From the following day onward, a tense atmosphere hung in the air among a select few within the Demon Lord's territory.
The reason was simple.
I had shared information about the "demigod" man we encountered at the World Tree.
There was, of course, the option to keep silent about it.
Spreading too much information could lead to unnecessary confusion.
But those I trusted should be informed.
I had decided not to carry this burden alone.
I needed to grow, mentally.
From then on, I had my spies thoroughly investigate the demigod by infiltrating the shadowy sectors of various nations.
The demigod was a master of spatial magic, far beyond the ordinary.
In that specific field, even I was outmatched.
Being able to wield spatial magic meant he could appear anywhere at any time.
Furthermore, he could unleash attacks that were impossible to defend against.
He could certainly be called a formidable enemy.
Therefore, I wanted to avoid fighting him unprepared.
The demigod had mentioned challenging me to a duel.
That was almost certainly not a lie or a deception.
Eventually, he would make contact of his own accord.
Before that happened, I wanted to advance my investigations and uncover his weaknesses.
The demigod harbored abilities that defied all reason.
That was not a realm reachable through effort alone.
He must be using some special method.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense.
I wanted to know that method.
In short, the source of his power.
For me, that would be the Valley of the Dead.
Once we determined how he grew stronger, we could respond accordingly.
Depending on the circumstances, we might even be able to weaken or nullify his abilities.
That said, he would certainly be wary of that.
Even if it were possible, it wouldn’t be easy.
Still, it was worth investigating.
(A demigod, huh…)
I sat upon the throne in the audience hall, lost in thought.
It was an imposing title, but that man was undeniably human.
His transcendent aura and abilities might make one doubt that, but there was no mistake.
The authority of the Valley of the Dead whispered it to me.
He was no god. He could be killed with my own hands.
That was why I hadn’t worried about that point.
Even in a direct confrontation, the current odds of victory were more than sufficient.
In battle, it was nothing new for an opponent to surpass oneself.
Bridging that gap and overcoming it was my specialty.
The next stage was how to defeat them while minimizing casualties.
Naturally, carelessness and complacency were strictly forbidden.
I intended to proceed with caution.
No moment is more dangerous than when victory is assured.
Even I had personally exterminated countless demons who let their guard down.
I had to ensure I didn’t become the target of monster slaying myself.
The demigod seemed to have an unwavering sense of purpose.
That wasn’t mere self-interest.
It was the bearing of one who carried a sacred mission.
However, I was no different.
I was someone who could not permit defeat more than anyone else in this world.
If I perished here, all my efforts up to now would come to naught.
The lives of those I had killed would also become meaningless.
That was absolutely unacceptable.
The demigod was plotting the dismantling of the Demon Lord’s army.
In other words, it equated to wanting to eradicate a colossal evil from the world.
It sounded noble, but that wouldn’t work.
We had tried that already, and it had failed.
The world needed an indelible evil.
Whether it stands in my way as a demi-god or not makes no difference. I will simply cut it down with my own hands.
Just then, the doors to the audience chamber opened. It was Grom who entered with a bow. He straightened before me and gave a formal bow.
"I beg your pardon. Demon Lord, I bring a report."
"What is it?"
"It appears that the Magitek Army, led by the Steel Knight, has begun its invasion from the south."
I was not particularly surprised by the content of Grom's report. The reclaimed territories of the Republic had begun to stabilize in recent times. I had half-expected them to make their move before long.
"If there are no special instructions, I shall leave it to the archers, but how would you like to proceed?"
"Hmm..."
I stroked my chin in thought. The opponent was a hero, but Henry should be more than capable of handling it. Looking back at previous battle records, Henry's matchup against the Steel Knight was not unfavorable. He would surely be eager for a fight. If I dispatched Yura to accompany him as well, our certainty would increase further. A defeat for the Demon Lord's army was all but impossible.
It was then that a thought suddenly struck me.
After organizing my thoughts, I gave Grom his orders.
"Tell the tank and rifle units to deploy. I want to test their effectiveness in real combat."
"Sir! Understood."
Grom straightened his back as he responded.
I’d been wanting to know just how effective these latest weapons really were.
With our military strength secured, this was the perfect time to experiment.
In the long run, I wanted to employ various tactics.
The Demon King’s Army had to maintain its position as the strongest.
To do that, we had to actively adopt new weaponry.
The Director had been repeatedly asking for my impressions.
If I sent her a comprehensive report, she’d be pleased.
Just as our conversation was winding down, there was a knock at the window behind me.
Diera was plastered to the outside.
With practiced movements, she unlocked the lock and calmly committed breaking and entering.
Diera addressed us with a solemn expression.
"Wait. Are you forgetting something?"
"I don’t think so," I replied immediately.
There was nothing I should have forgotten.
Actually, was it better not to bring up the breaking and entering?
Grom also looked like he wanted to say something, but he held his tongue for the time being.
Perhaps my reaction was poor, because Diera pointed at herself and shouted.
"I am talking about me, you fool! The demigod or whatever should have appeared by now, right? I have been waiting and waiting, so why didn't you call me?"
"...Because you are not my subordinate. You are a neighbor, perhaps, but an outsider."
"Ngh... well, that is true, but..."
Confronted with my point, Diera faltered.
For someone who often spoke provocatively, she had a strong impression of being easily defeated in arguments.
It was probably because she only made intuitive statements, without considering the other person's rebuttal.
Diera fell silent for a while, but then suddenly her face lit up.
She made a proposal as if it were a brilliant idea.
"In that case, you should hire me! It's not like we are strangers. I'll take you on for a special rate."
"You're going to charge me?"
"It's not a charity. My pocket money has run out..."
Diera's expression darkened again.
She must be in considerable straits. I thought it was because she drank and ate without considering limits, but lecturing her would be meaningless.
I felt like sighing. Suppressing that, I gave her my answer.
"I will pay the full amount you request upfront. I want you to lend me your strength."
"...!"
Diera lifted her face, astonished.
Her glistening eyes fixed upon me.
She planted her hands on her hips and nodded vigorously.
"Oh my, how forthright! This means I must also try harder!"
Diera clambered onto the window sill and leaned out into the open air.
Turning back, she announced to us with a fresh expression.
"I'll go prepare and rendezvous with the Demon King's army! You can expect my tremendous results!"
With that, Diera vanished outside the window.
Immediately, a tremendous impact sound echoed up from the ground below.
It seemed Diera had made an audacious landing.
It had been an entry and exit as sudden as a storm.
In the thick silence that followed, Grom cleared his throat.
He asked me in a measured tone.
"Is that acceptable?"
"It's a trivial expense. If we get unlimited use of Diera in return, it's cheap."
"That is certainly true."
We would make Diera work for every coin we paid her, and then some.
Having her on our side was, quite simply, a good thing.
Her regrettable remarks were what stood out, but she was still a former Demon King.
Closing the window, I made minor adjustments to the interception plan I had been piecing together.