However more people would die under Jezera's rule because she'd think longer term, build the suffering into her society to keep the underclass down
Or she wouldn't do that at all, because building suffering into a society is a surefire way to cause rebellions and resentment that will, on the long term, topple you. As I said, Jezera's appreciation for Rowan's skills as a commoner shows she is more meritocracy-leaning than either her brother or most feudal lords in Rosaria, and I think most likely that she would attempt to placate the masses by giving them a more stable and peaceful life and likely better living standards than what they currently have under human feudal lords, as any budding autocrat with half a brain since Julius Caesar knows that the best way to stay on top is to have the masses on your side. She would also show them that any of them can make it into the elites of her new empire by having former commoners like Rowan among her closest advisors, definitely ensuring that both many commoners and opportunistic enough nobles would support her administration.
Of course if both twins survive I don't exactly expect Andras to sabotage this, but if he's alone? He thought recruiting Rowan was a useless waste of time when Bloodmeen was in ruins and its armies were nothing more but a pathetic thuggish band of 15 orcs or so - do you think he will bother winning the support of subjects when he's got the most powerful army in the 6 realms? Nah, he won't, which is way he'd keep having to deal with uprisings, plots and opposition and almost lock the world in a perpetual civil war - far worse than what Jezera would do, even with her self-crippling ego...
Say what you will about Andras, he's going to burn a village down and move on, he's not going to ruin the local environment out of spite.
Don't think either of them would do this - you need a fed populace to build and maintain an empire, and Jezera's outbursts thus far were at powerful people trying not to submit to her, not at villages or populations instrumental to the new demon empire the twins are building... If anything Andras is the one that's a bit too happy with executing prisoners or vengeance, not her. (as demonstated by the episode in week 1 when he has Rowan execute his former mentor and village elder, and if Rowan declines he executes dozens of potentially useful workers only so as to punish Rowan for his disobedience...)
Andras is the lesser of two evils because his evil is easier to predict and is easier to direct. Jezera is the greater of two evils because her evil is harder to pin down and is already being directed by its very nature, it's also attached to a larger and more childish ego.
Agreed that his evil is easier to direct and that he's easier to manipulate - both of which are horrible non-qualities for a leader. He could be a good general or enforcer if Rowan, his sister, or anyone else were in charge, but a ruler who people singularily look up to for decision-making? No, he'd be a disaster!
I agree Jezera has a larger and more childish ego, and that will definitely make her lose allies or could even be the downfall of the twins during the invasion, but, if the invasion succedes, even with that giant self-crippling ego she'd still be a far more competent ruler than Andras and lots of nobles that currently rule Rosaria! (like Doran, the Baron etc) That's because of reasons outlined above, such as her meritocratic leanings, pragmatic designs, vision for a post-Solansian world, and even her somewhat more obvious greed and hunger for confort, debauched pleasure and dominance than Andras's, as all of those things require a stable empire with filled coffers...
If she actually does mature, losses a bit of her childish ego and has good rational advisors, as I said, I retain my position from the original comment I made about this that Jezera could be an enlightened absolute monarch that even brings about a golden age to the six realms, with significant technological and cultural progress, and that she could be objectively better for the people (especially commoners) than the current Solansian theocracy and feudalism, whereas I cannot imagine anything of the sort as a best case scenario where Andras is on top. We can agree to disagree if you want, but I rest my case.
EDIT: Btw, my money for best ruler of the world out of the current character cast is on Cliohna, as she's anti-religious, rationalistic, can be both ruthless and generous if necessary and is way more experienced and unhindered by emotion or ego than Jezera, but I admit that this might also be my bias as a sapiosexual that only has femdom kinks...
Can't wait to see more of her content in act 2, as from what I understand Cliohna's storyline in act 1 is long finished!
