The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

The Modern Founding Chronicles of the Returned Demon King

Episode 10: Solomon’s Demon King (2)

Hyude, the Chief Secretary of the Kingdom of Solomon.

What is a Chief Secretary?

The leader of the group that sets the example for secretaries.

So, what is a secretary?

A profession that must provide the utmost care to its master and show proper conduct even to the master’s kin.

I, Hyude, am the Chief Secretary who must be the role model for such secretaries.

It’s not boasting, but I’ve managed to maintain that role model status for a long time. Not only has the Demon King respected me, but the secretaries under my command have also revered me.

However,…

The unshaken dignity that I’ve tried so hard to maintain for thousands of years was crumbling in just a minute.

“She’s, my sister. She’s, my sister. She’s my sister…”

The noble voice that was echoing in my ears blew my reasoning away like a gust of wind.

“Your, Your Majesty…”

I managed to open my stiff vocal cords.

“I’m really sorry, but my ears must have failed for a moment. Could you please repeat what you just said?”

“The wench you just said you would tear apart—meaning the woman trembling behind me right now—is my sister, you son of a—”

You son of a… you son of a… you son of a…

His sarcastic voice pounded my ears.

My frozen gaze turned to the woman standing behind the Demon King.

Facial features that seemed to resemble someone. A different kind of beauty compared to the master.

That woman was ‘my,’ ‘because of my behavior,’ hunched like a small animal, peeping her head out.

“To say she is Your Majesty’s sister means…”

My tongue was parched.

“Princess Lee Seo-yeon?”

“Yes. If we go by the family tree, you should call her that.”

Tick-tock. Tick-tock.

In a world that seemed to stand still, the sound of the second hand was clearly heard.

As soon as I realized this was reality, my lips were wide open and my eyes were wide.

“Please kill me, Your Majesty!!!”

I quickly fell to my knees and shouted.

“I am not worthy to be called Chief Secretary, not recognizing Princess Lee Seo-yeon! I don’t deserve that title!!”

What, what, what have I done?!

How did I fail to recognize Princess Lee Seo-yeon and show such disgrace?!

I do not deserve the title of Chief Secretary!

I should be killed by the hand of the Demon King right away!

“I won’t kill you, so get up.”

Ah, how merciful Your Majesty is!

I banged my head on the ground, suffocated by the guilt.

“I must die! Only by dying can I atone for this situation! Otherwise, it would tarnish the great reputation of the Demon King! What kind of master would ignore the abject failure of his subordinate?”

If I live, the exalted reputation of the Demon King won’t be preserved!

I must die,; only by tearing apart this wretched body will his reputation remain unscathed!

“I am usually forgiving of mistakes.”

His voice, tinged with a sigh, made me flinch.

“And I usually give chances to make up for those mistakes. That’s how one grows.”

“But, Demon King, still—”

“Hyude, it’s an order. Stop wallowing and get up. Are your opinions more important than my orders? Is that the exalted reputation you were talking about?”

Damn it! Indeed, how could the opinion of a mere Chief Secretary like myself outweigh the commands of my master?

Still… Still!

I bit my lip and swallowed a groan.

Yes, I must atone. I must definitely make up for this mistake.

With determination, I rose from my seat, cracking the floor just by standing.

“Siribi…”

“I apologize, Demon King. My thoughts were short-sighted. Thank you for giving me the chance to make up for my mistake.”

“That’s fine. Mistakes can be corrected. Now, let me formally introduce her.”

The Demon King looked back at the princess.

A woman with her hands clasped to her chest, looking uneasy.

Damn it, I turned the princess into a frightened raccoon…

“This is Hyude, my manager and future financial advisor.”

“This… this person is your manager?”

As the princess shot me a nervous glance, I gritted my teeth and lowered my head.

Damn, this is my fate.

I knelt on one knee and looked up at her.

“Princess Seo-yeon, I am truly sorry for what happened earlier. I failed to recognize someone as beautiful as you. While you may not trust me yet, I promise to assist you to the best of my abilities to prevent any discomfort in the future. I am still lacking, but please be patient.”

“Ah, yes, um…”

The princess nodded hesitantly.

One day, I will turn that distrust into trust…

The Demon King waved his hand at me.

“Hyude, step out for a moment. I need to talk to my sister.”

“Yes, I’ll be on the rooftop.”

I rose from my seat and was about to leave when I stopped at the door.

Damn, what is this tiny object blocking me? Why is the world so perilous, even when stepping outside?

No, I shall break through you in an instant.

Beep

I pressed a strange button and subdued the door.

Ha, simple.

I carefully closed the door behind me.

…After Hyude left,

Seo-yeon looked at Seo-jun with a complicated expression.

“Seo-jun.”

“Speak.”

“Is he a demon… isn’t he?”

She also shared the same pain as Seo-jun.

Meaning, she despised demons.

“No, it doesn’t make sense, but they’re calling you the Demon King, and no matter how I look at you, you don’t appear to be human…”

“What do you think I am?”

“…Huh?”

“What does it look like I am to you?”

“…I don’t know.”

Seo-yeon evasively turned her gaze and gave a bitter smile.

“I hope you won’t make hasty judgments. I’d like you to just watch over things for now.”

“…I don’t want to know what you mean, but fine.”

“Good, that’s enough for now. I’ll give you the bed, so rest comfortably.”

Seo-yeon looked at Seo-jun as he headed towards the front door.

That day, Seo-jun did not return.

***

[(Dawn Guild) Team Leader Kim Eun-Ha: I’ve transferred one A-level Gate permission as promised. Let me know if you need more. Also, be careful, there have been frequent instances of missing loot lately.]

That morning, Kim Eun-Ha kept his word and sent an A-level Gate permission. I plan to use Gates like this as needed.

“Activate,”

A faint murmur.

A giant golden snake sprang out from under my feet and completely engulfed me.

This was not an attack from a monster but an ability called [Demon King’s Gluttony].

[Demon King’s Gluttony]

When used, a snake appears and swallows all objects except living entities. Size limit is 3 meters in length and width. There is no weight limit, but the user bears a fifth of the weight.

To put it simply, it’s like my personal inventory.

Soon, the golden snake turned transparent and disappeared, and my clothes had transformed back to what I wore during my Demon King days.

In other words, I was wearing a black uniform and a black cloak.

This was the result of experimenting with [Demon King’s Gluttony], apart from using it as an inventory, it could be used like this.

“You always look so noble, Your Majesty.”

At first glance, this outfit might look uncomfortable, but it’s actually more comfortable than any other piece of clothing.

It’s tough enough to resist a blade, and more flexible than any armor, no other armor could possibly compare.

And more than anything, it felt odd not to wear it, as it was the attire I wore during my time as the Demon King.

I headed towards the Gate with Hui in this state.

Under the glaring sun that illuminated everything, two men stood unnoticed by others.

Choi Tae-Soo and Choi Tae-Ik. The brothers stood in an alley, clad in mysterious robes.

“Heh heh, Brother. Looks like no one has noticed us again.”

“Yes, that’s the power of these robes.”

Despite the brothers being in front of them, people passed by without noticing their presence.

Even their voices were blocked, making it impossible for others to hear their conversation.

“And wear your communicator properly, f you lose it like last time, we won’t be able to communicate.”

“Yes, Brother. I’ll be careful.”

“Then let’s get started properly today.”

They mainly used the power of the robes to steal loot from A-level Hunters.

“But, Brother, this is the territory of the Dawn Guild. What if Kim Jin-woo comes?”

“He won’t. Even if he does, he won’t be able to sense us.”

“Ah, right. Even when I walked around in the robe, he couldn’t detect me.”

“Exactly, so let’s focus on the task.”

“Yes.”

As the brothers steeled themselves, two men approached the Gate.

Their appearance made the brothers curious.

“Huh? Who are those guys? I’ve never seen them before.”

“Indeed. And what’s with their outfits? It’s not like they’re going to a noble party.”

One was dressed in a strange uniform with a cloak, and the other was in butler attire with blue skin.

They didn’t look like they were dressed to enter a Gate, but without any hesitation, they stepped inside.

“Uh, what should we do, big brother?”

“…Hmm, let’s just follow them for now. No one would come in here without a reason. If they are really madmen, we kill them and take their equipment.”

“Understood.”

Although puzzled, they decided to follow the two men.

‘If they’re unauthorized gate intruders, we’ll kill them and take those expensive-looking equipment pieces. If they’re officially-registered hunters, we’ll just continue as planned.’

Despite being D-rank hunters, the brothers had a robe that could even kill an A-rank hunter.

Entering the gate, they were met with the ominous scenery of a cave.

The two men who entered first were confidently moving ahead.

Unaware of what might unfold, the brothers followed them, licking their lips.

“Hyude.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Their tone was flat, devoid of any highs or lows.

“Get rid of them.”

“As you wish.”

That concluded their dialogue.

The cloaked man continued walking, and the man who seemed to be his secretary paused for a moment.

The secretary reached into his robe, and slowly turned around.

“……!”

Shooosh—

A black whip elongated with force. Faced with the secretary’s eagle-like gaze, the brothers felt chills.

At that moment, they instinctively knew.

They had been detected. Their existence, which had never been caught by anyone, was clearly captured in that gaze.

Breathing became difficult. A suffocating pressure filled the space, as if they had suddenly been cast into the void.

In that tightened space, only the secretary could move freely.

The secretary slowly raised his hand.

Body, consciousness, countless senses.

I Felt the impending death.

Whoosh!

A supersonic whip sliced past their throats.

Their gaze started to lift up involuntarily. They saw their own droplets of blood, and, against their will, their view was completely reversed.

The gaze that had been closer to the ceiling gradually lowered and touched the floor.

A perfect ground where tiny insects were crawling.

“Vermin.”

A tone colder than the cave’s wind closed off their consciousness.

…The robe that the brothers had worn, which made their forms faint and erased their outlines, did not change even at the moment of their death.

Only the freshly spilled red blood remained as their last trace…

“Clean.”

After exiting the gate, I flicked my fingers lightly. The blood and foreign substances on my clothes vanished cleanly.

“I am grateful for Your Majesty’s compassionate consideration.”

Hyude also bowed his head, using the same technique.

The Horned Poison Lizards and yellow mushrooms that we just acquired in the raid were all stored in [The Demon King’s Gluttony].

The remaining ingredients had already been secured from the ‘Spoils Trading Site’ operated by the Abyss Guild.

“Let’s change locations. There’s a woman I’d like to introduce you to.”

All that’s left is to give this to Jeong Yerin.

The real capital game is about to begin.

[Strong Fortress] (In Progress)

Description: Before ‘they’ arrive, you need a position and force that can stand against them. Your power is impeccable, but its domain is unclear.

Please build a sturdy wall against their invasion.

Reward: Gain 20 Worldview Causality Points.

(To be continued in the next episode)