Kidnapped Princess C28

Chapter 28 

I cut into the steak and placed a piece in my mouth. The flavor was perfect—the juices, the sear, everything. It was made just for me.

“As expected, Luminas knows me well. It’s delicious.”

Unlike other demons who preferred their meat practically dripping with blood, I preferred mine medium. The steak was grilled to perfection, and the accompanying vegetables were a thoughtful touch. I wasn’t like those demons who ate meat day and night; I could appreciate vegetables too.

“I took notes, you know. All those trials and errors were worth it.”

Luminas said that with a proud look. After I gave my review, she finally began to eat her own meal.

But then—

I glanced at the food before her: a simple salad and a sandwich. That was all. I couldn’t help feeling concerned.

She trained every morning; wasn’t that too little food? She’d get hungry later for sure. Wait—don’t tell me… she said she didn’t want to grow any taller, so now she’s cutting back on food?

It sounded absurd, but Luminas was stubborn in unexpected ways. Now that I thought about it, she’d been eating less lately. She never skipped meals, but the portions were too small for how active she was.

While I was quietly worrying about her diet, Luminas spoke up.

“Demon King, are you busy again today?”

“Yeah. They say the Hero’s party broke through the forest.”

“How pathetic. Isn’t that barely even setting foot in demon territory? The forest is a labyrinth that weeds out the weak. Even if that so-called Hero got lucky and made it through, he’s still no match for you.”

“Obviously!”

That came from Elvin, who sat beside us muttering that the Hero was nothing to fear. To him, the Hero was just a human who happened to find a holy sword by chance—nothing more.

“Why don’t we just wipe them all out? You’ve been overworking because of humans. You look tired, you know.”

“That’s an excellent idea!”

Sometimes, those two really got along too well.

Wiping out humans altogether though… Luminas, that’s your own species. Well, not exactly your humans, but still.

Maybe it wasn’t her teachers who were the problem—maybe it was me. How did Luminas come to hate humans this much? Then again, maybe she had a reason.

She’d seen me struggling because of them more than once.

“Luminas, I’ve said this before—humans are necessary to demons. We just need to humor them a bit until they give up on their own.”

If it hadn’t been for that Hero’s party, this war would’ve ended long ago. The human armies that invaded demon territory claiming to “rescue the princess” had perished either from the harsh environment or at the claws of monsters. The Hero’s party had only made progress by cutting through those beasts—and that wasn’t an easy feat.

There were no monsters in the human realm, so they had no experience with them. In short, the humans had no idea what they were walking into. They’d avoided these lands for centuries because no one who entered ever came back alive.

“I wish they’d just realize how pointless it is and stop. Some humans have even started questioning why we’re at war at all.”

“The royal palace keeps saying demons are attacking humans, but there haven’t been any real incidents. They haven’t even shared the full details of the prophecy.”

Humans claimed I kidnapped the princess and demanded their territory for my “world domination plan,” but I’d never said anything like that. And I’d never invaded the human realm—well, okay, except for the kidnapping part.

Even if the royal palace revealed the real prophecy now, it wouldn’t change much. I never intended to conquer the world anyway.

“They’re just bringing about their own destruction. Humans really are foolish creatures.”

Luminas’s cold, mocking smile startled me. For a moment, I wondered—did she even remember she was human herself?

“Demon King, why not just kill the Hero? You could leave the others alone, but no one would complain if the Hero died.”

“The Hero, huh… I’ve heard troubling rumors about him lately.”

I remembered the small boy I had once seen when I went to retrieve Luminas—the same one who had wielded the holy sword. Rumor had it he could now freely control the blue flames that burned evil itself. Even the Demon Castle had grown tense hearing that.

And there was now also a Saint traveling with him. Ever since the Hero’s party was formed, reports of damage had increased dramatically.

I tapped the table lightly. The gods were still silent. Ever since that prophecy, there had been no word from them. Sometimes they’d disappear for years, but with things spiraling like this, I worried something had gone wrong.

Not that the gods cared. What worried me more was the chaos their absence caused for me.

If only that damn god had delivered the prophecy correctly—or at least admitted it was wrong—none of this would’ve happened.

“If anything happens to you, Demon King, the entire Demon Realm will be thrown into turmoil!”

Elvin was practically trembling. Even after surviving the battle with Halstel three hundred years ago, I couldn’t deny that the Hero was a dangerous opponent.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Excellent decision!”

Elvin’s face brightened instantly.

I didn’t agree with exterminating humanity, but killing one dangerous individual? That was fine. My goal was coexistence, not unconditional mercy.

If I were that saintly, I wouldn’t have killed humans in battle. When they bared their fangs first, there was no reason to spare them. Killing them in war wasn’t something I lost sleep over.

Still, if we killed every human like Elvin suggested, that would cause problems too. Some demons might use the chaos to harvest human souls, and desperate humans could do who knows what in retaliation.

That had happened before—demons caught consuming human souls, and long ago, humans driven to madness had sent enslaved elves and beastfolk to die in their place.

Fortunately, such horrors hadn’t occurred this time. There simply weren’t enough elves or beastfolk left. Most had migrated to the Demon Realm. Still, thinking about it left a bitter taste in my mouth.

“Luminas, shouldn’t you eat a bit more?”

I changed the subject to what had been bothering me from the start—her tiny meal. Luminas shook her head.

She said she wasn’t hungry.

“You’re still growing. You need to eat plenty. Around your age, everyone else eats like a dragon.”

“I guess I’m just different. I don’t have much of an appetite lately.”

“I see… well, forcing yourself isn’t good either.”

But not eating enough wasn’t good either. She smiled innocently, and I forced myself to smile back.

“So, what will you do today?”

“I’ll visit Nyx. The Hero could make it here soon. I know you’d never lose, Demon King, but still, I want to help. I need to get stronger.”

She said it with a bright smile. Elvin, standing beside us, paled instantly. He tried to hide it, but his eyes betrayed fear.

He still called her “a mere human,” but every morning, that same “mere human” crushed him during sparring practice.

Luminas was already strong enough. In this castle, no one could stand against her—except me.

Even Elvin, the Demon Realm’s second-in-command, had been subdued by her more than once.

Nyx claimed he had nothing left to teach her, yet Luminas continued pestering him for lessons. He’d begged me to intervene, nearly in tears.

“You’re already strong enough.”

I hadn’t seen the grown Hero yet, but I was certain he couldn’t rival Luminas.

“At this point, you’d be promoted straight to a High Priest if you lived in the human realm. You’re beautiful and strong. Truly amazing.”

Luminas’s cheeks dimpled as she smiled.

“I’ll become even greater—great enough to stand beside you, Demon King.”

I already thought she was more than great enough. No matter how I said it, she wouldn’t be satisfied.

“Hard work is good, but don’t push yourself too much.”

“Yes. I won’t make you worry.”

She said it sweetly—but her actions never quite matched her words.

“Has Lenya still not returned?”

In the past, Lenya always reported whenever something happened. But lately, she’d been away more often than not. The recent influx of beastfolk and elves migrating from the human realm to the Demon Realm had kept her busy.

Humans had long persecuted other races, enslaving them. Some beastfolk and elves had sought protection under demons. Now, their numbers were growing rapidly.

Ever since the Hero appeared and began wielding the holy sword, humans had developed a twisted pride as “God’s chosen race.” Their persecution of other species had only intensified.

And at the center of it all—was the Hero.

The Hero was a hero for humans. He fought for them, lived for them, and cared for nothing else. His “justice” didn’t include the elves or beastfolk.

Though he was now on his way through the forest toward the Demon Castle, he had already destroyed countless beastfolk and elven settlements to “expand human territory” and “eliminate impurity.”

That was when an unexpected message came through.

“Looks like she’s been busy. But I never thought they would contact us first.”