My name was Belbark.
Belbark Lousouth.
I was an elderly demon living in the Demon Kingdom. Yes, quite an old man.
I stopped counting my years once I surpassed a millennium, but I suspected I hadn't quite reached fifteen hundred yet. Calling myself the oldest in the Demon Kingdom might have been an overstatement, but there was no denying I was ancient.
I had once been granted the noble title of Viscount, but I passed it on to my great-grandson when I was about eight hundred years old.
Wait. Or was it my great-great-grandson?
Well, it hardly mattered. Just assume I handed it off to a blood relative.
I had hoped to live out my retirement with grace and leisure, but the times were rarely so kind. I was eventually installed as an Honorary Duke and dragged into various campaigns across the land. I often wondered why it had to be me, but my pedigree was the only thing I really had in my favor. After all, several Demon Kings had hailed from my bloodline.
Quite a few of them, actually. I’d forgotten the exact number. And the details, for that matter. I suppose I could have remembered if I really applied myself, but it was all ancient history. Things tended to get a bit hazy after a few centuries.
Even so, I made sure not to forget the things that truly mattered. Specifically, the fact that the current Demon King was a relative of mine. I remembered him well enough because he was the son of a granddaughter I had particularly doted on.
As a side note, his wife was the child of my older sister's daughter—my niece's child, essentially. I had so many siblings and so many children of my own that my family tree was a tangled mess I couldn't possibly keep track of. In truth, once the count of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren exceeded a hundred, I didn't recognize any of them unless we lived under the same roof. There was no way I could remember someone I didn't see at least once a year.
In this world, even a newborn would have a child of their own within thirty years. Furthermore, some individuals remained young for centuries due to the sheer scale of their magic power, while others aged quite normally. It was impossible to keep it all straight. There were even those whose titles or house names changed every time we met. Though, in those cases, it was possible I was meeting different people entirely—it was hard to tell when they all looked so similar.
Still, we were a loving family, so as long as the relationships were good, everything was fine. Yes, quite fine.
Now then. There was an organization known as the Selection Council. Its primary role was to choose the next Demon King whenever the throne became vacant. It also served as the acting authority during interregnums.
I ended up as a member of this council—or rather, I was pressured into joining. At first, I was just an ordinary member, but somehow I ended up as the oldest person there and was appointed the Chairperson. It was a massive headache. Whenever the position of Demon King was empty, a certain number of factions would insist that I take the throne myself, which was even more bothersome.
I didn't have the caliber to be a Demon King. I lacked the strength. I was merely a man who had lived for a very long time, yet people struggled to understand that simple fact. It was a constant source of trouble.
However, the throne hadn't been vacant for several centuries now. Even when it had, a successor was found almost immediately, so the Selection Council rarely had anything to do. While the council possessed significant authority, it was an organization that remained dormant as long as the Demon King was healthy and active.
I personally preferred a strong Demon King. It was much easier for me. I had to attend the inauguration ceremonies, but I was willing to handle that much at least. The current Demon King didn't demand that I go to war, either.
I had been living a peaceful life in my own territory when I was approached by a group of people who were dissatisfied with the current Demon King's policies. They each had their own grievances to air.
"Why has the Demon King slackened his pace in the war?" "Why has he not wiped out the human kingdoms?" "Could it be that the Demon King has been seduced by the humans?" "Is such a man fit to rule us?" "Shouldn't you be the one on the throne?"
And so on and so forth. They were a truly exhausting lot. I told them that if they felt so strongly, I would obtain permission for them to head to the front lines in the Demon King's stead and invade the human kingdoms themselves. Naturally, none of them had any intention of actually going. They were all talk.
Well, they were talk and money. They hinted at substantial "support funds" if I were to become the Demon King.
It was the same this time around. So, I gave it some thought. Not about their petty schemes, but about my own circumstances.
I had recently received a letter from the Demon King in the Royal Capital. He invited me to participate in a parade scheduled for spring. It was a wonderful invitation, but I didn't have the travel expenses to spare and was prepared to decline. It was a common misconception that all nobles were wealthy. Because we had to maintain appearances, our outlays were often just as large as our status.
Since the Demon King was the one who invited me, surely he would cover the costs? Perhaps, but those funds would only be available once I reached the Royal Capital. That meant I had to front the money myself, and I honestly had no leads on where to get it.
Just as I was about to give up, these people appeared. If I played my cards right, surely they would at least cover my travel expenses? They had caused me plenty of trouble already, so it was only fair. I would even help them save a bit of face in return.
"I have no intention of becoming the Demon King," I told them, "but I will at least go and see how he is faring. It would be a grave matter indeed if he had truly been swayed by the human kingdoms."
Naturally, it was only right to worry about one's own kin.
I successfully extracted the travel funds from them. I had envisioned a leisurely solo trip, but they insisted on sending a dozen watchmen to tail me.
Tch. It was never that easy.
Since they were watchmen sent by those hostile to the current Demon King, I couldn't pull any suspicious stunts. But then again, there was no reason to fret over them. I would simply act as I pleased. I fully intended to check on the Demon King's condition, after all.
And I wouldn't just watch from afar. I intended to ask him directly why he wasn't invading the human kingdoms. I suspected he had already announced the reasons quite publicly, but those people had a habit of blocking out anything they didn't want to hear. They were a handful, truly.
As for why I didn't already know the reasons for the public announcement? I simply wasn't interested. Hahaha. Perhaps I should try to take more of an interest in current affairs. I’d have to work on that.