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After reading Demon Lord’s letter, I stood still, gazing up at the mausoleum.
For all that confidence, you went and lost, didn’t you, Demon Lord.
Everyone’s grieving, yet you alone seem cheerful even in death—that’s not fair.
Don’t tell me you’ve already gone and reincarnated somewhere?
Maybe somewhere in this world?
If that’s the case, we’ll all go looking for you.

No answer came.
I slipped the letter into my breast, rubbed my eyes dry, and took a deep breath before bowing my head to the mausoleum.
Just as the Demon Lord lived his whole life as Demon Lord, I’ll live my whole life as the Demon Lord’s Vice Command.
It seems I’ve lost the chance to ever quit being a Vice Commander.
Demon Lord, leave what follows to us.
Your humble vice command will see it done somehow.

Back in the castle, I set about the first problem.

“Master, hurry up and become Demon Lord already.”
“Don’t be absurd.”

Great Sage Gomoviroa was thrashing about on her bed like a child.

“I have no talent for kingship. I am but a researcher—and a human at that! Impossible, impossible, impossible.”
“Don’t throw a tantrum at your age. Are you planning to let the Demon Lord’s Army collapse? Humans are caught up in this too—you can’t back out now.”

She puffed her cheeks and hugged her pillow.

“If you insist so much, why don’t you be Demon Lord?”
“Me!?”
“You defeated the true Hero, and you founded Demon Capital Lüenheit. None would object.”
“I could say the same to you. You’re one of the original founders of the Demon Lord’s army, and the greatest mage in the world.”

But my master was adamant.

“I was asleep at the critical moment—if I took the throne now it’d look like usurpation.”
“That’s not true. I was asleep at a critical moment too.”

No matter how I tried to reason with her, she kept shaking her head furiously.

“No-can-do!!”
“You’re not a child!”
“I can’t stand appearing in public. And from now on I’d have to face humans as well. Leaving demons alone, humans—never. Impossible.”

Her shyness was troublesome.
But I’d known her long enough to sense it.

Master was leaning on me.
She’d lost every comrade who had built the army with her, and everyone now expected her to rise as the next Demon Lord.
She was the greatest sorcerer, a brilliant scholar, and a devoted teacher—but no politician, no general. That wasn’t her nature.

So now, chatting foolishly with me like this, she was trying to brace herself for the resolve she needed.
Sensing that, I decided to play along with her whims to the end.

“In that case, Master, I’ve got the perfect idea.”
“What is it?”

I pulled a life-sized puppet, used for magic training, out of her closet.

“Let’s make this guy the Demon Lord.”
“…What?”

After hearing me out, Master nodded thoughtfully.

“I see. So, only when appearing before humans, the puppet plays the part.”
“Exactly. We can make it look as grand as we want, and if it’s assassinated, no harm done. You can just hide in the shadows and read speeches from a script.”

I’d seen this trick in old comics from my previous life:
the throne occupied by a puppet, while the true king was actually the beautiful girl attending at his side.
Yes, that’s it.

Master pondered, then nodded.

“I suppose. Humans are terrifying, but so long I can stay hidden, perhaps I can manage.”
“Right?”

She mulled it over a little longer, then nodded firmly.
In the midst of idle chatter, her resolve had settled.

“The Demon Lord’s army was built with their very lives. I can’t destroy it out of selfishness. I’ll stake my life and try.”
“That’s my Master, the one I respect!”

She came close, grasping my hand with her small one.

“But I won’t be able to do it alone. I’ll need you, and the other disciples as well. Is that alright?”
“Of course, Master. Together we’ll carry on Demon Lord’s will.”
“Mm. Let us.”

She smiled brightly.

Thus was born the new Demon Lord, Gomoviroa.
The news was accepted smoothly throughout the army.
The late Demon Lord had often spoken of his successor, so everyone had already understood in their hearts that someone would inherit should he fall.

Master was a founder of the army, and though her magic burned out quickly, until then she was nigh-invincible.
The Third Division’s officers were her disciples, so none opposed their revered teacher.
The Second Division had twice been saved by her on the northern front, so soldiers revered her as a saint. No problem there either.
The First Division also consented, respecting the late Demon Lord’s wishes—and many veterans had long-standing ties with her.
So, astonishingly, consensus came easily.

Thus the Demon Lord’s army was to be led by a new Demon Lord, Gomoviroa. A coronation doubling as a memorial for the late King would soon be held.
But since Master had taken the crown, the Third Division was left without a commander.

“Who’ll do it?”
“Why don’t you do it, Veit?”
“I’m a Vice Commander of the First Division’s, your direct aide, remember?”

A division commander’s work would overwhelm me.
Master and I exchanged glances, then said in unison:

“Let’s have Senior Merené do it.”
“Agreed.”

All the other disciples listened to her anyway.

So I stayed in the First Division, continuing as the Demon Lord’s direct aide. For diplomacy, this suited me better.
Senior Merené complained later, but since it was the new Demon Lord’s decree, I ignored her.

“Veit! Why is the one who beat the Hero still just a Vice-COmmander? Take the command already!”
“No way, not if it makes me your superior, Senior.”

When I refused, she turned to Firniel.

“Honestly, Veit, you’ve become insufferable! Fine, Firniel will take it for me!”
“No chance! As a disciple and a commander, I’m far too inexperienced.”

Please. Queen of Vampires, just be good and lead the Third Division.

Though the pain still lingered in our hearts, we chose to carry on Demon Lord’s will.
To build a land where demons and humans could live together—
The dream drawn by Demon Lord Friedenrichter, a dream we would chase still.

Only, before that, Master had a “small favor” to ask of me.
I wonder what that could be?