Chapter 40

The leader of the Second Legion, Gelmua of the Jet-Black Wings, seems to have fallen for the stratagem beautifully.

Prior to this, I had informed him of the weaknesses of Aresta, one of Rosaria’s major cities, but I believe his jealousy of our Seventh Legion’s achievements played a significant role.

By spreading a simple piece of false information, Gelmua moved his legion and headed toward Aresta.

Orc advisor Jiron asks,

"But, sir, what if Gelmua captures Aresta?"

"At that time, we'll deal with it then. The territory of the Demon King will simply expand. That's all there is to it."

—Of course, I doubt it will come to that.

The Second Legion, known for its strength and cruelty, will likely face fierce resistance from the residents of Aresta.

They know that if they are occupied, cruel and harsh measures will await them.

The rumor of this is surely spreading.

The resistance of the lords will be unprecedented.

Moreover, the presence of the 'Alliance of Kings' army' in the capital, Liasus, is significant.

While the lords of Aresta are desperately resisting, the Alliance of Kings will likely move and attack the Second Legion.

The Second Legion, known for its strength, will probably be defeated.

They have been capturing human cities with overwhelming force, but now that the humans are serious, things won't go so smoothly.

In fact, reports of the Demon King's army struggling have reached my ears.

Currently, the only legion maintaining its momentum is our Seventh Legion.

"To be precise, it's only our Undead Brigade,"

Jiron, the orc, says while rubbing his hands, proudly.

"You haven't done anything,"

I want to say, but somehow, I can't hate this guy.

In reality, he is dull, but he is loyal to orders and, while not fast, he is meticulous in his work.

Even if I were to become a legion commander, I would probably keep him as a low-ranking advisor.

While thinking this, I decided to have Jiron prepare for battle.

The expedition to Ismus will be carried out with a force of 200.

This time, I won't bring trolls, giants, or giant trees.

There are several reasons for this, one being that they are too conspicuous.

These large demons can be easily seen from hundreds of meters away.

Moreover, they are slow-moving.

An army inevitably moves at the pace of its slowest members.

Therefore, this time, I will leave behind any races that cannot ride horses or fly.

The key to this operation is to quickly infiltrate enemy territory, quickly rescue the dwarf king, and quickly withdraw.

Large demons are powerful, but they are not suited for mobile warfare.

There are strengths and weaknesses for both demons and humans.

"In that case, Advisor Jiron will have to be left behind,"

Lilith, my deputy, says with a devilish smile.

Or, perhaps she is actually a devil.

"Wh-What, am I being left behind?"

Jiron panics.

"………………"

It's a difficult decision.

He probably won't be of much use, but leaving an advisor behind is pitiful.

Two people can ride a horse.

I could let him ride behind someone.

Incidentally, the back of my beloved horse is also empty.

Naturally, Lilith insisted, "Please let me ride behind you," but this is another troublesome issue.

The maid Sati has joined the fray, having heard the rumor.

"If Sir Ike's horse has an empty spot, please take me along."

Lilith counters fiercely.

"I've never heard of bringing women to the battlefield."

"But, Lady Lilith, you are a woman, are you not?"

"I am a woman and a warrior."

Lilith's firm response makes Sati reconsider.

"But, even on the battlefield, someone needs to prepare the meals, right?"

"That's true, but are you sure? If you are captured by the enemy, you will face unimaginable horrors. Do you understand how terrifying humans can be on the battlefield?"

Sati continues, "But—," but I stop her.

Lilith's words are true.

The cruelty and ruthlessness of humans on the battlefield are not much different from demons.

If a delicate girl like Sati were to be captured, it would be unbearable.

I tell Sati,

"There are others to prepare the meals."

"Is that so?"

"There is a logistics unit called the supply corps. They are responsible for preparing the meals for the troops."

Of course, their meals are far inferior to Sati's.

In fact, the food on the battlefield is terrible.

Dry, hard bread with all the moisture removed for preservation.

Bacon that is only salty, preserved in salt.

Occasionally, pickled cabbage or cucumbers are added, but the taste is bland.

I have never been particular about food, but since Sati has been with me, I have come to dislike the battlefield even more.

Every time I eat tasteless food, I long for Sati's hearty stews and roast beef.

—No, no, no.

How can I long for the everyday before heading to the battlefield?

Of course, I intend to go to the battlefield with a determination to win, but if I start feeling this way before departure, there is a possibility of something going wrong.

I must not be complacent against any opponent.

This is what my grandfather taught me, and it is thanks to following his advice that I have continued to win until now.

I hope to continue to do so.

With this thought, I bid farewell to the maid Sati.

The Kingdom of Ismus is located to the west of the Kingdom of Rosaria.

Its history is ancient, predating the Kingdom of Rosaria.

It is known as the kingdom founded by the ancient hero Ismail.

Ismail is the name of the hero who defeated the Demon King in a war several hundred years ago.

As a reward for his achievements, he was given this region by the emperor of the former great empire.

Although it was originally a frontier territory of the empire, it is not large, but as the kingdom of the descendants of the hero king, it is known for its strong and capable knights.

"Of course, it doesn't matter if those knights are not in the kingdom."

Lilith, the succubus, chuckles.

"Yes, they are currently gathered in the capital, Liasus, for the Alliance of Kings."

I respond and continue,

"However, it's not as if the kingdom is completely empty. The enemy is not that foolish. Understand?"

Lilith responds with a lackluster, "Yes."

Then, Sigan, the dragonman, speaks up.

"But even if the defenses are thin, can we really capture the capital so easily?"

"We are only 200 strong, after all."

Lilith counters,

"But these 200 are the best 200 soldiers of the Demon King's army. The best 200 soldiers under the command of the best commander, Sir Ike. We can't lose."

—I was about to warn her against overconfidence, but I didn't get the chance.

Dust appeared in the distance.

It seems we have been spotted.

Jiron, the orc advisor, is sweating profusely.

"This is bad. We've been spotted."

No, I shake my head.

"It's fine to be spotted. We approached so conspicuously. If we hadn't been spotted, it would have been disappointing."

As I say this, the brigade members draw their weapons.

Lilith, the succubus, draws her magic-infused rapier from her waist.

Sigan, the dragonman, draws his long spear from his back.

The other brigade members also draw their most proficient weapons.

The sight is both majestic and fierce.

These brigade members have fought in numerous battles and achieved great feats.

They are worthy of being called seasoned warriors.

As long as they are here, I have no intention of losing.

I look at my reliable comrades and give the order.

"Advance!"

—

The signal for battle begins with the roar of both sides.

The next thing to come is a storm of arrows.

One of the advantages humans have over demons is their technological and organizational skills.

The enemy army seems to have organized archers, all equipped with fine longbows.

If I weren't here, the Undead Brigade might have been hit by the storm of arrows.

I gallop on my horse and cast the spell, *Gale*.

*Gale* is a spell that creates a storm, as its name suggests.

Its power is immense, but it has limited practical use.

This spell can knock down trees and collapse wooden houses.

It is that powerful.

It can delay the enemy, but it cannot deal direct damage.

However, the force of the wind is strong enough to alter the trajectory of arrows.

The arrows fired by the enemy are redirected and fall harmlessly to the ground.

The enemy is amazed, but I do not miss this opportunity.

I immediately deploy Sigan's spear unit.

The enemy is thrown into confusion.

Sigan takes advantage of this and splits the enemy ranks in two.

His spear, though not enchanted, is one of the best in the legion.

With each swing, enemies fall.

So far, everything is going according to plan.

Next, it's Lilith's unit's turn.

—I look up into the sky.

There, a unit of demons capable of using the *Flight* spell and winged demons is positioned.

They are to circle around to the rear of the enemy and launch a surprise attack.

Normally, such flying units are very vulnerable to archers.

However, the archers have realized that their bows are useless and have discarded them, taking up swords instead.

Of course, they never expected to be attacked from the rear.

One by one, they fall to the magic sword unit led by Lilith.

Seeing this, Jiron, the orc advisor, exclaims in admiration.

"This is incredible. It's as if the enemy is melting away."

In fact, the enemy is losing morale, discarding their weapons, and fleeing.

This battle is won by the Undead Brigade.

With this certainty, I give the order to the entire army.

"No further pursuit is necessary."

The members of the Undead Brigade immediately follow the order.

If it were a regular demon brigade, this would be the time for a one-sided massacre, but my Undead Brigade is well-disciplined.

Satisfied with this, I immediately move on to the next action.

I repeat, our goal is not to ravage the Kingdom of Ismus.

Our goal is to rescue the dwarf king held captive in Ismus.

I wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and did not delude myself into thinking that a mere 200-strong brigade could capture the capital of Ismus.

"What do you intend to do, then?"

Jiron, the orc advisor, asks.

"I have a plan."

I order Jiron to strip the armor from a fallen knight.

Jiron looks puzzled but complies.