Chapter 1: The Demon King’s Most Powerful Trump Card

Thump. A hand, pale to the point of being bloodless, slammed onto the desk with considerable force.

Beneath it lay nothing other than a blank white sheet of paper.

After a brief pause, the hand, which had momentarily stopped, slowly retreated, leaving only the paper behind.

The man watching the receding hand lowered his gaze, focusing on the paper on the desk. His eyes, initially indifferent, paused on the word ‘Resignation’ written there, widening to the size of saucers.

Before he could even lift his head in alarm, the figure with white hair and red eyes, who had been observing his every move without a tremor, met his shocked gaze and spoke in a voice as stiff as his expression.

“I quit.”

***

If the Empire has its ‘Heroes,’ the Demon King’s army has its ‘Corps Commanders’.

Where the Empire boasts talented generals, the Demon King likewise puts forth his ‘Corps Commanders’.

As such, a Corps Commander is the Demon King’s sword and shield, a symbol of his power.

Officially, there are twelve Corps Commanders in the Demon King’s army, from the 1st to the 12th. But in truth, there’s another corps, an open secret, practically begging for the label ‘hidden’.

The 0th Legion, known to everyone in the Demon King’s castle and even the enemy Imperial army, yet still officially a secret.

The Demon King’s most powerful trump card, led by the one who killed the ‘Last Hero’.

This trump card, the mere possession of which brought immense reassurance, was now saying he wanted to quit.

“No! Absolutely not!!”

I can’t let such talent slip through my fingers! With this determination, the Demon King, Kabeer, clung to the hem of his subordinate’s trousers.

Usually so taciturn and still, his presence here had initially made me wonder what was up. I’d even felt a flicker of welcome.

But this was what he had come to say?

This probably wasn’t his true intention. Like always, just testing the waters. It had to be.

Still clutching the trouser leg, he raised his head. His red eyes met mine, and silence descended.

He probably understood what my eyes were trying to convey.

‘I’m going this far, surely you won’t actually say you’re quitting, right?’

The intent seemed to hit its mark. The usually unwavering gaze flickered almost imperceptibly. It was barely noticeable, but the Demon King, focused intently, caught it.

He’s wavering. Then I can’t stop here.

He released his grip on my leg and sprang to his feet. Instead, this time he grabbed both my shoulders.

“Why? What’s wrong? Are the subordinates mistreating you? Are they discriminating against you because you’re human? Which bastard?! I’ll personally tear them limb from limb…!”

Despite the somewhat aggressive tone, inwardly he was certain they wouldn’t dare.

Despite being human, his martial prowess was undeniably strong.

No, ‘undeniably’ didn’t even cover it. Among the demons, his skill was so overwhelming it stifled any hint of competitive spirit. Forget rivalry, everyone revered and respected him. What fool would dare to provoke him?

Even so, there was a reason for acting this way.

Deon Hart. Known as ‘Demon Arute’ in the Demon King’s castle, a ‘human’ who effectively held the second-highest position.

The only human in the Demon King’s castle, so I don’t know about other humans, but he certainly abhorred bloodshed unlike the other demons.

So, if I acted like this, he’d have no choice but to react.

Just as expected.

The moment I tried to leave the office, my wrist was suddenly grabbed.

Turning around, I saw red eyes, reminiscent of blood, staring intently. The Demon King forced a smile.

‘…Looks like he’s finally willing to talk.’

If I wanted to break free, I could easily do it.

But the person holding me was my most valued subordinate, one who had just submitted his resignation. Besides, this was the intended outcome, so instead of resisting, he let out an exaggerated sigh and slumped back into his seat.

“I’ll ask one more time. What’s the reason?”

“…Are you going to kill me?”

He was merely curious about the truth, but the response was a question, not an answer.

Kill me? What a terrifying thing to say.

Startled, I raised my head and our eyes met. Piercing red eyes stared at him without blinking. A dry laugh escaped my lips.

‘That wasn’t my intention, but if I push any further, he might actually rip my throat out.’

Even the Demon King, unchallenged except by the Hero, found the man before him a threat.

If he truly aimed for my neck, I would have to accept some damage myself. It would likely become quite troublesome.

His voice, filled with the intent to soothe his subordinate, flowed out gently.

“Why would I kill you? So, what’s the reason? I’m just curious.”

“…That’s…”

After a moment of silence, he opened his mouth. And then, *cough*.

‘…Cough?’

“Blood! Blood!!”

“Ah.”

Blood poured out. Naturally, onto the desk filled with documents.

Instinctively, I reached out to catch the blood. My mind raced so furiously that I couldn’t even think of doing anything else.

Poison? No, I’d been using poison detection magic since the blood appeared, but there was no reaction. So, only one thing remained.

Aftermath.

Officially, Deon Hart killed the Hero.

A ‘Hero’, no less. Naturally, he had to endure significant damage, which completely wrecked his already fragile health. He occasionally coughed up blood like this.

‘It’s not actually that, but the aftereffects are real, and the result is the same anyway.’

He might have had these coughing fits before, but the increased frequency was clear.

Gritting my teeth, the thought of losing such a valuable asset gnawed at me.

Just then, as if belatedly realizing the situation, Deon covered his mouth and took a few steps back from the desk. His voice, strained as if suppressing the blood, squeezed out with difficulty.

“I apologize. The documents…”

“That’s not the problem right now! Healer! Get the 0th Legion Commander’s healer here immediately!! What are you doing when your patient is in pain?!”

The roar echoed throughout the Demon King’s castle, causing an uproar.

***

In the distance, Ben, my attending physician, came rushing over, looking panicked.

My thoughts, watching the messy red stain spreading on the Demon King’s office carpet, were simple.

‘Shit, I’m screwed.’

I just wanted to submit my resignation and quit. Why did I have to cough up blood at that moment, dirtying the documents, the carpet, and even bothering my attending physician… Isn’t this the perfect recipe for getting beaten up?

Getting beaten up would be a mercy.

My opponent is a demon. If it were a human, they might just get angry and let it slide, but these guys would be like, ‘Apologize with your life!’ and swing a sword.

Therefore, I remained stiff and pale, desperately complying with Ben’s examination.

“Demon-nim, can you hear me? How many fingers do you see?”

“Three.”

I answered diligently, my struggle for survival manifesting in my replies as I replayed the earlier events.

My name is Deon Hart. Due to a slight misunderstanding, I’m known as ‘Demon Arute’ in the Demon King’s castle.

No, not ‘slight’. The very reason I submitted my resignation lies in this ‘misunderstanding’.

The misunderstanding being that everyone in the Demon King’s castle, including the Demon King, mistakenly believes I’m incredibly strong.

Ha, what a joke. Even the castle chef is probably stronger than me. At least he’s a ‘demon’.

Anyway, that’s not the important part.

The constant overestimation instilled fear in me, as if warning me to escape before it was too late.

Isn’t high praise a good thing? Only when it’s appropriate.

Excessive praise breeds fear of the repercussions. Especially since I’m in the Demon King’s castle. Even the Demon King overestimates me and treats me accordingly. Imagine what will happen when the truth comes out.

That day will probably be the day I die. And it won’t be a peaceful death.

‘I want to run away.’

But if I disappear without a word, the Demon King will definitely come chasing after me with his entire army, shouting, ‘I can’t let such talent go!!’ I might get caught, imprisoned, or even killed in the worst-case scenario.

There are humans who think, ‘If I can’t have it, I’ll break it!’ There’s no reason demons wouldn’t be the same.

I’ve never heard of enemies resembling each other. Yet, when it comes to valuing talent, he’s taken after the Empire’s Emperor of all people.

Telling the truth won’t work. They wouldn’t believe me, or even if they did, they might say, ‘You’ve been deceiving me all this time?!’ and lop off my head…

That’s why I tried to face him directly and settle things. If things went south, I was planning to leave the resignation and my intention to quit, then disappear like the wind.

I never expected the Demon King to grab my trouser leg and start clinging.

“No! Absolutely not!!”

I expected some resistance.

‘But this wasn’t part of my plan!’

My trouser leg? Does the Demon King have no pride?!

Even as I screamed internally, I couldn’t move an inch.

Because I was scared.

‘The Demon King is on my leg! Shit, it’s the Demon King!!’

He’s the Demon King, for crying out loud. The strongest Demon King in history, who has defended the Demon King’s castle against countless Heroes with minimal damage. With a flick of his finger, my life would end instantly.

So, what would happen if I accidentally kicked him?

I didn’t need to test it to know the likely outcome.

Therefore, I stood motionless like a statue until he let go.

I was so tense that if the Demon King had held on any longer, I’m sure I would have gotten a cramp.

Anyway, for whatever reason, he released my leg when our eyes met and sprung to his feet. Letting go of my trousers was good, but this time he grabbed my shoulders!

Perhaps it was his way of emphasizing his determination to keep me, he held my shoulders and started rambling.

But, Your Majesty.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

The reason I submitted my resignation in the first place is,

“Are the subordinates mistreating you? Are they discriminating against you because you’re human?”

Because they’re being too nice, to the point of being overwhelming.

You guys think it’s ‘treatment befitting my skills,’ but I’m telling you, no. I have no skills whatsoever!

In fact, my physical abilities are worse than the average person. I’m just a weak human.

‘When they first tried to recruit me, I should have been suspicious then.’

I should have questioned why they wanted a human like me. What use could I possibly be?

But the atmosphere was so intense, like they’d kill me on the spot if I refused…

…Oh? Come to think of it, I never had a choice in the first place.

‘…My life.’

I swallowed the sigh that reached my throat. I need to escape this place, even now.

The final boss, the Demon King, is being surprisingly nice to me, so it’s not entirely impossible…

“Which bastard?! I’ll personally tear them limb from limb…!”

No! No, no, no!!

Panicked, I grabbed him as he strode towards the office door.

Who are you going to catch? If you tear your subordinates apart, who’s going to get the blame? Obviously, I’ll be the target!

See? Too nice, even when being ‘nice’. Ugh, why do I feel like crying?

Fortunately, the Demon King seemed to calm down, letting out a sigh as he sat back down.

“I’ll ask one more time. What’s the reason?”

His voice was low, and I thought I could detect a hint of murderous intent.

Maybe it was just my imagination, but it was better to be safe. Instead of answering, I cautiously observed his expression and asked.

“…Are you going to kill me?”

Ah, that’s not what I meant to say. I was too nervous, and the words came out too directly.

As expected, the Demon King’s trademark reverse-pupil eyes locked onto me, shining with an unusual light.

What does that look mean?

Is it the ‘How did you know?’ kind of look, or the ‘Should I kill him or not?’ kind?

Maybe it means, ‘This is why sharp-witted subordinates are a pain.’

S-should I apologize now…? No, before that, would apologizing even save me?

No matter how I thought about it, only bleak futures came to mind.

Unable to avoid his intense gaze, I fidgeted, my lips twitching. The Demon King scrutinized my face, as if trying to see through me, before finally shaking his head.

“Why would I kill you? So, what’s the reason? Let’s hear it.”

I hesitated for a moment, but only for a moment.

I was planning to have it out with him anyway, so this was a necessary step. I couldn’t run, and shouldn’t run.

So, I was about to open my mouth when…

“…That’s…”

*Cough*.

The familiar, sickeningly sweet scent of blood filled my mouth and rushed up to my nose.

“Blood!! Blood!”

“Ah.”