Chapter 218: Demon King (8)
It was a very familiar voice to all of the Demon King's Army present here.
How could it not be?
“This person is indeed the true Master of All Demons, the Primordial Demon King.”
It was the voice of another Corps Commander, the Queen of Night, Lilith.
“This humble concubine has already offered an oath of loyalty to His Majesty.”
Once again, murmurs arose.
The news that Corps Commander Lilith had rebelled against the Demon King and betrayed the demons had already spread to some extent even here at the front lines.
But now that the traitor of the demon race had appeared in person like this, those who had heard the news couldn't help but be shaken.
However.
“──!”
“T-That is…!”
Soon, after seeing something held in Bin's hand raised high, their suspicion or hostility towards Lilith vanished in an instant.
“I-It's a horn!”
“It's the Demon King's… horn…!”
Indeed.
What was held in Bin's hand was unmistakably the Demon King's horn.
Since it was the horn they envied and feared so much, everyone could recognize it at a glance.
In other words, it meant that the Demon King, the original owner of that horn, was no longer of this world.
Otherwise, how could that horn be in Bin's hand?
“The pretender who led you is dead!”
With the Demon King's death, something they had never even imagined until now, proven as reality.
“But do not fear, my kin! For this body has resurrected in this world to once again stand against the damned gods!!”
“……!”
The thought that that resounding shout, which instinctively made the blood of demons boil, must also be entirely true began to take root more and more in their minds.
However, the fact that it was hard to believe remained.
Everyone was still just gauging each other's reactions, and no one rashly stepped forward to kneel.
Above all, even though he emitted suffocating demonic energy and proved his strength by overwhelming even Gor, it wasn't an easy story to accept that an existence looking much closer to a human than a demon──without horns or tails to be found──was truly the ‘Primordial Demon King’.
Perhaps even more so than the absurd story that they had to fight together because the God of Death had descended in person.
The Primordial Demon King was the Master of All Demons because he was the First Devil.
People in the past coined the word ‘demon’ upon seeing the Primordial Demon King, and consequently, all demons born afterward took pride in how much they resembled the Primordial Demon King.
To the extent that even the ‘Demon King's horn’ currently held in Bin's hand was one of the elements that enhanced his legitimacy simply because it looked majestic, similar to the horns of the Primordial Demon King.
It meant he was an existence who had received worship virtually no different from a god to the demons.
Yet, if a person with the obvious appearance of a human, without horns, wings, or a tail like now, was truly the Primordial Demon King, and if they acknowledged that, it would be tantamount to denying all the pride and legitimacy as ‘demons’ they had harbored until now.
“…….”
If he is the Primordial Demon King, he should naturally be more demonic than anyone else.
Why does he have the appearance of their longtime enemy, a human?
And if one were to pick the person who understands their psychology best here right now, it would undoubtedly be Lilith.
As a fellow demon, and as a person who became the ‘image’ representing the Succubus race, if not all demons, she understood the pride regarding the Primordial Demon King harbored by all demons here better than anyone else.
Therefore, when everyone was gauging the mood and observing the situation.
“You all must have heard the story by now that I betrayed the demons.”
The first one to step forward was, as expected, Lilith.
“Let me take this opportunity to say it clearly. ──It is all nothing but slander.”
The Queen of Night spoke confidently as always, in a tone suggesting she had no need to hide anything.
“As a proud member of the demon race, I have always served only the true Master of All Demons, the Primordial Demon King. Rather, Alzard, who spread false rumors about me, is the one who deserves to be called the true traitor of the demons who rebelled against the Primordial Demon King.”
At Lilith's statement, the crowd stirred once again.
“Although I followed the pretender for a while as a Corps Commander, this humble concubine's true loyalty has always been dedicated to the Primordial Demon King. I have waited only for this day when the Master of All Demons would return for a long time.”
“Everything Lilith says is true.”
Bin added in a solemn tone.
“Lilith has never betrayed our demons for a single moment and has always been my confidant, more loyal than anyone else. Wouldn't those who slander such a Lilith deserve to be called the true traitors of the demons?”
“Furthermore, the Primordial Demon King intends to take this humble concubine's daughter as his wife. Isn't this proof that this humble concubine and the succubi who follow her are thinking of the demons' future more than anyone else?”
“What…?!”
The murmurings that seemed to be calming down somewhat with Bin's intervention arose loudly again.
The story that Lilith, that Queen of Night, had a daughter was something they had never heard before, and didn't she just reveal it herself with her own mouth?
But without even a moment to be surprised by that fact, Bin shouted confidently in front of everyone.
“That is correct! Lilith is this body, the Primordial Demon King's loyal subject, and at the same time my family and mother-in-law! I declare here that I will consider anyone who insults her from now on as insulting me, and I will personally punish them severely!”
Both Bin and Lilith knew well that they couldn't quickly settle the confusion by simply suppressing them with force alone.
If there was enough time, they could have followed tradition and held a ‘Grand Assembly’ first to summon all demons, prove his strength there, and be recognized as the true King.
But now was not a situation where they could do that.
So, the two agreed that besides proving strength, they had to create a ‘situation’ where the Demon King's Army at the front lines had no choice but to acknowledge Bin as King.
“As you know, I am branded as a traitor to the demons, and perhaps that wasn't wrong, but now that you, Lord Bin, have awakened as the Primordial Demon King, I have become a demon more loyal than anyone else.”
It meant using authority, not just martial power.
Corps Commander was a position respected by demons next only to the Demon King.
Since she was one of the Seven Devils representing all demons.
Therefore, if Lilith shed the label of traitor and restored her honor, it effectively meant that Lilith was the highest-ranking demon at this point where the (former) Demon King had disappeared.
Of course, the 1st Corps Commander Gor leading the Demon King's Army at the front lines also existed, but since he would undoubtedly challenge Bin and become a sacrifice to prove ‘martial power’, he could be considered virtually non-existent.
However, up to here, the two had the same opinion, but.
“…You intend to reveal about Lily in front of everyone?”
Lilith proposed one more maneuver that Bin hadn't come up with, or more accurately, couldn't.
She intended to reveal even the fact that she had a daughter whom she had hidden until now in front of everyone, to show her absolute loyalty to Bin.
“To tell you really honestly, since that child accepted me as her mother… my personal desire to become that child's mother confidently in front of everyone is also great.”
“I fully understand that feeling, but…”
“Of course, if it were something that would hinder the great cause ahead, I would never have proposed it to you, Lord Bin.”
Lilith said that until now, as the Queen of Night representing succubi, she had kept Lily's existence a secret to the end for the honor of her kin.
“But now the situation has changed. Don't you, the Primordial Demon King, Lord Bin, truly desire reconciliation between demons and humans?”
In other words.
“Lily's existence will no longer be evidence of disgrace for colluding with humans, the enemy of demons, but an honor symbolizing the coexistence with humans that the true King desires.”
Saying that it definitely wouldn't be bad for her to take the lead herself on the path of peace Bin wished to pursue.
“Of course, it won't be easily accepted at first. They will insult me and the succubi. Saying it's the disgrace of demons who mix bodies even with humans.”
“Even so…”
“But I believe in you, Lord Bin. That if it is you, you will make all such prejudices disappear someday.”
Saying that then, succubi would become pioneers who devoted themselves to leading new change, not the disgrace of demons offering their bodies even to humans.
“My responsibility will be heavy.”
“That is what the weight of a King is.”
To Lilith, who immediately asked for forgiveness saying she dared to say something presumptuous, Bin stopped her, saying not to do that.
“Your words have logic.”
And he nodded, truly impressed by Lilith's heart and her insight into future events.
However, saying there was still a part he couldn't accept, Bin continued speaking cautiously again.
“But why does that lead to marriage between me and Lily…”
Saying that while he fully sympathized with the intention to announce Lily's existence in front of everyone, he couldn't just gloss over this part.
Then Lilith smirked as if she knew Bin would react like that.
“Do you dislike it?”
And when she asked back mischievously, Bin was troubled and couldn't easily open his mouth.
“…You know that's not the issue.”
“Yes, I know. I asked knowing full well that you don't dislike it either, Lord Bin.”
Saying it was a simple rhetorical question, Lilith continued.
“I know well that you also clearly have feelings for that child, Lord Bin, since I watched that kiss from the side that day.”
“At that time, as you know…”
“Yes. It was to awaken that child's instincts. But from partway through, didn't such things not matter anymore?”
“…….”
Bin couldn't continue his words.
“Otherwise, there is no way you would have shared such a passionate kiss that even I, who was just watching from the side, got aroused.”
He was hit the nail on the head.
“If you kissed that child like that without even having feelings, Lord Bin, I would have no choice but to draw my sword and rebel because as that child's mother, I could never forgive you regardless of whether you are the Primordial Demon King or whatever.”
“……Please have mercy.”
Eventually, Bin had to admit it himself, and Lilith giggled again watching him.