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Even after that, whenever I found some spare time from work, I made trips to Schaldir.
I tried to act as amiable as possible, but I couldn’t shake the feeling I wasn’t exactly welcome.
It seemed to me that lately, my bad reputation had spread too far. This was making things difficult.
No matter what I said, I felt like it was being taken the wrong way.
With that worry in mind, I went to greet Aram in Schaldir once again.

“Please forgive me for dropping by so often.”

I glanced at Aram’s face—he looked pale again today.

“Regarding that matter from the other day, I still haven’t…”
“No need to worry, I’m in no rush for an answer. Today, I brought some silverware as a gift. I heard that Lord Aram is a man of fine taste.”

Aram accepted the intricately designed spoon and fork set, looking even more pained than before. He looked paler than usual today.
Judging by that expression, whatever meal he ate with this silverware wouldn’t taste like much.

For now, I’d just have to visit regularly and get him used to us.
If relations with the Miraldian Alliance remained strained, eventually Aram would have no choice but to consider the Demon Lord’s Army as an option.
That’s what I had thought, but Aram’s demeanor today was strange. He looked deeply troubled.

“I… I do not intend to expose the people of Schaldir to danger…”

Aram suddenly muttered under his breath, and I found myself puzzled.

“What troubles you, Lord Aram?”
“Though it seems as though you’re leaving the choice to me, this is really… a trap…”
“A trap?”

“Y-Yes. If a high-ranking officer of the Demon Lord’s Army keeps visiting so often, word will eventually spread through Miraldia. People will say that Schaldir is friendly with the Demon Lord’s Army.”

I see. That’s one way to think of it.
But isn’t he overthinking this a bit?

“Please calm yourself, Lord Aram. I visit discreetly, with only a few men, and unofficially. No one will notice.”
“No! I-I cannot allow relations with Miraldia to sour any further! I cannot negotiate with the Demon Lord’s Army anymore!”

I had thought him a timid nerd, but he was surprisingly brave. A little worked up, sure, but still.

“Schaldir is a member of the Miraldia Alliance! We do not betray our allies!”

I had been trying to keep negotiations civil, but he outright rejected me.
I guess I’d been more intimidating than I realized.
At this point, my only option was threats. The usual plan: a little intimidation, then a quick concession.

I began to slowly transform into a werewolf. Seeing my monstrous form, Aram turned pale as a sheet.

“Lord Aram, are you saying you reject the Demon Lord’s Army’s offer?”
“Y-Yes!”

Aram clenched his fists, trembling violently.

“I, Aram Sūq Shazaf, am prepared to fulfill my duty as a governor! I do not fear you, S-Slayer of Four Thousand!”

For the record, that was four hundred. And I only personally killed maybe three of them.

“Prepared, are you?”

I stepped forward, and Aram flinched.

“I-If you must kill, then k-ki-kill me! But I won’t let you lay a single finger on the citizens!”

I hate to say it, but his skill as a warrior is barely above an amateur. From how he moves, he’s definitely weaker than Aylia.
Yet here he was, glaring down a werewolf like me. That told me just how serious he was.

This was the second time I’d met a leader willing to risk his life to protect his people, the first being Aylia.
So this guy wasn’t just some scheming nerd, after all. His passionate spirit surprised me.
Come to think of it, if he were a true schemer, he wouldn’t have dared to violate the treaty and gather private soldiers. Maybe he wasn’t cut out for intrigue.
I’d better make sure.

“So you’re saying you’d stake your life for the people of Schaldir?”
“I-I do!!”

He was shaking all over, but his eyes never lost their fire.

“You demons are strong, that’s true. But strength alone won’t bend humans to your will! Killing me won’t be enough to take Schaldir!”

He was right.
Among demons, the strongest warrior leads the pack. If the leader falls, their successor is always the next strongest. Leadership inevitably suffers.
But human leaders are different. Take one down, and someone just as capable, or even more capable, might replace them.
This difference is one of the things that makes humans so hard to conquer.
And that’s why demons can’t win against humans.

Aram was far more passionate than I’d expected. I didn’t expect him to speak so candidly.
Fine, no more threats. Let’s try speaking honestly, reason to reason, not for leverage.

“Don’t worry. Neither I nor the Demon Lord wish for bloodshed.”

I couldn’t exactly say “the entire Demon Lord’s Army,” given how the Second Division operates.

“When we took Lüenheit, only seven guards died. Not a single citizen was harmed. And yes, I admit we killed four hundred Tübahn soldiers, but they were the ones who invaded Lüenheit.”
“I-Is that true?”

“It is. And if we were truly as ruthless as the rumors say, Lady Aylia would never have allied with us, would she?”

That must have struck a chord. Aram fell silent.
I pressed on, letting out some of my pent-up frustration.

“Dominating humans isn’t our goal, and we’re not calling for your extinction. It’s humans who keep trying to wipe us out. We had no choice but to rise up.”
“M-Maybe that’s true, but…”
“The Demon Lord seeks coexistence. Unlike with Miraldia, we hold no grudge against Schaldir. I truly believe this could work.”

But Aram frowned and bit his lip.

“Still… if I ally with the Demon Lord’s Army, the people of Schaldir will be endangered. I have a responsibility to protect them.”

Well, that makes sense. If he recognized coexistence with demons, it’d turn the whole world order upside down. The rulers of Miraldia, who benefit from the status quo, wouldn’t easily allow it.
That said, we demons don’t want to be wiped out either. We need to secure a place where we belong.
And for that, we’ll resort to violence if we must.

“I feel the same way. Demons are being driven from their homes by humans. We have nowhere left to retreat. If you ally with us, the Demon Lord’s Army will help protect Schaldir. Let’s change this era together.”

Aram bit his lip so hard it was turning purple. The furrow between his brows deepened.

“Change is important, I know. Like a boat on a river, staying in the same place forever isn’t possible. But if you ride a current that’s too fast, the boat will capsize. That’s what my predecessor taught me, along with how to ride those currents.”

So that’s why he was always acting like a schemer—he was following his predecessor’s teachings.
Playing a character that doesn’t suit you must be exhausting…

“If we ride the current of coexistence with demons, the great ship called Miraldia will surely capsize. And the small boat that is Schaldir may flip over too.”

I shook my head.

“That won’t happen. Come to Lüenheit and see for yourself. Demons and humans are living together peacefully. If we proceed carefully, we can walk this path together.”

But Aram stood silent, unmoving.

“Just… just give me some time to think, please. I’m not trying to stall—I really need time to think. And to consult with others.”

I didn’t sense any lies from him. His expression was deadly serious.
I decided to take his words at face value.

“Very well, take your time. As long as you don’t try anything rash, we won’t interfere with Schaldir again.”

I had full authority over the southern front, so I could make promises like this. In Aram’s case, less pressure would be best.

Aram stared at me, then finally spoke.

“Who… are you?”
“Just one of the countless vice-command in the Demon Lord’s Army.”

I turned my back to him.

“We’ll meet again, Lord Aram.”

On the way back, after making my dramatic exit, I was deep in reflection.
Lately, I’d gotten arrogant. I’d been careless with my words, too quick to intimidate. Maybe I’d grown overconfident in my werewolf powers.
Also, perhaps constantly dealing with betrayal and hatred had left my heart hardened.
I really shouldn’t always rely on tricks. Sometimes, speaking honestly is important.

Anyway, I was glad Aram seemed like an honest man. I couldn’t let my guard down yet, but judging by that exchange, negotiations could continue.