One of the Eight Divine Brilliance (Levatein), the pride of the Empire, is a man named Ingway.
　He was a tiger beastman and was said to have mastered a profession known as secrecy.
　His current job is to search for clues to a mass demon outbreak.
　The designation was not changed when Meena was pointed out as a likely summoning art.
　The emperor felt that if the dark summoning art was real, there was no need to inform the enemy that there was a being who knew about it.
　Ingway asked many questions from Meena about the dark summoning technique.
　Perhaps it was because of the timing of Val's presence in the immediate vicinity, but Meena was polite enough to tell him.

(If you're powerful and capable, you don't need a catalyst or a summoning team, but if you're not, you have either ...... demon bones or a lot of poo.)

　They say that mere animal carcasses would be inefficient and would require a huge amount of it.

(Plus, they're more likely to be eaten by someone right away or returned to the soil, making it harder to leave evidence.)

　Why demon bones are more likely to return to the soil than those of mere animals is one of the issues that have been studied over the years.
　The one thing demons have that animals don't is magical power, but that's not the only explanation, he says.
　Ingway, who is not a scholar, stops his thoughts there and enters a forest a short distance away from the place where the ogre was massed.
　The path was narrow and the tall weeds were overgrown, perhaps because the place was uninhabited.
　An average person with no knowledge or experience would have gotten tired quickly, but for Ingway, it was no different than going on a nicely maintained, flat road.
　He's unfazed by the fact that he's dressed in a mere blue shirt and cream-colored pants, an unsuitable outfit for going into the woods.
　If anyone had witnessed him, they might have been suspicious of the gap too much.
　Ingway didn't screw up in any way that anyone would see him, though.

(Though I guess there's a good chance there aren't any left.)

　He thought inwardly.
　The Eight Divine Brilliance's people were flying around the Empire, defeating the large army of demons and then preparing for the second wave.
　If a catalyst was used that made it easy for traces to disappear, it would be more natural to assume that it had already disappeared.
　Still, he had to bet on the chance, or even a one in a hundred million chance.
　He was a born and bred Imperialist, and there was nothing but righteous indignation at the presence of a threat to his beloved homeland.
　A careful search through the forest reveals a cleverly hidden entrance to an underground passage.
　Though he had no torch, he had been trained to operate in total darkness with impunity.
　He somehow avoids using magic to create a light source.

(If the matter was over, why not just crush the basement, at least. Are you still using it, or is it an irrelevant third party?)

　The tricky part is when the innocents have established a stronghold for some reason.
　If they are bandits, they can be destroyed mercilessly, but if they have done nothing wrong, there is nothing you can do.
　The best that can be done is to give them a heads up.

(...... Is it possible that this is a trap to lure those like me who continue to investigate? In that sense, maybe I should have come to you.)

　It is unfair to demand that adventurers have both highly accurate investigative abilities and outstanding fighting ability.
　It was rare for even Yagami Akira to be capable of more than one.
　He felt a slight magical power from deep underground and narrowed his eyes.
　If he had to describe it, it was at most a hair's breadth of presence, and he firmly sensed what most of them would not notice.
　This was not his inherent skill, but rather a category of common sense in Yagamiaki.
　Killing the sounds and signs, he gingerly opened the wooden door to find a suspicious little man in a black robe happily standing in front of a yellow giant.

(A yellow-skinned, black one-eyed giant ...... troll?)

　Trolls are considered to be a higher level demon than ogres, and they are far more skilled and fast moving than ogres.

''It's done, I've successfully summoned a troll. ...... It's a good thing I've been able to summon a troll. If I can do that, I'll rise through the ranks.

　Ingway thinks his summoning skills aren't too bad since he can summon trolls, but his ability to detect signs seems lousy.

(But we can't overlook that.)

　An imperial knight should be able to deal with at least one or two trolls, but it would be very painful if they sent a herd.

''Now, let's get you to spit out everything from your name, organization, and purpose.

　He calls out from behind him, and the man turns around with a jerk.

'Hey, what?　You?　Who are you?　How long have you been watching them?

I asked the question.

　Ingway spoke low and coldly to the violently upset black robes.

''If you meekly tell me everything, I'll leave you out of the pain.

Oh, are you nuts?　Can't you see this troll in your eyes?

　The black robes wave their arms and the troll's black eyes turn to Ingway.
　Apparently it is properly controlled.

''Don't you think you can summon and control the trolls ...... enough power to use it for the sake of the people and the nation?

　When Ingway spoke to him in a stern voice, the black robes were furious.

'Duh, shut up!　Isn't it the Empire that rejected my suggestion that the Ogre would be more reliable as a defensive force and treated him as a danger to itself?　I wanted to move up in the Empire, too: ......

　At the end, Yngwie feels like he's gotten a glimpse of his true feelings, and he's surprised.
　Deciding that this might be a good time to negotiate, he reveals his name.

''Then it's not too late to do it now, is it?　I am Yngwie of the Eight Divine Light (Levatain). If you tell me everything, repent, and swear to work for the Empire, I will ask for a pardon from you, Your Majesty.

　His offer would have been a wishful thinking for anyone who wanted the Empire back.
　But the Black Robe exclaimed.

''Ingway of the Eight Divine Light!　If I kill you, I'll become a career woman.　Brace yourself!

...... yeah?

　Yngwie, who had thought he was going to be begging for his life, was shocked.

'Come on, troll, kill the man in front of you!

　The troll moves according to the summoner's orders.
　Despite their massive bodies, they are faster than swallows and approach Yngwie.
　In most cases, those who face the trolls are taken aback by this speed, and are killed in the blink of an eye by their slow reactions.　
　But this does not apply to Yingwei.

''No, why do you think you can beat me with a troll degree?''

　He wondered and sifted his right arm at high speed, dismembering the troll's massive body.
　The troll died a quick and easy death before he could understand what had been done to him.

Are you really from the Empire: ......?

　If there were ten thousand trolls, it would be a different story, but it was an unbelievable feeling to think that a single person could deal with Yagami Akira.

I am... I am...

　The black robe suddenly begins to suffer and falls to the spot.
　When Ingway approached suspiciously, he was already out of breath.

'...... That's creepy. On top of that, it's disgusting.''

　He doesn't hide his disgust and spits it out.
　It's one of those things that you might want to ask Meena for her opinion.
　For that, he should have Val's ear.