One day, I traveled to a distant continent.
I visited for inspection purposes, pursuing a certain objective.
This place was an unfathomable distance from the Demon Lord's territory, and ferocious monsters roamed the seas along the way.
Furthermore, certain stretches were constantly exposed to violent storms, making travel by ship entirely impossible.
Even taking a detour required lengthy overland and maritime travel, meaning this was a continent with absolutely no exchange with the Demon Lord's domain.
Even in the matter of the beasts from the outer world, the designated defensive mechanisms had performed well, leaving no opportunity for me to intervene.
The reason I deliberately visited such a land was to establish a base for the Demon Lord's army here.
The plan was to build a castle above ground and a research facility underground.
As for the subordinates to be dispatched here, I intended to use only prisoners and slaves.
Slaves would be procured from the Slave Autonomous Zone.
Rebellious ones were to be charmed by Luciana.
They would be made compliant before being sent out.
As for why I would do such a thing—it was close to a kind of experiment.
By deliberately constructing a skewed environment, I would observe what kind of talent might develop.
The experimental results would serve as reference for future operations.
Several years later, I would deploy the Demon Lord's army across every continent.
It sounds simple enough, but it was an enormous undertaking.
Prior preparation would be essential.
I should raise the success rate as much as possible beforehand.
This current trial could be called a preliminary stage for that purpose.
Of course, the slaves or prisoners I send might go on a rampage.
That's why, besides monitoring them with clairvoyance magic, I have to prepare several contingencies.
No matter the outcome, there should be no negative impact on this continent.
(It's a strange environment all the same...)
I look around.
Tall trees grew densely packed.
Rain hammered the leaves as it poured down, soaking my robe in an instant.
Beside me, Henry wore a look of utter boredom.
For this inspection, only he and Dolda were accompanying me.
I had simply invited those who happened to be free.
Henry fanned his face with his hand.
"Quite stifling, isn't it? It's damned uncomfortable."
"It's a rainforest. This kind of environment isn't uncommon in this region."
I am undead.
I feel the muggy heat, but it doesn't bother me greatly.
For a human like Henry, that probably isn't the case.
Dolda, on the other hand, began walking without minding the rain.
Carrying his axe, he plunged into the depths of the forest as if wandering.
"Dolda, where are you going?"
"Head... prey, search."
Dolda replies in a halting tone.
Recently, he has started communicating.
This is likely due to more frequent moments of lucidity.
His speech isn't fluent yet, but he is steadily improving.
That said, he still engages in problematic behavior often.
Dolda then wanders off somewhere on his own.
No one stops him.
I plan to call him back when we return.
I already know his current location through detection magic.
"General, are you really going to build a castle here?"
"Got a complaint?"
"I was thinking there might be a more comfortable location. The troops stationed here will have a tough time."
Henry's opinion is valid.
An excessively harsh environment can lead to unnecessary problems.
I offer an explanation.
"Comfort is something magic can handle. This spot was chosen for its strong defensive capabilities. Even the local army wouldn't easily attack here."
The nearest town is at least a four-day journey from this location.
The issue of humidity could be solved with magic.
We can maintain a consistently comfortable environment.
Upon hearing this, Henry nodded in understanding and smiled.
He murmured as he surveyed the area.
"Marching through here will certainly be tough, huh... Oh."
Henry, brow furrowed, stopped mid-sentence.
He turned to look behind him.
Looming in his line of sight was a colossal figure, almost too large to take in.
Brown scales drenched in rain, wings folded awkwardly tight.
And yellow eyes, glaring right at him.
Smashing through the trees that very moment was a bipedal wyvern.