"Man, this is seriously exhausting..."

"Lord Jin! Are you all right?"

"Ah, yeah. I just needed to vent a little. Sorry for making you listen to my complaints."

"Not at all! You've been too busy lately, Lord Jin! I think you should rest your body a bit more!"

Right now, I’m infiltrating a human town with Libera to locate and rescue demon prisoners.

For the past two weeks, I’ve been reforming the Demon Territory's technology and food supply using my modern-world cheat knowledge. Surprisingly, the knowledge I picked up in my old world has been incredibly useful here.

Honestly, I’m glad I bothered to learn as much as I did. Though, in hindsight, I wish I’d studied more about the Industrial Revolution or manufacturing processes. Just in case anyone reading this gets summoned or reincarnates into another world—study up!(TL/N: I wanna be one of those stories where you have internet access. So, no extra studying is required.)

"The treatment of prisoners, both human and demon, has been pretty harsh. I’d like to get them released as quickly as possible."

When not reforming the Demon Territory, I’ve been negotiating prisoner exchanges in human settlements or stepping in to halt battles between humans and demons.

I’ve even encountered a few human “heroes” during these efforts. Some were as strong as Libera or Debra, but they were no match for the cheat-level powers of a Demon Lord.

I’m doing my best to rescue all the prisoners, but there are so many human nations and towns. In addition to rescues, brokering a ceasefire is critical to stopping the conflict altogether.

"Lord Jin... Please take care of yourself. Overexertion will take its toll."

"Yeah, I know. I’m lucky to have capable subordinates like you and the others supporting me."

"Lord Jin..."

Indeed, the Demon Lord’s Four Heavenly Kings and their subordinates have been a massive help. Even when I give vague instructions, they immediately make things happen.

Particularly Debra. That guy is insanely competent! He takes my haphazard modern ideas, understands them instantly, and executes them flawlessly. Plus, as a Lich, he doesn’t need to sleep.

He’s basically working 24/7. Not that I envy him—sounds way too exhausting. Still, I’ll rely on him for just a little longer. I refuse to let the Demon Lord’s army become a toxic workplace.

"We might be inexperienced, but we’ll do everything we can to support you!"

"I appreciate it."

As for Libera’s current disguise, she looks like a battle-hardened adventurer clad in dragon armor. However, her striking red hair and eyes remain unchanged, as do her refined features and figure, making her stand out.

Pair that with an ordinary-looking middle-aged guy like me, and she draws a lot of attention—especially from men.

When they get too persistent, Libera either brushes them off or roughs them up a bit. Still, I can’t shake the feeling she’s not suited for undercover work. Not that I’d say that to her face.

"Lord Jin, I’ve come across some interesting information."

"Oh? Did you find anything about the Hero?"

After successfully arranging another prisoner exchange, we regrouped. This particular settlement was more of a village, so it didn’t take long to locate the prisoners and negotiate their release.

While we were gathering intelligence separately, it seems Libera stumbled upon something noteworthy.

"No, I didn’t uncover anything new about the Hero. However, I did hear something curious about the war between humans and demons. It differs from what we’ve been told."

"Differ how?"

"Well..."

Libera explained that during her investigation, she spoke with the village’s most knowledgeable elder. Apparently, the man, enchanted by Libera’s beauty, spilled everything over drinks.

She seems better suited to intelligence gathering than infiltration. If the target were female, we might send Lugaro, the handsome one. Meanwhile, I... Yeah, I’m just a useless middle-aged guy for this kind of stuff.

According to the elder, the reason the war between humans and demons began was the complete opposite of what Debra had told us.

"Are you sure that’s what the man said?"

"Yes! According to him, the war began when the demons were the ones who attacked first."

"I see..."

Debra had told me a different story. According to him, 300 years ago, a nation called Walthea existed on the border between human and demon lands, where both races coexisted.

However, one day, the humans betrayed the demons, launching an attack that massacred them, sparking the current conflict.

Libera’s informant, on the other hand, claimed that the demons were the aggressors.

Given that this happened 300 years ago, it’s impossible to know whose account is accurate. But if I had to choose, I’d lean toward Debra’s version—he’s proven incredibly reliable.

Still, this discrepancy is troubling. While resolving the root cause of the betrayal might not end the war, uncovering the truth could help bridge the gap between humans and demons. For now, we’ll continue investigating.

"Understood. Let’s keep gathering more information."

"Yes, Lord Jin!"