150 - Their Respective Battles Begin
Forces from other nations began gathering in the Laurel Kingdom one after another. However, the number of troops was not surprisingly large. It was not uncommon for smaller nations to send forces of only a few hundred, and even if ten such nations gathered, it would only be two or three thousand. In terms of numbers alone, it would be far more efficient to gather the Noble House Armies of one's own country.
Hansmann and the other rebel forces, who had sought support, could not complain about this situation. If the army became too large, they would be unable to provide military supplies and other necessities. This had been communicated at the time of the request.
Those sending troops took advantage of those words. Many of the smaller nations had no genuine intention of fighting the Demon Race. The reason they dispatched troops was that they knew this opportunity, where great powers gathered, would lead to active diplomacy. They believed they could not afford to miss out on that. For the smaller nations, they had not sent a force to fight, but rather intended it as a guard for their diplomatic delegation.
However, Hansmann and his associates did not view this as much of a problem. They had not cared about the forces of the smaller nations from the start.
Their goal was to involve the great powers in the fight against the Demon Race—to borrow their strength while simultaneously draining it. They only cared about how many troops the Kingdom of Moscow and the United Kingdom of Westerland would send. The result was...
"Is there any point in gathering as many people as possible if they lack the power to stand against the Demon Race?"
At the meeting, the one attempting to justify the small number of his own troops was Prince Babel of the Kingdom of Moscow.
"Prince Babel is correct. Our United Kingdom has also brought only its elite."
Prince James of the Kingdom of Wells, the representative of the United Kingdom of Westerland, concurred. The forces sent by the two nations were two thousand each. While this was considerably more than the smaller nations that had dispatched troops this time, it was an insufficient number compared to other small nations like the Kingdom of Aria or the Kingdom of Lydia.
"Since we are in a position of having received support, I have no intention of complaining. However, I believe it is common sense that in a war against the Demon Race, one must utilize the advantage of numbers."
As his words suggested, he could not complain openly. By stating that gathering numbers is the common sense of tactics, Hansmann was indirectly criticizing the two nations.
"Even if I had to fight a thousand infants, I do not feel I would lose. But against ten youth who have just reached adulthood, I cannot say for certain that I would not suffer a setback."
"Even if you bring up such extreme examples..."
"I believe I explained it clearly. Well, there is no point in discussing this further. Our nation's force is two thousand. We shall fight with this first."
"Indeed, that is true."
As Prince Babel said, there was no point in talking about the number of troops now. Unless the two nations felt that two thousand were insufficient, there would be no further reinforcements.
"In considering our tactics, could you tell me what has been discovered so far?"
"Yes. The Demon Race is holed up in the Forest of Bewilderment. However, they are not simply lurking in the forest. They are constructing defensive positions, such as creating moats."
"The Demon Race, fighting in such a manner..."
This information was surprising to Prince Babel from the start. It was different from the Demon Race he knew. Prince James of the United Kingdom of Westerland felt the same way.
"The main force is a unit called the Undead Legion, and it is led by the Human Race."
"I see."
Prince Babel knew of the Undead Legion. That said, his knowledge was limited to them being a unit of the Demon Race that the Laurel Kingdom army had struggled against.
"We have not grasped the exact number of the Demon Race. Perhaps a hundred or two hundred. There is a possibility they are reserving numbers several times, or even dozens of times, that amount."
Hansmann spoke with a slight exaggeration; in reality, he did not know the truth, but he spoke this way as a jab at the two nations that had only brought two thousand.
"...Do you have a grasp of the total number of the Demon Race in Nordende?"
"No. The invasion of Nordende was interrupted at an early stage. Far from the number of the Demon Race, we have not even grasped the geography of Nordende."
"I see... An invasion of the headquarters is dangerous, then..."
If the root is cut, the war ends. However, the risk was too high. Prince Babel had no genuine intention of doing so, so he was merely pretending to consider it.
"An invasion of Nordende will indeed require numbers. A two-pronged operation is an option, but in that case, our nation's force, which is the most numerous and a party involved, should head toward Nordende."
Hansmann, who said this, also had no intention of invading Nordende. He planned to pretend to send troops to Nordende while attacking Anfang.
"And the rest would attack the Forest of Bewilderment... I cannot make a judgment at this point. There is too little information."
"Yes. Regarding the enemy's combat power in the Forest of Bewilderment, there is still important information."
"Important information. I would like to know that immediately."
"That is my intention. The commander of the Undead Legion is also of the Human Race, but there are other members of the Human Race among the enemy as well. We have confirmed at least two. Both are quite powerful mages."
He was referring to Cecil and Akemi. As for Ray, Hansmann had no intention of detailing the backgrounds of the two. Especially the fact that Akemi was a former Hero.
"Is that including the Demon Race, or just as humans?"
"At least one of them is, even including the Demon Race."
"...I see."
Even among those including the Demon Race, there were two mages to be wary of. Prince Babel did not know how to interpret that. He had the knowledge that the Demon Race possessed strong magical power, but he did not well understand how that was manifested in actual combat.
"Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times. Should we not head to the battlefield soon?"
Prince James proposed moving the army to the battlefield. While it was true he wanted to personally verify the strength of the Demon King's army, there was also the reason that staying in the royal capital made various movements difficult.
"True. There are things that can only be known by actually fighting."
Prince Babel shared the same thought. He expressed his agreement with Prince James's proposal.
"Then let us decide the organization quickly. Would it be acceptable to divide them... broadly into three?"
"Does that mean placing the armies of the smaller nations under us and your country?"
"Correct."
"Very well. What shall we do? Divide them simply into East and West?"
The smaller nations placed underneath would be the first countries to be absorbed. It would be more convenient later if they were countries close to one's own. Prince James had no objection to this. However...
"Please wait a moment. Surely, you do not intend to fight separately?"
Hansmann could not remain silent. His desire was for the two great nations and the Demon King's army to destroy each other. He knew it would not go so conveniently, but he intended to steer things in that direction. He could not allow them to remain bystanders.
"Not separately. The three units will fight in coordination."
"How do you plan to carry out that coordination?"
"By keeping in contact with each other. What else is there?"
"...Who will make the decisions?"
Hansmann asked this with some hesitation. It had not been decided who the supreme commander of the allied forces would be. If possible, he wanted to put the Larc Kingdom Knight Commander or Fumiya in that position, but he knew it would not be easy.
"Decisions... Will they not be left to each individual's judgment?"
Prince Babel did not even touch upon the matter of a supreme commander. Even if he desired that position here, no one would agree. At this point, he believed it was fine as long as the initiative was not seized by the Laurel Kingdom and the United Kingdom of Westerland.
"...I understand."
Hansmann also backed down easily. His thoughts were the same as Prince Babel's. He wanted to obtain the initiative, but realizing that was not easy. For now, he would wait for the time to come. He decided to wait until the Kingdom of Moscow and the United Kingdom of Westerland realized the strength of the Demon King's army, and the power of Fumiya.
The forces of many nations had gathered, but their steps were disjointed. This was something almost everyone present had expected. Without considering correcting that, the allied forces would plunge into battle.
◇◇◇
The Demon King's army was also proceeding with preparations for battle. They had obtained information that the number of the allied forces was smaller than expected, but that did not mean they could be careless. Even if the numbers were small, there was a possibility that the elites of each nation had been gathered.
In fact, aside from the smaller nations with no will to fight, that was the case for many countries. Especially the Kingdom of Moscow and the United Kingdom of Westerland, as they had entrusted the supreme command to their princes, they had gathered strong individuals so as not to be embarrassed in front of other nations. At this point, not only the Demon King's army, but also Hansmann and the other rebel forces did not know this.
However, more than that, what prevented the Demon King's army from being careless was Ray's absence. Without Ray, the Undead Legion would not move. This was a significant decrease in combat power for the Demon King's army.
To compensate for that decrease in power, the Demon King's army continued the work of fortifying the Forest of Bewilderment. To keep casualties as low as possible, they had to increase the advantage of the terrain. That would also help buy time until Ray returned.
"The maintenance of the second defensive line is almost complete."
The one reporting the progress of the construction was Barbari of the Ryan race. Barbari, who had remained in Nordende, had also come to the Forest of Bewilderment.
Manpower was needed for the fortification work. Barbari and the others, who had experience fortifying the garrison in the mountains of Nordende, were suitable.
"What work remains?"
King Dracule, having heard Barbari's report, asked about the remaining work. There were still other tasks to be done. If the second defensive line was finished, he wanted to request another task.
"Filling it with water. We were supposed to just wait, but the amount of water is low. It is still considerably shallower than planned."
"...Meaning the third defensive line is in the same situation."
"That side is a bit better. Water is being taken upstream, so it is not reaching us."
"I see... There is a possibility the impact will appear on the first defensive line as well."
The moats located further downstream than the second defensive line would naturally be affected. The reason it had not appeared in a visible form was that the flow of water was being blocked. But it was a hastily made moat. It was thought that the water level would eventually drop.
"What shall we do?"
"Pile earth and sand on the inner side. If we pile it high, it should serve as a reasonable deterrent. We will stop flowing any water in at all and instead set traps inside the moat."
The response for such cases had been decided in advance. It had been considered during the planning stage, including Ray.
"How much longer until the battle begins?"
"Half a month, or a month. The opponent decides."
"I see..."
He could not say there was still half a month. The more time they had for preparations to repel the enemy, the better.
"Even after the battle begins, you are to continue the construction. You haven't forgotten that, have you?"
Barbari and the others' job was civil engineering. It was not to fight the allied forces. King Dracule emphasized this. He had sensed Barbari's feelings of concern regarding the timing of the start of the battle.
"The number of people on the front line is too small. Can we hold them off with this?"
"If I think we cannot hold, we will retreat. The defensive line that must be defended at all costs is far behind."
King Dracule also had no intention of overextending. He would simply buy time. In being entrusted with command, he had been told naggingly by Ray never to forget this objective.
"...I know I shouldn't ask this, but I wonder if we can win?"
If Ray were here, Barbari might not feel this much anxiety. But now, the Ray she trusted was not here. In this situation, they had to fight a Multinational Allied Force, something they had no experience with.
"...That is why each of us is doing what we must. Our comrades who are not here are also risking their lives and working to win. We have no choice but to believe in everyone's efforts."
"...You're right. I'm sorry."
If they could not win this battle, only destruction awaited. There was no future in simply feeling anxious about it. Each person must fulfill their role. That was the only way.
Barbari also decided to do everything she must and could. So as to leave no regrets in the future.
◇◇◇
The inner part of the royal castle was the private space of the royal family. This was no different in the Kingdom of Moscow. Many people worked there for the members of the royal family. In particular, the number of maids who performed housework such as taking care of the royal family's personal needs and cleaning the inner quarters occupied a considerable proportion of the total. It might be the workplace where women are most active in this world.
In such a workplace—though saying so might be misleading—factions naturally formed, and a hierarchy was established. The primary factor determining the hierarchy was family lineage. Next was the likes and dislikes of the woman who stood at the top of the faction based on that lineage. It was not based on work ability or appearance.
Those two were double-edged swords. Appearance, in particular, required caution. If both lineage and appearance were good, it became a power to attract people as an object of admiration, but if not, it was the worst.
Women with low lineage but excellent appearance were often hated by the top of the faction out of jealousy, and not only did they end up at the bottom of the hierarchy, but in many cases, they could not enter any faction at all. They were ostracized, and what awaited them beyond that was bullying from those around them.
Mirei was one of the maids cast into such circumstances. She was not a peerless beauty who drew all eyes, but her timid personality grated on the nerves of certain women, and she was hated and quickly became a target of bullying.
Day after day, the bullying continued relentlessly. Even if she tried to escape, since she was in the inner service, leaving the castle was not easy. Moreover, Mirei's family had low social standing. She was not permitted to do something like throwing away the honor of the inner service of her own accord.
Mirei spent every day enduring. However, she reached her limit. Driven to a psychological breaking point, she could not resist the temptation of death.
As fate would have it, she threw herself off, timing it for when the King, Drogo Alexandros, was outside the window—that was her stubbornness. If her death would make the existence of the bullying known. It was from such a fragile hope.
"...What? This is..."
The King of Moscow was surprised, seeing the woman who had fallen before him.
"Your Majesty... please step back."
Immediately, an aide tried to pull the King away from the woman. Whether it was an accident or whatever, he could not let the King see the wretched corpse slammed into the ground. That was his thought.
"...Is she dead?"
The King himself did not possess a spirit that would flinch at a corpse. He was still young, and when the Kingdom of Moscow was small, he had even stood on the battlefield.
"We are confirming that now."
Another aide was already checking the woman's body. The woman did not move a muscle. He had thought she was dead, but...
"She is breathing!"
The woman was alive. Hearing that, the King of Moscow rushed to the woman unconsciously. The woman held by the aide was frail, and her skin was transparently white. She must have been injured when she fell. The red of the blood staining her mouth was in contrast with her white skin, making it strangely sensual.
"...Carry her to a room. Also, call a doctor immediately."
"Yes! Hey! Carry her to a room! You know where the maids' rooms are!"
"No! To my room!"
"Eh...?"
The aide was bewildered by the King's words. He did not understand the intent of the order to carry her to the King's own room.
"...She was miraculously saved. Until her injuries are completely healed, I wish to take proper care of her. After all, she fell right in front of me."
"...I understand. Then I will carry her to a spare bedroom."
He understood the reason, but he could not carry her to the bedroom the King usually used. If he let her occupy that, the question would be where the King would sleep. The aide decided to carry the woman to one of the several bedrooms.
A doctor was called immediately, and she was told to remain quiet for the time being. People would think the woman was lucky that it ended with that. Even from here on.
In the bedroom where no one remained, the woman got out of bed and stood before the mirror. The blood should have already been wiped away, but her lips remained red, giving a sense of sensuality.
(...I feel a little more at ease. Wait for me. I will kill every single one of the women who made you suffer. You can no longer rejoice in that... but still...)