I freed the residents of the slave autonomous zone from the barrier.
They could return to their normal lives.
There would be confusion for a while, but there was no need to actively mend it.
The people of the slave autonomous zone were originally sturdy in body and mind.
If left alone, they would regain their former vitality.
I would not tell them about the matter concerning magical beasts.
There was no obligation or duty to do so.
Even if I revealed the truth, I doubted people would swallow the Demon King's words at face value.
As for the truth of this matter, they were free to interpret it as they wished.
(Considering the situation, it might be perceived that the Demon King's army transformed humans into magical beasts.)
It wasn't an illogical narrative.
They were already turning humans into undead and repeating massacres all over the continent.
Adding magical beasts here made little difference.
From the perspective of the people living in the autonomous zone, their slaves had transformed into magical beasts while under attack by the Demon King's army.
It was natural to assume it was the Demon King's doing.
In their position, I would have come to the same interpretation.
That was perfectly acceptable.
If the Demon King was seen as evil, that was rather desirable.
It aligned with my original purpose.
What I wanted to avoid was the dispersion of evil.
It would be desirable if all the blame for evil could be focused solely on the Demon King.
If it were revealed that the monster transformations were a human scheme, it would only spark further conflict.
Then it would be more peaceful to conclude that the Demon King was responsible.
If the mastermind were eliminated, the truth would be buried in darkness.
I could simply take advantage of this entire disturbance.
It wouldn't matter how much I was denounced as monstrously evil.
If it brought peace closer, I would accept it without complaint.
What has already happened cannot be changed.
What matters are the actions that follow.
One shouldn't dwell on regretting the outcome, but rather scheme for the next development.
One had to be that forward-thinking to sustain the role of Demon King.
I ordered the Demon King's army to return to the Royal Capital.
Simultaneously, I teleported alone to the capital of the Republic.
From the Slave Autonomous Zone, it would require traversing the entire Demon King's territory.
Thus, even the straight-line distance was considerable, but with my magical power, a single teleportation could reach it.
As usual, I forcibly broke through the anti-transfer barriers to intrude.
I materialized in the airspace above the Republic's capital.
The cityscape below held no particular distinguishing features.
It was a reasonably prosperous metropolis.
Signs of conflict were visible throughout.
Perhaps it was due to the ongoing civil war.
Yet the quiet was unsettling, likely because both factions were in a lull. As living beings, they had finite stamina. After the initial clashes, this was probably a period of rest. Most likely, both sides were now in a state of standoff.
By noon, a new battle would erupt.
Of course, that had nothing to do with me.
I would simply execute my duties with solemn precision. They needed to be reminded this was no time for civil war.
I headed toward the capital's central district.
The enemy would have noticed by now that the teleportation barrier had been destroyed.
An army would be dispatched immediately.
I needed to act swiftly.
In the heart of the capital, a massive building towered.
That horizontally elongated structure was conspicuously larger than its surroundings.
Its exterior was plain, giving the impression it was designed purely for utility.
This building served as the equivalent of a royal palace within the Republic.
It was where the representatives held council, the nerve center of the capital.
One might call it the heart of the entire nation.
(You shall have your retribution.)
I cast my magic.
With a rumbling, the earth began to swell.
The council building nearby tilted, groaning as it crumbled.
I unleashed several bolts of lightning upon it.
The thunderous explosions shattered a portion of the structure.
Flames erupted from the breach, burning fiercely.
Thick black smoke billowed forth.
Using additional magic, I conjured several extremely thick vines.
They burst through the ground, coiling around the council building and dragging it into the earth.
Before long, the council building was half-submerged.
In this state, it was being consumed by the fire.
By this stage, the panicked voices and screams of the people could be heard.
Some had spotted me standing in the sky above and were shouting in alarm.
I disregarded their reactions and teleported about a thousand undead from the capital to this location.
Dispersed and positioned throughout the city, they simultaneously attacked the nearby populace.
Plunged into further chaos, the people either fled from the undead or fought back desperately.
Those who were killed and eaten rose again as undead themselves.
It was a scene of utter pandemonium, yet entirely familiar and unremarkable to me.
Having completed my intended actions, I observed the struggle of the people.
The thousand undead would soon be driven off by the Republic's army.
None of them are individuals given any special enhancement.
Exposed to sunlight, they are not particularly strong.
They can be easily exterminated through holy magic.
(Such casualties would occur, but it shouldn't lead to the capital's collapse.)
I stopped my attack, reaching that judgment from the scene below.
It was just the right amount.
These attacks serve as a kind of warning.
They are actions meant to make the Demon King's threat known.
If done half-heartedly, it would only breed resentment and strengthen the pro-war faction.
However, going this far would instill terror in the people of the Republic.
They would come to think they don't want to fight the Demon King, and naturally, a sentiment opposing the pro-war faction would emerge.
The collapse of the Council Hall and the undead attack also purely diminish the nation's strength.
Even if annihilation is avoided, the damage is on a scale that absolutely cannot be ignored.
I can also expect the effect of deterring scheming and civil war.
The instigator of the rebellion must have intended to place only pro-war faction members in the upper echelons, thereby seizing effective control of the Republic.
At this moment, those in the faction advocating submission should be being purged one after another.
They would then steer the Republic's policy toward confrontation with the Demon King.
Because of the forceful method, the populace would surely rebel to some extent, but such things could simply be ignored.
Once they seized real power in the military, the upper echelons could run the country as they pleased.
The voices of the people were irrelevant.
My assault this time was designed to halt these developments.
The populace, having witnessed the power of the Demon Lord, would desire submission or peace.
Even among the war hawks, there were bound to be some whose resolve would waver.
I was also wearing down the military through the undead.
This must be a thorn in the side of the masterminds.
For the time being, I intended to hold the punishment of the Republic at this stage.
From here on, I would order my agents to gather intelligence.
I wanted to identify the source of the drug that caused the beast transformation and the people involved in the chain of events.
If I made a conspicuous move in the investigation, they might go to ground.
It was best to have my subordinates operate in the shadows.
As the Demon Lord, it was my role to draw the enemy's attention.
The crucial part was not letting them realize my true objective.
*(How frustrating...)*
If all I had to do was annihilate them, there would be so much less to consider.
I could ignore their conspiracies and simply raze the Republic to scorched earth with a barrage of forbidden spells.
I could unleash hundreds of thousands of enhanced undead and be done with it.
All that would remain would be to wait and harvest the loyal pawns.
Of course, I could not take such an action.
I was acting for world peace.
I had to think ahead and act with rationality.
I must not drown in power. I will become a demon king who brings peace.
Keeping my purpose firmly in mind, I returned to the Royal Capital.