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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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The major port hub connecting the continent and the Demon Kingdom, Rob, was currently overseen by Cassandra, a member of the Empire’s Three Knights.
She felt a slight sense of relief knowing that the work she had been engaged in for the past few weeks was finally coming to an end.
‘So, I’m really leaving like this… Honestly, at the start, I wondered how I would manage to transport all those people, but it’s finally happening.’
Although she had previously faced disgrace due to a devastating attack from demons that severely impacted supplies, Cassandra managed to maintain her position thanks to her family’s influence and by using evidence related to her deceased subordinate, Glen, who had died in battle.
Glen was supported by Duke Menelaus, a key aide to the Emperor.
Even though Cassandra was aware of his corrupt dealings, she chose to ignore them while steadily gathering evidence.
After Glen’s death, when the attack occurred and questions of accountability arose, Cassandra revealed the gathered evidence and successfully implicated Glen for colluding with demons by planting false evidence that he had been in league with them.
While she had to take some responsibility as the overseer of this area, Cassandra avoided any significant repercussions such as losing her position.
Furthermore, during this process, she and her family were able to attack Duke Menelaus’s faction, allowing her to conclude the situation with an overall gain.
Of course, her miscalculations ultimately led to disastrous consequences for the Allied Races, but Cassandra did not concern herself with that.
Since she had escaped political damage, she was indifferent to the hollow justification for starting a war against the Demon Kingdom.
What mattered now was simply finishing up the cleanup as the leader of this town amidst its decline.
“How’s the eastern district coming along?”
“It’s all cleaned up, General.”
“The troops from Emmao have also boarded. We just need to embark ourselves now.”
“Great job, everyone. We will set sail as soon as we board.”
“Yes, General.”
“Understood.”
After completing the final checks and boarding the ship with her subordinates,
at that moment,
the port town of Rob, which had served as a forward base for the Allied Races for several years, was burning entirely behind them.
This was a place where countless supplies and soldiers had landed for quite some time.
However,
after six months of consecutive defeats and escalating conflicts between the Falcon Empire and the Elf Federation—who had united under the motto of “Let’s eliminate the evil forces of demons”—the alliance was effectively disbanded.
As a result, Rob had become a place without significant meaning for them; it was best to destroy it and leave.
Now it was engulfed in flames and turning into ashes.
Having completed the retreat mission of the imperial army before this destruction, Cassandra felt a mix of slight emptiness and complex emotions about what lay ahead.
‘With this, the alliance’s motto of driving out evil forces has failed… But real war is just beginning.’
With their homeland devastated by war, the Demon Kingdom was weakened.
From now on, she and the Falcon Empire would have to focus on their main enemy: the Elf Church.
For now, the Falcon Empire and the Elf Federation had temporarily cooperated to ensure an orderly retreat. But everyone knew that once this short-lived alliance ended, the situation would quickly change.
However,
everyone knew what would happen once this temporary cooperation ended.
Due to disputes related to the Hero’s actions, both factions had crossed an irreparable line.
At the same time, the Emperor was firmly expressing his intention to decisively deal with the Elf Church while imperial power was at its peak.
‘Of course, since there’s been some tension in the atmosphere, we will have to be cautious for a while. But surely war will break out soon. Now that the flimsy ties of alliance have been severed, there’s nothing stopping the Emperor…’
As she contemplated this ongoing war while standing on deck looking at Rob’s final moments burning away,
Cassandra couldn’t shake off a certain phrase she had heard from an encounter with the Demon King.
‘Not an enemy…’
The words of the Demon King felt like a devil’s temptation that could only be understood by piercing through Cassandra and her family’s essence.
Automatically, a slight smile began to form on Cassandra’s lips regarding this matter.
It might not be useful right now,
but depending on how things unfold, she thought that this devilish influence could become her trump card for turning situations around.
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The capital of the Demon Kingdom, Jerusalem, was filled with countless demons cheering in the streets.
“Hooray! Hooray!”
“Long live the Demon King! Long live the Demon Kingdom!”
“Eternal glory to the Demon Kingdom!”
After years of war, including a truce period, the conflict with the Allied Races finally ended in victory for the Demon Kingdom. At this moment, the demons were shouting with genuine joy.
“Wow… I never thought I’d see a day like this in my lifetime.”
“To think we’ve driven out all those filthy humans and elves, truly our Demon King!”
“Does this mean we can finally return to our homeland? It’s been over ten years since I left Emmao…”
“Exactly! With this war, they have fled completely, so there’s nothing to worry about now.”
“Even if they attack again, what’s there to fear? We have our great Demon King who wiped out all those filthy humans and elves!”
The demons rejoiced at the prospect of returning to their long-lost homeland, praising their Demon King.
Of course, their homelands had been trampled underfoot by the alliance for at least one or two years and possibly decades, making it hard to find traces of their former glory.
However, that very fact could serve as motivation for them to start anew.
At this moment, the hearts of the demons burned with joy from their victory and a strong desire to rebuild their homeland.
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While the citizens celebrated their victory, and soldiers shared in their joy,
the great ruler who led them to triumph—the Demon King—was engulfed in deep thought, her face filled with concern.
“Hmmm…”
Dressed in casual clothes and sitting on her bed with a serious expression, the Demon King caught the attention of Belzebuth, who stood nearby with a hint of worry.
“Your Majesty, is something troubling you?”
Seeing her lord radiating such a serious atmosphere made Belzebuth wonder if she was concerned about post-war matters or issues related to the alliance.
She started to feel anxious about what might be troubling her.
‘If Her Majesty is thinking so seriously… could there be some great danger looming?’
With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Belzebuth steeled herself.
Then, in a calm voice, the Demon King spoke.
“Yes, personally… I have one concern, Belzebuth. It may seem trivial to others… but it’s very important to me.”
“Trivial? Please don’t say that. Whatever concerns you have are precious and significant to me. Please allow me to help in any way I can.”
Belzebuth spoke with utmost respect. The Demon King paused for a moment before looking into Belzebuth’s eyes and said,
“…Well then, don’t laugh and listen carefully. It’s truly something very minor…”
“Yes, please speak, Your Majesty.”
With a voice filled with unwavering loyalty, Belzebuth encouraged her.
Seeing this made the Demon King slightly stiffen her expression as she prepared to share her thoughts with the most wise person she knew—her Chancellor.
And then came the fateful question:
“Belzebuth… can you tell me how I should go about dating?”
“…What?”
It felt incredibly ordinary compared to what one might expect but was also a question that could be considered very significant regarding marriage for the Demon King.
Upon hearing this unexpected question, Belzebuth couldn’t help but wear a blank expression for a moment since she was also still single like the Demon King.
