I made my way to the Research Institute's basement.
I teleported directly inside, slipping past the security systems.
Properly speaking, I should have used the front entrance, but I had no desire to waste time.
I placed the barrier within the pure white space.
The spies were still inside, exactly where I had left them.
They remained conscious; although I couldn't hear them, their distorted faces suggested they were screaming.
As I looked at the barrier, the door to the room opened and the Research Institute Director appeared.
She moved as if gliding across the floor.
"Oh, Lord Demon King! To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit today? Whatever you need, please, leave it to us!"
The Director rubbed her hands together gleefully.
I hadn't announced my visit, and I had ensured that none of the sensing-type equipment was activated.
And yet, she had pinpointed my intrusion and current location with perfect accuracy.
It was nothing short of impressive.
Even within the Demon King’s Army, there was likely no one else capable of such a feat.
While secretly admiring her skill, I pointed toward the barrier.
"I need you to analyze the humans sealed in here."
When I let the color of the barrier fade, the captured spies became visible.
The Director pressed herself against the barrier at a speed that rivaled teleportation.
She peered at the spies so intensely it looked like she might crush her face against the surface.
"Hmm... they look like ordinary prisoners. Is something wrong with them?"
"If you make eye contact, you'll be subjected to mental interference. The intensity is high enough to drive a normal person insane."
Hearing my explanation, the Director finally pulled back.
She observed the spies, her white coat fluttering as she moved.
Her eyes were wide, practically overflowing with curiosity.
Eventually, the Director tilted her head, a smile playing on her lips.
"My, my. I don't sense any magical power from them... Is my job to investigate the cause and the structure of this phenomenon?"
"Exactly. Can I leave it to you?"
"Of course! I shall devote every resource to resolving this!"
The Director nodded vigorously.
Unraveling mysteries brought her supreme joy.
Her eyes shone with a brilliant, manic light.
Though she spent every waking moment immersed in research, her knowledge, analytical skills, and insight were extraordinary.
Within her specific field, there were times when she surpassed even me.
The speed and precision of her analysis were beyond reproach.
She was, without a doubt, the preeminent mind in the Demon King's Domain.
She possessed a level of talent that deserved to be immortalized in history.
Of course, the woman herself had no interest in such things.
She seemed perfectly content with her current environment.
The Director stepped up to the barrier and placed a hand on its surface.
After confirming its state, she turned back to me.
"In that case, could you transfer the prisoners to the next room? It would be easier for me to work there, given the equipment setup."
"Understood."
I moved the barrier into the adjacent room.
The Director hurried toward the exit.
It seemed she intended to begin her analysis immediately.
"I’m going to release the restraints, but you'll be fine, right?"
"Yes! No matter what happens, I will protect this Research Institute. To me, this facility is more precious than life itself!"
"Watch yourself when you look them in the eye. Whatever you do, don't stare too long."
"...I'll do my best!"
The Director answered after a slight pause, then practically fled the room.
Based on that reaction, she was almost certainly going to ignore my warning and stare as much as she liked.
It was an incredibly dangerous thing to do, but I wasn't particularly worried.
I believed she could handle it.
The sensation I had felt when making eye contact with the spy was a powerful mental interference—a force designed to pollute the victim's mind.
Even I had nearly been affected.
However, the Director possessed an abnormal level of mental strength.
It was a byproduct of her obsession with research.
One might even call it a form of madness.
Her mental fortitude was far more resilient than my own.
She was the type of person who could repel Luciana’s Charm without any magical defenses whatsoever.
I had tried various other forms of mental magic on her in the past, but I had never found a single spell that worked.
This abnormal phenomenon likely wouldn't affect her either.
That was why I felt comfortable entrusting the analysis to her.
As I stood there reflecting, I felt a presence approaching from behind.
I turned around to see the Director standing there.
She looked up at me and asked, "Is there anything else you require? If you have the time, I could introduce you to some of our latest prototypes!"
"Ah, well..."
As I responded, I cast a sensing magic spell.
I clearly felt the Director’s presence in the next room.
Based on the movements I detected, she had already begun working on the spies.
And yet, the Director was also standing right in front of me.
This wasn't an illusion; there were undeniably two of her.
It wasn't a matter of one being a fake, either.
Both were the real thing.
(I'm still not used to this sensation...)
I looked at the Director with a complicated expression.
Some time ago, I had used my magic to turn her into an undead.
Specifically, she had transformed into a Phantom, a high-ranking spiritual race that evolved from Ghosts.
Then, just recently, she had managed to expand her abilities as a Phantom.
As a result, she gained the ability to manifest as multiple entities simultaneously.
Simply put, it was similar to cloning, but with one major difference: every single version of her was the "real" Director.
They existed while sharing a single consciousness, reflecting their personality and memories across all bodies at once.
Under normal circumstances, such a trait would likely cause a person's ego to collapse, but the Director had mastered it perfectly.
This was further proof of her terrifying mental strength.
When I expanded my sensing magic, I could detect the Director’s presence all over the facility.
There were always about fifty of her on duty, collaborating with the other staff members to run the Research Institute.
Thanks to this ability, the technological level of the Demon King’s Domain had improved at a staggering rate.
Research and development were being conducted at all hours of every day.
The Director was essentially bound to the land the Research Institute sat upon.
In exchange for being unable to leave the grounds, she exerted absolute power within them.
Her ability to detect my arrival instantly was a result of that nature.
Within the confines of the Research Institute, her eyes saw everything.
(...In truth, she might have a higher aptitude for being an undead than I do.)
I had turned her into an undead because I was worried she would die of overwork, but I might have inadvertently birthed a monster instead.
Looking at the cheerful Director, I felt a wave of complicated emotions.