Encounter with the Demon Lord

A continent clung to the northeastern edge of the world, a place where light never deigned to shine.

The capital of the Trismalis Demon Kingdom sat within this malevolent environment, a land so harsh that no human could ever hope to survive there. A massive stone fortress loomed over the landscape, a monument to overwhelming power, surrounded by nothing but withered, skeletal vegetation. It was the Castle of Darkness—a true symbol of negativity.

And yet, for some reason, the castle town flourished. Much like a human Royal Capital, the streets were bathed in the glow of magic-stone lamps. Smooth cobblestones paved the thoroughfares to allow for easy travel, and the citizens laughed and conversed as they went about their business. The terrifying monsters of human imagination were nowhere to be found; of late, the Demon Race had lost their appetite for war.

This shift in culture was entirely due to the influence of the current Demon Lord.

Demon Lord Lucille Trismalis.

To the outside world, she was a figure of staggering power—a tall, martial-arts-obsessed titan. In reality, that figure was a body double. The true Demon Lord was the young girl who stood at his side. While she appeared as a mere child, she ruled the Demon Race through sheer agility and a terrifying well of Magic Power.

She was an adorable, unintimidating sovereign. Yet, the Demon Race followed her without question. In their society, strength was the only absolute, and Lucille had attained the throne by pushing aside all other contenders with her peerless magical aptitude.

Of course, Lucille had never actually wanted to be king.

She had only entered the martial arts tournament because she was promised waffles—the specific confections sold in human towns that she so adored. When told that her reward would double with every victory, she had found it impossible not to give the competition her all.

As a result, she had systematically crushed every high-ranking officer in the Demon Lord's Army, the Four Heavenly Kings who ruled the various sectors of the Demon Lord Territory, and even the legendary warriors and Dragons who had come from afar to compete. The unknown Lucille had swept the field.

Strength might be everything to the Demon Race, but following a girl who had appeared out of thin air was a bitter pill for many to swallow. The established Staff Officers and the Four Heavenly Kings continued to operate according to their own agendas, and even the common soldiers in the army rarely bothered to listen to her commands.

In contrast, she was immensely popular among the non-combatants. They revered her as a kind-hearted ruler who loved sweets above all else. However, even a benevolent Demon Lord had her flaws.

"Demon Lord-sama?! Where have you gone, Demon Lord-sama?!"

An elderly man in a butler’s tailcoat scrambled through the halls, his voice tight with desperation. It was a familiar scene. The maids watching from the shadows could only offer wry smiles.

She’s made a break for it again...

---

The Demon Lord’s destination was almost always the same.

She wore a white, hooded robe with little ears attached as a "disguise." She was convinced that no one would ever suspect a girl in such a charming outfit of being the ruler of the demons. Satisfied with her infiltration skills, she strolled leisurely through the town.

Naturally, she hadn't changed her face or her voice, and her Magic Power was as distinct as a beacon in the night. It was a rare citizen who didn't recognize her. Instead, the townspeople watched over her with fatherly affection.

"Little lady, these meat skewers are delicious. I’ll give you one on the house."

"I’ve got cookies over here!"

"Would you like a freshly baked waffle?"

Everywhere she turned, she was offered food. Before long, her hands were overflowing with treats. She told herself that this was an "incognito investigation" into the lives of the common folk, then promptly shoved a piece of waffle into her mouth.

"Mmm... so good!"

Her face melted into a smile. Most of the Demon Race had little interest in the culinary arts, but Lucille found herself nodding in satisfaction at how far their food culture had come.

"This is why I can't stop these food tours... I mean, these secret investigations."

"And what part of this is a 'secret investigation,' Demon Lord-sama?!"

"Investigating the presence of delicious food is an investigation... wait, what?"

Shocked that someone had seen through her flawless disguise, she let out a small yelp. She turned to find the elderly man—Sebas, the Head Butler—glaring at her. He was the only one disrespectful enough to constantly nag her about her studies.

"Ah... Se-Sebas. This isn't what it looks like, okay? I'm not actually eating anything."

"Your mouth is covered in crumbs and your hands are full of food. You have zero persuasiveness."

"Oh..."

Lucille scrambled to hide the food behind her back, a gesture that only made Sebas sigh.

"Good grief, Demon Lord-sama. Could you perhaps show even a shred of interest in the affairs of the kingdom?"

"I have plenty of interest. I heard the local snacks from the provinces are wonderful."

"Please... for once, look at something that isn't food." Sebas ignored her attempt at a joke, his tone turning grave. "Recently, more demons have been acting of their own accord, conspiring with influential figures in foreign nations. If we stir the hornets' nest, the one they call the Hero will eventually come for us."

"Ugh..." Lucille winced.

In the demon records, the Hero was a treacherous, wicked human who had once invaded their lands and slain the previous Demon Lord. While the Demon Race valued individual strength, the Hero was a devious coward who relied on a group to overwhelm a single opponent, meticulously targeting a Demon Lord’s weaknesses.

According to the texts, the Hero traveled with a party of degenerates: a Dragon Slayer (The Muscle), a Saint (The Bitch), a Sage (The Pervert), and a Thief (The Cutting Board). Today, these stories were mostly used as cautionary tales in children's picture books.

"B-But the demons have always been rowdy," Lucille argued. "They’ve always been impossible to control."

"Speaking of which, I received word that the title of Dragon Slayer was recently granted in the Kingdom of Inraku. That makes three major threats now, including the Hero and the Saint."

"Mmm... that is troublesome."

Lucille had only recently stopped having those picture books read to her, so she still viewed the Hero as an arch-enemy that needed to be dealt with immediately. Apparently, the previous Demon Lord had harbored some deluded fantasy about "raising" the Hero to become a servant, but Lucille thought that was idiotic.

You strike them with overwhelming force while they’re still weak. That’s how you secure peace.

"Fine. It’s time I took action. Tell the body double to keep up appearances."

"As it happens," Sebas said, bowing his head slightly while his expression remained unreadable, "I have a report that the Hero, the Saint, and the Dragon Slayer are all currently gathered in Alf Village near the border."

"I see. Then I’m going out for a bit."

"Of course. Take your time."

Lucille finished her preparations and set out from the Trismalis Demon Kingdom, her spirit high.

---

A month had passed since I received that letter requesting the subjugation of the Demon Lord.

Life in the territory continued as usual, and I spent most of my time working on my own house. I was using lumber to build homes for all the residents, which had led to a severe shortage. Consequently, I decided to build my own mansion out of stone.

The issue, as always, was Magic Power consumption. Creating structures from nothing used a massive amount of mana. Fortunately, my capacity had grown to the point where I actually had a surplus, even after a full day of construction.

The real bottleneck was Fee. If I pushed my magic too hard, she would step in and forbid me from using any magic at all the following day. Because of that, I made a conscious effort to look composed and effortless, no matter how much mana I was actually burning.

Finally, the day arrived. If I finished today’s work, the house would be complete.

It was a large two-story building located straight north of the central fountain. It had dedicated rooms for Fee, Elu, and Sasha, as well as my own bedroom and an office. I’d included a kitchen, a spacious dining hall, a large public bath, and proper plumbing for the toilets. Most of the remaining space consisted of guest rooms.

I wasn't entirely sure I needed a place this big, but since we didn't have any accommodations other than the inn, I figured it was pragmatic to have extra space for emergencies.

"It’s huge..." Elu murmured, looking up at the facade.

"It really is," I agreed. "I didn't think it would end up quite this large."

"You’re the leader, Yuri-sama. You need a place like this. Honestly, it could be even bigger."

"Like a castle?" I joked.

"At least that much," she replied seriously.

I assumed she was just trying to humor me.

"Yuri-sama, congratulations on the new house," Emilina said, walking up with Emma. Our territory wasn't that big yet, so news of the completion had traveled fast. If they were here, it meant everyone else knew, too.

"Yuri! It’s finally done, huh? We’re having a party. I brought fresh Wolf meat," Fritz shouted as he approached with Alan, Dozul, and Rick.

Alan had finally opened a proper shop in the territory. While his primary customers were currently mercenaries, business was booming. He told me the Mock Refrigerator was a massive hit with the nobility. Since the Magic Power in them only lasted about a year, he was looking forward to a steady stream of maintenance income.

I hadn't missed the look of awe on his face when he first saw the Giant Freezer Warehouse I’d built. So this is what a real refrigerator looks like... he’d whispered.

It felt a bit strange to have a party just for my house when new homes were being finished every day, but I wasn't going to complain about good food.

"Now we can finally get started on my church, right?" Emilina asked with a sharp smile.

I decided to ignore her. I led everyone into the dining hall and started preparing for the festivities. I pulled out ten plates and began setting the table.

Wait. Did I miscount?

I thought I’d pulled out exactly the right amount, but there wasn't a plate for me. Confused, I went back to get one more, then started cooking the ingredients everyone had brought.

"Mm, this looks delicious. I'm absolutely famished," a high-pitched, unfamiliar voice said.

"Yeah, it does," I replied reflexively. "Well then, shall we—"

I stopped. My heart hammered against my ribs. Sitting at the table was a young blonde girl in a white, ear-hooded robe. I had no idea how she’d gotten inside. I had no idea who she was.

But she was already reaching for the food.