by Hyougetsu
“I suppose I should have expected no less from the Great Sage’s star pupil. I see you are not only a master strategist, but a master chemist as well. Very well. In deference to your wisdom, I will inquire no further into this matter.”
Looks like I’m safe. It felt like every meeting with the Demon Lord shaved a few years off my life. Seeing my relief, the Demon Lord continued.
“However, I doubt even you would know the ratio needed to create Dragon Breath.”
“Indeed I do not, my lord.”
That was the truth. I had been planning on testing different ratios of each until I got it right. The Demon Lord shook his head.
“By weight, it is ten parts saltpeter, two parts charcoal, and one part sulfur. You would do well to remember that. However, because of how dangerous the mixing process is, I am afraid I must forbid you from making any.”
I never knew you needed that much saltpeter... Still, what was the point in telling me if you’re going to forbid me from making it?
As if reading my thoughts, the Demon Lord said, “Instead, I will grant you a small quantity of Dragon Breath. It is a fickle chemical that needs experts to manage it properly, so I will also dispatch a squad of dragonkin engineers to your city. Use them as you see fit.”
“Yes, sir! Your generosity is most appreciated!”
“However, know that if this secret is leaked, you will be punished most severely.”
“...Yes, sir.”
Too late for regrets now.
All I could do was accept and salute.
“By the way, how goes your occupation of Ryunheit? I heard you were invaded by a small army.”
Oh yeah, I still need to report about that. I explained to the Demon Lord how the Sonnenlicht bishop was behind the attack, and how I exiled him to Thuvan.
“I see, so the clergy used their influence to spur the people.”
Demons had no organized religion. Their faith was tied to worshiping the Demon Lord, and normally a single Demon Lord reigned for decades or even centuries. However, the Demon Lord nodded in understanding.
“Faith can often drive humans to radical courses of action. Perhaps we have no choice but to subjugate them by force after all.”
He wasn’t wrong, but that was still the last thing I needed to hear. Unless I convinced him quickly, my plan for a peaceful occupation would go up in smoke. I hurriedly prepared an argument.
“F-Fortunately, I was able to limit unrest within the streets. As I banished their bishop without stripping him of his rank, the order won’t be able to appoint a new leader. I’m confident that without someone to guide them, they’ll remain docile.”
The Demon Lord observed me carefully for a few seconds before asking, “If you wish to rule the city your way, you will eventually have to come to an agreement with the religious orders of the city. You understand that, correct?”
“I do, my lord. I am prepared to do anything it takes.”
In truth, I actually had no idea how to deal with the order. I hadn’t been much of a religious person in my old life, so I couldn’t understand the feelings of the deeply devout. But I wanted to avoid killing outside of combat as much as possible. I’ll figure something out, somehow. I wasn’t sure whether or not I was able to convey my resolve to the Demon Lord, but he didn’t push any further.
“From the start of this campaign, I had decided to leave ruling the occupied cities to the commanders in charge of subjugating them. So long as Ryunheit remains firmly under our control, I am willing to allow even your unorthodox methods.”
“Thank you very much, my lord.”
My life was going to get harder from here on out, but at least I’d survived this meeting. The Demon Lord continued by saying, “I just concluded a war council with the second regiment on the state of the northern battlefront. Are you aware of the current situation?”
“I have heard rumors that it’s not progressing favorably.”
Supposedly the second regiment had lost a lot of their earlier steam. At least, that was what the canine traders had told me. It appeared their information had been accurate, since the Demon Lord nodded.
“The humans’ counteroffensive was fiercer than we predicted. In order to turn the situation around, the second regiment’s commander volunteered to personally depart to the front lines.”
I see now, so that’s why all the second regiment soldiers in the castle are so dressed up. I looked down at the table for the first time and saw a large map dotted here and there with markers. A cursory glance told me that one of the three cities the second regiment had captured had already been retaken. Furthermore, the demon army seemed to have suffered consecutive defeats in the field.
The Demon Lord, noticing my interest in the map, pointed to a specific location with a knotted finger.
“I have heard that the two southern cities the third regiment took are still firmly under our control. They will play a vital role in our tactics from this point onward, so be sure not to lose them.”
“Yes, sir!”
I straightened my back and saluted. The Demon Lord waved his hand, indicating that I should take a seat.
“Sit. The official meeting is over. From here on out, this audience will be an informal one.”
Usually, only regiment commanders were allowed to sit in the Demon Lord’s presence. While this was a great honor, I couldn’t help but feel nervous. I timidly settled into the chair across from him. I glanced backwards and noted that Baltze was still standing. I kind of wish he’d sat with me, but he remained in parade rest, his expression unreadable. Still a little uneasy, I turned back to the Demon Lord and waited for his next words. Now that I was sitting this close to him, it hit me again just how intimidating he was. The whirlpool of mana swirling around him was so thick that just breathing required effort.
“For a long time now, I’ve been hoping for a chance to talk with you at length. Among my generals, you are by far the most unorthodox, and the most resourceful.”
“Th-Thank you for your kind words.”
The Demon Lord’s tone was far more casual than before.
“For example, I’ve heard that you organized your werewolf soldiers into squads of four men. Knowing you, surely you must have a reason for picking four specifically.”
I bowed my head.
“You’re very perceptive, my lord. I did indeed.”
I wasn’t lying, either. Dangerous missions had a much higher chance of success if two people tackled them instead of one. That held true for both humans and werewolves. It was why the police always operated in two-man units. Back when I was in elementary school, we’d always taken swimming lessons in pairs, too.
However, I’d realized there was a limit to how effective a two-man pair could be. If one member of the team was injured, the other was forced to retreat with their injured partner, nullifying the entire team’s combat potential. Even if their partner wasn’t so seriously injured that they needed to retreat, a single person wasn’t even half as effective as a pair.
Hence why I’d doubled the number from two to four. A four-man unit could withstand the loss of one of its members without losing too much of its combat capabilities. The remaining three could still fight as an effective team. And even if two of the four went down, the remaining two would still be able to fight at slightly over half capacity, since they could still operate as a team. Furthermore, four-man teams could split into two for scouting missions, where one team scouts out ahead while the other secures a base of operations. Though, none of this was something I’d come up with on my own. I’d learned it all from a game I’d played back in my old life, so it wasn’t something I could take credit for. But you know, that’s the first time anyone’s asked me about that. After listening to my explanation, the Demon Lord nodded slowly.
“You have given me much to think about. Adjutant, please record Wight’s earlier words.”
Seriously, guys, it’s Veight. I’m not some undead lich... Well, that’s just how their vocal c
hords are, so I guess I can’t blame them. Baltze penned down our earlier conversation with a practiced hand.
“I have recorded General Veight’s words as requested, my lord.”
Wait a second, Baltze just got my name right, didn’t he? Ignoring my confusion, the Demon Lord changed the topic.
“Oh yes, this is a good opportunity to ask. Is there anything you believe the demon army does inefficiently or could implement better?”
“You want my opinion?”
I was just a lowly vice-commander. The title may have sounded impressive, but I was only a few steps above a middle-grade officer. I never expected someone of my rank would be asked to give his opinion on the workings of the army, and by the Demon Lord no less.
“Fear not. This is an unofficial audience, so you will not be censured for your statements.”
That’s not the problem here. In truth, the demon army was far more modernized than I had expected. When I’d first enlisted, I had been surprised to learn that the concept of supply trains had already spread throughout the army. Even this castle, Grenschtat, served as a resupply base for the front lines. It was because the first regiment guarded our supply lines that the second and third regiments were able to fight without worry.
Meanwhile, humans still relied on foraging and purchasing supplies from the locals to keep their armies fed. In extreme situations, they even let their soldiers pillage freely. Had I been reincarnated as a human in this world, I could have revolutionized their military by introducing supply trains, but the demon army had already figured things out by the time I’d joined.
Their recruitment and training methods were also highly organized. A fresh recruit in the demon army was transformed into a capable soldier in the span of a few months. The humans seemed to be under the impression that the Demon Lord was summoning legions of soldiers from hell, but the truth was he’d just created a very streamlined recruitment system. Seeing my expression, the Demon Lord gently nudged me to speak.
“There is no need for concern. Speak your mind.”
“Yes, sir!”
I just don’t really have anything to say... Oh, wait.
“With all due respect, my lord, there is one thing I noticed. It has to do with the army’s command structure.”
“Go on.”
In the past few years, the demon army has grown monumentally. At first it had been comprised only of dragonkin soldiers, but as the army grew in popularity, demons of all races began to join. Because of its rapid expansion, there was a lot of confusion about hierarchy.
Take, for example, my position. Was I an Adjutant, or just a Vice-Commander? When I’d joined the demon army, it had been split into the Dragon Regiment, the Giant Regiment, and the Demon Regiment. In other words, the army had grown large enough that it needed to be split into regiments.
However, within each division, the hierarchy of everyone below Commander rank was rather vague. For example, Baltze was the Demon Lord’s personal aide, and thus an Adjutant, while Dogg was a mere Lieutenant. On the other hand, I was Ryunheit’s governor and held the rank of Field General. If we were to order our status in descending rank, it would go Baltze, then me, then Dogg.
At the same time, we all held the equivalent rank of ‘Vice-Commander.’ On top of that, no one knew whether Vice-Commander was a rank equivalent to Adjutant, or above or below it. One would assume they were equivalent, but who knew?
“Considering the current scope of the demon army, the chain of command is far too vague. I suspect that will cause problems later on.”
I snuck a glance back at Baltze when I said that, and as I’d feared, his expression had stiffened up. I was probably the only person in the entire army to criticize it to the Demon Lord’s face. However, the Demon Lord didn’t appear angry. Instead, he nodded.
“An astute observation. But as demons only serve the strong, codifying ranks within the demon army would cause its own share of problems.”
Wait, he’s keeping them vague on purpose? Why?
“Were I to create a rigid ranking system, it would be more than likely that intelligent officers who are physically weak would rise above stupid soldiers who have nothing but brawn on their side. While that would be ideal from our perspective, demons haven’t matured enough to accept such a system.”
Ah, that makes sense. There’s plenty of fools who like picking a fight with me, too...
“It is for that reason that I leave command structures within each regiment up to the individual commanders. Your point is a valid one, however. Eventually we will need to reform the system.”
It came as a surprise that the Demon Lord was as critical of the ‘survival of the fittest’ ideology as I was. Regardless, I need to apologize for my rudeness.
“My apologies for overstepping my bounds, my lord. Please forgive my indiscretion.”
“Of course. Besides, your observation was a valid one. I see now why you have had such success in governing Ryunheit.”
A faint smile played across the Demon Lord’s lips.
“I had wondered why Gomoviroa spoke so highly of you before, but now I understand.”
Wait, what on earth did Master tell him? However, the Demon Lord didn’t bother explaining any further, and brought the meeting to a close.
“I learned much from our conversation. From now on, I want you to deliver update reports in person. I’m expecting great things from you.”
“Yes, sir.”
With that, I was finally freed from my audience with the Demon Lord.
As I made my way out of the conference room, Baltze called out to me.
“Hold a moment, Sir Veight. Would you mind accompanying me for lunch?”
Dragonkin had an unsavory reputation because of their scary appearance, but in truth, most of them were wise, rational people. Baltze happened to be a rather quiet, gentle fellow. Though we were both vice-commanders, he technically outranked me. It would have been unwise to refuse him, so I agreed to lunch. Besides, I’m kind of curious what food the officers’ mess hall has.
“Thank you for the invitation. I’m quite hungry, so I’ll gladly accept.”
The two of us headed to the officers’ mess together. The dragonkin guards at the entrance let us in with a salute. We saluted them back and strolled through the double doors. I’d never had the opportunity to go somewhere this fancy in my old life, so I decided to thoroughly enjoy this lunch.
That said, the technology of this world was so far behind that a family restaurant back in Japan would probably have food just as tasty. A canine waiter came to take our orders. I got the deer saute along with a potato stew. Since it was lunchtime, I only got three orders of the saute. It wouldn’t do to overeat in the middle of the day.
For some reason, Baltze was staring at me in awe, but this really was normal for werewolves. All he ordered was a grasshopper stir-fry; dragonkin were fond of eating insects. While we waited for our food to arrive, we chatted about the same things officers everywhere chatted about—work.
“Is the northern battlefront really doing that badly?”
“It is. Don’t tell any of your men, but we might be pushed out of the north entirely.”
It was precisely because rank and file soldiers weren’t allowed in this cafeteria that we could have a conversation like this. Baltze sipped his lemonade and heaved a weary sigh.
“No one in the second regiment has any appreciation for tactics. They don’t even surround cities during a siege. All they do is rush the main gate until it breaks and charge the city.”
And because of that, it seemed the citizens of all the captured territories escaped before they fell and fled to nearby cities. They became refugees, in other words.
“And then, those refugees volunteered for the army and joined the campaigns to recapture their homes. Because they’re fighting to get their lives back, morale on the human side is higher than ever. We’ve lost a lot more troops than we expected.”
“But they’re all hastily formed militia w
ithout any proper training. Shouldn’t they be no match for the second regiment’s ogres and giants?”
They may have been idiots, but they were tough. However, Baltze shook his head.
“As I believe you’re aware, the Sonnenlicht Order’s influence is strongest in the north. Because they’re already used to religious hierarchy, they don’t need much training to become capable soldiers.”
The harsh climate of the north naturally led people to accept Sonnenlicht, which espoused cooperation and harmony. Mondstrahl’s ideology of individualism and self-reliance would be a hard sell in a place where winters killed the lone traveler.
“They may be volunteer militia, but they have the discipline of real soldiers. They don’t mind sacrificing their lives for the sake of victory. We’ve lost more men than I’d like to them.”
The food arrived then so we put our conversation on hold and dug in. A werewolf’s fangs were perfectly suited for tearing into gamey deer meat. Anyway, if they want to avoid a war of attrition, there’s plenty of ways to do it.
“If you don’t want to get bogged down in a battle of attrition, why not just focus on defending your captured cities?”
“Because everyone from that blasted second regiment loves wanton destruction. They’ve reduced the gates and walls of every city they captured to rubble.” Baltze muttered angrily to himself as he picked at his stir-fried grasshopper. “The second regiment has no leadership and no rules. It’s like they don’t even realize they’re supposed to be representing the demon army here!”
Sorry, it’s not like I act like a representative of the demon army, either. We continued eating in silence for a few minutes until a newcomer entered the room.
“Oh, if it isn’t Veight. Don’t see you here often.”
A beautiful woman with pale skin and black hair walked up to me. She wore a revealing dress which showed off her ample cleavage. I nodded to her and said, “It’s been a while, Miss Melaine.”
