#583 A Petite Demon King

I am Demon King Azar, standing atop the great demon race.

I’m 47 years old and tall as 14 jucinch leaves stacked on each other.

...I’m not a pipsqueak, okay?

I may be small in stature, but I have a big heart! That is the state of the Demon King Azar, ruler of the Nascent Demon Kingdom!

My kingdom is a great empire based on Spontina, an island in the middle of the ocean.

Although it is an isolated island, its total area is enough to house hundreds of thousands of people, so much so that it could almost be called a continent!

...That is, if the entire island could be utilized as a human settlement.

Most of the island is rugged and mountainous, unsuitable for housing and farming.

Our country has managed to survive by cultivating the few plains and growing crops.

Our ancestors, however, were prosperous.

They lived on a large continent, built massive fortresses, led an army of millions, and even ruled the world.

But that great empire disappeared 500 years ago.

The king of the time became unruly and invoked forbidden magic, eradicating the mighty Demon Kingdom from the world.

The few survivors who managed to survive the Great Collapse are our ancestors who escaped by crossing the sea and leaving the continent.

After many challenges, they landed here in Spontina, where they gradually expanded their settlement and became the prosperous people they are today.

We owe our existence to our ancestors who dared to venture out to sea. Otherwise, our race would have perished along with the collapse of the old Demon Kingdom.

We must be grateful for the past and celebrate the present.

But one day...

One of my mages hurriedly reported something to me.

He said the communication magic he was researching had picked up a signal of unknown origin.

It was quite an incomprehensible report, but if I were to summarize it...

It seems that there are demons living outside our island.

I was baffled.

Wasn’t the old Demon Kingdom destroyed by the Great Collapse, and my people and I were the only survivors?

I mobilized all the mages at my disposal to investigate, and what we found out was...

• There are people besides us.

• The demon race is anything but endangered.

• The old Demon Kingdom still stands.

History tells us that the Great Collapse completely destroyed the capital of the old Demon Kingdom when in fact, it is alive and well.

The remaining demons on the continent built a new capital at a remote location, where they continued to manage the nation smoothly.

“What a pleasant surprise...! I thought we were the only demons left in this world!”

“There are more reports I’d like to make, Your Majesty...” The mage continues, “Our investigation also revealed that there is a demon king on the continent, ruling over a country.”

“What?! You mean there’s a demon king like me out there?!”

“And it appears he is quite the benevolent lord, Your Majesty.” 

I don’t need that additional information!

If you go to the trouble of emphasizing that, it makes me look like a foolish ruler in contrast!

“With all due respect, Your Majesty, if you were indeed a benevolent ruler, you’d praise me for successfully executing your orders.” 

You’re really saying that yourself? It makes me less likely to praise you, you know that?

...However, the results of having gone into so much detail are evident. If I refrain from commending his efforts, the quality of my leadership will be questioned.

“Well... Great work, I guess?”

“Why the unsure tone, Your Majesty?”

“No, I genuinely think you did a fantastic job. It’s a ground-breaking achievement to have so quickly and thoroughly researched information about the outside world, which has remained completely unknown for 500 years since our nation’s founding.”

So much so that it makes me doubt it.

“How did you do it?”

“It’s simple, Your Majesty. We succeeded in making contact by further polishing the magic communication channel that led to our knowledge of the happenings in the outside world. Platy, the witch, was very attentive to every bit of information we needed.”

Hmmm.

“In fact, if we wanted, she would even bridge the gap between the leaders of the old Demon Kingdom on the continent and us. What do you say, Your Majesty?”

“Huh? You were able to make that much progress?”

My brain is having a hard time catching up with how fast things are escalating.

Hmm, what should we do?

We’ve never interacted with a foreign country since the founding of our nation. I feel anxious, not knowing what to do.

“I’d like to offer my opinion if Your Majesty doesn’t mind. I propose we converse with the Demon King on the continent.”

O-Oh, you think so?

“As Your Majesty is aware, the situation in our country gradually worsens day by day.”

You didn’t have to mention it blatantly!

After all, we are but a small nation on a solitary island with limited resources that can only support our people to a certain extent.

Five hundred years have passed since our founding.

With no severe crisis ever happening during that time, the population has steadily increased and is about to exceed the limit that the island can sustain.

At this rate, our nation will not be able to survive without thinning out the population.

Of course, I don’t want to do that.

As a king and a demon, the best I can do to solve the problem without abandoning our humanity is to send people searching for new land.

Unfortunately, that option is not exempt from the accusation of abandoning people to fend for themselves.

However, one of the things that we have studied to take every possible precaution to ensure the success of new land development is communication magic.

If we could keep in close contact regardless of physical distance, getting support from the home country would be easier.

Alas, this has led to some rather unexpected results...

“The old Demon Kingdom is located on a vast continent, so it should be able to afford to accept more people. I propose we negotiate with their king and find a way to resolve the problem, Your Majesty.”

“You’re right...!”

The mage has a point.

If the old Demon Kingdom takes on the population that can no longer be accommodated in our country, it will be much safer and more secure than taking the risk on a new place that may or may not be on the other side of the sea.

For this purpose, a king should meet with the other king and bow down to him.

But the thought of a Demon King like me bowing down to someone else...

“It doesn’t matter much, does it, Your Majesty? Your head has always been in a low place, to begin with, so no matter how much you bow...”

“Are you saying I’m small?!”

I am not small, do you hear?!

I am as tall as fourteen jucinch leaves, which is used to measure the length of something! If you stack them against one another, that is!

“Besides, if there’s anyone who should bow to the other, it should be them! I am the true Demon King who has inherited the rightful lineage from the old Demon Kingdom!”

“Um, our roots originated from their land, so doesn’t that argument make no sense, Your Majesty?”

“Oh, yes, it does!”

I am the rightful Demon King!

The one and only legitimate king!

That’s right, this shall be recorded in the official documents from now on!

The name of my country is the True Demon Kingdom!

A true Demon Kingdom with a rightful legacy!

And I am its true king!

All other kings are fake, including that king living on the continent!

That’s it! Send word to the fake Demon King from the continent!

I am above, and he is below me!

Tell them that we are the original demons and that they should submit to us!

“W-We’d be asking for war if we said such a thing, Your Majesty! We just managed to get a hold of someone from our race, so we should be on more cordial terms!”

“Bah! You'll be looked down on if you don’t come off as strong! That’s how diplomacy works!”

Not that I’ve done it before, but I bet that’s how it works!

I will open up a new future for the new Demon Kingdom, rather, True Demon Kingdom, in my own way!

* * *

A few dozen days have passed since then.

While I was busy with political affairs, a diplomatic team was formed to negotiate with the old Demon Kingdom.

It seems that they have reached a certain degree of consensus, so they have come to report to me.

“The old Demon Kingdom has made a proposal, and they have given us a chance whether or not to accept it, Your Majesty.”

“And what is it that they are proposing?”

“A friendly match, Your Majesty,” says the mage who had been hastily appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The old Demon Kingdom said that we know little about each other, having been separated for 500 years. 

Mutual understanding is essential for smooth negotiation, so they are planning to hold a match.

After all, communication is best done through fists!

“I see. It seems they haven’t lost touch with their sense of value if they deem strength the most important.” 

Very well.

Let’s select our nation’s elites and have them participate in this friendly match.

We will win all the battles, show them the difference in status, and tell to their faces that they should submit to us!

We’ll see who really is the true Demon Kingdom between us!