A New Diplomatic Approach

Joshua's plan to make movies in another world had not yet been put on the agenda when a Water Elemental Servant hurried over to him.

The Water Elemental Servant had the appearance of a human woman, except her skin carried the texture of liquid.

"Third Prince, Your Highness, the master has summoned you to the Guard Room." Her voice held no emotion whatsoever.

"Understood."

There was only one master of this castle: the father of this Demon Prince.

Joshua had not expected to meet the Ruler of this world so soon...

Following the route in his memories, Joshua spent ten minutes traversing the castle's complex interior before arriving before a massive door that radiated an ominous aura.

Joshua walked straight inside. The corridor was astonishingly spacious, with statues more than ten meters tall standing on either side.

Each statue had a different form, but all depicted Chaos Demons of the same race as Joshua.

Every statue represented a monarch who had ruled this land through the ages. Perhaps the demons of the Demon Realm truly addressed them as "kings."

Yet these monarchs had a unique title for themselves in private: "Watchers."

It sounded plain and unadorned, yet immensely ancient.

Joshua did not know what this title meant, but the history of the Watchers had been passed down generation after generation, continuing to this day.

And Joshua's father, Notlein, Lord of the Demonic Realm, was the current Watcher.

Joshua passed through the corridor watched over by his forebears and entered an empty hall.

The decorations here were equally simple, utterly unfitting for a place called a "monarch's palace." Other than a pile of stones resembling an altar at the far end, there was not even a throne.

Joshua's eldest brother, second sister, and Fourth Sister had already arrived in the hall. They stood before the altar.

A solemn atmosphere filled every inch of the air. Joshua's siblings did not even glance at him, leaving only an empty space between his second sister and Fourth Sister, clearly reserved for Joshua.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Joshua imitated his siblings and stood before the altar, looking at the figure facing it.

"Nox, Cecily, Joshua, Foya."

A voice brimming with pressure called out the four names in sequence.

"It has been thirty years... I know that is not even enough time for you to reach adulthood, but it is enough for you to mature."

The lifespan of Chaos Demons was among the shortest of all races in the Demon Realm, barely exceeding two hundred years. They could be considered no different from humans in this world.

However, twenty-year-old Chaos Demons were still in their youth. Joshua himself was only seventeen, while his younger sister Foya was even younger, only fourteen. Even among humans, that was the sort of age that would earn one a sentence of "three years minimum, death penalty maximum."

"Father, may I ask what orders you have for us?"

A deep, forceful voice came from Joshua's side. It was his eldest brother Nox. As the eldest son, Nox was naturally set up as a great general who had fought across countless battlefields, commanding vast armies and guarding the frontier.

It was more or less what Joshua had expected.

"I have decided that, in two years, I will choose the next Watcher from among you."

The moment Notlein spoke those words, the already grave atmosphere abruptly became tense.

What did the next Watcher mean? It meant the next Lord of the Demonic Realm.

There was no need to elaborate on the usual drama of succession and power struggles. Whether in the history of the Middle Ages in Europe or Asia, the struggle for the throne had always been a theme that never ended.

China's most famous example was the Sima clan usurping the Cao clan, ending the chaotic Three Kingdoms period and establishing the Jin Dynasty. In Europe, Richard III stabbed his nephew Edward in the back and succeeded him as King of England.

In short, the history surrounding thrones was always drenched in blood.

Joshua could already imagine that his siblings would start stabbing each other in the back from this point onward, so...

"Please allow me to withdraw from candidacy for succession as Watcher."

Joshua spoke loudly to the current Lord of the Demonic Realm.

"Oh? Joshua, do you not desire the position of Watcher?"

The position of a king? Ruling the entire Demon Realm, possessing everything within it, deciding the lives of tens of millions with a single word.

It did sound wonderful. Power was wonderful by nature, but only if one lived long enough to enjoy it!

To put it bluntly, Joshua could not possibly beat his eldest brother or second sister in this struggle. He probably could not even beat Fourth Sister. Instead, he might become the first sacrifice in this contest for the throne.

This was not Earth, where everyone was human. If they could not settle things with words, they could just pick up swords and guns and have at each other. Their physical abilities would not differ too drastically. It was fair.

But this was another world, an another world with magic.

The Third Prince had invested all his talent into "invention and creation," making him the weakest of the four siblings in terms of individual strength. Even the weakest, Fourth Sister, could tear countless versions of him apart with her bare hands.

In the hands of the weak, power was nothing more than a one-way ticket to hell.

Besides, compared to power, Joshua preferred spiritual fulfillment. Things like "traveling alone to Tibet" or "drifting across Germany for three days and three nights to attend the Cologne Game Show"—the sort of foolish things only artsy young people would do. Joshua had done most of them.

"No. I have already found a higher ideal, so please allow me to refuse."

Joshua had already decided to enter the film and gaming industries. Being a king sounded exhausting. His eldest brother, second sister, or Fourth Sister could do it if they wanted.

"A higher ideal?"

Notlein, Lord of the Demonic Realm, stared at Joshua for a long while before issuing a new order.

"Nogs, Cecily, Foya... you may leave first."

Does he really intend to force me to become king? Joshua suddenly recalled those traditional inspirational stories where a king chose among his children for an heir, and the one who ultimately inherited the throne was always the least favored youngest son.

Why? There were plenty of reasons—kindness, tolerance, and all sorts of noble qualities. But Joshua thought all of that was bullshit. At least in this world, someone without ability could not bear the weight of the title "king."

Joshua now had the distinct feeling that he was that "lucky youngest son."

All of his siblings left, leaving only Joshua and Notlein in the hall.

"Relax. Do not be so restrained," Notlein said.

Only then did Joshua clearly see the Lord of the Demonic Realm. He was very old... his somewhat unkempt beard and the wrinkles on his cheeks formed Joshua's first impression of him.

He was older than Joshua had imagined. Rather than the image of a Ruler, he seemed more suited to the image of an old father who had painstakingly raised four children.

"Joshua, what do you think of the relationship between demons and humans?"

The Lord of the Demonic Realm got straight to the point and asked what was currently the sharpest question facing demonkind.

"We are enemies now, but I believe that relationship can change."

Joshua considered for a moment before answering.

"Can change? Humans see us as the embodiment of evil and are filled with hatred toward our race. A century of war with humanity has proven that. You... still believe it can change?"

"Of course. Views and perceptions can be changed, given enough time."

Facing the Lord of the Demonic Realm's questioning, Joshua answered with certainty.

"Change... magic that affects the mind? If such magic were discovered, it would only intensify humanity's hatred of demons. The wars of the past century have brought too much trauma to our race. If another war breaks out, I fear our race will end in defeat."

The Lord of the Demonic Realm did not seem eager to go to war with humanity again.

The demon race was not as powerful as Joshua had imagined, and the humans of this other world did not seem as weak as he had imagined either.

"So, Joshua, when the next war begins, I hope you can lead our people to a new refuge. Nogs, Cecily, and the others will surely step forward to fight..."

He had already prepared for defeat? But Joshua had no intention of running away.

"There is no need for magic that affects the mind. I have a method that will make humans willingly, even eagerly, accept demon... culture."

The plan in Joshua's mind had already taken shape. He spoke to the Lord of the Demonic Realm with even greater certainty.

What impression did modern people have of demons? Fear? Terror? Disgust? Wrong! All wrong! Not one of those was correct!

For anyone who kept up with the times, there was basically only one impression of demons: cool!

Through the reinterpretation of games, films, and novels such as "Dungeons & Dragons," "World of Warcraft," "Diablo," and "Duke of Hell," the image of demons had changed.

They had long gone from the traditional villainous image favored by medieval religion to characters modern people admired. The phrase "wild, overbearing, badass, and cool" might be crude, but it suited demons perfectly.

When Diablo's Lord of Terror appeared and said, "Not even death can sit for me!" or when Inquisitor Mal'Ganis of World of Warcraft shouted, "I am Mal'Ganis! I am immortal!" there was always a feeling that made one's blood boil.

It was absolutely not the kind of fear that made people want to pray to God.

Joshua, who intended to develop the entertainment industry in this world, could use movies and games to change this world's impression of demons.

"Accept demon... culture?"

"It is a completely new diplomatic approach. I cannot tell you the specific method for now, but please give me a few years. I will show you change," Joshua said.

"Through those strange inventions of yours?"

Notlein stared intently at Joshua. He did not know where Joshua's confidence came from. The only thing his third son could show for himself was those bizarre machines.

"That's right."

It was precisely the legacy left behind by this Demon Prince that made Joshua's plan to make movies in another world possible.

Besides, there was nothing inappropriate about describing culture as an invention. Culture itself came from creation and dissemination.

"Interesting. Then I shall wait and see what your so-called culture brings between demons and humans," Notlein said.