Approximately twenty days had passed since the golem trials, yet the Magecraft Nation showed no significant movement.
Relations with the Holy Staff Nation had soured, and perhaps they engaged in occasional skirmishes.
Even those were merely small-scale engagements.
Originally, the two nations had never been on good terms; the hostility had simply surfaced.
It was nothing more than an event not worth concerning oneself over.
Incidentally, the Magecraft Nation had emerged victorious in every battle.
The Holy Staff Nation only accrued unnecessary losses, and the trust of its people continued to dwindle.
If this continued, they might fall even before the Demon Lord's army intervened.
According to our spies, signs of rebellion were appearing within their borders.
The Holy Staff Nation faced a momentous choice.
One could call it a pivotal turning point.
I intended to observe what direction they would take.
For the time being, however, it seemed I had no need to intervene.
I had no intention of abandoning my stance of quiet observation.
On the other hand, the Magecraft Nation was unnervingly quiet.
Spies had been deployed, but too much was concealed.
It was clear they were conducting various research and development.
However, without taking risks, it was impossible to ascertain anything regarding their weapons.
Therefore, I maintained a policy of prioritizing personnel safety and not pushing matters.
Nor were there any rumors of the Magecraft Nation planning an invasion into the Demon Lord's territory.
They are currently reinforcing the defenses of each city.
They are likely preparing against the Demon King's invasion.
I discussed it with the executives, and we reached a similar conclusion.
In other words, they have little will to launch an attack themselves.
They are solely prioritizing their own country and trying to avoid unnecessary damage.
It is not a bad judgment.
I do not think of them as cowards.
What rash actions could bring was clearly demonstrated by the nations that have been sacrificed so far.
However, the Magic Nation is not solely obsessed with defense.
Given their track record of assisting the Empire in implementing magical artillery, the possibility of them developing anti-Demon King weaponry is high.
They are probably considering the subjugation of the Demon King as well.
They did not rush into defense out of nowhere.
Rather, their nature is cunning.
Without getting their own hands dirty, they have been measuring our fighting strength.
Right now, they are focusing entirely on covert activities and defense, but once they are confident of victory, they will probably invade all at once.
We needed to be more cautious of them than of the Holy Staff Nation's movements.
(Depending on the situation, perhaps we should launch a preemptive strike ourselves...)
We must inflict significant damage on the Magic Nation, if not completely destroy them.
We need to halt the ever-advancing technological capabilities of the Magic Nation and sever this source of unnecessary concern.
I would prefer not to do it, but I will keep it in the back of my mind as one possible option.
I couldn't afford to inflict major damage on the Demon Lord's territory out of mere stubbornness. I had learned that in the battle against the Holy Maiden. As long as I was entrusted with the lives of my subordinates, I had to make decisions worthy of that responsibility. While I was pondering the two nations, hurried footsteps sounded from outside the room. I knew who it was, having experienced this many times before. Shortly after, the door to the audience chamber was thrown open with force. It was, as expected, Grom who came tumbling in. "Overlord, it's terrible! This is an emergency!" "What happened?" "Th-the Imperial Capital... it's been wiped out!" Grom reported in a loud voice. Hearing this, I couldn't help but press my fingers to my forehead. I felt something akin to a headache. (The Imperial Capital... wiped out...?) It was a graver situation than I had imagined. What on earth could have happened? The Imperial Capital was currently in the midst of reconstruction, and there was no indication it would be invaded by another nation. Furthermore, the capital was situated in the central part of its own territory. To destroy it would require conquering a vast expanse of land, so the sudden annihilation of the capital was impossible. In the first place, Grom had used the expression "wiped out."
Even if another nation's army achieved an invasion, that wording feels inaccurate.
As various questions race through my mind, I urge Grom to continue.
"...Elaborate."
"Sir! Understood."
Grom opened the report and explained the situation in chronological order.
The Imperial Capital's disappearance occurred this morning.
According to spies, it has become a desolate land of nothing but rubble.
It was not an invasion by another nation.
Nor was it a failed magical experiment.
The capital's demise is said to be the work of a Great Spirit.
Great Spirits are the collective term for the primordial spirits believed to have watched over the world since antiquity.
In this world, they would undoubtedly be among the highest-ranking existences.
Depending on interpretation, they might even be considered divine entities.
It is known that multiple Great Spirits exist, each governing a different phenomenon.
This time, it seems one of them went berserk.
However, Great Spirits usually reside in a deep slumber.
They rarely awaken and have generally maintained non-interference and indifference toward other living beings.
Throughout history, the appearance of a Great Spirit has been exceedingly rare.
It is the stuff of myths and legends.
While there are exceptions, such as granting blessings to heroes who overcome trials, these have been just that—exceptions.
In fact, there hadn't been a record of a great spirit manifesting for the past two hundred years. And yet, this time it had apparently annihilated the Imperial Capital. There must have been some extraordinary trigger.
"Has any cause been identified?"
Upon hearing my question, Grom lowered his gaze to the report in his hand.
"It seems the Imperial Army extracted a sacred stone from the ruins where the great spirit was enshrined. That must have incurred its wrath. Truly, they are a hopeless bunch."
Grom sighed, his expression half-contemptuous.
I agreed. It appeared the Empire had readily stooped to an act considered taboo.
A sacred stone was a crystal that contained the power of a great spirit. Possessing immense magical energy, it was something a great spirit would cherish like its own child. And yet, the Empire had stolen it. This went far beyond simply provoking its ire.
The sacred stone of a great spirit was arguably the pinnacle of catalysts for sorcery. Perhaps the Empire had stolen it to use in some form of spell.
Whatever the reason, it was undeniably foolish.
The Empire's territory was vast. There likely were ruins where great spirits were enshrined. However, those were places that should never be touched. They may have intended to rebuild their declining nation, but they had clearly panicked and overstepped.
This was recklessness of the highest order.
Currently, it seemed the Great Spirit was wandering within the Imperial Capital's territory.
Occasionally, it would throw tantrums, unleashing its fury across various regions.
There was a fear it might eventually move outside the nation's borders.
"The Empire's army is attempting to subdue it, but by all accounts, they stand absolutely no chance," the voice said.
"Of course they don't. The disparity in existence is absolute."
A human army could never hope to match a Great Spirit.
In truth, it was an existence that surpassed even natural disasters.
The very notion of fighting it was fundamentally misguided.
"So, what will you do...?"
"Of course, I will go to stop it. I cannot simply leave it be," I replied without hesitation.
If left unchecked, the Empire itself could be destroyed.
The damage wrought by the Great Spirit would be catastrophic, and it would likely continue its slaughter until its rage subsided.
While the Empire's own foolish actions were the direct cause, their impact extending to other nations was something I could not ignore.
The Great Spirit's power would inflict significant devastation upon multiple countries.
Some might even fall.
That would severely disrupt my ideals.
The foundation of world peace, painstakingly built, would be shaken.
I could not allow it to collapse here.
The enemy of the world should be the Demon King alone. Any threats not under my control shall be swiftly eliminated.