I Reincarnated As The Lazy Demon King's Butler

The rebellion had fallen.

Not in glorious battle. Not in a desperate last stand.

It had collapsed from within, crushed under its own weight before a single sword was drawn.

And now, as Elias Voss stood on the balcony of the Demon King's castle, staring over the vast kingdom spread before him, he knew one thing:

The real work was only beginning.

The State of the World

The Demon Kingdom of Nocturne stretched across the northern lands, a dark expanse of mountains, shadowed forests, and obsidian fortresses that had stood for centuries.

For generations, it had been a force of unmatched power, feared by humans and demi-humans alike. The demon race had once commanded armies vast enough to shatter empires, led by kings who bent the elements to their will.

But that was the past.

Now? The kingdom was fractured, stagnant, its might weakened by years of neglect.

The eastern provinces had fallen to rebellion.The southern border was vulnerable.The economy was in shambles.

And in exactly two months, the Hero's army would arrive from the West.

Elias exhaled, adjusting the cuffs of his coat.

Two months to rebuild a kingdom. Two months to prepare for a war that had already begun.

He had work to do.

A Lazy King, A Ruling Butler

The council had barely begun when Azazel was already complaining.

The Demon King sat in his throne, legs draped over the armrest, swirling a goblet of some expensive elven wine he had no doubt stolen from a noble's personal collection.

"Two months?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow. "That's an eternity."

Elias didn't look up from the documents spread across the table. "That's barely any time at all."

Azazel stretched. "Bah. We just won a war. Can't we take a break?"

Elias set his quill down. "The rebellion wasn't a war. It was a distraction. The real war is coming, and we are not ready."

Vardok, the minotaur general, grunted in agreement. "He's right. Our army is still a mess. We need weapons, training, and a real strategy before the humans get here."

Seraphine smirked from her seat, resting her chin in her hand. "And here I thought Azazel was supposed to be our great and mighty leader."

Azazel waved lazily. "I am a great leader. I delegated everything to Elias."

Elias sighed, rubbing his temple. "You're not supposed to say that out loud."

Azazel grinned.

Rebuilding the Demon Kingdom

Elias turned the conversation back to the matters at hand.

"There are three major weaknesses we need to address before the humans arrive." If they knew how much research I did whilst staying up all night these stupid demons would faint...

He moved three small markers across the massive kingdom map laid out on the war table.

The Southern Border – Vulnerable and poorly defended. The humans could launch an early raid before their main forces arrived.The Capital's Infrastructure – Years of corruption and neglect had left the roads, food supplies, and city walls in dire shape.The Army – Still disorganized from years of complacency. The noble families controlling the legions were more interested in hoarding power than defending the kingdom.

Elias's fingers drummed against the table. Two months.

"We need to solve all three problems before the Hero's army arrives," he said.

Vardok crossed his arms. "How do you plan on doing that?"

(The Butler's Strategy) The Southern Border: A War Before the War

The Demon Kingdom did not stand alone.

Beyond the mountains to the South lay the Beastkin Tribes—a loose coalition of warriors who had once fought alongside the demons during the great wars.

In recent years, the alliance had faded into neutrality, with neither side wanting to risk unnecessary conflict.

Elias tapped his fingers on the table. "We need to bring the Beastkin back into the fold."

Azazel raised an eyebrow. "You mean diplomacy?"

Elias smirked. "I mean forcing their hand."

Vardok grinned. "I like where this is going."

"The Beastkin have three major chieftains ruling over their land. If even one sides with us, the others will be forced to follow." Elias leaned forward. "We will give them a reason to pick a side."

Seraphine chuckled. "Oh? And what reason is that?"

Elias's smile was cold, calculated.

"A common enemy."

The humans weren't just coming for demons. They would take the Beastkin lands next—all it took was the right push to convince the tribes that fighting for the Demon Kingdom was in their best interest.

 The Capital's Infrastructure: Fixing a Broken City

Elias turned to Seraphine. "I need you to clean house."

She raised an eyebrow. "How dirty are we talking?"

"Very." Elias gestured to a list of noble families who had been hoarding supplies, overtaxing the people, and stalling military funding.

"We need weapons. Food. Roads repaired. Walls reinforced. And I'd rather not rely on nobles who have been stealing from the treasury for years."

Seraphine smirked. "Sounds like an opportunity to get creative."

Elias nodded. "Some nobles will comply. Those who don't will find themselves stripped of power."

Seraphine's grin widened. "And if they resist?"

Elias met her gaze. "Make examples of them."

The Army: Loyalty Above Numbers

Finally, Elias turned back to Vardok.

"The noble families still control most of our legions," Elias said. "That is a problem."

Vardok snorted. "I could have told you that."

Azazel yawned. "So what's your solution?"

Elias picked up a small silver marker and placed it at the center of the map.

"I will create a new army. One that does not answer to nobles, politics, or personal ambition."

Vardok's eyes gleamed. "An elite force?"

Elias nodded. "Handpicked soldiers. Personally trained. Loyal only to the crown."

Seraphine hummed. "And by 'crown,' you mean you."

Elias didn't confirm or deny it.

Azazel, however, smirked. "You're terrifying, you know that?"

Elias adjusted his gloves and smirked back. "Thank you, Your Majesty."