Several days had passed since the labor forces had been gathered from across the Demon King’s Domain.
On a sudden whim, I stepped out onto the castle balcony.
From my vantage point, I looked out over the castle town.
As my gaze swept across the city, I located the district where the humans were gathered. It was an area that had been entirely uninhabited until very recently.
The provided laborers were living there now. They had taken up residence in the abandoned houses, and there seemed to be no shortage of supplies for them.
Even within the Royal Capital, their district was kept separate from the monsters’ dwellings. It was difficult to say that the two groups were on good terms. I had heard that conflicts—hardly even qualifying as simple brawls anymore—had broken out several times already.
Ideally, those living in the same land should be able to get along. I wanted them to interact across the boundaries of their races. And I believed such a thing was possible.
I had a precedent, after all.
The humans who had once been slaves to the Former Demon King’s Army Remnants were now living side-by-side with monsters as if it were the most natural thing in the world. They treated each other as neighbors and colleagues, leaving past grievances behind. That unique environment had likely forced their distance to close.
I hoped that those who had arrived in this latest intake would eventually follow suit. For the time being, I had no direct solution. I could only wait for time to heal the divide.
(A pathetic Demon King, indeed...)
In moments like these, I felt the weight of my own helplessness.
The only thing I could exert was violence. While I stood second to none in that single regard, I became utterly useless the moment I was confronted with such delicate social issues.
I had never been good with human relationships, even when I was alive. If anything, that sense of inadequacy had only grown stronger after I became an undead. It was a strange state of affairs for someone claiming the title of Demon King.
Nevertheless, it was a hurdle I had to overcome. I could not continue to reign as the world’s ultimate evil through brute force alone.
I, too, had to grow.
"Demon King-samaaaa!"
A carefree voice cut through my self-deprecating thoughts. Luciana drifted up beside me, having apparently flown up from the castle gardens.
She began to speak, clutching a report in one hand.
"We have a bit of a problem... well, not exactly a problem, but I’ve come to report something."
"What is it?"
At my prompt, she flipped through the pages.
"It’s a message from the Bone Minister. He says the Empire’s Army is using some kind of strange weapon, and he wants the Demon King-sama to see it."
"A strange weapon, is it...?"
I stroked my chin in thought.
Had the Empire developed new technology? I hadn't taken them for a particularly advanced nation, but it was unlikely the report was false. Even when we had annihilated them at the Forest of the World Tree, the Empire’s Army hadn't shown anything remarkable.
(Perhaps they were keeping a secret weapon in reserve?)
I couldn't deny the possibility that they had only authorized its use now that we had pushed all the way to the Imperial Capital. If they feared their trump card being countered, they would naturally want to avoid using it until the last possible moment. I would have done the same.
In any case, if Grom felt it necessary for me to see it personally, I couldn't ignore it. Besides, my own curiosity was piqued.
"Are my forces struggling?"
"Hmm, judging by the report, they seem fine. It looks like they’re keeping their distance to observe it for now. Apparently, he wants to avoid increasing casualties."
"I see."
It was a sound decision. It would be disastrous to launch a reckless attack only to suffer a crippling counter-blow. It seemed he was adhering to my policy of prioritizing the lives of his subordinates.
"So, what’s the plan? Going to go see it?"
"Yes. And while I’m there, I’ll deal a blow to the Imperial Capital."
Luciana pressed a hand to her forehead and let out a long sigh at my response. She shrugged with theatrical exaggeration.
"There it is—your little hobby. Or should I call it an 'invasion addiction' at this point?"
"It is neither a hobby nor an addiction. It is a necessary strategic action."
"Hehe, of course it is."
Luciana smiled playfully. I had no idea what she found so amusing about our exchange; her sensibilities remained a complete mystery to me.
I began preparing my Teleportation Magic while reaching out to sense Grom’s presence far in the distance. I intended to jump directly to his location. With my inexhaustible pool of magic power, such a feat was trivial.
"I am leaving."
"Sure, sure. Take care!"
Luciana waved airily. Before I knew it, she was holding a glass filled with a red liquid—likely fruit wine. Her posture made it abundantly clear she had no intention of coming with me. She probably just found the idea of combat tedious.
Having no other choice, I decided to leave her with a parting word.
"While I am away, I am stationing Grom here at the castle. The two of you can wait for my return together."
"Oh wow. I’m so happy."
Luciana’s voice was utterly devoid of emotion. Her eyes had turned completely dull.
That was how much she dreaded being left alone with Grom. Despite their constant bickering and lighthearted banter, their relationship was truly a strange one.
Ignoring the lounging Luciana, I activated the Teleportation Magic.
I arrived at a wasteland of scorched and broken earth.
The ground was sunken in several places, with massive gouges torn out of the landscape. In the distance, I could see a city protected by gargantuan outer walls. Given the location, that had to be the Imperial Capital.
"Oho! Well, well! If it isn't the Demon King-sama!"
A familiar voice called out from below. I looked down to find Grom huddled awkwardly inside a narrow fissure in the ground. He looked as though he were wedged into the crack. He clattered his jawbone in delight at my arrival.
"I am truly honored that you have come all this way. This Grom is so overcome with gratitude that he could almost weep!"
"I heard there was a strange weapon. Where is it?"
Filtering out his exaggerated praise, I cut straight to the point. Grom pointed a finger toward the Imperial Capital.
"Over there, my Lord. The audacious fools are sniping at us from a great distance. This Grom or the archers could easily destroy them, but I felt it was something the Demon King-sama should witness firsthand."
"I see."
I narrowed my eyes at the walls of the Imperial Capital. Massive metal boxes were lined up along the ramparts at regular intervals. Each box was roughly the size of a small house.
A long barrel extended from the side of each box. Magic formulas were etched into their surfaces, glowing with a faint, steady light.
In shape, they resembled cannons, but their internal structure was clearly different. I had never seen anything of that scale before, so they were likely something entirely new. They were certainly bizarre. I could see why Grom had deferred to my judgment.
"Where are the others?"
"Resting in an occupied city to the rear along with the archers, my Lord. I intended to wait until we decided how to handle those weapons before ordering the next advance."
"A wise decision. Well done."
"O-oh! You flatter me, my Lord!"
In his sheer joy, flames enveloped Grom’s entire head.
His decision truly had been correct; it wasn't mere flattery. For now, I needed to investigate those weapons. It was hard to believe the Empire possessed the technical skill to manufacture such things. Had a new magic system been discovered in the ten years I was gone? I hadn't heard any rumors to that effect.
To confirm their nature, I manifested a force field and began to walk through the empty air, closing the distance toward the Imperial Capital.
"Demon King-sama, please be cautious! If you approach carelessly—"
Grom’s warning called out from behind me, but before he could finish his sentence, several of the barrels ground into motion.
They swiveled to face me simultaneously. Then, with a sudden surge of magic power, they spat fire.
(—I see.)
Projectiles traced a high-speed spiral through the air as they flew.
Breaking the sound barrier as they closed in, the objects were metal cylinders with rounded tips.