Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, I didn't have to storm into the palace on the day my horns grew.
Apparently, now that I had "graduated" from being a "hornless child," I was to be granted a formal rank, and the process was going to take some time.
Specifically, I would be given the title of Esquire, a rank for junior knights.
The Demon Kingdom operates under a highly hierarchical system, where almost every demon is considered a noble. When a demon grows horns, they are automatically granted the rank of Esquire. Upon reaching adulthood at age fifteen, they become a knight. From there, one can rise through the ranks—baronet, baron, viscount—based on battlefield achievements or significant contributions to the kingdom.
This system differs from the human nobility system in that titles aren't tied to land or family lineage. Even second or third sons can be granted titles, and even the Demon Lord's children start at the bottom. After that, it's up to them to climb the ranks.
These ranks are also directly tied to the military command structure. Of course, at the top of the hierarchy stands the Demon Lord.
Demons, who love being in control and hate being ordered around, dedicate their lives to climbing the ranks, no matter what it takes...
Interestingly, even non-demons can be granted ranks.
Night elves, dragons, high-level undead who swear loyalty to the Demon Lord, and even leaders of the beastmen (like beastmen kings or tribal chiefs) can receive noble titles.
And then, of course, there are the devils, who are treated almost as equals to demons.
"What about me? Technically, I hold the rank of baron," Sophia said, sounding uninterested as she corrected my demon script during one of my study sessions.
"You don't sound too thrilled about it," I commented.
"I don't fight in wars, so titles on paper don't mean much to me. Devils can tell who's stronger just by looking, after all."
Fair enough.
Devils' power and rank are directly linked to their magical strength. After I grew my horns, I could sense that as well. Whenever I encountered other devils in the castle, I could easily tell, "This one's weaker than Sophia," or "This one's much stronger."
If even a newly-horned demon like me could sense it, it must be second nature for devils. It would be laughable for some imp who's been promoted to baron due to battlefield merit to strut around like they're better than Sophia. Not that such a weak devil would ever exist, but still.
"...Still, with all demons able to rise through the ranks based on merit, wouldn't that cause problems with succession to the throne?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"What do you mean?" Sophia tilted her head.
"Wouldn't every demon who rises to the rank of 'Duke' try to claim the title of Demon Lord? Wouldn't that lead to a massive succession crisis?"
"I don't see the problem with that," Sophia replied, looking genuinely puzzled.
My hand stopped mid-writing.
...So even the Demon Lord's title isn't tied to bloodlines. As long as someone is strong enough, it doesn't matter if they're not of royal blood. And no one cares how fierce the competition is... Maybe I think this is insane because I used to be human.
"The current Demon Lord killed all of his rivals, including his siblings, before taking the throne, save for those who swore absolute loyalty to him," Sophia said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
"Only someone who survives such a brutal contest can rule over the stubborn, strong-willed demons, Lord Zilvagias."
"...If they don't have overwhelming power, no one will follow them, huh?"
"Exactly. They must prove they're worthy of inheriting the 'Demon Lord's Spear.'"
The Spear...
I couldn't help but remember my battle with the Demon Lord.
That simple, obsidian-like spear—it was clearly a magical weapon of immense power. It had pierced through the shields we'd layered with protective spells and prayers as if they were made of paper. Even the legendary Sword Saint's strongest attack hadn't left so much as a scratch on it.
"What exactly is the Demon Lord's Spear?" I asked Sophia, curious to learn more about this terrifying weapon.
"...Ah, I suppose I haven't explained that yet. It's so integral to demon society that I assumed you already knew," Sophia said, clapping her hands as if she'd just remembered something.
She began explaining with enthusiasm.
"The spear inherited by the Demon Lord is the Demon Spear created by the first Demon Lord, Raogias, your grandfather at the cost of his life."
So it was created at the cost of his life...
"That sounds like something dwarves would do," I muttered.
The dwarves had their legendary 'Masterwork'—weapons infused with the maker's soul, created only once in their lifetime.
"Exactly! I'm impressed you know that. But... how do you know that?" Sophia asked, her face shifting to suspicion.
...Crap. I'm not supposed to know anything beyond what I've been taught! And Sophia is the one who oversees everything I've been learning!
"...I think I read it in a book," I replied, sweating nervously as I scrambled for an excuse.
I'm not the same as I used to be. I've learned demon script, human script, and I'm even dabbling in elvish now. I've been reading books, some of which I've already finished. Maybe it's because my body is so young, but learning hasn't been that hard.
In fact, thanks to the devil's relentless tutoring, I've actually gotten over my dislike for studying...
"Ah, yes. I see you read about dwarves in a history book 371 days ago. It wasn't covered in the lessons, but it seems you retained the information," Sophia said, glancing into the air as if reading from a mental list, then nodded in satisfaction.
...That was close. She's keeping track of every single book I've read!
If I hadn't read that book, she'd have grown even more suspicious of me!
From now on, I'll stop blurting things out without thinking. Seriously.
"...Anyway, back to the topic. So?" I prompted her to continue.
"Yes. As you might have guessed, the 'Demon Lord's Spear' is a magical weapon. It contains the power of 'Soul Devour,' which the first Demon Lord obtained by making a pact with the demon god Cannibal."
Soul Devour—so the secret behind the Demon Lord's overwhelming power lies in that cursed magic.
The Allied Human Forces knew of the name but very little about its nature. Because human spies can't infiltrate the Demon Kingdom, our information was severely lacking.
I could feel my pulse quicken as I waited for her to explain more.
"Soul Devour is the power of the demon god Cannibal, allowing the wielder to convert the souls of those they kill into magic. The spear holds both this power and the vast majority of the first Demon Lord's magic, which the wielder can inherit."
...
So that's the source of the Demon Lord's immense power... and the cursed Soul Devour magic.
It all comes from the spear!
"The battle for the Demon Lord's throne is, in many ways, a battle for the right to wield the spear. But simply possessing it isn't enough. The one who holds the spear must prove their worth by competing, killing, and ultimately emerging as the sole survivor. Only then can the rightful heir fully inherit the power to rule over the kingdom."
"..."
My mouth was dry.
So... that means...
"What happens if, somehow, the spear is lost?" I couldn't help but ask, even though I'd just promised myself I'd stop asking unnecessary questions.
Sophia smiled and nodded.
"If the spear were to be lost—or if there were no one strong enough to wield it—then, unfortunately, the demons would lose their unity."
There was a subtle hint of sarcasm in her tone.
"But honestly, I can't imagine anything in this world that could destroy the spear. It's a crystallization of the first Demon Lord's soul, forged by the power of a demon god. And besides, the current Demon Lord never lets it out of his sight."
That doesn't matter.
No, it really doesn't matter at all.
Whether he's willing or not, I was planning on destroying him from the beginning.
I'd discovered the Demon Kingdom's weakness. That's more than enough for now.
"Oh! I almost forgot. There's a book that explains all of this in detail. It was written by the first Demon Lord himself!" Sophia suddenly exclaimed, opening her butler uniform and pulling out a massive, dictionary-sized tome.
"Where did you pull that from!?"
"My body serves as a library, after all."
"A library!?"
No matter how unbound by physical form a devil might be, that's too much!
Still bewildered, I took the book from her.
It was a plain, unadorned volume, solid and practical.
The title, written in demon script, was equally straightforward:
"The Chronicles of the Founding of the Demon Kingdom."