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

Chapter 25

The entire Demon Realm was focused on the next throne successor. Some nobles had already chosen their preferred candidate in their hearts. Most notably, Serphin del Istria. The daughter of the Grand Duke and the most promising talent that Durin had his eyes on. The Regent, who had been on the verge of accusing her of treason, suddenly softened his stance and began looking after the young Demon.

Many found this puzzling, but no one dared to voice their curiosity. The strong Demon had set the direction for the castle, and they could only follow. By his side were the Chief Shaman Rudmila and the Chief Justice Mateus, leaving no room for doubt.

However, there is always someone who stands firm.

Bang- Bang- Bang-

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the corridor. The oppressive aura caused the nobles, who had just finished their meeting, to shrink back and hurriedly step aside. The massive armor struck the marble floor repeatedly, spreading an ominous energy toward the Great Hall.

"Quickly, move aside. It seems something serious is about to happen."

"Indeed. If that monster is this angry, we won't come out unscathed either."

Even the High Demons shuddered and fled.

At the other end of the corridor, striding purposefully down the straight path to the Great Hall, was the Royal Guard Commander. Since the king's disappearance, their duties of pursuing the Hero and conducting the war had been taken over by Durin, leaving them with nothing to do.

"Still, I endured, thinking it was my duty to protect."

As the castle's most senior Dullahan and the strongest among the Undead Warriors, they held a sense of pride. It was the only driving force that allowed them to overcome the guilt of failing their duties.

"But this is unacceptable, Your Excellency. How could the Demon Realm we envisioned come to this? A place without a desire for strength?"

They stood boldly before Durin. The tension in the air grew palpable. Even Verdia, who was on guard, unconsciously tightened her grip on her sword.

"Have you already become a politician? Like those wretched old men in the Senate over there."

"You are being disrespectful. You cannot act this way in front of the Regent."

"No! I have not come to be disrespectful but to correct what is wrong. This is both my remonstrance and my loyal advice!"

Even Spranches was powerless against the overwhelming presence of the Chief Dullahan. Those who had been shielding the Regent all stepped back. In the suffocating atmosphere, Durin faced the Royal Guard Commander head-on.

"Your Excellency, please regain your former memories. What is happening now? Elector selection? That is something for the Heavens or humans to do, not us!"

"......."

"The law? Sure, if it's written in the law, it must be legal. But in these extraordinary times, this cannot be allowed! Since when did our Demon Tribe follow power based on authority and justification rather than strength? The Demon King is someone who asserts themselves through their own power, not the strength of their subordinates!"

The headless Dullahan's cry echoed through the hall. Though his eyes could not be seen, it was clear he was glaring at someone. Sensing this, Serphin quietly hid behind Durin.

This action only fueled the Royal Guard Commander's anger.

"Ha! I cannot accept this. No! I will not accept it. Even if Your Excellency establishes a new king, neither I nor the Royal Guard will comply. Never! We will not follow."

"Royal Guard Commander."

"Yes. Speak, Your Excellency. Even if you execute me here, I will never retract my words."

"No, I understand your thoughts. It must be frustrating and incomprehensible."

"And yet, you act this way knowing that?"

"I will give you an answer. Follow me."

Durin responded briefly. As if there was no need for further words, he immediately began walking. The group, who had been hesitating awkwardly, hurried to follow him.

"......."

The Royal Guard Commander could not move immediately. Instead, they clenched their fists even tighter.

"If I do not like the answer, I will draw my sword."

That was the conviction of someone who served the Demon King.

The Demon Realm of the Law of the Strongest. A tradition that had been crumbling for a long time.

What was the reason he had been welcomed?

"Please, recall those memories."

He fervently wished in his heart for the Regent, who had been revered during the Southern Conquest, to reappear.

#

The place Durin headed to was the Observatory. A space where Shamans could see the future. The night sky, which revealed the castle's fate, covered the ceiling. There were no twinkling stars there. It was desolate. The thick fog obscured the world, making it impossible to see even an inch ahead.

"Your Excellency, what brings you here...."

The Shamans guarding the place were startled and bowed deeply. Durin looked down at them and spoke.

"We will discuss the castle's future. Leave us for a moment."

"As you command."

At his command, the Shamans quickly left the Observatory. Watching the two retreating figures, the rest of the group turned their eyes to Durin. The Regent immediately gave them an answer.

"Only the castle's leadership and the Royal Guard Commander shall remain. The rest of you, guard this entrance."

"What? We're included? Well, that's a pleasant surprise."

While Rudmila chuckled, lower-ranking Demons gathered in small groups and followed the Shamans out. They seemed reluctant, their steps heavy, likely still dwelling on the words left by the Royal Guard Commander. But insignificant beings had no choice.

Clunk!

The heavy stone door closed, leaving Durin and the castle's leadership under the night sky.

Now that the atmosphere was suitable for conversation, the Regent took a step forward.

"The Royal Guard Commander spoke correctly. The Law of the Strongest."

"Indeed, Your Excellency. The Demon Realm is such a land and the home of warriors."

"But for a very long time, we have forgotten. The Demon Army led by the strong."

"Do you not remember the Heavenly War a hundred years ago? Under an incompetent woman, we spilled countless blood to protect our land. We clung to our positions, driven only by the instinct to survive."

"It was painful. It was difficult. All we could do was fight a desperate battle against the Angels."

Memories flashed through their minds like a lantern. The wounds left by the Broken Sword they wielded against the Holy Power that engulfed them throbbed anew.

"And yet, why are you proceeding with this? Have you truly changed after tasting power? Where is the Regent who once told us to fulfill our duty for the castle?"

"I have not forgotten. The Demon Realm has always been a land for the strong."

"Your Excellency! Please answer us!"

The Dullahan's power surged. He could no longer contain his anger. Sensing potential danger, Rudmila prepared to act, but Mateus pressed her wrist, shaking his head slightly to signal her to stand down.

It was then that Durin began to speak in a low voice.

"I will also speak of memories from long ago. Do you remember five hundred years ago?"

"Five hundred years ago? Wasn't that the era when a powerful Demon King ruled?"

"Yes. I live by drawing strength from those memories. As a lowly Gladiator, I relentlessly defeated the strong and eventually rose to serve as a warrior of the castle."

"A warrior of the castle... the Black Army...."

"Yes. A once-mighty Legion that symbolized the Demon King's Castle. Unlike the Royal Guard or the Golden Guardians, it was composed solely of Demons for the Demon King."

As if reminiscing, Durin tilted his head toward the night sky.

"It was the last time the Demon King's power was truly formidable. Was there ever a time when Warlords dared to act recklessly?"

"It was unthinkable. When the Black Army and the Royal Guard acted, an entire continent was reduced to ashes, so they naturally kept their heads down."

"Yes. Such a time existed. An era of power where the King's Power pierced the heavens, and the Warlords bowed their heads willingly."

"The Demon Realm I envision is precisely such a land. Your Excellency, please, even now, regain your wisdom and restore the glory of the previous era."

The Dullahan knelt. It was not out of anger but desperation. For the last time, he was pleading.

"The previous era... No, it is glory that cannot return."

However, the sense of resignation in Durin's voice was strong. Was it surrender?

The Dullahan was afraid. What on earth had shaken his resolve so deeply? Or had he always been such a Demon?

Was it greed for power that had made him this way?

At that moment, as he thought so.

"That is why I intend to move forward."

The Regent's voice carried determination. It was not the same as before.

No, the Dullahan had thought the previous emotion was resignation. It was not.

"Time always brings rise and fall. When that Demon King perished in the war against Heaven, what became of us?"

"...We were powerless."

Memories the Dullahan wished to forget crept back to the surface.

"The strong met glorious deaths, but there was no successor to follow. Without displaying Dominion Power, even High Demons couldn't properly control a single low-ranking Demon."

"It was because all those who showed promise for the throne were killed for the sake of royal authority. The Demon King's Castle, which lived off her power, made a choice to preserve the throne that brought great disaster."

"Yet, didn't we welcome it at the time? The delusion brought by long lifespans. Enchanted by the eternity where the Demon Realm's golden age would last a thousand years and beyond, we buried all the bloodlines of the Red Horn."

"Only the Green Horns who survived by luck and Demons from other continents barely managed to flee to their homelands. Losing everything."

"But when it became our turn to lose, the situation reversed. Under her overwhelming power, the Warlords, who had been suppressed, rose countless times to reclaim their authority, and rebellions never ceased. While our Royal Guard held them back, the Black Army had to fend off Heaven's relentless offensives, exploiting the civil war."

It was a situation similar to now. When no one could be immediately chosen to ascend the empty throne, massive chaos engulfed the entire continent. Demons fought to survive.

"It was a war that lasted 87 years. Battles fought endlessly, not for glory but for survival. At the end of it, what did we gain? Hope?"

"It was death. The Black Army, which fought against the Angels, met its end, and the Royal Guard and Golden Guardians had to endure the wear and tear brought by the fierce rebellions."

"The result is the present era. Glory sustained by relying on the power of one person does not last long. Those who barely survived are forced to shoulder duties for future generations. I do not see this as right."

Durin turned around. Looking down at the kneeling Dullahan, he spoke.

"I resolved to move forward. To make this Demon Realm not a land that endures centered around a king, but a world that a Legion can protect."

"Your Excellency, please speak further. What is it that you are looking toward?"

"Even if the king dies, even if Angels invade, even if a Hero burns our castle to the ground, no matter what happens, a strong military force that can overcome it. A Legion united, not relying on the power of one person, but overcoming the trials bestowed by the gods together. That is the power I desire."

Clink—

The Regent took a step closer.

"The Demon King will merely remain as one pillar of power that constitutes the Demon Realm. A being who can draw out our strength to stand against the Angels. A Great Demon who will become the focal point."

"Serphin. Are you planning to make her into such a being?"

"Dominion Magic Energy has been discovered. For now, she is the only one. While there is a possibility that other talents may be discovered through this Demon King Selection, it will not be easy. The talented bloodlines were all eradicated back then. Only now are we nurturing the embers."

"The justification will be created through the Elector's selection, and dissatisfaction will be suppressed with force, won't it? But will it be our Royal Guard that subdues them? Or the Southern Warriors you are raising, Your Excellency?"

"All will be mobilized. The time until the Angels' arrival is not far off, Royal Guard Commander."

A Red Sword that appeared from the void was grasped in his hand.

"The owner of the throne must be determined by then without fail. At the very least, we must match the Archangel's level to boost our allies' morale."

"Your Excellency."

"So endure until the king grows and the army is properly established. You will stand with me to weather the coming storm. Until the world I envision as Regent is complete."

"......"

"This Demon King Selection is the beginning. I will appoint you as the Central Elector. Find those who align with the sky we envision and bring them to me. Those who do not will all be marked for purging and eliminated."

The Regent bestowed the sword. The Dullahan cautiously accepted it with his hands.

"Accomplish it. This is an order."

"May someone like me dare to gaze upon the heavens?"

"There are few Demons in this world with loyalty like yours, Royal Guard Commander."

The Regent spoke with conviction.

Even so, strength did not enter the gauntlet gripping the hilt.

It felt like reaching out toward an ungraspable mist. He asked Durin once more.

"I do not know if someone like me, who has lived through the old era, can accomplish this. The headless ones are those who live on, carrying the nostalgia of the Demon King."

"Even so, a new era will come."

The answer was simple. And Durin smiled. It was the first emotion he had shown.

Relief. He had laid everything bare.

"We will be the end of the era where the strong dominate the world."