"Wait, wait, wait a minute! This demon is coming closer—help!"
When she hugged me, I was terrified… but all she did was embrace me like a mother. Her snow-white, smooth chest felt like a pillow. With her eyes closed, she stroked my head gently.
Why is someone who looks like a demon being so kind to me?
If only I had a way to ask her.
Wait—what's this blue thing floating in front of me? It has Japanese writing on it!
"As the Demon King, you can use telepathy to speak to your people."
Huh? Demon King?
This has to be a joke. Me? A Demon King? No way!
I'll just call this blue thing a screen. It's now showing more messages:
"Passive skill 'Mastery of Magic' acquired."
"Dark Magic: Summon acquired. Required level: A."
"Fire Magic: Fireball acquired. Required level: A."
It keeps listing off new skills. So it really did give me magic, huh? But most of them I don't even understand. And the ones I do get... are pretty bad, even for a Demon King.
"Destruction Magic: Cruelty acquired. Required level: Unknown."
"You have been marked as a target by the Hero. The Hero can now distinguish your mana from all others."
Why am I marked by the Hero?! These spells look cool, but what's the point if the Hero's already after me?!
Is there any way to talk to that god again?
I tried touching the screen, but my hand passed through it like a hologram.
"Single-use spell Wisdom of the God acquired."
Alright, let's try it.
Do I activate it just by thinking about it? Or maybe I say it out loud?
"Wisdom of the God!"
God: "Ah, finally! You've obtained the ability to contact me, Tokito. Sorry, there was a bit of a mix-up when I reincarnated you."
Tokito: "A mix-up?! Why the hell am I a demon—and a king-level one at that?!"
God: "You were supposed to be the third Hero. But something unprecedented happened and, well… you ended up as the Demon King. I could reincarnate you again, but the other gods might not like that. So… best of luck in your new life! Oh, and one last thing: don't activate the spell 'Cruelty.'
Welp, bye!"
Wait—where are you going?!
That idiot god left me stuck in this body and just bailed!
Of all the things I could have become—why a Demon King?
I wanted to protect people, not rule over demons!
I guess I'll just have to figure things out from here.
I wonder what happened to that girl after I died… No, doesn't matter now. I can't go back anyway.
Let me try talking to the one beside me.
Tokito: "Hey, you—idiotic creature over there! Tell me where I am!"
Whoa, hold on! Was that my voice?
Why am I speaking like this? Please don't get mad and try to kill me, cool-looking demon lady!
Kortus: "At once, my King. You are in the region of Loropis—land of your late father. It is also the capital of the Demon Empire. As his son, you have inherited rare Demon King magic. If you accept the crown, the Viscounts will serve you. They are descendants of the First Demon King and each holds dominion over a region."
Tokito: "That's a decent explanation for someone who looks like a garbage bag. But who said you could just decide I'm your King?"
Kortus: "You are the son of the late Demon King, Jutem. When the Hero killed him, he entrusted everything to you."
Tokito: "So that weakling is dead, huh? Pathetic. I'll crush the Hero who killed him under my feet."
Ugh, why do I have to act like this? I want to talk normally, but my mouth keeps running on its own.
I check the screen again—
"Character Traits: Egoist, Masochist"
Wait… masochist?! I get the egoist part, sure—I am the Demon King now—but masochist?! I don't take pleasure in pain! I need to make that clear somehow!
Kortus: "Ah! Forgive me, my lord—I forgot to introduce myself. I am Kortus, former servant of the Demon King and sworn to serve you until your death by order of your mother, Victoria."
Tokito: "What use could a demon like you possibly be to me? How absurd."
Kortus: "I'm sorry, my lord. I'll go kill myself immediately."
Wha—!? I didn't say that!!
Now she's holding her fan to her neck like she's actually about to do it!
Why is she obeying me like this? Just because my mother ordered it?
I need to investigate why demons are so blindly obedient.
Tokito: "A being like you dying would be a waste. I command you not to kill yourself."
Kortus: "Oh! What kindness, my Demon King! I am truly grateful for your mercy!"
Tokito: "I don't usually sleep, but I'll rest to gather magical energy. Get rid of any trash that disturbs me."
Kortus: "At once, my lord!"
Now that I've grasped the situation, here comes the hard part.
I have no idea how to be a Demon King.
This screen must be altering my behavior so they don't realize I'm human—but how can I save people in this body?
Also, this body feels… weird.
It's so small. And I can talk to demons?
It's like I'm living inside a manga.
For the past three months, all I've done is sleep, wake up, drink milk, and go back to bed. Life had become unbelievably dull. But finally… I think I can start to relax a little.
In such a short time, I've managed to develop enough to stand on my own two feet. Now it's time to explore and figure out where the hell I actually am.
Alright, if I push off with both hands like this—yes! I did it! I'm standing!
My legs were shaking at first, but after a few moments, the trembling stopped. I can walk now. I can actually walk!
Kortus: "Ah! Demon King! It gladdens our hearts to see you on your feet. Where would you like to go?"
Tokito: "Do whatever you want. I'll do whatever I want."
Kortus: "You truly live up to the legends, my king. Such noble words befit the one destined to rule over us."
Tokito: "Enough flattery. Live however you please. You're weak—you'll die anyway."
…I'm a doctor. And I just said that.
Maybe I really have changed. Becoming a Demon King is warping my personality, even if my memories are still intact. My soul hasn't caught up yet.
They said they serve me, but how am I supposed to trust them? I don't even know what kind of race demons are. I guess things will become clearer as I grow.
When I stepped out of my room, every demon I passed bowed low at the sight of me.
I walked through them all and made my way to what looked like a massive library. But standing guard at the entrance was a demon with a long, ragged dress, unkempt hair, a thick dragon tail, and layered, scale-like growths covering her arms.
The moment I approached, she dropped to one knee and bowed her head.
Koloton: "My lord, are you certain you wish to enter this library?"
Tokito: "Do I need permission? Is it off-limits?"
Koloton: "Forgive me for asking. Please, enter freely. Guards, secure the entrance!"
Two large doors, each adorned with a bull's head, creaked open under the weight of my tiny arms. Even with this small body, I managed to push them open.
As I stepped into the room, I was greeted by another demon—part owl, part human—with long horns and a swaying tail. He knelt before me.
???: "Welcome, Your Majesty. This is the Grand Loropis Library, home to the finest knowledge in the Demon Kingdom."
I scanned the room, my eyes bouncing from one towering shelf to another.
Tokito: "Bring me every book about this world and this kingdom. Also—Kortus!"
Kortus: "Yes, my king?"
Tokito: "I want some white milk. Do we have any?"
Kortus: "I must advise against that, sire. White milk is poisonous to Demon Kings. Please allow me to fetch you some red milk instead."
Tokito: "Whatever. Just bring me something."
Kortus bowed, hand over heart, and disappeared somewhere out of sight.
I turned my attention back to the library. The place was pristine—not a single speck of dust. The books looked like works of art. I darted around the room, inspecting every shelf with childlike excitement.
Wow… This place is massive! The guardian seems a little shady, but I love it.
I pointed at every book I wanted with my index finger. Black-winged viscounts fluttered up to retrieve the high-shelved tomes and placed them on my desk.
The long-dressed demon picked me up gently, and for a brief moment, I felt… grown-up. Then she sat me on a chair and the illusion shattered.
I cracked open one of the thick books, letting my eyes skim the unfamiliar letters—
Ding!
"Translation Magic Activated."
What an amazing feature! Suddenly, I could understand everything. It was like the knowledge of an entire universe was being poured straight into my brain. Isekai is freaking awesome!
As I devoured the texts, the long-dressed woman returned and bowed slightly.
Koloton: "Do you intend to read all of them, my lord?"
Yeah, I do. But seriously, who the hell are you? You keep sneaking up on me and it's really annoying.
Tokito: "Knowledge is power. If I want to rule this world, I need it. Since you made it here, I suppose you're a decent enough piece of trash. You may introduce yourself."
Koloton: "I am Koloton Veldoria, leader of the Veldoria region. One of the kingdom's high-ranking viscounts. I wish to serve you."
So that's what a viscount is. According to one book, the first Demon King created the system, which later formed into a faction. Each viscount controls a region and commands an army.
Before chasing my goals, I need to understand this kingdom. I flipped through more pages, reading about wars and politics. My so-called "father" didn't write about our enemies, but I figured some of it out.
The last major war was between the elves and Viscount Fujih. My father joined that war, helped Fujih win, and defeated the enemy's top general. But after that… no one knows what happened to the enemy. Probably elves still hold a grudge.
Another book detailed the kingdom's borders—one with the Elf Forests, another with the Tafavu Empire, and the last with the Demi-Human Empire. We've fought the elves and Tafavu before, but there's no record of any conflict with the demi-humans.
That means… their border is the most mysterious one. Maybe they fear us?
Whatever the case, I can't lead this kingdom yet. I'm still too weak.
Koloton: "My lord, may I ask… why the sudden interest in ancient records?"
Tokito: "Would a low-born like you even understand?"
Koloton: "My apologies if I've spoken out of turn."
When I reached out and touched Koloton's hair with my tiny hand, she smiled.
Just then, the library doors creaked open again. Kortus returned with a bottle of red milk and began feeding me. He glared daggers at Koloton.
Kortus: "Viscount Koloton, you may return to the throne room."
Koloton: "I don't take orders from a mere servant, fool."
Tokito: "Enough noise. Shut your mouths."
The silence that followed was blissful. I drank my crimson milk in peace while Koloton sulked and left the room. Kortus stood stiffly beside me, hands clasped.
Once the bottle was empty, I resumed reading.
The next book was titled "Maou wa Shinda" — The Demon King is Dead.
It listed the fates of former Demon Kings.
Not much was written about them, except one thing: the word Hero appeared. None of the kings ever survived long enough to keep records themselves, so details were scarce. Only their appearance was known: long hair and flowing robes.
In another book, the first Demon King was said to be the only one who killed a Hero. No wonder the kings who followed were all weaker.
So how did the first Demon King die?
So many mysteries…
Also, where the hell is the classic Adventurer's Guild? Every isekai manga has one, but none of these books mention it. Maybe demons don't have guilds. I'll need to infiltrate the human world and find out.
Alright, time to move on—wait, I'm out of books?!
Koloton: "Don't you think our lord is so cool?"
Kortus: "A Demon King must always be cool. But watching him read with that tiny body… it's honestly adorable. I think I'm falling for him."
Koloton: "F-F-Falling?! Are you saying you're… in love with our lord?!"
Kortus: "Shhh! He'll hear you!"
Tokito: "You two piles of garbage—what are you whispering about over there?"
Kortus: "Just thinking about you, my lord."
Tokito: "Trash shouldn't worry about others. After all, I'm amazing."
I want to punch myself. Is there a mute button for this body?
Koloton: "My lord, in three years, the royal selection will begin. Are you excited?"
Huh?
I turned my focus to Koloton, gripping the folds of her robe with my tiny hands and staring up at her face.
Tokito: "You may explain in more detail."
Koloton: "As you wish. The truth is, your father's death has left the throne vacant. The viscounts are waiting for the next Demon King. If you can prove yourself worthy to all of them, the throne will be yours. However… General Guter will likely oppose you."
Tokito: "Can't you all just declare me king already?"
Koloton: "Unfortunately not. To have true authority, you must ascend the throne."
Tokito: "Ugh, how dull."
I don't know who this General Guter is, but claiming the throne won't be easy. I need to grow stronger. I need to find my mother. I need to learn the truth about my father.
If I become king, I can protect this kingdom—and blend in among humans to gather intel.
Perfect. The plan is set.
Time to get started.