NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1 - Episode 1: The Demon Duke is Reincarnated
Episode 1: The Demon Duke is Reincarnated
The view was filled with a blue sky. A blue moon and a red moon were faintly floating.
“Where… is this?”
As I reached out, my skin was blue.
Huh?
This skin??
There were small horns growing on my forehead. The back of my head hurt.
“Master Zaus! Are you alright?”
A beautiful girl came running to me.
She was wearing a maid outfit and holding a wooden sword.
She’s…
That’s right, Meel.
She’s my caretaker.
It seems I fell during sword practice and hit the back of my head.
“I’ll use healing magic now. Please stay still. Healing Heal!”
Then, the pain in the back of my head disappeared instantly.
Ah, that’s right. I was a resident of a world of swords and magic.
Tsunaka Hajime, 32 years old.
That was me before.
A corporate slave working for a black company. I died young from overwork.
I was reborn.
As the son of the demon duke, Zaus Jarmel.
Now I’m 15 years old.
This is the demon duke’s castle.
The blue skin and horns on the forehead are the mark of the demon race.
But, I remember various things…
I’ve been living casually until now.
“Demon Duke… Zaus… Meel…”
Ah…!
“This is just like the setting in Brave Sword Quest!!!”
“W-What’s wrong, Master Zaus?”
“…No, it’s nothing.”
That’s right.
She’s Meel.
A super popular character from Brave Sword Quest, or Breque for short.
She’s the heroine character who becomes the lover of the protagonist, the hero Cea.
This divine style. The ample bosom.
Fair skin with big eyes.
There’s no mistake. She’s Breque’s Meel.
And I am the mid-boss demon duke Zaus.
I challenge the hero Cea to avenge my father, who was killed by him.
And my fate is to be defeated by him.
What a thing!
In my previous life, I died from overwork as a corporate slave.
And now I’m reincarnated as a mid-boss in a game, destined to be defeated by the protagonist!?
This is the worst!!
Why is my life so messed up!?
Is there no god!?
This is ridiculous!!
Why is my life so unlucky!!
“Master Zaus!! It’s a disaster!!”
That’s lizardman, one of my subordinates, shouting.
Lizardmen are humanoid monsters with lizard faces.
“Master has been defeated by the hero!!”
Ah…
It’s exactly like the game.
The demon duke Gozack, who raided the village in slave hunting, is defeated by the 10-year-old protagonist.
The protagonist Cea has the power of a hero and defeats the demon duke with awakened power.
Damn it!!
If this continues, I’ll end up inheriting my father’s title.
If I inherit the title, I’ll become the demon duke Zaus, won’t Iiii!!
And my fate is to be defeated by the protagonist!!
Breque was my favorite game.
You could say it was the game I was most hooked on during high school.
I devoured the setting guide and played with a strategy guide in hand.
So, I know the hidden settings well.
Gozack was defeated when I was 15 years old, his son.
Zaus will continue to hold a grudge against the protagonist for 5 years and challenge him when he’s 20 years old.
The protagonist at that time is 15 years old. He’s around level 40.
Zaus is at level 66. He’s overwhelmingly strong.
But, he’ll be defeated by the hero’s special ability, the hero’s one-hit kill.
I was thrilled at that time. After all, I defeated a superior opponent with one blow.
The interesting part of Breque is that this is the tutorial section.
Actually, the max level cap is 999, which is not even mentioned in the manual.
I thought it was only up to level 99, but it’s actually 999. I was so into it.
Now then…
“Status Open”
Ah, it’s displayed in the air properly.
What a convenient feature.
It showed level 10 there.
So, I’ll raise it to level 66 in 5 years.
And my fate is to be defeated by the hero.
At least it would have been better if I were the final boss, huh…
Of all things, I’m just a mid-boss in the tutorial. Totally pathetic…
Breque is a simple RPG.
It’s the classic story where the hero defeats the demon king.
But, it hits all the gamer’s sweet spots. Strengthening through level-ups is a given, plus there are sub-quests, monster-raising systems, collecting rare items, creating rare weapons, and plenty more to do.
The maker’s slogan was “The strongest game you can play for 300 hours”, right? Well, there were plenty of users who played over a thousand hours. The main story is only about 40 hours, but there are endless other stories to play.
The noteworthy part is probably the romance with the heroines. There are branching paths like a romance simulation game, making it incredibly rewarding. And if you use a cheat code, you can even have a harem route where you get all the heroines. It was hugely popular among users, almost like “this is the real deal”.
Also, you can make vehicles and robots, cook, fish, develop farmland, and so on. Anyway, there’s so much to do within the classic framework, it’s incredibly fun. Moreover, everything is perfectly linked to the adventure. If you increase intimacy in the romance part, you’ll get bonuses in battle. There were plenty of other benefits you could reap from battles and adventures.
Oh no… Just imagining it makes me want to play again. I remember clearing the main story and diving into the secret dungeon… I think I raised my level to around 700. I had all the heroines too. Hehehe. If you use a cheat code, you can enter the harem mode and end up with all of them. It was so much fun…
Ah, now’s not the time to indulge in nostalgia.
It’s time to face reality.
“Uuu… Master…”
The monster subordinates were crying.
They were mourning the death of their master, the demon duke Gozack.
I don’t care about my father’s death.
Gozack was a devilish man, killing someone every day for fun.
He deserved to die.
The problem is me, inheriting the title…
What should I do?
Should I run away?
If I abandon the title, maybe I can change my fate…
But how would I live in this otherworldly place?
Besides, I’m only holding the duchy because of the demon king.
If I run away, the demon king will come after me…
This is the worst.
If I run away now, I’ll be targeted by the demon king, and in 5 years, I’ll be defeated by the hero.
I’m cornered from all sides.
No matter how it turns out, it’s the worst fate.
“Master Zaus… Please take care… I’ll be with you, Master Zaus.”
She said softly, gently touching my body.
“From now on, Master Zaus will become the duke. He is the master of the Demon Duke Castle.”
…Wait a minute.
Around me, the monsters were crying.
There were orcs with pig faces, goblins, and so on.
Come to think of it, aren’t all these guys my subordinates?
And this splendid Demon Duke Castle…
With a beautiful maid by my side…
Huh?
Isn’t everything coming together??
I’ll be killed by the hero in 5 years…
In other words, I can live for 5 years.
The game’s Zaus was defeated at level 66…
If I just get stronger and avoid being defeated by the hero for 5 years…?
Huh?
Maybe it’ll work.