NOVEL NEXT Chapter 68
The expression on the Demon King seated on the Throne of the Demon King’s Castle was far from splendid. She rested her elbow on the armrest, propping her chin up with her left hand while tapping the armrest incessantly with her right.
As the time of silence dragged on with the Demon King maintaining her displeasure, the mood of the Succubus Queen kneeling before her grew increasingly dreadful. Today, it wasn’t even a private audience with the Demon King. The Demon King viewed the defeat at No Member Fortress as a national crisis and had summoned nearly all of her high-ranking officials to this gathering.
Breaking the long silence, the Demon King tilted her head and asked the Succubus Queen.
“It’s a truly dreadful outcome. Yes, absolutely dreadful, Mother.”
“I-I apologize, Your Majesty. I don’t know how I can atone for this…”
“You foolishly surrounded the castle protecting the Hero while failing to extract any information or even set up a reserve force to intercept the reinforcements. You didn’t even notice the enemy legion lying in ambush right under your nose! I entrusted you with an army of 20,000, and only 5,000 returned? Ha, it’s remarkable you managed to bring any of that force back! Looking at how tattered your proud wings have become is quite the sight!”
The Demon King suddenly rose from her throne and spread her wings. The Succubus Queen’s wings, sprouting from her back, were vastly larger and more powerful than those of her mother. The Succubus Queen backed away, unable to move, trembling while still kneeling. The officials around the Demon King maintained a quiet silence.
With an annoyed expression, the Demon King folded her wings and began to pace around the throne, making clicking sounds with her steps.
“I just don’t understand why you keep disappointing me. Why? Was the support insufficient? Have I neglected you, Mother? Or is it simply that, sitting in a high position just because you gave birth to me, you are mired in self-loathing, plotting to undermine your own status?”
“I-I have no words to offer except for my apologies.”
“You know nothing of what my continued defeats mean! Since last autumn, I have not once received a satisfactory report. Now, even the youngest in the Empire could tell that we have lost our offensive capabilities. Should we not just distribute flyers proclaiming that we have no more power to push forward or organize ourselves?”
The Demon King roared. No one in the audience dared to respond to her words. She was right. The Demon King’s Army had rarely achieved satisfactory outcomes against Walter, but the recent situation was even more dire.
If we cannot defeat Walter, then at the very least, we must win on battlefields where Walter isn’t present. Even if Walter wins once, if the Demon King’s Army wins twice elsewhere, ultimately, no matter how strong the Hero’s entourage, there’d be little they could do.
The Demon King’s Army had the numerical superiority to execute that strategy. But what on earth caused that strategy to not just falter but collapse recently?
As she surveyed the surroundings, the Demon King seemed to realize she had been overheating and, with a swish of her tail, sat back down on her throne. Her voice lowered as she spoke.
“Don’t scold me too much for voicing my grievances, Mother. Compared to the rebellion I had during my adolescence against Father, this is nothing, is it?”
At those words, the Succubus Queen flinched. In fact, until the Demon King ascended the throne, she had not been much of a rebellious daughter. Rather, she was quiet, calm, and difficult to read—almost like the Demon King’s most loyal retainer.
However, about a hundred years ago, she publicly beheaded her father, declaring that she could no longer tolerate the reign of the previous Demon King, and then boldly sat on the bloodied throne.
That was the only significant act of rebellion the Demon King had demonstrated against her father during her youth. The Succubus Queen, who witnessed that absurd coup up close, could not dismiss the Demon King’s words lightly.
“I, too, carry the blood of the Succubus clan, Mother. I’ve heard that succubi have long adolescence.”
The Demon King smiled enigmatically.
“Over a hundred years, indeed.”
“Your Majesty, if you grant me an opportunity for recompense, I… I shall make amends for this. If only you would spare my life—”
“Ah, wait a moment, did I say anything? If you say so, it would make me seem like a heartless wretch who would kill her own mother without a second thought. Besides, why are you so stiff? Why are you trembling? Rise! If you stay kneeling for so long, your knees will get sore. Even your father wouldn’t make you kneel this long when he’s doing… well, you know!”
The Demon King burst out laughing at her own joke. Yet, none of the Demon officials dared to join her laughter, overwhelmed by the manic aura of the Demon King.
The Succubus Queen, recognizing there was nothing to be gained from countering the Demon King’s words, slowly rose from her position and bowed her head before her. Indeed, she had knelt too long; her legs ached and tingled. Just moments ago, she had been frozen in fear about her daughter’s wrath and hadn’t even felt it.
“Fear not. I wouldn’t dream of killing my dear mother! A loyal and devoted advisor like you! You need not stay there any longer; please step aside. I will not issue any formal punishments towards you. After all, there are victories and defeats in battle. At least you’ve survived, and that alone prevents No Member from becoming your Waterloo.”
The Succubus Queen hesitantly stepped aside, merging into the ranks of other officials. The Demon King, now adopting a considerably more serious expression, began to speak to her subordinates all at once.
“However, do note that my fury has not lessened. The situation is clearly turning against us, and the Imperial army will soon be convinced that my army no longer has the strength to press forward. Gargoyle! Step forward and answer my queries.”
A woman made of diamond, her entire body shimmering, stepped forth with clicking sounds to stand before the Demon King.
Gargoyle Queen. If there were to be a true rival to Rose Caprice in the deepest sense, it would indeed be her. The flames of embers or the blades imbued with the power of the castle could not destroy her. She was the last progeny of the gargoyle tribe who perished under the battle hammer and their last sovereign.
And before No Member Fortress could be rebuilt, she was also the one responsible for turning No Member into a castle of embers.
“Yes, Your Majesty. The Gargoyle Queen has arrived.”
“Display your wisdom and answer. How will Walter Hellhound move from here on? When the enemy’s Hero witnesses such disgrace from my own mother, how will he respond?”
Most of the officials present could not hide their surprise at the Demon King’s question. The Gargoyle Queen was indeed powerful, but she was as far from wise as her solid head could be. Until now, the Demon King had never once sought the Gargoyle Queen’s counsel or wisdom. After all, her answer was always the same: “Attack without hesitation.”
“Attack without hesitation! Our Demon King’s Army’s spirit has been dashed, so we will surely charge north! We will gather all our forces for a northern advance!”
“Is that so? Noted. I agree with your assessment.”
The Demon King nodded. The Succubus Queen gasped, unable to help but open her mouth.
“B-but Walter Hellhound is not such a simple man! No matter the morale, I can’t believe he would make such a decision…”
“Then that is precisely the reason why we keep losing, Succubus Queen!”
The Demon King growled. The Succubus Queen appeared to realize she was not in a position to speak freely, her head bowed low as she shrank back.
“That statement is very inappropriate, yet also incredibly accurate. Because it lays bare the fear and defeatism that has taken root amongst us! Those who think they can outsmart us are already trapped in the pit! Half of us are so fearful of the name Walter Hellhound that they might wet themselves right there! The other half probably fled the scene and made it to the bathroom already!”
The Demon King turned to the Gargoyle Queen and spoke. The Gargoyle Queen responded respectfully, bowing her head towards the Demon King.
“However, Your Majesty, I am not afraid of the Hero’s name.”
“And that is precisely why I need you, Gargoyle.”
The Gargoyle Queen’s expression brightened at the Demon King’s words. The Demon King then turned her gaze to all of her officials.
“There will certainly be many who are mired in fear and think this way. The Hero wouldn’t act so simply. He will surely lure us into traps and destroy us with cunning strategies. The Hero will attack in ways we cannot imagine. But proud sovereigns of the Demon race, do you not remember? The Hero is human! Through the wise eyes of wisdom, they view the world, yet they remain human, and the military actions a human can take are exceedingly limited.
If you don’t believe me, let me teach you directly. Their only course of action is now to press north. The Imperial council will not accept anything other than a victory in the northern push, and if a victory is not achieved, the starving nobles in the regions will begin to gnaw at his forces. It seems you are fighting against the Empire while learning nothing about its politics. What a catastrophic scenario!
Even when the enemy has no other choice but to make one selection, you seem to believe that just because they are a Hero or a Hellhound, they will have some magical new options on hand.”
“I will shatter his ambitions and present those golden pupils before you, Your Majesty.”
“That much is unnecessary, Gargoyle. You do not even have the ability to do that.”
The Demon King replied coldly to the Gargoyle Queen’s assertion. The simple Gargoyle Queen, who had been soaring high until just moments ago, suddenly appeared gloomy as if she had plummeted. The Demon King, finding her expression amusing, chuckled and added,
“However, when Hellhound organizes his elite to charge north, I guarantee that you will strike first against him. I believe you are capable of holding the Hero back until my ultimate plan is ready.”
“Leave it to me. That will be no trouble at all!”
“Dragon Lord, step forward.”
The Demon King issued her command immediately. An elderly dragon lord, with hair as white as snow, emerged before the Demon King.
“The Dragon Lord has appeared, Your Majesty.”
“Select a suitable dragon and have the Gargoyle Queen tame it. That dragon will act under her command from now on.”
“But, Your Majesty!”
The Dragon Lord reacted strongly to the implication that his dragon would be controlled. Before the Dragon Lord could mount a proper rebellion, the Demon King glared at him with icy eyes and growled.
“Aren’t dragons a part of the Demon King’s Army? Does the Demon King not have the authority to reorganize her army as she sees fit? If you cannot control a dragon, then why do you acknowledge me as your lord?”
“…I will send a dragon shortly.”
The Dragon Lord bowed his head and retreated.
Even as the second-in-command of the Demon King’s Army, he was no match for the absolute first-in-command. In fact, even to attempt to contend against her from the start would be unwise.
With this, the Demon King clapped her hands in satisfaction as if all matters had concluded and rose from her seat. The officials of the Demon King’s Army, unable to bear the oppressive atmosphere, rushed out of the Demon King’s audience chamber. Facing the Demon King after a massive defeat was something any Demon lord would dread.
As the Succubus Queen hurriedly tried to leave the Demon Castle, she felt someone grab her, causing her to flinch.
The hand belonged to her daughter.
“Where are you rushing off to, Mother?”
“Y-Your Majesty. But I need to oversee the intelligence matters assigned to me…”
“That issue I can handle myself. Come inside the castle.”
The two Succubus tails swayed and collided with each other. Clearly, her daughter’s tail was larger and stronger, while the Queen’s tail shrank down to the floor like her bowed head.
“Entering the castle is…”
“It would be better for you to remain here for the time being, Mother. Do not think of leaving.”
“What… what can I do?”
“Sometimes just giving in to your little daughter’s whims is enough. After all, you’re my close blood relative; would I ever treat you poorly? Come inside. The reason I am doing this isn’t that I don’t need you elsewhere, but rather that I need you here in the Demon Castle right now.”
The Succubus Queen had no choice. Trembling with unease, the Demon King’s mother followed her daughter back into the castle. She thought that fighting the enemy on the battlefield would be more reassuring than being here.