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

Chapter 20

"Those who have been swayed by baseless rumors have appeared."

Spranches whispered. The lizard glanced around nervously before speaking. The thought that leaked truths could lead to unpleasant incidents made him uneasy. Still, since it was an order from Durin, the lizard mustered his courage.

"As expected, the hostages in the reception room were the quickest to react."

"They must be busy relaying information back to their homeland. They’re likely keeping their eyes and ears wide open in the Central, aiming for the next Demon King."

"As you can see in the report, the East is currently the most active. While it’s not unusual for them to gather and discuss among themselves, recently, there have been signs of individual movements as well."

The documents handed over by the secretary contained various phrases. Even at a glance, they were filled with greed and desire. They were eyeing the empty throne, trying to gauge who the next Demon King would be. However, no one had the courage to step forward, leaving the situation stagnant. In this incomplete peace, no one was willing to shoulder the responsibility.

If someone were to ascend the throne and seize power in their stead, they were filled with thoughts of picking up the scraps that fell from the table. Of course, there were a few who dared to step forward.

"Among them, this woman is the most active. Your Excellency, you should pay close attention to her."

Spranches handed over a picture. It was one of the key figures Rudmila had already flagged. The demon drawn on the yellowed parchment had golden eyes. Her green horns indicated her Eastern origin, and the name written below revealed her prestigious lineage.

"Serphin Del Istria."

"This is a direct report from the Golden Guardians who guard the prison."

"Does she display the greed the rumors speak of?"

"She hasn’t revealed it outright, but it seems she’s been scheming slyly beneath the surface."

"If she’s an Eastern demon, that’s to be expected. They’re a breed that never openly plot anything."

Durin set aside the portrait and picked up a new piece of parchment. The content was similar to before—heated debates about who might occupy the empty prison. But what caught his eye was something else.

- Controls others with golden eyes.

"Interesting."

Durin murmured quietly. Hearing this small remark, Spranches tilted his head in curiosity.

"Your Excellency, may I ask what you find peculiar?"

"The way this child handles her subordinates. She’s an intriguing demon."

"With all due respect, Your Excellency, isn’t enchantment magic a basic skill for any High Demon? I must be ignorant of something. Please enlighten me."

"Spranches, this is an area you’re not yet meant to understand."

"My apologies, Your Excellency."

"You’ll come to know in due time. I’ll explain it to you then."

As Spranches mentioned, enchantment was a fundamental skill for demons. There was no better spell for subduing weaker opponents. In this field, Rudmila, as a shaman, had secured a position of power.

However, Durin saw things a little differently.

"Spranches."

"At your command."

"Go immediately and find the maid who has fallen under Serphin’s spell."

"Her identity has already been confirmed, so she should be easy to locate. I’ll inform the Royal Guard."

"No."

The Royal Guard wouldn’t suffice. Stronger forces were needed.

"Mobilize the Golden Guardians. All personnel except those guarding the prison will participate."

"The entire Guardian force, Your Excellency?"

"That’s how important this matter is, Spranches. Move quickly."

"As you command, Your Excellency!"

#

Drip.

Water streamed from the teapot, filling the cup. A deep aroma spread throughout the room.

Serphin closed her eyes and emptied her mind. Recently, the castle had been going through a period of upheaval, and the influx of information was overwhelming.

The hottest topic in the castle these days was still Durin’s military reform.

There was a time when the Southern warriors filling the training ground seemed like amateurs. They often failed to keep step and frequently broke formation, earning secret ridicule from the nobles. Where had the Central’s famed discipline and elite forces gone?

But not anymore. They had been absorbed into the Central. The speed at which they adapted was astonishing.

Their spear tips were aligned, and the eyes beneath their blue horns were razor-sharp. True to the saying that the South was the cradle of warriors, they had been reborn as excellent soldiers.

If it had ended there, it would have been considered remarkable progress, but the Southern soldiers were now stationed throughout the castle, taking on patrol duties. As members of the castle’s Defense Force, they began fulfilling their roles, alleviating the chronic shortage of manpower. This naturally put pressure on the nobles.

Durin had gained more eyes. Aside from the reception room, there were no longer spaces where nobles could freely converse. Except for the occasional legal discussions between judges and Southern soldiers, casual chats in the hallways had diminished.

This meant that the useful information reaching Serphin had decreased. While there was still an abundance of reports, they were all about Durin’s actions and commentary on him. The Regent’s covert maneuvers were being buried.

"Should I add another?"

Serphin fiddled with the cup without lifting it. Even the aroma brushing her nose felt distant.

"The frequency of visits has decreased, and the effects don’t seem as strong as before."

Even now, Southern soldiers patrolled around the reception room with sharp vigilance. Inside, nobles from Ractelrun were forming new factions, calling themselves the pro-Durin faction and pushing out nobles from other continents.

Like the castle’s hallways, the reception room was likely to become a place where free conversation was no longer possible. No, it was inevitable.

"What should I do?"

Realizing that a young demon like herself didn’t have many cards to play, Serphin fell into deep thought.

What broke her contemplation was none other than a shout that shook the entire reception room.

"Serphin Del Istria, come out!"

A method that erased her worries entirely.

Startled, Serphin raised her head. It was rare for the name of the Eastern Grand Duke’s daughter to be called out so casually. Few held a status higher than hers, and she had always lived quietly in the reception room. The situation was bewildering.

However, she didn’t wonder why. The misdeeds she had committed weighed heavily on her chest, filling her with dread.

"I won’t say it twice. Serphin Del Istria, come out and face the Regent!"

The voice was thunderous, enough to make her shoulders flinch. Serphin took a deep breath to steady herself. If she went out trembling, it could spell disaster. At the very least, she needed to maintain her dignity.

Serphin removed her hand from the cup and stood up. After discreetly checking her dress for wrinkles, she stepped out of her room.

Creak!

She emerged.

She had come out.

Murmurs spread.

What she faced was the commotion of the crowd. Those who had stood with her as Eastern nobles and those who had clashed with her as rivals for power were, for this day, united in their whispers. It was understandable given the circumstances.

At the center of the situation stood Regent Durin, directly in front of Serphin. Behind him, the Golden Guardians, clad in golden armor, were lined up. Their presence exuded a force entirely different from the Southern warriors previously mentioned. It was an aura no criminal could withstand.

But Serphin was a High Demon. She managed to maintain her composure and offer a proper greeting despite the overwhelming pressure.

"I greet Your Excellency, protector of the castle. I am Serphin Del Istria, daughter of the East. What brings you here?"

Her posture was flawless. She managed to bow her head to Durin without faltering. Whether his crimson gaze showed satisfaction was unclear, but she hoped it was acceptable.

"I have heard much about you, Istria."

Rumors? Each word Durin uttered sent Serphin's mind racing. She carefully chose her words to perfectly answer his next question.

"Follow me. There is something important I must discuss with you."

"...Pardon?"

The problem was that Durin gave her no time. She was so deeply engrossed in her thoughts that she failed to respond properly. While she hesitated for a moment, the Golden Guardians surrounded her. The world turned entirely golden. Only the unpleasant whispers of the nobles, who were busy generating new rumors, filled the air.

"Let us go."

"Move out!"

Durin's appearance was like a mirage. He swept in like a wave, summoned his target, and left without any unnecessary embellishments. Only the dazed eyes of the demons remained in the reception room.

"What on earth is going on...."

"Was Lady Serphin scheming something else behind our backs?"

Vague suspicions lingered.

#

The castle had two spires.

One was the eastern spire, which Durin had recently designated as a prison, and the other stood symmetrically in the west.

Like twins gazing at each other, these spires served as the castle's punishment chambers, used to interrogate those who had committed crimes.

From the first impression, it resembled a dungeon designed to torture the Hero Party. The blood pooled on the floor indicated that someone had already passed through, instilling fear.

Even Serphin, who had maintained her composure while being led by the Golden Guardians, changed her expression the moment they arrived at the western spire. She froze. Crouching, she continuously scanned her surroundings.

- Why... why am I in a place like this....

The magical veil revealed the interrogation room's scene without any filter. Durin sat at the head seat, staring at the trembling Serphin. Her bowed head and fidgeting fingers betrayed her unease, and a trembling voice escaped her lips. Soon, her fate would be decided by the Chief Justice. Forced to watch the crossroads of life and death slip out of her hands, her mind could only unravel as time passed.

"Your Excellency. I came here because I heard there was something special."

Punishments within the castle were carried out by the Chief Justice. This was necessary to secure a more definitive justification amidst the complex interests of the High Demons.

The Elder Demon Mateus, who was responsible for this, stroked his white beard as he took his place beside Durin.

"Did that young child plot a rebellion?"

"If there had been signs of rebellion, I would have cut her down on the spot."

"As expected, even the great noble of the East is not spared your ruthlessness. Are you not afraid of backlash?"

"Everything is within the plan. If things had gone significantly awry, it would mean the East had already slipped from the castle's grasp and entered an irreversible path of destruction."

"It's fortunate that such a dreadful situation has not occurred."

The Chief Justice replied while brushing his scripture. The wrinkles on his aged hands reflected his concerns about the clouded future.

"Then let me ask once more, Your Excellency. What is it that I must do here?"

"Open the section concerning the qualifications of the Demon King, Chief Justice."

"......."

The words that came from Durin's mouth were shocking. No one dared to speak recklessly. It was a statement only the Regent could make, and anyone of lesser authority who voiced their opinion risked their life.

The Demon King. A figure suddenly brought up by the Regent.

A traitor who abandoned the throne, yet a great warrior essential for battling the angels.

Durin asked Mateus.

"Can a succubus be controlled through enchantment?"

"...That is impossible. The Demon King's Castle is fortified with succubi and dullahans, who are resistant to enchantment, to protect its secrets. Furthermore, even if the castle's defense system were to succumb to enchantment, it is designed to relay false information through a double-layered mechanism. It cannot be breached by ordinary demons."

"Yet that child controlled a succubus. With something that cannot be called mere sorcery."

"That means...."

Beyond the soundproof magical barrier, Durin's crimson eyes, fixed on Serphin, spoke.

"It is Dominion Magic Energy. A demon with the qualifications of the Demon King's bloodline has finally been born."

"Hah...."

"However, whether she consciously realizes and uses it or unconsciously wields it naturally is unknown, so she has been confined for now. If she truly knows how to wield Dominion Magic Energy, it could bring significant changes to this castle. It could even mark the sudden emergence of a claimant to the throne."

A formidable power capable of controlling lower demons. The reason bloodline supremacy could be preserved in the Demon Realm, where strength ruled supreme.

"Chief Justice, determine whether that child can become a demon who accepts Dominion Magic Energy. For now, she is a potential candidate for the throne, so we must ascertain this clearly."

"...If she is unsuitable and possesses traits that could cause problems, like the previous Demon King, what should be done?"

The face of the immature, half-witted king flashed through his mind. He had witnessed the chaos caused by an unqualified ruler and had personally dealt with the resulting issues.

"In that case...."

Durin clenched his fist. Crimson magic energy flared, and a long sword materialized in the air.

If necessary, rebellion could serve as a pretext.

"A decision must be made."