“Right here, right now, it’s me!”
Pastel pointed at herself.
“I’m the next Demon King!”
Elly looked utterly bewildered.
“What?”
“I’m the Demon King!”
Elly blinked slowly. After a moment of silence, she asked again.
“What?”
Pastel jumped up eagerly.
“Demon King! Demon King!”
She dashed around the room, her pink hair flowing wildly.
“Demon King Pastel!”
I don’t know what being a Demon King entails, but I definitely know that being a good friend is a title you shouldn’t mess with!
Is this Demon King corruption?
Thump thump.
Pound pound.
Thrill thrill.
What even is power?
The influence that allows you to manipulate others as you wish.
If holding a single conversation can shake the entire demon race, that’s pure power!
It could be a million times more fun!
“Demon King, Demon King Pastel!”
Pastel ran around again. But since it was a small room, she just circled around Elly.
“How about dropping the habit of sounding like you’re being misunderstood?”
Elly stared blankly at Pastel who was running around. After organizing her thoughts, she splashed her face with cold water.
“Isn’t this why you’re in situations you call unfair?”
A somewhat emotional scolding tone.
Pastel abruptly stopped running, pointing accusingly at Elly in a dramatic pose.
“Hey! What kind of rudeness is that toward the Demon King?!”
“The Demon King, huh?”
Elly scoffed lightly.
“I get what you’re saying. I noticed your peculiar props too. That floating knife and broom basically scream ‘Demon King’ unless you’re an Archmage.”
“You catch on quickly!”
I’m the Demon King!
“But since the Craft bloodline can’t possibly be the Demon King, I figured out a long time ago that it was likely some legacy or technology plundered during the war.”
Elly’s brow furrowed slightly.
“I had no idea about any implicit agreements or investigations between us, but legends and myths about Demon Kings are my area of expertise.”
Uh-oh.
Am I really ready to face the wrath of the Demon Lord for admitting I’m a Demon King?
Elly was mistaken in her field of expertise.
Eww.
“Is it really easier for you to think that way?”
“It’s not about feeling better, it’s just the truth. The Craft family secretly researched the powers of the Demon King, and by now, that’s common knowledge in academia. We didn’t know if they succeeded, but since the head of the family just showed results to the world, it’s proven.”
Elly regained her composure and spoke calmly and clearly.
“I very much understand what you’re getting at. You want to pretend to be a Demon King. If you just hide your Craft identity, you’ll basically be the next Demon King. It’d be easy to turn around the moderate faction’s stance.”
Eww.
Pastel puffed her cheeks in disappointment.
I guess I’m still not purple yet.
Has living decently created this side effect?
It’s a good thing, but it’s still disappointing.
To shake off this disappointment, I feel like I’ll have to do something bad, like unleashing the Great Demon and causing a world-ending crisis.
Pastel poked her inflated cheek with a finger. The air whooshed out.
“It’s not acting!”
Puff.
“Elly Elly. You entered the academy with a major in legends and myths, so how can you get it wrong when it matters? Are you not doing enough academic study or research?”
That’s some serious academic failure.
“I’m saying this because it’s my major.”
Elly was steadfast.
“Most demons believe that the Demon King’s title is fated for the strongest, but that’s not a requirement at all. The actual requirement is being an outsider.”
Eww.
“Demons and humans are distinct, but if you go up the family tree, you’re ultimately the same. The only difference is that you’re a human living in the Demon Realm who strayed from the mainstream myth. In a world created by gods, those who deviate from the myths are always outsiders.”
Elly folded her fingers one by one.
“Non-identicality, non-typicality, non-conventionality. The power of the Demon King isn’t manifested through physical destruction but through ideological destruction. That’s why you must be an outsider.”
Pastel’s pink eyes widened.
Getting into those complicated academic details is a bit much.
She turned her gaze toward the work desk. The luxurious wood pattern seemed to briefly show a cute face.
“Wow! A puppy!”
Next time, I’ll have to say hi to my puppy friend when I’m doing work here!
“Hello, friend!”
Elly looked bewildered.
“So anyways, having been born in the Craft family, the epitome of imperial history, it’s impossible for you to be an outsider. This isn’t related to the demons’ grudges.”
“Right! Got it!”
Pastel, having understood none of it, pretended to.
I may not understand, but I get that Elly can’t accept Demon King Pastel!
“You can think what you want! Anyway, building railroads is beneficial!”
Elly mumbled as she got lost in her thoughts.
“True. Creating a fake Demon King might be risky if we get found out, but the railroad project is essential for the future of the Demon Realm. We have to hurry before the Empire wakes up to the technological revolution…”
Elly flinched, realizing she had just revealed confidential information. She glanced nervously at Pastel before changing the subject.
“I can assure you that I’ll take responsibility for the existence of the Demon King. Rather than doubters, many will likely be filled with anticipation that we finally found one, so it should be fine to hide your identity for a time.”
“Wow!”
Pastel cheered.
“Demon King Pastel!”
Spinning in place~!
Elly scrutinized the swirling pink hair.
“Even so, it’s better to prepare some disguises just in case. How can we change that eye-catching hair? Doesn’t the Craft family have any disguise techniques?”
“Double the spinning~!”
Pastel started spinning fast.
Round and round, round and round!
The hair lashed around and hit Elly’s face.
“Ah.”
Elly backed away, waving her hands to shield her face.
“It’s the Demon King! Your Majesty!”
I need to inform the Demon Lord about this corruption news!
Oh! Right!
I can just let him know now!
Pastel, who had been pondering such an easy resolution, was a fool!
“More importantly, how am I going to change my hair—”
“I’m going home first!”
Pastel burst through the hidden door out into the academy hallway. She quickly waved a hand at the friends she occasionally encountered while running.
“Bye! Bye! I know you all want to talk to me, but I’m way too busy! Super duper busy! Sorry for not being able to fulfill my duties as a popular person!”
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
Searching through her assigned private dorm, she dashed into the kitchen. Bursting through the kitchen door, she found a demon there.
The demon, wearing a white shirt and apron, was turning around from creating a cookie recipe with a flour-heavy concoction.
“Hmm? Has the time passed so quickly? How perplexing. Wait a moment. I haven’t prepared lunch yet. I’ll have it ready soon.”
Pastel quickly shook her head.
“No! No! It’s not lunchtime yet! But more importantly! More importantly!”
She pointed at herself.
“Demon King!”
The pink eyes glinted with hopeful anticipation.
The demon looked confused, unaware of her intentions. He walked to the door, checked the hallway for anyone, then closed the door.
“Have you left early today? Good for you. The student council’s workload is bizarrely overwhelming.”
Pastel ignored this and pointed at herself again.
“Demon King!”
The demon seemed perplexed.
“Young Craft, conversation is a two-way street. Just throwing out context that you understand doesn’t mean the other person will catch on.”
“Huh?”
Shock.
“The Demon Lord should understand, right?!”
Pastel pointed at herself again.
“Demon King!”
The demon looked somewhat pained, grappling with the riddle put before him. He seemed to be having trouble finding the right fit.
The demon pondered, then raised his hands.
“I don’t know.”
Pastel lowered her pointing finger. Her cheeks began to inflate slowly.
Puff.
“Why are you reacting as if it were my fault? This is your mistake.”
Puff!
“How far are you hoping to take this?”
The demon sighed and moved his fingers. He pinched Pastel’s puffed cheek, causing the air to whoosh out.
“Ah! My cheeks are round!”
You can’t just mess with that!
The demon chuckled.
“Don’t get fixated on the strange stuff. Hmm? Oh dear, I’ve covered it with flour.”
The demon took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped it off.
“So, what is it that the Demon King requires? Has she found some new legacy from the Demon King?”
Pastel frowned.
“Even if I don’t stand out as the Craft family, the Demon Lord emphasizes that I should never confess my identity to others.”
“You might not see it, but the Demon King’s existence isn’t something the Empire can take lightly. Once they hear the news, they’ll take immediate action. We have to be cautious.”
“Hehe.”
Pastel grinned slyly.
The demon paused.
“Wait…?”
“I just spilled it!”
With a spin, she jumped and raised her arms high.
“Yay!”
The demon pinched the bridge of his nose in silence, seeming dazed by the girl who couldn’t listen.
Her pink eyes sparkled.
The desired response!
“The murder-death-kill is… no way that could happen.”
The demon sighed heavily.
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