We only made eye contact, but the heavy desk shook again.
"Yuh..."
"Lirinel...?"
"Your hair!"
"..."
Was something bad?
"You tied your hair...!"
"Ah."
I felt like the gaze of the Corps Commanders was stronger than usual, and this seems to have been the reason.
... But it seems like I'm not the only one who has changed?
As I sat down, I belatedly noticed the appearance of the Corps Commanders. Somehow, the people who usually looked like 'humans' were showing off their 'demon' appearance without any hesitation. From Lirinel, who freely released the tentacles she wore around her neck like a scarf, to Myers, the 12th Corps Commander, who coolly flipped her bangs to reveal the third eye on her forehead, to Idelia, who opened the four eyes on her cheeks that she usually kept closed...
'... When I think about it, the demons I encountered in the hallway when I came here also clearly showed demonic characteristics.'
What, was this a declaration of war?
There may be no reason for that yet.
'Of course it would be better to ask.'
If we leave it as is and there is a misunderstanding, both parties will be in trouble.
At some point, I stopped tapping my fingers on the desk and looked at Lirinel. Her extremely sparkling eyes, as if she had been looking in this direction the whole time, met my gaze as if ready to listen to anything I said.
"Lirinel."
"Yes Deon!"
"Your tentacles are free today?"
"Yes! I heard that Deon said he would accept us as we are!"
... Me?
"Who said that…?"
"Myers said it!"
"I was moved when I heard it."
Dvelania, with her hair tied up, rolled her eyes and gently waved her open hands. The gills behind her ears and the web between her fingers caught my attention.
Yes, she also rarely opened her fingers in front of me. Of course, I knew that there were webs between the fingers, but... looking at it like this again, it feels amazing that she can handle thread with those hands. It's not a secondary weapon, it's a main weapon.
I was quietly looking at her hands and shifted my gaze to Myers. As soon as my gaze saw him, he froze like a statue. Since the number of times I talked to him was very small, it was easy to get lost.
That's the only time we've talked recently.
'It seems like the conversation during tea time spread that way.'
'I'm careful because it may look uncomfortable in the eyes of Deon, a human...'
'It doesn't really matter.'
... But.
I nodded inwardly, but then tilted my head for a moment.
'I've never said anything about the appearance of demons.'
Considering only the timid Myers and his polarizing lieutenants, I would have overlooked it even if I had thought of it that way, but now that I know that most demons were cautious, I have no choice but to look back on my past words and actions. The result was as expected.
'That has never happened.'
Common sense tells us that there is no way to say something about someone being fat, skinny, too tall or too short. The appearance of the demons can be seen as similar to this, but unless they lack common sense, they would not act like that.
"When did I ever say I would reject the demons?"
"That's not true, but... When you had just arrived at the Demon King's Castle, your expression hardened every time you saw the 'different' part of us..."
"Ah."
I know what it is.
It was probably because I was scared. It's okay now that I'm used to it, because the appearance of demons is scary when you look at it objectively.
Even more so, what would it be like if I had no power? It would be strange if I didn't freeze in fear.
Well, considering the situation at the time, it would have been better for my attitude to be understood as 'disgust' rather than 'fear'...
'So, except for those who had characteristics that couldn't be hidden, most people hid them.'
There was no way to explain it now. In order to do that, I had to explain why his expression hardened at that time, so I chose to talk back.
"When will the Demon King come..."
"The Demon King is here."
... They say even tigers will come if you tell them what to do.
Everyone stood up, the door opened, and the Demon King came in. He looked around the inside, confirmed that I had arrived on time, and sat down with a slight smile.
With a single gesture to sit down, there was random movement and silence came. The Demon King, resting his chin on the back of his hand with his elbows on the armrests, began to speak.
"Well, as everyone expected... Deon's break is finally over."
The type of silence changed.
Anticipation and excitement. The joy of those who were confident of victory is silence. I lowered my gaze, pretending not to notice. I felt the cube Ed had given me before coming in under the desk.
"I thought that since the Empire had fallen, the rest would be done quickly without Daeon's help, but it seems it wasn't as easy as expected. Neither the mountain country nor the fortress-locked Empire can be easily overthrown."
"..."
"So, Deon."
Red eyes rose as if responding to a call.
"What should we do?"
"..."
I think we're missing a very important procedure before that.
What if you just ask what should be done, saying that it is not easy at all? While I took a break, you should at least briefly explain how things worked and what the current situation is.
'Actually, it doesn't really matter.'
I turned the cube under the desk while making eye contact with the Demon King. With a snap, I felt the cube return to its original state.
... Honestly, I have no interest in the human world anymore.
The reason I sided with the Demon King and attacked the human world was for revenge. As long as half of my revenge was accomplished and Cruel was able to rest, there was no reason for me to be interested in the human world.
'I would like to completely disengage from the human world and focus on something else...'
I have no intention of going out and attacking anymore, and conversely, I have no intention of saving it from being trampled by demons. In short, it means that the human world is no longer a concern.
How many people have died so far and how many lives will be lost in the future... is none of my business.
That's probably why the Demon King didn't bother to explain the situation in detail. I didn't ask directly, and even if I came forward and said it, it would only increase my sense of guilt without any benefit.
I thought as I shook my leg and kicked away the blood that was almost covering the top of my foot.
'In order to achieve the goal, it is easier not to let go of overall command, and there is also a promise made to the Demon King.'
Let's just pretend to do it in moderation.
The situation was not as expected from the Demon King. It was enough to just think back on what the Demon King said a moment ago.
From what I heard, it seemed like they were targeting both Shanguk and the Empire at the same time, so I guess we'll just have to sort things out on this side first.
"It would be better to just keep the Empire in check and take down Shanguk first."
"Shanguk?"
"Yes. Rweche shouldn't be touched right now, and the fortress-locked Empire will take a long time to overthrow. There is no guarantee that Shanguk will not resort to manipulative actions in the meantime. So, I think it would be better to keep the Empire in check, destroy Shanguk first, and then deal with the Empire later."
"What is the possibility that the Empire will play a trick while destroying Shanguk?"
"The current Empire is busy taking care of itself. With the death of Eduardo Desert, the Emperor changed, and with the death of Duke Stave Illuster, the head of the noble faction, the power structure became unpredictable, and even the Capital was moved. It would be more confusing than it should be. Not only do they have no time to help other countries or think of other ways, they will rather humble themselves so as not to attract the attention of the Demon King's army."
In that case, you might think that it would be better to attack the Empire before it gets its act together...
I thought as I rolled the cube in my hand.
'We cannot overlook the fact that the Capital that must be conquered is the fortress.'
As I said, it is better to postpone it if you are not confident that you can take it down within a short period of time, considering the possibility that Shanguk may use a trick.
"Are you considering the alliance between the two countries?"
"Until the Demon King's Army arrived at the Capital and I killed Eduardo Desert, Shanguk did not show any movement. He probably broke the alliance or betrayed them before that."
Either way, it doesn't change the fact that the Empire didn't help Shanguk.
Even if the alliance was moderately terminated, as a result, the former Capital of the Empire collapsed and the former Emperor died, so it would be difficult to renegotiate, even if both parties were at odds. It would be even worse if betrayal was the cause.
3rd Corps Commander Ashild, who had been listening quietly, raised his hand.
"I remember you said that the Empire should only be kept in check."
"Yes."
"We will need troops to check, so wouldn't it be better to attack?"
"I'll say it again, the Capital where the royal family and major leaders are currently staying is a fortress. It means they are in terrain where they can easily block enemy forces."
"I know. But what does that matter..."
"If you think of it as a terrain that can easily prevent external invasions, wouldn't it be seen as a terrain that binds those inside to prevent them from easily leaving?"
"...!"
"We will be able to keep them in check even with a small number of troops."
I smiled softly.
On one side, Lirinel shook the desk and Ashild fell silent. The Demon King, who was just smiling and watching the situation, opened his mouth.
"Then let's conclude that we will destroy Shanguk first. Do you have any thoughts on how to do it?"
"Honestly, I think we can win if we just send the majority of our troops and push hard without a plan. After the collapse of the Empire, the kingdoms that became vassals of Shanguk must be shaking to protect their own country. It would be one thing to monitor and tie them up."
This is why, in difficult times, one should not make a vassal state through clumsy methods such as persuasion or bargaining. They will turn around at any time for the sake of their own kingdom and their own safety. What was absorbed for strength became poison. I sneered softly.
"But if I had to add something... it wouldn't be a bad idea to explode something that would encourage the betrayal of the kingdoms they own."
"For example, what?"
"Are you going to announce publicly that I am a hero?"
The Demon King, understanding the hidden meaning of that remark, rolled his eyes.
"Are you going to use the magic I used during your speech again?"
"Yes."
It was a magic that appears a screen across the entire continent. I don't know, but it will take a lot of magic power.
The Demon King's retort continued.
"There must be a way to spread a rumor. Is that not enough?"
"That takes too long. It can be distorted as rumors spread."
"The worse the rumor, the faster it spreads and the more distorted it becomes. If it's a bad rumor from the humans' point of view, wouldn't it be beneficial for us? And no matter how long it takes, how long will it take? I can wait that long."
"I can't wait."
Click. I put the cube down on the desk and looked straight at the Demon King.
"Human lifespan is short."
"But you are a warrior. Will you live as long as me?"
"The passage of time feels shorter the longer you live. There is a big difference between how a child feels a year and how an elderly person feels. And I'm still young. This is true even for humans with a short lifespan, so there is no need to compare them to demons. What will I do if I live for a long time? Right now, the passage of time feels long."
The more I spoke, the more the corners of the Demon King's mouth rise with joy. I continued speaking regardless.
"And the more people want time to pass quickly, the slower it feels. I don't know how long I will have to wait for word to spread, but it will be a long time as I want to get the job done as quickly as possible. And above all."
Even if you leave aside all the previous things.
"Even if the rumor spreads widely, there will be many people who think it is nonsense. The content is absurd, so I will add more. In order to finish it clearly and quickly, it is better to bring up the screen."
Undeniable truths are hammered home through audio-visual materials. Is there any other method that is as easy and quick as this?
The Demon King also nodded, acknowledging that fact.
"That's right. If you become a warrior and come forward yourself, it will be quite a shock. It must be that much easier to swing."
"No."
I shook my head.
"The person on the screen is Dan."
"Dan...?"
"Of course, I need proof that I have become a hero, so I plan to show my face on one side of the screen..."
Show your face on the screen, but do not speak. The person speaking will be Dan.
The Corps Commanders who read the meaning changed their expressions.
"Dan?"
"That human...?"
The conference room was buzzing. The Corps Commanders knew very well who Dan was. There was probably no one in the Demon King's Castle who did not know him. Dan was the first of the few humans brought in by Deon himself.
But that alone was not enough to convince them.
The long-dreamed-of path to conquering the human world has been opened. As serious as they are about the current war, most of them dared to frown in front of the strong, unlike a race that used to submit to the strong.
"Deon..."