When I woke up the next morning, the first thing I saw was gold.
Not sunlight. Not treasure. Gold paperwork.
Stacks and stacks of it, piled all over my new suite like a paper tsunami.
The Ledger flickered above my head.[ Congratulations! You are now Director of the Obsidian Fang. ][ Reminder: A Director is responsible for operations, resources, and order within the Fang. Please review pending tasks. ]
Pending tasks?
I reached for the nearest scroll.
Task 1: Approve demon recruitment budget for frontline skirmishes.Task 2: Sign off on 500 barrels of bloodwine for hospitality wing.Task 3: Reassign underperforming assassins.
…What?!
I rubbed my eyes. I had just gotten used to being broke, anonymous, and ignored. Now I was supposed to manage armies, supplies, and assassins?
A knock rattled the door.
"Director Arvale," a voice barked.
The door swung open without waiting for me to answer. A tall demon strode in, all sharp armor and sharper expression. His horns curled like blackened steel, his crimson cloak brushing the marble floor.
"Vice-Commander Draath," the Ledger whispered into my mind.
Draath gave me a stiff bow. "The Royal Family's decree was clear. You are now Director. As such, the Fang awaits your orders."
My mouth went dry."…Orders?"
"Yes." His golden eyes glinted. "The assassins want assignments. The merchants demand budgets. The soldiers await direction."
I stared at him."I… just woke up."
He didn't blink. "And yet, Director, the Realm does not pause."
The Ledger chimed again.[ Tutorial Mission: "A Director's First Order." ][ Reward: 1000 Chaos Credits. ]
…Oh no.
I glanced at Draath, who looked like he'd happily kill me if I said the wrong thing.
"…Fine," I croaked. "First order: coffee."
The Ledger hummed.[ Passive Translation Active. ]Audience hears: "Before mobilizing the Fang, prepare the stimulant of war."
Draath's eyes widened. Then, slowly, he nodded in solemn respect."As expected of a true Director. To begin with the drink of battle… genius."
Minutes later, a servant scurried in with steaming cups. I nearly cried with relief.
But the peace didn't last.
The moment I took a sip, three more demons barged in—clearly lieutenants under my command.
The first, a wiry demon with ink-stained fingers, bowed. "Director, the ledgers of debtors await your approval."
The second, a hulking brute with tusks, rumbled, "Director, the blood pits are overflowing. Shall we cull or expand?"
The third, a demoness draped in silks, purred, "Director, the Fang's merchant branches require your personal seal for a trade treaty."
I nearly spat out my coffee.
What the hell?! I'd been a Director for less than a day and already I had to sign treaties, balance books, and manage gladiator blood pits?!
The Ledger blinked.[ Warning: Neglecting Director Duties will decrease Authority and risk demotion. ][ Suggestion: Use Chaos Ledger to 'convert' burdens into resources. ]
Convert… burdens?
I looked at the piles of paperwork."…Wait. Can I… buy them off?"
Ledger: [ Yes. ]Ledger: [ Trade Option: Convert Director Paperwork → Chaos Credits. ]Ledger: [ Conversion Rate: 1 scroll = 1 Chaos Credit. ]
My jaw dropped."Why didn't you tell me that earlier?!"
Ledger: [ You didn't ask. ]
I grabbed a stack of scrolls. They shimmered, dissolved into golden dust, and vanished into the Ledger.
[ +237 Chaos Credits. ]
I almost laughed. Forget sword fights. Forget assassins. Forget demons.
This was how I would survive.
"Director?" Draath asked suspiciously.
I coughed, trying to look mysterious. "Ahem. I've already… dealt with those requests."
His eyes widened again."So swift? Truly, your methods are beyond us."
The lieutenants gasped. The merchant demoness clasped her hands to her chest. "Director Arvale… as expected of one chosen by the Royal Family."
I forced a smile, sipping my coffee like it was all according to plan."…Of course."
But deep inside, my thoughts spiraled.
This wasn't a victory. It was a death sentence.
Because for every problem I converted into Credits, the demons would think I'd solved it with terrifying efficiency.
And that meant more problems would come.Bigger problems.
The Ledger chimed ominously.[ New Mission Generated: Survive your first week as Director. ][ Reward: Authority Upgrade. ][ Failure: Death. ]
I set my cup down, my hands trembling slightly.
"…Why," I muttered, "do I feel like being promoted was the worst thing that could've happened to me?"
The demons waited silently, watching me like disciples before a master.
I forced another smile. "Don't worry. I have… plans."
Ledger: [ Passive Translation Active. ]Audience hears: "The Director has already foreseen our futures."
Gasps of awe filled the room.
I just wanted to scream.
The moment the lieutenants left, I slumped into the massive chair behind my desk. It wasn't even a proper chair—it was an obsidian throne lined with jagged spikes that dug into my shoulders. Comfortable? Not even a little. Terrifying? Absolutely.
The Ledger flickered above my head, its golden text mocking me.[ Director's Seat Activated. ][ Authority Field: Subordinates will perceive you as inherently commanding. ]
So the chair brainwashed people into thinking I was competent. Wonderful.
A soft knock disturbed my sulking. A young demon servant peeked in, bowing so low his horns scraped the floor. "Director Arvale, would you like a tour of the headquarters?"
Part of me wanted to lock the door and cry into my coffee, but I couldn't keep bluffing if I didn't even know what this place looked like. I sighed. "…Lead the way."
The Obsidian Fang headquarters was not what I expected. Instead of endless torture chambers and blood pits, it looked disturbingly like a human city squashed into one massive fortress.
There was a training wing where demons sat in neat rows, scratching notes on blackstone tablets while instructors barked assassination techniques like grumpy professors. A bustling commercial hall stretched across an entire floor, filled with stalls and cafés. Demons argued over enchanted daggers, cursed jewelry, and "Seven-Star Demon Wine—For VIPs Only."
"You… have shopping districts?" I muttered.
The servant blinked at me. "Of course, Director. The Fang is more than blades and shadows. We are civilization."
Civilization. With lava fountains and bloodwine. Sure.
The weirdest part was the hotel wing. Marble halls, golden chandeliers, uniformed bellhops bowing to passing nobles—it was basically a luxury human hotel with more horns. For a surreal moment, I forgot I was in the Demon Realm.
But everywhere I walked, whispers followed me.
"Director Arvale…""So young, yet chosen already…""He must be the Prince's hidden weapon."
I kept my face carefully blank while inside I was screaming.
When we returned to my office, four demons were waiting, lined up like predators who'd scented prey.
The first was thin and twitchy, with quills sprouting from his arms. "Sarith the Ink-Eater," the Ledger supplied helpfully. This one handled debts and contracts.
Next was a mountain of muscle with tusks, Gorath the Ironhide. He grunted and cracked his knuckles, clearly the soldier's handler.
A demoness draped in shimmering silks bowed gracefully—Lirael the Silkfang, merchant and diplomat. Her smile promised both wealth and trouble.
And finally, Vice-Commander Draath, ever the grim shadow, folded his arms and stared at me like a hawk.
They bowed. "Director."
Sarith spoke first, voice sharp as scratching ink. "The debtors of the lower district resist payment. Shall we… extract?"
Gorath's rumble shook the air. "The soldiers grow bored. They demand blood."
Lirael purred like a satisfied cat. "Our rivals offer treaties. Do we accept… or crush them?"
All of them stared, waiting.
I wanted to melt into the floor. Why couldn't anyone just ask about coffee again?
The Ledger chimed softly.[ Option Available: Delegate tasks to staff. Gain Reputation. Risk: unpredictable results. ]
Unpredictable was better than exposing myself as a fraud.
I leaned back in the spiky chair, folding my hands in what I hoped looked mysterious. "You three… handle these issues in your own way. I trust your judgment."
The Ledger warped my words.[ Passive Translation Active. ]Audience hears: "I have foreseen the outcomes. Prove yourselves worthy of my vision."
The reaction was instant. Sarith dropped to his knees. "The Director entrusts us! We shall not fail!"
Gorath pounded his chest. "At last, a leader who understands strength!"
Lirael's eyes gleamed like stolen jewels. "Mmm… so enigmatic. Delicious."
I forced a smile. "…Good. Dismissed."
The three left with reverence burning in their eyes, and for a fleeting second, I actually felt like a mastermind.
Then the Ledger chimed again.[ Delegation successful. Reputation +500. ][ Warning: Staff actions will reflect on your leadership. ]
My smile froze. "…What do you mean warning?"
Before the Ledger could explain, a distant boom rattled the walls. Screams echoed down the corridors.
The doors burst open and Draath stormed in, smoke clinging to his armor. His expression was thunderous.
"Director," he barked, "your orders are being carried out."
Behind him, smoke drifted past the windows, and the scent of fire filled the air.
"But it seems," Draath said grimly, "your staff took them… very literally."
I stared past him at the chaos rising outside, my heart dropping into my stomach.
This was fine. Totally fine. Everything was under control.
Right?