143 - Their Respective Intentions
The raging flames burned the standing trees, gaining momentum as they spread to the surroundings. Fires started simultaneously in dozens of locations were steadily turning the forest into a sea of flame. This was the work of the army led by Fumiya.
The fact that the Demon King's army had been allowed to enter the royal capital had greatly shaken the leadership of the rebel forces. Immediately, three thousand soldiers of the Laurel Kingdom army detached from Fumiya's forces, which were arrayed at the foot of the Forest of Bewilderment, to take up positions defending the royal capital.
But naturally, that alone was not enough to provide peace of mind. The root of their anxiety needed to be ripped out. For that purpose, the fire attack currently unfolding before their eyes had been chosen, along with the conscription of the Noble House Army. To solidify the defense of the royal capital and annihilate the Demon King's army holed up in the Forest of Bewilderment, numbers were needed. To secure those numbers, they decided to bring the armies of the noble houses into the conflict.
Naturally, the nobles ordered to dispatch troops felt dissatisfied, but they had no choice but to obey when given an order. Moreover, with the Demon Race running rampant, it was not something they could simply ignore.
As a result, the hole left by the three thousand Laurel Kingdom soldiers was filled by Noble House Armies numbering several times that amount.
"...I wish we could just attack Anfang and capture Ekaterina."
His own forces had nearly doubled. Fumiya thought that if such a number had gathered, they might as well invade Anfang at the same time.
"The armies of the noble houses are weak compared to the regular army. Besides, each individual force is small and lacks cohesion."
Those who held territories around the royal capital were mostly minor nobles. This was based on the idea that great nobles capable of maintaining large armies should not be placed near the royal capital, but as a result, the gathered noble armies were mere assortments of forces numbering in the hundreds each. The Commander of the Royal Knights believed that even if those forces were sent to Anfang, achieving victory would not be easy.
"That's what a commander is for—to bring them together. If you leave it to me, I'll definitely capture Ekaterina."
The fact that he said capture rather than kill expressed Fumiya's desire. However, it also had political meaning. It would provide Fumiya with the legitimacy to take the throne.
"...Fumiya-dono cannot leave this place."
The leadership would not allow it. Not until the Demon King's army holed up in the Forest of Bewilderment was annihilated.
"I wonder what my title ended up being, after all?"
Having been called by name by the Commander of the Royal Knights, Fumiya became curious about his title. He had been curious for a long time.
"That is, not yet."
"...Why can't you decide?"
"That is..."
General Gerutza of the Kingdom of Lydia and General Gaston of the Kingdom of Aria were also present. It was difficult to say that King Neil was still needed.
"Those two are fine. I've already conveyed my feelings to them."
"Eh?"
"I cannot forgive a cruel king who makes people suffer. I intend to act for the sake of the justice I believe in."
"............"
The Commander of the Royal Knights was bewildered by Fumiya, who had suddenly started speaking in platitudes.
"Fumiya-dono's ambition is wonderful. We will not spare any cooperation for the sake of justice."
"Exactly. And as for a title, has it not already been decided? Emperor. That is what they call the king of kings who rules over other kings, is it not?"
General Gerutza and General Gaston responded to Fumiya's platitudes. Hearing the two of them, the Commander of the Royal Knights vaguely understood the situation. This was a warning to them.
That thought was correct. Fumiya was not a fool. Except for when his desires were completely exposed, even when he seemed like a fool, it was often calculated. This time, Fumiya decided that playing the fool was unnecessary. In order to become the King of the Laurel Kingdom and the Emperor ruling over the three nations, including the Kingdom of Lydia and the Kingdom of Aria, in a true sense—rather than just being a figurehead—he had made them realize his power.
"...I shall tell them to hurry. But first, produce results in the battle before us."
"Of course. However... there's no movement."
The flames continued to spread deeper into the forest, gaining momentum. However, there was no reaction from the Demon King's army. Fumiya's side could not dive into the flames themselves, and could do nothing but watch the raging forest. In the end, the day concluded without them even catching a glimpse of the Demon King's army.
◇◇◇
The Laurel Kingdom army advanced between the blackened trees. The fire had burned for four days. It had been extinguished thanks to the rain that began on the third day, and a deep, wide moat that had been constructed deep in the forest. Even the flames that had continued to burn without losing momentum despite the rain could not spread any further once the trees ended. Some fires had crossed the moat, but they died out without gaining momentum in the rain. What remained was a space where trunks that had become black charcoal stood in rows. The rebel forces, who had learned of the moat's existence through reconnaissance, had dispatched a unit to confirm the situation.
"...Even after this much space was burned away, it's still like that."
A knight of the Laurel Kingdom army muttered while staring ahead. The Forest of Bewilderment continued far into the distance. Seeing this, the knight was reminded once again of its vastness.
"No traces of the Demon Race are found at all."
"They don't leave corpses even if they aren't burned. Well, there are probably almost no casualties."
Most of the Demon Race crumble into powder like ash when they die. Even searching the forest after it had been burned, no traces were likely to be found. In the first place, the knight believed there were no casualties in the Demon King's army. The Demon King's army, which had built a moat likely to stop fire, would not fall for a fire attack.
"Fire arrows... they aren't out of reach, are they?"
There was a considerable distance to the opposite bank of the moat, but it was not a distance arrows could not reach. He judged that the fire attack could still be continued.
"What do you think will happen if you do that to an opponent who is so thoroughly prepared?"
"You're right."
The fire attack only had the effect of burning the forest. The knight felt doubtful about how much meaning there was in doing so.
"...Crossing this moat looks like it will be a struggle. In that sense, I'd like to burn the forest on the opposite bank."
He quickly changed his mind. If they were attacked from the opposite bank while crossing the moat, they would have to be prepared for considerable casualties. To prevent that even slightly, he thought it necessary to burn the trees on the opposite bank to make the enemy's forms visible.
"Wouldn't it be more certain to go around?"
"That's true, but... where do you think this water is being drawn from?"
"No way, from the rivers on both sides? From what I know, they should be quite far away."
They had a certain grasp of the rivers flowing through the Forest of Bewilderment. It was only natural, as they continued outside the forest. However, the locations of the rivers continuing outside the forest should have been quite far away.
"I think there's a place where it narrows somewhere."
"I suppose so."
There certainly was. However, that narrow place was also currently undergoing expansion work. Such work was not limited to the moat; the more time passed, the harder the Forest of Bewilderment became to attack, but the rebel forces did not know that yet.
"...Where that is. Is it dangerous to keep searching with this many people?"
"We were sent in knowing it was dangerous, so would we be permitted to return now?"
Their role was not only reconnaissance, but also serving as decoys. They hadn't been instructed to be decoys, but one could tell by the number of people assigned. Only five hundred. They were being sent into a forest where a force of two thousand had been ambushed and almost annihilated, even if the visibility had become considerably better than before the fire.
"The ordered mission is complete. What's wrong with returning now?"
"True. I don't want to die for nothing."
They had no intention of dying as decoys. Especially in a battle where they didn't even know whose orders they were following.
"Return! Assemble!"
The knight gathered the unit to return to the camp. The anomaly occurred at that very moment.
"...C-Commander?!"
"What is it!?"
"The moat! The water in the moat!"
The water filling the moat. They could see that water freezing over from the opposite bank.
"...Form ranks! A phalanx! Hurry!"
The commander judged this to be a precursor to an enemy attack. It was a correct judgment. However, the instruction was a bit too late.
"Enemy!"
While they were focused on the ice extending from the opposite bank, black shadows leaped out from the water. They were attempting to attack the Laurel Kingdom army, who were in the middle of forming their ranks, from both the left and right.
"D-Demons!"
Bodies covered in scales. Long, extending tails. Possessing characteristics greatly different from the Human Race, they were the Snake-person race.
"The enemy is coming from both sides! Prepare to intercept!"
To respond to this, the Laurel Kingdom army reorganized their lines, standing back-to-back. However, that was insufficient; rather, the enemies on the left and right were decoys. The ice that had extended from the opposite bank. Those running across it were the Undead Legion. Leading them, riding a skeleton horse, was Cecil.
"...Please surrender!"
"Surrender!?"
"As long as it is a battle, one should not hesitate to kill, but it is heartbreaking to let acquaintances die."
"...You, I believe you were with Geel-dono."
Hearing Cecil's words, the opposing knight also realized.
"Yes. That's right."
"Why are you in the Demon King's army?"
"Because Ray Tsukiya-dono is in the Demon King's army."
"...I see."
The knight also knew the rumors about Cecil. It was something Cecil herself had not hesitated to declare publicly. It was not uncommon for people to know.
"Will you accept the surrender?"
"If I surrender, I can never return to my country. Is that not the same as death?"
The army would not accept a knight who had surrendered to the Demon Race. Normally it might not be like that, but the knight believed that would be the case for the current Laurel Kingdom army.
"How about leaving the battlefield without your surrender being known?"
"I would still just lose my place to go."
"I hear that General of Ten Thousand Sieg is in the north. It is not something I, who work for the Demon King's army, should say, but why not go there?"
"To the side of General of Ten Thousand Sieg..."
Cecil's proposal was attractive to the knight. If he were to serve, it should indeed be Sieg. He had such feelings.
"One more thing, as someone who served the Laurel Kingdom. King Neil is already dead. The king you should serve is not in the royal capital."
"...I see."
He had vaguely suspected it. With Cecil's words, he understood that it was a fact.
"Please do not resent Ray-dono. It is a fact that he killed him, but as a result, Ray-dono saved Neil-sama."
"That... what does that mean?"
"That is not something for me to speak of."
"...Why are you telling us such things?"
"I was given the opportunity to save your lives. I do not want to waste a hard-won opportunity."
"I see..."
Things put into words are not necessarily true. However, even if that were the case, there were things that could not be put into words. The knight stopped asking further questions. Even if it were as he thought, there was no inconvenience.
"Will you accept the surrender?"
"I accept. As for the others, I leave it to their own judgment."
Even if told that, they would be killed if they didn't accept. Besides, they were knights who had been put into a decoy unit. They were all people loyal to the Laurel Kingdom who were eyesores to the rebel forces. No one would refuse to work under Sieg and serve Ekaterina.
"Then please come to the opposite bank. I have prepared boats, so please use them. Go east, down the river, and then head north..."
"Yeah, I understand."
Thorough preparation. That applied to letting them escape as well. He thought she probably intended to let them go from the start, but that was not something to be spoken aloud. Cecil froze the water's surface with magic once more. The knights walked across the hardened ice.
"...Was this enough?"
So the knights couldn't hear, Cecil asked Ray, who was blending in with the assault unit, hiding his face with a helmet and mask.
"Perfect. The part where you made them vaguely realize the truth was also perfect."