As dawn broke over the Slave Autonomous District, the morning sun cast its brilliant rays across the cityscape.
The undead prowling the streets grew sluggish almost instantly. They had been weakened by the sunlight—a natural consequence, given I had provided them with no special protection. Undead capable of withstanding the sun were rare.
Countless corpses lay scattered among the wandering undead. These were the victims of the recent upheaval: townspeople, slaves, and soldiers of the Demon King’s Army alike. Even within my immediate field of vision, the carnage was extensive. Along with the shattered buildings, the bodies formed a landscape of pure misery.
Among the dead were those whose forms had bloated unnaturally. Some were covered in fleshy lumps, while others had bodies that appeared to have melted and collapsed. Many were so far gone that their original race could no longer be identified. These were the magical beasts that had instigated the chaos.
Looking upon the devastation, an indescribable sensation welled up within me. It was far from a pleasant one.
(What a horrific state of affairs.)
After teleporting to the Slave Autonomous District, I had worked with the Demon King’s Army to systematically wipe out the magical beasts. Individually, the creatures weren't particularly formidable—they were roughly on par with low-ranking demons. While they posed a grave threat to ordinary humans, the Demon King’s Army possessed more than enough military power to handle them.
The problem, however, was their sheer number. The scale was incomparable to what we had seen in the Southern Region of the Demon King’s Domain. There must have been at least several hundred of them. Furthermore, the disturbances had erupted simultaneously across multiple towns, and we had struggled immensely to keep the populace calm.
Unreliable information had spread like wildfire, driving the paranoid humans to turn on one another. Riots broke out in every corner; everywhere I looked, I saw people fighting each other even as the magical beasts attacked. This secondary damage was significant enough that, at its peak, it threatened to eclipse the casualties caused by the beasts themselves.
I had tried to resolve the situation as quickly as possible, but in many areas, the destruction was already catastrophic.
The residents of the various towns were currently being isolated within barriers—constructs I had rigged so they could not be breached from either the outside or the inside. I had also restrained the survivors and rendered them unconscious. It was unlikely they would wake up on their own anytime soon.
Leaving them to their own devices would only lead to further confusion. The city was currently overrun by swarms of undead; should the humans witness such a sight, it would inevitably spark further unnecessary conflict. I had no desire to see any more needless victims.
"My, my... it appears the matter is finally settled, my lord."
Grom surveyed the area, sighing in relief. As he let his bloodlust dissipate, he began pounding his lower back with his fist. Perhaps it was a backache. Grom’s mannerisms were strangely human; given that countless souls had been used to construct his ego, such habits likely manifested unconsciously.
In this battle, as always, Grom had been invaluable. With every skirmish, his command over the undead grew more precise. He had observed the battlefield with a cold eye, proving that even powerful magical beasts could be overwhelmed by the sheer weight of numbers. To have mere skeletons and ghouls trample such foes was a feat that would be impossible without extraordinary leadership.
Watching him lead his vast, immortal host, I couldn't help but think he looked more like a Demon King than I did. Of course, Grom was more than just a commander; he had also overwhelmed the enemy with a relentless barrage of magic. It went without saying at this point, but his combat prowess was extraordinary. Mindless magical beasts stood no chance against him. While managing the undead, he had simultaneously eliminated beasts across a wide area using remote-type magic.
"That was some decent exercise. I’d have been a lot more satisfied if there were a few more of 'em, though," Henry muttered, biting into a piece of fruit he had pilfered from a nearby stall.
For him, it seemed the number of magical beasts had been insufficient. In Henry's case, this wasn't mere bravado; he genuinely wished for more targets. He didn't lose a wink of sleep over the damage to the town. To him, the world was nothing more than a battlefield to satisfy his own impulses.
In that regard, Henry was remarkably consistent. One might call him heartless or cruel, but that was his strength. Precisely because his perspective was the polar opposite of mine, he could offer insights I might otherwise miss. Since our relationship was built on a stable alignment of interests, there was no fear of betrayal. He was, in many ways, the ideal subordinate.
(Even so...)
I glanced down at the carcass of a magical beast lying nearby. Traces of its former human self were visible in its features. These slaves had transformed into beasts without the slightest warning—a phenomenon that simply did not occur in nature. "Magical beast" typically referred to a mutation of a monster. It was one thing for a monster to change, but for a human to become a magical beast was unheard of.
My thoughts drifted back to the outbreak in the Southern Region of the Demon King’s Domain. The origin of those beasts, which had shown clear drug reactions, remained a mystery to this day.
Then, a hypothesis struck me.
(Could the people in those southern towns have been turned into those beasts...?)
The circumstances of the sudden outbreaks were identical. If this was indeed the result of a drug, it would be the key to uncovering the truth.
I began to analyze the carcasses around me. As expected, I detected traces of drug administration. It was the exact same reaction found in the beasts from the Demon King’s Domain.
The theory was now a near certainty.
(Some kind of drug is capable of transforming living creatures into magical beasts.)
If true, the implications were horrifying. I had never heard of such a substance, and it was something that could never be allowed to circulate. I had to find the source and ensure that no one could ever concoct it again.
I summoned the local spies and headed toward the barriers where the residents were being held. Under their guidance, I brought out several slave traders—all of whom were apparently prominent figures within the Autonomous District.
I woke the traders and began a magical interrogation. I focused on extracting the routes of their slave trade, and they gave up the information with pathetic ease.
As it turned out, the majority of the transformed slaves had been supplied by the Republic. The traders had snatched them up because the Republic had suddenly flooded the market with slaves at bottom-barrel prices. Though I probed deeper, the traders seemed genuinely ignorant of the drugs or the beasts. They were merely middle-men whose status and connections had been exploited.
I put the merchants back to sleep and returned them to the barrier. I then dismissed the spies to their duties. I had all the information I needed.
My mind began to race.
(The Republic has gone too far. This cannot be overlooked.)
Inviting demons in to spark a civil war. Offloading drug-addicted slaves. Orchestrating magical beast outbreaks across the land. I didn't know what their ultimate goal was, but their actions were an affront to the world. If this were to spread across the entire continent, the world would become a place where you had to fear your own neighbor might turn into a monster at any moment. That was not the peaceful future I desired. It had to be stopped immediately.
I returned to the army and addressed Grom and Henry.
"The Demon King’s Army is to retreat into our territory. We are suspending the occupation of the Slave Autonomous District."
"Are you certain, my lord?" Grom asked.
I nodded. The invasion would end up being a wasted effort for now, but I had no choice.
"It doesn't matter. We don't know what's coming next. For the sake of caution, the army should remain on standby at the Royal Capital."
The occupation of the Slave Autonomous District could be resumed at any time. Given the damage the towns had sustained, the district wouldn't be able to function as it used to anyway. At the very least, they would be forced to be more cautious with their trade. I expected their clandestine activities to cease for a while.
Tossing away the core of his fruit, Henry looked at me. "You headed back to the Capital too, Boss?"
"No. I'm going to pay a visit to the Republic. I’ll spare you the details, but that country requires... appropriate treatment."
I spoke with absolute resolve. Whatever else happened, the Republic could not be left to its own devices. They were currently the greatest threat we faced. Whether I chose to destroy them or not, I intended to deliver a punishment that matched the scale of their crimes.