The story continued with Yory and Maykiyoda in the adventurers' guild. Maykiyoda said, "To answer your question, I never cared about becoming the next king. I'm just a simple man who craves adventure."

Yory nodded, replying, "Me too. I wanted something fulfilling, not a life spent as a king."

Maykiyoda continued the conversation, remarking, "So, you're a merchant? That takes a lot of hard work and business smarts."

Yory smiled, responding, "And you’re an adventurer? That’s impressive, especially with your elven talents and magic."

Meanwhile, on the second floor, Joe exited the headmaster's office. At the same time, a demon was ascending the stairs, deep in thought. He muttered to himself, "These assholes! Where am I supposed to find money for this expensive gear? Maybe I can borrow from some merchants, but I’ll need to strike some convincing deals. Threatening them will help, but I'd better remember to repay them quickly. I can’t afford trouble with the guild or the royal guards if any of these merchants have connections."

As Yory left the guild, he returned to his cart and waited for Joe's return.

Back on the second floor, the demon who had reached the top noticed Joe and remarked, "He's a merchant from that cart with demonic script. He must have come from my kingdom. Given the long distance between here and there, he might be wealthy."

Joe walked towards the stairs, politely saying, "Excuse me, sir. Could you move out of the way?"

The demon named Jouvir responded, "Before that, let’s talk. I’m Jouvir, a demon, and I need a loan with a proper contract. It’s crucial for my business. What do you say?"

Joe replied sternly, "I don’t have the funds. My investments have left me broke, so I can’t help you. Besides, most people won’t deal with demons. You should try somewhere else."

Jouvir grabbed Joe's arm forcefully, threatening, "Listen to me, human. Let's create a contract, or I might not be so gentle with your fragile arm, understood?"

In a swift move, Joe punched Jouvir in the face, causing Jouvir to lose his grip. Joe then delivered a kick to Jouvir's stomach, sending him tumbling down the stairs to the ground floor.

Joe calmly descended the stairs and continued towards the exit. Jouvir, recovering, pushed Joe into the wooden doors, causing Joe's head to collide with them before falling to the ground. The adventurers present cheered, and one dwarf quipped, "Fight all you want, but keep it away from my drinks, you idiots."

Jouvir said: "That's good, the guild guards will not interfere but....," Jouvir couldn't finish his sentence because Joe grabbed his head and slammed it into the wall with a big impact, which made some adventurers cheer.

Joe left the guild, holding his head. Jouvir followed him while holding his busted head and shouted: "You bastard, humiliating me in front of those drunk assholes."

Joe went behind the carts that were sitting in front of the guild and disappeared. Jouvir said: "Awww, that hurts. Where is the bastard?"

He didn't finish his words because when he walked past the second row of carts, Joe hit him with a big rock in the back, and Jouvir fell to the ground. Joe said: "You son of a prostitute, leave me alone, or I will call the royal guards. I'd be happy to see a piece of shit like you dragged back to your kingdom without return."

Out of nowhere, a surge of ominous magical energy struck Joe, impacting both his stomach and face with such force that it sent him tumbling to the ground. As he struggled to stand, coughing and with his face smeared in his own blood, Jouvir uttered, "Demonic magic: qüdrətli təkan, ideal for cunning individuals like yourself."

Joe was trying to reach for something on his body while also trying to get up, but Jouvir was near him and kicked him in the stomach, saying: “At least when I bring you back to the guild, and the adventurers see you, they’ll know that messing with me is dangerous. Maybe some merchants will give me money without needing to pay it back if I scare them enough, hahaha.”

Joe was trying to talk but couldn't. Jouvir got close to him and said: "Can't talk? What's the pro........," Jouvir couldn't finish his sentence when suddenly Joe threw a small glass capsule filled with water at Jouvir's face, who started burning and screaming.

Joe got up and held the big rock he had used earlier and slammed it into Jouvir's face, which was burning and knocked him to the ground. Joe said with a serious face: "Holy water—a handy weapon against your kind. It won’t kill you, but it’ll stop you in your tracks. So, listen up: cross me again, and I’ll end your miserable life."

Joe continued walking while clutching his stomach, leaving Jouvir writhing in pain, holding his burnt face. Moments later, someone approached Jouvir, who was struggling to get up. He sensed the movement of this mysterious figure and shouted, "YOU USELESS SHIT!!! I WILL......" However, as Jouvir tried to strike the stranger, he suddenly froze, his eyes widening as they met Yory's face.

Jouvir was rendered speechless, and memories of the great war that had taken place 300 years ago, on the borders between the demon and Renolva's kingdoms, flooded back into his mind.

Back then, Jouvir had been a simple soldier, sleeping while seated on the ground, his back leaning against a large, shattered wall, likely part of a castle or some other structure. One of his comrades approached him, gently attempting to rouse Jouvir by touching his shoulder, saying, "Jouvir, my friend, it's time to wake up."

Startled, Jouvir awoke and rubbed his face with his hands before apologizing, "I'm sorry, Sefyris. I lost consciousness..."

Sefyris interrupted him reassuringly, "No problem, brother, but we have a big day ahead of us."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Sefyris helped Jouvir to his feet, and together, they joined the other soldiers making their way to the camp, where a multitude of troops, including special forces, had assembled. Jouvir commented, "There are so many people here. No wonder, given who's expected today."

Sefyris smiled and remarked, "I want to meet him too."

At that moment, the camp’s leader shouted, "SOLDIERS! STAND IN RESPECT FOR..." as Yory appeared, dressed in his battle-worn armour and flanked by two generals. The leader continued, "FOR THE DEMON KING YORANIOS GYOVANI!!!"

The soldiers shouted in unison, "OUR KING."

The soldiers rejoiced, especially Sefyris, who was on the verge of tears at the sight of their king's genuine concern for his soldiers and their sacrifices. Jouvir, for his part, was pleased that their king didn't arrive in extravagant royal attire and perfumes like some kind of elegant princess. The soldiers looked at Yory with reverence as he declared, "SOLDIERS!!! REST, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. WITH THE HELP OF DRAGONS, WE HAVE BALANCED THE TIDE OF WAR, AND I PROMISE, I WILL END IT!!!!!!"

The soldiers clapped their hands, cheered, and whistled, some wiping away tears of joy. Among them, Sefyris couldn't hold back his emotions. After greeting the soldiers, captains, and high-ranking officers, it was time for dinner. The camp had prepared a special feast for Yoranios. However, the camp's leader and the two generals began eating without waiting for Yoranios, followed by other high-ranking officers, who exchanged hushed words about the king's absence but remained silent, enjoying their meal.

At the same time, on the left side of the camp where the soldiers and low-ranking officers were enjoying their meal and sharing laughter, Jouvir turned to Sefyris and remarked, "That meat over there is good, but I've had my fill for tonight, and..."

Jouvir abruptly fell silent, and Sefyris, who had been looking at him, turned around in shock, along with nearby soldiers, as Yoranios approached them.

With his characteristic sly grin, Yoranios asked, "Mind if I join you, lads?"

Sefyris stammered, "DDD DDD DDD, King, hhhhhhhhh, he wants aaaaaaaaaaaaaa whatttttt!?"

Jouvir swiftly covered Sefyris's mouth and said, "Sorry, my King, my friend here is just a huge admirer of your person, as am I, being our King."

Yoranios responded, "No problem, lad. So, what's on the menu tonight? I've heard you lads have the finest chefs here, right?"

Sefyris, regaining his composure, said, "Yes, sir, the best food you'll ever taste..."

Jouvir interjected, "You fool, he's the King, so naturally, the best chefs in the country are here to serve him the absolute finest."

The chef quickly approached Jouvir and smacked him on the head, exclaiming, "You scoundrel!" Then, he turned to Yory with a respectful nod, smiled, and said politely, "My King, give me half an hour, and I'll have you contemplating promoting me to the castle to be your private chef."

Yoranios chuckled and replied, "I'm delighted to witness your culinary skills, chef. I'll wait." The rest of the soldiers continued their meal, while some stopped and waited to dine with their King, including Jouvir and Sefyris, who grabbed their chairs and joined Yoranios.

Sefyris asked Yoranios, "My King, if I may ask, what makes you so certain the war will end? Do you have a plan, or is it just confidence? Either way, I’m with you to the end."

Yoranios assured, "I will end the war. I will leverage all my allies and brave soldiers to push the humans back to their capital. But the details must remain confidential, lads."

Jouvir responded, "Of course, sir."

One of the soldiers raised his hand, and Yoranios nodded to him, so he stood and inquired, "I'm Soldier Demacia from the third team of magic forces. I'd like to ask how your closest ones reacted when you ascended to the throne of this kingdom?"

Yoranios contemplated for a moment and then answered, "That's a good question, and my response is that no one opposed it. At that moment, I realized that among my brothers and sisters, I was the only one capable of governing a kingdom, let alone managing it during a war like this. I hope that satisfies your curiosity, lad." The soldier nodded and resumed his seat.

Another soldier, a woman with short black hair and a scar over her left eye, stood up, nodded to Yoranios, and inquired, "I'm Officer Kina from the fifth team of close combat forces. I wanted to know why we haven't retaliated by burning their villages and killing humans as they have done to us?"

Yoranios regarded the female soldier thoughtfully and then replied, "The humans hold an ideological belief that we demons are inherently evil. This notion has been deeply ingrained in them for a long time. If we were to burn their villages and kill humans in return, it would likely trigger a rebellion. Then, we'd have to contend with humans on both the front lines and behind our backs. So, there are two options. What are your thoughts, Officer Kina?"

Officer Kina remained silent for a moment, deep in thought, then spoke, "My king, we could eliminate them and maintain our focus on the enemy ahead of us. That is my humble opinion, your highness."

Yoranios replied, "That would indeed be the logical military solution, but it would obliterate any hope of a peace treaty. However, if we spare the humans, disarm them, and cut their ties to Renolva kingdom, it would prevent them from rebelling. Furthermore, it would present us in a more favourable light to other kingdoms, demonstrating our commitment to peace, and the human leaders would be unable to hide or deny it."

Officer Kina remarked, "That would compel them to negotiate with us and formally declare peace with our kingdom. Is that your plan, my king?"

Yoranios, his expression serious, clarified, "I believe you may have misunderstood, Officer Kina. I do not intend to offer them peace; I intend to enforce it so that their queen will have no alternative but to announce it."

The soldiers fell silent, and those near Yoranios couldn't help but be somewhat unnerved by his imposing demeanour. Officer Kina nodded at Yoranios and returned to her seat.

Another soldier rose and said, "I am Soldier Todo from the first team of magic forces, if you don't mind, Your Highness, I'd like to ask why we should seek peace?"

Yoranios responded, "Another excellent question. You lads are quite perceptive," which prompted laughter from the soldiers and a sense of relief among those close to Yoranios.

Yoranios continued, "To answer your question, Soldier Todo, let's envision a scenario where we conquer Renolva kingdom, and defeat their queen and her champion. While it would allow us to regain lost resources and power from this war, Renolva would vanish, and our kingdom would expand. This radical change would unsettle neighbouring kingdoms, even if they didn't necessarily get along with Renolva. A demon kingdom replacing their former neighbour, particularly after its destruction, could lead to new conflicts with other kingdoms that feel threatened or wish to exploit our vulnerable state post-war. Therefore, the best course of action is to defeat Renolva's army and compel them to declare peace."

Soldier Todo nodded and returned to his seat. However, at this point, Jouvir abruptly rose from his chair, his face a mix of hope and sorrow, and asked, "My king, what if they refuse peace? Must we fight to the bitter end, Your Highness?"

The other soldiers were taken aback by Jouvir's emotional outburst towards their king, but Yoranios responded without irritation or disrespect, "The people will compel their queen to accept peace because humans cannot sustain perpetual warfare against us. They will revolt against their kingdom if the queen and her nobles insist on prolonging the war."

The soldiers, including Sefyris, were shocked as they watched Jouvir’s tears flow like rain. Bowing to Yoranios, still crying, Jouvir declared, "WE WILL FOLLOW YOU... TO THE END. OUR LIVES ARE DEVOTED TO SERVING YOU FOREVER... I SWEAR ON MY LIFE, I’LL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO BRING PEACE TO OUR KINGDOM, MY KING YORANIOS GYOVANI!"

The other soldiers and officers also bowed and shouted with unwavering determination, "WE FOLLOW YOU, OUR KING YORANIOS GYOVANI!"