After the conference in the castle, I departed for the former demon territory.
I had come to meet a demon reported to have been in contact with humans.
Given the nature of the information, I could not afford to ignore it.
This time, I chose Luciana and Dolda to accompany me.
Luciana was one matter, but there was a reason for choosing Dolda.
Thanks to Henry’s teachings, he had recently begun to exercise more restraint in his actions.
I had also heard he was causing fewer rampages among his subordinate monsters.
Strangely, he had been spending a lot of time at taverns lately as well.
So this time, my aim was to test whether he could remain obedient even without Henry present.
It wasn’t a concern, since I could teleport us back to the Royal Capital immediately if things became dangerous.
Personally, I wanted Dolda to properly establish his own identity.
The dullahan is a mid-to-high-ranked species among the undead.
He should be capable of possessing clear reason as well.
Currently, his hazy consciousness was likely due to the impulse to hunt necks.
If he could suppress that, Dolda could become an even more formidable existence.
In life, he had been a great pirate feared even by demons.
Once he recovered his personality from that era, he was sure to become someone I could truly rely on.
Our destination was a wasteland.
A black expanse of earth stretched out under the moonlight.
The climate was cool, and the air was thick with mana and miasma.
This is clearly unique to this land.
Such an environment would be virtually impossible in a human kingdom.
It would be ideal for demonkind.
Even as the undead, I find it comfortable.
"Wow, it's been so long since I breathed this air... It hasn't changed at all."
Luciana takes a deep breath, looking somewhat pleased.
This was once territory under the Demon King's rule.
She must have lived here for a time as well.
Perhaps it feels like returning home.
"Must bring back memories for you too, Your Majesty the Demon King?"
"...I suppose so."
I nod after a brief pause.
When I was still human, I invaded this old demon territory with her.
Of course, our purpose was to slay the Demon King.
Back then, we masked the miasma with magic and fought countless desperate battles.
In the end, we overcame hardship and brought the age of darkness to a close.
"My heaad... I'm coming for your heaaads..."
Dolda wanders nearby, axe in one hand.
In a nightmarish voice, she kept shouting morbid words.
Incidentally, today she also sports an old wolf's head.
Henry says he seems to be fond of it.
Apparently, he once flew into a rage when it was swapped for a different head, and has kept it as is ever since.
Luciana put her hands on her hips and gave a wry smile.
"Dolda seems to be in good spirits too. He's happy."
"Is that so?"
I couldn't really tell Dolda's mood. But since Luciana said it, I supposed it wasn't entirely wrong.
Before long, a succubus in dark attire appeared before us.
A spy dispatched to this region.
She was likely the one who made this report.
Luciana asked the spy, who knelt before us, in a practiced tone.
"Where is the demonkin who made contact with humans?"
"This way. Allow me to guide you."
The spy quickly rose and began to move.
We followed after her.
"Hmm..."
Through sensory magic, I picked up multiple presences.
At their destination were roughly a hundred demonkin.
An ruin came into view in the distance.
"There?"
"You really are scraping by here, aren't you? If a human army attacked, you'd fall in an instant."
"They have nowhere else to go, I suppose."
When I said that, Luciana scoffed.
She spoke in a cold tone.
"If they don't have one, they should just make one. Like I did."
Luciana's words carried conviction.
For ten long years, she had survived alongside her followers.
The era without the Demon King must have been nothing short of dire for the demon race.
In her eyes, those living here must appear fragile indeed.
Beings without salvation, simply awaiting their own destruction.
Depending on one's perspective, it could be called foolish.
I addressed the spy.
"Where is the demon in question?"
"They're over there."
The spy pointed a finger.
At the ruins' entrance, a group of demons stood conversing among themselves while glancing our way.
Judging by their magical output, they were mid-rank at least.
They possessed a fair measure of strength.
They were undoubtedly the ones governing the demons in these ruins.
"You've done well. From here on, we'll handle things ourselves. Return to your surveillance."
"Understood."
The spy immediately cast a concealment spell and withdrew.
There was a risk of combat beyond this point.
It would not do to expose valuable personnel to danger.
By the time we arrived before the ruins, a large crowd of demons had gathered.
They brandished what appeared to be handmade weapons, threatening us.
One of them shouted in a loud voice.
"Who the hell are you!?"
"The Demon King. Clear the way if you don't want to suffer."
I declared firmly.
The demons reacted with a murmur.
Before long, they erupted in anger.
"The Demon King...? An undead like you dares spout such a futile lie!"
One of them, enraged, charged with a spear.
I remained calm and cast my spell.
Thorns burst from the ground, binding the demon in place.
They coiled around its entire body and constricted.
"Guh, gaaah...!?"
The bound demon screamed, coughing blood.
Its body began to discolor, the flesh and blood evaporating.
Eventually, it was transformed into a skeleton and then shattered to pieces by the thorns.
The other demons who witnessed the sequence of events were filled with awe.
They were shaken and brimming with fear.
I address them once more.
"I'll say it again. If you don't want to end up like that, get out of the way."
The demons still hesitated.
They didn't want to become undead, but they also didn't want to comply with our demands, I suppose.
They were struggling with how to act.
Seeing the demons like this, Luciana let out a weary sigh.
"You seem so out of touch with the world, so ignorant. You don't seem to know about the Demon Lord."
"Y-You are Luciana!?"
A voice of surprise rang out.
It was the mid-ranking demon we'd been told about by our spy.
He was hiding behind the others.
Luciana responded with a cold expression.
"Oh my. You've only just realized? More importantly, it should be 'Lady Luciana,' shouldn't it? You must use an honorific."
"I have no intention of respecting a softling who fled in fear from humans! The Four Heavenly Kings are a thing of the past!"
The demon retorted defiantly.
A hatred toward Luciana was evident in his words.
Luciana sighed again.
"Is that so. How heartless. Doesn't he realize who's been looking after him?"
"That's how it is. Gratitude is easily forgotten. Only resentment and dissatisfaction remain."
I state it flatly.
Upon hearing this, Luciana let out a small, involuntary laugh.
"Ah, it sounds so convincing when the Demon Lord says it."
At that moment, Dolda stepped forward.
He held his axe in one hand and scanned the demonic beings before him.
"The head... Give me the head..."
"Whatever you do, don't wipe them all out. They're valuable sources of information."
I warned Dolda immediately.
He could easily defeat this number of demons, even if they were all against him.
That was fine, but I couldn't have him giving in to his impulse and slaughtering them all.
That said, whether my instructions would get through to him was questionable.
He was a man who rarely held a proper conversation.
At worst, I'd have to forcibly teleport them all to the Royal Capital.
As I was thinking this, Dolda suddenly turned to look at me.
"—I understand. Leave it to me."
That was clearly a different tone of voice than usual.
Luciana murmured in surprise.
"Oh, he's back?"
"I'll cut you... smash your head off...!"
However, Dolda quickly returned to his original state.
Roaring, he raised his axe and charged at the demons.