That day, I was doing paperwork in the audience hall.
The mountains of piled documents didn’t seem to have diminished at all from earlier.
The officials seated around the room were also scratching their heads in distress.
Faced with a workload that felt almost hopeless, they were still managing to move their arms.
When another official entered the room, they added the bundle of papers they were carrying to a desk.
The official glanced sympathetically at their colleague before leaving the room.
Though the officials’ reactions were sometimes surprising, they would soon return and silently resume their work.
This sight had already become an everyday occurrence.
Their mental strain from taking this seriously every day must be considerable.
The only reason they were working this hard was to lessen my burden.
I had to be grateful for that.
(Of course, gratitude wasn’t the only thing I felt…)
I observed the officials.
When I spotted one who seemed on the verge of overexertion, I called out to them before teleporting them to the rest room.
I took over and handled the work they left behind.
It would be too late to act only after they collapsed.
Unlike me, they were not the living dead.
A healthy lifestyle was essential.
Since my situation made it hard for me to take breaks, I made sure to proactively encourage them to sleep.
Scratching my temple, I lowered my gaze to the documents.
(What a troublesome state of affairs...)
Wars across the continent had drastically decreased compared to before.
The cohesion between nations had grown stronger, with some even approaching a state of partial merger.
On the other hand, small-scale conflicts and crimes were occurring frequently.
Corruption cases were also included among them.
Various countermeasures had been implemented, but no fundamental solution had been reached.
(Maybe a public example is still needed after all)
However, even that had a questionable effect.
No matter the crisis facing the world, there would always be those who committed evil acts.
Only damages might keep increasing, with little substantial result to be expected.
Policing every single individual wasn't practical.
Dispatching seasoned Demon King's Army members to infiltrate each organization was still the most reliable method.
Although it took time, matters could be progressed without causing a major commotion.
This had been done many times before, and it had yielded definite results.
Each faction indeed needed to be purged regularly.
The goal was to cultivate a ground where those with a strong sense of justice could thrive, creating a situation where their own intervention wouldn't be necessary.
As these thoughts circulated, the door was flung open with vigor.
The one who appeared in a valiant posture was Grom.
He straightened his back and gave a greeting.
"Demon King, good morning! It is another refreshing morning today!"
"Quite the early arrival. Assembly was supposed to be at noon," I pointed out, and Grom nodded, beaming with delight.
"As a subject of the Demon King, it is only natural to maintain a buffer of time. After all, I am the second-ranked Demon King!" he declared proudly, pressing a fist to his chest.
Satisfied, he surveyed the chaotic state of the room and then raised a hand towards me, eyes full of expectation.
"If you would permit, shall I assist with the paperwork?"
"Ah, please do."
"Understood!"
Grom swiftly took a seat at one desk and began processing documents at a speed that seemed to leave afterimages. His ferocious pace left the surrounding officials dumbfounded. Soon recovering their wits, they hurriedly resumed their work.
Moving all eight arms at high speed, Grom murmured happily.
"However, this brings back memories. Working at a desk by your side like this reminds me of the old days."
"...Indeed," I said, pausing my work to gaze out the window.
Under the blue sky, the vast cityscape of the Royal Capital stretched endlessly.
It was only natural to feel a sense of nostalgia. Currently, we were active on separate lands.
Five hundred years had passed since we defeated the hero Clea Baton.