Are you referring to a regular female knight, or a trash-tier female knight?
“Including my dear brother, the mainstream faction consists of nothing but fools. If we entrust the future of the demon race to them, we will be annihilated by humanity in no time. And as for my father, while he was once a force to be reckoned with, he is now nothing more than my brother’s puppet. A senile king is of no use to anyone. Therefore, I shall become the Demon King.”
Luna spoke matter-of-factly.
There was no longer a trace of the foolish princess she had once been.
…Wait, did she just call her own brother a fool?
Could it be that while everyone around her had been looking down on her and mocking her, she had actually been looking down on them instead?
What kind of situation is this?
For her to declare so boldly that she will become the Demon King… that alone is pretty impressive.
Though, honestly, she didn’t need to tell me about it.
Because this absolutely means she intends to drag me into this mess.
“Hmm… But there’s no real need for you to become the Demon King, is there? Unlike humans, bloodline isn’t particularly important in your society.”
Since I had been silently brooding over the situation, Flau spoke up in my place.
That’s right. There’s no specific reason Luna has to become the Demon King. Apologize for making us think otherwise.
In human society, kingship is passed down through the royal bloodline. Blood matters. But for demons, it’s different.
Strength, charisma, and luck—if one possesses these qualities, they could rise from the slums and become the Demon King.
Of course, there would be those who object, but as long as one has the power to crush such opposition, they can reign supreme.
Flau , who once served as a knight for the human kingdom, likely understands this better than anyone.
Even if she is a ridiculous knight who once declared she would survive by becoming the mistress of some random noble.
“That is correct. As long as someone can properly lead the demons, it doesn’t necessarily have to be me. However, such a process would cause great turmoil.”
Luna looked up at the sky.
“What criteria should we use to determine who is fit to be Demon King? Should we prioritize strength and have candidates fight to the death, with the last one standing taking the throne? That’s not a terrible idea, but it would take time and cause chaos. It would likely escalate into bloodshed, and if humanity were to exploit such a moment of weakness, the consequences would be catastrophic.”
…Well, yeah. That would take a lot of time.
And there’s no way humanity—our mortal enemies—would overlook such an opportunity.
If we had a non-aggression pact in place and could buy ourselves some temporary peace, that would be another story, but… we don’t.
“While it would be foolish to cling to bloodline as humans do, I believe limiting potential candidates for the throne to those with certain qualifications is a wise decision. It would prevent unnecessary disorder.”
In most human kingdoms, the next ruler is chosen from among the royal family.
Moreover, there’s an established line of succession, so as long as those lower in rank don’t try to force their way to the throne, the transition remains smooth.
With ample time, the heir can be properly educated before taking power.
Of course, this system has its flaws—if the chosen heir turns out to be an imbecile, there’s no way to stop them from becoming king.
Considering that, the idea of choosing the next ruler based on bloodline isn’t entirely unreasonable.
Not that it’s really any of my concern.
It’s not like I have any involvement in all of this.
“If we are not selecting a ruler from the entire demon population, then logically, the choice should come from among the highest-ranking members of the Demon King’s army. Excluding those from the royal lineage, that would mean the Four Heavenly Kings… but frankly, none of them are fit to be king.”
Luna spoke dispassionately, stating something that should have been difficult to say.
She might as well have been telling them directly, You are unworthy of the throne.
Yet I didn’t feel any anger—if anything, I agreed with her.
Yeah, she’s right. There’s no one among the Four Heavenly Kings I’d want to follow.
Tonio is a reckless brute, Otto is an arrogant snob, and Möbius is utterly indifferent to everything.
They’re all hopelessly dysfunctional. It’s pathetic. They should learn from me.
Not that I want to be the Demon King, either.
If anything, I’ve been wanting to quit the Demon King’s army for ages.
“Therefore, by process of elimination, the role falls to me. If anyone objects, I am willing to serve as a temporary Demon King. If, during my reign, a more suitable candidate is found, I will gladly relinquish the throne.”
So she isn’t even particularly attached to the position.
What is with this girl…?
She doesn’t crave power, she has no ambitions for personal success—she’s simply acting for the sake of the demon race?
Does she have no sense of self? That’s terrifying.
Where did that cheerful, airheaded princess go…?
“Now that you’ve heard all this, are you going to force us to cooperate whether we like it or not?”
Flau posed the question, sending a chill down my spine.
W-wait! Is that where this is going!?
This is bad. She spilled everything to us, and now she’s going to say, Since you know too much, you have no choice but to help!
Damn it! I didn’t even want to hear any of this in the first place!
I need to push all of this onto Flau …
However, Luna denies my fears.
“Of course not. That would only work when the power balance is already in our favor. Even with my own strength and the power of my faction, we could never stand against the Dark Knight.”
Phew…
I let out a sigh of relief at Luna’s words.
…Wait a second. So if she did have a way to deal with me, she would have resorted to threats?
How did this monster come from that foolish princess…?
“That’s why I am asking. This is just a plea from a powerless young girl—call it a supplication, if you will.”
With that, Luna bows deeply—wait, don’t bow! If anyone sees this, I’m done for!
She said she arranged for privacy, but her faction is weak.
If Dennis’s faction really wanted to spy, they probably could.
And if they saw me making their faction leader bow… that would be really bad!
“My father is already senile, and even if he were propped up, the demon race would continue to decline. My brother is out of the question. Under his rule, we would be destroyed.”
As always, she has a harsh evaluation of her own family.
That said, I can’t exactly deny it. She’s right.
“It is my duty to expand this nation and ensure the prosperity of the demon race. I will do whatever it takes.”
Her cold eyes held no hesitation.
There was something in them—something akin to duty, or perhaps obligation.
If this mindset had been cultivated over time, I could understand it.
But if it was something she was born with… That’s terrifying.
Most people, to some degree, prioritize themselves.
But Luna was acting like a mere cog in the machine, willing to sacrifice herself entirely for the sake of the demon race.
I couldn’t comprehend it at all—it was terrifying.
For someone like me, who prioritizes myself over everything else, it was even more incomprehensible.
“I have little to offer you in return. My faction is already being pushed back by the mainstream faction… in other words, a sinking ship.”
Luna calmly explained her precarious position.
Even someone like me, who had never involved myself in faction politics, could see it.
At this rate, Dennis’s faction would undoubtedly win.
And with such an obvious outcome, few would willingly join Luna’s side now.
I certainly didn’t want to be openly associated with her faction.
“That is why I am offering myself. You may do whatever you wish with me, treat me however you like. As long as it does not interfere with my duty as the Demon King, I have no objections.”
…Did she just say something insane?
As I shuddered at her words, Luna began slipping off her thin garments—Wait, what!?!
What the hell is she doing!?
She was already wearing a thin outfit that clung to her curves.
And now she had removed even that, leaving nothing to hide her body.
Her large, round breasts, her flat stomach, the pronounced curve of her hips…
It was mesmerizing, yet my armor prevented me from doing anything.
Damn this armor!!
“T-They’re huge… I lost…”
Flau slumped her shoulders in defeat.
You can mope all you want, but you’ve already lost in more ways than one—like in dignity.
“By most standards, I would say I am fairly attractive. And…”
Luna stepped closer.
Since I was taller, she had to look up at me.
…They’re bouncing.
“Does the idea of owning a woman who holds herself as a proud Demon King—treating her like a mere pet—not stir something inside you as a man?”
Despite her expressionless face and complete lack of shame, her words carried an incredible allure.
Yeah, it does stir something!
But damn it… if I can’t take this armor off, I wouldn’t even be able to do anything…
This was the most blatant honey trap I had ever seen.
And now, my response would determine everything.
This was a major crossroads.
With that in mind, my answer was…