The General's Misfortune

First Legion Commander Agner's Perspective

The movement of the elves has nearly ceased. Contact with me continues, but it is diminishing. They do not seem to have noticed anything. Given the recent instability, I speculate that a full withdrawal from the demon territory may be under consideration.

The Demon Lord, seated before me, nods quietly in response to my report.

He slowly lifts the cup of tea to his lips.

First, he savors the aroma. Then, he drinks.

His expression does not change. Yet, he appears satisfied.

I inwardly release a breath I did not know I was holding.

He has an extraordinary standard for what he consumes. To offer anything subpar may result in consequences I cannot predict.

Even now, I do not know who he truly is.

So long as the true Demon Lord exists, this individual can only claim to be a Demon Lord by self-designation. Yet their power surpasses that of the true Demon Lord by an immeasurable degree.

I personally deployed an intelligence unit to investigate this individual’s origins.

In the end, I failed to reach a conclusive answer.

I did learn, however, that they appear to know the true Demon Lord. They are currently residing in a manor near the Demon Lord’s castle.

That manor belongs to Lord Balt.

Staying at Balt’s residence—Balt, who now serves as a retainer to the new Demon Lord—confirms a connection to the true Demon Lord beyond doubt.

Yet if that is so, why did they act upon our first meeting as if claiming to be a Demon Lord, and present themselves as a messenger of a false Demon Lord?

I do not understand.

Does not appear to be opposing the true Demon Lord. What benefit could come from secretly contacting me?

Possibility: the elves.

Something the true Demon Lord wishes to keep hidden regarding elves?

Assuming such a thing exists—what is it?

Could it become a weakness for this individual?

That is the issue.

No.

Even if it were a weakness, I cannot act.

The power differential is too great.

No matter how many schemes I devise, this individual will crush me by force.

And would hesitate not at all in carrying out such action.

Their attitude makes it clear—they see me as nothing more than a tool.

“Do not cause any strange feelings.”

When was that said?

A statement acknowledging I do not truly pledge loyalty to them.

And following those words came a muttered aside: "Too much trouble."

No matter what I do, I am seen as nothing more than a nuisance.

A high-ranking demon, having given my utmost effort throughout my life—reduced to such a negligible status.

Anger passes. I nearly laugh instead.

Am I truly nothing more than a tool?

Now, at last, I understand.

There is nothing I can do about it.

All I have built over time collapses in an instant.

I cannot stop it.

This person is likely about to bring great upheaval to the world.

The true Demon King once planned a war unlike any other—but even that pales in comparison to what this one intends.

What it is, I cannot fathom.

I have always worked to protect the worn remnants of the demon race, striving to avoid war.

When the previous Demon King vanished into the clouds, I saw it as an opportunity.

The Hero is absent. The Demon King is absent.

An opportunity such as this will not arise again.

At that time, the Demon race was not capable of war.

The same could be said of the human race.

Had both Hero and Demon King been present then, and clashed directly, the Demon and Human races might have fallen together.

I dedicated myself to rebuilding the shattered remnants of the Demon race.

Even borrowed the power of those detestable Elves.

Most of them were untrustworthy, but some truly sought peace for the world.

There was no alternative.

The situation did not permit hesitation.

Only after the race had recovered to a moderate degree did the new Demon King appear.

The purpose of this Demon King is to provoke conflict between the Demon and Human races.

Preparations for this are progressing steadily.

A normal demon lord would have been eliminated in secret by me. I could have stopped such reckless actions. But the newly ascended demon lord is a monster spoken of as the oldest divine beast.

There is no way to win.

And even that—this figure surpasses even that.

This one, too, shows approval toward the war the true demon lord seeks to ignite.

I have no means to prevent the war’s onset.

Indeed.

I have already lost before even drawing my blade.

What, then, was the purpose of all my efforts?

If war breaks out, everything I have built will collapse with a sound.

The demon race will be cornered once more.

Or perhaps my fight will only come after the war has ended.

Yes.

As long as I live, I cannot let the fate of the demon race be extinguished.

The sound of a container breaking echoed.

I looked toward the Demon Lord. The cup in their hand had been crushed.

Eyes open.

“Is something amiss?”

Had I made some mistake?

Suppressing inner anxiety, I asked.

The pupils within the Demon Lord’s eyes darted rapidly.

One of them fixed on me.

Even that alone brought pressure, as if my heart were being crushed.

“An urgent matter has arisen.”

The Demon Lord spoke briefly, then vanished through teleportation.

At that moment, sweat burst forth in a torrent.

What occurred?

Could it be that something so urgent had arisen that even they were unsettled?

I immediately summoned subordinates, increasing perimeter vigilance.

Simultaneously, I ordered intelligence gathering.

Yet no anomalies were detected. No emergency information that could have unsettled the Demon Lord was obtained.