I observe the restrained intelligence operatives.
I thoroughly examine every detail of their condition.
I make sure to check from a magical perspective as well.
After scrutinizing them for some time, I stroke my chin.
(No magical interference detected...)
There were no notable abnormalities in the operatives.
If anything, there was a slight fluctuation in their mana, but that was due to the magical tools used for their restraint.
It was not a problem inherent to them.
Yet, something must be abnormal.
Luciana had summoned me precisely because of this state.
In truth, her charm magic was not working on them.
For individuals of normal mental fortitude, this was utterly impossible.
It was said that occasionally a person might resist due to incompatibility, but that would amount to at most one or two.
Twenty people simultaneously resisting was inconceivable.
There was definitely some hidden cause.
(Could they be under a spell even I cannot perceive?)
While unlikely, it was not a possibility that could be dismissed outright.
Magic is always advancing.
A small spark of insight could lead to a breakthrough in a spell's efficacy.
It was not uncommon for an underrated branch of magic to overturn all previous assessments of its power.
Therefore, it was no surprise that techniques capable of deceiving even my eyes had been developed.
The various nations were consumed with their countermeasures against the Demon King.
Since the Demigod incident, nothing of particular note had occurred, and on the surface, peaceful days continued.
Now, dark clouds were beginning to gather over that situation.
I turned to Luciana.
"Have you been able to identify their affiliation?"
"That's the tricky part. We have rough suspicions, but since they're all like this, we can't confirm anything."
Luciana sighed.
It couldn't be helped.
The Demon King's territory was infiltrated by spies from a wide variety of nations.
Recently, it seemed there were even cases of spies arriving from beyond the continent.
There were too many candidate enemies to narrow down.
While we spoke, the spies simply trembled violently.
They were drenched in sweat, and saliva dripped from their mouths.
Every single one of them was consumed with fear.
(……A strange spectacle indeed.)
These were spies skilled enough to be sent to the heart of the Demon King's territory—they should have had nerves of steel.
Having undergone specialized training, their appearance of being paralyzed with fear like this felt deeply incongruous.
Even their fear toward me seemed excessive.
They had fully accepted the possibility of being exposed and restrained.
Without various forms of resolve, one cannot sustain the life of a spy. Considering all these circumstances, something was still fundamentally wrong. They seemed to be afraid of something else entirely.
"...Hmm."
I stood before one of the spies and slowly removed his blindfold. I also pulled out the gag bit used to prevent suicide.
The spy's face was slick with sweat and tears.
He stared into the void, his mouth half-open, emitting faint groans.
I grasped the man's chin.
I tried to force our eyes to meet.
"Look at me."
"Ah, aah aah aah..."
The man cried out, shaking his head in resistance.
His restrained limbs thrashed about.
"Be quiet. I won't do anything."
"No—no no no!"
The man mindlessly repeated the same word.
Blood was flowing from his nose.
Was it from excessive excitement, or perhaps the effect of some kind of spell?
I attempted an analysis, but as before, no abnormality could be detected.
"I've done it, this wasn't supposed to happen - if only I'd refused back then, damn it, I don't want to die!"
"Take a deep breath. Listen to me."
"Uuuu... uuuuuuuu...!"
The man continued to scream.
Even his meaningful words were incoherent.
All that managed to come through was intense regret and fear.
Any real conversation was completely impossible.
"Calm down."
I grabbed the man's hair and forced his face up.
The man vomited a large amount of blood from his mouth.
It seemed he had bitten through his tongue.
I healed him immediately with magic.
The man coughed and spat out blood.
It seemed suicide had been prevented for now.
I focused on the man's eyes.
His unfocused gaze was still looking away from me.
The blue iris trembled, and the black pupil had contracted.
"Hm?"
That was where I sensed something wrong.
Deep within the man's pupils, I felt something stirring.
It wasn't a reflexive flinch.
Something had distinctly moved.
Intrigued, I stared intently.
Then I realized a single fact.
The one peering in wasn't me.
Rather, it felt as if I were being peered back at from the other side—
"…!"
In the next instant, I moved my hand instinctively.
The man was struck by the miasma, his flesh rotting away, transforming into a ghoul in a single moment.
He no longer screamed; he became a being that merely hung his head.
Both eyeballs dissolved into black slime, flowing down from his eye sockets.
"Demon King, are you alright...?"
Luciana called from behind me.
Turning around, I saw her wearing a worried expression.
(What was that just now...)
I looked at the intelligence agent who had become a ghoul.
It wasn't a spell he had activated.
He wasn't faking; he was genuinely terrified.
He was in no mental state to cast a spell.
In the first place, his mana remained erratic until the very end.
Even if a third party had tried to attack through a spy's body, they would likely have failed at first.
However, I had undoubtedly been subjected to some form of interference.
It was an ability completely distinct from existing magic.
There was an inexplicable sensation.
It felt as though my spirit was on the verge of being fundamentally overturned, a feeling of unease forced upon me.
If one had to endure this constantly while being human, it was understandable why the spies were losing their sanity.
If I were not undead, my heart would surely have been beating on the verge of bursting by now.
I had the remaining spies securely isolated using forbidden spells.
I was conscious not to look directly into their eyes.
Soon, the spies were surrounded by a multi-layered barrier of light.
The barrier was composed of numerous layers, impervious even to destructive grand magic focused on offense.
Having completed the spell, I turned to Luciana.
"I will manage these individuals. Continue processing the other spies."
"What about the Demon King?"
"I'm moving to resolve the issue. It's urgent."
With that brief reply, I took the spies and teleported away.