The Seventh Demon Prince Zilbagias: Chronicles of a Nation-Breaking Demon King

---

Chapter 9: “Demon Lord Nation Building Chronicles”

“I’ve never seen a book written in demon script before.”

I said while gently stroking the cover.

It’s been about three years since I started studying. I had long ago mastered the demon script, but what Sophia made me read were practical documents like war reports and logistics papers.

I had only ever read flimsy materials summarizing battle songs and legends passed down among demons, all penned by Sophia. Everything else I had read—poems and stories—was written by humans or elves.

Well… demon script is limited in variety, makes it hard to distinguish homonyms, and on top of that, it’s cuneiform, so it’s difficult to read and write. If I had to choose, I’d prefer the writing of humans or elves.

“That’s right. This is one of the few books written in demon script. It’s not the original, though.”

Sophia pouted in dissatisfaction.

“It seems that the demon people have absolutely no interest in writing or creation. In the past, there were a few rare folks who tried to write something, but they were laughed at for being lazy or had their content disparaged, and it seems everyone quit in the end…”

I glanced down at the book written by the first demon lord.

Naturally, when it’s the demon lord, no one would dare laugh and call him lazy, nor would they disparage the quality of the book. So, that’s how it is…

“But the fact that someone tried to write something means there’s more to it, right?”

“There are a few books in the Demon Lord Castle’s library, but most of them are childish hero tales drenched in self-praise and self-importance—things not worth looking at.”

“Oh, is that so…”

I could understand why they would get derided…

“Just, it’s rare for someone to be able to write well from the start, and you have to build your skills on those kinds of works. But in the Demon Lord Kingdom, there’s no fertile ground for that, you could say… Sure, practical skills are important, too. But that doesn’t mean that literature and art should be looked down upon as lazy in an environment like this—there’s no way a great culture will grow.”

While Sophia was muttering such things, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was appropriate for her to say that in front of the prince, who is the leader of the demons…

However, I understood what she was trying to say.

Somehow, demons are… barbaric. I mean, it’s clear now. It’s not just their temperament; it’s their way of life, too.

For instance, my room and Platy’s room. They lack any decorations typical of noble houses, like paintings or sculptures, and at most, there’s just a vividly dyed tapestry.

Most furniture and small items are made of bones or fangs, lacking in elegance. Sure, our outfits are adorned in flamboyant garments produced by artisans of other races, but they’re draped with barbaric decorations of fur and fangs… it’s a mishmash of styles, exuding a strong sense of barbarism.

To put it simply, it feels like “newly rich cavemen” with a poor sensibility… They might even see any slight indulgence in décor as a sign of laziness.

“In that book, there’s criticism of the current state of demons as well. —But well, it’s better if you read it yourself.”

And so, we wrapped up the writing exercises, and today’s study turned into reading.

The book written by the first demon lord, Raougius. What kind of content did it hold—

I immediately began to skim through the preface.

“—Originally, demons were but barbaric beings. We are a race endowed with capabilities, yet, we are not necessarily an esteemed race.”

!?

Demons are belittling themselves…!?

If they say “not an esteemed race,” the folks will certainly lose it.

I checked the cover and author name without even thinking. Seeing me do that, Sophia was grinning.

“It seems the first demon lord was quite an oddball among demons.”

“Seems that way…”

Despite being titled “Demon Lord Nation Building Chronicles,” its contents felt almost autobiographical. Why he became a demon lord. How he became a demon lord. His feelings toward his race. And his half-life was succinctly penned—

The first demon lord, Raougius, was born as one of the children of a small tribe.

His father was the tribe leader, and he had so many concubines that he could no longer count how many children he had.

“—Truly, back then, demons could only be described as barbarians.”

Raougius reflected on his life then.

“Clad in fur, living in caves, sitting on the ground, consuming meat that had only been roasted over fire with bare hands. And when our stomachs were full, we pointed our stone spears at one another, waging wars over a small hunting ground called ‘sanctuary.’”

They were genuinely barbaric.

The demon kingdom dramatically increased its presence on this continent around 250 years ago. Considering when the first demon lord founded it, demons appeared to be hopelessly primitive up to about 300 years ago.

I always thought they felt barbaric, but using utensils already shows a level of civilization…

“—I was born with exceptional strength. I never lost to my peers, and by the time I matured, I could even defeat older adversaries. In battle, I slew countless warriors and was seen as the next tribe leader.”

“—One day, I looked up at the sky and saw a flock of migratory birds. Where did those birds come from? I asked those around me, but no one knew and showed no interest. They merely regarded the mountains surrounding our village as obstructions to prey visiting our hunting grounds.”

“—I was growing tired of the pointless struggles that droned on day after day.”

“—I wanted to know about the outside world, beyond the mountains.”

In this way, Raougius, fed up with the intertribal conflicts, ran away.

The homeland of the demons was an isolated land surrounded by steep mountains. Other than the hunting ground known as ‘sanctuary,’ it wasn’t particularly blessed with fertile land, and food and water were scarce. The intertribal conflicts might have served the purpose of population control, Raougius mused.

Crossing the mountains was no easy journey. No matter how strong of a demon warrior one was, they would freeze to death if they went without food and drink into the highlands. Setting off in time with the migrating birds, Raougius secured food by hunting birds with javelins and stones, yet it still wasn’t enough. Sipping melted snow with fire magic, he managed to struggle across the mountains.

“—And there, beyond the mountains, was a land thick with greenery.”

“—I can never forget the thrill of reaching the summit for the first time.”

“—I cannot die until I reach that land. With that determination, I descended the mountain.”

Thus, the demon lord arrived in a land one could say was a paradise.

He felt pity for his kin, who engaged in bloody battles over the scant “sanctuary” resembling a cat’s forehead.

However—there were, of course, natives in this paradise.

They were humans, elves, and beastmen.

And they, too, waged wars over the land in “paradise.”

“—I was astonished to find that the ‘creatures’ said to have been created by the light god, from the old legends, were real.”

“—And that those ‘creatures’ were not mere beasts but had built a civilization far superior to that of the demons at the time.”

“—In the first human nation I visited, I was treated roughly as a vile demon, receiving a rough ‘welcome’ but, having traveled long, dirtied, clad in furs, with blue skin and majestic horns, it was no wonder the feeble humans feared me.”

“—With ease, I dispelled their ‘welcome’ and, while trouncing the attacking humans, visited the beastman nation.”

“—By chance, I found myself caught up in a conflict between humans and beastmen, attacking the humans while inadvertently siding with the beastmen.”

“—I was received with great hospitality by the beastmen. While their magical talent was lacking, they had their own strengths in martial skills. I liked that once I displayed my strength, they understood their place.”

“—I listened to the beastmen, prepared for my journey, and wandered through various nations.”

Raougius roamed the continent for decades. He learned the writing of other races. Touched upon different cultures. Opposed humans and sometimes mingled with them amicably, encountered exclusive elves, and at times traveled with quirky elves. He marveled at the craftsmanship of dwarves and even fought dragons.

The more he explored the world and broadened his knowledge—

The more the pitifulness of his homeland and his own tribe stood out in stark contrast.

“—I couldn’t just end my life in the outside world. However, it struck me that there was no way my kin would follow someone who had abandoned them. Nonetheless, I couldn’t muster enough strength at the time to lead even those from other tribes.”

“—The rich land beyond the mountains. To seize it for ourselves, the demons must unite as one. However, among my kin, no one would follow for mere logic. It was overwhelming strength, power that I needed.”

“—How could I acquire that? While I pondered, I continued my travels.”

“—Then, near my homeland, in a desolate borderland. In a place called the cursed lands where no one else dared to tread, I discovered the answer. There were remnants left by the divine war, distortions of time and space.”

“—A gate leading to the demon world.”

“—The discovery of the [Dark Portal].”

It was a tiny, tiny hole connecting to the world where demons lived.

Everything became unstable due to the distortions of time and space, a place that even weak humans or beastmen could not enter.

The nature-loving elves avoided it, and the dwarf craftsmen paid it no mind.

For some unknown reason, Raougius stepped into that demon realm, and as fate would have it, he discovered the gate to the demon world.

Without any foresight, Raougius threw himself into the distortions of time and space and would face demons for the first time.

“—I received a rough welcome. Unlike before, battles against these powerful demons were far from easy.”

However, that fierce battle caught the attention of a mighty demon.

“—Demon God Cannibal. He was an overwhelmingly powerful presence I had never seen before. He offered me a pact, to bestow upon me the dark arts that would allow me to consume enemies’ souls and use their power. In return, I would give him a portion of the strength I gained and amuse him with my life.”

The pact was made.

Having acquired the art of “soul devouring,” Raougius, on his way back to his homeland, slaughtered all adversaries and consumed their souls, offering a part of his power to Cannibal through the connection of the [Dark Portal]—

Thus, when Raougius returned to his homeland, he unified the tribes with overwhelming strength.

He became the “King” of the demons.

To solidify his rule, he introduced a hierarchy system learned from humans. Coordinating among the tribes, he advanced gradually over the mountains and invaded the rich lands—

And then came the history we all know well.

He destroyed the human nation. He annexed the beastman nation. He dominated goblins and ogres. He burned the elf forests. The night elves joined his ranks. He subdued dragons. He absorbed the undead.

At the point where he acquired sufficient power, Raougius revealed the secrets of the [Dark Portal] and the agreement with demons to his kin. With the contract with the demons, the already formidable power of the demons surged more. As they learned that they could easily accumulate power outside the demon world, even weak demons began to appear.

At the end, the demon lord wrote:

“—O demons. My kin. Unite.”

“—Even the feeble races cannot be underestimated by their numbers. If we are at odds with one another, we may trip over our own feet. The era of fighting over the ‘sanctuary’ has come to an end. Learn from your enemies, and forge your strength. Direct your fighting spirit wisely.”

“—O demon lord. My heir. Rule over my kin.”

“—Without great cause, demons cannot unify. Therefore, go conquer. Rule. Continue to make enemies. Let the blood of enemies spilled compete amongst themselves. Doing so will allow us to forget the tribal ties. We must never let our race fall back into the state of knowing nothing but barbarism.”

I—

Closed the book.

I see…

I understand well. The first demon lord’s ideology. It was all to elevate the demons to the status of a proper race. And to maintain that unity, there was a need to dominate with overwhelming power while directing that fighting spirit outward.

I get it, I get it.

How absurd.

For that purpose.

For that purpose!

My homeland!! My village!!

Everyone was slaughtered!!??

Are you kidding me!!!!

You thought if you didn’t do this, your kin would kill each other??

That’s precisely the fitting end for you demon kinds!!!

For that—to protect that filthy blood, you think it’s acceptable to sacrifice the lives of other races!?

You better cut the nonsense…!!

—My hands trembled violently.

It took an enormous amount of self-control to repress the urge to tear this book apart. If Sophia’s gaze weren’t upon me, I would have certainly done so.

“How was it? A masterpiece that magnificently embodies the ideology of the first demon lord, right?”

Sophia innocently asked.

I took a deep breath to calm myself.

I hope they think this flushed face is due to emotion rather than rage.

“—My soul trembled.”

More than anything else.

“I truly understood… the thoughts of Raougius-sama…”

I savored each word as I spoke.

“It was… very enlightening.”

And as I fell silent, Sophia smiled and remarked, “I’m glad to hear that.”

Ah, I’ll take that to heart.

First demon lord. I grasped your ideology perfectly.

And with that understanding, I’ll spoil it all.

I will crush all your ambitions.

The guidelines are laid out. The Demon Lord Nation Building Chronicles.

In summary, all I have to do is the opposite of what is written here.

I will topple the nation, lead to its destruction.

I will reduce the demons, the dwellers of darkness, to worthless beings living miserably in caves, knowing nothing of civilization…!!

Then, when that day comes, maybe I’ll write an autobiography.

—Let’s title it “Chronicles of the Demon Lord’s Fall.”