Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“Where’d those guys go? …Ah, the harbor, huh. Don’t let your guard down. Keep a close watch.
They’ve probably noticed our watch already. Don’t get careless and go poking around. Just keep an eye on them from a distance. Don’t do anything strange.
Chances are we’re being watched too. I could feel the chills on my skin.
No idea where they’re watching from, though.”

“Still… that guy’s dangerous.
Huh? You don’t get it?
I see. You b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲ think that vice-command just looks like some dull-looking kid, huh. You useless dullards.”

“Guys who strut around like big shots are usually nothing special. They’ve gotta keep telling everyone, ‘Look how strong I am, how important I am.’ Ever see a shark bark?
That’s how those b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲ in the Senate are. All bark, no bite. Just like a bunch of yapping little mutts.
So if the Demon Lord’s Army sent those types to negotiate, I figured they couldn’t be much of a threat either.”

“But that dull-looking kid doesn’t swagger, and he doesn’t brag.
Word is, he’s a monster who killed four hundred men in the battle against Tübahn.
What? No, four thousand is probably an exaggeration. That’d mean he killed people besides Tübahn’s soldiers. And he’s not the type to kill people for no reason.”

“Yeah, his skill is the real deal. I heard about it from that boy Aram. He noticed a hidden room and even called out how many of Aram’s soldiers were inside, and what gear they had.
I’ve also heard the rumors about him killing a Hero, and I believe them.
Don’t any of you lay a hand on him. Or on his subordinates.”

“With skills like that and more achievements than you can count, has he ever once talked about it? No, right?
To him, that stuff’s just normal. Nothing worth bragging about.
Yeah. You get it now, don’t you?
That guy’s the real thing—a genuine monster. A giant man-eating shark.
Man-eating sharks don’t stand out. They glide in quietly, then swallow sailors whole.
Afterward, they act like nothing happened. They don’t bother counting how many people they’ve eaten. That’s the kind of man he is.
Piss him off and Belrüsa will be wiped out. I’ll bet my ship on it.”

“And that alone would be bad enough, but what really makes him scary is his negotiating skill.
You saw it, right? Him eating the raw fish. That shocked me!
If he’d forced himself to eat it just to play a role, he’d be one hell of an actor. But to me, he looked like he was genuinely enjoying it.
The chef was thrilled, said you don’t often get a guest who eats your cooking that happily. Even though he’s a demon, he sure knows how to please the host.
Either way, it was his first time eating raw fish, and he didn’t hesitate at all. The others were scared stiff—he’s probably the only one who could pull that off.”

“The real problem came after that. He’d even brought seasonings we’d never seen before.
And damn, they’re good. Perfect for raw fish. You should all try them later. That stuff’ll bring a whole new wind into Belrüsa’s cuisine.
Looks like we might make a nice profit off this.
Yeah, no doubt about it. He meant to show us a new trade opportunity. He played dumb about it, but still.
He doesn’t just threaten with force—he dangles bait properly too.
And he does it casually, like it’s nothing.
That ‘casual’ part is hard. I can’t manage it yet, so I always end up looking like I’m forcing it. That’s why I stick with the tough-guy act.
As a cultured man and as a merchant, he’s pretty damn impressive.”

“Now you understand.
Right now, Belrüsa’s losing on all fronts—diplomacy, military, culture.
If we used all of Belrüsa’s forces right, maybe we could drive the Demon Lord’s Army back once.
But do you have the guts to fight a werewolf who bit a Hero to death, Veit the Killer of Four Hundred?
I sure as hell don’t.
That kind of thing isn’t courage. For seamen like us, courage is being cautious to the point of cowardice.
So war with the Demon Lord’s Army is off the table. Picking a fight with all the northern cities would be a hell of a lot safer than making enemies of them.”

“Well, I did manage to get them to agree to securing the shipping lanes. If I’d pushed any further, I seriously think they’d have killed me. I was scared out of my mind.
No, really, I was shaking like a leaf back then. I was just as scared as you b̲a̲s̲t̲a̲r̲d̲s̲. I was negotiating on nothing but a governor’s sense of duty.
From his perspective, it must’ve looked ridiculous.
The governor who prides himself on his tough face, trembling like a newborn lamb.”

“But he didn’t mock me for shaking in fear. He dealt with me completely naturally. I’m impressed he didn’t laugh.
Maybe that’s what you call the dignity of the strong.
…Or maybe, to him, strong and weak don’t even matter anymore.
I don’t really get it, but it feels like he’s looking at something else entirely.
What, you ask?
How the hell would I know?
I was too busy being scared out of my mind.”

“By the way, what are they doing now?
Playing in the water? Putting that woman named Rasie into a swimsuit?
What the hell? Playing around with women?
So what’s Veit doing?
Reading a book? With a serious look on his face?
Ignoring the woman in the swimsuit and reading on the pier?
…Hell if I know what his deal is.
But I’m sure he’s got something in mind.
Just leave them alone. Watch from a distance.
Oh yeah—and chill some beer for them.”