Along with wanting to establish a ceasefire agreement, another thing I want to do is rescue the demon race members who have been taken captive. Calling them prisoners might sound better, but based on what I saw in the human city the other day, it's likely they're being treated as slaves or worse.

“We'll infiltrate human cities in small numbers and rescue as many captive demons as we can.”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Your Majesty!”

“… While I agree with Libera that it's a good idea, isn’t that going to be difficult, even with your power?”

“Normally, yes, but since I’m human, I can enter the city easily. Once inside, I can use teleportation magic to bring in our allies.”

“Oh! So the Demon Lord can use teleportation magic! And you can enter the human city through the front gate!”

Exactly. Just like I did before, if I take off this armor and appear as my ordinary middle-aged self, I can enter the city without any issue.

I still need to verify this, but just as I did when teleporting the children, I should be able to teleport others with me. I don’t know how many I can bring, but theoretically, I could instantly teleport a whole battalion into the city.

“Tch, no need for such a hassle! Just smash the city head-on.”

“If we do that, the demons being held there will likely be used as shields or hostages. It will only lead to massive casualties for both sides.”

As I’ve said countless times, I don’t want to see unnecessary casualties on either side.

I know it sounds idealistic. I’m not deluding myself into thinking I can stop the war between humans and demons without any casualties, but I want to minimize them as much as possible.

“Debra, help me test the limits of my teleportation magic later. Also, select some of our best fighters.”

“Yes, leave it to me!”

Regarding the day-to-day operations of the demon army, I plan to rely on Debra, who has been supporting the army so far. Honestly, I’m not fit to manage an army.

I wasn’t a very important worker in my previous world, so I'll leave managing large groups to someone else.

“One more thing— I plan to release the human prisoners captured by the demon army.”

“…”

All four of the Demon Lords’ generals fell silent. Judging by their reactions, it seems the demon side also holds human prisoners.

I didn’t expect them to immediately agree, given their hatred for humans.

“I understand your hatred for humans, but this is a non-negotiable condition for me. However, I’m not suggesting we release all of them right away. We’ll gradually free them, corresponding to the number of demons we rescue from the humans. If possible, I also intend to negotiate for a prisoner exchange.”

While the demons are being treated terribly by the humans, the reverse is likely true as well. No doubt the demon side has human prisoners who are being treated poorly.

Ideally, I’d like to free them all immediately, but doing so would surely spark a backlash among the demon ranks.

“That seems fair. There’s already precedence for exchanging important captives between humans and demons. I support this plan.”

“Yes, I see no problem with an equal exchange. At this point, it's better to prioritize rescuing our comrades than killing the enemy.”

Libera and Debra both agreed. I hadn’t yet consulted them about this issue, but it seems they each gave it thought and decided to support me.

“Indeed. If the Demon Lord himself is risking his life to rescue our people, then I will agree as well.”

“Tch… I’m in no position to object right now. Do whatever you want.”

Jilbe and Lugaro, who have a deep hatred for humans, couldn’t oppose the plan either. As I suspected, they couldn’t argue against saving their fellow demons in exchange for releasing human prisoners.

“I’ll infiltrate the city first. If possible, I’ll try to negotiate with the village chief or town leader, but if that fails, I’ll rescue the demons by force. Once we’ve freed them, I’ll immediately teleport us all back to demon territory.”

My plan is to meet directly with the town or village leader and attempt negotiations. Since I can’t use stealth abilities, there will likely be confrontations with guards, which will give me a chance to demonstrate the threat of the Demon Lord’s power.

“When gathering intel inside the city, I’ll need one more person to accompany me—someone skilled in healing magic and able to disguise themselves as human.”

I can't use healing magic myself, but I've confirmed that healing magic works on wounds I receive. I need someone proficient in healing for emergencies, and someone who can pass as human when infiltrating.

“Demon Lord, if I may, please allow me to accompany you!”

Libera immediately raised her hand. I knew she could use healing magic, and it seems she’s also capable of disguising herself as human.

“I can also accompany you,” Lugaro said.

Since Lugaro specializes in magic, he can likely use healing magic and disguise his distinctive blue skin.

“Alright. I’ll alternate between the two of you. But before that, let's focus on securing the regions where active battles are taking place.”