The following morning.
A massive magic circle was spread out across the square before the royal castle.
Inside it, the Demon Lord's army stood in formation.
These were the 1,700 subordinates participating in this war of conquest.
The breakdown consisted of 200 monsters and 1,500 undead.
Fundamentally, the former formed the main force.
The latter could be considered disposable.
It was a pitifully small number to topple a nation, but with the undead, replenishment was limitless.
I would also be accompanying them, able to respond to unforeseen circumstances.
Unless something extraordinary occurred, they were unlikely to be forced into a disadvantageous position.
"Your Excellency, the Demon Lord, preparations for departure are complete. We can move out at your command."
"Well done. I leave the capital in your care."
The other subordinates, including Grom, would be assigned to defend the Royal Capital.
This was because there was a risk some faction might attack in my absence.
They were the reserve force for that purpose.
The capital held a vast number of undead stored within, so no matter what force appeared, they would not fall behind.
As a last resort, releasing the miasma sealed within the castle would turn it into a weapon that indiscriminately killed living beings.
However, since that would also damage our own side, it remained strictly a final option.
"Leave it to us! I, Grom, will repel any and all foreign enemies!"
Grom declared, thumping a fist to his chest.
It was just like him to act as he always did.
At that moment, Luciana appeared from the side, fixing Grom with a skeptical gaze.
"Are you sure this pile of bones is enough? By the time we get back, what if the place is occupied?"
"What is this succubus saying...! The one who chose me was the Demon Lord. That means I am best suited for protection. As proof of that, shall I destroy you first?"
"Oh my, don't be so scary. I might cry."
Luciana covered her eyes with her hand.
The corners of her mouth were smiling, so her crying act was a failure.
Seeing this, Grom's eye-socket flames flared larger.
"You... how far will you mock me..."
"Keep it down a little. You're too lacking in tension."
At my admonishment, the two abruptly stopped arguing.
They straightened their postures.
They were unusually obedient today.
Luciana made a bitter face, showed some hesitation, but then declared to Grom.
"...Well, leave it to me. I'll protect the Demon Lord. You just take care of the Royal Capital."
"I-I-I... that goes without saying."
Grom responded with a clumsy acknowledgment.
It seemed they were making an effort to get along in their own way.
It wasn't a bad trend.
As I was reflecting on this small growth from my subordinates, Luciana tapped me on the shoulder.
"Hey, Demon Lord."
"What is it?"
"Might I be the one to give the first command?"
Luciana gestured toward the waiting Demon Lord's army.
Her gaze, brimming with anticipation, fixed upon me.
"Very well."
I created a series of force-field steps and ascended into the sky.
After positioning myself to look down upon the army, I made the proclamation in a quiet voice.
"The time has come. I shall say no more. Survive, and seize your glory."
My words sent the army into a roar.
With morale like this, it should be fine.
Returning to the ground, I asked the satisfied-looking Luciana.
"Will this do?"
"It's perfect. It looks like morale has reached its peak."
Luciana gave a thumbs-up in reply.
I then continued my inquiry.
"Do you have their positions secured?"
"Absolutely. The timing is perfect. If we're going to attack, now is the moment."
"I see."
Her subordinate succubuses had been reporting the small nation's every movement.
Thanks to this, I can see our current position as clear as day.
They intend to launch a surprise attack, I'm sure, but unfortunately for them, it won't succeed.
"We'll be activating the teleportation magic shortly! Your vision will shift, but remain calm and deal with it accordingly!"
As Grom shouted the order, a natural tension ran through the ranks.
Not that it was excessive, of course.
Everyone was settling into a state of focused readiness—just the right balance.
Grom bowed his head to me.
"Well then, Lord Demon King. Safe travels."
"Right, I'm off."
I activated the teleportation magic.
The magic circle drawn on the ground glowed brightly, and my vision shifted.
A vast canal now lay before me.
My subordinates were positioned right behind me.
On the far bank of the canal, I could see the advancing armies of the small nations.
They had split into two groups.
One was attempting to cross the canal via a stone bridge, the other was trying to cross by ship.
The small nations' forces were visibly stunned.
They seemed flustered, caught completely off guard by the Demon King's army's sudden appearance.
Watching them freeze, Luciana laughed, clearly amused.
"Terrifyingly precise teleportation. Transporting this many people at once is impressive enough, but Lord Demon King, you're truly beyond all measure."
"If you can't manage even this, you're unfit to oversee the world's evil."
I step forward.
Seeing this, Luciana lets out an exasperated sigh.
"So you really are going to demand their surrender?"
"Of course. I'll grant them a reprieve. If we can avoid bloodshed, so be it."
Using magic to amplify my voice, I send it across to the small nation's forces.
"Hear me, humans. We are the Demon Lord's Army. The ones you draw your blades against. However, I have one proposal here—"
"Charge! Full assault, all units! Mages, fire in unison! Don't let the enemy advance a single step!"
My voice is cut off by the commander's orders.
Simultaneously, a battle cry erupts. The people of the small nation, steeling themselves for death, launch their attack.
Magic flies across the canal as well.
"So, bloodshed can't be avoided?"
"...It appears not."
"I told you so. Humans are all fools, aren't they? Your kindness surely didn't reach them."
"I know."
Luciana's observation hits the mark.
The current situation was proof enough.
There was no ground for me to argue.
(So be it.)
I unleash countless bolts of lightning, sweeping aside the incoming spells.
They smashed into the humans rushing across the stone bridge under that momentum.
Charred corpses tumbled one after another into the canal, and the bridge itself collapsed midway through.
"Wow. A flashy counterattack."
"It's merely a feint."
I raised one arm, making myself visible to my subordinates waiting behind me.
With that posture, I issued the command.
"The ultimatum was refused. Show them your violence."
As I brought my arm down, the monster army began its charge.
The undead led the way, followed by orcs and ogres.
Beyond this point, I had no intention of actively intervening.
The goal was for the monsters to vent their frustration by killing humans and to build confidence for the next battle.
If I used magic, it would be over in an instant, but that wouldn't do.
What the Demon King's army needed now was a victory intoxicatingly satisfying.
Victory brings a more potent effect than a thousand encouragements.
As soon as the leading undead sank into the canal, they swarmed the vessels, inducing capsizing.
They then tore apart the soldiers who fell into the water.
Those who managed to avoid capsizing or tried to cross the collapsing stone bridge were brutally slaughtered by the following monsters.
Soldiers desperately attempted to counterattack, but it was already too late.
One person holding out wouldn't change the situation for the better.
The Demon King's army advanced using the undead floating in the canal as footholds.
In individual combat power, I hold the upper hand.
By creating confusion through sudden contact, filling the canal with undead, and steadily breaking their formation, defeat is impossible.
As for their long-range attacks, my magic will deflect every last one.
A one-sided massacre was being perfected right there.
"Ahaha, what a splendid sight. It makes me want a drink of exquisite wine."
Luciana, her expression dreamy, murmurs with a wine bottle in one hand.
After pouring the contents into a glass, she swallowed it with an audible gulp, looking as if it tasted divine.
"...You brought that with you?"
"It's a rare expedition, isn't it? Don't you want to watch over your subordinates with pleasant feelings?"
"Take this seriously."
"I'm always serious. Look."
Luciana pointed to her own cheek.
Upon it was a bewitching smile.
"Wine alone cannot intoxicate a succubus. What intoxicates me right now is this peak situation."
Luciana set down the wine bottle and her gaze drifted far away.
She spoke in a calm voice.
"It's a sight I've dreamed of countless times over ten years. It almost makes me reminisce about the past."
"Is that from the time you served the previous Demon Lord?"
"Yes, exactly. Those were fun times... and you were cute back then, Dwight."
Luciana said this in a slightly playful tone.
It seemed she was mocking me.
"Stop calling me that."
"Oh my, so you've discarded your human name? Does that mean you're just the Demon Lord now?"
"Is that really so important?"
When I raised the question, Luciana suddenly looked serious.
She spoke with a slightly irritated tone.
"It is important. You are an individual, not the abstract concept of the Demon Lord."
"An individual..."
"Demon Lord, aren't you mistaken in thinking of yourself as some sort of tool for achieving a goal?"
Luciana shrugged and let out a deep sigh.
I wasn't quite sure, but it felt like I was being reprimanded.
"It shouldn't matter. It's the optimal solution for achieving the goal."
"That's not okay at all."
Luciana's hands clamped onto my cheeks from either side, holding my head still.
The firm grip made it hard to move my neck.
"Let go."
"Then can you promise to value yourself?"
"This isn't the time for that. I need to focus on the fight—"
"Hmm. Can you still say that after seeing this?"
Luciana turned my head to the side.
Ghouls and skeletons capsized ships, and with each one, soldiers screamed as they plunged into the water.
The newly risen ghouls—former soldiers—crawled toward the far shore.
Mixed in with the swarming undead, the monsters launched their own furious assault.
The small kingdom's formations had completely collapsed, and deserters could be seen fleeing here and there.
"What a one-sided victory. There's not a thing for Master Demon Lord to worry about. Now then—are you going to answer my question?"
"..."
"Can you love yourself, even a little?"
Luciana pressed me with an earnest expression.
If I didn't nod, she clearly had no intention of letting go.
I couldn't dodge the question with some half-baked reply either.
She was trying to see through to who I truly was.
After a long silence, I finally spoke.
"...Fine. I'll try."
"Mm-hmm, that's enough for now. I've got your word, and I'll pass it along to that meddlesome bag of bones too."
Luciana released me with a satisfied look.
Then, after taking a long swig from her flask and draining it dry, she murmured almost to herself.
"Hey."
"What is it?"
"If something's bothering you, don't hesitate to say so, okay? Things that might be hard to talk to bones about, for example..."
Luciana spoke in a small voice.
She was unusually bashful for her. A faint blush colored her cheeks. Perhaps from the wine, or perhaps from some other factor. Mentioning it would be tactless, so I settled for a safe reply.
"...I'll count on you when that time comes."
"Leave it to me! Oh, and if you start missing human warmth, I'll warm you up myself!"
Luciana launched herself into the air with vigor and joined the demon lord's army, which was on a triumphant offensive. From her vantage point above, she unleashed a barrage of magic that inflicted devastating casualties upon the small kingdom's forces. Witnessing this, the demon lord's army erupted in cheers.
Left behind, I muttered to myself.
"What in the world is she...?"
In the end, what was Luciana's true purpose? Perhaps she had her own way of trying to encourage me. I understood, on some level, that she held some affection for me, but it left me unsettled. The only thing truly certain was that I was blessed with capable subordinates.