128 - Progress
The Laurel Kingdom's Nordende garrison. Having abandoned the fortress they seized from the Demon King's army and built a new one near the entrance to Nordende to serve as their base, the garrison was renamed the Northern Garrison Force. To Geel, the commander, it was a trivial matter. No matter what the name was, what he had to do remained the same.
The one who brought this trivial matter to Geel was Julius. He had come to this land after being given the title of Resident Military Attaché to the Northern Garrison Force.
"Whether it's a garrison or a garrison force, I don't care, but what exactly does a Resident Military Attaché do?"
From the explanation of Julius's title, Sieg had understood that the name of the army he led had changed. However, Sieg did not understand the role of Julius's position as a Resident Military Attaché. Julius was supposed to be a mage.
"To be honest, I do not know what I am supposed to do either. I have only been told that I am in charge of general administrative work and negotiations."
"I see. It helps to have someone handle the paperwork. However..."
When it came to who those negotiations would be with, only one person came to mind.
"Ray-kun... no, should I call him the Demon King now?"
"If you're trying to annoy me, then yes. Did you hear about it?"
The fact that Ray was the Demon King was a classified matter. Furthermore, it was a top-secret matter known only to the King, the Prime Minister, the head of the intelligence organization, Princess Ekaterina, and Geel. Strictly speaking, Miria knew as well.
"If negotiations continue, it is something that will eventually become clear. Besides, one cannot conduct negotiations without knowing the truth."
There was no point in hiding it from Julius, who would be negotiating directly with Ray. That was the result of the judgment.
"That's true... but is there even anything to negotiate?"
Based on their last meeting, there was almost certainly nothing on Ray's side. Geel believed that Ray's only demand would be to leave him alone.
"Not for the time being. However, I would like to meet him as often as possible to gather information."
"Information gathering is certainly important. But do you think it will go that smoothly?"
Geel understood the importance of information gathering. That was exactly why he didn't think Ray would allow it.
"I am not underestimating him. He had me beaten from the very beginning. Even so, I cannot do nothing. It is my job."
From the moment they first met, Julius had been deceived by Ray. At that time, he certainly had been looking down on him, but he believed he wouldn't have seen through it even if he hadn't. There were still things he didn't understand about how Ray had done it.
"But... the fact that they sent someone like you means His Majesty still doesn't understand."
"What do you mean by that?"
"We should just leave Nordende alone. If we do nothing, they won't do anything either. Well, not 'nothing.' They won't do anything that harms us."
The Demon Race fights to survive. Geel didn't think every single demon felt this way, but he believed the majority of them did. At least, the demons he had encountered were like that.
"...Does the commander believe that the demons are not a threat?"
"I'm not saying they aren't a threat. After all, they are strong. I'm just saying there's no need to go out of our way to pick a fight with those strong beings."
"...I see."
Julius's awareness of the demons was no different from that of an ordinary human. He wasn't completely convinced by Geel's words. However, he thought there was room for consideration. Provided that Ray was the Demon King.
"Well, I don't intend to get in the way of your work. Do as you please."
"I shall do so."
"Now then, straight to work."
"Huh?"
Geel suddenly tried to order him to work. Julius was surprised at what Geel, who hadn't even known what he himself had come to do, was saying.
"For whatever reason, procure some horses."
"Horses... for what purpose?"
"To ride them, obviously."
"No, I understand that, but I cannot procure them without a more concrete reason."
Even for procurement, the ones actually moving would be the Military Affairs Bureau, which oversaw military administration. Julius's job was to create the documents to request it and apply. It was the same even for local procurement. Even when using funds, the purpose of the expenditure had to be reported. This meant documents had to be created, and a reason to write in them was necessary.
"To fight his unit, the current number of cavalry is completely insufficient. I want to make every unit cavalry."
"To fight?"
Geel, who had said that fighting the demons was useless, now said he needed horses to fight. Julius felt a contradiction in this.
"That is my job. I think it's better not to fight, but that doesn't mean I'm saying there's no need to prepare for battle. You never know what might happen."
Geel's mission was to prevent the demons from expanding beyond Nordende. Regardless of his personal thoughts, he could not neglect the King's orders. To that end, Geel intended to do his utmost.
"...I see. And how many horses are we procuring?"
Geel was not neglecting his work either. Realizing this, Julius felt a bit relieved.
"...For now, three thousand."
"Pardon?"
His relief was short-lived. Julius was shocked by the requested number, which was beyond his imagination.
"Considering spare horses and such, I need about this many."
"...Are there that many knights in the Northern Garrison Force?"
"There's no rule saying only knights can ride horses."
"No, I believe there is."
Ordinary soldiers could not ride horses. Riding was a privilege granted to knights and above. That was how it worked.
"Then we can't beat the Undead Legion. Far from it, we won't even be able to catch them."
The strength of the Undead Legion was their speed of movement. If they fought head-on, infantry would be useful, but Geel believed that wouldn't happen with Ray. By building sturdy fortresses within Nordende to intercept the enemy, the Undead Legion would simultaneously move to disrupt the rear. That strategy, which had failed under the previous Demon King, would likely be realized with perfect coordination next time. He needed an army capable of responding to that.
"...However, the number three thousand is..."
While an expedition was underway, the Northern Garrison Force, which wasn't fighting, was requesting three thousand horses. Julius thought it would never pass.
"If it's impossible, as many as possible is fine. If that also seems difficult, ask the Prime Minister directly."
"Even if I do that..."
"If he feels a threat, he'll procure them. And he almost certainly feels a threat. If the Prime Minister doesn't, His Majesty will."
"Because he sent me here?"
"Exactly."
"...I cannot promise success, but I will try."
Julius decided to try, even if it seemed hopeless. Even if he incurred the Prime Minister's displeasure, it was too late for that now.
"Now then, after that... a meeting with that bastard Ray. Well, contact will probably come eventually."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. Keep this in mind. Almost everything we've talked about here is leaking to him."
"Pardon?"
"That bastard's information network is not normal. It's better to assume you can't prevent it."
Not only scout crows, but scout rats were also in Ray's intelligence unit. It was difficult to completely prevent rats lurking under floors and in attics. Geel didn't know the full extent of it, but he believed that acting under the assumption that things were hidden would lead to a terrible experience.
"...He is more outrageous than I thought, isn't he?"
"Well, it's that bastard, after all."
"I see... the Demon King is also a king. Considering he is the pinnacle of the demons, it's only natural."
The current Ray possessed far more power than the Ray he knew. Julius thought that made sense, but...
"He was like that from the start, wasn't he?"
"...True."
It was certain that Ray's power had increased after becoming the Demon King. However, the Laurel Kingdom had been toyed with by Ray even before that. He didn't gain power by becoming the Demon King. As a result of gaining power, he became the Demon King. He would have to face that Ray again. Julius thought it was a daunting task, though he had known it would be.
◇◇◇
Looking from the outside, one wouldn't know at all, but inside Nordende, a rapid change was taking place, turning it into a stronghold that humans could not easily enter. In the plains, ferocious magical beasts that shouldn't originally be there had begun to settle, and their habitat was steadily expanding. The towns and villages where the demons lived moved deeper into Nordende to keep their distance from the magical beasts' habitats, and the original locations were being turned into fortresses. Fortresses based on the premise of being abandoned. They were fortresses designed so that even if a human army occupied them, they could not maintain a large force for long, by leaving only enough water sources to secure a minimum amount and making the rest unusable. Ray's defense policy for Nordende was to utilize the terrain that stretched long into the interior. He was trying to construct a defense-in-depth using all of Nordende. The area near the entrance was a trap to wear down the enemy army. The magical beasts and the fortresses intended to be seized were part of that. That was why the defenses of the mountainous region surrounding Nordende had to be even sturdier than the plains. To prevent the enemy from avoiding the traps in the plains and entering the interior.
"That is why simply building a Great Wall is not enough."
"I understand that, but specifically, what would happen..."
Cecil had been explained the necessity of defending the mountainous region by Ray. She understood what Ray was saying. However, she was at a loss when asked for concrete measures against it.
"...I wish we could just move the miasma of the 'Forest of Bewilderment' itself."
"Isn't that simply impossible?"
There was no way it could be moved. In the first place, they didn't even know what it was erupting from.
"I know... moving the magical beasts steadily. I'm just a bit worried that doing it too much might destroy the ecosystem."
"Ecosystem?"
"I'm worried that by increasing the number of magical beasts, the beasts that have lived in these mountains until now will no longer be able to live here."
"Ah, if that happens, we will be in trouble. Our food will decrease."
The one who reacted to Ray's explanation was Barbari. The Ryan race, a type of beastman, was a hunting race. Beasts were their food, so a decrease in their number would be a matter of life and death.
"Right? Since we've made the plains a habitat for magical beasts, we have to protect the beasts in the mountains."
"It's a bit late to ask, but would the opposite not have worked?"
"I thought we couldn't protect it just with points, like fortresses."
"Points?"
"For example, in the Laurel Kingdom, if you capture the royal capital, the battle is almost decided. But Nordende is not like that. The opponent probably won't invade with that as a goal. That is the problem for the side being attacked."
The humans' goal was the annihilation or capture of the demons. They could attack anywhere as long as demons were there.
"...Does that mean there's no point in making one place sturdy?"
"Exactly. The enemy will just aim for the easiest place to attack. Then, we could make everything sturdy, but I don't think there's a castle that never falls."
It was impossible to protect a base completely. Ray thought that if a base would eventually fall no matter how much its defenses were strengthened, then it was insufficient as a countermeasure.
"...Can that be avoided by releasing magical beasts?"
"Of course, no matter how many magical beasts we release, it won't mean much against a large army. Still, if they have to remain constantly vigilant, the soldiers will be exhausted, and if movement in small numbers becomes difficult, it will affect reconnaissance. If they cannot hunt, local procurement of food will also become difficult."
"Is that the war of attrition you mentioned?"
"Yes. Using every means possible to prevent them from reaching the residential areas. That is the basis of Nordende's defense."
The best way to achieve this was to make the environment the same as the 'Forest of Bewilderment.' Even with the distance of the 'Forest of Bewilderment,' the Laurel Kingdom had hesitated to intrude. Although this was an impossible method.
"Is the problem the depth of the mountainous region?"
"Yes. I thought the distance was too short to wage a war of attrition. There are water sources and food in the forest, too."
"That's a problem."
"For now, I'm considering the concentrated use of magic tools as one measure, but I wonder how many would be needed. Even if we could install them, there's a possibility they'd be overwhelmed by numbers."
The magic tools set up around the garrison. Ray was considering the method of installing them throughout the mountainous region. An unimaginably vast number would be required, and even if they could be prepared, magic tools were consumables. If the enemy invaded prepared to take casualties, they would eventually be broken through.
"Magic tools, huh... it might be difficult to realize, but I've thought of a plan."
King Dracul, who had been listening silently until now, spoke up here.
"What kind of plan is it?"
"...In the forests of this world, there are places where no one can intrude."
"Wait? King Dracul, that's impossible."
From this explanation alone, Barbari knew what King Dracul was trying to say. Anyone would know. Even Cecil, who was human. The only one who didn't understand was Ray, the otherworlder.
"Um, what's impossible?"
In the first place, Ray didn't understand the plan itself.
"King Dracul is asking if we can rely on the Elf race."
"Elves... can it be realized with the Elf race?"
"There is something called an Elven barrier. It is a barrier said to be one where no one can intrude unless they are permitted."
"If that's in the forest... I think it's an ideal plan, but what's impossible about it?"
If such a barrier could be created, it would be the best. If the entire mountainous region could be made into that barrier, the problem would be solved. He thought they could then focus on the measures for the plains.
"There is no way the Elf race would cooperate. They have an extremely exclusive personality, and it would be difficult even to meet them."
"Ah... just as they are imagined in the other world. Do you not even know where they are?"
"I know the approximate location. Many of the places said to be impossible to leave once you wander in are likely so."
Places that kept people away. That, conversely, revealed the location of the Elf race. Even if people knew, the number of people who could intrude was extremely rare, so it was not a problem.
"Specifically?"
"Precisely in the 'Forest of Bewilderment'."
"Huh?"
"I don't know exactly where. It is said that before our comrades settled there, the barrier existed from a place closer to the foot of the mountain. They probably moved deeper inside because they disliked their demon comrades."
"...I thought I had moved around quite a bit."
After nearly being killed by the Hero and others and narrowly escaping death, Ray had lived in the 'Forest of Bewilderment' for about two years. For the sake of training, he intended to have been active over a fairly wide area, but he had never felt such a presence.
"The 'Forest of Bewilderment' is deeper than the King thinks."
"...Do we not have time to go look for them?"
"Of course not! Before that, what would you do if you couldn't come back!?"
"...I understand. I give up."
He swallowed the words 'for now.' Even if he said it now, Barbari would only shout again.
"However, just in case, please investigate if there are any races with connections to the Elf race."
"If that's the case."
As long as Ray didn't do anything dangerous, Barbari was not opposed to relying on the Elf race. Although she felt that the other party would not accept them.
"For the time being, let's proceed as we are. Then, today's meeting is over."
The meeting ended with Ray's declaration. Each returned to their respective posts. While various things were happening throughout the wide Nordende, he thought gathering every time was inefficient, but this was necessary to move the demons, who could hardly be said to have any unity. Such accumulation was necessary now.
◇◇◇
For Ray, whose busy days continued, the only moment of relaxation was bath time. This was the same as before. However, now that his range of activity was expanding to all of Nordende, opportunities to take a bath were decreasing. A bathhouse like this only existed at the garrison. Personally, he wanted to build them in other places too, but now that there were mountains of other things to prioritize, he couldn't make such a selfish request. Because of that, his time of relaxation had become even more precious. It was a time he absolutely didn't want anyone to disturb.
"...I know you're there."
There was someone disturbing him without knowing Ray's feelings.
"Ah, then, I'll take you up on that."
It was Akemi. Ray had only said he found her hiding, but she acted as if he had permitted her to come close.
"...You're tired, right? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
He tried to say 'you're a nuisance' in a roundabout way.
"How many months do you think I've been working?"
Akemi had been falling asleep every day due to the harsh labor during the day. However, it seemed that one got used to such harsh labor if they continued it for a long time.
"Then, I'll have Barbari-san make it even tougher for you."
"That's a lie! I'm still very tired!"
Akemi hurriedly corrected her previous statement. Even if she had gotten used to it, the fact that the labor was painful didn't change. It was just that the fatigue remaining at night had decreased.
"Then, go to sleep."
"I know, but... we haven't met in a while, so I want to talk. You'll be gone again soon, right?"
Ray was flying around everywhere. It had been a while since he met Akemi, who stayed at the garrison.
"Since when did you become my lover?"
"I deny that. Because I don't want to be killed by Cecil-san."
"It's not my place to say, but I think the current situation is enough to make her angry, don't you?"
The two of them alone in the bathhouse. Moreover, since she was taking a bath, Akemi was naturally naked. Ray thought it was a situation more than enough for Cecil to get jealous.
"It's okay. I properly asked for permission."
"Pardon?"
"You make her angry because you do things like sneaking around. If you explain properly, she'll forgive you. Ray, you're misunderstanding. Cecil-san is quite broad-minded."
Since she was the type to let Hinata provide sexual services, Cecil's heart was indeed broad in some parts. In reality, there were other reasons why Cecil was tolerant of Akemi, but that hadn't been conveyed to Akemi. The same was true for Ray.
"...You're surprisingly good at navigating the world."
Ray had thought Akemi had a personality that easily clashed with people. But if she was getting along well with Cecil, who could hardly be said to be good at interpersonal relationships, then that would be a wrong evaluation. He found himself thinking.
"Call me a considerate person."
"Where?"
"I'm trying to direct the attention I used to only give to men toward women as well."
"Then I understand."
With this explanation, it was convincing. In terms of bewitching men, Akemi was excellent. Although she had the flaw of being popular only with men she didn't care about.
"...Why is my evaluation always so low?"
"It's an appropriate evaluation. So? What's your business?"
"Business... um... I thought we could talk."
"So, about what?"
"...Is it not okay to talk if I don't have business?"
She didn't have any particular business. She just wanted to talk because Ray had come to the garrison after a long time.
"...Lover?"
"I told you. If I affirm that, I'll be disciplined by Cecil-san."
"Disciplined... come to think of it, what happened with that? Has it settled down?"
The word 'disciplined' reminded him of something Akemi had talked about before. As far as Ray knew, there should be no one capable of satisfying Akemi's desires.
"...Do you really have to ask that here?"
Akemi complained in a low voice at Ray's question.
"Eh, what?"
"Nothing. I'm tired from the daytime labor, so I sleep soundly at night. I don't have the luxury to be lustful."
"That's good... I guess?"
"If I said I wasn't satisfied, would you do something about it?"
Akemi asked a question to which she already knew the answer.
"Impossible. Because after this, I have that..."
This was no time to be dealing with other women. It had been a while since he met Cecil too.
"...Listen, don't say things like that to other women. It's rude to both, right?"
"A-ah, that's true... I mean, isn't it always just dirty jokes whenever I talk to you?"
"My fault?"
"I don't have these kinds of conversations with other people."
"...Complicated."
He couldn't be happy about being the only special one. If they were talking about such things because they were a man and woman who could discuss dirty jokes and were inviting each other, it would be different, but it wouldn't create a good atmosphere. Even if it did, Akemi couldn't honestly be happy with a development that started from dirty jokes.
"...How is it with people other than Cecil-san?"
"Ah... the number of people who talk to me has increased. But... most of it is because they have to talk for a reason, so they do it reluctantly."
"I see. Things are going well."
"Eh, how?"
For Akemi, the situation was far from going well. She was still being looked at coldly by many people.
"If it's 'most,' then there are people who aren't like that, right? That's a huge progress."
"That's true, but..."
"Don't tell me you think you can get along with everyone? That's impossible even in normal relationships."
"...True."
Had she gotten along with all her classmates in her original world? That wasn't the case. Thinking about it now, Akemi felt that there wasn't a single classmate she had that kind of relationship with. They were all just superficial relationships. She also thought that she herself had interacted with those around her in that way.
"If you can make even one such person, that's enough. You started from a huge minus. And I think the person you can form such a relationship with will surely become a very important person."
"...Ray."
Why Ray had become the Demon King. Akemi was starting to understand. The miserable circumstances of the demons she had heard about from Barbari and others. For people who had gone through such painful experiences, she thought Ray's kind of consideration must be irresistible. Even though he wasn't necessarily relaxed himself, the strength of Ray, who could care for others, was dazzling to people. Just as she felt.
(...Somehow... I might have stopped understanding my own feelings)
She couldn't stand beside this person. Then, what could she do for this person? Akemi was surprised at herself for thinking such things.