A Troubling Abdication for this Demon King's Daughter

Chapter 1, Part 1

"I don't wanna do this anymore. I'm retiring."

My father, the Demon King, suddenly announced this one day.

He hadn't gone to work in a while, so I visited him in his room. He was wearing his pajamas while in bed when he said that he was retiring, out of the blue.

"...Hah?"

I said, unable to process what he was saying.

"You heard what I said, Maouko. I don't feel like doing this anymore."

"What do you mean you're not doing this anymore? You're the Demon King?"

I pulled his comforter away. He shivered from the cold and snatched it back.

"...?! Stop acting like a kid!"

"Hissss! Leave me be! You don't know what it's like to do the same thing over and over again without seeing any results!"

"D-Did you actually hiss at me?! You're a full grown adult, the Demon King, and you hissed at me?!"

I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

Granted, I knew my father always had this kind of rotten personality, but I didn't think that he'd actually resort to this.

"We're never gonna win the war, so who cares? I don't wanna do this anymore! Don't wanna, don't wanna!"

He buried his head in the comforter, rolling up into a ball.

"...If you're not making any progress, then why don't you change your strategy? How can you win if you try the same thing over and over and expect a different result?"

The Demon King army had been fighting with Belzerg for centuries now, with both sides fighting in an immovable stalemate.

Since the Demon King castle was protected by a barrier that was held up by a fallen angel and maintained by the Demon King generals, Belzerg can't kill the Demon King. But in the same way, the Demon King army can't defeat the mighty armies of Belzerg through direct means.

In this way, the war between demons and humans has resumedstalemated for decades.

"Hah… What else can I do? The Demon King's job is to wait in the Demon King castle for heroes to come and fight him."

My father said, peeking his head out from the comforter. When I shot him a glare, he put his head back in his cocoon.

"How can the heroes fight you if you have an impenetrable barrier around you?"

"...I don't know… Maybe they can bombard it with Explosion magic or something?"

"No such mage exists."

Even Wolbach, an actual evil god of Destruction, can only use two explosions in a row.

"Hmph… Well, if the heroes won't come, then what's the point? There's nothing for me to do!"

I sighed and rubbed my forehead.

"...Speaking of heroes, wasn't there a group of adventurers a while back that caused a lot of problems? They beat Beldia, Hans and even Sylvia."

"Oh, yeah. Those guys were pretty promising weren't they?"

Don't call the heroes promising.

He peeked his head out again and rubbed his chin, then he let out a sound as if he was remembering something.

"Ahh… I remember. I heard that they pretty much retired because the leader of the group married one of the members and had kids. Fufu… I hope they have a happy marriage."

Don't wish the heroes good luck on their marriage!

I groaned, seeing this so-called Demon King doing everything wrong.

If I was the Demon King…

"Anyway, go ahead and tell the others about my retirement, Maouko."

He said, shooing me away while he nestled up in his bed.

I was about to yell at him, but I stopped.

This idiot father of mine… Even if he came back, nothing would change for the Demons under his rule.

Demons will still starve because of that curse… Forced to steal and pillage from human settlements just to survive.

I let out a huff and left his room, shutting the door closed.

I made my way over to the throne room, where the rest of the council members were arguing, as always.

I slammed the doors open, attracting all their attention to me.

"Ah… Maouko-sama… Did you talk to your father?"

One of the council members asked me, looking hopeful.

I stared at them blankly and said,

"Nope. In fact, he says that he's retiring."

Everyone went silent, then they started yelling and talking over one another.

"Hah?! What are we gonna do now?!"

"Isn't this really bad?!"

"The Demon King retiring?! This has never happened before! The Demon King always gets sealed by a goddess or defeated by a hero's legendary sword!"

Like they said, the development of a Demon King retiring early is certainly something that has never happened before.

With everyone in a panic, without anyone leading the conversation, everything soon descended into chaos.

"Everyone, shut up!"

I yelled at the top of my lungs, causing them to go quiet.

I pointed to myself.

"Since I'm the daughter of the Demon King, I'll take on the leadership role from my father for now. Those who object to my rule can leave!"

They all looked at one another.

"Of course, those who choose to stay are more than welcome!"

I said, giving everyone a wide smile.

Part 2

All the council members and all but one Demon King general resigned from the Demon King army.

I looked at the empty throne room. I was at least hoping that Feydrick, a dark elf with the ability of precognition, would stay, but he left when the others left.

"You know, if the Demon King is retiring, I guess we should as well."

"I know, right? I mean, it'd be different if the Demon King died honorably in battle to the heroes… But this is too sad. Might as well leave before everything falls apart."

"Well, good luck with everything, Maouko-sama."

Those were their words as they packed up and left the throne room.

"Hah… What do I do now…?"

I sighed, while sitting on the throne that was usually reserved for my father.

The only Demon King general who stayed was the angel who held up the barrier, and he only stayed because he didn't have anywhere else to go.

…In short, he was just as lazy as my father.

Otherwise, I was completely alone.

"This sucks…"

I almost felt like crying. Between those Crimson Demon perverts always peeping on me with their magic telescope, the Axis-cultists spreading lies about me being some kind of slut, this was another source of stress I didn't need in my life.

"Hah… Maybe it's better to just give up?"

I didn't owe anyone anything, so no one could blame me if I gave up, just like my father, right?

No… That wasn't right.

If I gave up, then the Demons who served under the Demon King would suffer for it.

If I gave up, then who would look out for them?

It wasn't like the humans would do anything.

"Yosh! I can do this! At the very least, I can do a better job than that scummy father of mine!"

…I said that, but where should I even start?

I suppose the first order of business was to recruit some new Demon King generals.

With that in mind, I held a recruitment campaign in the Demon lands to look for some capable candidates.

Since I didn't have any help, I had to make and distribute the flyers myself.

After a few days, I had hundreds of applicants trying to sign up for the job.

…Of course, most of them were mooks from the Demon King army trying to earn a higher salary.

I went to the Demon lands and set up a location for the auditions.

It was a simple stage set up, where demons would walk up to the stage and try to show why they deserved to be a Demon King general.

One of those mooks was in front of me, a goat demon that looked quite muscular.

"Alright… Do you have any special moves or something?"

"Fufu… Check this out! I'm stronger than the average human and faster than the average human!"

He proceeded to show his above average strength and speed by lifting weights and running back and forth.

"Ah… So you're just like any other demon."

"Gurk!"

I hurt his pride by saying this.

"So… Do you have some kind of unusual power or something? Can you shoot beams out of your eyes? Do you know advanced magic?"

"Erm… Nothing like that."

"Next!"

I kicked out the goat demon who had nothing special about him.

The one who came up next was a figure hidden in a cloak.

"...Who are you?"

The figure took the hood of the cloak down. The demons lining up to audition gasped when they saw what was under the hood.

"A-A human…?!"

No matter how I looked at her, this person was a human girl.

She had black hair and black eyes… Not only is she a human, but she's also one of those heroes from a faraway land called Japan.

"W-What's a human doing in the demon lands?!"

"A-Attack her!"

Since I held this audition away from the castle, I was wondering if Belzerg sent an assassin to take me out.

I was about to escape and let the demons deal with her, but…

"Take this, human! Gah!"

"Take my punch that's stronger than the average human's punch…! Gah!"

"S-She's too strong!"

The human pulled out a sword that was glowing blue and struck down all the Demons who were coming after her.

…I-Isn't that a legendary sword?!

Archers came out and fired arrows at her, but the human pulled out another sword with her other hand. She slashed the arrows with one clean stroke, with a speed that was impossible without the aid of a magic weapon.

H-How many legendary swords did she have?!

After she defeated all the demons coming after her, she looked towards me. I flinched, knowing that I couldn't do anything against her if she came after me.

Even though I was the Demon King's daughter, I wasn't good at direct combat. I had the [Bard] class, which was more of a supporting class. I couldn't do anything against someone with two legendary swords, at least.

"Oi, you there. You're the Demon King, right? Huh? Why is the Demon King a cute redhead girl, though?"

She tilted her head and looked at me, confused by my appearance.

I coughed and tried to keep the shake out of my voice.

"...I'm actually the Demon King's daughter, but I'll be in charge of the Demon King army from now on."

"Ah… Is that so? Something like inheriting the family business?"

It wasn't as simple as that!

"Well… Something like that."

I said, trying not to reveal too much about what was happening behind the castle's walls.

"Hmm… I see. Well, I'm actually looking to join as a Demon King general. So? Do I pass the test?"

"Hah?"

I looked at her like she was insane.

"...Why does a human want to join the Demon King army?"

"Well, everytime when I play RPGs, I always go the vanilla, good guy route. Now that I've reincarnated in another world, I thought that I might as well spice things up a bit. So, I've decided to go the evil route and join the Demon King faction. I even stole these swords."

She said, waving the two swords she had in the air.

"...You stole them? But… Just because you stole them, it doesn't mean that you can use them. All legendary swords sent down from the heavens can only be wielded by their original users…"

Even if you manage to get ahold of one, you won't be able to use the weapon at its full potential. Only the heroes that they are assigned to can use them.

"Ah… About that. I met this blue haired goddess a while ago and she let me choose a cheat. I chose the power to use any legendary artifact or weapon, regardless of any annoying requirements. That's why I can use these swords."

W-What an overpowered ability!

Damn those goddesses for giving heroes such unfair powers! How is the Demon King army supposed to beat them?!

Well, I suppose that's the point.

"So, will you let me join?"

She asked, waiting for my decision.

Letting such a crazy girl join…

I couldn't even understand half the things she was saying.

But she has a powerful ability and already has two legendary swords…

"...Fine, you can join."

"Yosh! Evil playthrough, let's go!"

Again, what is she talking about?

"Oh, yeah, what's your name again?"

"Kuroko… No, actually, call me Sonia. That sounds cooler."

That sounds cooler… Is she a Crimson Demon or something?

After that, I closed up the audition and officially assigned Sonia with the title of Demon King general.

Part 3

"Hehe… That Sonia girl is pretty hot…"

The angel said, eyeing Sonia as she walked by.

I ignored the fallen angel. Everytime he sees an attractive woman, he will say perverted things about them.

He's already flirted with me numerous times.

"You know, for an angel, you sure have a lot of libido."

"Why do you think heaven banished me?"

Fair point.

I looked at the angel. He was very handsome compared to normal human males, but for as horny as he was, I never saw him with a woman.

Granted, he couldn't leave the castle since he had to maintain the barrier, but even when there were female demons and Demon King generals around, I never heard any mention of him hooking up with them.

When I asked him about this, he said,

"...Oh, that's because angels don't have anything down there."

"Down there…?"

My eyes automatically drifted down to his crotch.

"Yeah. To prevent us from falling to temptation, they took our son off…"

"Then why are you so horny all the time?"

"Fufu… My desires run deep…"

"The darkness in your heart is that strong, huh?"

To think that he'd be kicked out of heaven for such a lame reason.

"What's even the point of flirting with women if you don't have a thing down there?"

"Hmph… Even if I don't have a son, I still have a need to bump against a woman… How about it? Wanna see how good my bumping feels?!"

He started to do a bunch of pelvic thrusts in front of me.

I rolled my eyes and said,

"Hah? I won't feel anything, right? What's the point?"

"R-Rubbing can still feel good! And we can attach some kind of toy…!"

"Again, why are you making such a big deal out of this if you don't even have the equipment to do it?!"

"It's the psychological pleasure that does it for me! Even eunuchs can enjoy the female body!"

What a horny eunuch.

I ignored the angel and called out to Sonia. She approached the throne and dramatically kneeled in front of me.

"...What do you desire from me, master?"

Here's another troublesome one.

"Calm down. I just want a report of your infiltration mission."

"Yes… I've successfully passed myself off as a bathhouse attendant in the capital of Belzerg. They don't suspect a thing."

The angel perked up at what Sonia said.

"A bathhouse, huh? We should make one here… A mixed bath, specifically…"

I ignored him again and said to Sonia,

"What about that other task I gave you?"

"Ah… The rumor of the shark demon? There are rumors that it's not actually a demon, but a female human who has been afflicted with some kind of curse."

"A curse, huh? I thought she was just a rogue demon…"

"It seems that's not the case. Since she's not a true demon, I suggest that we don't try to recruit her. We can't trust these humans."

"Aren't you a human?!"

I said, pointing at her obvious lack of horns or any demonic trait.

"I identify as a demon now…"

I rolled my eyes, putting up with her antics since she was useful.

"Whatever… Go and find this shark demon girl and offer her a position as a Demon King general."

After I heard rumors about a powerful shark demon, I was set on recruiting them.

I didn't care if it was just a cursed human, as long as they would prove to be a powerful asset.

That was the reason why I accepted Sonia in the first place.

"...You're too generous, master. Putting your faith in a mere human."

"You've really forgotten that you're a human as well, huh?"

"Failing to accept what I identify as… Is this what they call a toxic workplace?"

I left the throne room and went back to my bedroom to nurse the headache my subordinates were giving me.

Maybe this was why my father wanted to retire.

…

…

The shark demon, Charia, was led to the throne room.

I looked at her rough white hair and sharp teeth. She even had fins and a shark tail. Even though she was a human, she looked every bit like a shark demon.

"...Ah, you must be cursed like me."

She said, when saw me and my half-human features.

"It's not like that… I'm a half-breed."

"Ah… You were born with a curse. It seems that there's people who are living in harsher circumstances than me. I should be grateful. Were you hunted down and tied to a burning stake as well?"

"I lived with a silver spoon in my mouth! I'm sorry for misleading you!"

I bowed to this girl who was mistaking me for having lived a tragic life like her.

"Anyway… If you join the Demon King army as a general, I promise that you will have an easier life from here on out."

"...But won't you be sending me out to fight in a war?"

"Well, that's…"

"Actually, as long as you give me at least one proper meal a day and you promise not to imprison me in a cold, damp jail cell, then I'll join."

"...Why don't you just live here for free without having to work?"

"Eh?! Maouko-sama?!"

Sonia pulled me aside, dragging me to a corner of the throne room.

"...Maouko-sama, what are you doing?"

She said, frowning at me.

"That child lived such a tragic life! Let's just adopt her and take care of her!"

I said, peering over Sonia's shoulder to watch Charia, who started to chew on her own tail.

Is she hungry?! I'll have the cooks prepare a feast right away! Just wait, my little baby!

"Oi! Maouko-sama! Don't let your maternal instincts take over!"

Sonia grabbed me by the collar and shook me.

"...What's wrong with wanting to take care of a poor widdle baby shark?"

"Do you even hear yourself talking?! Aren't you the Demon King?! Listen, I joined the Demon King army because I wanted to do an evil playthrough! If I wanted to play as a good guy, I wouldn't have joined!"

"...Che."

I didn't want to lose Sonia's services, so I went along with her whims.

I went back to sit on the throne and regard Charia, keeping my expression neutral.

"...Have you eaten yet? Do you like steak? How about some demon ice cream for dessert?"

"Maouko-sama…"

I ignored Sonia's judgemental glares as I started to dote on Charia.

With Charia joining the team and with Sonia doing recon work for me, I felt more confident about our operations.

Sonia's OP ability alone meant that she would never lose to anyone.

The next course of action was to equip her with even more legendary swords. That was why I had infiltrated Belzerg's capital, so that she could steal from the royal castle's treasury.

With my guidance, Sonia would become unstoppable on the battlefield.

Part 4

Sonia was beaten and captured.

I got word that Princess Iris formed an adventuring party, and that they were able to not only foil Sonia's plans, they were even able to capture her.

"...Huh? Are we already doomed?"

Maybe that scumbag father of mine was right to retire!

I soaked in the bath, the demon maids washing my red hair while I tried to relax.

"Hmm? Having troubles already?"

The angel said, appearing in the bath completely naked.

"Yeah, but there's no point in giving up now. We continue with the plan."

"That's fine, but… How come you're not reacting to a man coming to your bath naked?!"

He said, gesturing to his naked body.

"...There's nothing to look at, though."

I said, staring at the missing parts he had. Even the demon maids only spared a glance at him before coming back to wash my hair.

"T-That's… B-But I can still see you naked! How come you're not embarrassed about that, huh?!"

I stared at his empty space again.

"...Yeah, somehow I don't feel any embarrassment at all."

Why would I get embarrassed from being seen by a eunuch?

His private area was as smooth as a baby.

He slumped away, head hung low in shame.

After taking a bath, I called up the angel and Charia to make sure they understood the plan.

"...Will they really fall for it? I mean, isn't this an obvious trap?"

The angel said, looking over the meeting notes I prepared.

"They'll be pressured by the countries under their protection to try and end the war. That's what they get for charging such heavy protection taxes."

Since Belzerg was the last line of defense against the Demon King army, they could get away with demanding heavy tributes from the countries they were protecting.

But now that the Demon King has retired and the Demon King army is weaker than it's been, there's no need for countries to pay taxes to Belzerg anymore.

The only thing they could do was to try and finish off the Demon King army and claim the glory, so they could at least ask for one last round of heavy tributes.

"Hmph… Humans are so greedy… Don't they know that greed is a cardinal sin?

The angel said, even though he was the one who got kicked out of heaven for being too sinful.

"Charia doesn't understand why people keep wanting more. Charia is happy to just have enough to eat!"

The shark-cursed girl said, as she munched happily on the cakes and treats I had the maids prepare for her.

I patted her head and responded,

"It's human nature. Once they're accustomed to a certain standard of living, it's hard for them to give it up. They'll do anything to preserve their current lifestyle of extravagance."

Noble families would sooner sell out their daughters than try to save money or live a more frugal lifestyle. I was counting on the noble families of Belzerg to pressure the leaders to make a hasty decision.

Once they see that the barrier protecting the Demon King army has been lowered, they'll have no choice but to attack.

"I'll be relying on you for this, angel."

I said, looking to my most powerful asset.

"I'm not gonna miss the opportunity to step outside this damn castle. Do you know how long I've been stuck here, maintaining this barrier? I'm a person, you know?! I'm not some kind of furniture!"

"You will most likely have to deal with the King and Prince. I hope your fighting skills haven't gotten rusty…"

"...Ignoring me, huh? Of course they haven't. I'm just disappointed that I'll have to fight a bunch of guys. Why aren't there any female heroes or knights, huh? I heard that there was a strong princess. You sure they're not gonna send her?"

"They won't. They'll be desperate to take us down, but not so desperate that they'll risk everything."

Charia raised her hand, chewing on a cookie as she did.

"So Charia just has to go to Axel and keep watch over these retired heroes, right?"

I nodded and patted her head some more, adoring the cute sight of her eating cookies.

"I'm also wary of Princess Iris's party, since they managed to defeat Sonia, but we'll capture them in the capital eventually, anyway, once we trap them in with the barrier."

The reason why the war stalled so much was because my father refused to use the barrier offensively. It was just as much a weapon as it was a tool for defense. If you want to win, you have to move forward and take risks.

"...But is it really worth sending me over there to watch over some geezers?"

Charia said, not seeming happy about being taken away from the action.

"Just because they're retired, it doesn't mean they're old, although I do hear that there are some ladies in that party who are starting to reach the 'age of expiration'..."

I wasn't going to take any more risks after I lost Sonia. Besides, even if they were rusty, that party defeated three Demon King generals, and they were heavy hitters, too.

After finalizing the details of the plan, I dismissed the two of them.

I was betting everything I had on this strategy of mine. Even as I was heading into dangerous territory, the demons were excited about the changes. They were looking to stop the endless war against the humans, too, and I was more than willing to make that happen, regardless of the method.

Part 5

In war, there's nothing more important than keeping the morale of the troops up.

There are many cases where even an outnumbered army still wins, simply because they have the advantage of momentum and morale.

Therefore…

"Smile! Smile! Smile! Give your best Devil Smile! Love! Love! Love! Shoot your Lovely Devil beam~!"

"Uoooogh!"

The demons cheered as I danced and sang on a stage for them.

The location was a demon outpost I set up, hidden within Belzerg territory.

In this outpost, there was even a prison to keep those who stumbled into the outpost locked up.

There were also generally some prisoners of war locked up there.

I couldn't do much in a battle, but when it comes to raising morale, my Bard class was the best at it.

The demons applauded my performance as I stepped off the stage.

"G-Good job, Maouko-sama! Here, a towel."

The warden of the prison said, handing me a towel after I finished my performance.

I ignored his eyes filled with lust as he followed me to my tent. However, when he didn't leave as I started to clean up, I turned toward him and said,

"...Why are you still here?"

"E-Erm… I heard a rumor that Maouko-sama sometimes gives 'favors' to demons who perform well in their duties…"

"You fell for that Crimson Demon propaganda, huh?"

He started waving his arms around.

"O-Of course not! I was just kidding! Haha…! Unless…?"

That's it. He's going to the frontlines.

If I wanted my plan to succeed, I needed Belzerg to completely believe that they could take on the Demon King army without suffering heavy losses.

That was why I was going to use a fake attack on the capital with my 'strongest forces'. In reality, they would be filled with all the weakest demons and those who can't follow orders.

This warden, who harasses the prisoners even though I ordered him not to, will be one of those demons who will be sacrificed for the greater good.

Thanks for your hard work!

I watched him shuffle away from my tent, while I worked on removing my makeup.

Ever since Sonia got captured, I have been making do with what I could.

Since I didn't have powerhouses like my father did serving as Demon King generals, I had to do a lot of sneaking around in the shadows, instead of attacking head on.

That suits my personality more, anyway.

After I finished my business in the outpost, I put on a magic item that hid my demon features, making me look like a normal human. Then, I hitched a ride with a caravan, which was headed to the capital of Belzerg.

Since my main spy was gone, I'd have to gather intelligence myself. I had to make sure that Belzerg would commit to invading the Demon King castle, before having the angel enclose the capital in a barrier, just like I planned.

Of course, since we'd need eyes on the city, I'd stay within the barrier, disguised as a human.

In order to familiarize myself with the city and establish a background for myself, I came up with the identity of 'Mako', an out of towner from the boonies looking to make a name for herself in the big city.

Using the funds I had, I started staying at an inn and even worked a few part-time jobs in the market stalls.

…Life in a human city is vastly different to life in the land of the demons. Even if people are poor, they can still use the money they have to buy fresh food for their families. In the land of the demons, being poor meant that you had to make do with the rotten scraps leftover from the limited food supply. Even the poor people of a human city were many times more privileged than a poor demon.

"Ah, excuse me, I'll have this."

"Four apples? Here ya go! And here's an extra one since you're such a loyal customer!"

The smiling stall keeper handed me the apples, which I placed in my basket.

Giving an extra apple just like that? Are you kidding me? These things were a delicacy in the land of the demons.

I bit into the juicy apple, smiling at the tasty treat. These people practically lived in paradise and they didn't even realize it. Oftentimes I heard people complaining about taxes and inflation. Young people talked about social reform and distributing the wealth. Meanwhile, they had these conversations in fancy cafes, drinking coffees and teas that a demon would never be able to enjoy.

While I was eating my apples and heading back to the inn, a group of young soldiers was walking my way.

"Hehe… Princess Iris and that Crimson Demon named Komekko looked so good in their workout clothes…"

"Think they'll spar with us?"

"Let's say that we want hand-to-hand combat training and 'wrestle' with them, hehe…"

These soldiers must be from the castle. I tried to keep my head down and avoid their gaze. Unfortunately, they looked my way.

"Whoa! Look at that red-haired beauty!"

"Hey, hey, pretty onee-san! How about you grab some tea with us?"

"Yeah, it won't take long!"

They started spouting some cliche delinquent lines while surrounding me.

"Haha… I need to be home soon…"

"Then let us walk you home!"

"Yeah, come on, you can trust us!"

One of them reached out for my hand. I tried to back away, but the motion made one of the apples spill out from my grasp and fall to the ground.

"Ahhh! My apple?!"

I reached down to pick it up, wiping the dirt from it. It was bruised from where it fell. I smiled in relief and put it back in my basket.

"...Oi, onee-san, that apple is already pretty bruised. Just throw it away."

"...Hah?"

I glared at them. Throw it away? Just from some mild bruising?

"Huh? Did we say something wrong?"

I didn't want to do anything with these guys, but they pissed me off…

"...You know what? Fine. You guys wanna come over to my place?"

I said, giving them a fake smile.

"Seriously?! This never works!"

If it never works, then why do they keep trying it?

The three happy soldiers followed me to my room at the inn. The innkeeper raised a brow, since I had never brought anyone over, and I was suddenly bringing three young soldiers to my room.

Once they were in the room…

"Empress Maouko commands you…!"

I showed them a glowing red eye.

"...Wha? What's this…? I'm feeling drowsy…"

To these unguarded fools, I casted a hypnotism spell on them. Since they didn't suspect anything at all, they easily fell victim to the spell.

"From now on, you'll give me news about the military. You'll be my eyes and ears from within, got it?"

"Yes, my lord!"

After giving them their orders, I sent them back to their barracks.

"...Huh? You finished them off that quickly? Wow… I guess that's how you're able to afford to stay here everyday."

The innkeeper said, when I went to the bar and ordered some ale to go with my apples. He watched the drowsy looking young men leave his inn.

"..."

I didn't mean to give the impression that I was a skilled woman of the night.

Part 6

The bait worked perfectly. The King and the Prince attacked the castle while the barrier was down.

What they didn't expect was the barrier to reform around them.

"...What manner of trickery is this?!"

King Belzerg yelled, looking at the transparent force that formed around him and the prince. The rest of his army was cut off, leaving him with me and the angel within the barrier.

I smiled and gave him a curtsy.

"Greetings, your majesty. I am Maouko, the acting Demon King."

"...Where is your father, young lady?"

"My father? He's probably buried in at least three layers of blankets right now."

They blinked in confusion. I rolled my eyes.

"He chose to retire since the battle with you isn't going anywhere. I'm the one in charge of the Demon King army now."

Prince Jatis laughed and said,

"So you were the one in charge of that pitiful assault on the capital, huh?"

…Did this guy not catch on yet?

"Look around you, Prince Jatis. Does it seem like we sent the entirety of our forces in our assault."

His confident demeanor faded away as he looked around at the demons who were now driving away the Belzerg assault forces. The demons were noticeably stronger, faster and better equipped than the rejects that attacked the capital.

"...Hah… A pretty girl like you shouldn't rely on such trickery. Say, if you give up now, I'll have mercy on you and make you my mistress? How does that sound?"

"You think the daughter of the Demon King would be the mistress of human royalty? Oh, please."

I scoffed at the notion.

"Enough! Young lady, I expect you to drop this barrier now while I'm still patient."

The King drew his famous spear, known simply as 'Slayer'. It gained its name since it has supposedly slayed over a thousand enemies.

There was nothing magical about the spear, but the king's prowess in battle makes the ordinary spear legendary in its own right.

Prince Jatis smiled and drew out his sword. This time, it was a magical weapon known as Larent. Along with Princess Iris's Calibur, it was one of Belzerg's famous legendary swords.

The angel whistled when he saw the famous weapons being drawn out.

"...Fufu… We should be honored, shouldn't we, Maouko-sama? Having King Belzerg and Prince Jatis draw their famous weapons at us…"

"Indeed, although I don't appreciate you drawing me into your cliche villain dialogue. If you continue speaking like that, it will surely lead to our defeat."

"...But this is how I normally speak."

"Exactly."

While I was talking to the angel, Prince Jatis got impatient and charged forward.

"I'll finish this in one shot! La… Reeeent!"

He released a wave of silver energy. I thought it would hit us and panicked for a moment, until I saw the dust cloud around us.

"Hmph… It's finished."

Yeah, the attack totally didn't hit.

When the dust cleared, Prince Jatis let out a gasp when he saw the angel holding his hand out, a barrier formed around us.

A barrier within a barrier… Since the angel shrunk the barrier down to fit four people, he still had a lot of energy to spare.

"...Father! The barrier around us is shrinking!"

And that wasn't all.

The angel laughed, as he made the barrier outside continue to shrink.

"I must say, Maouko-sama, I never thought to use my powers this way. You're certainly quite the twisted one."

I shrugged, as Prince Jatis continued to release silver waves of energy at the barrier protecting us.

This plan wouldn't work later on, since we'd need the barrier for tactical purposes, but since we could invest the angel's entire energy in this fight to take out the last boss and the mid-boss at once, there was no need to conserve energy.

King Belzerg joined in the attack, striking at the mini-barrier around us with his spear.

"Cowards! Come out and face us directly!"

"And continue an endless war that will only benefit your country, while my people starve? No thank you."

I yawned, watching them waste their time striking the barrier.

"Dishonorable cowards! Are you satisfied with winning in this despicable manner?!"

Prince Jatis said, exhausting himself with releasing his energy at the unbreaking barrier.

"Hah? You're talking about honor… Do you see any weapons on us? We're basically unarmed, meanwhile you're shooting us with laser beams. Why don't you drop your weapons first if you want to talk about honor?"

"This isn't a proper fight! Do you really think you can beat Belzerg with dirty tricks?!"

"...I mean, I thought about releasing poison gas in the barrier. Want me to do that instead?"

It wasn't like I didn't have other strategies, too.

Luring them into the Demon King castle and collapsing it on them while the angel puts a barrier around us. Luring them into the castle with illusions and collapsing it on them. Luring them into the castle and trapping them in a barrier, starving them to death.

Abusing teleportation magic, blowing them up with manatite empowered spells… There were so many ways to kill these two.

"Sigh… Just be lucky I'm taking the humane approach."

Their attacks got more desperate as the walls collapsed around them.

"Curse you, Maouko…!"

I smiled cutely at the royals as the barrier was about to crush them to their deaths.

"Don't worry. As a bard, I'll write some heroic songs about your death."

The last I saw of them was their hateful faces before the barrier crushed their bones and flesh.

"Alright… I guess that's enough…"

The angel said, watching the King and Prince reduced to a puddle of blood.

"...Idiot. If an Arch-Priest gets a hold of their bodies, they can be resurrected. Keep shrinking the barrier until there's nothing left."

"Huh? Aren't you too cruel?!"

Reducing them to atoms is the best way to go, especially since that blue haired Arch-Priest was still around.

Hopefully, Charia is doing her job in keeping that troublesome party away from the battle.

Aside from them, there aren't really any threats.

That famous adventurer Mitsurugi is just another guy with a magic sword. Easy to deal with.

Princess Iris's party seems troublesome, too, but they don't have the firepower and ability to resurrect their teammates like that troublesome party in Axel. There was also that indestructible crusader in their party… Would the barrier even affect her?

As Sonia put it, that party is 'min-maxed'.

And with Charia making sure they never step out of Axel… Well, I don't see anybody else threatening the Demon King army.

With the King and Prince defeated, it was an easy task finishing everyone else off.

We proceeded with the next stage of the plan, trapping Belzerg in the barrier with me in it. I would have made Sonia do this, but she got captured by the enemy. I had to take the place of the spy within the enemy's ranks.

"Just a couple more steps until I win, huh?"

It was kind of surreal. A war that lasted decades, and it would all end within a month.

Part 7

"I'm starving…! Woe is me! The gods have forsaken us…! What manner of doom is this that has befallen the land! I die as I have lived… Worthless!"

I watched a peasant fall after giving that speech.

I had successfully infiltrated the capital before the angel trapped it in a barrier.

The plan was to let the people starve and kill themselves in riots before we swooped in and claimed the city.

…It seems to be working?

Although I couldn't help but think that the deaths were a bit dramatic.

Also, would people normally starve after a day with no food?

Maybe these spoiled humans weren't used to being hungry. I was used to demons lasting weeks without food, after all.

"...The light is fading… I cannot last any longer… Receive what cheer you may! The night is long… that never finds the day…"

Another dramatic death.

While I watched people in the streets dropping like flies, I went to the inn I stayed in as my made-up identity of 'Mako'.

"Oh, Mako-san… Want some stew?"

The innkeeper said, offering me some food when I stepped in.

"...You're kind, innkeeper-san. Even with the food shortage, you're offering your customers food…"

"Oh! Ah, yeah… Woe is me… This is all I can offer… Want some croutons, too?"

He said, putting out a bunch of food for me.

…Doesn't something seem kind of wrong?!

Even though people were dropping like flies from starvation outside, the innkeeper here was offering me a bunch of food.

…Does he expect something from a pretty girl like me?

While I sat down to eat my food and observe the innkeeper, who I suspected was trying to get me to sell my body in exchange for food, someone came into the tavern.

He was a handsome young man with green hair. He nodded to the innkeeper and sat down next to me.

"Phew! I sure am hungry… Ah, I'll have a deluxe garlic-butter steak with wild mushrooms, mashed potatoes… And also a side of cream soup. Oh, maybe some wine to go along with it. And some cake for dessert."

The innkeeper stared at him.

"Sir, do you not realize what's happening?"

It was understandable that the innkeeper would be pissed off if someone ordered all that food during a food shortage.

"...Fruits are in season and you're not ordering a fruit salad. Are you crazy?"

"Oh, right! Then I'll have a fruit parfait, too. Along with the cake. Oh, I'll have a diet neroid to go with it."

What happened to the food shortage?!

Also, who was this guy? Some kid of a wealthy merchant or noble? Even without the food shortage, asking for that much food isn't what a commoner could do…

When he noticed me looking at him, he smiled and said,

"Hm? Can I help you?"

…Admittedly, he had a very cute smile.

"Erm… Why did you order so much food? There's a food shortage since the city is trapped behind a barrier…"

"...Hah? Did you not receive the memo, miss?"

"What memo?"

"You see those people on the streets? They're just actors. There's no food shortage going on."

"What?!"

The innkeeper placed our orders down in front of us. He said,

"...Ah, I forgot. You're fairly new to the city, aren't you? I didn't see you at the city hall meeting, either. Basically, we're still getting food from Elroad. They're using secret tunnels to give us food and supplies."

"B-But… Wouldn't the Demon King army know about this?!"

How come I don't know about this?!

"That's what those actors on the streets are. They're actually famous actors who have disguises on. They're pretty convincing, huh?"

So that's why they were so dramatic!

I rubbed my forehead… Did I seriously get tricked?! Me?! Even though I fooled King Belzerg and Prince Jatis so easily?!

"Who did this?! Who was the mastermind of this operation?!"

I lost my cool for a moment. I coughed into my hand and forced myself to calm down.

The green haired guy looked really proud and smirked.

"Ah… I heard this was the plan of the super cool, super handsome and super genius Prince Elroad…"

Prince Elroad? I never factored that guy in when I was considering my list of threats!

Last I heard, he was just some dopey prince that already got tricked by a demon before!

I rubbed my head again. I was feeling stressed out, having my plans crumble because of a mere oversight…!

"Hm? Are you alright? Ah, I never got your name. You can call me Ravi!"

The green haired boy said, giving me a charming smile.

Again, I found that smile pretty cute.

I looked at this handsome boy…

…Should I?

It had been a while since I last 'did it', and this guy is good looking and seems nice enough…

But I'm in the middle of a mission!

…I also needed some stress relief.

"Ravi, right? You can call me Mako."

Ravi and I got to know each other over the next hour.

After that, I asked him to come upstairs with me to my room.