Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

After that, I dedicated myself to governing Lüenheit for a while.
I wanted to go report and consult with the Demon Lord though, and I felt guilty asking Master, who still wasn’t fully recovered, to handle it. I wanted to let her rest a bit longer.
Fortunately, Kurtze had his subordinates serve as messengers, so at least I could send written reports.

Midday, in the government office.

“I’m really glad you came along, Sir Kurtze. The werewolf and dogfolk units wouldn’t be able to explain what’s in the reports if asked.”
I had grown quite close to Kurtze, and I decided to treat him to some skewers I bought at a food stall. The ones with that delicious sweet sauce.
“I personally love the flavor from this stall. Hope it suits your taste.”

“It’s absolutely delicious.”
As expected of a carnivorous race, Kurtze ate with enthusiasm.
“This sweet sauce would go well with locusts, too.”

“…Yeah, I bet.”
He really does like bugs, doesn’t he? Typical of the draconian race.

After finishing several chicken skewers, Kurtze sipped my prized green tea and said thoughtfully:

“Being a trading city, Lüenheit has a rich food culture. What condiment is this?”
“It’s a sweet-and-salty sauce made by fermenting beans.”

I was genuinely happy to see soy sauce-style flavor gaining fans even in this other world.
Still, the taste is just slightly off somehow.

Nodding thoughtfully, Kurtze responded:

“This flavor might pique the Demon Lord’s interest. Could you tell me which food stall you bought it from? I’d like to offer them compensation in exchange for a small supply.”

So Kurtze really is a close aide of the Demon Lord.
If he knows even the Demon Lord’s palate, he must be deeply trusted.
I should be careful what I say around him…

“This unfermented tea is also aromatic and quite intriguing. I’d like to present this to His Majesty as well. Would that be all right?”
“Sure, I hope he likes it.”

It was a special-order tea and kind of pricey, but I handed him the whole canister without being stingy.
I still had three more hidden away, after all.

Kurtze let out a small sigh of contentment and gazed at the steam drifting from the tea.

“By the way, we’ve collected soil samples from various spots in Tübahn and Lüenheit. We plan to send them to Grünstadt for analysis.”
“Can they analyze that?”
“It’s a traditional method where technicians with highly sensitive palates assess the taste. We may find valuable mineral resources.”

Their methods are grounded in science, but their technology still hasn’t quite caught up yet.

Afterward, Kurtze and I were at the south gate, seeing off the draconian technicians carrying the reports.
Take good care of that sweet sauce and green tea. Deliver them to the Demon Lord properly.
Long live Japanese cuisine.

Meanwhile, Priest Jucht was steadily recovering.
But having been exposed to the elements for so long, his legs had weakened. He couldn’t walk without a cane anymore.
I visited him from time to time during work breaks, but he seemed mentally broken by the ordeal.

“Is it even right for a sinner like me to still be alive… I let so many of my fellow believers die. I’m just an old man who spreads nothing but suffering.”

When he muttered that, I paused to think.

Even in this world of magic, the dead can never truly be brought back.
Sure, if I asked my Master, she could resurrect them as much as she wanted, but what comes back is just a doll, a corpse without will or memory. It’s not the same person.
In theory, soul reincarnation is possible using resurrection magic, but the memory is lost, so there’s no way to verify it. It’s practically meaningless.
No matter how much you regret it, the dead will never return.

So after some thought, I gave him the only answer I could.

“You’re right—between us, we killed four hundred Tübahn soldiers.” My killings were part of military duty while his were crimes, but I left that part unsaid. “I don’t regret my actions. But if you do, then there’s only one thing to do: Go save as many lives as you’ve defiled.”

That’s the Demon Lord Army’s way.
Mistakes can be atoned for with deeds of equal weight.

Priest Jucht stared at me for a moment, then gave a small nod.

“Save the same number of lives, is it….”
“If four hundred isn’t enough for you, save eight hundred or even four thousand. Your sins will never disappear—but it’s better than dying without helping a single soul.”

I stood and bowed to him.

“I hope you recover soon and resume leading the Sonnenlicht Faith. Your followers are getting anxious.”

Leaving those words behind, I left the sickroom.
Maybe I came off a bit cold.
Eh, it’s fine.

Later, Priest Jucht returned to his duties at the temple, but his message had changed.
He used to be a die-hard collectivist, pushing intense conformity—but now, his sermon went something like this:

“I had been foolish. Unity through shared values and morals is merely human wisdom. Divine wisdom lies deeper than that. Even among those with differing values and morals, the sun still shines equally upon us all…”

I didn’t quite get it, but apparently he was now preaching coexistence with pagans and demons.
I’m not sure what caused that shift in his mindset, but thanks to it, the Sonnenlicht followers in Lüenheit had quieted down.
Even the rowdy werewolves were in a good mood lately, since everyone treats them kindly wherever they go.

Before I knew it, there wasn’t a single hostile faction against the Demon Lord Army within Lüenheit.
The city guards, the priests—everyone was cooperative now.
And that led to an unexpected development.

“Sir Veit. Might I have a moment of your time for a consultation?”

Governor Aylia visited my office that evening.
I signed the last document and gestured for her to sit.

“That sounds serious. What’s this about?”

She hesitated for once, then finally spoke with resolve.

“I would like to declare Lüenheit’s independence from the Miraldia Alliance.”
“What?”

I shot up and stared at her face.
Was she serious?

The Demon Lord Army had completely occupied Lüenheit.
Technically, though, it was still part of the Miraldia Alliance. In effect, the city was a hostage, and we, the Demon Lord Army, were terrorists illegally occupying it.
We weren’t a legitimate army or nation in the eyes of humanity.

We’d seized neighboring cities too, so only Miraldia’s main force had a real chance of freeing Lüenheit.
But if Lüenheit went independent, they’d be abandoning any hope of rescue.
Worse, it might make every city in Miraldia their enemy.

As I struggled to respond, Aylia continued:

“At the same time, we would like to officially ally with the Demon Lord Army.”
“Wait—hold on.”

I appreciated the offer, but I couldn’t help but worry for her.

“Even as governor, you can’t just decide that alone, right? Shouldn’t you think this through more?”
“It’s already taken care of.”

She pulled a bundle of letters from her coat.

“All the major organizations—the merchants’ guilds, Sonnenlicht and Ruhigermond temples, the city guard—they’ve all officially declared support for independence.”
“You’re kidding.”

The development was shocking, but as I thought it over, it made sense.
As things were right now, there was virtually no chance that Miraldia would reclaim Lüenheit.
So siding with the Demon Lord Army might be the safest bet.
Right now Lüenheit is within my grasp, but if I died and someone new took over, the city’s policies might change.
But if Lüenheit declared itself an independent city-state and signed an official alliance with the Demon Lord Army, it would ensure stability for the future.
…That being said, it was a bold move all the same.

“You really willing to gamble this big?”

I said in disbelief, and Aylia calmly placed the letters on my desk.

“Lüenheit is a trading city, a city of merchants. We assess risks and returns and make decisions based on profit.”
“And this crazy plan is your calculated decision?”

She gave me a wry smile.

“You’re the one who made us all feel this way, Sir Veit.”

Me?

“After watching how you handled the occupation, everyone judged that the Demon Lord Army was a trustworthy business partner. If you’re the intermediary, we’re confident things will go smoothly.”

Logically, yes, that makes sense, but I was still hesitant.
But then, Aylia leaned in close and whispered in my ear:

“Let us be the first city-state to back the Demon Lord Army—and let us reap those sweet, sweet rewards for years to come.”

Whoa now, so that’s her long game.
One hell of a schemer, she is.

Well then, as deputy commander of the Third Division of the Demon Lord Army, it’s time I do my job.

“Independence and alliance, as a pre-investment in the Demon Lord Army. Got it. I’ll personally report this to His Majesty.”

I held out my hand, and Aylia took it with a firm shake.
Her smile was bright and confident.