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“Speaking of which, how goes your rule over the trade city of Lüenheit? I’ve heard reports of a minor enemy attack.”

Ah, right. I needed to report on that.
I gave an honest account of the priest from the Sonnenlicht Faith plotting to liberate Lüenheit, and of his exile.

“I see. So a clergyman was in league with the enemy.”

The demon race has no clergy. They only have a religion that worships the “Demon King,” who appears once every few decades or centuries.
The Demon King nodded quietly and commented:

“Faith can drive people to madness. In the end, isn’t rule by force the only way?”

A sharp criticism, hitting where it hurts.
If things kept going this way, my approach to ruling Lüenheit would come under fire. I hurried to defend myself.

“F-Fortunately, the unrest was minimal. By exiling the leader while allowing him to retain his title and not appointing a successor, we’ve neutralized the resistance.”

The Demon King stared at me intensely and pressed further:

“As long as you continue this governance style, you’ll need to keep managing religious factions. Are you prepared for that?”
“I am prepared.”

In truth, it’s been harder than I expected. Even in my previous life, I wasn’t very religious, so I don’t really understand their mindset.
Still, I don’t want to kill humans unless it’s on the battlefield.
I’ll find a way. Somehow.

Whether he understood my resolve or not, the Demon King didn’t press the matter further.

“The occupation policies for each city are left to the discretion of the local commanders. As long as your governance in Lüenheit proves effective, I’ll approve of your approach.”
“My deepest gratitude.”

One more issue added to my plate, but it seemed I’d passed this hurdle for now.
The Demon King continued:

“Just now, I held a war council with the Second Division regarding the northern Miraldia front. Are you aware of the situation?”
“I’ve heard whispers that it’s not going well.”

It seems the Second Division has lost its initial momentum. I heard rumors about it from a dogfolk trade caravan.

Judging from the Demon King’s small nod, the rumors were true.

“Human counterattacks are intensifying. As a result, the Second Division Commander himself has taken to the field, leading the full force.”

So that explains the tense atmosphere around the castle. A map was spread across the round table, marked up with various notes.
At a glance, it looked like one of the first three cities we captured had been retaken. And they’d lost several field battles after that.

The Demon King didn’t reprimand me for looking at the map—in fact, he pointed at it with a thick finger.

“I’ve heard the occupation of the two southern cities is progressing smoothly. These will become crucial to the Demon Army’s future strategy. Keep that in mind.”
“Yes, sir!”

I straightened my back and saluted.

Then the Demon King motioned for me to sit.

“From this point forward, consider this an unofficial audience. I permit you to take a seat.”

Only division commanders or top brass are ever allowed to sit before the Demon King. I hesitantly pulled out a chair and sat, feeling uneasy.
Glancing behind me, my fellow vice-commander Baltze remained standing.
It would’ve eased my nerves if he sat too, but with that unreadable reptilian expression, he stayed perfectly upright.

I sat across the round table from the Demon King and awaited his next words.
Seeing him up close, the pressure was overwhelming. I felt like I might get drunk just from his magical energy.

“I’ve wanted to have a proper conversation with you for some time. Among the Demon Army’s commanders, I regard you as particularly gifted in strategy.”
“I-I’m honored.”

The Demon King asked calmly:

“For example, I’ve heard that you organize your werewolf units into squads of four. Knowing you, that number must have some significance, no?”

I bowed my head.

“You’re too perceptive, my lord.”

Of course, the four-man squad had a purpose.
In dangerous operations, a pair survives much better than a solo operative — that applies to both humans and werewolves.
That’s why police officers and some military units work in two-man teams. I even remember being assigned a swimming buddy back in elementary school.

But I realized two-man teams had limitations.
The moment one of them was injured, the entire team lost their ability to fight. The other had to rescue their injured partner, so they had no choice but to retreat without support.
Even if they insisted on engaging in battle, with just one person having to deal with the enemy and provide support to their fallen comrade, the team’s power would drop below its half.

So I devised a formation of two two-man-team in one: a four-person squad.
If one team is hurt, the other continues fighting, or they can regroup into a three-man team.
Even if only two remain, they can still function as a pair.
During reconnaissance, one team can scout while the other secures the area… that kind of flexibility is advantageous.

Not that I came up with this myself, as it is knowledge from games in my previous life. So it’s nothing to brag about.
Still, this was the first time anyone had ever asked me about it.

The Demon King nodded deeply at my explanation.

“I’ll take that under advisement. Vice-Command, record Bait’s explanation.”

.It’s Veit, not Bait… and I’m a vice-commander too…
Oh well. It’s probably a pronunciation issue. No point griping.
Baltze, looking practiced, jotted down our exchange.

“As you command. I’ve recorded Sir Veit’s statement.”

Wait a minute. Baltze pronounced it correctly, didn’t he?

The Demon King continued his questions:

“This is a good opportunity. If there’s anything about the Demon Army that you find questionable, speak freely.”
“Me, sir?”

I’m just a vice-commander. It sounds important, but I’m really just a middle level manager.
Never did I expect to be asked for feedback by the Demon King himself.

“Don’t worry. This is an unofficial audience. You won’t be held responsible for what you say.”

Still…

Truth be told, the Demon Army is quite modernized.
I was shocked to find out they understood logistics.
Grünstadt Castle, the Demon King’s stronghold, functions as a massive distribution hub that sends supplies and personnel to the frontlines.
The First Division secures the supply lines, letting the rest of us fight with peace of mind.

On the human side, armies rely on looting, local purchases, or even personal provision. Some soldiers manage their own gear.
If I’d been reborn as a human, I might’ve made a name for myself just by reforming military logistics.
The Demon Army also has recruitment and training systems in place, enabling them to raise new units quickly.
Humans fear that the Demon King can summon infinite armies from the Demon Realm, but the truth is, he just has a refined system.

The Demon King studied my face and urged me to speak.

“Do not be afraid. Say your piece.”
“Yes, my lord.”

I’m not holding back or anything, but… hmm, what to ask?
Oh, right.

“If I may — I would like to ask about the army’s command structure.”
“Go on. You have permission.”

The Demon Army has grown rapidly over the past few years.
It started as a dragonkin-only force but quickly gained supporters from other races and swelled to its current size.
But that’s caused some issues.
Like my own rank.
Am I an adjutant or a deputy division commander?

When I joined, the divisions were still called “Dragonkin Unit,” “Giant Unit,” “Demon Unit,” etc.
As we grew, we switched to more grandiose titles like “Division.”
But the hierarchy beneath that remains vague.

Take Vice-Command Baltze, he’s a close aide to the Demon King. Meanwhile, Dog the beast-ogre is just a squad leader.
Meanwhile, I’m the local commander ruling Lüenheit.
So in rank, it’s Baltze > me > Dogg.
Yet we all have the same job title. Some call me an adjutant, others a deputy division commander — there’s no standardization.
From the outside, it looks like we’re equals.

“Considering the current size of the Demon Army, I fear that the ambiguity of the command and rank structure may lead to future problems.”

I glanced at Baltze. I almost noticed his face twitched, ever so slightly.
I may be the first and last person to criticize the Demon Army’s structure in front of the Demon King.

The Demon King nodded calmly and explained:

“A good question. Demons follow only the strong, so it is our nature that makes organizing an army inherently difficult.”

I thought that would help clarify rank, though? What does he mean?

“If we formalize rank and command, clever weaklings could end up above foolish strongmen. But the army and the demons under our rule are not mature enough to accept that.”

Now that he mentioned it, there was that guy who picked a fight with me…

“So for now, we leave things vague and let the division commanders manage as they see fit. Still, as you say, it’s something we must eventually address.”

Surprisingly, the Demon King seems critical of the demons’ obsession with strength.

I quickly bowed and apologized.

“I overstepped my station. Please forgive my impudence.”
“It’s fine. Your insight is sharp — no wonder you’ve done so well governing Lüenheit.”

Then he added, with a slightly amused tone:

“I recall the smug look on Gomoviroa’s face when she recommended you. It all makes sense now.”

…What exactly did they talk about?
But the Demon King, looking satisfied, brought the audience to a close.

“This audience was most productive. From now on, report regularly on your governance. I have high hopes for you.”
“Yes, my lord!”

And with that, I was finally released from the Demon King’s presence.