I, the Firstborn of the Demon King

As the princess slowly opened her eyes, Floida watched her awakening with a gentle smile on her face. She slept so soundly—perhaps she was having a pleasant dream? And now she had woken up to the morning, even before she needed to be called. Would the princess grow up to be an early bird, always on time?

It was something she couldn’t imagine, not unless she was pushed into such a role. Floida thought honestly. If she weren't a noble working at the palace, she would wish for a relaxed, idle life too. If Floida remained a baby or a child forever, would she face all the worries and troubles of now?

Well, likely if she stayed a child forever, even her own family wouldn’t take care of her forever, and she’d have to do some work eventually.

Floida let out a soft sigh and then looked at the princess, who was now staring at her with blank eyes, observing her movements.

Truth be told, she was adorable. Only, her gaze and expression weren't quite what she expected from a baby. But if Floida thought about it, if the princess were always crying, hungry, and wetting herself, it would make the servants’ work much harder. Of course, it was their duty. They ought to feel honored tending to the princess’s needs.

Floida sat gracefully on the chair right next to the princess’s crib, placing the thick book she had brought onto the table, and the princess’s eyes immediately fell on it.

Hehe, you’re quite curious, aren’t you, princess?

Floida crossed her legs, letting the tight black leather pants cling even closer to her shapely legs. She picked up the book and rested it on her lap. Whether she saw herself that way or not, Floida, to an outsider, was a beautiful and alluring woman. Her strong figure was built upon an attractive body, which only enhanced her appeal further. Even though demon women had gradually moved to mimicking other races' appearances, a strong look—regardless of gender—was still respected among demons, and it was especially respected when seen in women, given its rarity.

Today, she wore a pale pink, buttoned gray shirt that suited her well, with fur-like white tassels swaying on both shoulders.

Ah, and the glasses. They were thin-framed and round, covering her eyes, which were a peculiar mix of purple and red. Did she wear them because of poor vision? Of course not. Cultivators rarely faced health issues, after all. Floida wore them because, in some way she couldn’t quite explain, they made her feel more professional. Since she had a tendency not to view herself as particularly intelligent, she thought this might help mask it a little.

Running her hand through her short black hair, she swept the bangs off her forehead, moving them past her horns to keep them out of her face.

Normally, her style, attitude, and mannerisms wouldn’t fit the standards of a human noble or attendant. But demons were not as strict. Yes, there was a need to uphold certain standards and follow many rules of etiquette, but that didn’t mean one had to be flawless or rigid in every aspect.

The demons’ approach, different from human standards, actually allowed them to progress further.

After all, humans were the first to witness magic from demons—despite the existence of dragons and elves—yet for ages, they burned any human who could wield magic or invent something, claiming they carried demon blood or were outright demons. Due to their patriarchal views, many forward-thinking women, who could have significantly contributed to society, were held back. Those from the common folk were forced to work in the fields, while noblewomen weren’t even seen as people. They were merely goods to be traded, married off to powerful noble families at a young age. Moreover, women had no right to participate in governance.

- Of course, all this only applied to humans. This wasn’t the case for orcs, initially viewed as a demon subspecies, or dwarves, who were once thought to be human but were later classified as a separate race, or the elves, believed to be descended from dragons, and the drow, who once worshipped the Iblis. -

But when Floida looked at her own history books, she saw demon queens far more fearsome than King Aidz had ever been. Especially the Great Demon Iblis’s eye on earth, his daughter Daetrox. She was, in essence, the firstborn of the Iblis and was said to be the greatest and most powerful demon of their race. While there wasn’t much information about her in history, it was widely believed that Queen Daetrox, despite being seen as fierce and mighty, had thought of the future. Many teachings and historical events were inscribed on stone tablets—discovered centuries ago by an elven scholar and now recorded in the book Floida held—were likely written by the Queen herself.

In short, some might say Daetrox turned the world into hell, while others claimed she was the one who ensured peace. She ruled the world and its inhabitants under her tyranny, and during those thousands of years, there were truly no wars. Perhaps this was due to her subjects' ignorance or their fear, but the result remained the same.

Back then, she had essentially established a kingdom without founding a kingdom, in an era where kingdoms and governance systems, as they are understood today, didn’t even exist.

In fact, one could even call her the Empress of Terwohara, which means the Empress of the World.

It is unknown how the Great Daetrox died. In fact, whether she is still alive is a mystery. But it is known that she suddenly disappeared, and a bloody period began—known as the era when the demon race, lost without her rule, turned into savage beasts, spreading death everywhere, even among themselves.

Even though humanity and many other races still despise Daetrox to this day, despite tens of thousands of years passing since her reign, she left behind many legacies that everyone could benefit from.

The knowledge of casting spells, anatomical studies, the inner and outer workings of beings, governance, the fundamental laws of the world, geographical formations, and hints suggesting the world was round. In some places, there were even drawings and peculiar hints about stars, space and time, and other realms. However, even now, no one has fully understood these inscriptions and her legacies.

These writings served as a guide not only for demons but for all races. Unfortunately, the last to understand and benefit from this guide were her own kind.

In truth, the races that hated her had survived against the demons and even won the great war, thanks to her guiding inscriptions scattered across the world.

Among the nearly thousand inscribed monoliths, many of them stood at the highest point of the Demon's Cape, the island of demons—at the peak of its tallest mountain. In other words, the highest point in the entire world. Despite the war, this point remained open to tourism. Neither the previous rulers nor Aidz had placed any restrictions on it.

In fact, this spot was a sacred area frequented by scholars from various races, including demons, as a place to contemplate.

Still, the inscriptions weren’t limited to just this place as mentioned; they spread all over the world, with many either waiting to be discovered or already lost.

For Floida, the book that recorded the historical inscriptions of Daetrox that had found so far had become more than just an activity; opening it occasionally, pondering over the writings and drawings—despite not understanding most of them—had become a necessity.

She was so engrossed in the book that she didn’t notice the princess standing up, clutching the crib’s railings, with one leg outside and the other inside, ready to throw herself out of the crib.

“Plop!”

Hearing the sound, Floida’s eyes widened so much that it could have been terrifying, as she quickly set the book aside and stood up.

“Princess! Are you alr... right...” Seeing the princess sitting on the floor, casually digging her nose with her pinky finger and staring blankly at her surroundings, Floida couldn’t help but think she had overreacted.

She let out a light sigh but couldn’t hide the slight smile on her face as she shook her head.

You really are such a silly one, Your Highness.

But she found it endearing, and she couldn’t help but wonder. Was she like this when she was a baby too? Silly, mischievous, and unaware of her world.

She knelt down, gently holding the princess under her arms to lift her into her lap. The princess turned her gaze to her, her pinky still in her nose as her vacant eyes held a hint of curiosity. The more Floida looked at her, the warmer she felt inside. At the same time, it felt like thorns pricked her heart, knowing the queen couldn’t be here in her place.

Princess, I’m sorry that you have to go through all this... I wish you could’ve been born into a better life... I wish you...

Floida shook her head to push aside these thoughts. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on them. Looking into the princess’s eyes, she reflected.

The king had entrusted her with an important duty, and above all, the princess was the queen’s legacy. Instead of succumbing to such thoughts, Floida knew she had to care for the princess as best as she could. It was her fault, after all, for being so distracted that she let the princess fall from the crib.

But, on second thought, maybe the princess was bored. So why not take her for a little walk before breakfast?

When Floida made up her mind, she nodded slightly, as if affirming her decision. “Alright, Your Highness, why don’t we go for a short walk, hmm?”

Planning to dress her, she stripped the princess who, as expected, had also soiled herself, but Floida had some knowledge about such matters—even if she had never been a mother before or if such tasks were typically left to the servants.

After cleaning her in the bathroom and putting on a fresh diaper, she picked out a thick and ornate white outfit from the wardrobe, thinking it would suit the princess perfectly.

Floida smiled widely at the princess as she looked at her own reflection in the mirror. She watched as the princess, with a blank expression, gazed at herself in the mirror with a silly, vacant look.

Isn’t it lovely? Doesn’t it suit you perfectly?

She then gently picked her up again and left the spacious room. After greeting the guard at the door, she started walking down the palace’s vast but winding corridors. Normally, there were plenty of areas and rooms to show, but Floida decided these weren’t suitable for the princess at the moment. After all, what baby would want to visit the library or places like that?

Instead, she took the princess to one of her own favorite places—a wide balcony of the grand ballroom, normally empty except during balls, which offered a view of part of the palace courtyard and the entire city below.

And the view was truly breathtaking.

Imagine a long river splitting the entire city in two, with tall towers lining both sides, their peaks clashing with electric sparks. The houses, buildings, and living spaces ranged from tall to short, all spaced comfortably apart, and surrounded by greenery and trees fitting for an island setting.

If you wanted to imagine an area where a vast forest existed, yet with no clutter, where trees framed the buildings rather than obscured them, all set neatly upon an island—this would be the place that came to mind.

Along the borders of this vast island, you could see towering mountains like a fortress. Some of the peaks were mysteriously charred. And there was a separate mountain, one so tall its summit was out of sight, as if piercing through the clouds. It looked grand, majestic, almost magical.

If such a massive mountain appeared small from this distance, then nothing could better prove the immense size of this island.

The sky was a pale gray, turning to blue, and the two moons—one small and blue, the other large and red—were fading as the sun rose to bathe the day in its light. Wyverns pulling carriages flew through the sky, forming the main form of public transportation, making it normal to see several of them in the air at once.

The sounds that gradually increased described a moment when the silence of the early morning began to fade, and the people slowly woke, bringing signs of life to the city.

Meanwhile, if you paid close attention, you could spot a massive, transparent dome encasing the entire island.

This place, called Demon's Cape, where the princess was born, was none other than the singular city of the Qoūl'qhar Kingdom.

The princess, nestled in Floida's arms, stared deeply at the city, reaching out with her hand as if to imaginatively grasp the city and squeezing her fist, claiming it as hers.

So, this was where the princess’s story truly began.

*

End of the First Part.