Demon World, Demon King's Castle
Inside the towering, dark, and majestic castle, the sound of a quill scratching rapidly over stacks of documents echoed endlessly. The room was filled with piles of paperwork, territorial maps, and financial reports enough to make anyone's head spin. Yet one figure remained completely calm amidst the administrative chaos.
"Ugh... how many more do I have to sign today, Lilith?" the man's deep voice sounded flat, almost defeated.
He was Lucifer V—the current Demon King. A figure with long, jet-black hair, eyes as dark as bottomless pits, and an expression that screamed… utter laziness. In front of him was a mountain of documents, and the pen in his hand looked like it was about to snap.
"Still 142 documents left, Your Majesty. And that's just the morning batch," replied a bespectacled woman with a sweet smile sharp enough to pierce souls. Lilith, Lucifer V's trusted secretary, never lost her enthusiasm—and that was terrifying.
"Why do I feel more like an office worker than the ruler of the demon world..." Lucifer sighed and signed another file in defeat.
He wasn't your typical demon king. Thousands of years ago, he entered this world as a baby born to the noble Lucifer demon clan. At the time, the world was engulfed in a massive war between races.
He was determined to become strong. Like the main character in the novels he used to read in his previous life—disappear for thousands of years, then reemerge to annihilate enemies with a single slash.
Unfortunately, when he finally finished his self-imposed exile and returned with overwhelming power…
"...The war was already over." Lucifer was still traumatized.
The previous demon king, Asmodeus II, was dead. The demon race had lost. Chaos spread. And no one knew where the 'reclusive genius' had gone—until he reappeared and… got made king.
With the title of Lucifer V, he became the fifth demon king from the Lucifer bloodline to sit on the throne. But instead of epic wars or grand adventures… he had to rebuild the demon world from the ruins.
"I swear, I should've stayed missing for another few thousand years," he grumbled while signing a tax report.
Lucifer V, or by his full name, Zalgorath Von Lucifer, leaned back in his overly plush chair, staring out at the demon world's sky through the grand window behind him. The sky was a soft crimson, forever stuck in a twilight hue. Beautiful—if only he could enjoy it in peace.
It had been thousands of years since he took the throne. The demon territories, once decimated, had returned to their former glory—no, even better. Clean streets, a stable economy, rising education levels among young demons. And yet…
"I'm tired, Lilith…" Lucifer V stared blankly at the sky.
"Pardon, Your Majesty, did you say something?" Lilith turned from the stack of documents she had arranged with surgical precision.
I said I want to retire. I want to sleep for five centuries. I want to become a mushroom farmer in a remote cave. I want… anything but this.
But all that came out of his mouth was...
"No, just carry on." Lucifer V resumed signing documents like a machine.
Damn it. I worked even during my vacation. That 'lava resort holiday' last month... I still drafted laws. Just in a different location. Same thing.
Lilith glanced at a new document in her hand, then spoke in her usual tone—calm and piercing.
"Your Majesty, there's a request from the lower-tier demon community. They've submitted a petition requesting equal political rights with the noble families."
Silence.
Ah. This again.
"...How many signatures did they gather?" Lucifer V asked, his voice devoid of life.
"Over twenty thousand, Your Majesty. Oh, and—" Lilith snapped her fingers, summoning another file from thin air.
"The Asmodeus family hasn't paid taxes for the last five years."
At that moment, Lucifer V dropped his pen.
For some reason, a vein began to bulge on his forehead.
Asmodeus… Asmodeus… The family that forced me to work for THOUSANDS OF YEARS because their demon king died at the worst possible time.
I came out of seclusion, ready for war, and instead I got stuck managing the economy, laws, taxes, and—ARRRGGHHH!
"Too noisy... everything's too damn noisy…" Lucifer V muttered, pressing his temples.
I could wipe out a city with a snap of my fingers. But instead, I'm drafting interspecies wealth redistribution policies. Where's the justice in that, huh?!
"Lilith," Lucifer V finally spoke, his voice soft but dangerous. "If I burned down half the Asmodeus family… hypothetically... just hypothetically... that wouldn't count as a violation of royal law, would it?"
Lilith gave a soft smile, as if she'd just heard a charming joke.
"Unfortunately, that would be considered genocide, Your Majesty. But I can draft a scenario where it looks like they rebelled first?"
"...God, I love you." Lucifer V closed his eyes, trying to suppress the urge for mass murder.
Then he took a deep breath and pretended everything was fine.
"Alright. Send a warning to Asmodeus. Taxes next week, or I auction their property."
Inside, he was already preparing a backup plan. If this world truly drove him mad... he would escape. Run far away. Become a farmer. Or… at the very least, a bartender.
Speaking of the Asmodeus family… Zalgorath Von Lucifer let out a long sigh as he leaned back into his throne—crafted from the bones of demon kings before him. His head tilted up, eyes fixed on the palace ceiling with a blank stare, as if trying to detach himself from reality.
That damn family…
"If only the ancestral laws didn't exist…" Lucifer V muttered, his eyes narrowing with hate.
Back then, the demon king before him—Asmodeus II—was a disaster with a handsome figure and an uncontrollable libido. The man, allegedly, didn't start a war out of ambition… but because he was madly in love with the goddesses of the upper realm.
Yep. Love.
"Genius… but also an idiot," Lucifer V sneered softly.
Asmodeus II wanted to make the goddesses his… slaves. Slaves. Not lovers. Not wives. Slaves. Because he thought that was romantic. And so began a ridiculous war against the realm of gods.
At first, his intention was just to invade the divine realm. But somehow, every race got involved—and they all… targeted the demons. His own people.
The result… was thousands of years of suffering. A devastating defeat. Systemic collapse. Tax revenue plummeted. Demon population dropped drastically. And worst of all…
"...He didn't even get a single goddess." Von frowned.
Amazing. Hundreds of thousands of demons died—all for unrequited love. Shakespeare would've been proud.
Asmodeus II died at the hands of the very goddesses he claimed he would possess. Died in utter disgrace. Naked. Or so they say.
So who had to clean up that mess? Of course… Zalgorath Von Lucifer. Thousands of years of exile, spent growing stronger—only to be used as a janitor for historical garbage.
"That's why…" Lucifer V gripped the armrest of his throne. "I keep them down."
The Asmodeus family now… they weren't just poor. They were mocked. Their voting rights in the demon council? Pure formality. Even the palace guards refused to say their name seriously.
"One foot already in the noble family graveyard. Just one little push left…" muttered Lucifer V, his smile crooked.
But… there was one problem.
The demon king ancestors had laid down a strict rule: the Seven Great Houses could not be directly destroyed by the ruler. If that rule was broken, the world's protective magic could collapse. And Lucifer was far too rational to take that risk.
"...Idealist old geezers. If they were still alive, I'd make them work overtime first so they'd know what this feels like."
Lilith, standing beside him, gave a small nod—as if she understood exactly what her master was thinking.
"Your Majesty, the warning letter to the Asmodeus family is ready. I've prepared a diplomatic version… and a harsher one."
Von narrowed his eyes. "Burn the diplomatic one. Send the harsh version."
Lilith smiled sweetly. "I anticipated that."
She knew full well… that Zalgorath Von Lucifer, despite looking lazy and laid-back, never forgot. His grudges were cold. Long. And very, very effective.