A chilly atmosphere lingered in the conference room.
â⌠Letâs start the meeting then.â
In that atmosphere, I declared the start of the Demon Kingâs Army meeting in a stern tone.
âOf course, since I just joined the Demon Kingâs Army, I donât know the agenda of our meeting. So, Iâll have to ask Dmir Khan to direct todayâs meeting.â
When I finished speaking, Dmir Khan, who had been watching me for a while, quietly opened his mouth.
âYes, please leave everything to me.â
Unlike before, his attitude had become quite polite.
âââŚâŚ..ââ
Not only that, but most of the executives were hesitating and staring at me. Thanks to their gazes, I struggled to maintain a calm expression.
âFor now, everything is going well.â
Earlier, when Dmir Khan asked me if I was the Demon King, I avoided his questioning and refused to give a concrete answer.
Because of this, the executives couldnât ascertain my true identity, and couldnât determine whether I was the Demon King, or just another strong individual.
If they served me as the Demon King when I was not, that would be disrespectful to the real Demon King. However, it would also be problematic if they treated me disrespectfully in the event that I actually turned out to be the Demon King.
Of course, thatâs exactly what I wanted.
Since Dmir Khan mistook me for the Demon King, I wanted to adopt that role and use it to weaken the Demon Kingâs Army, but he had a way to contact the Demon King.
So, if I openly pretended to be the Demon King, I would soon be exposed.
However, if I dropped slight hints while not really confirming anything, they would come up with that scenario on their own.
Of course, because they couldnât confirm anything, they would go crazy trying to verify it, but that was not my concern.
âThen, for the first topic on our agendaâŚâ
While I was engrossed in such thoughts, Dmir Khan cleared his throat and announced the first topic of the meeting.
âThe whereabouts of the Hero, who has recently appeared in the world again, is still unknown. Have any of you executives found anything in regards to this?â
The executives started looking at each other.
âIt seems that no one knows. Then⌠I will ask those who have currently infiltrated the Church and the Imperial Family. How is the investigation going?â
Dmir Khan asked while frowning slightly. Then a woman with the name tag of âIntelligence Executiveâ stood up and began reporting her findings.
âThe Church of the Sun God is as incompetent as always. The paladins and priests go around the Capital and provinces every day to ask around, but instead of trying to find the Hero, they only take money.â
âWell, in the first place, the Pope is on our side, so they have no choice but to be incompetent.â
The Pope seemed to already be a member of the Demon Kingâs Army at that point in time, based on what Dmir Khan muttered.
The future of the Empire seemed quite bright, seeing that the leader of the largest denomination, which exerted influence not only in the Sunrise Empire but also on several other continents, supported the Demon King.
âHowever, there is a variable, the Saintess. What does she think of the Hero?â
Dmir Khan, who was grinning earlier, asked a question in a serious tone. The same question that I was pondering over as well.
As expected, the existence of the âSaintessâ remained a great trauma to the Demon Kingâs Army, thanks to the legend of the First Saintess from a millennium back.
âThe Saintess said that she would go on a journey to find the Hero herself. Of course, itâs quite doubtful whether the âPure-White Saintessâ will make a difference in the search alone, but sheâs definitely trying.â
âIt seems like sheâs in quite a bit of a rush.â
With those last few words, the woman concluded her report and sat down. The man seated next to her then got up.
âThe Imperial Family is struggling quite a bit. They spent a third of the Imperial Knightâs funds on the search quest for the Hero, and they promised a huge bounty to those who would manage to find him. They are also in contact with several guilds from the Underworld.â
Upon hearing that, Dmir Khan asked with a mocking expression on his face.
âWell, arenât they in a hurry?â
âWell, if the Demon King appears, and the Empire collapses, the absolute power theyâve enjoyed till now will become meaningless. The Imperial Family does their best⌠when it comes to matters that threaten their authority.â
I truly agreed with the manâs word that I was nodding my head involuntarily. Then Dmir Khan asked one more question sternly,
âThen what are the chances of them finding the Hero first?â
âItâs not that high. The Imperial Family is more active than the Church, but they are mostly incompetent. However, we have to be vigilant against the âImperial Knightsâ and the âThird Imperial Princessâ.â
After the report was finished, the man sat down as Dmir Khan turned his gaze towards me. He then cautiously asked.
âUh⌠Do you have any advice for us, Lord Frey?â
â⌠Advice?â
Dmir Khan, who had suddenly asked me for advice, shook his head and began to explain further.
âIsnât your family the âDescendants of the Heroâ?â
After saying that, Dmir Khan and the other executives all turned to look at me with a slightly expectant expression on their faces.
âWell⌠I donât really knowâŚâ
However, I couldnât reveal the truth here, so I tried to change the subject, but suddenly, a good idea crossed my mind.
Of course, I wasnât sure whether this would work, nonetheless, I decided to give it a try. And after a pause, I started speaking with a serious expression on my face.
â⌠Oh, come to think of it, thereâs a phrase thatâs been passed down from generation to generation to each Head of the Starlight Family.â
âA phrase passed down from generation to generation?â
When Dmir Khan heard that, his eyes gleamed as I began adding some details to the story, thinking that if I made it realistic, I could easily deceive them.
âYes, I just found out about it a few months ago, as soon as I became the Provisional Lord of the Family.â
âSo, what the hell is that phrase?â
Just as Dmir Khan began to urge me, I gave an order to the man sitting at the edge of the table with a stern expression on my face.
âYou there. Go bring me a pen and paper.â
Instantly, an icy breeze began to blow in the conference room.
âCo-Commander. Donât get angry.â
âYes, if you get mad here, youâre going to die.â
Eventually, when the executives sitting beside him implored him to stop, I started to feel strange and asked Dmir Khan a question.
ââŚWho is he?â
âHeâs the Commander of the Combat Executives. Not only is he one of the top executives in the Demon Kingâs Army, but he also used to be our Third-in-Command.â
Thanks to this, I thought about apologizing for a moment, but if the Second-in-Command of the Demon Kingâs Army decided to apologize to the now Fourth-in-Command, it might appear as a sign of weakness. Thus, I decided to double down instead.
âCanât you hear me? Didnât I tell you to bring a pen and paper?â
With my status now only being below the Demon King, I commanded him in an arrogant tone. Upon hearing that, the man riddled with scars clenched his fists.
âUnderstood.â
After a while, the man answered in a trembling voice, then slowly got up from his seat. After grabbing a piece of paper and a pen, he approached me.
âItâs a cheap quill. Prepare something better next time.â
I took the quill and paper from him, and without even sparing him a glance, I beckoned him to return to his seat and ordered Dmir Khan.
ââŚHuff.â
The Commander of the Combat Executives, who had been grinding his teeth for a while, returned to his seat, as he exhaled a hideous breath.
âHave you ever seen this text?â
âHey, isnât thisâŚ!â
Ignoring the Fourth-in-Commandâs antics, I wrote a few letters on the paper and showed it to Dmir Khan. The moment he saw that letter, his eyes widened in astonishment as he muttered.
âArenât those the letters used by the Hero from 1000 years agoâŚ?â
âYes, this text has been passed down through our family from generation to generation.â
âThen do you know the meaning of this sentence?â
As I spoke seriously, Dmir Khan asked me a question with an extremely anticipated look on his face.
âOf course, I know. Only a little of it, though.â
After I finished my preparations to deceive him, I coughed and started talking.
âA thousand years later, the world must find an orphan woman. AndâŚâ
âAnd then?â
When I blurted out those words, Dmir Khan hurried me as cold sweat ran down his spine. I looked at him and shook my head sadly in response.
âIâm sorry, but the text is cut off from here.â
âAhâŚâ
Dmir Khan let out a pitiful sigh.
âThe fault lies with my forefathers, who put a restriction on the text just in case. But I know how to find the remaining text.â
âIs that true!?â
When I uttered those hopeful words to him, Dmir Khanâs eyes began to sparkle once more. And at that moment, I sensed the success of my plan and started talking with a smile.
âFind all the inscriptions in the âRuins of the Heroâ that exist in the Western Continent. Thatâs the key to uncovering the truth.â
âUnderstood.â
Dmir Khan, who bowed his head at those words, declared to the stupefied executives.
âAt last, we finally have found a clue in our search for the Hero. Of course, that requires your cooperation.â
Having said that, Dmir Khan took a deep breath and opened the map on the desk as he began his planningâŚ
âFrom now on, we will be mostly active in the Western ContinentâŚâ
âWait.â
A woman possessing the features of a typical demon, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, suddenly stood up from her seat and interrupted him.
âLemerno, waitâŚâ
âWho are you?â
Dmir Khan tried to stop her, but I interrupted and asked her questions in an icy voice.
âIâm Lemerno, a pure-blooded demon in charge of strategies and tactics used by the Demon Kingâs Army.â
â⌠Hoh.â
After hearing her introduction, I focused my eyes and used my â°Inspectâą skill on her.
[Stats]
Name: Lemerno
Strength: 6
Mana: 6
Intelligence: 9.2
Mental Strength: 5
Passive Status: None
Disposition: Strategist
Goodness Stat: -80
ââŚShe was the one who got crushed by Serena.â
After looking through her information, I recalled that she was the strategist who fought head-to-head with Serena in the previous timeline.
âWell, she was more of a toy than an opponent for Serena.â
Of course, the battle was supposed to be a head-to-head fight, but it was no exaggeration to say that she was one-sidedly crushed by Serenaâs brain.
According to the First Heroâs words recorded in âProphetic Bookâ, their relationship is similar to the one between âZhuge Liangâ and âSima Yiâ.
Even the fact that the Sunrise Empire commanded by Serena ended up being destroyed is similar.
I couldnât be sure, but I believed that there was someone like Serena back in the world where my ancestor, the First Hero, used to live.
âIt may sound disrespectful, but I donât think I can trust the information you gave me.â
Of course, Lemerno is not incompetent. Looking at her now, isnât she the only one who is protesting against my claim?
The only reason she lost so horribly to Serena in the past was because Serena is a âCheat Characterâ.
âWhy canât you trust my information?â
Thanks to her, I felt slightly on edge, and in a low voice, I asked her a question.
âThen let me ask you a question. Lord Frey, could you please share with us how to decode that text?â
Then she looked straight at me and said that.
âItâs difficult. Only direct descendants can decipher the letters left by previous generations.â
âWhy?â
âThere is an ancient magic cast upon the Starlight Family. It is a similar magic to the Moonlight Familyâs âCurse of Obedienceâ or the Sunrise Familyâs âOathâ.â
When I calmly responded to such an unexpected question, Lemerno asked while frowning slightly.
âThen, please tell us why the âkeyâ is knowing these specific characters in the ruins of the Western Continent.â
âThatâs⌠you donât need to concern yourself with. You just have to follow the basic rules of the âmilitary,â and follow my orders.â
I tried to make excuses once again, but when I saw Lemerno, who was looking at me with squinted eyes, I changed my strategy and opted for the strategy of shamelessness.
Because that was her goal.
Deliberately asking and repeating questions that were difficult to answer, eventually goading me into a web of lies and excuses.
In the end, a flaw would inevitably be created in my story, and Lemerno, who was aiming for that moment, would immediately catch on to that flaw and break apart my lies.
So, in order not to get caught up in her schemes, I needed either a perfect alibi or an overbearingly brazen attitude.
Of course, in the current situation where I could only improvise, it would be best to take advantage of the power that came from my current position and force her to drop the matter.
âThatâs why I canât trust your information.â
However, she refused to back down and responded in an icy voice.
âUntil now, our members kept relying on uncertain information.â
âUncertain information?â
âYes, I have only carried out these unknown and ambiguous orders that are believed to be issued by the Demon King, whose identity has not been revealed. Thanks to that, the Demon King Armyâs morale continues to decline.â
Upon Lemernoâs words, the other executives began to nod their heads quietly. Apparently, there must have been quite a lot of restlessness due to the Demon King.
âBut since you are also providing unreliable information, there will be an âinformation imbalanceâ. And that will eventually make the Demon Kingâs Army unstable. Soââ
âAre you saying you canât trust him?â
As she continued her story, Dmir Khan, who had been quietly listening, interrupted our conversation.
âAre you saying that you canât trust Lord Frey, the highest-ranking executive in the Demon Kingâs Army and the current Second-in-Command?â
â⌠The Starlight family is a Family of Heroes who lights up the darkness.â
When she said those words, the atmosphere began to go out of controlâŚ
âThen, what should I do?â
âHuh?â
I quietly raised my hand to stop the conversation between the two of them and spoke to Lemerno in a solemn tone.
âCan I earn your trust if I show you the right âevidenceâ?â
âYes, with the right evidence⌠Everyone will be convinced.â
As she answered and looked around, all the executives began staring at me.
A clear suspicion dwelled in their eyes.
ââŚThey certainly are trying hard.â
As a last resort, she seemed to have chosen the strategy of instilling doubt in the executives while pretending to be doing the right thing and sticking to her place.
If I didnât address it, the seeds of doubt would eventually start to grow and endanger my authority.
Doubt is a feeling that is more powerful than any other. A feeling that inevitably arises without end unless it is completely crushed.
So, I had to remove those seeds of doubt.
Using an emotion that was far stronger than the feeling of doubt.
âArenât I already showing you the evidence?â
âWhat do you mean?â
After hearing my words, Lemerno frowned slightly and asked.
Perhaps she already instinctively sensed that her plan to instill suspicion in the executives was going awry.
Of course, even if they felt it, nothing would change.
âDmir Khan, tell everyone what the evidence is.â
With that in mind, I gave an order to Dmir Khan, who quietly bowed his head next to me.
He was a cunning and opportunistic person, but at the same time, he showed blind loyalty to the âDemon Kingâ, so he should have already understood what I meant by âevidenceâ.
â⌠The fact that we are still alive is proof enough.â
When Dmir Khan spoke, everyone present in the conference room froze at the same time.
Then I gave them a beaming smile and questioned the man who handed me a pen and paper earlier.
âThere, you, whatâs your rank?â
â⌠Iâm one of the top executives and the Combat Executivesâ Commander of the Demon Kingâs Army.â
âAlright, so if you fight me⌠how long do you think youâll last?â
Hearing those words, the man pondered for a moment and then responded in a low voice.
âAt first, I was expecting to last 3 to 5 minutes⌠but after witnessing your duel, I doubt that I can withstand a single strike.â
As I watched the executivesâ faces turn pale in shock, I blurted out a statement nonchalantly, acting as if it were nothing special.
âI can decapitate all of you with one swing of my sword now.â
Of course, it was a lie.
Before I could swing my sword and kill them all, my life force would run out.
âDo you want that to happen?â
The executives, who obviously didnât want that to happen, began to look frightened.
Of course, they must have noticed that I was already fiddling with my sword as I swathed it with stellar mana.
âIâm well aware that you are suspicious of me. In one day, a human became the Second-in-Command of the Demon Kingâs Army⌠not to mention, he is the descendant of the First Hero.â
Seeing them murmuring, I started talking in an even deeper voice.
âPerhaps you may even suspect that I am the Hero.â
Of course, they must have suspected me as a spy rather than a hero. However, for those who lost their ability to judge the situation due to their fear, what I say now will be engraved as the truth.
âBut if I were the real hero, I would have already killed you by swinging my sword once⌠Why would I bother becoming the Second-in-Command of the Demon Kingâs Army?â
Having said that, I looked at everyone as the executives began avoiding my gaze.
âSo curb your unnecessary doubts. If you continue to argue even after this, then Iâll consider it as a challenge to my rank.â
When I concluded my declaration in a cold tone, all the executives bowed their heads in front of me.
ââŚâŚ.Ugh.â
Now, among the executives, Lemerno alone held a cold expression on her face.
Most of the executives were suppressed by fear, but Lemerno seemed to be unhappy with me yet again.
âWell, sheâs still useful, so Iâll use her until she becomes too big a hindrance⌠If she keeps getting in the way, Iâll kill her.â
After making up my mind, I smiled proudly and muttered the thoughts that suddenly flashed through my mind.
ââŚFor some reason, working in the Demon Kingâs Army is quite suitable for me, isnât it?â
While I was engrossed in such absurd thoughts, Dmir Khan, who was next to me, faked a cough and continued with the meeting.
âThen, the next topic.â
Seeing the image that Dmir Khan showed to everyone, I started smiling quietly.
âIn the slave market that will be opened soon, we will secure slaves for the Demon Kingâs Army.â
â⌠Like I would let that happen.â
I still didnât know what the Demon Kingâs intentions were to make the Chief Executive, but I had no intention of ever being swayed by the system, variables, or the Demon King.
So, from now on, I would disrupt the Demon King Armyâs plans as much as possible.
It was a good thing to do, and it also relieved some of my stress.
.
.
.
.
.
Shortly after the meeting, most of the executives left the hall.
â⌠Sir Dmir Khan. Can you spare me a moment of your time?â
Lemerno, who remained in the conference room until the end, spoke to Dmir Khan, who had also stayed behind.
âI know what you want to say.â
Dmir Khan, who was looking down at the desk with a piercing gaze, answered in an icy voice.
âI canât trust Frey. Heâs hiding so muchââ
âWhat if heâs our Demon King? Then what will you do?â
Lemerno tried to persuade him urgently, but Dmir Khan interrupted her and began speaking.
âThe Demon King I have met so far has always been hiding their identity. Their appearance, status, and even their own voice.â
Lemerno couldnât say anything because no one except Dmir Khan had ever met the Demon King in person. So, she stopped speaking for a moment and began listening to his words.
âAll I know is that person has the same height and build as Frey⌠and uses the same arrogant tone as him.â
Lemerno, who frowned at those words, said with an absurd expression on her face.
âAre you trying to convince yourself with such weak circumstantial evidence? From the beginning, such things could easily beââ
âFrey is the first âMagic Swordsmanâ to appear in history.â
But upon hearing his following words, Lemerno quietly shut her mouth.
âBoth his sword skill and magical prowess are simultaneously at the pinnacle.â
âBut, last time, you said the Demon King erased your attack with just a flick of a finger.â
After hearing Dmir Khanâs statement, Lemerno shook her head and tried to refute him.
âWhile Freyâs battle today was literally mythical, it took more than lifting a finger to erase your attack. Soââ
âI have something to tell you about that.â
However, after cutting her words off once again, Dmir Khan started speaking with a serious expression on his face.
âThe Demon King has a ârestrictionâ.â
âA restriction?â
âI donât know what kind of restriction it is⌠Seeing how the Demon King continues to hide their identity, the fact that they donât share the Heroâs identity, and various other actions, it is clear that an unknown force is putting some kind of ârestrictionâ on the Demon Kingâs actions. â
Having said that, Dmir Khan finished his speech with a confident tone.
âAnd⌠Itâs the same with Lord Frey.â
âWhat?â
âDidnât you feel it too? When Frey talked about the Heroâs identity earlier, he intentionally avoided the topic.â
â⌠Ummm.â
Hearing those words, Lemerno looked back on her memories and fell into deep thought.
âWell, itâs too early to be certain⌠But if my guess is correctâŚâ
Looking at Lemerno, Dmir Khan smiled and whispered gently.
ââŚFinally, the Demon King has reappeared in the world.â
Truly, it was the moment when an unprecedented misunderstanding was born.