The dozen or so members of the delegation immediately dropped to the floor, prostrating themselves.
Clichéd excuses and pleas for forgiveness poured from the humans' mouths. We had no idea, please forgive us, it was the mayor's decision alone... It was an unbearable dissonance, like a symphony played by the worst orchestra imaginable.
"Shall we start by killing the loudest human first?"
I said it offhandedly, too bothered to even coddle a bunch of crybabies. Every sound stopped dead. Satisfying. If you understand one thing — when to shut your mouth — you'll find success comes surprisingly easily.
There are always those who get it wrong, though. Just because your mouth is open doesn't mean you're automatically granted the right to speak. A mouth exists less for talking than for staying shut. On that point, the delegation had at least passed the first test.
"The delegation used surrender as bait to ambush our key officers. Paimon. They deceived the heavens and toyed with us, so they deserve the death penalty. No — I doubt the citizens of Heidelberg even agreed to surrender in the first place."
"Dantalion."
"The lightning has struck. Now all that's left is for the thunder to roll."
I made a slashing gesture across my throat with my right hand.
"There will be no agreement. We execute the delegation by hanging, then seize the fortress in the chaos that follows. We'll slaughter every one of Heidelberg's ten thousand citizens and offer them as sacrifices on the goddess's altar."
"...Secure the delegation and isolate them."
Paimon sighed and gave the order. The envoys were bound with ropes and dragged away.
Sitri strode up and personally kicked them in the rear as they went. The killing intent radiating from her was so thick that the delegation didn't dare utter a single word begging for mercy. Sitri was the type who went completely silent when truly furious.
"So, Dantalion."
Paimon collapsed into the commander's chair.
Sitri had gone to escort the prisoners, and I'd sent Laura back to the tent to rest. Now only Paimon and I remained at headquarters.
"How should we handle this?"
"It's a secret directive from the Habsburg Consul. Nothing to think about." I shrugged. "A human surrenders to the Demon Lord. If it were just surrender, that would be one thing — but surrendering with every citizen's life fully guaranteed... The Habsburg Consul understood exactly what that meant."
Paimon's move to seize the fortress wasn't just for show. The capture of Heidelberg had been planned as a political gambit before it was ever a military one.
First, restore Paimon's standing after her fall from grace in the Crescent Alliance Army. The Mountain Faction was currently accepting Sitri as their acting leader, but both Sitri herself and the Mountain Faction's Demon Lords supported Paimon.
For Paimon to reclaim her position as Supreme Leader, she needed a spectacular achievement. That was why it had to be Heidelberg — the mightiest fortress city in the heart of the continent, taken without a scratch. Perfect for a triumphant return.
Second, revamp the Demon Lord's Army's image.
"The citizens of the Republic are terrified of the Demon Lord's Army. The Habsburg Consul has been using that fear to unify the people, and —"
"Oh yes. If we accepted a peaceful surrender, public opinion would start to split... But to see through our intentions this quickly."
Paimon sighed again.
There was one thing the Plains Faction had thoroughly botched during the last Crescent Alliance Army campaign. The massacre Brother Beleth had orchestrated.
Apparently, they'd used human heads to build rafts and set dozens of them floating down the river. It was only natural that humans came to fear the Demon Lord's Army. The image I'd painstakingly built in the northern Habsburg territories had been dragged through the gutter. Those damned heads were always the problem...
Elisabeth had turned that into an opportunity.
"The Demon Lord's Army is a pack of barbaric demons — murderers, ghouls, beasts."
"Our Republic is going through difficult times. If we turn on each other now, accusing and undermining one another, what happens? We'll only be devoured by those brutes."
She'd weaponized it as a tool to protect her own power.
Anyone who criticized the Republican government was arrested on charges of insurrection, rebellion, or attempted massacre. There was no more efficient way to stabilize the interior than to designate an enemy on the outside.
That was why Paimon wanted a peaceful surrender agreement.
The Demon Lord's Army is not a pack of bloodthirsty lunatics. Surrender peacefully, and not a single person will be killed. The plan was to make that gesture to sow chaos within the Habsburg Republic...
"If they can prevent internal strife, they'd happily sacrifice one city. That's the Habsburg Consul's logic."
Paimon fell silent.
"Elisabeth von Habsburg, is it... A sovereign who walks not the path of kingship but the path of heresy."
"Every word of it."
She'd ordered the mayor's assassination. For what purpose? To provoke us.
The surrender agreement would collapse. The Demon Lord's Army would fly into a rage and burn the entire city to the ground. Heidelberg's ten thousand citizens would be packaged as loyal martyrs who fought to the last against the Demon Lord's Army.
Elisabeth would probably tearfully cry out, "Citizens of the Republic! We shall never forget this grudge!" — and the humans would shout, "Long live the Consul!" The Republic would bond together even more tightly.
The absolute pinnacle of heresy. Elisabeth truly had so much to teach me.
"The Habsburg regime is a tyranny wearing the mask of republicanism. I wanted to fracture them and strip away their cities one by one... but it won't be easy."
"Their Consul is no ordinary figure. Among the leaders humanity has produced, she is undoubtedly the most capable. It stands to reason that she wouldn't be easy, Paimon."
Well then. What now?
I could release the rest of the delegation unharmed and let the surrender agreement proceed as planned. Paimon's objective would be realized exactly as intended. But that would sting our pride. We'd nearly been attacked, and if we didn't strike back at all, it would be infuriating.
I was stroking my chin in thought when I suddenly felt eyes on me. Paimon was staring directly at me.
"Has my face captivated you all of a sudden?"
"Hm? Don't be ridiculous. Even if a young lady were to fall for Dantalion, it certainly wouldn't be for his looks."
"..."
I'll curse the world.
Paimon smiled shyly.
"No, nothing really. It's just that the Consul who saw through my objective and was willing to sacrifice a city without hesitation is impressive — but Dantalion, who saw through the Consul's true intentions so quickly, is equally impressive."
"Oh. Was that a compliment?"
Very well. If it was a compliment, I'd accept as many as you like. I absolutely love being praised.
"Come to think of it, Dantalion, you seem to have quite a deep connection with the Consul. In Bruno, the two of you faced off in a debate before the speech. Have you met before, perhaps?"
"We haven't met personally. But perhaps you're right — the connection may run deeper than I realize."
How to put it? Even if I said she was my favorite heroine in the game, no one would understand.
Elisabeth was never someone who chose the path of heresy willingly. She yearned for the righteous path more than anyone. She loved her people, harbored boundless hope in humanity itself, and yet refused to turn a blind eye to the ugliness of people and society.
She was simply too wise. Which choice would minimize the damage? What was the most efficient course of action? Elisabeth could see it all. She would despair — and yet, if that was the path, she would walk it willingly...
Ideally, I would have wanted to stand alongside Elisabeth. But I was a Demon Lord. The possibility of compromise had been zero from the start. Well, from the looks of it, both Elisabeth and I had already bought first-class tickets on the express train to hell. We'd have to save our regrets for the afterlife.
So for now, let's fight each other with a smile, Elisabeth.
"Regarding the Consul — I have a rather decent idea."
"I figured as much."
Paimon gave me a look of trust.
"First, we accept Heidelberg's surrender. However, we impose a penalty for their rebellion over the past year. We'll accept the surrender but hold them accountable for their resistance."
"Accountable how?"
"The key is to sow discord within the Habsburg regime, by any means necessary."
Paimon had tried to achieve her objective through peaceful means. A classic approach to kingship. That sort of thing didn't suit me.
I smiled.
"Bring the prisoners back in."
Negotiations collapsed!
The citizens of Heidelberg were shaken by the proclamation the delegation had brought. They had only breathed a sigh of relief the night before, believing a peaceful surrender was forthcoming. But the words that spilled from the delegation's mouths were horrifying.
"The mayor attempted an assassination? What does that mean?!"
"Shouldn't the delegation take responsibility?"
In the square, angry citizens shouted.
For a year, the citizens had made brave sacrifices. They'd assisted with all manner of military duties, and even when the city was besieged and essential supplies became desperately scarce, they hadn't revolted. They'd only surrendered because there was simply nothing more they could do.
And yet their representative mayor had irresponsibly tried to orchestrate an assassination. The citizens were beyond stunned — they were furious.
"Someone bring the mayor's family here!"
"If we send the family to the hanged for the enemy, they might show a sliver of mercy!"
The envoys standing on the platform in the square were drenched in sweat.
"Fellow citizens! The mayor's family is already dead. All of them. Killed. Yesterday, just before the mayor led the delegation out, he slaughtered his own family. Sons, daughters, wives, relatives — all found dead inside his home."
"..."
The citizens fell silent. He had killed his own family with his own hands. In other words, before his family could be shamed in the event of failure, he had eliminated them himself.
The citizens were momentarily struck speechless by the chilling resolve, and the envoy quickly made his announcement.
"The worst-case scenario you fear will not come to pass."
"What do you mean?"
"The fact that our delegation has returned intact is proof itself. The enemy commanders have confirmed they are still willing to accept the surrender agreement. They've also promised to guarantee the safety of every citizen of Heidelberg."
However, the envoy added, "The commanders have stated there are conditions to the surrender. They demand accountability for the resistance and the assassination attempt."
The citizens, who had been about to cheer at the guarantee of safety, tensed at the word "conditions." Indeed — common sense alone made it clear that no city that had attempted assassination would be forgiven without conditions. Just how harsh would they be?
"Six people."
"..."
"Six citizens representing Heidelberg must bear full responsibility and be executed."
Silence descended over the square.
One citizen with speaking rights raised a hand.
"I have a question. Who exactly are the responsible parties? The administrators? Or the commanders?"
"The enemy said it doesn't matter who represents them. They didn't single out any particular individual or profession. In other words..."
The envoy struggled to force the words out.
"We must decide for ourselves who our responsible parties are."
Silence again.
The crowd gathered in the square began to murmur. The murmuring grew louder. In moments, the entire square had become as noisy as a bustling marketplace.
"With the mayor dead, what right does anyone have to choose sacrificial victims?"
"Six people isn't much — if that's all it takes for everyone to live, it's actually generous..."
"But who gets to decide, and how?"
Eventually, the citizens spoke with one voice.
"In the end, who is supposed to die?"