This is Hard!

Keeping things simple was the key to improving efficiency, especially in a special period like this.

Even she, the Demon Lord Vivian, didn’t want to make things special just for herself.

Although she said as much, Elia still insisted on setting up a spacious tent for Vivian to live in, furnished with some hastily repaired or even newly crafted pieces.

This dwelling, constructed from thick but heavily worn waterproof tarps, a few barely straightened tree trunks, and tough vines, stood on a relatively flat clearing at the edge of the Demon Lord’s Castle ruins, looking particularly conspicuous in the twilight.

It was indeed the best “palace” this remnant army could provide—utterly crude.

Vivian hesitated, considered for a moment, and then accepted it.

The tent’s interior was spacious, but so empty it was unsettling.

The air was filled with the smell of earth, damp cloth, and a faint hint of rust.

The ground was covered with a layer of dry hay, which rustled underfoot.

And the so-called “furniture” was nothing more than a few low tables cobbled together from salvaged broken shields and fractured spear shafts, their surfaces incredibly rough.

There were also a few stones with their sharp edges barely polished off, serving as stools.

A slightly larger “desk” was made from a huge, cracked but relatively flat slab of the castle wall, propped up on the remains of two half-collapsed forges.

On the desk, an oil lamp fashioned from a broken helmet flickered with a dim yellow light, stretching Vivian’s lonely figure long and casting it onto the rough tent canvas, where it swayed uncertainly.

“…Sigh, I’ll just have to make do.”

Although the tent could have housed ten or twenty wounded soldiers and given them a proper rest, Vivian did indeed need a stable environment to carry out her subsequent work.

She needed a place where she could block out distractions and concentrate, a place where she could temporarily set aside the majesty of a Demon Lord, allow herself the occasional moment of fatigue, and focus on the mountain of tasks that could crush anyone.

That’s right, work.

Although she had already explored the underground warehouses of the Demon Lord’s Castle during the day, for the Demon Lord Vivian, there were still many tasks to be done.

The personnel count had already been completed on the road.

Among the returning old forces, there weren’t many seriously wounded, only a few dozen, which was negligible.

Of the remaining personnel, about one thousand five hundred were lightly wounded and needed rest and care.

By that calculation, she only had about three thousand able-bodied hands.

Moreover, most of these demons were professional soldiers, not carpenters or farmers.

They were the sharp swords and sturdy shields of the Demon Lord of Evernight, skilled in life-or-death combat, skilled in infiltration and raids.

But asking them to pick up an axe to chop wood, shoulder a hoe to clear land, or swing a hammer to lay bricks?

To rebuild the Demon Lord’s Castle?

The sheer scale and complexity of the project, just thinking about the required professional skills and coordination, made Vivian’s temples throb.

At the same time, Vivian’s territory, the 【Territory of Evernight】, bordered human lands, so defensive needs also had to be put on the agenda… and it wasn’t just about rebuilding a city and planting a few fields.

To restore the vitality of the entire territory, she also had to revive the economy and production activities…

Rebuilding, planting food, reorganizing industries… each of these tasks was more daunting than the last.

If the previous Bai An had faced such a mess, she might have just given up.

Or rather, if you asked any ordinary person to face this situation, their brain would probably short-circuit before they could figure it out.

In most cases, they would just collapse after eating through the stored rations.

But now, she was Vivian, the Demon Lord of Evernight.

Not all demons could become a Demon Lord just by reaching a certain level of strength.

Becoming a Demon Lord meant having a large territory and demonic creatures who submitted to her rule.

Without sufficient governance ability, intellect, and special skills, one could never become a true Demon Lord.

In other words, every Demon Lord’s territory and army were built with their own hands!

Take Morgos, the Demon Lord of Rot, for example.

Perhaps his governance ability wasn’t that great, but he knew how to delegate, leaving the tedious internal affairs to subordinates who were skilled in such matters.

He, in turn, only had to lead troops into battle, which was why a large number of powerful, war-loving demons were willing to follow him.

“…Speaking of which, I wonder how Morgos’s battle is going.”

Vivian took a breath and couldn’t help but think this.

If Morgos, the Demon Lord of Rot, won a great victory, the pressure on her territory would also be greatly reduced.

But regardless, returning to her Demon Lord’s Castle was just the beginning.

The subsequent actions were the key.

Thinking of this, she couldn’t help but place her hand on her abdomen again.

Could she, in the limited time she had, re-establish order and production in the Territory of Evernight, and then peacefully give birth to this child?

“Sigh, it feels like a long and arduous road.”

Vivian sighed, and at that moment, Elia’s voice sounded from outside the tent.

“Lady Demon Lord, I’ve brought you dinner—”

“Mm, come in.”

Vivian let out a turbid breath, feeling a little hungry herself.

The Head Maid Elia brought in dinner, gently placing the tray on the stone table—a portion of vegetable soup, a portion of cured meat, and two portions of something resembling potatoes.

They were moonbeans, something similar to potatoes, but they were solanaceous plants that grew by absorbing the power of moonlight at night.

They were one of the more basic food crops among the demons.

“My sincerest apologies, Lady Demon Lord.

With limited conditions, this is all we could manage…”

Elia lowered her head, her black fox ears also drooping slightly, her voice filled with guilt.

“It’s alright, Elia.”

Vivian looked at the dinner she brought, sighed softly, and comforted her.

This was already the best meal she had eaten since escaping from Lucia’s territory, the city of Luo.

And this was after Vivian had weighed the options for a long time and, considering the essential nutrients she needed, had set the meal standard for Elia with repeated instructions.

After all, now was the most difficult time.

She also had to be meticulous with her calculations.

Similarly, she would not allow her army to go hungry.

On the surface, they had three months’ worth of food.

There was no need to starve everyone now, but they couldn’t be wasteful either.

Every mouthful of food had to be carefully calculated.

“What about your dinner?”

Vivian’s voice softened.

“Why don’t you sit down and eat with me.”

“Huh? H-how could I!”

Looking at the dinner Elia had brought, and then at the Head Maid before her, who, though battered and bruised, was still stubbornly fulfilling her duties and could be considered absolutely loyal, Vivian wanted to have a good chat with her.

However, Elia clearly could not accept such an “overstepping” act.

“Then consider it my order.

Take a break while you eat—you’re tired too.”

Vivian said slowly, “There’s no need to be so tense, Elia.

Just consider it keeping me company, relaxing and taking a rest.”

“…I understand, Lady Demon Lord.”

Elia was stunned, hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded and left the tent.

A short while later, she reappeared before Vivian with her own dinner.

Her dinner consisted of only a bowl of vegetable soup and a single moonbean, which was the standard meal for most people now.

The small amount of cured meat was even an exclusive treat for Vivian.

To be honest, if it weren’t for her pregnancy and the need to maintain a certain amount of nutritional intake, Vivian would have wanted to save even this portion of cured meat.

‘Sigh, this is really hard.’

Vivian couldn’t help but think this in her heart.

Then, she turned her gaze to the fox-girl maid who was sitting cautiously beside her.