The Demon Realm, one of Auterica’s subsidiary dimensions, was not particularly large.
Even taking its entire area into account, it was only about the size of the Ion Continent at most.
On top of that, there was no such thing as an ocean to begin with.
From the countless demonic beasts roaming about like wild animals, to plants that had evolved into something closer to monsters and actively hunted prey.
In a way, it was only natural that the combat strength of the demon race living in this barren world had increased.
‘I can understand why they’re always eyeing the surface.’
She had not been in the Demon Realm for long, but nothing had impressed itself on her more keenly than that.
Hella let out a small sigh as she looked down at the bizarre food laid out before her.
To think she would actually see something she had only ever encountered as an exaggerated scene in comics.
“I’ll pass, so take it away. If it’d be a waste to throw it out, you can eat it yourselves.”
“Understood, Lady Hella.”
First of all, there were far too few things to enjoy here.
Gourmet dining was merely a pastime for a few of the upper classes, and even that was not of particularly high quality.
Since demons did not need to eat in the first place, cooking had developed solely in the direction of effectively stimulating the sense known as taste.
‘Of course, the limitations of the ingredients are probably the decisive factor.’
The servants cleared away the trays of food and withdrew.
Even then, Hella clicked her tongue as she glared at the eyeball embedded in the unidentified dish that stared at her to the very end.
‘Their cultural life is lacking, too. At best, all they do is beat each other up like gladiators in a coliseum or gamble on it.’
In an environment like this, even if there were demons who liked art or enjoyed literature, it would be difficult for them to show it openly.
For that matter, it would be hard for them to even come into contact with such things in the first place.
“Hmm, I’ll need to make some suitable adjustments in this area as well.”
A rich culture was one of the means that made it easier to govern the masses.
Of course, in this Demon Realm society where martial power was valued above all else, there would be no one who dared ignore the Demon King’s orders, but surely there was a world of difference in efficiency between reluctant obedience and active participation.
‘Of course, that’s all something to think about later.’
Hella slowly looked around.
Paintings, sculptures, armor of rare design, and more.
This space, decorated with all manner of artworks that were difficult to find in the Demon Realm, was not the castle of Dallun, the first city she had visited.
“My apologies, Lady Hella. Since we are limited to cooking with ingredients that grow naturally in the Demon Realm…”
“It’s fine, Cromwell. I’m well aware of that.”
Hella casually waved her hand at the man who approached her side and bowed respectfully.
A humanoid demon with the lower body and horns of a goat standing on two legs, and rectangular pupils.
The place she was in now was the territory ruled by that viscount-class demon, Cromwell.
With Dallun’s assistance, the influence she had begun rapidly expanding had already reached even this demon who loved art.
“More importantly, how is the work going?”
“Of course. I, Cromwell, pride myself on having the widest connections in the Demon Realm. Due to the unstable political situation, those of count rank and above will be difficult, but if it’s anyone below that line, arranging a meeting is as easy as cracking a goblin’s skull.”
…Was that comparison a Demon Realm proverb?
It was a bloody expression that made one think, as expected of demons, but it was not hard to understand that he meant it would be an easy task.
‘In any case, I’m lucky. To obtain such a talented person so quickly.’
Cromwell, a viscount-class demon who was a master of spatial magic and had formed ties with many figures through his excellent sociability.
He was part of the neutral faction, belonging to none of the others.
Thanks to that, he was a valuable asset who could easily build bridges not only with those of the same neutral inclination, but also with those belonging to factions that were hostile to each other.
‘In truth, rather than coincidence, I should call it inevitable.’
After all, that broad network of contacts even included Dallun, a baron-class demon.
Cromwell, who did not avoid meeting others, had readily accepted Dallun’s request for an audience, and what happened after that was exactly as it appeared now.
“It’s important that you move discreetly. It’s not yet time to attract attention.”
“Please do not worry. I’ve always been a free spirit who enjoys meeting and conversing with all sorts of people. No one will find it strange now.”
The Hella faction, newly beginning to sprout in the Demon Realm, was steadily expanding its power even at this very moment.
The demons who had come under her command continued their existing faction activities on the surface, while internally they ignored all previous affiliations and built a new chain of command.
‘There’s no need to worry about betrayal from within, either. There’s a limit to what information the rank and file can know.’
The heads of each force, as well as the leadership beneath them, had already fallen into her grasp.
It still took considerable effort to obtain noble-class demons, but demons of lower rank than that did not take much time at all.
In that process, it was also no small gain that spies planted by each faction confessed and turned over to her side.
‘As expected, when it comes to getting used to anything, using it often is best.’
That was not limited to the 「Eye of Domination」, but applied in other ways as well.
Even if she had been born with immense potential and achieved transcendence from the start, time was essential to adapt to a completely new body in order to bring out its abilities to the fullest.
Because of that imbalance, it was true that until now she had been somewhat lacking for someone who called herself the Demon King.
Strictly speaking, she could not deny that she had been a one-trick pony whose only trick was her charm ability.
But that too was now a thing of the past.
《The Demon God gazes down upon you.》
That gaze was surely proof of it.
Whether because he had been that busy, or because he had considered Hella still insufficient, the Demon God, who had remained quiet even right after she entered the Demon Realm, had finally begun to show interest in her.
“Very well. Once the work is done, I’ll give you plenty of artworks made by other races, as well as pieces from other worlds, so I’ll be counting on you.”
“Ooh! Artworks from other worlds! I, Cromwell, shall devote my life to carrying out Lady Hella’s orders!”
Cromwell, a demon who loved art so much that each time he was summoned to the surface, he received precious works as payment and collected them, bowed with disciplined excitement.
Hella, having raised her subordinate’s morale and efficiency with a suitable reward, gave a small nod.
Cromwell, who possessed exceptional ability in handling space and held a pro-humanity mindset, was a key talent who would later help the Hubert Company advance into the Demon Realm.
If she kept him well tamed from now on, he would be useful later.
“Ah! Lady Hella. There is one more matter I must report.”
“Mm? What is it?”
At the cautious words of the future Demon Realm branch manager of the Hubert Company, Hella blinked and tilted her head.
At the loveliness that naturally flowed from each of those small gestures, he bowed his head deeply once more and did his best to calm himself with a deep breath.
Cromwell had already once used every flowery phrase imaginable to praise her beauty at their first meeting, only to be thoroughly beaten for it.
Having experienced Hella’s nature with his entire body, he had to be careful with every word he spoke.
If he made a wrong move, he might get himself pointlessly marked by his new lord, who had the makings of a tyrant.
“We have made secret contact with ‘Dream Walker.’ As you said, they responded as though they had been waiting. They say all preparations to welcome you whenever you come are already complete.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
At those words, Hella’s eyes widened, and she smiled with satisfaction.
Secretly expanding her forces here was important, but that matter was just as important as well.
“Then there’s no need to delay any longer. I’ll head over right away, so make preparations.”
“As you command.”
Dream Walker.
That place was both a powerful force led by a marquis-class demon.
And the stronghold of the succubi who had produced Leraie, the Fourteenth Demon King, Hella’s root.
***
The Rosellia Great Temple, located in the holy land of the continent.
“…Mm, strange. Was it my imagination after all?”
Liesta, the Saintess of the Main God Church, who had been praying in the worship hall, frowned and tilted her head.
“I’m certain I sensed something back then…”
It had happened only a few days ago.
As always, while devoting herself to her work and keeping close watch on the state of the continent in preparation for the Immortal King’s schemes, she had sensed something foreign.
‘I’m sure it was closer to the demon worshiper side than the undead side. I could feel it for a while, but now it’s disappeared completely again.’
Because of that, even now, whenever she had time, she was putting effort into tracking whatever she had sensed then.
No matter how busy she was, she could not simply ignore an unknown threat after sensing it.
‘For now, I have no real clue other than the Tulk Kingdom.’
With a small sigh, she lightly shook her head and left the chapel.
There was far too much she had to do right now to cling blindly to something that was not even certain yet.
After the colossal giant that had attacked Tarak was brought down, the white giant incident that had terrified the entire continent came to a complete end.
Because of that, Saintess Liesta, who had been with the task force to quickly respond to the appearance of the white giants, once again stepped back from the field, but that did not mean her workload had decreased.
Immediately afterward, an “Apostle of an Evil God who crossed over from another world” had attacked the Rosellia Great Temple and caused great damage, and the Conclave to select the next Pope had only just ended not long ago…
“No, wait. Tarak?”
As she continued that line of thought, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
Until now, that place had been merely one of many candidate locations, but a sudden intuition began shouting at her to keep watch over Tarak.
“Mm, Tarak.”
It had already been worthy of being called a large city before, but after the continent-scale giant merchant group known as the Hubert Company made its nest there, it had become one of the key strategic locations that grew even more rapidly.
Needless to say, the importance of Tarak, now the center of logistics connecting the central empire and the kingdom alliance of the west, was immense.
‘…As expected, I can’t simply ignore this.’
The Saintess nodded firmly and began walking again with long strides.
She turned around and went back into the chapel she had just left.
Ever since the previous Pope, now departed into the embrace of God, had fallen ill, she had been at the summit of this enormous Church.
Although many people, including the cardinals, had helped her, that fact would never change.
Because of that, there had been many times when she suffered in secret, crushed beneath that weight…
‘Now I don’t have to struggle all by myself.’
Now, she had someone who could share her burden.
A Saint of the Church who, like the Saintess, had been chosen by the Main God and acted in His stead, and the Knight of Light granted the destiny of striking down the Immortal King, the absolute evil that threw this land into chaos.
“—Lord Heinrich.”
Kneeling demurely, she clasped her holy symbol tightly and closed her eyes.
In order to contact the most dependable person in this world.
[…Saintess? What is the matter? Has something happened to the Church?]
[Ah, I’m sorry for contacting you so suddenly. There is something urgent I need to tell you…]
As their conversation continued—
Without her even realizing it, a faint smile formed on her lips.
***
A space where various magic circles had been installed, allowing the state of battle in different regions to be grasped at a glance.
Across that spacious area, handsome men and beautiful women, each with distinct individuality, moved busily about.
Until now, they had somehow managed to endure by maintaining balance with the other factions, but recently that balance had collapsed, and the situation had begun spiraling out of control, leaving them terribly busy.
“…Did the contact go well?”
“Yes, Matriarch. We were careful several times on our side as well as Cromwell’s, so there are no major issues with security.”
A tired-looking woman in her early thirties had been watching the scene for some time.
When she turned and stepped out into the corridor as she spoke, a handsome horned man dressed like a secretary followed behind her and answered.
She slowly nodded at that, then once again asked the other woman who had been with the secretary.
“Siana, you’re certain that person truly possessed the Queen’s essence?”
“Yes, Matriarch. I confirmed it with my own eyes.”
“Huh… I had merely been clutching at straws. Are you saying it truly remained on the continent?”
Siana, who until recently had belonged to the Army of Immortality and devoted herself to work in the Immortal Castle.
She had now returned to her homeland, the Dream Walker territory of the Demon Realm.
To carry out the dispatch duty personally ordered by the Immortal King.
And to bring an end to a search mission that had continued for hundreds of years.
“You have rendered a great service, Siana. To think you would actually accomplish it. Well done, truly well done.”
“…No, I didn’t do anything. I was only an errand runner…”
“That alone is enough. If you had not risked danger to infiltrate the Immortal King’s command, and if you had not ultimately earned his trust, even this connection would never have come to be. If the one who possesses the Queen’s essence had so much as made contact with another faction…”
The matriarch of the succubi shook her head with a look of dread.
At that excessive praise, an embarrassed crack appeared across Siana’s composed face.
Though she had dressed up her report in all sorts of ways, the truth was that all this time, she had simply been captured by the Immortal King and worked like a slave.
“But is the one who bears the essence truly that extraordinary?”
“…Yes. Shameful as it is, I did not dare to measure it. To be honest, it would not be an exaggeration to say I was overwhelmed the moment I faced her. The form I saw was like…”
Siana, who had begun to speak, suddenly found her words blocked.
Like… what had she been about to say next?
Swallowing the words that had tried to escape without her realizing, she opened and closed her lips.
That legendary name was not one to be spoken carelessly.
Much less in front of the matriarch, who had lived in the same era as that being. It was a taboo that must never be uttered.
Just as she froze for a moment, seized by sudden panic—
“Matriarch! We have received contact from Cromwell.”
As if rescuing Siana, an urgent voice rang out from the side.
The incubus secretary following behind the matriarch with her pressed a finger to his temple and furrowed his brow.
“What did he say? He intends to come here, does he not?”
“…Yes, that is correct.”
“Good. Time was of the essence. We should have sent him our access code in advance. So, when is he coming?”
“…Yes, well…”
Just then, their steps came to a halt at a place where countless teleportation arrays had been installed.
In a situation where war was being waged in real time, this place, through which most troop transport took place, was one of the most important strategic facilities.
Even now, wasn’t a group of reinforcements preparing to hurry to a precarious battlefield?
As the matriarch checked over the entire situation with sunken eyes, the secretary’s voice flowed into her ear.
“…Now.”
“Hmm?”
And no sooner had those words ended—
Ziiing—
A teleportation array in one corner began to glow, emitting a noisy vibration.
Spatial movement itself was an extremely abstruse mystery, so activating it even once took no small amount of time.
No matter how much a magic circle assisted it, an unavoidable delay was bound to occur in the process of efficient energy distribution.
Wuuung—!
But the phenomenon unfolding now was lightly ignoring all of those processes.
The time that should have taken several minutes was compressed into mere seconds, and the necessary intermediate steps were skipped as it arrived directly at the result.
What made that possible was magical knowledge that could be called the very pinnacle.
And near-infinite—truly overwhelming—mana.
Thus, the door of space, completed in an instant, opened.
And the moment a figure finally appeared from beyond it—
“…Lereie?”
The mouth of the succubus matriarch, who had lived for over a thousand years, fell wide open.