While Saviors were rising up across the land, I was at a massive facility in the Former Demon Territory.
This site had been constructed specifically for the Demon King's Army. It boasted a scale vast enough to accommodate our ever-swelling military forces. Within the grounds were various Training Grounds designed to simulate different environments, as well as storage depots for our surplus of Undead and weaponry. The military might stationed in this region alone would likely have been enough to topple an entire continent.
I was walking through one of the facility's long corridors. Henry walked beside me; we were moving through the building after finishing a meeting. We were simply making small talk as we took a break. While we were both busy men, I felt this kind of time was important.
Henry clasped his hands behind his head and grumbled with a troubled expression. "Lately, the frequency of actual combat has been higher than our training sessions. I'm perfectly satisfied with that, but there are some guys who are starting to ask for leave."
"I’ll allow it. Let them rest in shifts. If our strength runs thin, I will handle the situation myself."
"It helps that the Boss is so quick to understand," Henry said, looking pleased.
Granting permission was only natural. These soldiers were humans. If they were forced into continuous battle, their minds and bodies would eventually break. Even I, an immortal, set aside time for rest like this. I had no intention of driving them to the point of exhaustion.
"By the way," I asked, "how is the Simple-type Gun performing?"
"It’s almost perfect. They’ve been especially useful on the defensive lines. Their power is modest compared to magic, but it’s still more than enough. They can punch through armor, and they don't require any training to use. Lately, I've even been arming the Skeletons and Ghouls with them."
Henry spoke with an air of satisfaction. The Simple-type Gun was a weapon newly developed by the Research Institute—essentially a low-cost version of our conventional guns. While its overall performance was inferior, it was much easier to mass-produce. Even with the slight drop in specs, it was well within acceptable limits. Compared to magic, bows, or old-fashioned guns, it still maintained an overwhelming advantage. Furthermore, Henry seemed to be devising clever ways to utilize them, making the most of the weapon's strengths.
We continued walking in silence for a while. As I ran through my mind to see if there was anything else we needed to confirm, Henry spoke up.
"Hey, Boss. Are we going to keep this war going across the whole world?"
"I intend to maintain it for a while. I plan to bring things to a simmer when the timing is right... do you have a problem with the current state of the war?"
"It’s not that I have a problem with it, it’s just... it doesn't feel right. I want a clear enemy to hit."
Henry stroked the stubble on his chin. I felt a slight hitch at his words.
"The nations of the world are your enemies, are they not?"
"I don't care about those guys. The one I want to go after is the one that's the fundamental cause of all this."
Henry spoke meaningfully. I didn't even have to dig for his true intent; I understood what he wanted to say immediately.
"—The Will of the World?"
"Exactly! That's the opponent we've been fighting all this time. Don't you think it's about time we finished it off for good?"
"That is a kind of law. It is not a being that possesses a physical form."
If it were a specific creature or object, I could deal with it immediately. No matter how powerful it might be, I had the confidence to destroy it. However, the Will of the World was different. It was the manifestation of human desire. There was no way to interfere in advance with a phenomenon that simply occurred.
Henry made a sour face upon hearing my assessment. He let out a frustrated groan and muttered.
"Hmm... I figured the Boss would be able to find a way..."
"I do not possess Omniscience and Omnipotence. I simply have more cards to play than the average person."
Most problems could be solved through magic, but plenty of things remained impossible. If I truly could do anything, I would never have had to become the Demon King in the first place.
"Well, if you ever have a sudden brainstorm for a secret plan, tell me right away. Let's crush the Will of the World together."
"Understood. I will keep the possibility of a solution in mind."
As I nodded to the enthusiastic Henry, a soldier approached from the other end of the hall. He saluted us and addressed Henry.
"Lord Brarkin! It is time for your next meeting."
"Oh, right. That was today, wasn't it?" Henry said, scratching his head as if he’d just remembered. He began to follow the soldier down the hall. Partway there, he looked back over his shoulder. "Don't forget what we just talked about, okay?"
"Of course."
"Good! I've got your word on it then!"
Henry clenched his fist and walked away in high spirits.
Left alone, I stopped in my tracks. I stared at the floor, lost in thought. My mind returned to the conversation we had just shared.
To kill the Will of the World, huh...
It was a prospect I hadn't even considered since I first learned the truth of its nature. I had concluded that it was impossible. It had been a rational judgment.
But Henry was different. Perhaps I needed to adopt a more flexible way of thinking like his. Without realizing it, I might have become trapped by my own common sense.
"—Hmph."
I eventually started walking again. I continued down the long corridor, returning the salutes of the subordinates I passed. Deep within my mind, I began to explore various phenomena and their possibilities.