The Demon King who wanted peace

CHAPTER 3: Ren Walks Around The Kingdom

The next morning, Ren made a decision.

He would walk the kingdom. Not as a ruler on a throne, but with his own eyes. He needed to see what this kingdom had become, how his demons were living, and more importantly, how the slaves were surviving.

"Vane!" he called.

Vane appeared in an instant, bowing low. "My King?"

"Lead me," Ren said. "I want to see this kingdom. I want to see how the demons live... and how the slaves live."

Vane froze. His eyes widened in pure shock.

"My King... how is this possible?" he whispered. "You never wanted to see the kingdom before. Your only orders were to punish the slaves."

Ren looked at him firmly. "That was before. I want to change this kingdom."

Hearing those words, Vane's face lit up with joy. "Yes, my King! I will lead you!"

Vane led the way, and when Ren stepped outside the palace, his breath stopped.

It was horrifying.

The palace was not majestic. It was dark and ugly, a monument of cruelty. The outer walls were decorated with skeletons, dried blood caked into every stone.

How can anyone live here? Ren thought, his stomach turning. It's so filthy... so full of death.

He turned to Vane. "I will transform this palace. All of it."

Vane only stared. He had never heard his King speak like this. The old Demon King never cared about beauty or cleanliness.

As they walked through the kingdom, Ren saw the truth. The roads were broken and filled with mud. There was no light, only endless shadow. No gardens, no trees, no flowers. Only dirty, crumbling houses. There was no real market — only a slave market.

Then he saw it.

Demons beating humans. Human children carrying heavy stones, their faces filled with terror.

A large demon, Malakor, was whipping a wounded man.

Guilt shot through Ren's chest.

"STOP IT!" Ren shouted.

Malakor ignored him and raised his whip again.

Ren's eyes glowed with demonic power. He stared at Malakor with a terrifying, silent fury.

Malakor froze, trembling in fear, and dropped the whip.

The humans he was beating fell to their knees, looking up at Ren. They were not grateful — they were even more terrified.

"Don't kill us, please! We will do whatever you say!" they begged.

Ren felt ashamed. This is what they think of me. A monster who only knows how to kill.

He took a deep breath and said softly, "You will see... I will change everything."

He walked away. Both the slaves and Malakor were left in stunned silence.

One slave whispered, "Is that... really the Demon King? Why did he stop him from hitting us?"

Vane smiled as he followed Ren. He thought to himself, I knew it. He will bring peace between demons and humans. He will change this kingdom.

Further down, they came to a dark, forbidding structure.

"What is this place, Vane?" Ren asked.

Vane's expression turned grim. "My King, this is the prison. You kept 100 human soldiers here. You executed 50 of them... and ordered the other 50 to be killed later."

Inside, the air was thick with the smell of blood and rot. It was so foul that Ren almost vomited.

The soldiers were in terrible condition. Thin, bleeding, badly injured, barely alive.

Their leader, a man named Kalvin, around 28 years old, looked up. When he saw Ren, his eyes burned with pure hatred.

"You! You came to finish us!" Kalvin roared, his voice hoarse. "You killed 50 of my men! We are not afraid of you, you ugly Demon King! The Crown Prince and the Six Heroes will come! They will rescue us and destroy your kingdom!"

Vane snarled with anger and drew his sword. "How dare you speak to the King like that!"

But Ren raised a hand and stopped him.

Ren stepped closer and looked at Kalvin, his voice filled with genuine sorrow. "I am sorry... for everything I did to your soldiers and your people. From now on, under my rule... this will never happen again."

Kalvin laughed bitterly. "A demon never changes! I don't believe a word you say! Don't try to manipulate us! A demon is a demon!"

Ren said nothing. He understood. He knew the hatred was justified. What the old King did was unforgivable.

He left the dungeon with a heavy heart, his eyes stinging with tears he refused to shed.

"Don't worry, my King," Vane said gently. "One day, they will trust you. They will love you."

Ren shook his head. "Thank you, Vane... but I am a cruel Demon King."

"No, my King," Vane replied firmly. "You are not."

That night, Ren couldn't sleep. He stared at his monstrous hands, at his reflection. He hated this body.

"I hate this body," he whispered. "I want to transform."

And suddenly, it happened.

A soft light enveloped him. Just by wishing for it, his body began to change on its own.

His large, twisted horns shrank into small, elegant ones. His ugly, scarred face became strikingly handsome. His voice became smooth and clear. His huge, bulky body became lean, fit, and beautiful.

He was no longer a monster. He was the most beautiful demon man.

He gasped in shock and tried to change back to the old form, but it didn't work. The transformation was permanent.

Then, a smile spread across his new face.

"Let me transform my room," he whispered.

He raised his hand and cast a spell.

In an instant, the dark, bloody room transformed. It became clean, cute, and beautiful. It had a large balcony full of glowing flowers, a soft bed, and warm magical lights floating in the air.

Ren looked around at his beautiful new room and smiled — a happy, cute, genuine smile.

"From tomorrow," he said to himself, "I will do my job. I will transform this entire kingdom."

And with that happy smile, he fell asleep in his new, beautiful bed.

To Be Continued...