Chapter 477
Chapter 477: Demon Lord Kingdom Executive Meeting
From the perspective of the Demon Lord Kingdom, let’s recap the hierarchy of titles in the Demon Lord Kingdom:
Demon Lord > Grand Duke > Duke > Marquis > Count > Viscount > Baron > Knight > Squire
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In a certain room in the Demon Lord’s palace.
A conference room with an obsidian round table.
“It seems everyone has gathered.”
As the door opened, the Demon Lord, dressed in his usual Bon-Dage attire, entered the room.
The prominent figures from various races, who had been seated as they pleased, all stood up simultaneously and bowed. Casually, the Demon Lord settled into a chair made of bone, obsidian, and fur, designed like a throne, and surveyed the gathered group.
First, to the right of the Demon Lord, loomed a large figure clad in black. He had a flat, tall stature, black skin, and hair; his eyes were completely dark, with only the irises a chilling ice blue. Two horns curved back diagonally from his temples.
――Dark Dragon King, Count Orphen.
Perhaps his relaxed demeanor in the presence of the Demon Lord shows the pride of being the leader of the ancient dragon tribe that once ruled the Demon Lord’s castle.
Next to Orphen sat a man dressed in noble attire. He had a chiseled face with hair as dark as night, and a neatly curled mustache. Other than his poor complexion and slightly pointed ears, he looked like an ordinary man in his thirties, but the sharp canine teeth peeking out from the corner of his mouth were certainly too pointed.
――Vampire Duke, Vlad Cheesuina.
Despite being a ‘Duke’ of vampires, he is a Count, which is a humorous twist. However, in the Demon Lord Kingdom, titles signify strength rather than status. Unfortunately, Vlad could not be deemed strong enough for a Duke’s title. Count suits him just fine.
However, the one in the seat across from the Demon Lord, across the round table, possessing far too little magical power compared to the others in the room, had a coat of yellow and black spotted fur, round ears, and bright yet dignified light yellow eyes. His figure was well-built yet retained a certain flexibility, and his claws gleamed sharply.
――Beastman King, ‘Sword Saint’ Galgar Repaldo.
In reality, he was a weakling in terms of magical power, even inferior to a young demon just sprouting its horns, yet he possessed a baron title simply because he was genuinely strong. Galgar, a leopard beastman who had just won the Beastman King’s title last year, was now only 40 years old. Beastmen have short lifespans, and the peak of a ‘Sword Saint’ is also brief, so it is customary for the Beastman King to be replaced in just a few years, but he might still reign for about another ten years.
By the way, while he excelled in martial arts, his political skills were nearly nonexistent. His voice held little weight in the executive meetings, making his presence merely akin to a face representing the Beastmen. He attempted to maintain a serious expression, but he seemed uncomfortable surrounded by magical powerhouses.
Yes, magical powerhouses. Next to Galgar sat another magical powerhouse. A woman dressed in gaudy pink attire with a plain robe over it. Despite the others lifting their heads, she continued to bow until the very end, showing respect to the Demon Lord before smoothly adjusting herself in her chair and smiling cheerfully. There was a doll-like propriety about her, yet in stark contrast, she emanated a grotesque, murky dark magical power.
――Undead King, Count Enma.
She was fashionable, well-mannered, and wore a perfectly calculated friendly smile, yet there was something suspicious in her appearance that might reflect her limited charisma. The Vampire Duke, who had disdain for the undead and referred to them as “rotten flesh,” turned his eyes away to avoid seeing her, while the Beastman King subtly scooted his chair closer to Vlad, seeming to also keep his distance from the figure sitting next to Enma.
Next to Enma, directly across from the Vampire Duke at the round table, another man dressed in black lounged elegantly in his chair. Unlike Orphen, whose black attire suited him, this man had a skin so pale it was almost sickly, his hair a blend of gold and silver evoking the moon, and his weary, elongated red eyes were striking. His ears were pointed, and he wore a delicate, graceful crown atop his head.
――Night Elf King, Omenissa El Deltraison.
In terms of nobility, he was second to none among those gathered in the room. Cloaked in finely tailored black silk robes, he wore a nearly expressionless smile characteristic of Night Elves. However, those red eyes remained fixed on the Dark Dragon King, Orphen, unblinking. Orphen appeared puzzled, seemingly unaware.
And finally, to the left of the Demon Lord, across the table, sat another owner of considerable magical power, commanding a presence like a lump of iron. Clad head-to-toe in battered armor, his face was obscured by a plate that resembled a mask, concealing any expression. Two sharp horns reminiscent of spearheads jutted from his forehead, his feet resembled hooves like a horse’s, and a wheel-like ring hovered above his head. Behind him, like a halo, swords, shields, spears, war hammers, axes, and arrows floated silently in a circular pattern, slowly rotating.
――Demon Legion Commander, Grand Duke Izvorii, of the ‘Invasion Demon.’
He was considered the strongest among the demon troops in the Demon Lord Kingdom. Bearing significant military responsibility in the ever-expanding Demon Lord Kingdom, he continued to grow in power, eventually attaining the rank of Grand Duke. …Though being a demon, he has no right to inherit the throne.
However, he never thought about becoming a Demon Lord himself. To be blunt, Izvorii was the familiar and right-hand man of the first Demon Lord, Raougius. Having witnessed just how troublesome the role of a Demon Lord could be, Izvorii was content with his current state, both a general and a soldier.
With the first Demon Lord now gone, he renegotiated his contract with the current tribe leader of the Orgi to secure the magical power needed to exist in the current world (though technically, he continuously generates power through the ability of ‘Invasion,’ having a supply of magical power is never a bad thing). He reportedly transfers part of his income as commander to the Orgi tribe leader, who, to be fair, is struggling with the continuous drain of magical power from a Grand Duke-level demon…
By the way, despite being the right hand of the first Demon Lord, it was an arm meant for striking, lacking any internal administrative skills. Typically, Izvorii’s cleverness only manifested in military strategy and destruction, leaving nurturing, development, or protection as his great weaknesses.
Even with his boast of a long career, The Demon of Thirst, Stegnos, who entered the conference room a little later, assumed the role of the Demon Lord’s butler for that reason.
Demon Legion Commander, Dark Dragon King, Night Elf King, Vampire Duke, Undead King, Beastman King.
And, representing the demon race, the Demon Lord.
This was the core of the Demon Lord Kingdom and the members of the executive meeting where various races convened.
However, among the various races, goblins, hobgoblins, and ogres could not even attend. They were simply too weak. In fact, the Beastman King is an exception, who, despite his deplorable magical power, is allowed to be present. This simply indicates the level of respect held for the ‘Sword Saint’.
“Well then.”
The Demon Lord clasped his hands on the table, signaling the start of discussions.
“Without further ado, let’s get to the main topic. I trust you all know that the information regarding Zilbagias’s exile has leaked, intensifying the hunt for dark beings in the allied territories.”
――Enma’s expression remained unchanged, but her magical power swirled restlessly.
“And as a result, a Night Elf operative has been caught up in the chaos and is now in a dire situation.”
――Everyone in the room turned their attention to the Night Elf King.
“Upon the Night Elf King’s request, I am considering support for the retreat of our operatives. Specifically, I wish to gather operatives beyond the north and south borders and retrieve them by air.”
Upon hearing these words, Dark Dragon King Orphen stirred slightly.
――So that’s why the Night Elf King has been giving him strange looks.
“Orphen, can the dragon tribe move?”
The Demon Lord quietly inquired.
“…With all due respect, Your Majesty.”
Orphen, deliberately showing his teeth, revealing those jagged fangs, chuckled.
“—You can’t be suggesting we transport those Night Elves, can you?”
He turned his gaze to the Night Elf King, revealing no intention of concealing his disdain for the ‘ground bug.’
“…………”
The Night Elf King, Omenissa, narrowed his eyes.
A spark flew between the two.
――――――――――――
Note: The executive meeting around the round table is generally seated like this:
Demon Lord
Dark Dragon King Demon Legion Commander
Vampire Duke Night Elf King
Beastman King
Undead King
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