Isola used Lina's personal maid to poison her but thought Zarock, the son of a commoner, was unfit to be emperor. Ambitious, she wanted the power of the emperor for herself but was too lazy to do the job. She aimed to make her daughter the empress, elevating her family's status. When someone commits a crime and escapes, their confidence soars, motivating them to commit more crimes. To avoid suspicion, Isola planned to poison Zarock after a few years, so he wouldn't die immediately. However, Zarock had a terrifyingly talented physique that could endure poison for a long time.
Isola didn't give up. A month ago, she framed Zarock for molesting a maid. The head maid, Claire, who favored the princesses, conducted no proper investigation and locked Zarock up for three days. The emperor, busy with ruling after his wife's death, thought it was a lack of parenting and decided to treat his and his brother's children fairly, so he didn't dwell on it. Isola used her connections to spread rumors, portraying Zarock as unfit to be emperor.
In the original storyline, when territories were assigned, Isola used her influence to assign Zarock a small town near the Great Aezath Forest, which was constantly invaded by monsters and was resourceful due to its proximity to the Vermilion Empire. She even attempted to have him assassinated, but the knights accompanying him thwarted the attempts. After a few years, the emperor died of illness. Empress Isola saw this as an opportunity and framed Zarock for colluding with the dark sect. She was shocked when Zarock, after enduring constant failures, was approached by someone from the dark sect. The demonic energy removed the poison and regenerated his body. Zarock, possessing monstrous talent in both swordsmanship and magic, became famous among the demon faction and the strongest mid-boss.
The Demon Lord of Sword and Magic was him. Isola confessed everything to her daughters, who were actually the heroines of the game. Though disappointed, they kept the truth suppressed out of loyalty to their mother and asked the male lead of the game to act as the queen's bodyguard in the capital. One day, Zarock attacked the capital with the demon army. Zarock and the male lead fought, but Zarock was overwhelmingly strong. It was a one-sided battle. Zarock killed everyone except the male lead out of mercy.
Thus, Zarock's terror as the strongest under the Demon God became known. The heroines, discovering the truth, blamed Zarock and the male lead for not protecting their mother. The eldest daughter of Valen von Starless, the wisest among the heroines, motivated the public by promising to kill the evil Zarock, gaining their favor and becoming the first empress of the Starless Empire.
Zarock, the strongest mid-boss, fought against an army of ten million collected from all the noble territories of the empire. The battle lasted seven days and nights, with the army rotating because, after defeating the demon army, they fought Zarock for three continuous days and nights. Only after exhausting Zarock physically and mentally were the male lead and the heroine able to defeat him. It's not wrong to say Zarock was the strongest, as the Demon God could not fight personally. The only problem with Zarock was his lack of planning and strategic skills. But now, having taken over, I don't like to serve others. My pride won't allow it, whether it is the Demon God or anyone else.
I like to be at the top of the food chain. I will write my own destiny