Grom and I walked toward the laboratory on foot.
We wouldn't be using teleportation magic this time.
I'd felt a sudden urge to observe the capital city's streetscape.
I rarely had the chance to gaze at it properly.
When I asked Grom if that was alright, he agreed almost too quickly.
It must be tedious for him, but he didn't seem to mind.
He looked oddly cheerful about it, so it would probably be fine.
Having left the castle, we strolled through the castle town.
Stalls lined the main thoroughfare.
The people milling about held skewers and other foods, eating as they walked.
If I had a sense of smell, it would surely have been a wonderful aroma.
It was a slight shame that I couldn't perceive it.
Among those passing through the streets, there were a few elves, though not many.
Scenes of them mingling peacefully with monsters were also occasionally visible.
As fellow members of the Demon Lord's Army, their relationship appeared to be improving.
I felt satisfied with that.
"However, there are quite a number of people, aren't there? Enough that we don't stand out."
"It's a sign the city is developing. That's a good thing," I replied to Grom's earnest remark, surveying our surroundings.
The capital's population had been gradually increasing of late.
Humans have been pouring in from nearby villages and towns.
It was not uncommon for demi-humans from frontier settlements to immigrate in groups.
A very small number of monsters who had once served the previous Demon King also slipped in quietly.
The arrivals were primarily those suffering from poverty.
A rumor had apparently spread that the Royal Capital practiced no racial discrimination and one would not want for work.
Those who heard the rumor came seeking a stable life.
In fact, that was not incorrect.
The current Royal Capital was constantly seeking personnel.
There was no insistence on race.
Basically, anyone was welcome.
The cultivation of various crops had also gotten on track.
The harvest was sufficient to fill the bellies of the people in the Royal Capital.
If that still wasn't enough, they could requisition from other cities within the Demon King's territory.
By gathering small amounts from many places, the burden would not become excessive.
Due to such circumstances, the food situation in the Royal Capital was favorable.
Despite taking in this much new personnel, the Royal Capital still had leeway.
Most of its grounds were left half-treated like an abandoned district, and they even had surplus materials.
The current abandoned district was now used as storage for unused undead.
With the influx of people, the units previously dispersed to the outskirts of the capital were now stationed there.
Though highly unlikely, this was to prevent accidents involving the undead.
The Royal Capital's own defenses were already sufficient with defensive magic and barriers, making the presence of wandering undead pointless.
In an emergency, I could simply teleport to the scene myself.
Considering the city's further development, I would eventually have to find storage for the undead.
Otherwise, they would overwhelm the town.
Some had already been dispatched to various parts of the Demon Lord's territory, but the number remained excessive.
There was also the option of offering them all to the Valley of the Dead.
The undead would not go to waste, contributing to the amplification of my power.
However, I hesitated to reduce their numbers, as they were also my main fighting force.
(...For now, I'll put this matter aside.)
After deliberation, that was my conclusion.
If storage for the undead became problematic as the city developed, I would manage it then.
It was not an issue to be addressed today or tomorrow.
I could discuss it with my subordinates and decide later.
"Watch your opponent's movements closely! That's how you'll get yourself killed in the blink of an eye!"
A sharp, forceful voice rang out.
It came from the training grounds.
I stopped and peered in.
Henry was instructing his subordinates.
The subordinates were armed with wooden weapons, facing each other in pairs.
It appeared they were conducting mock battles.
Among them was Dolda.
He was overwhelming several monsters with a wooden axe.
"Your head...!"
He deflected the thrusting sword with the handle and drove his fist into the opponent's face.
He dodged the slash from his blind spot and struck back with the axe as he turned.
He handled simultaneous attacks by rotating the axe.
(Amazing axe skills, as expected. Even after death, the name "Thunderclap" still holds true.)
I watched Dolda fight with admiration.
His skill seemed to remain even after becoming undead.
In fact, it felt like his sharpness had increased, as if freed from his physical constraints.
Dolda in life was incredibly strong, but the effects of aging had begun to show, however faintly.
As a human, that was unavoidable.
Even I myself had gained abilities incomparable to my former life after taking on my current body.
As much as I disliked admitting it, humans inevitably have limits.
Only by becoming something beyond human can one hope for further growth.
Experiencing it firsthand drove this point home.
In that regard, Henry was doing well.
Without a doubt, he was human, yet he was active as a high-ranking officer in the Demon Lord's Army.
For me, who became a Demon Lord through borrowed power, I could only feel respect.
"Well, are the commanders joining in too?"
Henry noticed us and called out.
The moment his subordinates saw him, their demeanor shifted to immediate tension.
Some were visibly cowering, and a few clearly harbored fear.
Those in the latter group were likely the newly recruited soldiers.
Those who had pledged allegiance to the Demon Lord's army within the past two hundred days.
Proportionally, beastmen were numerous.
Their reaction was only natural.
I am a slayer who has taken countless lives.
It is natural for them to fear me.
Since becoming this being, I have become acutely perceptive of the fear directed at me from others.
Perhaps it is simply because the frequency with which I am feared has increased.
It is a discovery difficult to put into words.
More importantly, I have interrupted the mock battle.
Feeling apologetic, I replied to Henry.
"My apologies, but I have matters to attend to."
"Is that so? Then, partner up with me again another time."
"Understood."
While I am here, the others are distracted.
After saying our farewells, Grom and I swiftly left the scene.
"Grom."
"Yes! What is it?"
"I want to know how to get closer to my subordinates. Being feared too much creates obstacles."
"Hmm, how to get closer to subordinates..."
At my question, Grom folded his arms and groaned.
He likely hadn't thought about it much before.
He usually acted on impulse.
After pondering for a while, Grom clapped his hands together with a suggestion.
"How about serving them food? It could be a starting point for interaction."
"I can only make preserved food."
That preserved food was made solely with nutritional intake in mind.
I often made it during my journey to subjugate the Demon Lord, but the taste was never good.
It was something no one would really want to eat.
Moreover, with this body I couldn't taste anything, making cooking doubly pointless.
I couldn't accept that Grom, who should also be an undead, could create exquisite cuisine.
In his case, he had incorporated the skills of a chef into himself, so he likely cooked using methods other than taste.
I too had supposedly acquired various techniques from the dead of the Valley of the Dead, but for some reason, I didn't have that feeling.
Either none of the dead who perished in that place were skilled in cooking, or perhaps I had unconsciously discarded culinary skills.
Either way, I now felt regret over that.
Sensing my inner thoughts, Grom began speaking with a slight panic.
"A-aside from cooking, perhaps through small gatherings or events where you can converse? I think many are eager to speak with you, Lord Dwight."
"Is that so...?"
"Yes, indeed! If a chance for dialogue were provided, I'm certain a long queue would form."
Grom stated this with full confidence.
It was probably meant to encourage me, but to say it so decisively...
Did he have his own reasons for that?
Unfortunately, I couldn't recall any.
While we were exchanging such casual remarks, we arrived at our destination—the research institute.
It was situated in an area off the streets of the Royal Capital, nestled amid abandoned properties.
A three-story, white-dominated building with no windows, giving it a somewhat closed-off impression.
Several buildings had been demolished to make room for the grounds, so even from the outside, it was clearly quite expansive.
"My heart feels rather exhilarated."
"That's good to hear."
Exchanging these brief words, we entered the research institute.