#395 Expo Attendees: Part 3

My name is Luciferago, the eldest son and supposed heir to the throne.

That didn’t happen because my youngest brother, Zedan, staged a coup.

He, who had always been a man of good character, was said to be a great general on the battlefield and a great prime minister in domestic affairs. I, too, had high hopes for him.

I jokingly thought to myself, “He might as well be the next Demon King,” but I wasn’t expecting it to actually happen...!

Even most of my retainers turned to his side.

They said Zedan was more suitable to be the Demon King than me, the crown prince.

Because, like my father, I loved culture and promoted fine arts. I held balls every day to not be outdone by my father and hired various artists and writers in our reception room.

But it seems that was considered squandering to them.

They feared our nation’s doom if I became king.

And so, they let Zedan, the most capable of my younger brothers, rise to power.

They’re overreacting. I only spent half of our national budget!

But when I told that to their faces, I was severely criticized.

Hence, I am now living a modest life as a feudal lord instead of the Demon King I should have been.

I should be thankful that I’m still alive because a prince who loses in a power struggle is meant to be killed.

However, the territory is managed by a magistrate, and I have no control over it.

It’s like they’re telling me they’re letting me live out of pity, so I should just spend my remaining days peacefully till I die a natural death.

I thought that if I lived, the situation would change for the better, and I might have a comeback, but we’re talking about a competent Zedan here.

I thought it might be a good chance for me to rally due to his disappearance or something, but no.

He returned to the scene in a blitz, wiping out all the frivolous people who took advantage of the opportunity.

The remaining rebels, which he couldn’t eliminate during his initial reign, were eradicated thoroughly.

Immediately after that, the Human Kingdom collapsed and thus ended the Human-Demon War.

Having accomplished a feat no previous Demon King had been able to accomplish, Zedan’s system was now firmly in place.

He had successfully married and had an heir, so he had no more openings.

It’s over.

Amidst my desperation when I realized that my obscure lifestyle would last forever, I received a letter from Zedan.

I was super scared.

Why wouldn’t I be? It’s a letter from my brother, who achieved complete supremacy as the Demon King.

It’ll come to me as no shock if he wrote there’s no reason to keep me alive any longer, so they’ll send me to the grave.

Alas, there is no poison bottle included in the package. 

I open and read it with trepidation...

“You are invited,” is what’s written in it.

“We’re hosting an expo. I remembered you were very fond of such events, so I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to the capital and rekindle our brotherly relations.”

Is he joking?!

I was forced into the depths of the countryside and made into a titular feudal lord.

Does he think he can just summon me on a whim, and I’ll obediently comply?!

I have the pride of a man who was once the crown prince, a man who was supposed to be the Demon King!

I will butter up to no victor even after my loss!

...I’m not afraid of being captured and executed or anything of the sort as soon as I arrive at the capital. 

Sorry, that’s a lie. That’s actually what I fear most!

Out of pride and fear, I ignored my brother’s letter.

Sometime later, I received a letter from my father as well.

He wrote, “My dear son, I heard you have not responded to your brother’s request. Have you perhaps grown so weak that you cannot even hold a plume? I am worried about you. I would also like to see my beloved son after a long time, so I hope you’ll come. You really love expos, don’t you? When you were the crown prince, you even hosted expos for 17 months in a row.”

Father must be an old retired man now that Zedan has taken away all his power.

It wouldn’t be surprising if he was ordered to take part in luring me out.

As the eldest son, Father loved me most. He pampered me so much that he branded me as an unfit successor.

I won’t go to the capital, even if my beloved father asks me to!

So, I rejected all invitations and stayed in my territory...

But then, he came!

***

“Who are you to ignore them when told to come?”

I am Luciferago, the former first candidate for the next Demon King.

I have a broken holy sword at my throat.

“Do you think you have the right to refuse His Majesty’s request? If so, you’re being outrageously presumptuous. So much so that you’re not worth keeping alive.”

“E-Eep...!”

“I can’t believe you made me come all the way up here to the mountains. You know I find this kind of stuff annoying, don’t you? Are you trying to pick a fight by making me go through all this trouble?!”

“N-No! Absolutely not!”

This man would’ve been the Demon King if times had been better—Belphgamilia.

I think he’s part of the Heavenly Four right now...

“Didn’t I tell you when you were exiled from the capital that it was His Majesty’s mercy to keep you alive, so you must be grateful to him every day? Then why are you ignoring his letter? Have you become so dumb you can’t even read?”

“No, but... You also told me that if I ever set foot in the capital again, I wouldn’t live to see another day!”

“His Majesty’s order takes precedence over such things. You’re incompetent to fail to make that level of judgment, so you deserve to be exiled like this.”

“I’m sorry!!!”

“Well, I guess I’m responsible for not doing something about it, even though I knew how foolish you are. I had no choice but to deal with the hassle and come over. Now choose. Either you die here and now, or you go to the capital and be executed in front of His Majesty.”

“Doesn’t that mean I’m going to die either way?!”

What horror.

The most fearsome person in the new kingdom, represented by Zedan, is Belphgamillia.

On the surface, he acts like a lazy, useless person. But behind the scenes, he is willing to do whatever it takes to get rid of anyone in his way.

The reason why naïve Zedan is somehow able to serve as the Demon King is Belphgamillia’s role as a brute behind the scenes.

I know this best because I was their political enemy.

If Zedan hadn’t stopped him, Belphgamillia would have killed all my brothers and relatives who had a shot at the throne.

After that, he still threatened to kill me if I showed even the slightest suspicious behavior.

It also scares me that some of my brothers, who ignored the threat and complained about it, were never heard from again.

Zedan wraps them up with benevolence, while Belphgamillia corners them with austerity.

It is through their compatibility that the current regime is firmly established.

“Then let us go. I don’t have time to waste on scum like you, and neither does His Majesty.”

“Okay...”

Thus, I went to the capital I thought I’d never be able to see again.

***

When we got there, I was unexpectedly greeted warmly.

“Brother! Thank you for coming!”

And from the Demon King himself.

My youngest brother, Zedan, holds out his arms and embraces me.

“We were worried when you didn’t respond to our letters! I didn’t expect you to actually come personally.”

“Well... I live in the mountains, so communication can be quite inconvenient...!”

Belphgamillia is still keeping watch on me from among the audience, so I must interact with my brother not as a royal relative but as a retainer.

Otherwise, I’d be losing my life.

“I am truly honored a retainer like me was invited by Your Majesty...”

“Of course! You’re my brother!”

“It is by Your Majesty’s mercy that I have lived, even though my head was beelined for the guillotine. I have no choice but to repay this favor with my loyalty.”

This is the right response, right?

He won’t kill me, will he? 

I glance back and see Belphgamillia nodding.

Yes!

“Well then, let’s go to the expo. Don’t you adore expos, brother? Belphgamillia can also come with us. Let the three brothers enjoy themselves to their heart’s content today!”

“It’s a hassle, but I’ll come along.”

Zedan said it so casually, but...

Belphgamillia’s true identity is one of the many children born to various women by our father, Baal.

His mother was a maid of low status, so he had no right to inherit the throne and was not recognized. But when he showed his capabilities, Zedan took him into his service.

Perhaps because of his background, he’s strict with the Demon King’s family other than Zedan.

For some reason, Zedan is the only one who receives special treatment, and it is because he responded to the officer’s request that he rose to the throne.

In response to his achievements, Zedan publicly adopted him, a commoner, into the inheritance of the Corrupted-Holy Sword Viergelb and made him a member of the Heavenly Four.

Even though it wasn’t officially recognized, it was a procedure that could only be done by those related to the Demon King’s family.

In any case, as long as Belphgamillia is around, Zedan’s position as king would be secure.

***

Putting that aside...

The expo is fun!

Super fun!!!