Bonus Short Story

From Demon Lord to Demon Lord

My dear friend Gomoviroa,

I am writing this letter to you on the eve of my duel with the Hero. There are a number of things I wish to speak to you about regarding the future of the demon army. This will be a rather long-winded letter, but please bear with me.

All organizations are created with a goal in mind. This holds true for both human organizations and demon ones. People naturally flock together to hunt for food, to better protect themselves, to raise their children, and so on. The demon army is an organization that was created to secure a safe living space for the various demon races. Humans refused to recognize our rights, so we ultimately resorted to violence to win them. We used our superior power to force humans to accept our demands.

Of course, none of this is a revelation to you. I’ve only stated the obvious. What isn’t obvious is that organizations have a tendency to become a goal in their own right. I know you’ve been away from society a long time so I’ll be direct: Organizations eventually forget the purpose for which they were formed and prioritize extending their own lifespan instead. They become a twisted shell of their former selves, and occasionally even work against their original goal. I strongly believe that a good organization must always be reevaluating itself and rearranging personnel to ensure that it is moving in the right direction. I’ve seen far too many collectives stagnate and wither away because they forgot their purpose.

The demon army now has a strong position within human society. We’ve conquered many cities, and though the current situation is far from ideal, we are coexisting for now. Honestly, we’ve achieved a surprising amount. In fact, you could say that we’ve achieved our initial goal. Of course, the fighting is far from over. If we lay down our arms now, the human institutions still antagonistic towards demons, like the Senate, will annihilate us. We cannot afford to relinquish our military might. War is a necessary evil that we must embrace to fully realize our ideals.

However, there will come a time when our war ends. A time where we’ve either defeated our enemies or converted them to allies. When that happens, the demon army will have to change. It will need to transform from an organization that values only military prowess, to one that knows how to rule fairly and protect its territory. There are many demons within our ranks that only understand fighting, like our departed friend Tiverit. Our kind does not value those who use their words to solve problems rather than their fists. But now that so many of the more militant demons have died in battle, we have a rare opportunity to reform the demon army. I want to leave this organization in the right hands—to make sure this opportunity isn’t wasted.

In truth, I’ve always been looking for a chance to retire, and I think now is a good time. I’m the kind of person who is only useful on the battlefield. I kill, intimidate, and use fear tactics to build walls protecting demons from humans. It’s all I ever learned and it’s all I know. But there is someone in the demon army who’s been using a different approach to secure our place in human society. I am of course referring to your disciple, Veight. Like me, he slays his foes and uses intimidation and coercion when necessary. But he doesn’t build walls or create rifts with his methods. In fact, he does the exact opposite—he tears down the walls between our two species and turns yesterday’s enemy into today’s friend. There are few demons like this. But you may be surprised to hear that the same is true among humans. One must be extremely thoughtful and patient to get others to trust you. It’s a rare skill that takes both innate talent and a great deal of effort to cultivate.

Veight is both a powerful warrior and a skilled statesman who can change up his tactics on a dime to adapt to the situation. He’s the kind of Champion we need. I’m sure many demons, yourself included, find it strange that someone like him exists. His way of thinking is too far removed from a normal demon’s. He values peaceful coexistence and open dialogue. He even shows respect to humans much weaker than him. However, I know why it is that such actions come so naturally to Veight. It’s a secret that I’d rather not divulge without his consent though, so I’ll tell you some other time.

Regardless, I believe Veight is the one best suited to be the next Demon Lord. I would have absolutely no regrets in leaving the demon army in his hands. He knows better than anyone the burdens a leader must bear. However, I know that he’s too kindhearted to make the hard choices a ruler must. If I make him my successor, I know somewhere down the line his gentle nature will lead him to make the wrong decisions. I cannot in good conscience ask him to take up my mantle. If I defeat the Hero, I’ll put off choosing a successor until a better candidate appears. For that reason, I absolutely must win this upcoming duel. However, at some point, I will need to find a replacement. Someone who can build a peaceful nation, unlike me.

— Friendensrichter

* * * *

“And there you have it—the Demon Lord’s letter. Combined with what I’ve learned from my investigation of Wa’s Great Torii of the Divine, I believe that both you and him were reincarnated here from a different world,” Master said as she finished reading the will Friedensrichter had left her.

“I see,” I replied, scratching my head. So you knew all along, huh? I guess I should have expected that.

Master looked up at me and said in a reproachful voice, “Why did you both think you needed to hide this from me? Am I not trustworthy to you?”

“Sorry. It’s just that you know more than anyone about life and death, so I was worried...” I admitted. Worried that you’d get fired up to do some crazy research experiments.

Master chuckled and replied, “Fear not. I intend to start by experimenting with animals first. I’ll engrave a special necromantic crest on the brains of a hundred rats, and from there I’ll see if those crests reappear after...”

“See, this is why I didn’t want to tell you.”

I knew I made the right call.