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The Undying Legion Commander was the very first commander to die in the last war.

Naturally, since he died relatively early on, he had no idea how the war ended.

Before being torn apart by the Faceless Hero’s spear, the Undying Legion Commander had hidden a spare Life Vessel in his quarters just in case.

To incite the greed of any intruders who might stumble upon it later, he disguised it as a plausible artifact.

Indeed, years later, a clueless adventurer would inadvertently touch the Life Vessel, and the first thing the barely resurrected Undying Legion Commander did was gather information about the current era.

The Undying Legion Commander was shocked to learn that the war had ended years ago, twice as stunned that humans were still walking around freely, and utterly horrified to discover that the war had concluded with humanity’s victory.

After some frantic digging into the Demon King’s army, he found that most of the commanders had lost their lives at humanity’s hands, the Demon King had vanished without a trace, and the remaining troops were practically defeated rabble that the Dragon Legion Commander barely managed to wrangle.

For the Undying Legion Commander, who remembered the Demon King’s army as a once-powerful force that drenched over half of humanity’s territory in blood, these revelations were nothing short of unbelievable. Most unbelievable was the news that the Demon King had suddenly disappeared during the war.

The Ragnarok Plains battle had seen all the remnants of the Demon King’s army and the Human Alliance engaged in fierce conflict.

On that day, the Demon King was supposed to lead the charge to annihilate humanity, yet for some unknown reason, he chose to stay in the Demon King’s Castle and observe the situation, ultimately never showing up until their defeat.

Up to that point, he thought it was somewhat understandable.

After all, the Demon King had always been a wild card.

Such overwhelming power that even the mightiest commanders were regarded as insignificant. A cold demeanor that showed no interest in his subordinates, utilizing them merely as needed.

He realized that, as a mere mortal, he should never attempt to understand the Demon King.

However, when he heard that the Demon King had left behind only traces of a struggle against someone, he couldn’t help but wonder if he was misinformed.

The signs of terrible destruction had left the once-magnificent Demon King’s Castle in ruins, leading him to understand that the Demon King must have fought a formidable foe. Yet, the crucial detail was that neither the Demon King nor the body of his opponent could be found.

If the Demon King had faced an enemy alone, it was only natural that the adversary could have vanished without leaving a corpse.

Then where had the Demon King disappeared to?

Surely, that couldn’t be true… could it be that the Demon King had been defeated?

Had that Ascendant lost his life to someone for reasons unknown?

The Undying Legion Commander’s doubts were mirrored in the Demon King’s army. That’s why the Demon King’s army could not settle the chaos internally, even years after the war had ended—they were still in disarray.

There were loyalists who believed the Demon King was still alive and would return someday.

Then there were revolutionaries who accepted the Demon King’s death and insisted that the second most powerful Dragon Legion Commander should be crowned as the new Demon King.

In the midst of it all, as permitting humanity’s incursions would surely lead to their demise, the Demon King’s army decided to conceal the Demon King’s disappearance from the outside world and entered into a humiliating truce with humanity.

At this point, the Demon King’s army had become nothing more than a band of defeated soldiers, and it was no surprise that the current state of the monster realm was hardly any better.

This was the truth of the last war’s outcome, and also the reason why the Undying Legion Commander had not returned to the monster realm after his resurrection, choosing instead to lurk in the Ionia Kingdom.

After all, it was a mess there. What was he supposed to do? Might as well continue his ascension preparations right here.

And if the Demon King had truly fallen, then becoming the new Ascendant and pushing the Dragon aside to become the next Demon King would surely be beneficial for the Demon King’s army as well.

And now.

Right before him, the long-missing Demon King appeared before the Undying Legion Commander.

‘He’s alive…!’

And not just anywhere, but in the mental realm of the Demon King’s enemy, the Faceless Hero.

Wait a second, can we even say he’s alive?

If it’s just a thought form, it means the original body has already vanished from this world, and what’s in front of him is merely a disembodied soul.

If that’s the case, then doesn’t it mean he no longer has his original power as the Demon King?

An irreverent thought began to slink up in the Undying Legion Commander’s mind. He had merely bowed to the Demon King’s power and obeyed. There was no way a black magic elf from the Great Forest could bear any loyalty to a distant Demon King.

“Hm….”

Had the Demon King caught onto those thoughts of his?

The aura emanating from the Demon King changed.

The world began to be engulfed in an endless darkness. It felt as if the entire world was shaking as if an earthquake had struck.

The Undying Legion Commander immediately buried his head deeper.

Thinking back, wasn’t he also in a similar state as a thought form without a body? If they were in the same situation, it was only natural that the Demon King’s soul was far greater.

[A lowly servant stands before the absolute ruler of the demon realm, the magnificent Demon King your Majesty!]

Only then did the Demon King’s aura subside.

However, the Demon King showed no signs of happiness or satisfaction at the Undying Legion Commander’s full-body bow. There should have been a proper manner expected from a lord when a subject pays their respects; yet there was no nod or glance, only indifference.

That was only natural. No one shows grace for what is expected. Were there even humans who gleefully worried over a bug crawling on the ground? Only when it displayed its teeth to bite did they think, ‘See?’ That was the nature of the Demon King’s psyche.

With his head still lowered, the Undying Legion Commander carefully spoke.

[Your, your Majesty. Your subordinates are still searching for you with great urgency. Why do you remain alone in this humble place…?]

The Demon King gestured silently.

At the same moment, the Undying Legion Commander’s arms were crushed.

[Khrrgh…! W-Why…!]

In the realm of thoughts, the firmness of the body equates to the firmness of the soul. The bones of the Undying Legion Commander, who had fed on countless sacrifices to bolster his soul, should never have broken as easily as a twig.

But when faced with the supreme existence of the Demon King, the result was unavoidable. Thus, the Undying Legion Commander’s question shifted from “How did he crush me with just a gesture?” to “Why did he crush me?”

The Demon King replied in an arrogant tone.

“You’re bothersome. Do not dare speak without permission. It is unpleasant.”

O-only such a reason…?

Had the Demon King’s temperament worsened during his absence? In the past, when his subordinates risked their lives to offer counsel (which was really just nagging), he’d merely sat on his throne, pretending to listen.

Yet the Undying Legion Commander did not know.

The reason for the sudden change in the Demon King’s demeanor lay entirely with the Undying Legion Commander himself.

Within the Demon King’s army, only a select few had long served the Demon King and noticed this truth: the Demon King was particularly lenient towards the beautiful.

And most commanders were high-ranking demons, all of whom were good-looking. Even the Dragon Legion Commander, who was originally a dragon, was rumored to be a breathtakingly handsome figure when in his polymorphed form.

The Beast Legion Commander, who resembled an anthro creature, was the only exception, but the Demon King made no judgments based on looks; he admired the unyielding fighting spirit instead, showing him leniency as well.

Once, the Undying Legion Commander had been beautiful too.

As a high elf from the Great Forest, he was a promising heir poised to become the next Archmage—akin to a prince of a nation among humans. During the war, he had been a slender, green-haired pretty-boy, exuding a decadent aura typical of black mages, fulfilling the Demon King’s aesthetic sense.

But now, he was nothing but a skeleton, so it was only natural that every time he opened his mouth, he would irritate the Demon King’s mood. Unaware of this fact, the Undying Legion Commander felt a tinge of injustice but figured, what could he do? He should have just not become a lich.

“Bugs hold no right to speak. I will ask the questions, and you will only answer.”

[…]…

“Not answering?”

[Y-Yes, Your Majesty!]

Only answer the questions!

… He wanted to protest, but if he did, the next thing to be crushed would be his nice skull.

Despite having gained countless experiences, the Undying Legion Commander had never actually died in the mental realm, so he was a bit curious about what would happen if he were to die here. However, he had no intention of sacrificing himself just to satisfy his curiosity.

“Explain in detail how you came to this place.”

The Undying Legion Commander tilted his body as a sign of submission.

A long, deep sigh escaped.

“So it was that the once-stubborn one couldn’t endure his fate and came to find me, I see… how disappointing. Is there truly no one else who could have kept me waiting this long?”

The Demon King leaned back against his shadowy throne.

However, the true form of the Demon King was completely hidden in deep darkness from the Undying Legion Commander. All he could see was a mass of long, flowing black hair that stretched down to the ground, dark as shadow.

“Do you understand? I am most disappointed right now. If you wish to keep that pitiful soul of yours, you must hope that the story you tell will please me.”

[A-Ah, understood…!]

The Undying Legion Commander felt his palate, which no longer existed, dry up and opened his mouth.

Of course, even if he opened his mouth, he lacked the vocal cords and tongue to produce sound, so they merely exchanged thoughts.

[What happened was….]

The Undying Legion Commander detailed everything that had transpired before the Demon King.

Naturally, he omitted the part about planning to become the next Demon King through ascension, instead saying he had sought ascension for revenge against humanity.

That wasn’t entirely a falsehood, so it was a clever lie that he was risking his life for, but the Demon King seemed completely uninterested in that part, as if it did not even register.

After hearing how he had entered the mental realm to seize the body of the Faceless Hero through the ascension ritual, the Demon King reacted.

“You’ve done a pointless thing.”

This was the only time during the lengthy conversation that the Demon King showed any sign of disapproval.

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