#507 The Most Exhausted Person

I am Lucife Focale, Prime Minister of the Demon Kingdom.

I have been serving the Demon Kingdom for fifty years now.

As such, I have served not only one generation of Demon King but several.

The current Demon King Zedan is the third king I’m serving in my lifetime.

I won’t be able to serve a fourth.

Old and gray, I don’t want to think of the end of the reign of the great and mighty Lord Zedan any sooner than my short life will be exhausted.

Thanks to His Majesty, I received the generous position of Prime Minister despite my incompetency.

Personally, I have risen to the highest possible rank, and I have no worries left in my life.

All that remains is to serve my nation for as long as I live...

* * *

Today, I’m very busy with my political duties as usual, but my schedule is about to be disrupted by the visit of a certain person.

“Yo.”

“Please leave.”

It’s the Great Demon King Baal, also known as the previous Demon King.

I was not yet the Prime Minister during his reign, but I still served him as an official, so I’m acquainted with him enough to be casual with him.

“You’re disturbing me. Please leave.”

“Aren’t you being a little too casual?!”

Unlike you, who have retired, I am swamped with work.

I am the prime minister, and I am, so to speak, the key figure in the internal affairs of the Demon Kingdom.

I have to handle the financial, legal, religious, and personnel affairs and assist the Demon King.

To be honest, I am extremely busy.

I don’t have time to be involved with a retired king.

“No need to be so cold... You and I fought through the war together. You were the Minister of Finance when I was reigning as the Demon King. Nonetheless, you worked very hard...!”

Yes, that I did.

As the Minister of Finance at that time, I can’t tell you how hard I worked to secure financial resources for Lord Baal, who was constantly squandering money on art.

“People back then used to say that if it weren’t for you, the Demon Kingdom would’ve gone into economic collapse. They worshipped you like a patriotic hero. It was in recognition of these achievements that Zedan made you Prime Minister in his place, wasn’t it?”

“Don’t you realize why we were on the verge of financial ruin in the first place...?!”

It’s because you spend money as if we have an inexhaustible supply of it!

You charge exorbitant prices for bizarre paintings!

You hold expositions and art competitions every day of the week!

And yet, you continue to wage war against the human race at the same time!

I’m surprised the National Treasury managed to keep it together!

And after the change of government, I was chosen as Prime Minister because the new king, Lord Zedan, appreciated how I had handled things at that time. I also supported his candidacy with all my might as one of the people who thought having the fool Baal as our ruler any longer equal to the Demon Kingdom’s downfall. 

Because of the debt of gratitude Lord Zedan felt at the time, he made me his prime minister. 

But that also means I have a heavier burden to bear, though.

When I was Minister of Finance, I only had to look after the financial affairs. Now that I am Prime Minister, I am in charge of all the domestic affairs of the Demon Kingdom.

Again, this only means more work for me.

To begin with, the Heavenly Four is in charge of military and foreign affairs. I work hand-in-hand with them.

As the two wheels supporting the Demon Kingdom, we have a great deal of responsibility, and our workload is not to be taken lightly. 

During Lord Zedan’s reign, he was able to eliminate the war expenses that had burdened the nation for hundreds of years by destroying our sworn enemy—the Human Kingdom.

I thought this would make things a little easier on me, but then came the burden of governing the Human Kingdom that had come under our nation’s rule.

I’ve only governed the Demon Kingdom until now, but now I’m suddenly asked to rule another.

My burden has doubled by simple calculation once again.

Before the fall of the Human Kingdom, the royal family had been running the country profligately, and its finances were in dire straits.

The parliamentary officials of the Occupation Office could not handle the situation, so a request for assistance was sent to the home country, and I ended up having to take the financial reconstruction myself—even more burden.

With that, it’s safe to say that I am busier than ever in my 50 years as a government official.

“I have no time to entertain you. If you want a playmate, you can ask any painter or sculptor you sponsor. Please don’t involve me in any of your fancies anymore.”

“I’m worried about you. You’ve always been a workaholic since my reign. If you keep getting busier and busier as time passes, you’ll burn out one day.”

“I think you were the main cause of my busyness when you were in the office, though?!”

Then again, busyness after the replacement and Lord Zedan’s reign is not his fault.

If we compare the current generation with the previous one, the former is definitely busier.

However, this is due to the extensive reforms by Lord Zedan, so at least there is a sense of fulfillment that makes up for the dizzying busyness.

Suppose the reconciliation between the Demon Kingdom and the former Human Kingdom is made complete, and an all-encompassing new system is established. In that case, world peace will continue for several hundred years.

As a politician, there is no more rewarding task than this.

“I, therefore, feel more fulfilled every day than ever when I was serving you. I want to put all this passion into building the foundation of the new Demon Kingdom, which has swallowed up the Human Kingdom!”

“You’ve always been a serious person, but you’re much more outstanding now.”

It somewhat pisses me off when the Great Demon King gives me a dumbfounded look.

“It’s good to be passionate, but if you go overboard and strain yourself, you might end up abandoning your dream midway. If that happens, you won’t let yourself die in peace, will you? You’ll escape Thanatos’ scythe out of regret and become a spirit clinging to this world.”

“That’s...!”

I hate it when the Great Demon King lectures me with facts.

“Taking care of yourself is an important part of your duties. I suggest you take a break from politics for a while and get some rest. It will help you work longer.”

“But aren’t I older than you?”

I don’t intend to work for very long anyway, but I must take care of my health in order to do a satisfactory job.

“Is it essential to stop once in a while and relax my body...?”

I find it offensive that he pointed this out to me, and now I’m going to have to put it into practice.

“Yes, it is! In that case, let me introduce you to the best place where you can get rid of all your fatigue in no time!”

“Even if I do want to take a break, why do I have to go to the place you’ll recommend?”

I am not a child. I want to decide for myself how to spend my holidays.

“Don’t say that. It’s actually a fun place that was recently established. I want to go, but they won’t let me unless I’m really tired.”

“Okay, and?”

“I thought I could go in if you were with me.”

“You...!”

I was wondering why he thought of visiting me, but that’s what he wanted all along!

Don’t use the Prime Minister of the Demon Kingdom to your own advantage!

“I have permission from Zedan as well.”

“From His Majesty?”

“He is also concerned about you in his own way. At the moment, you alone are supporting the internal affairs of the Demon Kingdom, and it is because of your support that he was able to become the Demon King. Zedan feels indebted to you. He even said that he considers you more of a father than me.”

“You’re really saying that last part?”

Doesn’t it make you sad to hear yourself say that as his biological father?

...But I had no idea Lord Zedan cared about me that much.

A benevolent ruler like him is hard to come across in one’s life.

My greatest happiness as a domestic officer is that I can serve such a wise man in my later years.

“Don’t you also find it a blessing that you got to serve me in my active years?”

“...Sure.”

If Lord Zedan is so kind as to care for someone like me, it would be disrespectful to let him down.

I’m going to follow His Majesty’s advice and relax.

“Woohoo! Now, I can go to the hot spring inn with you! What a good and hard-working subject Zedan has!”

Why do we have to go together?

Wait, where did you say we’re going?

“To a new facility that Lord Saint has built! It’s called a hot spring ryokan; I’m sure it’s a fun place! Let’s enjoy it together!”

Why should I spend my occasional vacation with you?

But a certain name piques my interest.

The saint’s hot spring ryokan?

What on earth is that?