Chapter 758: The Demon King Asked to Talk (Patreon)

Luke walked through the forest with Illyra guiding him. The Great Tree Spirit was still a tiny green orb, floating a few paces ahead like a living lantern. Three days had passed since Norn became a citizen of the kingdom.

Kingdom CoreMonarch: Luke MoonKingdom Name: -Level: 0Citizens: 4/10Soul Energy: 4,781/10,000

Skills: [Dark Lord’s Army], [Citizenship Card], [Sovereign’s Gaze], [Domain Mana], [Kingdom’s Calling], [Safe Domain], [Kingdom Bond], [Core Soul Reservoir]

[Quests]: [Kings of the New Era (Optional)], [Teleportation Array (Optional)], [Level Up the Core (Active)]

Four out of ten. Still not enough.

Turning the spider into a citizen had completed two quests at once: [Eliminate the Root Spiders (Active)] and [Aid the Great Tree (Active)].

The reward had been immediate. The kingdom’s territory had expanded by an absurd amount. Luke could feel the invisible border stretching nearly twice as far as before.

“Hey, Boss!”

The voice came from behind him.

“Hello, Norn.”

The massive spider walked alongside him, her long legs moving with an unsettling lightness for a creature her size. Ever since her defeat, she had taken to calling Luke “Boss.”

“Your nest is really big.”

“Yeah. And it keeps growing whenever I fix problems and build up the kingdom.”

“My mana comes back really fast. Norn likes that.”

“It’s called [Domain Mana].”

"We’re almost there, Botanist", Illyra said.

Luke looked toward the little green light leading him onward. The goblins weren’t strong, but there were hundreds of them scattered throughout the forest. Left alone, they were a nuisance. United under him, they could become something useful. They could also solve his citizenship problem in a single conversation.

“Norn, I’m about to meet the goblins. You should stay back. They’ll panic if they see you.”

“Those short little green men?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll wait for you, Boss. Norn wants to become a soldier.”

Norn sounded genuinely excited to become a soldier and protect the nest. The irony was that only a few days ago, she had been one of the greatest threats to that very place.

After several more minutes of walking, the goblin village came into view between the trees. A crooked wooden wall surrounded the settlement, half-hidden behind thick trunks and dense foliage. The moment someone spotted Luke, a horn blared. The entire village sprang into motion.

“He found us!” a goblin shouted.

“The Great Evil!”

Luke watched the small green figures scramble in every direction. Even in their panic, they moved with some coordination. Within moments, they had formed a defensive line in front of the wall, armed with rough wooden shields and stone-tipped spears. There were easily more than a hundred of them.

Looks like your attempts didn’t go so well, Illyra.

"I tried, Botanist. I’m still too weak to explain anything clearly to them. I mentioned you, and then... well, they misunderstood everything when I went quiet."

“He’s holding the Great Spirit hostage! Look, she’s right there!” a goblin yelled, pointing at the green orb floating beside Luke.

Luke sighed.

"Now that they’re... preparing for war against you... I’m sorry."

I’ll clear up the misunderstanding.

Arrows flew at him.

“Evil creature! You imprisoned our spirit!”

“I didn’t imprison anyone,” Luke replied without moving. “I’m working with her. I’m the Monarch of these lands. I came here to talk.”

The arrows weren’t a threat. None came close to hurting him.

They wore simple, threadbare clothes. Their weapons looked like they had been fashioned from whatever the forest could provide. The houses inside the village were small, old, and barely holding together. According to Illyra, this tribe had lived here for generations.

“So,” Luke called out, “are you ready to talk?”

Several goblins threw something that landed near his feet.

Luke looked down. “A mud ball?”

The object exploded. Mud, stone fragments, and debris sprayed in every direction. Dust billowed into the air, obscuring the area for several seconds.

“Prepare another volley!” ordered the goblin who appeared to be leading the defensive line.

When the dust settled, Luke was still standing there unharmed. The blast had managed something the arrows hadn’t. It had annoyed him.

“You got mud on my clothes. Congratulations.”

He brushed a hand over the fabric, using telekinesis to strip away the dirt.

"I... might have a few ideas", Illyra said nervously.

Luke raised his voice.

“That was your last warning. The next attack won’t end as well for you.”

The goblin leader thrust his spear forward. “Fire!”

Another volley filled the air. Luke’s expression went flat. So much for diplomacy.

I’m done with your methods. My turn.

He stepped forward.

[Horns of the Demon of Darkness activated]

[Demonic Predator Hands activated]

[Cloak of the Arcane Witch activated]

[Despair Aura I activated]

The skills came alive one after another. Black horns grew from his forehead. A dark cloak settled over his shoulders, heavy as condensed shadow. Black blood engulfed his hands and forearms, warping them into monstrous shapes. By the time the transformation ended, there was nothing remotely human about his silhouette. The reaction was immediate. The goblins’ eyes went wide. Some lost the strength in their legs. Others trembled so violently that their shields knocked against their knees.

“My turn,” Luke said, and then he moved.

He launched himself forward with enough force to blast dirt, rocks, and splintered wood into the air behind him. Trees shuddered, and several toppled as he hurtled over the goblin formation before any of them could react. He smashed through the wooden wall, leaving a jagged hole in his wake, and less than a second later, he stood in the center of the village.

Silence spread through the crowd around him. Three goblins stood nearby, and one of them was a child. Luke grabbed the boy by the front of his tunic and lifted him high enough for everyone to see.

“This is your son, isn’t it, Chief?”

An elderly goblin nearby froze. His eyes widened, answering the question before his mouth could.

“Judging by that look, I’m going to assume he is.”

“P-Pip...” was all the old goblin managed to say.

“My name is Luke Moon,” Luke said, staring at the goblins around him. Every one of them stood perfectly still. “I’m what you’d call a Demon King.”

Then he looked back at the chief.

“I’ll tell you the same thing I told your soldiers. I came here to talk. That’s all. But you attacked me, ignored my warning, and attacked me again.” Luke lifted Pip slightly higher. “So now you get to decide.”

No one moved. “What’s it going to be, Chief? A conversation or a war?”

“C-C-Conversation!” the goblin chief stammered.

"This is your method!?" Illyra snapped.

And it worked, Luke replied.

He released Pip. The young goblin dropped to the ground and scrambled away. Luke pulled a healing potion from his storage item and tossed it to him. Pip caught it clumsily, staring at the bottle as though it might explode too.

“What’s your name?” Luke asked.

“B-Boggi,” the old goblin answered.

“Chief Boggi, gather your soldiers. Bring everyone here so we can talk. You’ve caused me enough trouble over the last few days.”

Five minutes later, Luke sat on two goblin benches pushed together inside the chief’s small tent, drinking tea beneath a roomful of terrified stares. He kept the horns active. Pip stayed close to his father, still clutching the unopened potion.

“So... you helped the Great Spirit?” Chief Boggi asked, repeating the information as though trying to force his mind to accept it.

“Illyra wants me to recite the names of your ancestors as proof,” Luke said. “But honestly, I don’t care whether you believe me. If I’d come here to kill everyone, you’d already be dead.”

Boggi swallowed. “I apologize for attacking you, Demon King.”

“I want to make something very clear.” Luke rose from the bench, his expression hardening. “There’s a human boy among my people. His safety matters to me. I don’t know if any of you could beat him in a fair fight, but one arrow in the back while he’s distracted could still kill him.”

His gaze moved across the goblins inside the tent. “You don’t want to lose your people. I don’t want to lose mine. Because if one of my people dies because of you...”

“I-I apologize!” Boggi threw himself flat on the floor. “But the Great Spirit is like a mother to all of us. I assume demons... have mothers. I think.”

Luke gestured for him to stand. “And as for Pip, I’m sorry I used him to make my point.”

Pip didn’t answer, but his grip on the potion loosened.

Luke pulled something from his sleeve and tossed it onto the tent floor. A massive spider fang struck the wood, making several goblins recoil.

“I killed the monsters in this forest. The spiders, the beasts, everything I found. The spirit told me she’ll eventually recover enough to speak with you again. But her sense of time is different from ours, so that could mean tomorrow or a thousand years from now. Either way, she’s free.”

“You have my gratitude,” Boggi said, bowing low.

“Illyra and I have an agreement. I’m willing to extend it to all of you. Join my kingdom, and you’ll have my protection. Your hunters won’t be treated as enemies inside my territory.”

The goblin chief went rigid.

“Is that... some kind of threat, Demon King? I... don’t understand.”

“It isn’t a threat. I’m inviting you and your tribe to become part of my kingdom.”

Boggi looked at Pip. Then at the spider fang embedded in the floor. Finally, he looked back at Luke.

“I’m sorry, but the answer is no.” His hands trembled, but he forced himself to meet Luke’s eyes. “You helped the Great Spirit, and we owe you for that. But my people won’t trade one protector for another. We’ve lived here for generations. This forest is our home, and we wish to remain free.”

Luke studied him. Terrified or not, the old goblin hadn’t abandoned his people. A hundred potential citizens, and not one of them willing to join. So much for solving his citizenship problem in a single conversation.

They would reconsider soon enough.

“You’re their chief,” Luke said. “I respect your decision.”

Boggi’s shoulders loosened slightly.

“Either way, warn the other goblins not to attack me again. And don’t attack anyone else living in this forest.”

Luke held his gaze for another moment before continuing.

“Send that warning to the other villages too. I know about the other goblin tribes, and I know about the ratmen living in the mountain caves. Tell them I’ll respect their homes. I won’t interfere.”

“Th-thank you, Demon King. I’ll deliver your message.”

Luke turned to leave but stopped at the tent entrance. “You should watch out for the orcs. They’re going to invade. And because you aren’t my citizens, I won’t protect you.”

Boggi’s face paled.

“When it happens, remember this: if you come to me for help, it won’t come cheap.”

Then Luke left. As he walked through the goblin village, the residents hid inside their tents to escape his gaze. The goblin soldiers cleared a path without a word. Not one goblin looked him in the eye. Every head lowered as he passed. Luke stepped through the shattered wall and returned to the forest. He waited until he was well away from the village before deactivating the horns.

“You’re going to use the orcs to frighten them,” Illyra said.

That’s the idea.

“They’re still my children, Botanist.”

I know.

Luke glanced back toward the village.

The orcs won’t touch them.

Illyra’s light flickered. “You really are a manipulative demon.”

I prefer patient.

“Seriously, Luke?” Artemis asked. “Why didn’t you just force them to serve you, man?”

Illyra’s light flickered.

“You really are a manipulative demon.”

“I prefer patient.”

Luke continued deeper into the forest, leaving the goblin village behind.

“Seriously, Luke?” Artemis asked. “Why didn’t you just force them to serve you, man?”

Because I’m not starting my kingdom by forcing people to join it.

“Come on, man. I don’t think you understand what ‘conqueror’ and ‘tyrant’ mean.”

When you build a house, the foundation has to be the strongest part.

“Who are you now, Mr. Miyagi?”

Luke sighed. I need citizens, not prisoners waiting for a chance to stab me.

“That Zen crap doesn’t work in real life, man. The government didn’t ask nicely before collecting your taxes. It just took the money. Didn’t pay? Prison. See? Tyranny working exactly as intended. Tax evasion? Straight to jail.”

I’m not saying they’ll never join.

“What, you think they’ll change their minds after that little performance?”

I don’t need to force them. The orcs will make the argument for me.

Artemis was silent for a moment. “There he is. I was starting to worry you’d grown a conscience.”

I have a conscience.

“Sure you do, man.”

Besides, I have something else to worry about now.

“What?”

A giant spider following me around.

“Hey, Boss!” Norn called, crashing through the trees with ridiculous enthusiasm. “I want to be a soldier!”

***

Night had fallen by the time Luke sat down to dinner with Charlie, Angie, and Franky. It was the first time they had eaten at the dining table since taking the castle. The table was enormous, built from heavy wood, and one of the few pieces of furniture that had survived well enough to be reused.

“I think we need more furniture,” Charlie said.

Her voice echoed through the empty hall.

“And rugs,” Angie added.

“Food,” Artemis said. “Lots of food. And beautiful maids.”

“No. No beautiful maids,” Charlie replied immediately.

Franky ate with his hands, still rejecting the apparently absurd concept of utensils. Between bites, he tossed small pieces of meat to the fifteen rats gathered at his feet.

He was taking the whole pack leader thing seriously.

“Any sign of the orcs, Angie?” Luke asked.

“Not yet. I’ve been watching the forest, and I haven’t seen anything. The villagers are finally starting to calm down.” Angie looked at him. “How did your meeting with the goblins go?”

“About how I expected. If the orcs enter the territory, only deal with the ones approaching the castle. If they show up anywhere else, do nothing.”

Angie frowned. “You want us to let them attack the other settlements?”

“For now.”

She studied him for a moment, then nodded.

“And the spider?”

“I already told her the same thing. Norn sleeps in the old cave, and I’m having her keep an eye on the goblin villages. Luckily, we still have plenty of corpses from the beasts you hunted, so I can keep her fed for a while. In the long run, though, I’ll have to teach her to hunt mindless beasts instead of people. I also need to figure out how to send her scouting without causing a disaster.”

If reports started spreading about a giant spider roaming the area, the guild would investigate sooner or later.

“Human,” Franky complained around a mouthful of food. “You dealt with the rats outside and even the green rats that don’t live near this den. But you still haven’t helped me like you said you would.”

He tossed another piece of meat to the rats at his feet.

“My rats are better. Stronger, too.”

“We’re leaving on a mission tomorrow, impatient snake. I got the guild to give me a higher-ranked mission because I’m such a talented mage. We’re hunting criminals.”

It was a dangerous mission for a Copper-ranked adventurer. Luke suspected they had only offered it because they expected him to refuse, possibly to scare him off. Or perhaps the city was so overwhelmed by its own problems and the rumors about the orcs that they were willing to hand the job to anyone even remotely useful.

After dinner, everyone went to their rooms. They each had a room now. Before, they had slept in tents even inside the castle. There were still no actual beds, only mattresses, but it was better than nothing.

“Hey, Master Luke,” Charlie said, turning over on her mattress. “Are you awake?”

They were alone in the room.

“I am.”

He turned toward her.

“I was serious about the furniture at dinner.”

“I know you were, Charlie. I saw you making that huge list and getting all excited about it.”

“I talked to Tulla. She said there’s a large city called Veyra along the road to Rosehall. It has plenty of furniture shops. Several noble families live there, so that kind of business is pretty common.”

“You want to travel to Veyra?”

“No.”

Charlie hesitated. Luke waited. Goblin chiefs were easier to read.

“I want to travel to Veyra with you.”

“Oh. Got it. We can do that.”

“J-Just the two of us.”

“Relax, Charlie. I got the hint.”

“It’s just that you... don’t always pick up on hints.”

“I got this one.”

“After I explained it.”

“Still counts.”

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