Arifureta : King Of Demons

🎉🔥 A MASSIVE THANK YOU! 🔥🎉

💖 Special shoutout to these legends! 💖

@Corey Dagenais—WELCOME TO THE MEMBER SQUAD! 🚀🔥 Your support means everything, and I'm hyped to have you on this wild ride!

💡 But wait—there's more! Don't forget to check out my Newest Completed Novel on My P4TR30N

👨‍👧 Title: "Arifureta : King Of Demons"

📢 Want to read ahead and unlock all chapters? J

✨ Unlock instant access to the full completed novel

✨ No waiting for daily updates

✨ Support your favorite degenerate author (that's me!)

👉 Skip the wait! Unlock instant access to completed chapters by joining our membership!

Free readers? No worries—daily updates will still roll out. But if you're the "I need it NOW" type... you know what to do. 😉

🔗 Check my profile for the Link!!

To the casual readers: "Enjoy the slow burn."

To the true binge-readers: "Welcome to the party." 🎉

👉 Want the full experience? [Join Patreon Now]

🔗 Check my profile for the Link!!

💀 PS: Free readers get crumbs—MEMBER get the FEAST. 

Don't just watch—DOMINATE THE STORY. 😈🔥

==============

The King's Announcement

At the square in front of the Garland Royal Palace, a place usually bustling with people entering and leaving the palace and guarded against those without official business, was open today. All the citizens of Garland had been gathered there.

"Hey, do you know why we were called here?"

"No idea. I heard Lord Aldias himself has something to tell us."

"Oh, speaking of which, did you hear? Lord Aldias reportedly fought against a human hero summoned by Ehit!"

"Is that true?! Is Lord Aldias safe?!"

"Of course! Lord Aldias would never lose to a mere human. Ah, he's so strong, so handsome, and so kind. I wish I could get closer to him."

"That's probably impossible. Though I understand why even men admire him."

It had been a week since Aldias encountered Hajime and his group. The news of Aldias's battle with the human "apostle of God," which only a few initially knew about, had already spread to many citizens of Garland, and the country was abuzz with excitement over his victory. Humans are nothing to fear. As long as the great king of the demon race exists, even a hero summoned by God cannot stand against him... This was the prevailing sentiment. To be precise, Aldias had fought Hajime, not a hero, but the story had somehow twisted itself into a battle against a hero. If Aldias were to hear this, he would surely frown at the public's praise for defeating mere children.

As the gathered crowd chatted, waiting for the moment, the doors leading to the palace terrace opened, and Freed appeared, followed by Cattleya and Aletia.

"It's Lord Freed!"

"Lord Freed—!!"

One of the gathered citizens noticed him, and everyone's gaze turned upwards, catching sight of him, and cheers erupted. Freed raised a hand to the citizens, and gradually the cheers subsided as they prepared to listen to him. Freed, seeing this, nodded contentedly and began to speak.

"Citizens of the Demon Kingdom Garland. First, I thank you for responding to this sudden summons. And the reason I have gathered you here today is none other than to convey an important truth to you all. It is a matter so crucial that it could shake the very foundations of the demon race... no, even the world itself."

At Freed's sudden words, the citizens exchanged bewildered glances with those around them. Then, Freed stepped aside and bowed towards the entrance he had come through. Slowly, a man appeared before the people.

"...It's Lord Aldias."

Immediately, a cheer louder than the one for Freed echoed through the square. Aldias walked to where Freed had been standing, drawing the attention of everyone present. He slowly surveyed the crowd below, clearly seeing his citizens cheering and waving to him. In their eyes, he could see an unwavering trust in him. While he felt genuine joy at the sight of his adoring people, he raised a hand to signal the start of his speech. Sensing that Aldias was about to speak, the murmuring quickly died down.

"...Citizens of the Demon Kingdom Garland. As Freed said, I thank you for gathering here. And I apologize again for the long and difficult days you have endured, hurt by the prolonged war with the human race. I am truly sorry."

As Aldias bowed his head, the assembled citizens were greatly disturbed. Freed and his companions were similarly shaken.

"L-Lord Aldias!?"

"Please, raise your head!! Lord Aldias has done nothing wrong!!"

"That's right!? Everyone in this country knows you've devoted your full strength to us!"

Everyone present desperately tried to make Aldias raise his head, shouting heartfelt words. There was no falsehood in their voices. Not only those who had fought alongside Aldias on the battlefield, but also ordinary citizens unrelated to the war, knew of his exploits. Many families had likely been saved by Aldias. Furthermore, no one in this country harbored ill will towards Aldias, who, despite being the sovereign, interacted personally and kindly with each citizen.

"...Thank you," Aldias said, finally raising his head at the sight of his people. Yet, his expression remained clouded. While grateful for his trusting citizens, he felt a definite sense of guilt towards them. He had hidden a certain truth from them to protect the people of Garland.

(But that is no longer necessary. I must tell them everything... even if it means losing all their trust...)

"...A week ago, Alv, the former king of Garland, died... I killed him."

"!!!"

At this sudden, shocking confession, everyone present widened their eyes in surprise. What followed was enough to leave them speechless.

The true identities of Ehit, the God of this world, and Alv. Ehit's attempt to take over Aldias's body, and Aldias's defeat of him. Dinlead, the original owner of Alv's body, and his niece, Aletia. And... the existence of the true God of this world.

Each revelation was enough to cause confusion, and the citizens, hearing one after another, were bewildered. But for the sake of the future, they had to accept it.

"They enjoyed the conflicts in this world, calling it a game. In other words, they never intended to end the war; their goal was to perpetuate it... And I, too, chose not to resist that flow."

Eighteen years had passed since Aldias was born into this world. If he had genuinely exerted his full power on the battlefield, the war with humanity would have ended long ago. The demon race might be outnumbered by humans, but their individual skill levels were incomparable. Even if humans attacked en masse, Aldias alone could easily annihilate them by stepping forward. If he wished, he could even erase entire nations. However, Aldias did not do so. He didn't know what actions Ehit and Alv might take if he did. Though their personalities fit the description of "evil gods," their power was real. Even Aldias wasn't entirely sure he could win against Ehit and Alv at full strength. That's why he had no choice but to pretend to be an obedient follower on the surface. He had to show no hint of betrayal or suspicion, and then strike decisively the moment they drew near. This was the best way to eliminate the gods while protecting as many Garland citizens as possible.

"However, that choice also meant abandoning the lives of those who could have been saved."

Naturally, the longer the war dragged on, the more casualties there were. Aldias was not perfect. He wasn't always on the battlefield, and there were many times he arrived too late, watching lives slip away. As long as the war continued, precious lives would continue to fall from his grasp. Of course, Aldias had often agonized over this. Would it not have been better to kill Alv earlier and end the war immediately to minimize damage? Would it not have been fine if he had just kept Aletia's existence hidden and ensured his own body wasn't possessed? Such naive thoughts repeatedly surfaced in his mind. However, it was clear that doing so without knowing the true extent of Ehit's power would be overly optimistic and fraught with great danger. That's why Aldias made his decision: to sacrifice a hundred to save a thousand.

The citizens, hearing Aldias's confession, were so distraught they didn't know what to say. Amidst the murmuring, a young girl in the square asked her mother, who stood nearby:

"Mommy, why do everyone look so scared?"

"Huh? Uh... well, there's a scary god, and he's trying to be mean to us."

"Hmm, but Lord Aldias is here, so I'm sure it'll be okay!!"

"...Huh?"

"Because Daddy said so! Daddy said he came home alive because of Lord Aldias! And big brother said he's going to be a strong and cool man like Lord Aldias! So I'm sure it'll be okay!!"

The girl's father, a soldier, and her brother, a trainee soldier, trained daily for their country. Both often spoke of Aldias. Her father, in particular, had narrowly escaped death thanks to Aldias's rescue and often told his daughter about it. The girl, being young, didn't understand the true nature of war. Yet, from her father's words that she could return home thanks to Aldias, and her brother's words of praise for Aldias, she saw him as a kind of hero. That's why she believed it would be okay... and that he would surely defeat the bad guys again. It was a baseless wish from a young child. Yet, it was enough to stir the hearts of those present.

"...That's right, Lord Aldias has always protected us."

"At the time, I thought it was normal, but... how pathetic for us adults to send a young Lord Aldias, despite his strength, to the battlefield...!"

"But Lord Aldias saved us countless times. He continued to fight for us."

"If we don't believe in Lord Aldias, who will!?"

"Lord Aldias... no, we'll fight with him!!"

"That's right! Who cares about God! It wasn't God who guided us all this time, it was Lord Aldias!!"

The small spark ignited in people's hearts by the girl's words spread from person to person, gradually transforming into a large flame. Not a single person now wore the bewildered expression from before. It didn't matter if he was king or the child of God. It was the trust Aldias himself had built as an individual demon, Aldias, that was now manifesting. Aldias watched this scene in astonishment. He had been prepared to be reviled. To be told to bring back their sons, their fathers... even to be called a kinslayer. At worst, he was prepared to lose his position as king... even if he had no allies left, he was resolved to accomplish it alone. But instead of cursing him, they believed in him... they even said they would fight with him. This fact made Aldias's heart warm.

Then, he felt a tug on his clothes. Looking down, he saw Aletia standing beside him, smiling.

"It feels good to be trusted by the precious people you've protected, doesn't it?"

"...Yes, it does."

"Then, as king, you must live up to that trust."

"...Yes, that's right."

Aldias turned to face the citizens looking up at him. His face no longer held the slightest trace of the clouded expression from before. If they trusted him this much, then it was his duty as king to meet that trust.

"I have received your feelings. I will no longer waver. I declare now! I will end this long war and defeat the God who has brought disaster upon this world!"

Aldias's declaration was met with even more fervent cheers that echoed through the square. Seeing this, Freed and Cattleya breathed a sigh of relief.

"It was a bit of a shock, but we managed to get through it."

"Given Lord Aldias's usual conduct, this outcome was inevitable. They were just confused by Alv's true identity and the fact that the God of this world is an enemy."

"I was surprised when he bowed his head so suddenly."

"Indeed... Lord Aldias thinks too little of himself. He should act more like a king."

"But isn't that also what's good about Lord Aldias?"

"...Well, I won't deny it."

Throughout Tortus's long history, there had been many kings. Tyrants and wise rulers, each with various characteristics, but all had one thing in common: they were distant, like clouds above, to the common citizens. It was better if their opinions were simply ignored. Some kings didn't care about their people at all, pursuing their own desires, completely lacking the trust and faith of their subjects. But with some variation, this was the general way a king governed a country. Even Alv had some interaction with his vassals involved in governing the country, but he had no contact with anyone else. In fact, if you asked the current residents of Garland not involved in governing the country about their impression of King Alv, you wouldn't get a clear answer. Compared to such rulers, Aldias could be called a truly unique king. Throughout long history, the idea of a king himself secretly descending into the city without guards, escaping the eyes of his retainers, and interacting with the citizens was unthinkable.

"A nation is only formed when its people exist. A king who cannot hear the voices of his people has no right to be king."

These were the words Aldias once said when one of his elderly retainers suggested he refrain from going into the city. The retainer, who was greatly outside his own values by Aldias's opinion, initially expressed reluctance. However, as the government began to run more smoothly than before, he abandoned his old ideas and came to agree with Aldias. He was a king less like a king than any before him, and at the same time, a king overflowing with more compassion than any other. It was because of such an Aldias that Freed and Cattleya decided to devote their lives to serving him.

"...But this is only the beginning. The real challenge starts now."

"...Yes."

In the King's Office

The scene shifted to the king's office within the palace. Aldias often spent his time in this room when in the palace. Even audiences from outside the Demon Kingdom Garland were handled here. The castle did, in fact, have a throne room. Normally, the king of the country would sit on that throne for audiences, but...

"Why should I go to a place with only a chair?"

If it was about governing the country, it was more convenient to have documents at hand, Aldias had said. It had been three years since Aldias became king, and he had only sat on the throne once, during his coronation ceremony to officially succeed to the throne. A throne was also a symbol for the ruler to display their authority, but naturally, Aldias had no interest in such things. It would be different if he were inviting dignitaries from other countries, but the demon race was at war with the human race and had no interactions with other races in Tortus. He felt sorry for the maids who had to clean the throne every day, even though no one sat on it, but it likely wouldn't be used until the war ended and interactions with other races began. Incidentally, when Aldias told the maids that cleaning wasn't necessary since he wouldn't sit on it anyway, they adamantly refused, saying they did it out of their own free will and he shouldn't worry about it.

In the office, besides Aldias, were Freed and Aletia. Cattleya had already returned to her post.

"...I'm blessed. Even though I was prepared to be criticized, I can't complain."

"What are you saying? It's all the fruit of Lord Aldias's actions."

"Yes... everyone trusted Aldias from the bottom of their hearts."

"That's right... That's why I must live up to that expectation."

"Then..."

"Yes... Freed, I leave the troop formation to you. Until now, we've deployed troops widely and launched wave attacks, but with Ehit and Alv gone, there's no need to hold back. Above all, we don't have time to hesitate, as we don't know when God might interfere with this world. We'll use our full strength to finish this decisively."

"Understood!"

"Aletia, what about you?"

"...? What do you mean?"

"What's about to begin is a war between the demon race and the human race. You're not fighting God, so you have no reason to fight humans, do you?"

Aletia, unlike Aldias and the others, was a vampire, not a demon. She had no reason to fight humans. While they would eventually need to quickly resolve matters with the human race in preparation for the fight against God, it wasn't something that couldn't be achieved without Aletia. Simply put, Aldias alone was enough. Aletia initially didn't understand Aldias's words, but after he elaborated, she looked stunned for a moment, then showed a clearly displeased, sulky expression.

"Don't underestimate me. Do I look like such a heartless person?"

"But..."

"It's true I have no reason to fight humans. But I have a reason to fight for the demon race... no, for Aldias."

Aletia had been alone at the bottom of the abyss for 300 long years. She could never thank Aldias enough for helping her and bringing her out. When Aldias saved her and asked for her name, Aletia asked him to name her. She had said this out of a desperate desire to forget her painful and sad past, but Aldias's reply came immediately:

"I refuse."

Aletia was left speechless, her mouth agape at his immediate response.

"Changing your name won't change the past. What's important isn't denying what has been, but how you live from now on."

Aletia looked 12, but inside she was well over 300 years old. In contrast, Aldias was only 10 at the time. Honestly, Aletia had been astonished that such a young child had ventured into the abyss alone, but she remembered being equally stunned by the mature words that came from his mouth. Told such a thing by a child much smaller than herself, she couldn't bring herself to say no and continued to go by Aletia... but now that she knew she had been loved, she truly regretted not abandoning her name back then.

"I am who I am because of Aldias... So, for Aldias, I can fight anyone, no matter who they are... I'm not leaving."

Saying this, she looked at Aldias and smiled. Her eyes clearly conveyed her determination to follow him no matter what.

"...I see... Aletia, join the country's magical corps. Since you no longer need to hide your identity, you can exert your full power."

"Okay! Leave it to me!"

"I will guide you to the commander of the magical corps."

"Thanks. So, where first? The Kingdom, probably?"

"No, the Kingdom, for better or worse, has a strong influence from the Holy Church. Now that Ehit is gone, their upper echelons probably won't function properly for a while."

While a king existed in the Kingdom, the Holy Church held more power. And what the Holy Church prioritized above all was their worshipped god, Ehit. Since Aldias had killed Ehit, the Holy Church's confusion was easy to predict.

"Besides, if we were to take down the Kingdom first and he learned of it, he would surely devise some plan. Honestly, that would be more troublesome than the Kingdom itself."

"Then, the destination is..."

"Yes, our first target is decided. The meritocratic nation where power is everything..."

"...The Hoelscher Empire."

==========

🚀 Want Early Access & Bonus Content?

"Loving this story so far? You can read ALL chapters RIGHT NOW by joining my Patreon!

✨ Unlock instant access to the full completed novel

✨ No waiting for daily updates

✨ Support your favorite degenerate author (that's me!)

Only $5.99 for the full experience!

🔗 Check my profile for the Link!!

Free readers - don't worry, I'll still be posting daily updates here. But Patreon members get the VIP treatment!

Your support helps me create more wild stories like this. See you on the dark side! 😈"