"..."

"Tap tap tap~"

"..."

"Tap tap tap~"

"..."

"Shilina, stop pacing around!"

Vera said helplessly as she leaned against her seat... Inside the Demon King's Hall, Sirina had just finished organizing a morning meeting. Satan Ye was not in the Demon King's territory, and everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

It seemed as if nothing had changed.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why Satan Leaf had the thought that "I am a useless king".

"Anyway, you've already sent Xiaoti to inquire about the situation...we'll know the result soon."

Vera said this while leaning back lazily in her chair, and many of the other leaders remained there, waiting for Tikkap to bring news from the Demon King's army... Normally, there is something called "magic letter paper" that can be used for communication during battles.

This is a magical paper, consisting of two sheets, a mother and a child sheet. What is written on one sheet will simultaneously appear on the other sheet... It was originally a tool used by imperial nobles for flirting.

It was only later that it was widely used on the battlefield.

As Vera spoke, the small male succubus materialized again in the hall, reporting: "His Highness the Demon King and Lady Ira have successfully subdued the lizardmen and centaur territories and are now heading towards the Gorgon's territory."

"The lizardmen's leader, Karakapapa, was executed by Lord Ira. He clashed with the lizardmen's combat professionals, suffering zero casualties on his side and five hundred lesser demons killed. That same night, he also held a banquet with the lizardmen."

"..."

"A banquet? It seems Lemum must have put in a lot of effort..."

Mr. Lem said this with satisfaction, and the Lem he mentioned was the cook he had chosen to accompany the army, who was also a member of the Slime Clan... and one of the younger generation with excellent culinary talent.

The others realized something and exchanged glances... This was the method to win hearts.

It sounds like no one was injured (Little Demon: ...). Is this really as Ira is? As an enemy, Ira can exert tremendous pressure, and as an ally, she is naturally just as reassuring.

It's often said that whitewashing weakens one by three points, but strictly speaking... betraying the empire and joining the Demon King's territory can generally be considered "darkening," and the principle that being darkened makes one ten times stronger might also apply?

"The centaurs noticed our army from afar, but before the defensive line could be built, they saw Lord Ira flying at the forefront, and their attack collapsed on its own."

Tikkapu said this, and no one found it particularly strange, after all, the centaurs had been on the battlefield... but after the governor joined, they gradually moved away from the increasingly high-level battlefield.

In other words, the centaurs were routed and slunk back to their homeland, just as the Archon was being born and desperately trying to reverse the Empire's decline.

That was a period when the "Consuls" were killing most frantically and recklessly, engaging in a frenzied massacre.

It's foreseeable that the centaurs would be dumbfounded upon seeing Ira, and might even doubt that they were living in a dream... It's a rather extreme and yet incredibly real nightmare.

"Phew, it's good that they're alright."

Sirina seemed relieved. It has to be said that... more than a loyal maid, she was more like a steward who ruled the Demon King's castle, like Satan Ye's old woman.

After receiving reassuring answers, everyone left the hall and began their day's work—Sylina cared about the safety of everyone who was going to war, and so did they.

"What about the lesser demons? Have any of the lesser demons evolved?"

Tikkap thought for a moment about what Sylvanas said and said, "There are a thousand lesser demons whose skin has already begun to turn bluish-white. When they return, they will probably become dwarf demons."

A thousand? Isn't that a bit too many?

Sylvia asked, somewhat puzzled, "So many?"

"Iraq is really good at training troops!"

Vera seemed to know a lot about it.

"Um."

Tikkap answered, responding to the two, saying, "Mr. Ira said this is the 'finishing blow leveling' tactic. Although I don't know what it means, it seems to be a way to let weak soldiers quickly see blood."

"..."

As expected of Iraq!

——————————

"Sister...is this really okay for us?"

As one of the mermaids spoke, half of her body was above the surface of the sea, revealing half of her round, white heart. She asked the "sister" beside her, the Naga with a snake-like tail, "The Gorgons... seem to have no intention of making offerings."

"Indeed, it doesn't seem like a good thing..."

Naga said this, but the merman who followed her out of the sea looked indifferent. She lay lazily in the seashell and said, "Anyway, it's just a problem with Gorgon."

Indeed, even if the Demon King's army attacks, it will have nothing to do with them. In fact, the Demon King's territory will invite them back to rebuild the navy and build warships... A powerful and indispensable race can thrive anywhere.

Even among humans, there wasn't much malice towards these demons.

"Hmm, but I have a bad feeling about this."

As the mermaid spoke, she gazed at the Gorgon's territory by the sea, her eyes narrowed, and said, "After we return, can we really go back to how things were before?"

In the past, the Siren Clan was an indispensable part of the Demon King's territory, but the moment the demon faction was defeated in the war against the empire... the seeds of betrayal were sown in their hearts.

Even if they return to the Demon King's territory, can the rift created by their betrayal truly be restored to its original state?

"You've just seen too many tragic stories about humanity..."

Naga complained as the three sea monster leaders frolicked on the sea, creating a beautiful scene. While splashing water, she said, "The Demon King's Castle can't do without us."

"Perhaps~"

"..."

Yes, perhaps she's overthinking it. The Demon King's Castle has absolutely no spare capacity for an expedition (it already does). The Gorgon isn't some low-level monster (though not very high-level), and there are also lizardmen and centaurs blocking their way from the Demon King's Castle (they're gone now).

The Demon King's castle was currently lacking top-tier combat power (though we have it now), and they certainly wouldn't return to the Demon King's territory and become slaves (who knows?). They're still leaders, so don't worry about them.

Don't worry about it...?

...

"What is that...?"

The merman, who was soaking in the ocean, seemed to be the first to see something. She squinted at a black line that appeared on the horizon from the other side.

The black line is rapidly approaching...

...

A headless horseman?!