"A Hero, is it...?"
I muttered the words softly.
It was a title heavy with meaning. I knew I would hear it eventually, but it had come much sooner than I anticipated. Perhaps we were connected by some strange twist of fate, or perhaps the mere existence of a Demon King had drawn a Hero forth. In all likelihood, both were true.
"............"
Grom remained rigid, his head bowed low. His stiffness was born of intense nerves. I understood now why he had hesitated; it was out of concern for my feelings. He must have been conflicted about whether or not he should deliver this news. He always acted with my well-being in mind, and that simple kindness honestly moved me.
I sat back on the sofa and addressed him. "Report the details."
"Y-Yes! At once..."
Grom raised his head and spoke in a rapid, steady stream. According to his report, the Hero had appeared on the kingdom’s frontier—a small territory that had refused to submit to the Demon King's Army and continued to resist our advance.
There, a single soldier had suddenly awakened to his power. The young man, his sword shrouded in holy light, had annihilated the dispatched undead in an instant. Only a handful of scouts, Grom included, had managed to escape and return to the capital.
It was unthinkable for a single individual to wipe out a legion of the Demon King's undead. It was a level of strength that could not be explained away as him being a mere high-level mage. Furthermore, he fought with a combination of holy light and expert swordsmanship. The title of Hero truly was appropriate for him.
However, even if he was a Hero, he likely had no relation to her. He was surely only called that because he wielded a Holy Sword. In the first place, "Hero" was not a title that belonged solely to her. It was only because she had achieved the impossible feat of slaying the previous Demon King that the word had become synonymous with her name.
"I am truly sorry, my Lord. To have lost your precious subordinates..."
Grom bowed with such force it seemed he might smash his skull against the floor. I raised a hand to stop him.
"Think nothing of it. If a Hero was the opponent, it could not be helped."
The tactical mismatch between a Hero wielding holy power and undead who thrived on miasma was insurmountable. It was only natural that they would be defeated. In fact, I felt more like praising him for returning safely to deliver the report. While the number of lost undead was substantial, it was a negligible loss compared to our total remaining forces. It was a gap that could easily be filled from other battlefields.
Grom, however, still seemed somewhat unsettled. He asked hesitantly, "Um... are you not surprised? My Lord, you were once..."
"A Sage who fought alongside the Hero. Is that what you were going to say?"
"............"
Grom fell silent. I had struck a nerve. It must have been incredibly difficult for him to bring up.
I didn't entirely fail to understand his feelings. Grom knew the circumstances of how I had become what I was now. He understood that the concept of a Hero was special to me, and thus, he feared the emergence of a new one in the enemy's ranks.
I spoke calmly to soothe his worries. "There is nothing to be surprised about. A Hero has simply been born in this era as well."
"In this era, you say...?"
I nodded and continued. "It seems the world does not allow evil to spread unchecked. When a threat like a Demon King is born, the world produces an existence to counter it. That role once fell to the Former Hero and myself."
An Executor of Justice exists in every era. One could call it destiny. They overcome hardships and, in the end, they destroy evil. They carry this out as if it were the natural order of things. Looking back through history, these events have repeated themselves time and again. Though the fine details differ, the general flow remains the same: an evil that commits every conceivable atrocity is eventually eradicated by a 'Justice' that possesses an irrational, overwhelming power. Then, the people enjoy a fleeting peace.
It is the classic archetype of a heroic tale.
Perhaps Henry, too, had been a candidate for such a role. There was a possibility that the original path intended for the three of us—Henry included—to challenge the Demon King together. In fact, there was surely a timeline somewhere where that was our future.
"We were guided by the world to defeat the Demon King and successfully restored peace. Though, as it turned out, that was merely the beginning of an irredeemable tragedy."
A revenge fulfilled after ten years of waiting. An invasion to realize true world peace. To the people, my actions must be a living nightmare. This had all happened just as the previous Demon King had died and tranquility had finally seemed within their grasp.
What the people truly seek is a dull, grey peace. They compromise with a cruel world and desire a life that is neither the best nor the worst. They die lamenting the misfortunes that occasionally befall them, tormented by their own helplessness.
"I, who once saved the world, have become the Demon King of the New Era. To oppose me, the Current Hero has awakened. It seems the flow of the world wishes to bury me by any means necessary."
"My Lord..."
Grom’s voice was pained. Even though his skeletal face couldn't shift its expression, his inner turmoil was clear. I spoke with absolute conviction to reassure him.
"Of course, I have no intention of going quietly. I have a goal—a goal I will accomplish even if I must defy the world itself."
I looked into the flickering flames within Grom's eye sockets. They seemed to burn brighter, yearning for my next words.
"I will eliminate this New Hero. If left alone, he will only grow stronger. I will defeat him before he becomes more than we can handle."
"Will my Lord go personally? If you so command, I shall handle it myself, but..."
Grom made the suggestion quietly. He wasn't seeking glory; it was purely out of concern. He had judged that the Hero and I should not be forced to face one another.
Certainly, with Grom’s current combat ability, he could intercept a Hero even on his own. As his power continued to amplify, he had already become strong enough to overrun entire armies. Luciana and Henry were here as well. If they cooperated, there would be no need for me to step onto the field.
However, I shook my head.
"I shall fight him. The opponent is a Hero chosen by the era itself. It is best to use my full strength from the start. There is no telling what kind of miracles might occur if we hesitate."
Heroes thrive on adversity. They are existences loved by destiny. In my former life, I watched that phenomenon from the front row. I understood the nature of a Hero more accurately than anyone alive. I was confident that I could crush even the miracles this boy might bring about. I would destroy him swiftly, without giving him even a sliver of a chance for a reversal.
The Demon King of this era will not die. The stories of poetic justice have run dry.
"I will likely require your support during the confrontation. I am counting on you."
When I said that, Grom stood up and offered a sharp salute.
"U-Understood! Leave it to me! I shall certainly prove my worth to you, my Lord!"
"Good. I’m counting on it."
I stood up from the sofa and walked toward the door. As I reached it, I added one final instruction.
"Tell Luciana and Henry as well. We head out for the attack by sunset."
"Sir! As you command!"
Grom responded with a serious air. All hesitation and conflict had vanished from his posture. As a loyal retainer of the Demon King, he was ready to fulfill his role.
There was no longer any need to worry about him. Having confirmed Grom's resolve, I opened the door and left the room.