Batman found himself feeling slightly upset, confused as to whether it was a sense of being wronged. To date, he couldn't understand why Alfred could discuss philosophies with Shiller and rkel, but never broached the topic with him.
Did they think he was less intelligent than Shiller and rkel?
Of course, Batman couldn't accept this assumption. Geniuses were always prideful. He decided to speak to his beloved butler, Alfred, about this before tracking down Shiller. He wanted to understand why Alfred had been so evasive on this matter over the years.
Batman quickened his pace to catch up with rkel. He also observed the defenses that rkel had orchestrated with the help of the demons. Surprisingly, though, the tactical defenses that rkel had built were far from impressive, even showing multiple oversights.
Batman wondered if it was deliberate. As he was about to keep his observations to himself, rkel, while scratching his head next to a pile of dirt, confessed, "You know, I'd never won in any tactical simulation. And I've never managed defenses on this scale before. Not sure if it'll work..."
Batman hurriedly moved forward, stopping rkel, "Wait, don't let them advance yet. There's sothing wrong with the positioning of the traps..."
He lead rkel to a clear patch of ground, picked up a handful of sand from the pile, and began sketching the rough layout of the mine on the ground. He explained, "The entrance to the Third Mountain's mine is narrow. Many of the heavier demons won't be able to enter. So of the traps you set require heavier creatures to be triggered, which is wasteful. You need to modify the triggering chanisms..."
rkel knelt down, attentively listening. After Batman finished his explanation, rkel imdiately relayed the updated instructions. Then, he shook Batman's hand earnestly, "You indeed have more experience, Comrade Wayne. We're grateful. We would've definitely suffered much greater losses without you."
Batman quickly dismissed the courtesy. He hoped that his demons could also join the defense battle, bolstering their battlefield experience. When he suggested this, rkel agreed. However, problems arose once they were actively engaged.
While rkel's demons were ticulously organized, the ones Batman led, who were a bit more experienced, managed considerably. However, the disparity beca startlingly clear over ti.
Batman's demons were unambitious, needing constant direction. They would go wherever Batman directed and do whatever he instructed.
Batman attempted to form small squads and appoint leaders, implenting a hierarchical leadership. However, the lack of qualifications amongst the demons made it difficult to identify any suitable leaders. Also, the passage of orders was always a ss.
The communication was one problem while obedience was another. Many of the demons, assigned team mbers, struggled to grasp the concept of team leadership. Batman explained to them multiple tis, clarifying that being split into groups was for efficiency and the leaders were selected to relay commands.
After thoughtful silence, the demons began buzzing. However, their discussions were frustrating for Batman.
"Ah, I see! So, Lord Batman has chosen new supervisors! They give orders, we work. I wish you had said it like that from the beginning."
"Oh well, let's just see what these supervisors want us to do. Hopefully, the work isn't too exhausting..."
"See, told you we would end up mining. Let's go..."
Batman took a deep breath, feeling weighed down. Their ignorance was not the problem. After all, demons similar to his, led by rkel, understood concepts like unity and division of labor.
After observing for a bit, Batman discovered that the demons led by rkel knew they were working for themselves, fending off abuse from their supervisors, protecting their friends and their hos. However, the demons he led always felt as if they were being pushed to do things. Even when they weren't forced, they perceived whoever directed them as higher in status, voluntarily imagining a coercive employnt relation and accepting their fate to work.
Batman thought that maybe this was the difference of thought guidance. If he were to offer money to the commoners of Gotham to work for him, he would probably see results quickly, similar to his victory at the Central Mine.
On the surface, it looked like the wage-earner relationship was voluntary. They could choose to earn the money or not. But in reality, they had no other choice.
Even in reality, not earning this money wouldn't necessarily an they would starve, but the shackles of long-standing mindsets made them feel incapable of taking the risk of not earning that money. Hence, they would choose to work.
Wayne Enterprises would indeed pay, because it was led by Bruce Wayne, that is, Batman. But if Batman weren't the leader, and the ones in power didn't honor wages, these workers wouldn't resist. They would just accept their misfortune and resign to fate.
Upon this realization, Batman felt a headache coming on. To distract himself, he began ticulously leading his demons, and using every opportunity to reinforce the Third Mountain's defenses against the attacks from Demon Soldiers. He also taught rkel about geographical tactics, which he had already successfully implented.
rkel was astonished. His admiration for Batman's tactical acun was deeply elevated. In the heat of the battle, Batman reminded rkel, "The Central Mine collapse was caused by magic being released in the magma layer beneath the ground, causing the magma to break through the mountain. We must be prepared..."
"Don't worry, I had an underground escape tunnel dug up early on, and even conducted evacuation drills. In the event of an accident, we can directly escape to the Second Mountain, where Alfred is."
"Moreover, as far as I know, for a demon species capable of magic, releasing powerful spells isn't without its cost. Mobilizing magma requires a great deal of energy. They couldn't possibly replicate it in a short period..."
"BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!!!"
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