William woke up sandwiched between two warm bodies. Arisu and Alice were still asleep on either side of him, their fox ears twitching softly. He tried to sit up and found it surprisingly easy. Yesterday, he could barely move, but now his body actually responded properly.
"Huh. I'm already bigger." Looking down at himself, he realized he'd grown overnight. Not much, but enough to notice. Maybe around ten or twelve years old now in appearance. The inherited memories explained that this was normal for Demon Kings, rapid growth in the first days after rebirth.
"Arisu. Alice." Both girls jolted awake immediately, their ears standing straight up.
"Your Majesty!" They sat up in a panic, looking around for danger.
"Relax, I just want to see the village today." Their expressions shifted from alarm to pure excitement.
"I'll go tell the Tribe Elder!" Alice jumped up.
"Wait, and stop with the 'Your Majesty' stuff. Just call me William."
Dead silence. Both girls stared at him like he'd just announced the sky was falling.
"A... a name?" Arisu whispered breathlessly.
"Demon Kings with names become legends!" Alice was already halfway to the door. "Everyone needs to know!" She ran before William could stop her.
"She's always like that," Arisu said with a small smile, helping him stand. "But she's right. A name is incredibly significant for our kind. It means you're destined for greatness."
William decided not to mention that his name was just carried over from his previous life.
Outside, the village was more depressing in daylight than he'd expected. Ramshackle huts made of wood and thatch lined dirt paths, surrounded by a pathetic wooden fence that wouldn't stop anything stronger than a large dog. Fox girls were everywhere, all of them thin and tired-looking, going about their morning tasks. What really stood out was the complete absence of men or boys, just women of various ages, all watching him with a mixture of hope and something hungry in their eyes as he walked past.
"Arisu, why are there only women here?"
She was quiet for a long moment. "We lost a war a long time ago. The enemy killed all our men and most of our fighters. Less than a thousand of us escaped. We've been dying slowly ever since, unable to have children, unable to defend ourselves. You're the first male in our tribe in decades."
Well, that explains the desperate atmosphere.
"Your Majesty!" The Tribe Elder's voice rang out as she walked toward them with Alice and four other fox girls trailing behind. All of them were gorgeous despite their malnourished frames, and all of them were staring at him with that same intense look. "I hear you want to see the village. These four will accompany you. Arisu and Alice need to rest after last night."
Wait, what? We just took a bath!
The Tribe Elder led him on a tour, explaining their situation as they walked. The fox tribe was stuck in the Godforsaken Lands, the end of the continent, where only weak or exiled races ended up. Their food supply was nearly exhausted, the stream was fished out, and they were surviving on whatever wild plants and occasional game their hunters could scavenge from the forest.
"One bad harvest and we're done," the Elder said bluntly. "But now that you're here, maybe we have a chance."
They reached an open clearing at the village edge where sunlight actually reached the ground. Beyond the fence, dense forest loomed like a dark wall. William studied the barren earth while the inherited memories fed him information about agriculture, crop rotation, and soil composition. "We need to grow food here. I can make it work."
The Elder's eyes widened. "You know farming?"
"Demon Kings inherit knowledge from their predecessors. Including how to keep people alive." William gestured at the clearing. "Get everyone who can work. We're starting today."
The four fox girls behind him immediately ran off to spread the word while the Elder looked at him with something close to worship. "A Demon King who prioritizes feeding his people over conquest. You really are different, Your Majesty." She leaned in closer, her voice dropping. "Tonight, Arisu and Alice will properly serve you. I trust you understand what that means?"
William's face heated up. Oh. That kind of service.
"They're exhausted, though. Maybe we should—"
"They've been preparing for this their entire lives. Besides, bonding with your attendants will make you significantly stronger. It's necessary." She patted his shoulder and walked off, leaving him standing there with his brain trying to process what had just happened.
By noon, half the village had gathered at the clearing. Fox girls were hauling rocks, tilling soil, and clearing debris, working hard despite their obvious weakness and malnutrition. William helped where he could, surprised at how much strength his small body actually had. Demon King's physical abilities were apparently ridiculously strong.
"Master! Over here!" Alice waved from across the field. She and Arisu had woken up and joined the work despite looking tired.
Freshly tilled earth stretched out in neat rows. Now they just needed seeds, which they didn't have. Time to test something. William closed his eyes and reached for the power coiled inside him. The inherited memories whispered about creation magic, the rarest and most difficult type, but apparently Demon Kings specialized in it.
He focused, drawing the power up through his body and down into his hands. Dark red energy flickered around his fingers as he pressed both palms flat against the earth. "Grow."
Magic flooded out of him and into the soil. The ground shifted as tiny green shoots burst upward. Potato plants sprouted and grew at an impossible speed, maturing in minutes. Leaves unfurled, flowers bloomed and died, and soon mature plants covered a quarter of the clearing.
Shocked gasps erupted from the watching crowd as William's vision swam. The magic drain hit him like a truck, and his legs gave out.
Arisu and Alice caught him before he fell. "Master!" Alice's voice was panicked.
"I used too much magic," he mumbled, everything feeling heavy and distant.
They carried him back through the village while fox girls lined the path, staring with awe. Back in the cave, they lowered him into the heated spring water, and the warmth immediately started seeping into his exhausted body, easing the magical burnout. Arisu and Alice stripped and slid into the water with him, holding him upright between them.
"You idiot," Arisu said, but her voice was thick with emotion. "You nearly killed yourself for us."
"Worth it. Now you won't starve." William's voice came out weak.
Alice hugged him from behind, and he felt something wet drip onto his shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you so much."
They stayed in the spring until William's strength returned, cradled by the heat, the steam, and their soft bodies supporting him. When they finally got out, the Elder was waiting outside the cave. "The potatoes are being harvested now. Enough food for months if we're careful. You've given us real hope, William." She turned to Arisu and Alice. "Take care of him tonight. Properly."
Both girls nodded, faces red.
Back in his room, the atmosphere had completely changed. The air felt charged as Arisu closed the door while Alice lit sweet-smelling incense.
"Master," Arisu approached him slowly, her simple robe hanging loose on her shoulders. "Do you know what happens now?"
His heart was pounding. "I have some ideas."
"We'll be gentle," Alice promised, moving to his other side. "This is bonding magic. It'll make you stronger and bind us together permanently."
"But also," Arisu's hand touched his cheek, her amber eyes soft and sincere, "we want this. You saved us. You gave us a future. Let us give you something back."
Their robes began to slip from their shoulders when sudden shouting erupted from outside. Footsteps pounded past the door, urgent and panicked.
"Emergency! Emergency! Magical beasts are attacking the village! All non-combatants hide in the shelters!"
William's body tensed. The inherited memories stirred with information about territorial threats and demon instincts. Arisu and Alice exchanged worried glances, their intimate moment shattered.
"Magical beasts?" William moved toward the door. "But with my presence here, they should sense a Demon King's aura and stay away."
"Unless..." Alice's face went pale. "Unless they're being driven here by something worse."
Through the walls came the distant sounds of battle, screams, roars, the clash of crude weapons against claws. The fox tribe's desperate fight for survival had begun, and William's first real test as their Demon King was about to commence.