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Leaving Governor Forne of Veiria to his own strange endeavors, I decided to focus on organizing the Demon Lord’s Army’s forces. In the end, military might is what truly matters.
I gathered the Demon Lord’s Army’s high-ranking officers and held a regular meeting.
From Knight Commander Baltze to the veteran soldiers of the DogfolkCorps, I had all key figures attend, regardless of rank.

“Rolmund’s regular army is small but elite. Furthermore, they’ve incorporated mercenary and knight corps that have surrendered under their banner.”

While the citizen militias and guards in each city have their daily duties, mercenaries and knights are pure warriors. We can assume they’re ready for action at any time.

Amidst a sea of demons, I pointed to the materials Kait had posted on the wall.

“Each mercenary group is a small unit of no more than a few dozen people at most, and the knightly orders that were directly under the Senate are much the same. The smallest of them, the Saint Nicht Memorial Knight Order, has five knights.”
“Five?”
“It was formed by spinning off personnel from the recently established Saint Morteus Knight Order, so it seems that was the limit. Well, they’re accompanied by spearmen and other support troops, so the total force is about twenty.”

Hearing this, Baltze couldn’t help but sigh.
The Dragonkin probably couldn’t stand seeing such an inefficient group.

It seems Eleora reorganized this chaotic force using the Rolmund military system.

“Currently, both the mercenary corps and the knight orders have been reorganized into units of one hundred each. I’m not entirely sure of the exact numbers, but I’d guess there are about three thousand in total stationed at Worngang.”

The fact that every single one of them is a professional makes them quite a threat.
They know exactly how to act in any given situation without needing to be told what to do.

Kait then showed him another document. It depicts something resembling a gun; this is the appearance of the “Magiarms Staff.”

“This is the weapon used by the ‘Magiarms Battalion,’ the imperial guard order directly under Princess Eleora. Rumor has it they call it the ‘Magiarms Staff.’”

While many details regarding its performance remain unclear, we have a rough idea of its range. It seems to have a shorter range than a bow, or perhaps its power diminishes more rapidly.
Otherwise, it would have blown the castle gates to smithereens from beyond a bow’s range.

I speak up.

“All we know for sure is its power, but it’s considerable. Depending on the conditions, it could likely inflict a fatal wound on a giant with a single strike.”

The group shows a slight flicker of unease. Facing a weapon of that caliber means they’ll need to rethink their tactics.

“We need to somehow seize this and have the Demon Lord’s Army analyze it. Since it’s likely a magical device, we’re currently summoning experts. That’s all I can say for now.”

Then Schula, the commander of the Crimson Scale Cavalry, raised her hand.

“By the way, Lord Veit, has there been any diplomatic outreach from the Rolmund side?”
“Not yet, Lady Schula.”

To be honest, I’m at a loss myself.
I thought they’d say something once they’d brought the nine northern cities under their control…

But if Princess Eleora intended to stop at just controlling the north, she would have sent an envoy to the south long ago.
The fact that she hasn’t made her intentions clear yet means her true intentions is something she doesn’t want us to know.

“From my direct contact with Princess Eleora, she struck me as quite ambitious. We can’t let our guard down.”

Schula, praised as one of the most beautiful women among the Dragonfolk… though I can’t really judge that myself, nodded anyway.

“Understood. If necessary, I’ll dispatch the troops stationed in Grünstadt. Please request them at any time.”
“Thank you.”

After that, I listened directly to reports and requests from each department before returning to my office. Since I’m working for both the Demon Lord’s Army and the Council, I’m incredibly busy.
I used to dream of a carefree life as a vice-commander, so how did things end up like this…?
I was boiling water to make some tea before tackling the Council’s paperwork when Aylia arrived.

“Princess Eleora has requested a meeting with the Council. She says, ‘As the representative of Rolmund, I wish to consult with the Southern Federation regarding the future of Miraldia.’”
“It’s finally here. Let’s get ready right away.”

I won’t even have time to enjoy a leisurely cup of tea, but this looks like it might move things forward a bit.

The meeting was set to take place in the ancient capital of Vest, a city near the buffer zone between the north and south. It’s a northern city.
Given that they didn’t invite us to Worngang, where the fighting took place, there might be something there they don’t want us to see.
There’s no guarantee the councilors won’t be attacked during the meeting, so I’ve decided that only I and Aylia will attend. Our escort, of course, will be the Werewolf Squad.

The ancient capital of Vest is a picturesque city reminiscent of a tourist destination in pre-modern Europe.
It is a “tropical paradise” built by slaves who fled the bitter cold of Rolmund. As if the joy of their escape had exploded, the townscape was filled with intricate details everywhere. There are many elaborate sculptures and fountains.

“It’s a lovely town, isn’t it, Sir Veit?”
“Indeed. I’d like to make the new district of Lüenheit look like this too.”

The meeting is taking place at the Governor of Vest’s mansion, where I’ll be reunited with Princess Eleora for the first time in a long while.
Today she was dressed in a gown. Seeing her like this, I couldn’t help but admire her—she truly looked like a princess. Though she’s scary on the inside.
Next to me, Aylia exuded a faint sense of tension. Her expression was calm, but her aura was different from usual.
It seemed that Princess Eleora’s dangerous nature was obvious even to Aylia.

Princess Eleora, with an elegant gesture, invited us to take seats by the sunny window. She explained that in cold Rolmund, the south-facing window seats are reserved for nobility.
But from all around the conference room, I could sense the faint sounds and scent of armed men.
I assume they’re guards, but I can’t say for certain they aren’t also assassins.
The window seats are dangerous.

“Speaking of nobility, there is no one more noble than Her Imperial Highness. We’ll be quite content with the seats at the back.”

I chose a seat where we wouldn’t be targeted by a sniper from the window and had Aylia sit down.

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Lady Aylia, Lord Veit. I am deeply grateful that you so graciously accepted this sudden invitation.”
“It is an honor to meet you as well, Your Imperial Highness Princess Eleora.”

Yes, officially, this is our first meeting.
I tried my best to appear calm, but she remained perfectly composed.
It seems that the families of kings and emperors really do have a different way of training their minds.

After brief introductions and small talk, the real negotiations began.
Being a commoner of humble origins, I was nervous on the inside, but I did my best to tackle the negotiations.

“What kind of relationship does the Miraldia Liberation Army hope to have with the Southern Federation?”

Princess Eleora answered my question—which was laced with obvious wariness—with ease.

“As I am merely a supporter of the Liberation Army, I do not have the authority to answer that. However, for Rolmund, the protection of our people is of the utmost importance.”

She seems intent on skillfully playing to her position to avoid being pinned down. This sly vixen.

Well then, I’ll just have to press the attack.

“So, specifically, what is Rolmund’s policy on this matter?”
“The descendants of the Rolmund people are concentrated in the north. It would be illogical to demand submission from the Southern Federation. We wish to build a good relationship with the Federation.”
“That’s excellent to hear.”

I nodded cheerfully.
I’m definitely not buying that.

Just then, Aylia casually interjected.

“There are many demon race residents in the Federation. How do you intend to handle relations with them?”

Oh, right. I’d forgotten. How could I be this useless when I’m the representation of the demons?
Eleora replied with an elegant smile.

“Of course, I promise they will be treated as citizens of the Federation. They are free to visit cities under the Liberation Army’s control as well.”

Since the demon race is despised by the citizens of the North, in reality, it’s not that easy for us to go there. That’s probably why she’s making such a light-hearted promise.

We asked Princess Eleora all sorts of questions, hoping she’d slip up, but her answers were nothing but textbook responses.
She generously conceded on points where she could, and for unreasonable demands, she gently refused with plausible excuses like, “I’m not the leader of the Liberation Army, so I can’t decide.”
Conversely, she casually asked us a series of questions, trying to figure out our hand.

At this point, my amateur negotiation skills reached their limit, so I left it to Aylia and just sipped my tea.
Though the two of them were having a calm, rational conversation, beneath the surface, a fierce battle was raging.
You couldn’t tell from the content of their conversation, their expressions, or their tone of voice, but with a werewolf’s sense of smell, I could tell from the scent of their sweat. This was the scent of someone fighting an enemy with their life on the line.
Amid the tense atmosphere, I maintained a blank expression and endured it with all my might.
This was terrifying.

As a result of the negotiations, the Rolmund Empire and the Miraldia Federation agreed to establish friendly relations. They also said they would call on the Liberation Army to cooperate.
We signed several agreements, and for the time being, peace will be maintained.
To avoid unnecessary conflict, it was also decided not to increase troop numbers in cities near the border.
That said, we have deployed a massive number of Skeleton Soldiers to the front lines, and they have stationed their main forces in the fortress city of Worngang.
If we intend to clash, we are ready for war at any moment.

On the way back, Aylia sighed.

“Princess Eleora really is something, isn’t she?”
“Yes, I wasn’t able to secure any favorable terms or information. But thanks to you, we managed to avoid putting ourselves at a disadvantage. Thank you.”
“Someone as clueless about politics as me could never have done that. For the latter half, I was just nodding along—I barely understood what was being discussed.”

Then, perhaps her tension had eased, Aylia finally smiled.

“I’d be honored if my inexperienced and clumsy negotiation was of even the slightest help. Let’s keep working hard together from now on.”
“Yes, it looks like this will be a long battle. Lady Aylia, I’m counting on you.”

It looks like tensions will remain high for a while, both diplomatically and militarily.