Dhein brought the ten chosen demons to his castle while the rest of the crowd remained outside. He led them to the throne room where they stood and awaited their brutal demise.

Luckily, no such thing was going to happen.

He turned around and faced them before asking:

"Why did you offer yourselves?"

After a moment of silence, the young demoness answered first.

"It is as you've said, King Dhein. This will greatly reduce the suffering of our people. I don't see why I shouldn't do it."

The older demon's voices followed.

"We have families that we want to protect. For centuries, the king's tyranny has terrorized us. If someone has to suffer to end it all, I'd rather it be me."

Next, the tall, muscular demon spoke with a sincere seriousness.

"I believe that it is a good way to die, saving a lot of people like this."

After hearing their words, Dhein had confirmed that they were indeed fit for the positions he was about to give them — by demon standards, at least.

He intertwined his hands behind him and then spoke in a calm manner.

"No one is going to die," he firmly declared.

Upon hearing what he had just said, all that was present in the room, including the soldiers, was filled with confusion.

"Everything that I said back there was a lie. I don't, and will never, consume anyone's soul and make them suffer."

Curious, the demoness asked:

"Then why did you lie, King Dhein?"

He immediately answered.

"To find out who are fit to lead the people."

They were left in a stupor, with eyes opened wide and utterly speechless.

"The ten of you proved that the demon race really isn't like how the books described it as. You have feelings and emotions like us humans. It's just that evil has ruled over you for so long that you almost lost your true selves."

He paused, formulating his next words before continuing.

"Do you want to change the way things are here in Sekhtar? I am willing to assist you, but in the end, the only ones who will be able to fix your own nation are yourselves."

The demoness overcame her shock and questioned Dhein's words.

She asked:

"What do we have to give you in return? Surely, you're going to ask for something heavier than just our souls."

Dhein shook his head. He understood her train of thought and the logic she used, but he had to explain how she was wrong.

"I wish nothing but for this nation to rise. I've seen your suffering and how evil has affected your psychology. I can't bear to just leave things here as they are, especially when I have the ability to do something."

"But I can't do it alone. That's why I had to draw out some individuals who really cared about the people. And that's the ten of you."

Their faces slowly changed when his message finally dawned on them.

"We will fix this nation. We will turn it into a place that is safe and prosperous. A place where no child will ever have to starve to death."

The demon's cold expressions suddenly turned rather emotional. A glint of hope lit up in their faces.

"Will you help me?" he asked.

Then, they gave Dhein a determined smile.

"What do we have to do, King Dhein?"

He smiled back and then replied.

"I'm going to make the ten of you the first provincial governors of Sekhtar. I don't know the exact population nor the geological composition of the kingdom yet, but I figured that the first thing I need is a team of leaders."

The demoness tilted her head.

"What's a governor, King Dhein?"

A bit shocked by this question, Dhein pondered for a moment for the perfect definition.

He then answered.

"Someone who leads and takes care of their people."

Hearing that, the demoness pointed at him.

"So you're a governor?" she innocently asked.

"No, I am the king," he said patiently.

"The governors help the king manage the lands. Let me put it another way: you are the extension of my eyes and ears, and, in a lot of instances, you will have to make decisions on your own."

One elder demon understood him and remarked:

"So in other words, we are your representatives in smaller portions of the land. Our job is to ensure your rule is administered even in your absence, reaching the tiniest of communities."

Dhein's eyes sparkled in joy.

"Exactly! You got it, old man!"

Realizing his "uncharacteristic" behavior, he cleared his throat.

"Ehem, I mean... yes. You're right."

The demons looked at each other, a new hope was evident in their faces.

"In that case," the young demon spoke, his voice deep and masculine.

"We humbly accept, King Dhein."

***

After that, the provincial governors were granted authority over the demonic military forces to enforce the law. Dhein handed them each a copy of the few basic laws he had created, such as banning theft, assault and murder. Their juridical system still needed work, and Dhein planned to develop it gradually.

He also personally announced the changes Sekhtar will have to go through. First, using the map given by Parro as a reference, he divided the kingdom into ten provinces.

The first province consisted of eight villages right next to the castle. It was where Dhein found Amarih.

This province was assigned to Lana, the young dark-haired demoness.

The second province was located close to the sea, north east of the castle, consisting of four villages. It was led by Yobu, an elder demon.

The third province was up north, led by Romel, the young, muscular demon. The province consisted of three villages.

Then, the huge cluster of villages in the west was divided into seven provinces to be led by the elder governors: Leoj, Faurus, Coleer, Hetaphar, Genler, Xeno and Tanwes.

He gave each governor assistant and one berserker for protection. Jobs such as a messenger and a scout were also created to make communication between the king and the local leaders easier.

Dhein stood on the balcony, watching the people return to their villages. It was the first day of attempting to reconstruct an entire nation, and he daresay it was going well.

***

< THE NEXT MORNING >

Dhein got up early.

After preparing for the day and putting on the clothes given to him by his servants last night, he was ready to go out of his chamber.

He wore a dark trenchcoat over a white buttoned shirt with a ribbon tied at the collar. He had white pants that were tucked into the dark leather boots.

Feeling optimistic, Dhein took a deep breath before heading towards the doorway. When he opened the door, he suddenly felt a warm and wet substance spilling on his chest.

A demoness with a maid outfit fell to the floor after bumping into him. The tray with a bowl of salad and a cup of tea dropped to the ground, scattering all its contents.

She frantically cleaned the mess, but the more she tried, the worse the situation got.

Dhein suffered from secondhand embarrassment and didn't know what to do. He looked at both sides of the hallway, confirming that no one else saw what had just happened.

He then crouched down and helped the poor maid.

When they were done, he asked:

"Who sent you to bring me breakfast?"

She lowered her head.

"I—I am the king's personal maid, sire. Every morning, I bring food to this room at this hour."

Dhein stared at her for a moment and then nodded.

"Thank you. And don't worry, I'm not mad about the food being spilled. I'll just go and get changed."

A few more minutes later, Dhein exited his chamber with new clothes. He ordered that each meal shall be served at the grand hall where his officials should join him.

When asked why, he said that casual conversation should be held during this time. Because once work begins, all distractions should be held off for later.

They put a long table in the middle of the hall. Dhein felt a bit flattered sitting at one end where the highest authority used to be in human culture.

Joining him at the table were Krushe, Parro and Amarih. It was then that he realized he didn't really have a complete council.

'I somehow forgot about that...'

He looked at his plate only to see a bowl of salad. Not a single meat was present on the table.

It was going to take some time to fully accept the fact that he won't be tasting meat for a long time. He suddenly missed the food back home.

Nonetheless, he began eating.

While he and his companions were having breakfast, it seemed like a commotion had begun outside. Krushe and Parro turned their heads towards the doorway when several soldiers came in with a report.

"King Dhein, the former king's servant has returned!"

Before Dhein could wonder who might that be, two figures entered the castle.

It was Sullivan Wixorn.

Right behind the man was Fiorelle who looked extremely surprised after seeing who was sharing a meal with the demons.

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