Chapter 20: The Demon King’s Gambit

“Speaking of which, I must ask you two, do you know why the Empire launched this war?”

Avril, who had been speaking so fluently, paused to pose her question, causing the two listeners across from her to freeze for a moment before their expressions shifted to something rather peculiar.

With one side having initiated the conflict and the other having vigorously resisted it, their sitting together now to discuss its origins was, undeniably, a truly remarkable scene.

“Is it because the years of disaster plaguing the demon race have led to a scarcity of resources, compelling you to wage war externally, plunder resources, and divert internal domestic pressures?”

Issac looked at Joshua with a hopeful gaze, while Joshua, after a moment’s thought, formulated the most rational answer based on the information they had gathered.

“That is very accurate, but it is only one facet of the situation. I imagine, Mystic Saintess, that you are not entirely familiar with the internal power struggles within the Empire.”

Avril took a sip of her coffee, a soft chuckle escaping her lips, and continued speaking.

“In truth, the true impetus behind this war stems from the Demon Lords pressuring Her Majesty, the Demon King, to demonstrate her power.”

“While Her Majesty’s power has indeed garnered recognition and support from the Royal Court, for both the established and newly emergent Demon Lords, the Demon King remains a distant and ethereal concept.”

“Consequently, they require a war to truly discern Her Majesty’s genuine capabilities; should she prove formidable, they will pledge their fealty, but if she is found wanting, they will seek to usurp her.”

“Among them, there are no shortage of fools arrogant enough to believe they could pass the Royal Court’s trials.”

At this, Avril let out a derisive snort, as if holding the presumptuous Demon Lords in utter contempt.

“This generation’s Demon King, compared to her predecessors whose powers could shatter heavens and earth, certainly does not possess the most outstanding abilities. However, in her talent for governance and her physical potential, she far surpasses any previous Demon King.”

“The masters of the Royal Court are aware of this, yet the Demon Lords remain fixated solely on the present. In their eyes, the current Demon King is merely a youngster who has only held power for a few decades.”

“Thus, at the very outset of the war, Her Majesty swiftly conquered Falmond and captured the Healing Saintess. This lightning-fast campaign dealt a severe blow to the Holy Imperial Church’s defenses. Had she merely consolidated her gains, bringing the majority of the Holy Imperial Church’s territory under her control would have been effortless.”

Avril swirled the remaining coffee in her cup, then raised a hand to halt the two grim-faced women who appeared about to speak, gesturing for them to continue listening.

“However, such an approach would have incurred immense internal costs for the Empire. In its current state, even victory under those circumstances would not have yielded enough resources to replenish the nation’s depleted reserves.”

“Therefore, Her Majesty opted to withdraw her own forces from the front lines and rendezvous with the Demon Lord armies arriving later.”

“In the eyes of the Demon Lords, this presented an excellent opportunity to plunder human lands and resources, but in reality, it was precisely the trap set by Her Majesty, the Demon King.”

“If this war is won, then the Demon King’s central army, having actively participated, will have ample justification to confiscate the spoils of war from the Demon Lords.”

“Even if the Demon Lords harbor resentment, they will have no choice but to dutifully surrender everything, be it fertile lands or valuable supplies.”

“Should this war be lost, it would then significantly deplete the fighting strength of the pro-war Demon Lords, thereby further solidifying Her Majesty the Demon King’s rule;”

“If the war were to drag on, it could even draw several severely weakened Demon Lords into her own faction.”

“It is a venture where she cannot lose, regardless of the outcome—or at least, it should have been, had things proceeded as planned.”

Avril paused, a sigh escaping her lips.

“So, if I understand correctly, Noah played a rather unfavorable role in your plans, and you wish for us to bring her back to the Holy Imperial Church to eliminate this unstable element?”

While Issac was still processing the preceding information, Joshua, having connected Avril’s sigh with her current demeanor, had already grasped the general course of events.

“Precisely. If Her Majesty the Demon King had merely treated the Healing Saintess as a common prisoner of war, then everything would have remained straightforward.”

Avril offered a bitter smile, the taste in her mouth as devoid of sweetness as the coffee in her cup.

“For the rigid and ossified Royal Court, which strictly adheres to the principle of bloodline supremacy, whether Her Majesty were to treat the Healing Saintess as a s*ave, a concubine, or even a consort, they would raise no objection.”

“However, should Her Majesty the Demon King intend to take the Healing Saintess as her Queen, to become the matriarch of the Empire, then the problem would become immense.”

“That perverted Demon King with all those tentacles wants to marry Sister Noah?… Ow! That hurt!”

Issac’s small mind struggled with complex matters, but she had understood the gist of what was just said.

And predictably, she was met with another peck from the owl-like Joshua.

“Wuwuwu, Sister Joshua, what did I do wrong this time?”

Issac asked, clutching her head, her eyes brimming with tears.

Though Joshua was tempted to refute her, she suddenly realized that she, too, had never met the Demon King. Furthermore, considering that the Demon King, of all people to capture, specifically seized the large-chested Noah, the term ‘perverted big-boob connoisseur’ might not be entirely unfounded.

Thus, after pecking Issac, Joshua uncharacteristically fell silent.

“It’s quite alright. From your perspective, you are, after all, enemies of the Empire. Moreover, it is perfectly normal for those uninformed to hold numerous misconceptions about Her Majesty the Demon King.”

Avril merely spread her hands, a relaxed smile gracing her lips, maintaining an exceptionally tolerant demeanor, which in turn endeared her considerably to both Saintesses.

“In any case! To speak ill of someone revered by others, especially in front of them, is exceedingly impolite.”

Joshua cleared her throat, lifting a wing, and apologized to Avril.

“My apologies for subjecting you to such a spectacle. Please, do continue.”

“Indeed. The act of taking a Saintess from an enemy nation as Queen could not only cause Her Majesty the Demon King to lose the Royal Court’s support but might even prompt those Demon Lords who are currently observing to instantly defect and choose to challenge the Royal Court’s trials.”

“Furthermore, with the Human-Demon War currently raging, what actions do you imagine your supreme leader would take upon hearing that a Saintess captured from your side has become the Demon King’s Queen?”

Joshua pondered for a moment, then replied:

“They would escalate military deployment, push back the demon forces, and advance directly to the Demon King’s castle, demanding the release of the imprisoned Saintess.”

“Exactly. You would perceive this as a blatant provocation to national authority and react with extreme fervor.”

Avril, seemingly afflicted by a headache from the thought, rubbed her temples as she spoke.

“A few of the pro-war Demon Lords might not care, but such an act would undoubtedly shake Her Majesty the Demon King’s rule to its very core, and as an executive, it is something I must strive to prevent.”

“I have a question. Your Demon King is not a fool. Even if she intended to marry Noah, she wouldn’t announce the establishment of a Queen to the entire nation at such a time, would she?”

Joshua, her brow furrowed slightly, posed this eminently reasonable question.