Chapter 36: The Demon King's Outrage

Chapter 36: The Demon King's Outrage

The massive black gates of the Demon Kingdom of Vael'Theron loomed under the blood-red sky as the griffin descended.

The dark elf courier gripped the sealed message tightly.

He had carried many messages between kingdoms before—political alliances, war declarations, trade negotiations.

But nothing like this.

Nothing so absurd.

When his griffin landed on the palace grounds, the demon guards barely spared him a glance before motioning him forward.

The message had already been anticipated.

And within minutes, he was led into the royal chamber.

___

At the far end of the great hall, seated upon an obsidian throne, was Demon King Malghar of Vael'Theron.

His towering frame was wreathed in a heavy cloak of deep crimson, his golden eyes sharp beneath the weight of his horns. His presence radiated power, authority, and unshaken certainty.

The throne room was filled with the highest-ranking nobles, warlords, and scholars—a gathering that would normally take days to organize.

But this?

This was urgent.

King Malghar had already been informed of the message's contents.

Now, he wanted to hear it with his own ears.

The dark elf courier knelt before the throne, holding out the sealed imperial message.

A nearby attendant took it, stepping forward to deliver it to Malghar's waiting hand.

The Demon King's golden eyes scanned the contents.

And then—

The parchment crumpled under his grip.

Silence.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop.

"...They claim to have solved what?"

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

The nobles standing near him tensed.

"The Abyssal Valley Annihilation, Your Majesty."

A stillness descended upon the court.

Then—

The King let out a low, dangerous laugh.

The sound sent a chill through the room.

A slow, deliberate chuckle that was not amused at all.

"They solved Lilith's battle?" The King's voice was quiet, but it was not gentle.

The courier swallowed. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Malghar's fingers tapped against the armrest of his throne, his gaze like a predator sizing up prey.

The nobility did not dare speak.

Because they knew.

If the humans had simply sent a message about the magic-nullifying relic, the demons would have ignored it.

That was irrelevant.

They had no reason to go to the human kingdom just because they found some ancient artifact.

But this?

Claiming to have solved a battle that was considered sacred?

No.

That could not be ignored.

___

A voice broke the silence.

"Summon Duke Vaelora."

The order came from Malghar himself.

The tension thickened.

To send a Duke from Lilith's bloodline meant they were treating this not just as an insult—but as a threat.

It took only minutes before Duke Adrien Vaelora entered the grand chamber, his long coat brushing against the polished obsidian floor.

He was tall, commanding, his golden-red eyes narrowing as he approached the throne.

Lilith's tactical records were more than just documents.

They were sealed relics of their history.

No one outside the highest ranks of the demon military was allowed to view them.

And now, the humans claimed to have solved one.

Duke Vaelora's fingers tightened around the edge of the war table.

"That is what they claim," he said evenly.

The King's eyes darkened. "Verify it. Personally."

The Duke gave a slow, deliberate nod. "As you command."

___

As the Duke turned to leave, the dark elf courier hesitated.

"Your Grace, I was also ordered to deliver a second message," the courier said carefully. "One that was to be handed to the envoy directly if there was any doubt."

The Duke held out his hand, and the courier passed him the second sealed parchment.

The first had been formal, respectful, and diplomatic.

This one?

It was mocking.

A deliberate insult.

A way to humiliate the Kingdom of Vael'Theron further.

As the Duke unfolded the letter, his eyes scanned the contents.

His grip tightened immediately.

A backwater Baron's daughter.

A magic cripple.

A girl prone to occasional bouts of insanity.

The words were written to diminish her.

To make the demons laugh at the absurdity of it.

A nobody.

A noble girl so irrelevant she was barely worth acknowledging.

But one phrase stood out to him.

A phrase that should not have mattered.

But it did.

No magic.

His expression went still.

The chamber watched him carefully.

Then—slowly—Duke Vaelora set the parchment down.

For the first time, his golden-red eyes showed something besides cold indifference.

"...No magic?" he repeated, his voice quieter than before.

The words were meant to be an insult.

But to him—

To his family—

It meant something else entirely.

And yet, he did not speak.

He did not explain why.

Instead, he simply announced his decision.

"I will be taking my children with me."

A murmur ran through the court.

But no one dared question it.

Because they understood.

It had been 2,000 years since a descendant of Lilith's bloodline had set foot in the academy she founded.

That academy was now under human control.

But for once—

They had a reason to return.

And it was because of a nobody noble girl who should have never been worth their time.

Duke Vaelora turned, his coat sweeping behind him as he strode toward the exit.

The Demon King's voice stopped him at the doorway.

"If this is true," Malghar said, his tone slow, deliberate.

"If a magicless human girl has truly solved one of our greatest victories..."

His golden-red gaze gleamed in the dim torchlight.

"Then we will have to decide what to do with her."

Duke Vaelora said nothing.

But his silence spoke volumes.

[End of Chapter]