Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 1: The Strongest Onmyoji Makes an Escape
“So… you’re the Demon King, are you?”
I stood frozen as I heard those words from Emperor Gilzerius.
The audience chamber was somehow filled with an intangible, oppressive aura radiating from the emperor. Of course, it was merely an illusion.
The man seated on the throne before me held no significant power—no unparalleled combat skills, no extraordinary magical techniques, nor any formidable monsters under his command. The emperor himself was nothing more than a frail, ordinary human.
— But even so.
This man, through his cunning intellect and cold, calculated will, had achieved unparalleled feats.
The seemingly ordinary-faced monster continued with an unremarkable smile.
“Surprised? People often overestimate me, but in truth, I’m neither particularly strong nor wise. I’m just a mundane human, a mere descendant of the imperial bloodline. That said, I am the ruler of this vast nation. Naturally, I investigate matters thoroughly—such as identifying threats to human society.”
“…”
The emperor’s smile turned into a faint smirk.
“If you’d remained quietly hidden, perhaps you could have avoided detection. But after making such bold moves, it was only a matter of time. I hear you were quite well-received in the demon territories, Seika. It seems you possess not only magic prowess but also the qualities of a leader who can guide others. Oh, and to clarify, I wasn’t the one who provoked that volcano. Haha, my apologies for my son causing you trouble twice over.”
The emperor smiled gently, though it was clear he had information even from the demon territories.
That was to be expected. If humans could infiltrate the demonic court, it would be no surprise for this man to have intelligence on the demon lands.
Everything was already exposed.
That I had visited the demon territories as the Demon King. That I had united various races alongside the young demon kings.
Though the fact I quelled the volcanic eruption hadn’t yet been revealed, the situation remained dire.
The very outcome I feared had come to pass.
The ruler of this great empire now perceived my existence as a threat.
Was this, as Yuki suggested, the inevitable result of how I had lived my life? If so, I could only curse my own foolishness.
— But.
There was still hope.
“So,”
The emperor rested his chin on his hand and asked with a sharp grin.
“What sort of mischief have you returned to human lands to wreak?”
“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”
I replied calmly.
The emperor’s grin deepened.
“That’s a weak excuse, don’t you think?”
“It is true that I visited the demon territories.”
I admitted.
The emperor raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise, and I continued.
“I was granted an audience with their prominent leaders and played the part of the Demon King, yes. But that’s all. I am not a Demon King, nor did I return to the empire for any nefarious purpose. I merely escaped amidst the chaos caused by the volcanic eruption. Naturally, as a human, I sought refuge in human lands.”
The emperor chuckled with amusement.
“Hmm. Could you elaborate? I admit my knowledge of the situation isn’t particularly detailed.”
“This past spring, I happened to meet a demon near Kelz. Through a strange turn of events, we spent a short time working as adventurers together. For some reason, upon seeing my appearance and magic, they began referring to me as the Demon King.”
While withholding the core details, I maintained a calm demeanor and spoke only of irrefutable facts.
“It seems that individual came from a prominent lineage among the demons and had some knowledge about the birth of both the Hero and the Demon King. It was quite troublesome, but leaving them unchecked would have likely resulted in relentless pursuit. As a fugitive, I couldn’t afford to bring such trouble to my base in Rakana. Believing that any misunderstandings would eventually be resolved, I reluctantly decided to accompany them to the demon territory. However, the situation escalated far beyond my expectations, and for my safety, I had no choice but to act the part of the Demon King while I was there. That’s the gist of it. As for that eruption incident, it wasn’t an inconvenience at all—it was a stroke of good luck. It seems even they couldn’t afford to treat some random human of unknown origin as the Demon King anymore.”
“Hmm, I see.”
The emperor’s grin grew wider.
“Your story checks out. It doesn’t contradict my information. However, a single twist in the narrative could change everything… Are you truly not the Demon King?”
“Of course not. As you can see, I’m human.”
“Some half-demons are nearly indistinguishable from humans. Can you truly deny the possibility?”
“Impossible. Illegitimate or not, I am the legitimate child of an imperial noble, Count Blaise Lamprogue . I never knew my mother’s face, but are you suggesting my father harbored a demon lover?”
“Count Lamprogue did have a younger brother, Gilbert Lamprogue, who became an adventurer after graduating from the academy. He vanished near the demon territories. Nominally, he would be your uncle.”
I widened my eyes slightly at the emperor’s words.
It was the first time I’d heard the name “Gilbert Lamprogue” from the human side.
It seemed there was no doubt that Blaise’s younger brother, Gilbert, had indeed existed.
“Gilbert was thought dead by both his adventurer comrades and his family. But that wasn’t the case. He survived in the Village of Divine and Demon Beings. And—his child, born from his marriage to a demon wife, is the Demon King. This time, the Demon King is a human-demon hybrid. While this information came from spies, it matches the prophecy of the Oracle Maiden.”
The Oracle Maiden the emperor referred to was likely Fiona’s mother—his own lover.
The emperor went on.
“Shortly after the Demon King’s birth, he and his parents fled the demon territories. It was probably to escape political strife. This much has been confirmed through investigation. Now for some speculation—perhaps to protect their child from pursuers, Gilbert and his wife entrusted the infant Demon King to Gilbert’s older brother, Count Lamprogue. If that were true, it would explain your existence, wouldn’t it? Your rare black hair, uncommon among humans, seems to suggest mixed blood with divine or demon beings.”
“…”
The emperor clearly had a deep understanding of the circumstances surrounding the Demon King’s birth.
His speculations likely came close to the truth.
But even so, I met his gaze and posed a simple question.
“Then, where is Gilbert Lamprogue now?”
The emperor’s expression clouded ever so slightly at my question.
I pressed further.
“If Your Majesty was able to find Amu, surely locating one adventurer would be no great challenge. If the Demon King’s whereabouts are in question, wouldn’t it be more reliable to ask his father directly? If he fled the demon territories, then he must be somewhere in the empire, correct? It would make more sense to inquire with him than to question me.”
“You’ve hit a sore spot.”
The emperor admitted with a wry smile.
“To be honest, his whereabouts remain unclear. By the time this information reached me, much time had already passed since the events occurred. Back then, I was focused on domestic affairs and couldn’t spare much attention to the demon territories. However, I suspect Gilbert Lamprogue died during their escape. It seems only the mother and the Demon King managed to flee the demon territories and reach the empire. Even so, we don’t know the mother’s current whereabouts either.”
“So…”
I said, unsurprised by his answer. It was consistent with what I’d heard from the demons as well.
“If I am the Demon King, then we must believe that a demon woman, carrying an infant, traveled alone through the hostile human lands, evading pursuers, and eventually reached the Lamprogue estate, entrusting the infant Demon King to its lord. Is that what you’re suggesting?”
“It’s not impossible, is it?”
I allowed a faint smile to tug at my lips.
“That seems a bit far-fetched, wouldn’t you say?”
The emperor’s eyes widened briefly—then he burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! You got me there, Seika. Indeed, it’s safe to say it would have been extremely difficult for a demon to pull that off. My line of questioning may have been overly ambitious.”
“I would think so.”
I replied evenly, all the while reflecting on the situation.
The emperor’s theory about my origins was nearly identical to the one Lurum had suggested before.
Back then, I dismissed her idea outright, thinking it far too implausible.
Though my perspective had shifted somewhat since then, the implausibility of the theory remained unchanged.
“Besides, your Majesty doesn’t truly believe I’m the Demon King, do you? If you did, you wouldn’t have welcomed me into your castle so unguardedly.”
“I see your point. I wouldn’t want to risk provoking you into destroying the imperial castle, after all.”
The emperor smirked lightly, his words an implicit warning.
“But if you were the Demon King, how do you think I should have dealt with you?”
“At the very least, you would have conducted this meeting far from the capital. Perhaps through emissaries, or with an army at your back for security.”
Without flinching, I answered directly.
Only under such conditions could a negotiation truly take place between equals.
That is, if the opponent were the kind of Demon King they had encountered so far.
“Hmm…”
While stroking his beard, the emperor appeared to be in pleasant contemplation, and I stared at him as I thought.
The Demon Kings of the past may have been different, but in my case, equal negotiations are impossible.
No army could ever overpower me. If I found their approach unsatisfactory, I could overturn the entire board, pieces and all, whenever I pleased.
That is what it means to be the strongest.
I don’t know the true intentions the emperor is hiding in his heart, but if he were aware of my real power, he wouldn’t dare to hint at confrontation so carelessly.
If he intended to use me, he would flatter me. If he intended to oppose me, he would conceal his hostility until the very moment a blade was pressed to my throat.
At the very least, that’s how the rulers of my previous life managed to take me down.
The emperor likely suspects that I am the Demon King.
However, he has no idea that I am a reincarnated sorcerer from another world—the strongest one at that. He couldn’t possibly imagine that I could destroy this entire empire at a whim. Instead, he assumes I’m a being his empire could handle if it mobilized its full might.
If that’s the case, then there’s still room to maneuver.
“Well, we’ll see about that.”
The emperor replied, maintaining a composed demeanor.
“If it were me, I wouldn’t bother with something as mundane as threatening the Demon King with an army… but for now, let’s leave it at that.”
It seemed the conversation had come to an end.
Whether my attempt to provide a reasonable conclusion was successful or not, it was clear that the emperor’s suspicions of me were, at least for now, treated as a half-joke.
Relaxing just slightly, I gave a polite bow and turned on my heel to leave.
At that moment, a thought crossed my mind.
If I truly were the Demon King, could the seemingly absurd story I had just shared with the emperor actually have happened?
Could a lone demon woman—my birth mother—have traveled through an unfamiliar human kingdom and entrusted the infant me to my father’s ancestral home?
“Seika,” the emperor’s voice suddenly called out to me.
I stopped in my tracks, and the emperor continued.
“I will not lose. No matter how powerful my opponent may be.”
I turned my head slightly to look back.
The emperor’s unremarkable face bore only an ordinary smile.
“For the sake of making this country peaceful and prosperous. Tell her that as well—tell Fiona.”