*** = listener speaking

Can be monetised, just please link back to either this post or my YouTube!

Gender(s) can be changed if wanted!

~~~

Well, hero. It looks like you’ve finally decided to come to my humble kingdom.

Welcome to the Demon Realm. I’ve been waiting for you.

***

[speaker laughs]

So aggressive right out the gate! That’s fine, though~

That’s an appropriate response to seeing the Demon Queen.

Plus… I like it when you bite~

***

Oh, your ‘friends’?

Right, right, my men captured them…

I wonder what’s happening to them right now.

Are they being hovered over a pool of lava? Forced to fight endless waves of hellhounds? Being beaten black and blue and forced to beg for the torture to end?

Or maybe even something worse~

***

[speaker laughs]

Oh, I don’t think you’re in any position to be making demands, hero!

Though I really don’t understand why you’d want to save that lot… but I guess it makes sense with your oh-so-righteous attitude you’d want to protect them like they’re innocent little lambs.

Or have you wizened up and realised you only need them around for their abilities?

***

Ugh, sometimes you’re too much of a goody-two-shoes.

The ‘power of friendship’ is just a made-up concept for children. You know that, right?

***

I’m going to cut you off. You’re just saying, ‘the power of friendship!’ in a different font.

Even if you managed to make a fairytale reality, hero, you would actually have to be friends with the other people in your party.

***

Oh, you think you’re friends?

You think the people who steal from you, took the credit for your actions and let you take the fall whenever there’s a mistake can be considered friends?

***

What do I mean?

Hero, you truly are too innocent for your own good… you’re lucky us demons enjoy corrupting humans~

Did you never wonder where your healing potions went? Your enchanted accessories? …Your family sword?

***

I suppose thinking my men took them is a fair assumption… but no.

Healing potions don’t work on the demon race, human enchantments don’t work on demons either, and the demon army has plenty of weapons.

I see no point in commanding my subjects to loot an enemy if we can’t use the items ourselves. And, before you ask, I only know this because I ordered surveillance on your party

No, we did nothing. It was those supposed ‘friends’ of yours that did the looting.

Healing potions because they were too lazy to brew their own, enchanted accessories to make themselves look more affluent, and your precious heirloom sword so that they could take the gems out of the hilt and sell them to line their purses with more gold coins.

***

They wouldn’t do that?

Are you absolutely sure?

Did none of their injuries ever mysteriously disappeared overnight?

***

No being on Earth can heal that fast and you know it.

But then, what about what you could see? Did none of them start wearing new accessories that looked oddly close to the ones you had just been rewarded?

***

There’s only so many times a person can ‘coincidentally’ buy or find something that looks exactly like the one you lost.

Then, after you lost your sword-

***

[speaker laughs]

Eager to shoot me down, aren’t you? You’re desperate to deny the truth.

Yes, they did gift you a new sword – a basic sword for a beginner adventurer when you were halfway through your journey, and one that was second-hand as well!

Yet even though they claimed that was all they could afford, by the next week they all had fancy, brand new staffs and shields that likely cost a small fortune!

Tell me, even if they didn’t steal from you, doesn’t that series of events seem just a bit rude to you?

…Don’t pull that face, hero. I’ve seen you overcome more than a trio of self-centred fools – they shouldn’t be what defeats you.

***

It seems you misunderstand my intentions, hero.

I do not tell you this to defeat you. If I wanted that, I would have cut your head off your shoulders already.

***

Then why?

I think why should be pretty obvious – my intentions towards you haven’t changed since the first day we met.

I want you on my side.

***

Why you? Why would I want anyone else?

***

…The others would be easier to tempt, yes. Our abundance of gold in this area would certainly arouse their greedy natures.

But that’s just it. Fools who can be easily swayed by monetary gain alone are of no worth to me.

They would be more than happy to drop me at a moment’s notice if the human kingdom offered them more.

Plus, given their track record, I wouldn’t put it past them to steal from me whenever their grubby little fingers got that snatching itch.

I much prefer people like you, whose loyalty can’t be bought, but earned.

***

I know it is hard to earn your loyalty since you already swore it to the human kingdom… but who in the human kingdom would return that sentiment?

There’s the betrayal of your party members already, but then there’s also the king, the nobles and the knights.

All of them underestimate you, don’t they? Even though you’re the child of the prophecy, because you are from such a humble background, they regarded you with disdain.

Some even tried to discredit you and replace you with their children, didn’t they? …Though, that was more their desire for prestige.

…I know what kind of person you are, hero.

I know you knew deep down that you were being mistreated. But you were desperate for approval, for connection. I could tell.

I’ll admit I did some spying into your past… you were the only child born in your village in a while.

You had adults to care for you, but – and correct me if I’m wrong – you always felt a disconnect because of your age, right?

So going to the capital after the church declared you the one the prophecy foretold sparked hope in you.

But that hope doesn’t have to die, hero.

***

[speaker laughs]

No, it doesn’t, hero.

I can give you what you desire.

If you choose to side with me, no one in my kingdom will dare mistreat you.

We do not care about your background – you are the child of the prophecy. If anything, you will be put on a pedestal.

I will personally stay by your side and ensure you are never lonely.

Is there anything more that you want?

***

Right, your village.

Of course, they will be under my protection. I will make sure no harm comes to them, during this conflict or any time in the future.

I can swear this to you, hero.

I’m sure you know how binding the words of a demon are – and a promise from the Demon Queen may as well be written in stone.

Take my hand, come to my side, and you will go a day without kindness again.