domination.

It does sound like something a Demon King would be involved in, but that’s not quite what I’m looking for.

“I mean something like, leading the demons? Is there nothing like that?”

“…Hmm, no, there isn’t.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“I see…”

Huh?

Could it be that the role of the Demon King is more of an optional presence?

As I pondered this, feeling a bit let down…

“Although you might not realize it yourself, to us, the Demon King is a revered and respected being. Just being there provides us with hope and guidance.”

“Hmm? So, it’s like how humans view gods?”

“Yes, that’s a good comparison.”

“Seriously?”

I understood and accepted this.

I had thought that the demons’ loyalty to the Demon King was almost like a religion, but it turns out it actually was a matter of faith.

“So, what happens if I were to tell everyone to stop killing and eating humans?”

There’s a deep rift between humans and demons.

But if there’s a possibility of a future where humans and demons work together and thrive, it seems reality is not so simple.

Balzac nodded at my question but looked somewhat troubled.

“Of course, everyone would stop killing and eating humans. However, humans are our staple food. If we couldn’t eat humans, some might starve to death.”

“Hm. I see.”

I asked if there was anything else they could eat, and Balzac firmly stated there was not.

Since I was originally from the Demon King race, which didn’t need food or sleep, I haven’t experienced much difficulty with food after changing my race with the Rebirth Stone.

However, it seems ordinary demons are quite different.

They’ve been consuming human blood and flesh since ancient times, so they can’t process anything else.

“There’s a lot I didn’t know…”

Before regaining my past life’s memories, I was all about destroying humans. Yet, I’m surprised at how little I knew about demons.

But!! That’s not the point!!

“Is world domination really the only thing that defines being a Demon King?”

“Yes!!”

“You’re nodding with such a cheerful smile…”

Well, if that’s the case, there’s not much I can do.

As a former human, I’d rather not take actions that would make me hostile to humans. I’ll stick to maintaining the current status quo.

If they do something to provoke us, I’ll respond accordingly.

“My Lord, shall we declare war on the humans right away?!”

“No, we won’t be doing that.”

“I see… I thought I’d finally have some worthwhile work to do.”

“…Don’t look so glum. I need you to help manage the Kingdom of Alvera—well, the land that was once Kingdom of Alvera. I got it from Elsia, but I don’t know the first thing about managing it.”

“!!”

Balzac’s eyes lit up at the mention of work.

I’ve thought this before, but it seems Balzac is truly a workaholic.

“Well, just don’t overdo it.”

“Yes!! I will carry out your orders even if it costs me my life!!”

“I just said not to overdo it…”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly at Balzac’s usual enthusiasm.

◆

Side: Julius

Julius von Alvera was walking along the mountain path with knights disguised as merchants and their guards.

Thanks to an early decision, the key figures of the kingdom led by Julius managed to escape before Elsia’s army surrounded the capital and are now scattered and heading to other countries.

The reason for not staying together was to confuse any pursuers.

However, Julius still had not managed to escape the kingdom’s territory. 

The border area was already under inspection by the demon forces, and repeated detours were necessary due to avoiding major roads.

One of the knights, concerned about Julius, spoke up.

“Your Majesty, are you alright?”

Even though Julius was riding in a carriage, it wasn’t very comfortable, as it was a carriage used by a disguised merchant caravan.

Even Julius, who was used to inspecting regional territories by carriage, would find it uncomfortable. The knight’s concern was understandable.

Julius, unable to hide his exhaustion, nodded.

“Ah, yes, I’m fine. How about you all? Aren’t you tired?”

“We are well-trained, so please don’t worry about us. That’s why we’re here, to protect you in times like this.”

The knight smiled widely.

Just then, a knight who had gone ahead for reconnaissance returned in a hurry, looking flustered.

Julius immediately questioned the knight.

“Is something wrong?”

“Hah, hah, Your Majesty, it’s serious. I went to a small village ahead to gather information about what happened in the capital…”

Hearing the knight’s report, Julius felt a chill run down his spine.

“The Demon King’s army is capturing humans from our kingdom and gathering them in the capital? What does that mean? For what purpose?”

“I don’t know the details. However, there are people from the village ahead who managed to escape from the Demon King’s army’s hunts. The village hasn’t been found yet, and there haven’t been any reported damages…”

It had only been a month since Julius fled the capital.

He was anxious about the fate of Vernon, who had stayed behind to buy time by inciting the people to fight, while Julius and the others escaped.

“I’ll negotiate to see if we can get food and water from the village ahead.”

“Yes, let’s do that. …I wonder if Paril and Dustin are safe.”

Julius murmured the names of the friends he had spent time with during his academy days. 

They were trying to escape the kingdom with a separate unit and were not here.

Along with the faces of his friends, he also remembered the girl he loved dearly.

He didn’t know whether the Demon King’s army was gathering people in the capital on Elsia’s orders or the Demon King’s.

A vague sense of unease plagued Julius.

He pushed down his anxiety and decided to stop by the village.

“Uh, and one more thing…”

“What is it?”

“Well, this is surprising, but the villagers ahead… they weren’t human.”

“?”

Julius tilted his head at the knight’s report.

“Not human, you say?”

“Um, well, Your Majesty, do you know the fairy tales passed down in the kingdom?”

“Oh, yes. The story of the Saintess and the Hero, right?”

“Yes. It seems the villagers are descendants of the fairies from that story…”

““?””

The knight, clearly unsettled, struggled to explain, leaving those around him puzzled.

However, Julius was able to understand what the knight was trying to say.

“Could it be that there are elves?”

Elves.

These are beings who are now only talked about in fairy tales, possessing lifespans and magical power that surpass those of demons, and who deeply love peace.

It seemed that the village ahead was inhabited by elves.

―――――――――――――――――――――

Afterword: Just a little side story

Author: “I can see it! The Demon King humping after elves!!”

D: “N-No, I’m not!”

If you thought, “Does the Demon King have no other job?” “Is the next target elves?” or “Definitely going to do that,” please leave a comment, bookmark, rate, or review!