In the village of Illy.
At the tavern at the entrance of the village.
"Have you heard? After waging war for half a year, the heroes finally defeated the Demon King. His minions have also been mostly dealt with."
"Thank heavens. We can finally have some peace for a while."
"But the Demon King can never truly be eliminated. Even if the current one is dead, the power of the Demon King will raise another in his stead."
"Why worry about that now? That's a concern for fifty years down the line."
"At least we can relax for a bit."
"Exactly! Cheers!"
With the Demon King vanquished, peace returned to the continent.
The villagers of Illy, no longer required to accommodate heroes and adventuring parties, gathered daily at the local tavern. They chatted and enjoyed their wheat beer.
In a quiet corner of the tavern bar, a handsome young man watched the lively scene silently.
He had black hair and black eyes rarely seen in the kingdom. He looked refined and gentle. Taking a sip from his beer, he drank calmly.
In reality, he was panicking.
Several dark lines appeared on his forehead.
Only visible to him, bold black characters appeared in his field of vision.
[Name: Xia Mi]
[Race: Human]
[Job 1: Villager]
[Level: 27 (103/1000)]
[Status: Drinking]
New Addition: [Hidden Job: Heir to the Demon King]
New Addition: [Level: 1]
Wait a minute, what the hell is this?
Xia Mi's beer-holding hand began to tremble. Having been in this other world for two and a half years, he had grown accustomed to his identity as a newbie villager. Why did he suddenly have a new job?
And that of the heir to the Demon King!
[ Even with the death of the Demon King, his power has not dissipated. It searched the continent of Aelran for a suitable heir. The power chose you, and will grant you infinite magical power. Embrace this great role, destroy all heroes, and restore the glory of the demon race!]
Xia Mi chuckled awkwardly, "…"
Wasn't this a bit too much for a mere villager?
...
Like most stories, Xia Mi wasn't a native of this world. He was a traveler, transported to another realm. But instead of becoming a hero, he found himself as an ordinary villager in a starter town.
Two and a half years ago, he had acquired an unreleased JRPG game. After getting familiar with the game's lore and preparing to play, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness. When he awoke, he was in this world of swords and magic, heroes and Demon Kings. He had reincarnated as a mere villager.
Was this some sort of joke?
However, as the saying goes: "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Although he was just a villager, unable to command a party, face the Demon King, or wield dark powers, at least there was no threat to his life in the starter village.
Xia Mi's priority was stability.
Being a villager wasn't so bad. In the game, he was one of those NPCs without any exclamation marks above their heads, unable to give out quests. This meant he couldn't get involved with heroes or adventurers.
With many races in this other world, he thought about settling down, saving up, and maybe marrying an attractive, exotic-raced woman. But today, all those plans were dashed.
[Demon King, it's time to act!]
[Main Quest: Picking Up the Scraps.]
[Accept Now/ Accept Later]
There wasn't even an option to decline!
"Why choose me?"
Xia Mi lamented internally.
Was it because of his handsome appearance, shared by many others across the screen?
Despite looking different from regular villagers, at his core, he was just a villager skilled in farming, serving as mere background character.
[95% of the demon race, including the Demon King, were wiped out by the despicable heroes. The revival of the demon race needs a diligent individual. With your track record of working tirelessly for five years after graduation, never taking leaves, and always being the top performer, you perfectly fit the bill.]
Damn!
Was he chosen to be the Demon King or just another worker?
Xia Mi lost all appetite for his beer.
Suddenly, the villagers in the tavern became noisy.
The rumor crystal in the center of the tavern began to glow. This was the crystal used by the Kingdom of Phis to broadcast important messages. It only lit up when the capital had something crucial to announce.
Everyone's eyes were fixed on it.
A solemn voice echoed, "We bring an urgent announcement."
"The Seven Great Magicians of the Magic Tower have issued a warning to the entire continent."
"The power of the Demon King has chosen its next heir."
The tavern erupted with chatter.
"It's only been a week since the Demon King died. There's already a successor?"
"Calm down. It's just an heir."
"Damn it."
"Are we going to fight the Demon King again?"
The bartender signaled for everyone to quiet down and listen further.
"Based on the divination of the Seven Great Magicians, we can reveal some information about the new Demon King's heir."
The divination was a prophecy specifically targeting the Demon King. The Seven Great Magicians prayed to the Goddess of Magic, who would then provide clues about the Demon King. These clues were meant to help the heroes and adventurers locate and eliminate the young heir before he could fully mature.
"The new heir to the Demon King is a male who desires exotic women."
Villager A: "Typical of the Demon King!"
Damn it!
They were clearly targeting him!
Having just been granted the title of Demon King, Xia Mi was immediately faced with seven formidable magicians.
His fate might as well be sealed.
Xia Mi, now publicly identified by the system, was furious. The beer mug in his hand nearly shattered.
Fortunately, the rumor crystal didn't reveal more details.
Divination had a long cooldown.
"The Seven Great Magicians will continue using divination to gather more information on the new Demon King's heir. The King of Phis hereby alerts all citizens: The new heir has emerged. Before he becomes the true Demon King, he must be eradicated!"
The glow of the rumor crystal faded.
"Too bad. That's all the information for now."
"By the way, Theo, I saw you in the sheep pen this morning..."
"Sheep aren't considered an exotic race, right?!... I was just feeding them."