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Reincarnation as a Great Demon Lord - Chapter 15

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Chapter 15 : The Great Demon Lord’s Confusion

After a fierce battle, we finally succeeded in curing the Red-Scaled King’s Ancestral Regression.
We tore out the Crimson Radiant Heart—a gemstone brimming with immense mana—and purged the excess pure energy and the curse that had caused his descent.
The Red-Scaled King returned to his original form.

The mission was a success.
We saved the Red-Scaled King and, at the same time, secured the Crimson Radiant Heart—soon to become the new power source of the Demon Lord’s Castle.
For my first campaign as the Great Demon Lord, I’d say that was a flawless victory.

My only concern now was the Red-Scaled King’s condition.
He’d been unconscious ever since the battle. Even after we carried him back to the dragonkin village, half a day passed with no sign of him waking.
Considering he had been trapped in that berserk state for years, it wouldn’t be strange if he slept for several days—but still, it didn’t feel like true victory while he remained asleep.

We couldn’t transport the Crimson Radiant Heart to the castle yet either.
It was the dragonkin’s most sacred treasure, and taking it without the permission of their chieftain—the Red-Scaled King himself—would be asking for trouble.
His daughter and proxy, Eaglet, was one of my knights and unlikely to object, but I chose to move carefully nonetheless.

This dragonkin village was the first land I had brought under my rule—the foundation of my Great Demon Lord Army.
I wanted to govern it not through fear, but through trust—earning the people’s consent before taking full control.
A kingdom built on unstable ground collapses easily.
That’s why I planned to secure the base first… or so I thought.

“—My deepest apologies!”

The next morning, the Red-Scaled King awoke—and those were the first words out of his mouth.
Though he’d only just regained consciousness, he was already kneeling on his bedding, forehead pressed to the floor in a dogeza-like bow. His mind seemed perfectly clear.

Now that I was seeing him up close again, I couldn’t help but be impressed.
Even weakened, he was a towering figure—well over two meters tall, his shoulders spilling beyond the edge of the futon.
A warrior born of power and dignity—truly a man worthy of the title Red-Scaled King.

Yes, a giant like him would make for a perfect general in my Great Demon Lord Army.
Two generations—the father and daughter—serving me, alongside even their former lord, the previous Demon King himself. A bloodline of loyalty squared. My strategist’s heart sang.

The Red-Scaled King, Golwyn, was a man of integrity—a subordinate I could trust.
In the original story, he had even befriended a human general, and after that friend’s death, he kept his word to safely return the man’s subordinates to the human realm, despite the Demon Lord and his peers’ objections.
That kind of honor… I liked it.
Such men can be difficult to manage, but if I can’t handle that much, I’ve no business calling myself the final boss.

“What is the meaning of this apology, Red-Scaled King?”

“Your Majesty… I once served the late Demon King Curseleia. My clan has served the Demon Kings for generations. Therefore, it is my duty to serve You as well—the Demon King of this age.

And yet… I have caused You such trouble. Worse, I forced You to intervene personally to save my life. I am deeply ashamed!”

As he pressed his head to the floor, Eaglet and the other dragonkin followed suit.

…This was awkward.
If I were a typical Demon Lord, perhaps I’d feel pleased at such groveling—but honestly, I’d only saved him for my own ends. This display just made me uncomfortable.

Still… “served the Demon Kings for generations,” huh?
In the original game, Golwyn hadn’t been one of Demon King Gaiserius’s subordinates.
That muscle-brained fool must have simply failed to save him once he’d turned into a dragon.
Which means, once again, I am the superior Demon Lord.

“I forgive you. Raise your heads, Red-Scaled King—and the rest of you as well.

What I seek is not apologies, but loyalty.
If you wish to atone, then do so through your service.”

“S-such gracious words…!”

They raised their heads, yet somehow looked even more reverent than before.
Apparently, now that their king was safe and they’d had a moment to breathe, the dragonkin were finally realizing just how great I truly was.

…Well, I suppose this counts as majesty.
Being feared and respected suits a Demon Lord, after all.

“Now then, Red-Scaled King. I am in the process of rebuilding—no, of forging anew—the Great Demon Lord Army.

I came to this village seeking your cooperation. Will you lend me your strength?”

“Of course, Your Majesty! I, Golwyn the Red-Scaled King, shall serve You with all that I am!”

He immediately straightened and dropped to one knee in salute—but halfway through, he swayed, his body failing him. Eaglet darted forward to catch him.

“Father! Don’t push yourself!”

“Nonsense! A knight must never neglect courtesy!”

Supported by his daughter, Golwyn somehow managed to hold his posture, though even that simple act left him trembling and breathless.
…This wouldn’t do. In his current state, I couldn’t rely on him as a fighting force.
Pushing him too soon might cost me one of my most valuable assets.

“Red-Scaled King. I understand your resolve. I can see it clearly—in your daughter, Eaglet.”

“Your Majesty honors me! My daughter is still inexperienced, but I have trained her as a knight since childhood. She will surely serve You well!”

When I praised his daughter, his stern expression softened slightly.
Her recruitment had been an unexpected boon—strong, loyal, and full of promise.
For now, that was enough.

“Good. I expect her to serve with all her might as my knight.

Therefore, Red-Scaled King—I have a command for you.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“I entrust you with the defense of the Azure Flame Mountains. This land shall serve as the base of my Great Demon Lord Army. I leave its protection to you.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty. I humbly accept.”

For a moment, frustration flashed across his face—but he quickly masked it. Truly the image of a loyal knight, swallowing his pride before his liege.
Still, unspoken resentment can fester. Best to address it now.

“Do not fret. My army will grow soon enough.
When that time comes, a warrior of your caliber will be indispensable.

For now, focus on recovering and guarding your homeland.
While you heal, your daughter will serve as my shield.”

“…Such gracious words! Eaglet, you must serve His Majesty with all your heart!”

“Yes, Father! My life—and my honor—belong entirely to His Majesty!”

…Honor, huh? The word she used could just as easily mean chastity, but… I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. No one else reacted, so it’s probably fine. Probably.

With that, half my purpose here was achieved. Now, onto the other half.

“Now then, Red-Scaled King—about the Crimson Radiant Heart.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. My daughter has already explained everything. Though it is our clan’s treasure, please, use it to fuel Your campaign.”

“Oh—thank you. I’ll make good use of it.”

That went smoother than expected. I’d half expected resistance, given its sacred status, but apparently my worries were misplaced.

“Your Majesty,” Eaglet spoke up, stepping forward. “The Dragonkin have always sworn loyalty to the Demon Kings. In return, we were granted the right to safeguard the Crimson Radiant Heart as our ancestral treasure. But now…”

Her eyes shone with pride, joy, and deep respect.
Ahh, it feels good to be admired by one’s subordinates.
A final boss may be evil, but that doesn’t mean they lack charisma.
In fact, perhaps true darkness is what most fascinates others’ hearts.

Incidentally, when all the Dragonkin—including the Red-Scaled King—swore loyalty to me, I didn’t seem to gain any new Traits. The familiar chime rang several times, but aside from Eaglet’s Radiant Dragon Scales, nothing new appeared.
Apparently, my Unique Trait, Crown of the Abyss – Anra Zukal Nine, can only inherit one characteristic per race.

Honestly, I prefer it that way.
A clean stat sheet looks far more dignified on a final boss than one bloated with redundant skills.

“You are unlike any Demon Lord before you,” Eaglet said. “You do not flaunt your strength in vain, but think for the sake of all demonkind—and you even saved our people. My father and I both believe that you are the true King our race has long awaited.”

“Indeed. For I am not merely a Demon Lord—but a Great Demon Lord.”

“Yes, Your Majesty the Great Demon Lord. That is why we offer you the Crimson Radiant Heart. It holds not only power, but the souls of our ancestors—our very life itself. Please, make use of it.”

Wait—hold on a second.
Did she just say the souls of their ancestors?

So it’s basically their family grave… and they’re handing it over to me?
That’s… heavy. Way too heavy!

And Arcelia definitely knew and didn’t tell me.
That woman’s evil in all the wrong ways.

No—calm down.
This is proof of how deeply they trust me. A true final boss must accept that trust and turn it into strength!

“…Very well. I, the Great Demon Lord, accept the resolve of the Dragonkin. I swear this—I will use your power to save the Demon Realm itself!”

I ended with a rousing declaration.
The Dragonkin erupted in cheers, raising their fists high. Their faces shone with joy—their eyes brimming with hope.

Yes… this was victory.
The pure, overwhelming joy I’d never tasted during my short-lived political triumph—
This time, I could savor it.

That night, the village held a grand feast.
The lands once ravaged by the rampaging dragon were already recovering, and the supply lines were stabilizing.

But the Great Demon Lord’s Army had no time to rest.
First, we transported the Crimson Radiant Heart to the castle and ran synchronization tests with the power core.

It was nerve-wracking.
Arcelia—the so-called “Mad Scientist of Evil”—completely ignored the fact that the Heart contained the souls of the Dragonkin. She kept muttering things like, “This corner’s in the way,” and tried to grind it off.
I had to stop her every single time.

Truly, she’s terrifying.
But her utter disregard for ethics in pursuit of progress makes her a perfect evil scientist—and a treasure for my army.
I honestly can’t wait to see what kind of disaster she creates next. A self-replicating bio-weapon, perhaps? I’d welcome it.

Fortunately, the activation experiment using the Crimson Radiant Heart was a complete success.
Its high-purity mana was harmful to living beings but ideal as an energy source.
Thanks to that, the Demon Lord’s Castle could now operate even without me on the throne.

Ninety percent of its systems were still offline, but regaining functionality was a huge step forward.
Once we secured the materials and manpower, full restoration was only a matter of time.

Thus, the Dragonkin village mission was complete.
The Red-Scaled King couldn’t yet serve in battle, but I’d gained Eaglet instead.
In terms of power, our army hadn’t just doubled—it had grown tenfold.

Our next goal: securing the resources to restore the castle.
Our next target: the Fortress City of Vilaira, one of the Demon Realm’s greatest mining hubs—
A city that had long ago fallen into the hands of the Human Alliance that once defeated the Demon Lord’s Army.

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