"You guessed right!"
Eiji immediately clapped his hands together with a laugh, his face full of approval.
At the same time, this confirmed that Airi's speculation was indeed correct.
That's right.
The reason Eiji became the Demon King wasn't because the position would allow him to do whatever he wanted.
It was for the sake of humanity in this world.
When he first arrived in this world, he had already considered it—if the Demon King of this world was weak, then why not take on the role himself, gather the demons of this world under his control, and free humanity from the constant threat of the Demon King Army?
That was the true reason Eiji wanted to become the Demon King.
As long as he, the new Demon King, existed, the Demon King Army wouldn't be able to do whatever they pleased to humanity!
"So that's it... No wonder you returned the Demon Sword to Kyouya when you did!"
Airi's expression darkened sharply.
This answer was worse than she had imagined!
If Eiji had intended to act as the Demon King for his own selfish desires, he should have taken the Demon Sword for himself. Even if he couldn't use it, he could have left it to gather dust in storage—there was no reason to return it to its original owner.
The reason he gave the sword back to Kyouya wasn't because he saw potential in him and wanted to toy with him, but to ensure that humanity's combat strength wouldn't be weakened, preventing them from falling into a disadvantage against the Demon King Army!
Kyouya Mitsurugi must have realized this too, which was why he said those words and showed that look of admiration before leaving.
In the end, Eiji was human!
Even as the Demon King, he remained steadfastly on humanity's side, using his position only to bring them advantages and victories—never to stand with the demons!
"So you insisted on coming to a human village to investigate the state of the war between humans and the Demon King Army, didn't you? All so you could plan your next move to sabotage them?"
Airi gritted her teeth.
The others in the Demon King's Castle didn't know about this!
They had all been fooled by this guy's unrestrained behavior!
"Those are your words, not mine."
Eiji chuckled, neither confirming nor denying it.
But in truth, the Demon King's daughter wasn't a fool—Airi had indeed guessed his intentions correctly.
The reason he had come to a human village on his very first day as Demon King, instead of staying in the Demon King's Castle to subdue the other high-ranking demons, was to personally assess the current state of the conflict between humanity and the Demon King Army in this world.
And then, to figure out how to use his position as Demon King to aid humanity.
With the truth revealed, the atmosphere between the two instantly froze, the previously harmonious and friendly mood vanishing without a trace.
"Excuse me, are you two looking for lodging? Or perhaps a meal? Don't let our small village fool you—because we're close to the Demon King's Castle, we're actually a famous tourist spot! Many adventurers come here specifically to visit, so we've developed a full range of services for lodging, dining, and entertainment!"
The villager leading the way introduced the place with a proud smile.
"...What did you say?"
But Eiji suddenly froze.
"Huh? Are you two looking for lodging or a meal?"
"The part after that."
"That we're close to the Demon King's Castle and a famous tourist spot?"
The villager looked at him with a puzzled expression.
What was so strange about this?
"No, why would there be tourist attractions set up near the Demon King's Castle?"
Eiji's face twisted into a strange expression, his nose and eyebrows scrunching together.
It was as if he had a bellyful of complaints but didn't know how to voice them.
"Even if you say that... why wouldn't there be?"
"No, aren't you worried the Demon King Army might attack?"
"Hahaha! Sir, are you from another country?"
Under Eiji's bewildered questioning, the villager suddenly burst into laughter.
"Why would the Demon King Army ever attack a small village like ours? Even if they did, there'd be no benefit at all!"
"If they really wanted to attack something, wouldn't it be more strategic to use teleportation magic to send troops to key locations, like the royal capital of the kingdom or something?"
"..."
That made so much sense, Eiji was left speechless!
"But... shouldn't demons kill humans on sight and not allow human settlements nearby?"
Eiji felt like he was starting to ramble.
"What kind of strange idea is that?"
The villager gave him a weird look, as if staring at some clueless oddball.
"The Demon King Army is famously known for not killing civilians. At most, they only fight the kingdom's military, knights, and adventurers—they never slaughter civilians indiscriminately. I've never even heard of this 'kill on sight' nonsense!"
"Besides, did you know many demon races rely on humans to survive? Take succubi, for example—they need to absorb yang energy to live. And demons? They feed on human negative emotions. They treasure humans! If humans disappeared, the Demon King Army would suffer too. Why would they just kill people randomly?"
Perhaps well-traveled, the villager spoke with great authority.
"..."
Eiji felt his worldview crumbling in the wind.
This was nothing like the Demon King Army he had imagined!
Wait, now that he thought about it, Barnier had once said disgust and disdain were his favorite negative emotions... Could that actually be true?
"Then why build walls around the village?"
"Because there are tons of monsters lurking around! They fled here because they couldn't stand the Demon King's Castle's overwhelming aura. We need walls to protect ourselves! The village chief even hires adventurers to clear out monsters regularly!"
This...
The logic was airtight!
No flaws whatsoever!
"Anyway, we humans tacitly accept the existence of demons too," the villager mused.
"Many demons actually benefit us, though we can't say that openly. After all, it's undeniable that the Demon King Army is at war with our kingdom."
The way you describe it doesn't sound like a bloody conflict between races, but more like a war between two nations.
Eiji was at a loss for words.
"So... this is real?"
He turned to Airi for confirmation.
"Hmph!"
She had been listening coldly to Eiji and the villager's conversation. Now, she gave him the back of her head.
She was angry.
For some reason, Eiji felt a little guilty.
He had made the mistake of assuming again—thinking demons and humans must be mortal enemies locked in brutal conflict, which was why he wanted to become the Demon King to help humanity.
But unexpectedly, the Demon King Army not only refrained from killing any civilians but also gained tacit acceptance from humans, almost blending seamlessly into human society.
In short, there was only one thing he absolutely had to say.
—Give me back my resolve!
"Ahem... let's check out the restaurant first," Eiji coughed awkwardly.
"Right this way!" the villager enthusiastically led the way.
For now, they might as well look around the village.
It wouldn't hurt to experience the local customs and culture.