Imp to Demon King: A Journey of Conquest

An icy shiver ran down his spine as he watched the spectacle of pure madness unfolding.

A group of soldiers pushed the others aside. Together, they encircled the King of Heroes' corpse. Standing like ramparts, they cast ominous shadows as their leader turned to him.

Middle-aged and sporting an amiable smile, the crest on his armor sparkled with mana. Blonde hair cascaded down his face, and a commanding aura wafted from his deep blue eyes.

His mere presence forced the angry citizens into a tense silence. Yet, behind it, suspicion flashed in their eyes. After all, his spotless armor shone despite the abundant blood covering the ground and the ash falling down the sky.

And amidst the oppressive silence, everyone gulped when he unsheathed his sword, turned, and cleaved his former lord in halves. The most disturbing part about it? He seemed delighted to desecrate the body and continued.

Faced with the gory spectacle of splashing organs and the sound of cleaved bones, people puked and dropped to their knees in horror. Others cheered for him, screaming that the bastard deserved it and that they should feed his flesh to the dogs.

Meanwhile, Adam's eyes narrowed into fiery slits and his teeth cracked.

'What's this bastard doing right after my speech?! And why does everyone desecrate the dead? Bury him, you crazy animals!'

His hand inched to his sword's pommel, ready to get down and behead him.

Before he could, the man bowed in his direction again. His calm voice reverberated against the citizens' screams.

"Greetings, my lord. I'm John, the army commander. Forgive me for this sad spectacle, but we had to give the citizens what they wanted." He raised his head, fresh blood trailing down the broad smile stretching his lips. "It was also my deepest wish to maul this fool, of course, but let's talk about more pleasant things."

His greaves clanked with the ground as he knelt and placed his sword before him. The three hundred soldiers that had survived the war followed, creating a cacophony of metal before his voice thundered.

"To you who delivered us from a life of servitude, we offer our swords, our loyalty, and our hearts."

Simultaneously, hundreds of notifications appeared before Adam, each asking him if he wanted to accept the soldiers as his citizens.

Yet, his fingers twitched above the accept button.

"You betrayed the King of Heroes by hiding in his darkest moment. You even desecrated his body for your own revenge." He clicked his tongue, disgust scrunching his nose. "Why would I accept such a doubtful individual in my ranks?"

John shrugged at his suspicions and struck his chest.

"Would you fight for someone who only ever invested his resources to have fun? Look at the streets. We have enough stones to pave them, yet I can only see mud under the blood." He pointed at the medieval habitations. "Look at the houses. He lent them and forced everyone into labor. Each week, he collected eighty percent of the citizens' productions.

Worse, he sold them to Foliaris for his personal benefits."

An icy chuckle, colder than Jotunheim's permafrost, escaped his lips.

"He valued my loyalty and honesty while swimming in corruption and depravation. Once again, would you fight for someone like that?"

As his words hung heavy in the air and the citizens nodded in confirmation, a seed of doubt germinated in Adam's heart.

Now that he knew more about the King of Heroes' terrible management, his heart tightened at those poor men and women's sufferings. But was treason the correct answer?

He shook his head to refute the idea. They should have advised the fool better. Even if he refused to listen, the dissatisfied soldiers could have left for Foliaris... or his territory to plead about their situation.

Somehow, he felt John tried to manipulate him under the guise of just retribution and a disturbing spectacle.

His knuckles whitened, and his mind raced to ponder the consequences of accepting such a man.

'The three hundred soldiers behind will obey him. His words hold weight in their community, so the citizens will most likely follow, too. But can I take in a snake with its colony? What guarantees he won't plan to stab me in the back or that he wasn't involved in this town's corruption?'

He held his forehead, a complex expression melding frustration and unwillingness distorting his features.

'He'll take the citizens with him if I refuse, rally another lord, or disclose my presence. I remember a kingdom ruled by Hestia's followers in the west and a forest inhabited by elves further south. Using Foliaris to garrison their armies, they'll launch a joint attack against my territory to rid the realm of demons.'

His face turned somber, and ink dripped from his brows.

'The best solution is to kill him and avoid further trouble, but I'll have the entire town's population against me.'

Stuck between the hammer and the anvil, he rubbed his brows to chase the forming headache away.

Then, he cracked his neck, pointed at John, and shouted.

"I don't buy your story at all. You clung to your privileges and influence instead of leaving when you had the chance to. Additionally, someone honest would have fought against the corruption instead of remaining a spectator.

You failed your duties as a civilian protector and are a silent culprit, no better than the King of Heroes." He turned towards the eager Ifrit and swung his head towards the soldiers. "Arrest and interrogate them. Those who repent earnestly, let them go. For the others, I'll let you enforce justice for the men and women they wronged."

John's eyes narrowed at the fiery djinn leaping down the walls.

Heart drumming in his ears, he also saw the hundreds of demons that stood aside move to apprehend him. Everything seemed lost, yet his lips curled into a provocative smirk.

He had the public opinion with him. Adam couldn't dismiss him without facing a backlash, meaning he tried to assert his authority and would release him after a few days. Even if he was as foolish as the King of Heroes, he would have no choice but to free him after the citizens rioted.

Still, his mind rumbled at Adam's sharpness... because he was spot on. He had been the one benefiting the most from the corruption. After all, he had escorted their goods to Foliaris and used their quality salt production to embezzle enough gold coins to make his pouch too heavy to be lifted.

However, Adam shattered his wistful thinking about potential survival with his next commands.

Even the outraged citizens calmed down when they heard them.

"Injustice will never befall my citizens! Therefore, I open an extraordinary trial to judge John without delay. Step forward and speak without fear if you have any grudge against him."

He raised his finger to the clearing sky, bathing in the evening sunlight like a savior in the eyes of a few.

"But remember that if you remain silent, he'll continue his despicable actions. Who knows who he'll wrong next? Your parents? Childrens?" He shook his head, his voice thundering with blazing passion. "No! Injustice shall not go unpunished!

Testify against him to recover worry-free lives and get your deserved revenge!"