After parting ways with Gwen, I headed for the city where the riot had broken out.
While the populace slept soundly, I wiped their memories using forbidden spells.
I constructed a hypnotic state through multiple techniques, executing it without anyone noticing.
This would ensure the day of the riot would be forgotten entirely.
Furthermore, for those who worshipped the Savior, I erased their entire recent memories in one go.
Come the next day and beyond, there would surely be great confusion.
However, once people realized there was no real damage, they would calm down.
I could only hope time would resolve the rest.
My task completed, I walked alone through the night sky of the Demon Lord's territory.
Bathing in the clear moonlight, I lost myself in thought.
*(The real problem is what happens from here...)*
This time the method had been quite forceful, but I could only pray it had some effect.
This city always had humans coming and going.
Some of those who knew the Savior had probably already moved on to other cities by now.
The rumors spreading from there couldn't be stopped.
If I received reports from local spies, I could erase memories in the same manner, but I couldn't keep repeating the same trick forever.
The memory erasure was, in the end, merely buying time.
What mattered was the action from this point forward.
I had certainly managed to delay the activation of the world's will.
During this interval, I intended to follow Gwen's advice.
First, we select someone worthy of being called the savior.
It could be someone chosen from the Demon King’s Army, or a third party belonging to the territories under our control.
Ideally, it would be someone with the strength befitting a hero.
There will likely be many human candidates.
Next, we spread the rumor that this person is the savior.
Furthermore, we can pit them against the Demon King’s Army and arrange for them to achieve victory.
If they perform some feat like mowing down hordes of undead, they should gain fame in no time.
After that, we have them engage in actions that appear to be a campaign to subdue the Demon King.
Concretely, we guide them to travel from place to place, occasionally fighting the Demon King’s Army.
By that time, the world’s will should activate, and the desires of the people will converge upon the savior.
From then on, simply managing the savior’s movements will be an effective countermeasure.
This is the development I desired.
It is far easier to respond to than a sudden problem arising as an irregular phenomenon.
Once the savior is established, their fate is decided based on the situation.
After having them active for several years, I might have them executed by my own hand.
Alternatively, it might be fine to have someone else succeed them as the savior.
After giving form to the world’s will, we must digest it through some means.
The swollen power could surpass even myself.
One must not become complacent, and should be killed if necessary.
This is a matter to be considered according to the timing and circumstances.
All the necessary scheming should be left to Luciana.
She'd know how to adjust things skillfully.
The Demon Lord's army was currently stationed across various regions, their influence having risen dramatically.
A wide variety of underhanded operations were now possible.
It shouldn't be difficult to come up with a strategy.
(What a farce this all is.)
I scoff internally at the plan in my head.
It's obvious, really.
After all, I myself am the clown in this performance.
While playing the role of the Demon Lord destined to destroy the world, I have no such intention.
I proclaim the pursuit of peace while committing atrocities.
I transform the very people I ought to save into undead to serve as my pawns.
Now I'm even contemplating when to deliberately create a hero—this symbol of hope—only to have them killed in the end.
It's nothing but contradictions.
No matter how vast the world, a being as ugly as myself is surely rare.
But that's fine.
I don't mind being a clown.
As long as the world's peace is maintained, I'm willing to engage in any evil.
(Only I can fully commit to this role.)
Anyone can possess the resolve to save.
Indeed, many heroes had raised noble aspirations.
But that was not enough.
I am advancing into the realm they failed to reach—or rather, would not even touch.