The very next day, a candidate for the savior was found.
That individual was a spy in the Demon King's army.
They had originally been a spy for the kingdom, captured when the Demon King's army invaded, and were said to have been recruited by Luciana.
Since then, they had been quietly supporting our operations from the shadows.
It seemed they were currently infiltrating a country beyond the continent.
They were said to be operating under a false identity as a military officer.
At one point, they had participated in Henry's training, and their abilities were said to be above average.
Furthermore, it was said that they could also wield sacred magic.
One could say they possessed all the necessary qualities to be a savior.
All that remained was to have them perform heroically on a suitable battlefield.
They would be granted time-limited enhancement magic, so it would appear as though they had suddenly awakened on the field.
I intended to order the local Demon King's forces to orchestrate a deliberate defeat.
By doing so, we could minimize unnecessary losses while still producing the appearance of a dramatic victory.
If the spy achieved significant results, the people would interpret them as a hero.
Depending on the situation, having them deliver a large-scale speech could also work.
They would declare themselves the savior right then and there.
The will of the world would converge upon them.
If these schemes succeeded, irregular and irrational phenomena could be suppressed.
Immense power would gather upon the spy, elevating them to the savior in both name and reality.
After that, they were to be set to work under the banner of defeating the Demon King.
I would leverage the savior's reputation in accordance with the shifting war situation and the disposition of each nation.
To be blunt, it had been a series of tightrope walks.
There were many uncertain elements; it was far from a perfect strategy.
However, I had no other viable options.
More than anything, it might allow me to grasp the will of the world, something I had hitherto been powerless to do.
Even just the possibility being born would be significant progress.
Even if I failed, I would simply have to play a different hand.
I was not staking everything on this one strategy.
Even if the world's will manifested in another form, I could forcibly bend it to my will.
Of course, considering the state of world affairs, that was not a desirable development.
It would spread excessive despair among the populace, so it remained a last resort for worst-case scenarios.
In any case, my unnecessary worry would not improve the situation.
For now, I would leave matters to my capable subordinates.
We had solved various difficulties together until now.
I trusted them greatly.
They likely felt the same.
Over the following days, I attended to my usual duties.
The Demon King's Army faced numerous problems beyond the savior.
Wars of aggression were erupting on multiple fronts across the land.
Manpower was barely sufficient, but a mountain of issues requiring my directives had piled up.
If things stagnate, trouble will spread everywhere.
This was work one could never relax during, for it could easily lead to catastrophic losses.
Before I knew it, time had flown by as I was chased by such burdens.
One day, I was alone in the audience chamber.
I was in the midst of planning troop deployments based on intelligence from each front.
While I was referencing several documents, Grom knocked on the door and entered.
Swaying slightly, he knelt before me, his demeanor tense.
"I... I have a report."
"The matter of the Savior, I assume?"
I'd heard they were about to designate the covert operative as a Savior.
I assumed he'd come seeking final approval.
At my query, Grom nodded.
His tone was somehow ominous.
I knew at once it was bad news.
After a brief silence, he spoke the contents of his report.
"Individuals claiming to be the Savior have appeared one after another across various regions... Our operation has failed."