Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

I interrogated the remaining five one by one, gradually drawing out information.

The second one went like this:
“I had a very productive talk with Mr. Közin.”

When I folded my hands on the desk, the young man shrank back completely.

“Uh, um… did I do something…?”

I gave him a pleasant smile.
“If you tell the truth, I’ll let you go home safely. But if even a single lie came out of your mouth…”

Behind me, Monsa began to transform into a werewolf.
I smiled at the young man, who had turned pale and looked ready to faint.

“You understand, don’t you?”

The interrogation proceeded surprisingly smoothly.
But of course, when it came to the core issues, they all clammed up.
It seems they’re hiding something serious—something they can’t talk about under mere threats.
So then, what now?

After the interrogations, Monsa muttered as she looked over her notes.

“Their ages and jobs are all over the place. I was sure they were part of a ‘pack,’ but now I’m not so confident.”
“The second guy talked like he knew the first guy, right? And the others seemed like they might know each other too.”

While checking my appearance in the mirror, I added:

“People wandering near werewolves with silver knives can’t just be strangers. They’re still hiding something.”

Monsa lifted her head and gave me a cheerful smile.

“Then shall we torture them?”

At her casually dangerous suggestion, I shook my head.

“Push too far and we’ll lose the people’s support. We’re hitting the limit. Release them all.”
“Huh? Really?”

Monsa looked disappointed.
So I gave her new instructions.

“Of course, we’re not letting them go for free. Starting today, shadow them all thoroughly.”
“Ooh, a stalking mission! I love it!”

She clapped her hands and beamed, but then tilted her head.

“Uh, my team’s only got four people…”
“I’ll lend you Old Wott and Hammarn’s squads. That’s twelve rotating surveillance. Got it?”
“Yessir, Boss.”

Leaving the rest to Monsa, I returned to my room on the second floor.

“Lord Veit.”

As expected, Aylia, the governor, barged in looking pale.
Behind her, Big Sis Farn shrugged. Looks like they had quite the back-and-forth during the interrogation.
Clearly on edge, Aylia rushed over to me.
Well, of course she’s upset. She’s currently submitting to the Demon Lord’s army, and that same army just crushed her fellow Miraldian soldiers. Her position is complicated.

“I heard there was fighting outside the city. Tell me the details! Also, who were those men!?”

I offered her a seat, sat down myself, and began explaining.

“Four hundred soldiers from Tübahn attacked us. Our army repelled them. The men we detained were loitering around the north gate at the time. All of them were armed with silver knives.”
“Silver knives…?”

Aylia looked puzzled, but quickly realized what that meant.

“You don’t mean—they were trying to attack the werewolves!?”
“Who knows? But that’s a fair assumption.”

Leaning back into the soft chair, I deliberately acted mysterious.

Aylia grew even more frantic.

“P-please show mercy. I don’t want to see Lüenheit’s people shed blood.”
“I feel the same way, Lady Aylia.”

With a villainous air, I gave a strained smile.

“To be honest, I didn’t want to kill the Tübahn soldiers either. But I’m a vice commander in the Demon Lord’s army. It’s my duty to fight.”

Watching the flustered crossdressing governor, I continued:

“Likewise, as someone entrusted by the Demon Lord to oversee Lüenheit, I must be firm with those who defy his rule. You understand?”

I was implying I would execute those men… or at least making it seem that way. In truth, I planned to let them go and investigate their connections.

Aylia turned visibly paler.

“W-wait! Please wait! Give us more time to investigate!”
“Unfortunately, I value public order over the truth. If someone is suspicious, they must be punished accordingly.”

She looked like she might faint, but I wasn’t here to play friends with humans. If necessary, I’ll resort to threats.

Still, too much pressure can backfire, so I decided it was time to offer a deal.

“That said, they haven’t actually done anything yet. A single, thin thread hangs down—a thread that might save them.”

I drew out my words, thinking of the old story about the spider’s thread.
It’s underhanded, sure, but considering what they almost did, I think it’s justified. Honestly, I could’ve executed them on the spot.

Aylia waited, holding her breath. A great look.

“We have no reason to spare those aiming silver blades at our throats. But if it’s your plea, Lady Aylia… I can’t ignore it either. And I do owe you for your help with city security. I’ll grant clemency.”
“Th-thank you…”

Relieved, Aylia slumped forward on the table. She must have been extremely tense.
There. That clears the debt I owed her for helping with law enforcement.
I never intended to kill those men in the first place, so yes, it was a dirty tactic—but that’s negotiation for you.

Of course, being the lowlife I am, I didn’t forget the terms of the deal.

“However, on the condition that they never pull such a stunt again. If it happens again, there will be no leniency—no arrests. Just death.”

Next time, I’ll kill them. That’s not a threat. I am going to do it.
Aylia understood that clearly and nodded immediately.

“Understood. I’ll order every organization under my authority to obey the Demon Lord’s army. Most citizens should get the message.”
“That’s a big help.”

I don’t know how effective it’ll be, but I won’t get anything more out of her.
When it comes to threats, knowing when to stop is crucial. Get greedy and you lose everything.
Now it’s up to Monsa and the others.