The legend of the Crimson Demon clan started from Suqing.

Chapter 630 The Demon King is pitiful; what kind of good life can he possibly have?
The Demon King frequently visits Axel's succubus shop.

—Zun Zun knows about this.

However, he did not think he would be lucky enough to meet the other party, and they met many times in places such as hot springs and water cities, the Crimson Devil Village, and fortresses.

But apart from the Demon King's enormous horns and gray hair, he looked almost exactly like the old man he'd met at the succubus shop. Coupled with the Demon King's earlier words, Zun Zun realized he'd stumbled upon a plot from a third-rate novel.

—The protagonist had already met and become acquainted with the Demon King.

The Demon King's room was brightly lit; all the torches had been extinguished, replaced by exceptionally bright magic crystals that illuminated the room, making it shine and completely eliminating the previous dark and dangerous atmosphere.

The dark red carpet appeared even more luxurious under the light, and the monster skulls on both sides of the wall indicated that they were ancient antiques.

It's incredible.

It was just a change in the light, yet the atmosphere was completely different.

"Um... please use it."

"……Thanks."

Zun Zun took a steaming cup of black tea from a cloaked skeleton.

Why am I drinking tea in the Demon King's room? Am I a guest here?

...He couldn't help but think that.

"And you over there, young man, wouldn't you like to have a cup of tea?"

The Demon King asked this question in a deserted corner, but no one answered him; the silence remained as if no one was there. Clearly, Sato Kazuma had been discovered, yet he showed no intention of coming out.

"Never mind, that's just the kind of person he is. He likes to spy in dark corners and calls it the 'Home Self-Defense Force.'"

"Really? You have such a hobby?"

Hearing what Zun Zun said, he stopped insisting.

"that……"

"Ah, sorry, we've met so many times but I haven't introduced myself yet, have I? I am the current Demon King, my name is Yasaka Kyoichi, nice to meet you."

"I……"

"Your Excellency, right?"

The Demon King… no, Yasaka Kyoichi smiled slightly at him.

Zun Zun could feel the gazes coming from the shadows, as if questioning why he hadn't made a move, but the Demon King had been too polite to him, making it really difficult to attack!

"You've come to be the Demon King, haven't you? I've been waiting for so long. You disappeared after you came last time, and I was worried about you for a long time."

I never expected the Demon King to be worried about me.

Zun Zun quickly waved his hand and said, "Wait, wait a minute, I'm sorry, I have a lot of questions to ask."

"I understand, I understand. You're a little confused right now, aren't you? It's okay, we'll take it slow."

The Demon King produced some pastries from somewhere and gestured for him to enjoy them.

"I didn't poison it."

The Demon King seemed worried that Zun Zun might be uneasy, so he said this. But more than the delicious pastries, he wanted to know something else.

"First of all, you know me? No, sorry, I mean you know I'm Zun Zun?"

"Of course! After you said you wanted to become the Demon King, I had a premonition that you would come one day, so I specially sent someone to check your information and found out that you are a genius of the Crimson Demon Clan, appearing once in a thousand years!"

"...The Crimson Demon Clan has only a 400-year history."

"That's an exaggerated way of putting it."

The Demon King seems to have a good sense of humor.

He had already met the Demon King, and was even being secretly observed by him, with his every move known to him. Although Zun Zun still had many questions to ask, his mind was a little foggy right now, and the first question that came to mind was—

"Can I become the Demon King? I'm a Crimson Demon!"

The damage inflicted on the Demon King's army by the Crimson Demon Clan is beyond words. Whether it's physical or mental attacks, they have made the Demon King's army grit their teeth in hatred.

Is it really permissible for such a hated being to become a demon king?

"Of course it's a problem!"

The Demon King answered decisively.

Under Zun Zun's questioning gaze, he explained, "Even if they are from the Crimson Demon Clan, it doesn't matter. The Demon King's Army speaks based on strength! Besides, if you become the Demon King, the Crimson Demon Clan won't keep harassing the Demon King's Army. It's a win-win situation!"

So that's what they're planning?

"No wonder you're the leader of that group of cadres, they're all so wicked! You're quite cunning too!"

The person who said this wasn't Zun Zun, but Sato Kazuma. He seemed to feel the Demon King's scheme was too outrageous, and thus couldn't hold back any longer.

"What...!? You, you wait a minute! What do I care about their bad behavior? I get a headache from these people all the time too!"

The Demon King retorted quickly, as if he didn't want to take the blame for this one.

"That guy Beldia often forgets his head in the bathhouse, which is a source of complaints from many female demon lords."
Banir will use every means to torment the soldiers of the Demon King's castle and consume their negative emotions;
Wiz even took away the Demon King's army's funds and treasures without permission, claiming that he was practicing opening a shop and then sold them off without authorization;
Hans not only stole from the granary's reserves, but also contaminated the grain with his poisonous body;
Serena started begging for money all over town under the guise of charity, and she ended up owing a huge sum of money that I have to pay off...

What's most infuriating is that even though it wasn't my fault, everyone is blaming me!

A grumbling monologue filled with resentment.

He kept pouring out his grievances to Zun Zun, as if the Demon King's army cadres had also caused him a lot of psychological trauma.

"The only one who's serious is Warbak. You're saying I'm their leader? I can't stand that!" Then, the Demon King raised his head and said with a smile, "So, when I heard that you, Venerable One, had taken care of them one by one, I was incredibly happy in every way!"

Aside from the lack of trouble.

More than anything, it seems that Zun Zun is one step closer to becoming the Demon King. Even Sato Kazuma couldn't help but feel sorry for the Demon King when he thought about those unreliable Demon King's military officers; he must have suffered a lot.

I wonder what his reaction would be if he heard that those Demon King's military officers hadn't actually died.

"No, no, no, I am a hero..."

"So what if you're a hero? There's a story circulating among you humans about a hero who became a demon king, and that's actually true! So, it doesn't matter if you're a hero!"

Mingming Zunzun initially wanted to become the Demon King, but now he has become resistant to it.

It's probably because it was too easy.

"Don't hesitate! Please, become the Demon King! Let me be free!"

The Demon King suddenly burst into tears again, clinging to Zun Zun's leg and refusing to let go, "It's hard for me too, you know!"

"Hey, aren't you the Demon King...?"

"Because every day when I open my eyes, I have to deal with tens of thousands of people eating, drinking, and relieving themselves, and I also have to think about where to let the Demon King's army attack—it's hard to manage a large army. They keep clamoring to attack humans every day, and if I don't let them go, I'll be the one who suffers! And humans are also thinking about how to defeat the Demon King every day, life is too hard!"

According to the Demon King, attacking humans was not his original intention.

Although the Demon King can command the Demon Army, it is not a monolithic entity—just like the human camp, they also have their own agendas. When they cannot fully control the army, many people launch attacks on humanity without regard for their own interests, leading to all the blame being placed on the Demon King.

In addition, there are many heroes like Zun Zun who come to carry out decapitation operations. In addition, they are all very strong, so the Demon King is often in a dangerous situation and lives a very uncomfortable life.

That's why the Demon King wanted to retire.

His successor would naturally be the powerful Venerable One, and upon retiring, he also wanted to rid the Demon King's army of a major threat—the harassment of the Crimson Demon Clan. And once Venerable One became the Demon King, the Crimson Demon Clan would very likely join the Demon King's army; this was his plan.

"correct!"

Zun Zun suddenly remembered something.

"You just said, 'To become the Demon King, one needs to overcome many obstacles, and the first thing to do is... what is that?'"

"Ahem, of course it is—"

The Demon King drew out his words and then uttered a sentence.

"Marry my daughter."

"Um???"

"This is the fastest way to become the Demon King. As long as Zun Zun becomes my son-in-law, coupled with your immense strength, even those who oppose you won't be able to say a word, right?"

It suddenly reminded me of the Liben conglomerate.

Unlike other kingdoms that hope their sons will inherit their fortunes, the Liben zaibatsu (financial conglomerate) does not place its hopes on its offspring. Instead, it prefers to recruit a talented son-in-law to carry on the conglomerate's legacy.

The Demon King's methods were exactly the same as that one.

As expected of a descendant of a hero reincarnated from Ritsumoto, he has mastered such essence.

"But unfortunately, I have a fiancée."

"I know. But you seem to be quite intimate with another little Crimson Demon girl, don't you? I remember she's not your fiancée, is she?"

The investigation has gone this far?!
"It's normal for a man to have several wives... although I don't have any."

Whether the Demon King was disappointed or pleased, Zun Zun was a little unsure of what to do. He never expected the Demon King to be henpecked.

"By the way, you should have met Shizuka by now, right?"

"……Um."

The Demon King's daughter guards the path leading to the Demon King's room, so he must have seen her before.

"I remember you fought with her before. How do you feel about her?"

"Very strong."

The fact that she could rival Alice, who was clad in holy armor, speaks volumes about the Demon King's daughter's strength.

"...I was asking about appearance and figure."

"That's good too."

He recalled the Demon King's daughter's beautiful face and her stunning figure, comparable to Wiz's.

"Right?" the Demon King said smugly, "My daughter is the most perfect! Marrying her would be a perfect deal! Although I'm a little reluctant, if the other party is Venerable One, I'll agree!"

“I said… is it really okay to jump to conclusions like this? Your daughter will be angry with you.”

"It's alright, it's alright. My daughter... Shizuka thinks she's hidden it very well, but I've read her romance novels. They're about a hero and the daughter of a demon king. You fit the bill perfectly!"

...Miss Yasaka Shizuka, your little secret has been discovered by your father!

It's a good thing the Demon King is cheerful enough not to fly into a rage because his daughter wanted to date the hero... This must be because his ancestors were heroes.

"Anyway!"

The Demon King pounced on Zun Zun and wouldn't let go of him.

"Please, please, please, just become the Demon King!"

"Let go, let go quickly!"

"Father! Father!"

Just as Zun Zun was struggling, the door to the Demon King's room was opened again, and the Demon King's daughter rushed in. When she saw the two entangled together, she was dumbfounded.

“Father… I will tell Mother the truth about this.”

"——Stop it!!!"

(End of this chapter)