kscans

Chapter 168 - Interlude: Their Respective Nights, Part Three.

And so, the first day's battle at the border base came to a temporary close.

But this was merely a prologue.

And no one knew.

That an unprecedented crisis was about to befall the nations.

*

At the monster stronghold.

A cave teeming with countless monsters.

It was so vast that even a ten-meter-tall monster could move about with ease, and there was enough space for a thousand of them to fit comfortably.

The monsters resting there were…

Cyclops. Great Ogres. Goblin Guardians. Lizardman Hunters. Assassin Anacondas. Muay Thai Kong.

Each one was a high-rank monster, said to be difficult for even adventurers, soldiers, and knights to defeat.

For so many different types of monsters to be gathered in one place was abnormal. It wasn't about pride or anything of the sort. In the monster world, aside from fighting humans, there were also territorial disputes among monsters.

But here, a monster known as the 'Queen' had kept them in line, so there was no strife, only the battle against humans. And a new monster had taken advantage of that, ousting the 'Queen' and taking the throne for itself.

It was an unnatural being.

It had the head of an owl and the body of a wolf. The clawed limbs and tail of a lizard. The wings of a crow on its back. It moved on two legs, and its blue eyes would not tolerate any dissent.

It had the monsters call it their 'King.'

"Well done, my Lizardmen," the King said. "Now the humans will disperse their forces. And that is when we will begin our operation."

It looked pleased.

The King had never intended to take the base from the start. If he were to capture it with his current forces, their numbers would be drastically reduced.

So, he would simply supplement his forces.

To that end, he had set his sights on the corpse disposal area on the west side of the base. There were a large number of monster carcasses there. If he could retrieve them, he could control them as Undead. Of course, the other monsters would find it unpleasant, but since they would be under his control, it was not a problem.

The only problem was whether the humans would move according to his expectations.

But the King knew.

That general specialized in human-wave tactics and had always relied on them. If his numbers decreased, he would bring in reinforcements from somewhere. That was the kind of man he was.

Of course, he had probably requested reinforcements from the capital, but it was night.

Even if it was only a half-day's journey, traveling at night was too dangerous.

If they were to move, it would be in the morning. They would arrive at the base around noon. There was plenty of time.

"Then we shall move tomorrow morning," the King declared. "The target is the west side. The troops attacking the east and the front will act as a diversion."

At this command, the monsters let out a roar.

The King left the area and went outside to get some fresh air.

The cold night wind. The cloudless, starry sky with a shining crescent moon.

"This is for the best," the King said. "This sacrifice is for the good of the world. My servant, make the preparations."

No one answered his mutterings.

For the King's servant was on a separate mission.

*

In the Empire.

The royal capital. The royal castle.

The office.

Emperor Yorune looked at the report that had arrived from the base and let out a deep sigh.

The monsters' attack had been cunning, and many soldiers were wounded. It would take time for them to recover.

He wanted to send out a reinforcement unit immediately, but marching at night was dangerous. The only light they had to illuminate the darkness was the torches they carried.

Most monsters would be asleep, but there were some that were active.

For example, Goblins. Individuals that had not been active during the day were often criticized by others and would move at night. And now, with the Undead appearing at night, the danger level had increased even more.

He couldn't move them immediately. The soldiers would have to depart in the morning, and they would arrive around noon.

Of course, they had urgently gathered all the Cure they could find in the city. And the mass production of the Edgesons he had requested from the Dwarves was complete.

They were ready to be deployed at any time. With this, the battle at the border, while not advantageous, would at least reach a stalemate.

"I wish they would just quiet down now," the Emperor said, a bitter expression on his face. "But that's too optimistic."

If it were to end here, there would be no trouble. There was a sense of strategy to the monsters' movements, but he couldn't figure out what they were aiming for.

It was like trying to choose the right pot from a selection of many in the dark.

There was too little information.

At this rate, he would have to start seriously exchanging information with the other nations.

Until now, the information they had exchanged had been limited to minor things that wouldn't put either side at a disadvantage, but this was no time for such niceties.

The Emperor immediately began to draft letters to the rulers of each country, calling for their cooperation.

It was only later that this act would prove to have prepared them for an unprecedented crisis.