The Royal Castle's audience chamber.
I sat at my desk, leafing through the mountain of reports piling up before me.
(Things are moving in the right direction.)
The Demon King’s Army had begun its invasion of the Empire’s territory, launching strikes from the border and steadily spreading the fires of war deeper into their lands.
I had stayed largely out of the offensive myself, leaving the details to the three Executives: Grom, Luciana, and Henry.
Though the three of them were constantly at each other’s throats, they were surprisingly close when it mattered. Their coordination was impeccable. They each knew their own strengths and operated with impressive efficiency.
Recently, Grom had apparently begun synthesizing surplus undead into a variety of chimeras. It seemed he was doing his best to bolster our military strength in his own way. It was a commendable effort.
Furthermore, a contingent of elves had officially joined the Demon King’s Army. As master archers and practitioners of spirit magic, they were exceptionally capable. While a certain emotional distance remained, they were reportedly cooperating well on the battlefield.
Back in the Forest of the World Tree, the rest of the elves lived much as they always had. I had sent formal notice to the surrounding nations that the forest was now a vassal territory of the Demon King's Domain. I made it a point not to interfere with their daily lives, ensuring they could live as they pleased.
It wasn't that I wanted to treat the elves as slaves. Truthfully, I only needed them to lend us their strength when the situation called for it. Of course, if I were too lenient, the Demon King’s authority would waver. That was why I had integrated a portion of them into the army. Just because an old friend was their Chief didn't mean I could show favoritism to the entire race.
While I was sorting through the stack of papers, a knock came at the door.
A voice called out from the other side.
"Demon King-sama. The human Lords have arrived."
"Send them in."
I set the reports aside as the doors swung open.
A group of finely dressed humans entered, led by a Succubus in the uniform of a civil official. Despite their expensive clothes, the men were visibly trembling. Their eyes darted nervously around the room until they landed on me, at which point their faces filled with naked terror.
These were the men from the cities that had sworn submission—the former Lords of the Kingdom. I had summoned them here under the pretext of official business.
The Lords knelt with stiff, jerky movements. Shaking, they began their greetings.
"D-Demon King-sama, we are truly honored that you would summon us here today—"
"Skip the preamble," I interrupted. "It’s a waste of time."
I crossed my legs on the throne and cast a cold glance over them. That simple gesture alone turned their faces deathly pale. One looked as if he might faint on the spot. To them, this was likely a brush with death; they knew a single slip of my tongue could end their lives. Yet they couldn't ignore my summons, for they feared the punishment for disobedience even more. They had undoubtedly spent the entire journey here suppressing the urge to turn back and run.
"Regarding the manpower I requested for the Demon King's Army—do you have an answer for me?"
"W-Well, you see... as it turns out, we haven't gathered as many volunteers as we hoped. Progress has been... difficult—"
One of the Lords faltered, and the others looked equally pathetic. I shifted my weight on the throne and fixed them with a freezing stare.
"—Am I to interpret this as a refusal of my request?"
"W-We will dispatch them immediately! Please! Three days! Just give us three more days!"
The Lords prostrated themselves before scurrying out of the audience chamber. The sound of their frantic footsteps faded quickly into the distance. The Succubus guide gave a deep bow and followed them out.
(Good grief. They really are a troublesome lot.)
They had likely come hoping for a concession, but I had no intention of granting one. After a "reminder" that polite, they would certainly find the men I required. If they didn't, I would simply have to raze one of their territories to the ground.
"Demon King-sama, I'm coming in~"
The door opened to a casual, sing-song voice. Luciana sauntered in, walking right up to the throne and leaning against it. It was the sort of behavior that would have sent Grom into a murderous rage, but since he wasn't here, I let it slide. Her lack of restraint didn't bother me, so long as she did her job.
"The humans looked terrified. Did you do something to them again?"
"I merely reminded them of their obligation to provide manpower."
Luciana pressed a finger to her lips and tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"Oh, that. Why bother adding humans to the army? Surely our current forces are enough?"
"If we leave them to their own devices, they might start plotting a rebellion. By siphoning off their military potential, we ensure they won't try anything reckless."
In fact, there had been one Lord who tried to establish secret contact with foreign nations. I had "invited" him for a private discussion. By the time we were finished, he was hyperventilating from sheer terror, but he had sworn his eternal loyalty. Things were fine for now, but it was inevitable that others would try the same.
Because I hadn't intervened directly in the territories that submitted, they likely viewed the Demon King as soft. My previous sanctions had been too lenient. From now on, I intended to involve myself irregularly. If necessary, I would make an example of someone. I needed to remind them exactly why they should fear the Demon King.
Luciana gave a wicked little smirk.
"So you won't just admit you want more pawns to throw away?"
"Humans are useful. Not just as soldiers, but in production as well. By utilizing humans with specialized knowledge, we can raise the living standards here in the Royal Capital."
Controlling rebellions wasn't the only reason for the conscription. Relying solely on monsters and undead caused various logistical problems. I needed the humans to fill those gaps. If the Royal Capital was to be my permanent stronghold, I wanted it to prosper.
"More importantly, what is the status of the war?"
"With the Empire? It’s going perfectly so far. The 'Bone Minister' is being incredibly enthusiastic—I'm actually getting a bit bored."
By "Bone Minister," she meant Grom. If he was putting in that much effort, the results must be devastating. There were very few individuals capable of matching Grom in single combat.
If our army consisted only of rank-and-file monsters and undead, we might have struggled. The Empire's Army would certainly have countermeasures against the undead using holy magic. Breaking through those lines would have been difficult. It was clearly the right choice to deploy the Executives rather than holding them in reserve.
"As you ordered, we’re just monitoring the towns and villages that surrendered. We're continuing the push toward the Imperial Capital, right?"
"Yes. But do not destroy them completely. We want to pressure them into seeking cooperation from other nations. The Demon King’s Army will slow its advance at the appropriate time and focus on seizing the territories along the route."
Luciana made a wry face and let out a soft sigh.
"That’s a tall order... but fine. I’ll make sure the message gets through."
"I'm counting on you."
"Yeah, yeah. Leave it to me."
Luciana waved a hand dismissively as she strolled out of the chamber.
I sat back on the throne, lost in thought.
The Demon King’s Army had occupied the Kingdom, secured the Forest of the World Tree, and launched an invasion into the Empire. At this rate, the Empire would collapse. Even if I didn't wipe them out entirely, their power would be broken.
Yet, a single doubt gnawed at me.
(—Will the world truly allow things to proceed this way?)
Evil is meant to be purged by the power of justice. That is the "correct" ending. History has repeated that cycle since time immemorial; that is how the world spins its tale.
And yet, I had defeated the Hero of this age and survived my fate of destruction. I was, in effect, defying the laws of the universe. I was an anomaly in the natural order.
The world would surely send a new threat to stop me. Because my death is the "correct" path for history, the world will manipulate events to ensure it happens. It will manifest an existence capable of slaying an immortal Demon King.
At the moment, my army was enjoying a sweeping, unstoppable victory. While that was something to be celebrated, I couldn't afford to be complacent. Eventually, a catalyst for my ruin would appear. It was exactly what happened when the current Hero awakened.
If the world wishes to destroy the Demon King, then I will resist it with everything I have. I will strike down "justice" as many times as necessary to reach my ideal.
And I will pay any price to get there.