kscans

70 - Conversion

It had been approximately three days since they began their southward march from the Nordende front. In a location slightly off the main highway sat a small village. It was a poor village with no local specialties. Many of the villagers living there were people who had lost their place in the world for various reasons and had drifted here. They were people who had nowhere else to live. That was why they lived in a place like this, close to the demon race's sphere of influence.

That poor village was now overflowing with vitality. It was not because the villagers had become wealthy. It was because the place was being used as a supply depot for the Laurel Kingdom Army.

A unit approached the supply depot. Over a thousand knights and soldiers, clad in the military gear of the Laurel Kingdom Army, were advancing in formation. This, despite it being the middle of the night.

"It seems we haven't been spotted."

"Would it even matter if we were? That's what the disguise is for."

Two riders led the way. One was Ray, pretending to be a knight of the Laurel Kingdom, and the other was Sansei, who looked like a mage even in his usual attire.

"I don't mean that; I mean the map. If it was discovered that we sneaked into the camp to see the map, we either wouldn't be here anymore, or we'd be walking into an ambush."

"We don't know if there's an ambush yet, do we?"

"There isn't."

"How do you know?"

"Can't you tell just by looking? They're in a complete panic."

Looking closely at the village, one could see figures moving frantically. They had noticed the approach of the Undead Legion.

"Doesn't that mean they've realized we're the enemy, even if it's not an ambush?"

"Probably."

"Hey?"

"It's fine. Trust the soldiers. A unit guarding supplies won't win even in a head-on fight."

"...True. No way we're losing."

He had trained and trained. Of course, there was still room for improvement, but even now, he had no intention of losing to an average unit of equal numbers. That confidence had led Ray to decide to execute this operation.

"Prepare for combat!"

"!!!"

At Ray's command, the soldiers who had been in marching formation moved to change their array.

"Archers, ready!"

The soldiers with bows and arrows stepped forward first. That accounted for about half of the total force.

"...Fire!"

Approximately five hundred arrows were released into the night sky. It was just a village, not a military stronghold. The arrows flew over the low fences and rained down into the village.

"Cavalry! Charge formation!"

"!!!"

Next, the skeleton soldiers on horseback—perhaps they should be called skeleton cavalry—moved to the front and formed a line. It was a wedge formation with Ray at the lead.

"Sansei, I'll leave the rest to you."

"Yeah."

Leaving the followers to Sansei, Ray spurred his horse forward. Arrows were fired from the enemy, but he avoided them by accelerating his horse.

"...Dammit. I really am the slowest."

Ray believed he was riding the best horse, but his weight was different from that of the skeleton cavalry. One after another, the skeleton cavalry overtook him. If the skeleton cavalry shed their disguising armor, the gap would widen even further. This was a challenge for the Undead Legion's cavalry unit—or rather, a personal challenge for Ray.

The lead cavalry reached the village entrance. Without losing momentum, they charged in.

The strength of the skeleton cavalry lay in their speed. While their mounted combat techniques were still lacking, they were thorough about never stopping their feet.

"Tear them apart! Don't let the enemy form a line!"

And then there was another strength. Skeleton cavalry felt no fear of death. If Ray ordered it, they would charge regardless of how many times the enemy outnumbered them.

The enemy had been arranging their formation to meet the attack, but the repeated charges of the skeleton cavalry tore their lines to shreds.

"Charge! Charge!"

Furthermore, the infantry unit—the most skilled in combat within the Undead Legion—launched an attack. It was the unit Sansei had led.

"Surrender if you don't want to die! Drop your weapons and put your hands up!"

Once the enemy's will to fight had broken, Ray urged them to surrender. He could have annihilated them, but there was information he wanted to obtain if possible. It was for that purpose.

The soldiers of the defense unit, overwhelmed by the Undead Legion, had no will to resist. People who dropped their weapons and surrendered appeared one after another.

Once a trend started, the rest followed quickly. Even those who were dissatisfied lacked the courage to resist alone. That would only be seeking death.

"Now then, what do we have here? I want to increase the number of horses."

The Undead Legion's purpose in attacking this village was to seize supplies. Specifically, they sought weapons, armor, and horses to strengthen the Undead Legion.

"Something tasty."

However, Sansei had a different desire.

"If there is any."

"Something tasty!"

"You're greedy."

"It's not that we are—I mean, it's just that you have no interest in food."

The soldiers of the Undead Legion, naturally, did not require meals. Kai and the three Vampio were similar. Only Ray and Sansei needed them.

Of those two, Ray had no interest in food. He believed that as long as he got nutrition, it was fine.

"I have the sense to enjoy delicious things too. But I can't get them, right?"

It wasn't that he had no interest in food from the start. Life in the Forest of Bewilderment had changed Ray.

"Get them."

"Can't be helped. Then, should I ask Shiro to go pick something up?"

"...You're asking a puppy?"

"A wolf. If you keep saying that, Shiro will bite you."

"No."

"Then don't say it. Now, let's leave the talk of food for later. First, we have to get what we can get."

Not just supplies, but information as well. Obtaining information takes a certain amount of time. Since they had to force it out of them.

In this way, one of the Laurel Kingdom Army's rear supply depots was fallen to the Undead Legion. This was the true beginning. The name of the Undead Legion, and the infamy of Ray who led them, would spread rapidly throughout the world.

◇◇◇

A rear supply depot had been attacked. This information came as a surprise to the Laurel Kingdom Army. Rear disruption was not an uncommon tactic. However, the fact that the Demon King's Army had done it was surprising.

The Demon King's Army had shown tactical movement, rather than a simple battle of strength against strength. This could potentially demand a major change in direction for the Laurel Kingdom Army's future strategy.

"The ones who attacked were an undead unit. There is no mistake about that, correct?"

Sieg received the first report. However, there were several points of doubt in that report.

"It is the testimony of the surviving villagers. There is no mistake."

The Undead Legion had not annihilated the village. Especially toward the villagers, they had tried to avoid causing harm as much as possible. On the contrary, they had given them some of the supplies, but that had not been conveyed to the Laurel Kingdom Army.

"Is there no possibility that the villagers are mistaken?"

"It is not the testimony of one or two people. I do not believe they are mistaken."

"If that is the case, it means the undead used bows and arrows, and furthermore, fought while riding horses."

This was what Sieg could not believe. Undead who handled bows and arrows. Undead who rode horses. He had never heard of undead who had acquired the movements of a military unit.

"Since it is the testimony of witnesses."

"I have no choice but to believe it. What is the basis for the claim that the one leading them was Ray Tsukiya?"

"He was called Ray in conversation. He has white hair. Other physical characteristics also match the villagers' testimony."

"...It turned out exactly as you warned."

Sieg wore a self-deprecating smile as he looked toward Geel.

"It's not as I warned. I just had a bad feeling. I didn't think a brat would be leading an undead unit."

"...Should I have noticed back then?"

The undead first appeared on this battlefield. The operation of burying themselves in the ground to ambush—which could be said was not very demon-like—was something Ray had thought of.

"Even if you noticed, the current situation wouldn't change. At most, you'd send scouts to where the mobile unit should be, right?"

There was no way to know at that point that they would attack a rear supply depot. The result would not have changed.

"True. And what happened to that mobile unit?"

"They wouldn't just leave it alone, would they? In that case, you know the result."

The mobile unit had been creating an entry path to Nordende. It was hard to imagine they would leave that and go elsewhere. Of course, it would be different if Ray thought Nordende didn't matter, but Geel believed that possibility was low.

"Annihilation, then."

"Better to think so. If that's the case, the number of a thousand appearing in the rear is also suspicious."

"I see. The mobile unit was five thousand in total. Even if it was half of them."

There was a possibility it was even more. And Sieg believed they should deal with the matter thinking that. Ray's operations were designed to outsmart them. Underestimating him would lead to a painful experience.

"However, from what I hear in the report, it is a quite well-trained unit. Fitting for that brat."

"He was a child who was strict with himself."

"You'll get hurt if you keep calling him a child."

"...True. You're right. He killed Alfred, stalled us here, attacked the rear depot, and stole supplies root and branch. He is the existence that has achieved the greatest results among the enemy in this battle."

The battle, which had been proceeding with such an advantage, was now being dismantled by Ray alone. It was fair to say that. He should be considered the existence to be most wary of among the enemy now.

"So, what will you do?"

Praising Ray would not solve anything. If they didn't decide on a response, they would just continue to be played.

"It cannot end with this. He will likely attack another depot."

"Probably."

"The problem is where... it's difficult to specify. In that case, there is a need to increase the guard at all depots."

The attacking side has the option of choosing the location. In that case, the defending side needs to solidify all locations that could possibly be attacked. That, in itself, meant they were being played perfectly.

"The front lines will become thin... but we have no choice but to do so."

Geel was called the Mad Dog, but he did not think of doing things that were impossible in battle. If it was to avoid losing, he did not dislike stepping back one or two steps.

"We should just settle this all at once!"

But there was an existence in this army who disliked that. Fumiya was one of them.

"What do you mean by settle this?"

Sieg asked the question, knowing exactly what Fumiya meant.

"Drop the Demon King's fortress and slay the Demon King. That will settle this battle."

"And if that doesn't settle it?"

"Eh?"

Slay the Demon King and it's over. Fumiya had not envisioned anything beyond that.

"Just because the Demon King is slain, it doesn't necessarily mean the entire demon race will stop resisting. The battle may continue."

"...But if the Demon King is defeated, their combat power will plummet. We could easily wipe out the remnants, right?"

"It would be good if it were so."

"...What do you mean?"

Sieg's answer was different from what he expected. That was strange to Fumiya.

"The demons gathered under the Demon King. This is actually not a bad thing for us."

"Why?"

"If they were dispersed and rampaging everywhere, the threat would be diluted, but the subjugation would take time."

"...If they aren't a threat, why not just subjugate them slowly?"

"We don't have that kind of luxury of time. It would be problematic if demons rampaged within our borders while we were fighting other nations."

Even if the demon threat decreased, it would interfere with wars with other nations. They could not afford to lose a war for hegemony over the continent.

"But isn't that the same even if we slay the Demon King in this battle?"

"Exactly. That is the same. That is not what I am trying to say. I am saying there is a problem with slaying the Demon King while leaving a formidable enemy in the rear."

"...I don't see the difference."

"The demons whose Demon King was slain might unite under the enemy in the rear. Since he is not human—or rather, not a demon—I think the possibility is low. But if that were to happen, I believe the battle would become far more severe than it is now."

"...To that extent."

Does he evaluate Ray that highly? Fumiya could not agree with Sieg's thinking.

"When slaying the Demon King, we must simultaneously thoroughly weaken the power of the entire demon race. To the point where regrouping becomes difficult, or to the point where it's no problem even if they regroup."

For that purpose, it was convenient that they were gathered in one place. If they could slay most of the demons in the Demon King's fortress, that could be realized.

"I understand that. But if that's the case... I see."

If that were the case, they would first have to defeat Ray's unit in the rear. In other words, it was the same strategy Sieg was choosing.

"Do you understand now? Before slaying the Demon King, we must crush any possibility of the demons uniting, no matter how small. The undead soldiers in the rear are that small possibility."

"...I understand."

"Now, let's quickly organize units. We will deploy them to the surrounding depots starting from the nearby ones. This is also for reconnaissance. Ensure the messenger units are reinforced so that information is delivered promptly upon discovering the enemy."

"Yes!"

"Geel. You stay."

Having given the orders to dispatch units, Sieg warned Geel.

"Huh? Why?"

"Your job is to guard the Hero. As long as the Hero remains here, you must also remain."

"Eh? I have to stay too?"

This time, Fumiya raised a voice of dissatisfaction. Sieg looked at him with an exasperated face and spoke.

"There is a possibility it is a trap to lure the Hero. What would you do if you were ambushed at a depot with thin defenses?"

Ray's biggest target was Fumiya. Sieg believed there was a high possibility that the rear disruption was a trap for Fumiya.

"...If that happens, I'll slay him."

"It would be good if you could."

"Do you think I'll lose!?"

Taking Sieg's words as an insult, Fumiya became enraged.

"If you fight head-on, you'll probably win. But what if you're attacked while you're sleeping?"

Sieg didn't intend to insult him. He was simply discussing possibilities.

"I'm not that stupid."

"How do you think he found out the locations of the depots?"

"Huh? How should I know."

He was changing the subject to dodge the question. Thinking so, Fumiya showed a sulky attitude. But that couldn't be.

"True. We don't know now. But I know one possibility."

"What is it?"

"He stole a glance at the map here. Without anyone noticing."

"......"

"To him, even this fortress might be a place that is easy to infiltrate. Then, what about other places?"

The fortress naturally had preparations to prevent infiltration. They were primarily aimed at demons, and Ray had exploited that point, but the fact that Ray had sneaked into this heavily guarded place was a threat.

"It's better not to underestimate him. This is something Geel pointed out to me just a moment ago."

Sieg did not doubt that Fumiya had the advantage in a head-on fight. But Ray's fear was not there. Sieg did not believe Fumiya could compete in matters of intrigue.

"Until he is slain, it's better to discard the idea that this is a battle against demons. No, we should have done so from the start."

If it were a battle between humans, or between nations, the concealment of information would be more thorough. Demons do not place importance on strategy or tactics. Sieg believed that such a misconception had led to the current situation.

"Let's end this quickly. I don't want to invite a situation where he is highly valued."

He didn't think he would lose to Ray in tactics. However, he had to avoid the combination of demons and tactics. Even if it were slightly clumsy, demons had the power to cover it.

"Begin action immediately."

"Yes!"

The Laurel Kingdom Army began moving to subjugate the Undead Legion led by Ray. The war situation reached a turning point.