Chapter 81

Thus, the alliance with the elves was formed. As a result, the Demon King's army gained the following:

- Leaves and Dew from the World Tree

- Mushrooms that can only be produced in the World Tree Forest

- The Elven Warrior Corps

The first two items would be useful for creating spiritual and secret medicines. If they could be supplied to the Demon King's army on a stable basis, it would greatly benefit the legions and brigades that have magicians. They would help supplement the lack of magical power on the battlefield and serve as ingredients for healing potions. They would become trade goods that would support the Demon King's army from the shadows.

Moreover, the Elven Warrior Corps included many powerful spirit mages and skilled archers. They would be a reliable fighting force.

On the other hand, forming an alliance meant that we had to provide something in return. There is no such thing as a free lunch. A one-sided cooperative relationship would soon collapse. If we did not provide something beneficial to the elves, this alliance would quickly fall apart. Therefore, I frankly presented what I could offer to Ferret.

"We will definitely protect the safety of this forest in return for the alliance with the elves."

I declared this with conviction. I intended to show this not just in words but also in actions. I said to Queen Ferret:

"Ferret, perhaps there is a large rat hiding in this forest, isn't there?"

Ferret looked at me with a face that said, "Why do you think so?"

"The white beast we fought the other day was clearly a summoned creature by a high-ranking magician. It was probably a provocation or a warning from the Alliance of Kings."

"You are correct," Ferret said.

"In that case, now that the alliance between us and the elves has been formed, the actions of that magician are clear."

"…So, they are planning to launch a full-scale invasion of this forest?"

"Yes, without a doubt."

"……"

Ferret looked solemn.

"…Does this mean the forest will become a battlefield?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

I added, "But please rest assured. We have already taken measures. My legion, no, the Demon King's army, will never abandon an ally once an alliance is formed. Please rest assured of that."

After saying this, I immediately began preparing for the battle.

However, I had no troops at my disposal. I would have to borrow troops from her. I asked Ferret:

"There is a brigade waiting near the forest. It is led by Sigan, a dragon person I trust the most. It will take about ten days for his unit to arrive. Could you lend me some troops until then?"

Queen Ferret could not answer immediately.

Of course, I was asking for command of her troops. If she were a king of a normal country, she might have been furious and had me executed without complaint. However, after some consideration, she slowly nodded.

"There is an Elven proverb: 'If you eat the poisonous fruit, devour the tree as well.'"

Indeed, I knew a similar proverb: 'If you eat the poison, eat the plate as well.'

"Does this mean you will trust me completely?"

Ferret nodded.

"I have heard that your military strategy is divine and ingenious. You will command the warriors much better than I could."

However, she continued, "To be honest, the girl who serves as the Elven Warrior Chief is proud and a bit difficult to handle. Can you bear with her?"

"Of course, we will work together. There will be no problem."

Despite saying this, I felt a bit uneasy.

Since coming to this forest and interacting with the elves, I found that they were indeed somewhat arrogant, as rumored. Queen Ferret of the elves was surprisingly straightforward, but she still had not fully opened up to Gunther, her natural enemy.

If even Ferret found her difficult to handle, the person coming must be quite unique.

I braced myself for this.

A few hours later, 'she' arrived at the sunroom in the palace. Seeing her, I was surprised and remembered the legend that elves are mischievous fairies. As I was taken aback, the Elven Queen covered her mouth to suppress a laugh. The Elven Warrior Chief who appeared before us looked exactly like the Elven Queen.

Of course, the Elven Queen was dressed in splendid clothing, while the Warrior Chief was dressed in warrior attire, but otherwise, they were almost identical.

"Twins…?"

The word slipped out involuntarily. It seemed I was correct, as Ferret introduced her twin sister.

"This girl is my twin sister, Anemone. She is a difficult person, but please take care of her."

Upon hearing this, Anemone immediately became upset.

"Sister, I have no intention of objecting to the alliance with the Demon King's army now, but that introduction was uncalled for. I am a warrior. If ordered by my sister, I will not hesitate to serve under the command of a demon. I am not difficult at all."

Although she was already difficult to handle, I stood up and extended my hand, conveying my request for cooperation.

Anemone hesitantly touched my hand.

This was the first time she had seen the immortal king of the undead. It was understandable, but she had not fully opened up to me yet.

First, I needed to gain her trust before dealing with the approaching enemy army. With this in mind, I began discussing the strategy to deal with the incoming enemy.

The Elven palace did not have a war council room. Elves did not have the concept of fighting outside the forest, so such a room was unnecessary. Therefore, the meeting was held in the waiting room where Lilith and the others had been drinking tea.

When I entered the waiting room, Sati, sensing the atmosphere, quickly stood up. She was good at reading the room.

On the other hand, Lilith was still leisurely sipping her herbal tea.

When I said, "The battle is about to begin," and spread out the map of the forest I had received from Queen Ferret on the table, she finally regained her composure.

However, her face did not change to a warrior's. For her, there was no distinction between daily life and the battlefield.

She looked at the map with a face that asked, "What's happening?"

I answered, "A battle is about to start. The army of the Alliance of Kings will attack soon."

"That's great," Lilith said with a sly smile, looking like she had been bored from lack of combat opportunities recently.

Hearing this, the Elven Warrior Chief Anemone looked displeased, but I began explaining the situation to both of them.

"The white beast that attacked this forest the other day was likely the vanguard of the Alliance of Kings."

"Was that beast really summoned by a human magician?"

"Most likely. I examined the burnt remains and found magical runes used by humans. From the style, it appeared to be a court magician from Rozaria."

"Indeed, as expected of Lord Ike."

"Well, I can't be sure, but at least the army of the Alliance of Kings will attack this forest soon. They will likely force us to surrender."

"What does 'force us to surrender' mean?"

"…It means they will threaten us with military force to make us surrender."

"I see, of course, we are here to prevent that."

I said, "Exactly," and turned to Anemone, asking, "How many Elven warriors do you have?"

Anemone answered immediately, "About 200."

"Few," Lilith said frankly, but Anemone countered, "200, but not just any 200. They are all skilled in spirit magic and archery. They are elite warriors I have trained daily!"

That was encouraging, or rather, it was the only hope. We had to defend the forest with that number until Sigan and the others arrived as reinforcements. I could only hope her excessive confidence was not misplaced.

"By the way, Lord Ike, how many enemy soldiers are there?"

"Probably at least 2000."

"Why are you so sure?"

"Years of experience, I guess."

"Are you going to fight based on intuition?"

"Intuition is a conclusion backed by experience and theory. It's often accurate."

Given that a high-ranking magician was part of the vanguard, it was safe to assume the scale was larger than a single knight unit. They were planning to burn down the Elven forest. The enemy was not foolish; they understood they did not have the advantage. They would prepare at least ten times the number of troops. Unless the enemy was extremely foolish, they would do so.

I explained this, but Anemone still seemed skeptical. Seeing this, Lilith patted Anemone's shoulder.

"Well, proof is better than words. Seeing is believing. Just wait and see. In a few hours, Lord Ike's prediction will come true, and you'll be speechless."

"I won't be speechless."

Anemone insisted, but a few hours later, while she did not faint, her expression did change. My prediction had come true.

Her subordinate's scout brought back information that matched my prediction.

She said, "…Lord Ike's prediction was spot on," and looked at me as if I were a prophet.

Perhaps I had gained a bit of her trust. I instructed Anemone on the deployment of the Elven Warrior Corps. As expected, she followed my instructions without hesitation.