0.0000001% Demon King - 0DK Chapter 22: Hero Sinclair (1) (Part 1)

“Good.”

Karos tapped on the table, a pleased tone in his voice.

“Now, the first foundation has been laid.”

Finally, the long endeavor of securing the first stronghold had come to an end. Although there was no direct ownership, Irina would follow Karos’s words to protect her citizens, effectively placing it under his control.

“Human power can do a lot more than you think.”

Conflicts among humans were common. Although rare at the current time, they were not nonexistent.

The task was clear. A territorial war, a primal conflict where lands were gambled and plundered from each other.

“It would be difficult to start without a just cause.”

“A just cause can be fabricated. There are many ways, be it rebellion or whatever. We could even claim that the current lord was imprisoned with the assistance of a neighboring territory.”

A so-called cause could be attached to anything. What mattered was whether it received support or not.

“There are countless methods. There’s no need to rush; we can think it over leisurely.”

The Demon King’s castle was quiet. Soccu had gone to the village for fun, and the chieftain had left for the goblin community to manage them. It was a rare moment of leisure for Karos.

“It’s peaceful.”

“Not fitting for a Demon King, though.”

Bathesia entered with a weary expression, waving her hands dismissively before slumping into a chair.

“It’s done.”

“Good work.”

“Yeah. Don’t ever ask me to do it again. I thought I was going to die, it’s so not my style.”

“But it was necessary. It would be trouble if some adventurers happened to stop by.”

Karos had instructed Bathesia to spread a perception-blocking barrier near the cave known as the Demon King’s castle. It was a strenuous process that took several days, but it was eventually accomplished. Bathesia grumbled as she drank the tea Lillis handed her.

“Thanks. For now, unless they’re high-level adventurers, they won’t notice anything. I’d rather move, honestly. It’s too cramped here.”

“That’s not a bad idea.”

As their numbers grew, the cave felt increasingly cramped. However, Karos shook his head.

“Not yet. We need to expand our territory before moving.”

“…Thinking about it, we’ve come a long way.”

Bathesia muttered as if it was all coming back to her. She honestly hadn’t believed Karos could accomplish it. She thought he would try a few times before giving up and returning.

But Karos had swallowed a village, seduced an emperor, and found stability. It would be a feat that would surprise the entire Demon Realm.

“Did you think I came here to die? There’s a possibility, so I came. But that aside.”

Karos’s gaze turned towards Bathesia.

“Are your subordinates still out of contact?”

“…Yes.”

Bathesia answered irritably. Karos scratched his head in frustration.

“It would be helpful if we could get in touch somehow.”

Currently under Karos as a mere subordinate, Bathesia was a Demon King. One of the four great Sovereign, she had swallowed a tenth of the continent with her might.

Naturally, the number and quality of her subordinates, as well as her information network, were incomparably superior to her current state. Karos had asked her to find a way, but to no avail.

“The Great Demon King wouldn’t have proceeded carelessly. All means of communication are blocked.”

Bathesia chewed on her fingernails. Her loyal subordinates, who followed her will, were her pride. She was going insane worrying about what they might be doing without their master.

“Did you check the village? Any news?”

“Nothing. Bathesia’s territory is still silent. Only the lower ranks are active; no officers in sight.”

“They must be managing on their own. The Great Demon King must have appointed a deputy, right? Then there should be no problem.”

“Hopefully.”

Still, she couldn’t help but worry.

“Are they eating well?”

“…Such a mundane worry for monsters capable of annihilating a knight order on their own.”

“Shut up. Just take this quickly.”

Bathesia roughly threw a necklace. The necklace flew through the air and was caught by Karos.

“Why are you giving this to me? You said to keep it on because you emit magical energy.”

“It’s suffocating. It feels like I’m wearing a choker. Now that the barrier is up, I’ll take it off here.”

“Hmm… Alright.”

After some thought, it seemed there wouldn’t be a problem. Karos put the necklace around his neck. In truth, the necklace meant nothing to him since he hardly emitted any magical energy. Bathesia muttered.

“A pearl necklace on a pig.”

“Quiet.”

It was sad that there was no rebuttal. Karos grimaced.

“Another way to swallow a place…”

Keeng.

A sharp, tinnitus-like sound reverberated throughout the cave.

“…Huh? An intruder?”

“An intruder?”

“The barrier’s broken. What? They shouldn’t be able to enter.”

Bathesia muttered in confusion. Karos sighed and stood up.

“Let’s go out and check.”

“Ah, right.”

Stepping outside, they saw a woman with long golden hair and golden eyes staring at them with a stoic expression.

“…Really? A human?”

“How did you break the barrier?”

“I did a good job! Do you think I’d make such a mistake?”

“Then what’s that?”

Clearly, it was a human. Bathesia irritably stomped her feet.

“We’ll have to find out now. Hey, human. What are you?”

“…”

Hyung_Otaku

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

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