After parting ways with the Great Spirit, I made my way to the basement of the Research Institute.
To be precise, my destination was a sealed room with no doors or windows. This was where Gwen was being held, a space currently occupied by several versions of the Institute Director going about their work.
Gwen lay sprawled inside the central barrier, her face a mask of lethargy. When she spotted me, she gave a slow, languid wave of her hand.
"Well, hello there... I appreciate all your hard work."
"Are you holding up?"
At my words, Gwen’s eyebrow twitched. A sardonic smile was plastered across her face. She let out a small sigh, followed by a derisive snort.
"Of all people, you’re the one asking? If you're actually worried about me, then please replace my guard."
"That is impossible."
"Figured as much. Yeah, I knew you'd say that."
Gwen sat up with sluggish movements and leaned against the barrier.
"This is a bit late, but what ever happened to Mr. John Doe and Mr. Barulk?"
"Their egos collapsed and they vanished. They no longer exist."
I had kept John and Barulk under strict restraint after they manifested within my mental world. I had left them alone for a time, but by now they had self-destructed, leaving no trace behind. It was likely because Gwen’s power could no longer reach them; without her influence, they were unable to maintain their existences. Staying too long in another person’s mental world was a dangerous gamble.
Once they self-destructed, they dissolved and were absorbed into me. Perhaps as a result, I have inherited fragments of John’s memories and Barulk’s curse magic. I cannot quite control them yet, but there is no doubt both will be useful. I intend to put them to work in the future.
Gwen crossed her arms as she listened to my explanation. She tilted her head with an air of nonchalance.
"I thought that might be the case. I figured they were the right men for the job, but I guess it just wasn't meant to be. Honestly, Lord Harvelt, aren't you just a little too invincible?"
"Hardly. If I drop my guard for even a second, I will die."
Complacency was the greatest enemy. I had slain many foes who were so certain of their victory that they grew careless. Every Hero I had fought until now possessed the strength to kill me. Had the smallest detail gone differently, I would have been the one to fall. I had no intention of being arrogant enough to believe myself invincible.
"Anyway, what brings you here today? Don't tell me you’ve started to miss me?"
"I have wiped out every beast on this continent," I said, ignoring her joke. "You are the only one left."
Gwen’s smile deepened. She licked her lips with genuine delight.
"—Ooh, impressive. I’d expect nothing less from the Demon King."
Despite the news that her comrades had been slaughtered, Gwen was in high spirits. It was as if she had been waiting for this report. She had likely predicted this outcome the moment she was captured.
(Or perhaps she simply has no interest in low-ranking beasts.)
Based on how it felt to fight her, Gwen occupied a high rank even among her kind. The human-type beasts were certainly formidable, but none of them had been a true match for me—and certainly none of them surpassed her.
Gwen’s expression suddenly went flat as she posed a question.
"Do you plan to kill me too?"
"No. What I want from you is information. I want to know the objective of the Beasts of the Outside World."
"Sure thing. I’ll tell you, just this once."
Gwen agreed instantly. Rather than being troubled by the question, she seemed almost eager to talk. Suspicious, I scrutinized her expression, but I could not read her true thoughts.
"...You are being surprisingly cooperative."
"Let me ask you this: do you really think I can afford to be stubborn in this situation? It doesn't take a genius to see that if I try to be difficult, things will turn very ugly, very fast."
Gwen shifted her gaze from me to the Institute Director.
Multiple versions of the Director were working with pleasant smiles on their faces. They moved across the walls and ceiling, their numbers fluctuating constantly. However, at least one of them was always staring directly at Gwen—an unblinking, smiling surveillance that never wavered.
Gwen gave a weak laugh and hugged her shoulders. It was no wonder she was mentally exhausted. This was not an environment where one could find any peace of mind.
Still, I was grateful that it made her more inclined to talk. Perhaps the Director had a natural talent for interrogation. If I framed it as a branch of her research, I might be able to delegate that kind of work to her. She seemed capable of extracting information with remarkable speed.
I decided to keep that in mind as a future project. It was something I would need to discuss with my Executives before making a final decision.
"What is the objective of the Beasts of the Outside World?"
When I asked again, Gwen pointed a finger at me. She answered with a bold, defiant smirk.
"To put it simply, our objective is the predation of this world’s Demon King—in other words, you."