Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

The new Demon Lord, Gomoviroa, upon her coronation, declared a complete withdrawal from the northern front. She announced plans to concentrate all forces in the south, strengthening diplomacy and defense.
This decision had already been approved in the council and was immediately put into action.

The late Demon Lord’s resting place, the Grünstadt Castle, was to be repurposed into a training institution for new recruits.
Since drills for new soldiers had already been conducted there before, all necessary facilities were in place.
Demons gathered from all corners of the frontier would learn the basics of soldiering here—formation drills, marching, and weapon handling. In other words, it would become the production site for new demon units.
I decided to stay at Grünstadt Castle until my body fully recovered and serve for a while as an instructor, helping to retrain the Demon Lord’s army—mainly those from the Second Division.

The Second Division had been disbanded and was planned to be merged with the Third Division.
Eventually, they too would move to southern Miraldia. Since they hadn’t caused any major trouble in that region yet, it might still be possible to coexist with humans.
But as they were now, all wild and rough, that would never do.
My task was to teach them how to deal with humans.
To do that, I’d first have to break their beastlike Might Makes Right belief typical of the demons.

“Everyone here has faced the hellish battlefield of the northern Miraldia front.”

I looked around the classroom—one of Grünstadt Castle’s great halls—at the assembled giants and oni. Seeing demons of such bulk sitting properly at desks was quite a sight.
Though the Second Division had taken catastrophic losses, those who survived weren’t necessarily the strongest of their kind.
In fact, most of them seemed to be the timid or clever types.
After all, only the cautious or the wise survive.

“You lot aren’t the elite of the Second Division. The ones who died in battle were the true elites. You all know that best.”

The room drooped into silence. Understandably, their morale was low; they’d faced defeat after defeat, and it seemed many of them were timid to begin with.
So I tried to encourage them.

“But you didn’t fear running away. You understood the danger of humans and escaped. That’s why you survived. From now on, you need to study humans even more deeply.”

The giants and oni exchanged puzzled glances.

“What’s he mean?”
“I don’t get it. Instructor Veit’s talk is hard.”
“But humans were scary. Way stronger than we thought.”
“Yeah, humans are terrifying…”

So I guess they kind of understood, and not at the same time…

“The terrifying thing about humans is their tenacity. Even if you defeat their supreme leader, another immediately takes their place and continues fighting. They’re not like us.”

Human leaders aren’t chosen for strength, after all.
That’s why they can afford to send their best warriors straight to the front lines without hesitation.

“And another thing—humans protect the weak.”

Sure, they sometimes fight among themselves, but when danger strikes, militia and guards will risk their lives to protect powerless civilians.
Most giants and oni don’t form groups like that, hence this idea is foreign for them.
In their eyes, “non-warriors cannot fight for survival, so it’s only natural they would die.”

Aside from the more tribal goblins, they simply couldn’t grasp this concept.

“P-protect the weak?”
“Why would they do that? What’s in it for them?”
“Normally, you protect the strong one. The strong one kills enemies, keeps everyone safe.”

Hmm. A very demonlike way of thinking.

Maybe I should approach it differently.

“By the way—you all liked the late Demon Lord, right?”

A thunderous roar of approval. Of course they did.

“And the current Demon Lord? You like her too?”

Another round of cheers.

“Then let me ask—do you like them because they’re strong?”

This time, they hesitated, exchanging glances.

“Well… maybe not?”
“The late Demon Lord was strong, sure—but kind. That’s why I liked him.”
“The current one’s kind too. She’s a saint.”

Good. Time to drive it home.

“See that? Strength isn’t everything. Demons follow strength, but liking someone is a different matter, right?”

I could see some of them nodded deeply.
Probably the ones who’d suffered under bad commanders
Many demons abused their strength and treated their subordinates like dirt.
Then again, most of those demons died in the northern frontline.
After all, nobody would save a superior they hate.

“So, if the Demon Lord were weak, would you refuse to protect her?”

They all shot to their feet.

“Of course not!”
“She saved our lives! It’s our turn to protect her!”
“When the Demon Lord is weak, that’s when we step up!”
“We’ll fight without fear of death!”
“Where’s the enemy!?”

Some goblins had even jumped onto their desks and started roaring their tribal war cries. Their emotions were way too easy to stir.

“Quiet down or I’ll bite you.”

At once, silence fell.
The one standing on the desk froze, glanced at me nervously, and slowly sat down.

“You die if Lord Veit bites you…”
“That’s the bite that killed the Hero, after all…”
“Should we apologize now before it’s too late?”

Come on, it was a joke. Don’t shrink away like that.

Anyway, I continued.

“You all want to protect the Demon Lord even if she’s weak, right?”

They nodded eagerly.

“You want to protect what’s precious to you, even if they’re weak—and humans feel the same. That’s why if you hurt or kill their weak, they’ll all come for revenge, every last one of them. Even that hero was like that.”

The room went dead quiet. Then came the whispering.

“Humans are scary…”
“Like a swarm of bees.”
“Mess with one, and you’re dead meat…”
“Yeah… better be careful…”

Seems they got the message. A little, at least.
Well, one step at a time.

Meanwhile, organizational reforms were also underway in the Demon Lord’s army.
One of the first was sorting out the “Adjutant” positions.
Previously, everyone was deliberately called an adjutant to avoid strict hierarchies—whether division commanders or vice division commanders.
From now on, only those who directly assist the Demon Lord or division commanders in official duties would hold that title.

The new Demon Lord decided not to appoint any adjutant for herself other than me, meaning that “the Demon Lord’s Vice-Command” would refer to me alone.

Come to think of it, Baltze once said:

“Some soldiers have started calling you ‘the Demon Lord’s Proxy,’ sir Veit.”
“Please, I’d rather they didn’t exaggerate me.”
“I think it’s quite an appropriate title.”

Is it, though?

After the Second Division’s destruction, the army’s structure was reshuffled. Most of the First Division and all of the Second were reassigned to the southern Third Division.
The Third Division is now renamed the “Southern Expedition Division.” It reflected the new Demon Lord’s determination to consolidate control over southern Miraldia.
Naturally, that meant that Senior Marlene was now commanding most of the army. Upon hearing that, she exclaimed—

“I’ve been tricked by Teacher again!?”

What do you mean again?

Meanwhile, Firniel, who came to visit, looked relaxed for once—finally free from the burden of being a vice-commander.

“So I’m just a company commander in the Southern Expedition Division now. All I’ll have to do is govern Tübahn. Guess I’m having it easy.”

Sorry, not happening.

“You’ll also serve as Marlene’s adjutant.”
“Huh?”

Firniel shot upright.

“Why!? Also, what would I even be assisting her with?”

“Marlene needs support in military affairs. She’ll need your advice on military tactics.”

As the top fighter among Gomoviroa’s disciples, she wasn’t getting out of this scott-free.
It would be a trial for young Firniel, but with dragonkin officers from the First Division joining as vice commanders, it should work out somehow.

“This has Senior Veit written all over it! I’ll never forgive you…”
“Not me. Bring your complaints to Marlene.”

Firniel groaned, tail spinning in circles.

“Ugh, I hate complicated jobs…”
“Being an adjutant isn’t that bad. I like it.”
“Yeah, well, you would, Senior!”

The Azure Scale Knights, the Crimson Scale Knights, and the late Demon Lord’s royal guards were not absorbed into the Southern Expedition Division.
They reorganized themselves as the Royal Guard Division, responsible for protecting the Demon Lord and other key figures.
Its commander was the Azure Knight, Baltze; his adjutant, the Crimson Knight, Schula.
It was a small force to call itself a “division,” but they had the Skeleton Soldiers from the master’s ranks as well.

As for me, I’d become directly attached to the Demon Lord’s command, along with the werewolf unit. I now served as her eyes, voice, and hands.
And I’d been granted command authority over the Royal Guard Division—acting as the Demon Lord’s representative.
So, thinking about it, maybe “the Demon Lord’s Proxy” really does fit after all…