"How can you be sure?"
"Because I've lived for years, and I know excellent tactical leadership when I see it." The demon lord's otherworldly gaze fixed on Lyra with absolute certainty. "Your warehouse trap was brilliant—you predicted Elric's infiltration without any prior intelligence, just pure tactical analysis. Your night raid strategy is bleeding his army while preserving our own forces. Your prediction about tomorrow's assault shows strategic thinking that rivals commanders with decades more experience."
"Then why doesn't it feel like enough?"
"Because it never does. That's the burden of command—the knowledge that no matter how well you perform, people still die." Seraphina's voice softened slightly, showing rare empathy. "But less people die than would under poor leadership. Remember that when you're counting costs. Satou trusted you with his settlement. That trust was not misplaced."
Lyra absorbed the words, finding cold comfort in the demon lord's certainty.
