"…To think that hero would fall. Considering he hasn’t returned using teleportation magic, it’s safe to assume he’s been killed."

"That skill of his was the most extraordinary among the heroes of history…"

"This only proves how absurdly powerful this new Demon Lord must be."

It had been ten days since the hero assaulted the Demon Lord's castle. The fact that he hadn’t returned, despite possessing teleportation magic, indicated he had likely been defeated—either by the Demon Lord or someone else.

"With legendary skills that strengthened humanity and weakened demons, combined with an unprecedented ability to revive after death, even that hero couldn’t…"

"We specifically instructed him to retreat immediately using teleportation magic upon death. That means his opponent must have been truly formidable…"

"No, that hero, despite his power, was immature for his age. He likely let his anger cloud his judgment and charged in without assessing his opponent's strength."

The summoned hero was arguably the strongest in history, but his mind was akin to that of a child. He could be easily manipulated with the right incentives, like pairing him with a suitable woman to keep him in line.

This time, however, his overconfidence led him to act on his own. He recklessly attacked the Demon Lord's domain alone, convinced his teleportation magic would allow for an easy escape. His arrogance and carelessness had now backfired.

"Well, no matter. For now, this means the war with the demons will continue."

"Indeed. Though unfortunate, it does bring certain advantages…"

"Yes. War generates vast profits, particularly for this empire."

The empire thrived on war and the development of weapons. As long as the conflict persisted, the demand for new arms and magic remained high, ensuring enormous profits.

"This Demon Lord may be unexpectedly powerful, but we shouldn’t have immediate concerns."

"Exactly. The Demon Lord's domain is far from the empire. It’s unlikely the war will reach us. And if needed, we can always summon five more heroes."

"Indeed, we’ve stockpiled an ample supply of magisteel crystals for just such emergencies."

Summoning heroes required vast amounts of magic power and the rare mineral magisteel crystal. While magic could be gathered from talented mages across nations, magisteel crystals were notoriously difficult to obtain.

However, the empire had secured an abundant reserve of these crystals by consistently acquiring them—even from other countries. This ensured they could summon heroes or even a Demon Lord whenever necessary.

In fact, the magisteel crystals used for the recent Demon Lord summoning were supplied by the empire itself, though cleverly concealed to avoid detection.

"This war has become increasingly difficult to manage, especially because of that hero…"

"Indeed. Balancing the strength of humans and demons is a challenging task…"

"But we must manage. For 300 years, our clan has controlled this war from the shadows."

Yes, they were the Shadow Clan, a hidden faction within the empire. For three centuries, they had orchestrated the war between humans and demons.

"So, it was your doing that triggered this conflict between humans and demons."

"What?! Who’s there?"

"Who are you, and how did you get in here?"

"Guards! Kill this intruder immediately!"

A man's voice suddenly echoed through the room. Turning to the doorway, they saw a figure clad in dark, ominous armor standing there.

When I peered into the hero's memories, I discovered valuable information about the empire, including this "Shadow Clan."

The hero wasn’t entirely useless—he’d learned about this clan through his stealth skills, even if his understanding was limited. As for me, I lack stealth abilities. My reconnaissance within the empire had to rely on capable subordinates.

"The guards? I’ve put them to sleep," I said.

"Who… who are you? And you heard everything, didn’t you?"

"Indeed. I heard it all. It seems your clan is the cancer of this world."

This Shadow Clan was the root cause of the ongoing war. Information gathered by my team revealed the truth: 300 years ago, a nation called Waltea, where humans and demons coexisted peacefully, was destroyed.

The humans were told the demons betrayed and attacked them, while the demons were told the same about the humans. In reality, this clan manipulated the humans to destroy Waltea and altered the narrative to perpetuate the war.

All this to expand the empire’s power—a despicable but ultimately successful scheme. The empire had since grown so powerful that it could control the war entirely.

"What are you talking about? More importantly, who are you?"

Even now, they continued to feign ignorance. Their audacity was almost impressive.

‘We have no choice but to manage. For 300 years, our clan has controlled this war from the shadows.’

"That voice!"

"Yes, I’ve recorded everything—video included. Though, evidence won’t matter much in the end."

I wasn’t planning to present this in court. The recording was simply insurance.

"Now, let me answer your question. I… am the Demon Lord!"