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C124: CAUSE FOR CONCERN
Thus ended the Demon King’s report to Hades and his conquest of the earth.
“This is where the hard part begins.”
However, the Demon King refuses to let his guard down.
Are commendable words the only thing he knows what to say?
“This conquest is only the beginning. The true value of a ruler is tested depending on how he brings happiness to the people he conquered. This is where the real work of a Demon King begins.”
A formidable Demon King is the best kind of cheat, in a way.
Even a first-class hero wouldn’t dare look down on him.
“The real challenge starts from here,” says Mrs. Astres as she stands to the right of the Demon King.
“After all, we’re going to be ruling over humans. I expect that we’ll encounter all sorts of problems just by governing a race different from our own.”
“The Human Kingdom’s regime hasn’t completely collapsed yet. There are still several small but smoldering problems that mustn’t be left unattended,” says Mrs. Glasya to the left of the Demon King.
“Hey
 Don’t bring up political problems in front of Lord Saint!” says the Demon King to rebuke them.
“But now that their king has surrendered doesn’t that mean their nation is no more?”
I can’t help but ask to satiate my curiosity.
“That’s not how it works, unfortunately. In addition to the royal family, there is one other organization that supports the Human Kingdom’s structure as a nation.”
“The Religious Order.”
The Religious Order is considered the first sect of the human race and worships Zeus, one of the three deities of this world, as its primary deity.
Each race strongly worships the god that created them, so their respective Orders also have a naturally strong influence.
In fact, the human race’s church is its own independent body, so it can be called their Order as a whole.
I’ve heard that they built their headquarters far away from the royal capital, where they prospered enough to become the second capital. They were also heavily involved in national politics, having things done their way and reaping huge profits.
“The members of the Religious Order control each and every thaumaturgical magic granted to them by Zeus. It seems they monopolized this blessing, so their existence is tremendously significant. In a way, they’re no less than the royal family.”
“If we don’t destroy them, gaining total control over the human race will never be fully realized,” says Mrs. Astres.
“We advised both the royal family and the Religious Order to surrender to us. And though the king agreed, the head of the church and the rest of the cardinals
”
Don’t tell me

“All fled at once.”
And it seems that no one has caught sight of them since then.
“We are giving it our all, but doing our search in an unfamiliar territory is still a hard task.”
“We threatened to massacre their entire race if they didn’t obey, but they still didn’t hesitate for a second. They saw through our bluff.”
At least they were kind enough to not kill anyone in reality.
“Hence, the occupation system of the former Human Kingdom still has elements of uncertainty. We can’t let our guard down just yet, so paying you a casual visit is still far from happening
”
“Please, don’t worry about it.”
Please prioritize your work first when it’s needed the most.
That’s the most important thing.
“That isn’t the only problem that remains unsolved
”
“Huh?”
The conversation started to shift in a strange direction.
And for some reason, I feel dubious about it.
“It’s about the royal family that we captured. It wasn’t just the king, naturally,” says Mrs. Astres as she takes over for the hesitant Demon King.
“The King’s siblings and children are also part of the royal family. There’s no reason why we should just let them roam freely.”
“That’s true, but
”
A prince is a king’s rightful heir to the throne, after all.
If they kill the king and let the prince escape, their efforts will be naught the moment the prince declares he has succeeded his father.
“Fortunately, we were able to detain all of the king’s relatives promptly. However, the question arises when it comes to handling them
”
“What do you mean?”
“Among the upper echelons of my army, many are of the opinion that we should execute every single royal member.”
“Oh

Well
 It’s only natural.
It really isn’t, though.
“However, the decision ultimately lies with you, Demon King
”
“I’d like to avoid bloodshed as much as possible. I can’t force the human race any more than this, especially after the king’s heroic act.”
“Nevertheless, they still pressed me at the meeting. In the end, the king’s father and predecessor, who was still hale and hearty at the age of 90, the king’s younger siblings, his wife and children were all exiled to the Demon Kingdom’s territory.”
“It’s better to keep them away from their people.”
“However, there was one person we were uneasy about
”
It’s finally starting to become more and more dubious.
I know it can only mean more trouble, but I can’t help but urge them to continue!
“
And who’s this person?”
“A princess.”
A princess.
Mrs. Astres monotonously continues.
“As of now, we have confirmed that the only child of the king is a 17-year-old princess named Letasreit. The Human Kingdom has a patriarchal society, and as such, women have no right to the throne. It has been planned that her future husband will become the next king.”
“That plan has great significance to our current state of affairs
” says the Demon King in a faint voice.
“The princess is the perfect hostage against the treacherous humans who plan to overtake our country.”
“If they kidnap her and marry her to someone, anyone can become the next king!” Mrs. Glasya grumbles.
“Many were of the opinion that the princess’ life mustn’t be spared as she poses the greatest threat among the royal family,” Mrs. Astres admits.
Both Demon Queens agreed to spare the royal family’s lives, but no sympathy was spared for the princess.
“The human race’s princess is a threat to us demons, after all.”
“I understand that His Majesty is kind, but we must always prioritize the safety of our people above all else.”
They both proposed straightforward arguments, which is probably making the Demon King this faint right now.
“But
 I made a promise with their king!” says the Demon King bitterly.
“I promised him that I would guarantee the safety of his people in exchange for his life. Is there anything more painful for a parent than to have their own daughter killed?!”
“No, but
”
I suppose such is the fate of being born into a royal family.
“Astres
”
“Yes?”
“
Is already carrying my child. She’s expecting this summer or fall.”
Oh, I see!
Congratulations to you!
“Now that I’m also going to become a father, I can relate to the pain of a parent seeing their child hurt! I can’t just turn my back on the king who has shown his admirable resolve, nor do I want to. I’ve been trying to find a way to solve this
”


It can’t be helped.
I get what the Demon King wants to say. Or rather, what he wants to ask for. He’s too modest to say it himself, so I’m going to take the initiative here.
“I understand. We’ll look after her here on my farm.”