Chapter 25

When I returned to my mansion in the city of Ivalice, I ordered Sati to bring me "yuduke."

"Yuduke...?"

Sati looked puzzled.

Right, people from another world wouldn't understand.

Well, even modern people probably wouldn't understand.

Yuduke, as the name suggests, is simply rice with hot water poured over it.

While modern people might not understand, rice is a food that doesn't keep well.

In modern times, you can have warm, fluffy rice whenever you want thanks to electric rice cookers, but in a world without electricity, that's not possible.

Usually, rice cooked in the morning is used throughout the day.

By the evening, it becomes dry and unappetizing.

Of course, even commoners want to eat something tasty.

That's why yuduke was created.

By pouring hot water over dry rice, you can restore its moisture.

While it won't bring back the chewy texture of freshly cooked rice, it's still much tastier than dry rice.

"Can't you cook some rice now?"

Sati looked at me curiously.

"No, this is fine."

I replied.

It's not that I'm concerned about Sati or that I think it's a waste to use firewood to cook rice.

I just wanted to try it once for good luck.

It's said that Oda Nobunaga ate yuduke before the Battle of桶狭間, and there are similar anecdotes about other Sengoku-era warlords.

I'm not necessarily admiring them, but I did want to emulate them once.

"Besides, rice is filling."

I said to Sati and then started eating the yuduke with chopsticks, which I had made myself.

The long-grain yuduke wasn't particularly tasty, but eating rice with chopsticks is a habit ingrained in Japanese people, and it was comforting.

Perhaps I just wanted a moment of respite before preparing for battle.

After finishing the yuduke, I told Sati it was delicious and went outside the mansion.

All the elite members of the Undying Brigade were lined up to welcome me.

I raised my staff, the Ouroboros, and shouted,

"Let's go, to battle!!"

The brigade members responded with a chorus of,

"Ooh!"

And we left the city of Ivalice.

†

Deputy Commander of the 7th Division—

Jace, known as the One-Eyed Goblin, is in charge of governing the city of Loweare in eastern Rosaria.

Loweare is adjacent to the territory of the Demon Army, and throughout history, fierce battles have been fought over its control.

The moment Loweare fell to the Demon Army, their relentless advance began.

Loweare was such an important stronghold.

Thus, it was understandable that Jiron, the orc advisor, was worried.

"Sir Ike, are you really sure this is okay?"

What are you worried about? I know your intention but I'll ask anyway.

"Isn't it too much to expect to capture a fortified city like Loweare with just one brigade?"

"Too much, or rather, impossible. If you think about it normally."

"Huh...?"

Jiron let out a surprised sound.

"Then, are we going to fight a losing battle?"

"Of course not."

I wanted to say that, but it was the truth.

However, should I tell him that?

I hesitated and stared at Jiron's dim-witted face for a long time.

"Are you good at keeping secrets?"

"No, I'm quite talkative."

He answered immediately.

...He's honest. Well, he's not very useful, but I trust his straightforwardness.

I prefaced my words by saying that if he told anyone, I'd turn him into roast pork.

Jiron covered his mouth with both hands and said he wouldn't tell anyone.

"We are going to fight with the intention of losing."

"......"

"What's wrong? You're not surprised this time?"

"...No, I thought I heard wrong. Can you repeat that, please? I'll listen carefully."

I repeated the same words.

"We are going to fight with the intention of losing."

"Whaaat!? You're going to fight with the intention of losing!?"

"Idiot, keep your voice down."

"But, I've never heard of going to a losing battle. If the brigade members find out, their morale will plummet."

"True. That's why I kept it a secret. But I thought I should tell you at least."

"But, how do you plan to lose?"

"It's simple. During the battle, I'll give random orders."

"Hmm, but won't our brigade members die if you do that? That's too cruel."

"Who cares? We're demons."

I wanted to say that, but I couldn't.

Even demons have feelings.

Few would rush to their deaths just because they were told to.

No, the second division, the ones who can silence even crying babies, might die if their commander told them to.

Unfortunately, my Undying Brigade is known for being soft.

Despite its intimidating name, the Undying Brigade is often mocked by other demons.

"You don't fight much, so you don't die. That's why you're the Undying Brigade."

And so on.

The reason is that the brigade commander is too soft.

I could also say it's because he's human.

In exchange, I have the knowledge from my previous life, a "cheat" that I intend to use to the fullest in this battle.

When we reached the vicinity of Loweare, a kobold scout named Taro arrived.

He's still a boy, or rather, a puppy.

He'll probably become a fine soldier when he grows up, but for now, he's still young and serves as a scout.

Kobolds, as a race, are not very intelligent, but their vision, hearing, and sense of smell are among the best among monsters.

Thus, there's no better monster for reconnaissance missions.

"Sir Ike, it seems the enemy is coming out to fight in the open field."

"That's what I expected."

I muttered.

"Yes, but why would they come out of the city?"

The young kobold asked, his tail stiffening.

It's a sign of tension.

Kobolds are dog-like monsters.

They're similar to werewolves, but the main difference is that kobolds always remain in their dog form, while werewolves can take human form.

Both are canine monsters, and their behavior reflects their nature.

When they're tense, their tails stiffen, and when they're happy, they wag their tails.

Taro usually wags his tail, but the tension of battle was affecting him.

His mental state was clearly reflected in his tail.

To ease Taro's tension, I patted his head.

Canine monsters enjoy having their heads patted.

"They're coming out because they underestimate us."

"Huh? They underestimate us?"

"...Not literally."

Kobolds are not very intelligent.

Dogs are said to have the intelligence of a 5-year-old, and it's similar in this world. They're not very smart.

I explained it simply so Taro could understand.

"They think we're weak. That's why they're coming out to fight in the open field."

"But, we're the undefeated Undying Brigade. Why would they do that? Why would they treat us like we're weak?"

"Well, the one in charge of Loweare is the deputy commander of the 7th Division, Jace, the One-Eyed Goblin. He has the right to underestimate us."

Our Undying Brigade has about 300 members.

On the other hand, Jace, as a deputy commander, has twice as many demons and monsters.

Moreover, according to the latest information, another brigade has joined Jace.

It seems he had been working to turn the 7th Division against us.

It's quite a feat to turn a brigade commander from a division known for its unity.

I was impressed, but also felt a bit sorry for him.

(Really, I don't know which fool betrayed us, but what a foolish thing to do.)

If you're going to join a side, join the winning one.

As I thought this, I headed towards the plain where I would clash with Jace.