I Was Abandoned by the Demon King I Served for 10 Years

Chapter 1

It is an old memory.

"Don't you want to become the king?"

One night under a rising crimson moon, she asked Durin.

"I think you could definitely give it a shot."

Of the days in the Demon Realm, which were endlessly repeated with bloodshed and carnage, nighttime was the most tranquil. When bored, Durin's master would casually toss out questions like this, her crimson eyes gleaming.

"If it's your challenge, I would happily accept it. What do you think? Should we have a go?"

"My apologies. I am most comfortable with my current position."

"You’re saying the same thing again? How boring."

She grumbled, leaning her body against the window frame. The hem of her white nightgown fluttered gently in the thin breeze.

"As the Defense Commander of the Demon King's Castle, you should show a bit more aggression. Staying like this will make others look down on you."

"That won't happen, as I’ve already killed them all."

"Oh, right. You did smash someone's skull just yesterday, didn’t you?"

Hehehe. A frivolous laugh escaped her lips. Durin's master smiled as if reminiscing about that very scene.

"Sometimes, I wish I could face a challenge like that too. This castle is so dull and tedious. I want to go on an outing to the Human Realm."

"If you fulfill your duties, such an opportunity may eventually come."

"Duty, duty, duty. If that’s all there is, I should’ve left instead of becoming the king."

She said this while looking at Durin. Beneath her dark crimson hair, her glowing yellow eyes sparkled as if she had found a new source of amusement.

"If that day comes, who would protect this castle? What do you think?"

"I will make sure such a day never comes to pass."

"Who knows? You can never predict how things will turn out. I could leave right now if I wanted to."

The Demon King interrupted Durin’s words with a resolute voice. She strode forward with firm steps, stopping in front of him.

"So when the day comes that I leave, you will be the one to protect the castle. There’s no one else more fitting around me than you."

"......"

"The Regent of the Demon King's Castle. Isn’t that impressive?"

"It is a title I cannot accept."

"Oh, stop saying such things. When the king speaks, you obey."

The Demon King raised her index finger as if to signal she wouldn't tolerate any further objections. For Durin, who had accepted his loyalty to the Demon King and his mission as a guardian, there was no other choice. He quietly knelt.

"It is an honor, Your Majesty."

"Good! That’s how you properly accept a title I bestow upon you. Understand?"

A soft smile spread across the face of the Demon King. Against the backdrop of the crimson moonlight, she extended her hand to Durin.

"So please take care of this castle, now and always, with unwavering dedication."

A pale hand, uncharacteristic of the Demon Tribe, reached out to him. The dense magic energy it carried only made the Demon King's smile more radiant.

"In my absence, you are the number one in the Demon Realm."

And yet, who would have thought she would actually leave?

"......."

Each time a major incident erupted, a headache would inevitably strike, hammering his skull.

It had been ten years since Durin began serving the Demon King, who was born in the year marking the thousandth anniversary of the unification of the Demon Realm.

Having handled countless incidents and accidents, he had been confident that nothing worse could occur. That was one of the aspects Durin, the Defense Commander overseeing the dungeon’s defense, took the most pride in.

While Demons like the Demon King were inherently capricious and self-serving, they never crossed the line. Even as the ultimate predator under the rule of "survival of the fittest," the Demon King still had duties to uphold as a ruler. Previous Demon Kings understood this to some extent, causing trouble only within manageable limits.

As long as there was a manual, it was difficult but possible to assist them.

But this time, no matter how much he thought about it, it was not acceptable.

"Durin. I told you before, didn’t I? I don’t want to live buried in that stifling palace and suffocating meetings. The duties of a king don’t seem to suit me. I plan to go out into the wider world and live freely, proving myself. By the way, there was a party that invaded our continent recently. I think I’ll leave with that guy. If I live with him, I might have a better life. Besides, he’s surprisingly handsome... more than enough to make him my boyfriend...."

There was no need to read further. To sum up the core of the message:

"So the Demon King fell for the Hero who showed up in front of the palace a week ago?"

".....That is correct."

"Instead of bringing the Hero here, the king left with him. And not just anywhere in the Demon Realm, but to the Human Realm where they live…?"

"You’ve understood it precisely."

"Then what exactly was the Royal Guard doing while the king abandoned all her duties and fled?"

"I have no excuse."

The Royal Guard Commander lowered his head repeatedly in apology. But since he was a Dullahan, all it did was make his hollow head bob up and down like an empty tin can.

No matter how much Durin berated him, nothing would change.

Staring at the now-vacant bedchamber of the Demon King, Durin steadied his resolve. He tucked the letter she had left into his chest pocket and surveyed his surroundings. It was times like these when he needed to calm his racing thoughts and devise a plan. He was determined to fulfill his obligation as the second-in-command to ensure the castle’s safety in her absence.

"Prepare to locate the king immediately. Have there been any reports from the border regions about the Hero slipping through?"

"Not yet. However, the castle’s shamans are tracking the holy energy. While its exact location hasn’t been pinpointed, they are certain it’s still within the Demon Realm."

"In that case, we must find them before they meet the king and leave. Deploy all available forces to track the Hero’s party and locate the king. If they’re spotted before meeting, bring them in using the Royal Guard. Should the Hero resist strongly, I will personally head out. Understood?"

"As you command. Royal Guard!"

The Dullahan dashed out of the chamber as soon as the orders were given. His resounding voice snapped the dazed soldiers back to their senses.

The clanking of armor filled the air as the castle erupted into a flurry of activity. Everyone inside was busy preparing to search for the king.

"....."

Somehow, he had to quell the chaos and hold on until the king returned. If the ripples of this incident spread beyond the castle…

-Bang!

The massive marble doors closed, leaving Durin alone in the bedchamber. Slowly, he walked to the window.

Outside, the scenery remained blissfully unaware of the turmoil within. The interior of the Demon King's Castle, home to only the strongest chosen beings, was serene. These were individuals who had clawed their way out of labyrinths scattered across the world to earn their place under the Demon King’s rule.

There had been a time when they sharpened their blades, ready to fight the Hero on the Demon King’s behalf. When the Hero approached the palace gates, the numbers swelled so much that they had to be controlled.

What would happen if they learned their ruler had run off with the Hero? The mere thought of this unthinkable scenario creeping closer to reality was enough to make him uneasy.

If the king wasn’t found, they would riot. They would declare that they could no longer serve such a master and leave.

If the main force left or lacked motivation to remain loyal, the authority of the Demon King’s Castle would naturally crumble.

The Demon Realm was governed by the law of strength. Other warlords lying dormant in the provinces would seize the opportunity to raise their banners once more.

"A civil war must be prevented at all costs."

The end of a thousand years of unity was now within sight. The grand plan, meticulously crafted over countless years to battle the angels, had begun to sink into chaos.

Faced with the painting of such a dire scenario, Durin felt the need to act personally.

Even if the castle itself were to tremble, was there any force willing to move for my sake...?

As his thoughts churned, his headache subsided. The desperate struggle for survival quelled all his negative feelings toward the Demon King. At that very moment, as Durin pondered who besides the Royal Guard he could discuss this matter with inside the castle—

"Commander!"

The closed door suddenly swung open again.

"You must go to the King's Hall immediately! Right now!"

It was Harpy, a messenger of the Demon King's Castle, who appeared. She flapped her wings frantically while making a fuss.

"What is it?"

"Th-that is..."

She had rushed in such haste that her words were swallowed by her labored breaths. The rising urgency overlaid the creeping sense of unease, igniting irritation within him. However, Durin could not untangle his jumbled emotions in that moment.

"Commander!"

"It’s an emergency!"

The interruption of more messengers bursting in one after another, gasping for breath, left Durin's mind in a haze as they poured out their words without pause.

"The Eastern Ruler is inquiring about the strange absence of magic energy in the central region. What should we do?"

"The Northern movements are already unsettling. Reports say the surrounding tribes are rallying around the Orc Great Chieftain."

"Although the West is still quiet, they’ve already mobilized their forces upon hearing that the Hero has entered the Demon Realm. It wouldn’t be surprising if they redirected their armies here at any moment."

"Your regency, where is the King? The Southern Ruler has abruptly cut off all communication. Even the messenger sent an hour ago has not returned."

The Demon King served as the heart of the Demon Realm. The magic energy possessed by the King could be felt from anywhere in this world. It was one of the key means of affirming the ruler's presence.

Conversely, if the Demon King was absent from the Demon Realm, the magic energy would instantly vanish from the world. It would mean the King's presence could no longer be sensed.

Those who were powerful were more sensitive to these changes than anyone else. High-ranking Demons, instinctively drawn to the intense impulses emanating from the empty throne, began to stir.

They all moved in unison.

And it signified only one thing.

She had indeed followed the Hero.

The woman who abandoned the world had left in pursuit of love. All the emotions he had felt before now sank into him with an entirely different weight.

From now on, it was time to devise a plan for survival.

The Demon King no longer existed. All that remained were new contenders eyeing the vacant throne.

It was a day during the thousandth year of the Demon Realm's unification, when the Demon King born under its rule was on the cusp of her coming-of-age ceremony.

The worst turning point had arrived, where thousands of Demon Realm warlords would declare themselves the Demon King.

This was the outcome of a small escapade by a Demon King who had fallen in love.