The Executed Sage Reincarnates as a Lich and Begins a War of Aggression

I shot out countless lightning bolts, clearing out the magic that came flying in.

Even after clearing the magic, it still had enough momentum to hit the humans crossing the stone bridge.

The bridge collapsed in the middle, and burnt corpses tumbled down into the canal one after another.

"Wow. That's quite a flashy counterattack."

"It's only a diversion."

I raised one arm and looked at the subordinates waiting behind me.

I issued my command.

"They have rejected our advice. Give them a taste of mayhem."

The army of demons charged the moment I lowered my hand.

The undead were the vanguard, and the orcs and ogres followed closely behind.

From here on, I would not meddle in their actions.

My aim was to let the demons kill the humans, in order to clear their resentment and raise their confidence for the subsequent battles.

If I used magic, I could put an end to this in a matter of seconds. But that wouldn't do.

What the Demon Lord's army needed now was a resounding victory.

A victory would bring about a better result than a thousand speeches.

As I wondered if the undead vanguard had sunk in the canal, they swarmed the ships and capsized them.

They then devoured the soldiers who fell into the water.

The ones who somehow escaped having their ship capsized, and the ones who managed to cross the collapsed stone bridge, were slaughtered by the demons that followed next.

The soldiers desperately tried to fight back, but it was already too late.

It wasn't a situation where a single person holding out would change anything for the better.

The Demon Lord's army advanced, using the undead floating in the canal as a foothold.

The individual strength of my side was greater.

The other side was in unrest due to the sudden contact with the enemy. The canal was now packed with undead that steadily broke through the enemy lines. There was no way we could lose.

As for the long-distance attacks from the other side, my magic was enough to repel them.

The one-sided rout was now complete.

"Aha! What a wonderful sight! I feel like drinking some fine wine."

Luciana muttered with a dreamy expression on her face, a bottle of wine in one hand.

Pouring its contents into a glass, she savoured the drink and gave a satisfied hum.

"You brought it?"

"This is our first expedition in a long time. Don't you feel like happily watching over all your subordinates?"

"Be serious."

"I'm always serious. Look."

Luciana raised her lips.

She had a bewitching smile plastered on her face.

"Succubi won't get drunk on the likes of wine. What I am drunk on now is this wonderful atmosphere."

Luciana placed the bottle down and gazed into the distance.

She narrated in a calm tone.

"I have dreamt of this scene many times in the past ten years. It reminds me of the past."

"The time you served the former Demon Lord?"

"Yeah, you're right. Those were fun times…Dwight-kun was cute back then too,"

Luciana spoke in jest.

It seemed like she was teasing me.

"Don't call me that."

"My, did you abandon your human name? Are you only the Demon Lord now?"

"Is that important?"

When I asked her, Luciana suddenly turned serious.

She spoke angrily.

"It is important. You are an individual. This is not what a Demon Lord should be."

"An individual…"

"Demon Lord, aren't you mistaking yourself as a tool for achieving your goals?"

Luciana shrugged her shoulders and sighed deeply.

I didn't quite understand, but she seemed to blame me.

"I don't mind. This is the best method to achieve my goals."

"Absolutely not."

Lucina's hands held my cheeks from both sides.

They held me firmly in place, and I couldn't move my neck.

"Let me go."

"Then, do you promise to treasure yourself a little more?"

"Now is not the time for that. I have to concentrate on the battle—"

"Hmmm. Even while looking at this scene, that's all you have to say?"

Luciana turned my neck towards the side.

The ghouls and skeletons overturned ships as the soldiers screamed, falling to their deaths.

The soldiers, reborn as ghouls, crept towards the opposite shore.

Mixed amidst the undead causing chaos, the demons began their fierce attack.

The formation of the enemy army had utterly collapsed, and soldiers deserting their positions could be seen all around.

"A sweeping victory is a sweeping victory. The Demon Lord has nothing to worry about. Then, does that answer your question?"

"……"

"Will you treasure yourself?"

Luciana asked earnestly.

If I didn't nod, she would definitely not release her hands.

I couldn't dodge the question untactfully either. After all, she was trying to ascertain what kind of a person I was.

After a long silence, I gave my answer.

"—Got it. I'll make an effort."

"Yes, yes, that's good for now. I'll also tell that meddlesome bonehead what you have promised me."

Satisfied, Luciana let me go.

She then gulped down the contents of the bottle of wine in one go. Done drinking, she uttered.

"…Hey."

"What is it?"

"If you have any worries, don't hesitate to tell me. For example, things that you'd find hard to discuss with the bonehead…"

Luciana spoke in a soft voice that was unusual for her.

A blush crept up her cheeks.

Perhaps it was because she was drunk, perhaps it was something else.

I thought it would be insensitive to mention it, and answered safely.

"I'll be sure to do so if need be."

"Leave it to me! And if you need body warmth, I'll warm you up!"

Luciana sprang up to her feet and joined the steadily advancing Demon Lord's army.

Randomly shooting down magic from the sky, she gave a fatal blow to the small kingdom's army.

On the other hand, the Demon Lord's troops, witnessing her might, gave a cheer.

Left behind, I muttered.

"What in the world was that…"

In the end, what was Luciana's goal?

Did she want to encourage me in her own way?

Perhaps she held a favourable opinion towards me, but I wasn't sure.

—The only certain thing was that I was blessed with excellent subordinates.

.