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The Succubus Queen rushed out in surprise upon seeing the Demon King stumbling into the castle while clutching his own rib. Violet’s mother, Succubus Queen Elios, genuinely feared the Demon King, yet her loyalty toward him was equally sincere.

Violet Moriarty, who inexplicably declared, “I shall inherit the throne!” and murdered her father to seize the seat, was an unpredictable tyrant. At the same time, she radiated an irresistible charm to those around her, making her a true sovereign of the demonic realm.

The reason the Succubus Queen was so obedient to the Demon King might be due to the powerful pheromones of her daughter that ensnared her even more than her own captivating spells, or perhaps it stemmed from the bond of blood toward a child born from her womb. Alternatively, it might have been a sincere loyalty that grew from fear over time, or she may have been genuinely impressed by the charisma of the victorious Demon King.

“What on earth is going on, Your Majesty! You’re severely injured!”

“Oh, Mother. Indeed, I have no one but you. How goes the situation?”

“Rather than the situation, we should take care of your body. Let’s head inside. First, let’s prepare a meal…”

“It’s just two broken ribs. Let’s proceed to the audience chamber. I need to receive reports from the front line first.”

“But broken ribs can be quite serious…”

“Succubus Queen, did I not say I need to receive reports? Why are you ignoring my command? Has there been such a grave situation that you cannot report to me?”

The Demon King spoke firmly, almost like he was scolding her. The Succubus Queen flinched at the sudden change in the Demon King’s tone but silently moved Violet to the throne in the audience chamber.

While receiving support from the Succubus Queen, the Demon King only held his ribs and let out soft groans, not showing any noticeable signs of serious injury. Regardless of the wounds being magically sealed, considering that a sensitive bone had broken, he displayed incredible mental fortitude.

“Your Majesty, the fact that you’ve injured your ribs cannot mean…”

“Mother, you are correct. It was the work of Rose Caprice. She is a dangerous person. The Audrich family always seems to spit out strange heroes whenever they find themselves in peril, as if they are destined to govern the world… Damn it.”

With a scowl on his face, the Demon King ascended the throne and dropped heavily onto it. Once seated, the Demon King’s expression relaxed, and the Succubus Queen, who had been supporting her, cautiously stepped back to stand at the foot of the stairs.

“Report the situation, Succubus Queen.”

The audience chamber was empty, with no other nobles or high-ranking officials of the Demon King’s army present. But the moment he sat on the throne and started to listen to the report, the Demon King began to treat the Succubus Queen strictly as a ruler with her as a subordinate, dropping the formalities of his address. Elios, accustomed to such treatment, lowered her head and opened her mouth.

“Ever since Your Majesty removed Harker, the Southern Alliance has been taken over by the Jeffrey family. However, she insists on leading the vampire’s remaining forces as the ‘Sub-leader,’ appearing reluctant to engage in any friction with Harker openly.”

“More cautious than I expected. But that won’t last long. The history of the Southern Alliance is exceedingly brief. No one can put forth a legitimate reason for seizing control. Therefore, only three potential powers remain.”

“Harker, Jeffrey, and Koesernis, I assume.”

“Harker is young, Koesernis is reckless, and Jeffrey is naive. Compared to when Abraham Van Helsing was leading, the threat from the Southern Army has diminished greatly. We may not have secured a stronghold, but we had some success in our own territory.”

As the Demon King assessed his own achievements, he reflected on the ‘Second Front,’ which was initiated unilaterally by Dracula with the Demon King’s tacit approval. After Dracula’s demise, the Demon King showed little interest in maintaining the Second Front against the Southern Alliance. Consequently, it seemed the Demon King did not regret that Dracula’s death led to defeat in the Southern Region.

From the Demon King’s perspective, it likely was seen as a strategic ineffectiveness to maintain that front, but the larger reason was that there was virtually no way to send support from the South.

Between the Demon King’s territory and the Southern territories were Walter’s delegated territory and the Forest of Eramenia blocking the way. Since it was impossible to break through via land forces, except for crossing Walter’s delegated territory, all routes to send support southward were restricted to traversing the no-man’s-land mountains.

With the losses at the Harriet Baron’s battle leaving the Demon King’s army with 300 ships and the depletion of elite cavalry from Dracula’s maneuvers, there was almost no way to send additional forces to the front against the South. In the end, the Second Front was likely to conclude with Jeffrey’s debut as an acting ruler, combined with mopping up Dracula’s remaining forces.

“There is no need for me to take further action regarding the Southern situation. Trying to rescue foolish vampires holds no meaning. Those with the talent to escape will certainly survive, and those who lack that talent will perish there. What matters is the Hero’s movements. I saw first-hand, but for now, there seems to be no activity.”

“After Your Majesty left, there have been several defeats. This includes the loss of Etrias…”

“Ah, that matter is of little consequence. Dragons are tricky beings to deal with anyway, and whether they unintentionally perished or not matters not. Besides, we were in a position where we would eventually be pushed back. The Hero’s spearheading of the northern expedition was too overwhelming. We had no choice but to slowly draw it into our territory.”

“It seems Your Majesty is well aware of our situation.”

“I’m fully aware. What I am curious about is how we will lead the battles from here on out.”

“When Your Majesty infiltrated the South, I commanded in your stead, but now that you have returned, you need to control the Gargoyle Queen yourself, right?”

The Succubus Queen’s daughter made a subtle face for a moment, before glancing up at the Demon King as the Succubus cautiously asked in a gentle voice.

“Perhaps… are you still telling me to take command?”

“Yes. For the time being, you must ensure the Gargoyle Queen does not get too excited. After I take care of my injuries, I plan to head east right away. The Hero is urgent, but more pressing is to thoroughly trample down Eramenia so that she cannot awaken.”

“Elves are a strong race. Among those who tread upon the land, they are said to be the closest to the gods.”

“If there is a race closest to demons in this world, that would be Baron Harriet or Elios?”

The Succubus Queen did not answer that question. The Demon King gazed at her intently and spoke in a soft voice.

“Attacking is a perilous gamble. An effective attack may shatter the enemy’s resolve completely, but in the worst-case scenario, it can rally the disunited foes and consolidate their spirits. Our demon clan has always been defeated in such a manner. The chaos we unleashed only gathered the humans, who would have torn themselves apart, together instead. We have never concentrated on ensuring our enemies remain divided; we always sought to gather them into one and crush them all at once. Why?”

“Because that has been said to be the way of the Demon King.”

“But why? Even a mere piece of straw would be hard to break if thousands are gathered together, no? That way of battle ends here. Through this fight, I will stamp down the roots so that Eramenia cannot intrude into my domain. I may not yet have toppled their kingdom, but at the very least, I will…”

A glint of malice sparkled in the Demon King’s eyes. The Succubus Queen realized that the Demon King was recalling her long-standing grudge and slightly shrank back, lowering her head.

“I will behead the Eramenian princess and reclaim the book that that woman stole from me long ago. If I cannot kill Margaret, then I will not have won that fight.”

“You mean the Margaret of Eramenia…?”

“There are not many beings that have inflicted wounds upon me.”

As the Demon King said this, he brushed lightly under his cheek. The spot appeared utterly clean without any trace, but Violet Moriarty’s face twisted in disgust, as if she still vividly felt the pain lingering there.

“And she was the first. If I had not bent the trajectory of the arrow on the spot, my uncle might have still been seated in that very place. Or perhaps the Dragon Lord might have seized the throne and scattered our race with poor ruling abilities.”

“It is a great fortune that Your Majesty survived.”

“Then tell me, Succubus Queen. The dragons are already lying in the gorge, preparing for battle. Even a dullard would know that if dragons rise, the Hero will be forced to respond. What preparations are you and your comrades making to prevent such a hero’s advance?”

“I have instructed the Gargoyle Queen to build a fortress and holed up inside. With a moat in place, the underground tunnels will be ineffective, and I have ordered defenses to be made against all siege weapons, except for Rose Caprice. If the Crown Princess charges in unarmed, then the Gargoyle Queen will just have to deal with it herself.”

“No need for that. Rose Caprice will be unable to engage in battle for a while.”

“What do you mean…?”

“If what you say is true, that is indeed a fine response. Choosing to firmly hold your ground without preparing a counterattack is an excellent move. Victory has returned to us. This time, even the Hero and Great Sage will find no means to intervene. Fight according to the preparations made. And if the Gargoyle Queen starts getting too excited, use my name to control her.”

“I shall obey the command.”

The Demon King, pleased to see the Succubus Queen bowing before him, slowly rose from the throne. As he noticed his mother hurriedly rushing to support him, the Demon King waved his hand.

“No, it’s alright. I can walk to my chamber by myself. Speaking of which, I have one more favor to ask of you. Please convey my words.”

“Command me. I will follow immediately, Your Majesty.”

“Order the dragons resting in the gorge to prepare for an immediate sortie. We cannot afford to delay and give the elves too much time to prepare.”

“I will promptly send my Succubus messengers. Then… is it truly okay for me not to assist you?”

“Such nagging. I would be most grateful if you would just do the favor I asked.”

The Demon King’s voice still seemed cheerful for now, but if he was prodded any further, it was uncertain when he’d lose his temper. Like a mother handling a very powerful teenage daughter, the Succubus Queen carefully stepped back and began preparing to carry out her orders.

After the Succubus Queen disappeared from view, the stumbling Demon King exited the audience chamber and murmured with a look of awe at the foot of the stairs.

“I can feel it. My dream is drawing closer. Once I overcome even the strongest of enemies, there will be no one left in this world to stand in my way.”

The Demon King wobbled toward the stairs to ascend to his chambers. Slowly and calmly, the Demon King’s body trembled with pain or excitement as he climbed the steps.

“When this war ends, I will reign once more as a being the world has never known before.”

 

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