The Great Spirit gazes at me intently.
I endured that gaze and stared right back.
This was no time to flinch.
I had to show my resolve.
Perhaps my determination came through, for the Great Spirit moved the conversation forward.
"So, the will of the world. What exactly would you like to ask about it?"
"I want you to tell me whether my interpretation and conclusions are correct."
"Very well. I see no problem with that."
The Great Spirit agreed readily.
I had expected some reluctance, but there was none.
She might have been in a good mood.
Or perhaps she had anticipated that I would raise this topic.
Either way, this was a perfect opportunity.
I decided to get straight to the point.
"To state my conclusion first, I believe the will of the world is the materialization of the desires of its people."
"Do you have grounds for this belief?"
"It's a conclusion drawn from things I've witnessed and heard in the past, supplemented by advice from the Beast."
When I gave my answer, the Great Spirit showed a suspicious air.
She spoke in a probing tone, questioning me.
"...What exactly do you mean by that?"
I explained my encounter with Gwen and what she told me.
Gwen had told me to consider who benefits from the will of the world.
If you trace that, the identity becomes obvious.
I considered various possibilities and arrived at my answer.
"The will of the world generates phenomena that protect people. The Heroic Awakening is the clearest example."
I have experienced this firsthand.
Every hero I have killed was chosen by the will of the world.
And they challenged me to their destined duel.
Of course, myself and that person are also included.
We were pushed into existence because a human who would defeat the former Demon Lord was desired.
Weapons and spells that should never have been completed functioning is also an example of the will of the world.
It is all to restore peace to humanity.
Though each individual wish is faint, when they accumulate, they can even warp the laws of reality.
In this recent disturbance, the will of the world was also working behind the scenes.
The reason I, the Demon Lord, was granted power must have started when the beastmen appeared.
I was chosen as the hero to slay the beastmen.
When the beastmen's attacks began, some people apparently wished for the Demon Lord to kill the beastmen.
They wished for an overwhelming great evil to defeat the beasts ravaging the land.
That wish likely included a hope that we would clash and kill each other.
Those prayers acted upon me as the will of the world.
Currently, the additional power granted to me had been stripped away.
The cause was clear.
It was because the prevailing rumor was that the Demon King employed beasts.
With people's desires no longer directed toward that purpose, the ability to slay beasts was lost.
However, this wasn't particularly problematic.
My power as the Demon King remained intact; only the ability to ignore beast characteristics had been revoked.
I had a specialized art prepared for that as well, so no difficulties arose in combat.
Whether the opponent was a beast from another world, I could slaughter it without question.
"For convenience, it's called the World's Will, but it's not something an individual can manipulate. Should we call it a formless guardian, a collection of countless collective thoughts?"
This concept that had protected the world since ancient times likely came into existence the moment people were born.
I had heard there was even a past where this protective mechanism itself had been destroyed.
It was clearly not on humanity's side.
If humanity wished, it could kill any existence whatsoever.
Judging from that aspect, the term "guardian" was inappropriate.
If anything, it was an executioner.
"..."
The Great Spirit who had heard my perspective fell silent.
It seemed to be weighing the words.
Having finished its thoughts, it posed a query, as if testing something.
"The World's Will sometimes brings about unfavorable outcomes. Many situations detrimental to people would have occurred had you not intervened. This contradicts your perspective thus far, but what are your thoughts on that?"
In response to the thrown question, I organized my thoughts.
It was an objection I had anticipated from the start.
I carefully conveyed the conjecture I had prepared in advance.
"The Will of the World is probably not a perfect mechanism. It specializes only in granting the desires of people, but does not guarantee the developments that follow. Therefore, it can sometimes bring misfortune to people."
This flaw reflected the essence of humanity.
Everyone judges things based on their individual perspective and acts upon their desires.
It is surely not rare for those who fail to consider the consequences in such moments.
The Will of the World possessed a nature quite similar to that.
Obsessed with defeating me, the evil, it only gives rise to further violence.
The possibility of what would happen after I was defeated was not considered.
Because all its desires are concentrated on that single goal.
It was an inflexible concept, but precisely because of that, it held tremendous power.
When functioning properly, it provided a unique and unparalleled service.
Without exaggeration, it held infinite potential.
It had surely supported the continuation of humanity since ages long past.
Even in the present age, it aims for the eradication of evil.
The Will of the World was precisely such a phenomenon.
"This is my interpretation. I want you to tell me if I am right or wrong."
I stopped speaking there, watching for the great spirit's reaction.
After a long silence, she quietly nodded.
"Generally correct. It seems you have reached a portion of the truth."