That night, I made my way to a certain battlefield.
Word had reached me that a destruction phenomenon, likely the Imaginary Savior, had manifested during a skirmish between the Demon King’s Army and a foreign military.
They had somehow succeeded in repelling it, so I decided to investigate the details in person.
When I teleported to my destination, I found myself in the middle of a vast, desolate wasteland.
Undead were prowling the area. Most of them were ghouls clad in armor. The corpses were all fresh, staining the earth with thick, dark pools of blood.
A battle took place here.
These roaming undead were likely soldiers who had fallen in the recent conflict. They glanced my way but continued on their path, paying me no mind. They didn't attack because they were under the control of a necromancer from our own ranks.
The Demon King’s Army counted many practitioners of necromancy among its numbers. While it was a discipline generally reviled by the public, its utility on the battlefield was undeniable. As demonstrated here, it could even be adapted for reconnaissance.
Because I possessed the Authority of the Dead—a far superior ability—I rarely had reason to cast it as conventional magic. Still, there was no denying its convenience.
I made my way through the undead detection network and soon spotted what appeared to be an abandoned village up ahead. Campfires fueled by magical light illuminated the ruins. This was the contingent of the Demon King’s Army that had been deployed to this region.
Far from their main base and in the middle of a campaign, the soldiers were busy grilling meat over iron plates. The atmosphere was celebratory; laughter and boisterous cheers rang out through the night.
They certainly are resilient.
Near their camp, corpses were stacked in high mounds. Every single one of them was an enemy soldier. They were likely the excess that the necromancers hadn't been able to reanimate yet.
The number of undead a caster can control at once fluctuates based on their individual skill. While there were several casters in this unit, even their combined efforts weren't enough to manipulate every corpse on the field. Nevertheless, the number of undead currently patrolling the perimeter was significant, suggesting the casters here were quite capable.
Speaking of necromancers, I’ve heard some strange rumors lately...
Unconfirmed reports claimed that Grom and Yura had been gathering subordinate mages with the aim of elevating the social standing of necromancy. Word was that they were regaling others with exaggerated tales of my exploits to preach the discipline's merits. Furthermore, they were even said to be conducting intensive training sessions for those who hadn't yet mastered the craft.
I had tried to broach the subject with them before, but they had been evasive. Given how suspiciously they had acted, the rumors were likely true. I suspect they want to bolster the Demon King’s prestige by promoting the very school of magic I am most associated with.
It was exactly the kind of thing those two would pull. My plate was too full to deal with it now, but once things calmed down, I intended to have Luciana conduct an internal investigation.
As I stood there lost in thought, the soldiers finally noticed me. They scrambled to their feet and hurriedly prostrated themselves, likely expecting a lecture for their noisy celebrations.
One man, however, approached me while casually carrying a bottle of alcohol and a hunk of meat. It was Henry, his face flushed red as he laughed. He addressed me between mouthfuls of meat.
"Hey, Boss. It's not every day we see you out on the front lines."
"I have a few concerns."
I answered Henry while simultaneously weaving several detection spells. I swept the entire region, using the abandoned village as the focal point. I examined the area meticulously from every conceivable angle, yet I found no trace of the Imaginary Savior. The only things my magic picked up were the lingering scars of the battle.
Having turned up nothing of use, I let the spells dissipate. Meanwhile, Henry took a long swig of his drink before asking a question.
"Find what you were looking for?"
"I have discovered that there is nothing to be discovered."
Henry pulled a confused face at my answer. He took another bite of meat and chewed in silence for a moment, swallowing slowly before speaking again.
"...Is that supposed to be a joke?"
"I am perfectly serious. Negative results are still an important part of verification."
I nodded, then decided to shift the topic. "I heard you managed to intercept our mystery attacker."
"Yeah. That thing actually managed to give me a chill this time..."
Henry’s tone turned serious as he began to recount the events.
The contingent of the Demon King’s Army stationed here had been utilizing undead to drive back the forces of a neighboring nation. They had held the upper hand throughout the engagement and were on the cusp of pushing the front line forward to seize more territory.
But just as the battle was drawing to a close, a section of the army was hit by a sudden, devastating strike. With no warning whatsoever, the undead began to explode, triggering a chain reaction that sent a wave of destruction rippling through the ranks.
As the commanding officer on site, Henry had rushed to the epicenter immediately. Sensing a presence, he let fly several arrows, but the destruction didn't stop. He said the arrows seemed to pass straight through the phenomenon, as if it weren't there at all.
Despite that, Henry refused to back down, continuing his barrage. Even while he was focused on scattering the enemy soldiers, he continued to search for a way to quell the destruction. He rallied his subordinates, coordinating his efforts to strike out in two directions at once.
His men later described his prowess as being like that of a fierce god.
Following a chaotic and brutal struggle, the Demon King’s Army finally succeeded in forcing the enemy into a full retreat. By the time the enemy was gone, the destruction phenomenon had vanished along with them. Since then, they hadn't encountered any more mysterious attacks.
And that was how the Demon King’s Army, under Henry’s command, had managed to repel the Imaginary Savior.