Dungeon Defense (WN)

Daisy pressed her now half-burnt cigar against my chest.

Daisy touched the tip of her cigar on my upper chest, precisely over where my heart resides. From left to right, she twisted it over and over again for a total of five times. I could feel a warm sensation on my chest as the ember was extinguished.

“I will impale my blade right here.”

Daisy stated.

“I wish to choose the most painful method of murder, but, unfortunately, you are a Demon Lord. You would simply recover with your innate healing if I were to stab at you halfheartedly. It cannot be helped. I will end it in one strike.”

“It is true that if a pathetically weak Demon Lord like myself were to lose my heart, I would have no way of recovering.”

Healing magic and potions are anything but omnipotent. Recovering from a single strike capable of destroying the heart would be challenging. Well, it would be a different story if I were a monster like Barbatos. She fully healed after her heart was destroyed by Baal. That’s not a skill a small fry like me could replicate.

“But no matter how you look at it, you are overly confident, my daughter. You are nothing more than an assassin branded with the mark of a slave. Are you holding yourself in such high esteem because you killed Baal and captured Agares?”

I smiled.

“Barbatos holds the most powerful influence in the Demon Lord Army. Elizabeth is the ruler of a nation. The difference between trash like you and them is as vast as the sky and the earth. Yet, by what logic could you surpass them and threaten my life?”

“It is already absurd that a Rank 71 Demon Lord managed to eliminate Baal. That is something you have already accomplished and there is no reason I cannot do something you have already done.”

“How presumptuous.”

Laughter escaped my lips.

Daisy gazed at me with a confident expression. I wanted to distort that arrogant look, to crush her beneath me and ruin her completely. However, I wasn’t foolish enough to be swept away by desire and hastily uncork the sweetest wine in the world.

“Now that you have laid out your plans, it is my turn to share mine. Do not be coy; my daughter has proudly declared her ambitions to me. As a father, it fills me with immeasurable pride.”

Elizabeth and Daisy were both misunderstanding something.

I certainly desired the finest death. However, the sequence was incorrect. It wasn’t that I wanted the best death because I desired death. It was the opposite. Since I couldn’t die easily, if I had to die, I would only accept and embrace the ‘best’ death.

It’s a simple matter. If someone tells you to die for no reason, no one would readily accept it. However, if sacrificing yourself could save a hundred thousand people or your own family, many would willingly choose to die.

That’s because it would be a good death.

The question is, what form of death could I accept and embrace? Naturally, I have no intention of quietly dying unless the finest death is offered to me. For me, the best death is quite magnificent.

“The moment you fail to kill me, I will crush and violate you myself. Then, I will make sure you witness Luke and your parents burning to death before your eyes.”

“…….”

“No, directly committing the act myself is not such a great idea. How about this? After killing Luke, I will ask Barbatos to turn him into a corpse doll. And then, I will command the corpse doll to violate you.”

I caressed Daisy’s face. I moved my hand gently as I blended affection into my touch.

“How pitiful of Luke. It is tragic enough that his lifelong love turned out to be his sister, but coming together even after death is quite something……. Hmm, I wonder if a corpse doll can produce sperm. I guess I will have to ask Barbatos.”

An offspring of two heroes. No doubt they’ll display the finest qualities. I’m already looking forward to it.

“Hah. Just imagining my grandchildren from my adopted son and adopted daughter fills me with great excitement.”

“……A trashy future that can only be imagined by someone like you, Father.”

“Oh dear. I’ll be sad if this is enough for you to denounce me.”

This was still only the opener. The real fun starts now.

“Next, I will go under Marbas as his adopted son. Marbas is technically a part of the imperial family, so I will naturally be included in that lineage. Therefore, when I inherit the imperial throne, Daisy, you will also become the imperial princess of the Habsburg Empire!”

“…….”

“No other father can possibly compare to me. Bestowing the noblest status upon a daughter born into the lowest class, a class lower than even commoners, is there a better example for fathers everywhere to follow?”

My hand trailed down Daisy’s jawline and lingered on her neck. Her skin, as white as freshly fallen snow, felt pleasantly cool to the touch.

“Habsburg’s first imperial princess, Daisy von Custos. May you become the beautiful glory of the eternal and immortal Empire.”

I chuckled.

“If the Emperor dies now, the throne will return to me. However, I have no intention of accepting the throne. It is only natural. If a demon tries to ascend the throne, the other countries will vigorously oppose it. So, regrettably, I must relinquish the throne to another. Would you care to speculate on whom I will yield it to?”

I grabbed Daisy’s chin and lifted it slightly.

“It’s you, Daisy.”

I stood from my chair and looked down into her eyes.

“I shall turn you into a vampire, granting you a semi-permanent existence. You shall ascend as the empress of this nation your father has forged, ruling it alone for the centuries to come. Undoubtedly, you harbor more desire to destroy the Empire than anyone else, rendering this fate the most excruciating punishment for you…….”

I slowly bowed my head.

I felt a faint sensation on my lips.

“…….”

“…….”

A light kiss that was as light as a quiet knock on the door. Daisy’s lips were dry but incredibly soft. She didn’t even blink as I kissed her. Her eyes simply glared at me intently.

As I pulled away, I whispered, “So, my beloved daughter, be careful not to fail. Your father is not a man who shows mercy to those who fail, for he is cruel and merciless.”

I gripped Daisy’s right wrist and brought it to my chest, placing her palm over my heart.

“When you are at your most certain, under the right circumstances, and with a sure strike, you will have to pierce through here without a shred of doubt plaguing your mind.”

“Understood……Father.”

Daisy’s gaze revealed no trace of hesitation. Excellent. With a loud laugh, I shoved Daisy backward, causing her to lose her balance and tumble onto her bed.

Leaving Daisy in that state, I departed from the bedroom.

The melancholy feeling I had earlier vanished completely. Elizabeth and Daisy seemed determined to entertain me lately. My steps turned into a dance as I gracefully walked through the empty corridors of my Demon Lord Castle.

A tune naturally escaped my lips.

Before I knew it, my Demon Lord Castle had been completed up to the 7th underground floor. The 8th floor was also nearing completion. The 10th floor had already been designated as a residence for me and my top officials, so with only the 9th floor left to finish, the grandeur of the Demon Lord Castle was within reach.

A massive Demon Lord Castle with ten underground floors. Even armies would find my castle difficult to conquer. In fact, to occupy my castle, one would first have to sweep through the territories outside. However, since my city is lined with Mage Towers, it’s virtually impossible to capture.

Someday, after entrusting the Empire to Daisy, it wouldn’t be such a bad idea to hole up here and live forever. Remembering endlessly those I’ve killed. I’d be fine with that.

In truth, isn’t even death a luxury for someone like me?

Ο * * * Ο

“Godfather, could you perhaps……spare me some of your time?”

The next day, Luke came to my office.

I was in the middle of handling my backlog of paperwork with Lapis. Due to all of the Empire’s affairs that had been demanding my attention, the management of my own territory had been sidelined all this time. Fortunately, Parsi had efficiently handled things in my absence, but there were still matters only the true lord could attend to.

I grinned.

“Sure, go ahead.”

I was expecting Luke to show up, so I was quite relaxed. It was only natural. Right now, for the first time ever in his 16-year-old life, Luke was facing a crisis that was beyond his ability to handle.

Children tend to rely on someone in times like this. But who could Luke turn to for advice? His biological parents? At the moment, Luke’s biological parents were most likely the last people he wanted to confide in.

Therefore, I was the only option. The person he respected the most and his godfather.

“But……um…….”

Luke hesitated, casting a cautious glance at Lapis. His complexion was notably dark. Sensing Luke’s unease, Lapis spoke to him.

“Would you like me to clear the room for a moment?”

“Ah, yes…… Thank you very much, Minister.”

“Not at all.”

Lapis stood from her chair. She turned to give me a polite bow before leaving the room.

“Now then, come over here and have a seat.”

While maintaining a gentle smile on my face, I gestured for Luke to take a seat. He hesitated for a moment but eventually approached and sat down.

“Our Luke has never come to me for advice before, so it pleases me greatly to see you rely on me a bit.”

“Godfather…….”

Luke’s face showed gratitude, but it was also filled with an unmistakable sadness and pain. However, I chose to remain oblivious until Luke revealed his emotions himself. It was for the sake of dramatic effect.

Luke pursed his lips several times. He was giving off the air that this was something too heavy for him to speak. I exercised my patience as I waited. After about five minutes, Luke finally spoke.

“I……I’ve committed a grave sin.”

“……It seems this is a genuinely serious matter.”

I swiftly erased any traces of a smile from my face as I gave Luke my utmost serious expression. I took a posture that conveyed, ‘Your tone and voice have instilled a deep sense of gravity in me’. This was the reason why I had maintained a soft smile until a moment ago.

“You do not have to disclose the specifics. It is fine to keep it abstract. I ask that you at least speak the truth. As long as you are honest, I may be able to provide the answer you need, Luke.”

“Yes, Godfather…… Thank you…….”

Luke spoke with a weepy voice.

“The sin I committed is too grave. To the point that it cannot be erased no matter what I do……. The other party told me that they would never forgive me……. They wouldn’t even let me take my own life.”

Luke’s eyes were already swollen, and his pupils were streaked with red veins. He must’ve cried all night. I could only imagine how much agony this pure-hearted boy must’ve gone through last night.

“I-I don’t know what to do. What can I do if I cannot be forgiven or atone for my sins with my death……? Godfather, what can someone do when placed in such a situation……?”

“…….”

I carefully looked into Luke’s face. I couldn’t provide an immediate answer here. I had to pretend as if I were pondering deeply about this matter. So, I held Luke’s hands and remained silent for about five minutes.

“In such situations, there is only one way.”

“One way……?”

Last night, Daisy demanded that I “remove Luke from my list of candidates”.

This was the reason.

“At such times, you have to give up your life, your rights, your beliefs—everything—and offer it to the other party.”

Luke was about to become my slave from now on.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I apologize for how long it took to get this chapter out. If you aren’t in the Discord server and missed my message, I basically caught Covid over the weekend and basically suffered for the past 4 days. I just couldn’t get into the mindset of translating cause I kept feeling like shit. I’m starting to get better now, hence why I’m taking my time to release this chapter. I apparently caught Covid when I went to visit my dad at the hospital the week prior. There was apparently an outbreak in his room on the day I arrived. Of course, no one knew at the time until symptoms started to show. It really sucks cause I couldn’t go to my niece’s first birthday last Sunday. That was the day I took the test and found out I had Covid.

Welp, I can only hope that I keep getting better from here. I’ll see you guys in the next chapter and maybe I’ll be better by then.