The Demon King Seems to Conquer the World

New chapter of The Demon King is out! (1/2 chapters)

Emperor Year 2325, September 10th.

I had led the army to a place called Tiefland, in the central region of Tyrellme. The Shalta Kingdom’s expeditionary force of 30,000 was filled with a unique sense of anticipation on the eve of what was likely the decisive battle. Our formation consisted of the Hou Household’s army, the Royal Guard, and the Kilghina army, which had finally finished its training and was led by Gin Toga. The Royal Guard was commanded by the parent-child duo Galla and Dolla, while the Hou Household’s army was led by Dimitri Daz.

Currently, their lieutenants and strategists, as well as other large numbers of troops, were gathered in an Isus Church. However, they were not here to pray. The church was simply the largest room in the village, making it the best place to hold this gathering. The pews, usually used for worship, had been moved aside to create a large open space. In the middle, two large tavern tables had been placed together. This was likely to be the final war council we could hold in peace before tomorrow’s chaotic events began.

“It feels strange to have reached the heart of the enemy’s territory without encountering any battles.” (Dimitri)

Dimitri said in a relaxed tone.

“We’ve been playing a game of territorial capture until now. It does feel weird, like placing a piece in the middle of the enemy’s territory in a board game where you’re not supposed to.” (Yuri)

“Yes, that’s exactly it.” (Dimitri)

“But the territorial game is over. Until now, we’ve been fighting to reclaim the lost lands of the Shantilla Great Empire. From here on, it’s a battle to bring a thousand years of peace to our homeland.” (Yuri)

“We currently have the advantage thanks to our eagles and cannons. However, in 20 years, weapons that could swat down eagles like flies might be developed, or the enemy might have cannons equal to ours. We must lay a solid foundation now to ensure that our children and grandchildren can live in peace. I’m sorry to those of you shedding blood for this cause, but just consider it your bad luck to have been born in the same era as me and accept it.” (Yuri)

I said with a laugh. Laughter rippled through the ranks of the lords, and the tense atmosphere lightened slightly.

“Now, back to the matter at hand. We are currently here.”

I pointed with my baton to a red X on the map.

“We’re deep in enemy territory. The blue lines show the routes you all took, securing key strongholds along the way to ensure our retreat path. So far, Alfred’s army has been cooperative, and not a single skirmish has broken out. There have been zero casualties across all our forces. Thanks to Alfred’s oppressive regime, the local populace is firmly under control. The usual quarrels with locals during a march have been almost non-existent.” (Yuri)

Under Alfred’s rule, the residents were controlled with an iron grip. Any offense was met with collective punishment, so even those who might stand out as troublemakers were strictly managed by their communities. It seemed that the lords governing each region were well aware that going against Alfred’s wishes would result in immediate execution. It was quite literally losing their heads. As a result, there had been total cooperation, and no problems had arisen.

This march had been so peaceful that it was almost more troublesome to move from Kilghina to Shantinion.

“The village we are currently in is at a critical crossroads, a strategic region. As you may have noticed when entering, the village sits slightly higher than the surrounding area. According to the village chief, when the nearby river floods, the surrounding lowlands are submerged. For this reason, despite its commercial potential, a large city never developed here. That’s not particularly important, though… What is important is that there are no fortresses or fortified cities nearby, meaning tomorrow’s battle will undoubtedly be fought in the open field. The enemy forces are approaching to seize control of this region, and the decisive battle will likely take place tomorrow.” (Yuri)

I paused and surveyed the room. The attendees of the council were intently studying the map on the table.

“We will use this village as our base to meet the enemy. As some of you have already noticed, this church has a tall spire, which we will use as a vantage point for our artillery. We are still waiting for reconnaissance reports on the enemy’s movements, but does anyone have any questions?” (Yuri)

Gin Toga raised his hand.

“I believe we should consider the possibility of Alfred betraying us. If that happens, will we retreat along the same route we came?” (Gin)

Of course, that question was bound to come up. Gin, ever the strategist, had raised the issue.

“If we decide to retreat, we would indeed take that route. However, if there’s a chance to defeat the enemy along with Alfred, we might continue the fight and seize the strongholds we’ve taken, advancing from there.” (Yuri)

“But I think we should also consider a scenario where things don’t go so smoothly, specifically, if Alfred betrays us and Angelica and the Catholic Sect’s allied forces all attack at once. The usual rule of warfare is to prepare more troops than the enemy. If the three armies combine their forces and strike us deep in their own territory, where retreat is difficult and pursuit is easy, it would be the ideal situation for the enemy, wouldn’t it?” (Gin)

That’s true. In war, it’s always better to bring more forces than your opponent. Battles aren’t a simple matter of subtraction. The more soldiers you have, the fewer casualties you’ll suffer by overwhelming the enemy. It’s critical to prevent the enemy from concentrating their forces or to defeat them individually.

However, if Alfred betrays us, we would be deliberately walking into a decisive battle where the enemy has gathered all their strength. That’s absurd.

“That’s a valid concern, and I agree. If there’s even a small chance of that, we should avoid taking unnecessary risks.” (Yuri)

I acknowledged the danger.

“However, the entire premise of this operation is based on my conclusion that Alfred and his sister Angelica will never form an alliance or fight side by side. Some of you may not be familiar with the history between these siblings, so let me put it plainly. The idea of Alfred and Angelica working together is as likely as me, whose parents and wife were killed by witches, bowing my head and joining forces with those same Witches.” (Yuri)

Considering the situation, the soldiers are likely feeling uneasy about being in enemy territory. It might be helpful to offer a few more words to ease their concerns.

“I imagine some of you here might be under the impression that I foolishly trust Alfred, a Kuran man. Let me be clear. I don’t trust him at all. However, when it comes to the matter of his sister, I am certain, even if it’s temporary, that there’s no way he would join forces. If that were to happen, well, I’d be more shocked than if the White Wolf Peninsula sunk into the sea, taking Sibyaku with it. That, at least, seems more believable.” (Yuri)

At my words, a light chuckle rippled through the group, starting with Dimitri and the more daring individuals.

“That’s about the gist of it. So, there’s no need to worry about a three-on-one situation. However, I do consider the possibility that the Angelica army might not show up. In that case, we might face a two-on-one battle against both the Papal States and Alfred. But scouts should soon confirm whether Angelica’s forces are coming or not. If it turns out they’re not, we certainly won’t wait around for them to surround us. We’ll begin our retreat before the pincer attack can be executed. Is that clear, Gin?” (Yuri)

I directed my gaze toward Gin, hoping he didn’t feel slighted by my remarks.

“Yes, understood. When I think about it, I’ve heard that Your Excellency Yuri, at just eighteen, was already advising Her Majesty on the internal affairs of the Tyrellme region. With that in mind, you surely know more than anyone here. If you’re convinced of this, then there are no objections.” (Gin)

Where did he hear something like that? My memory is fuzzy, but did I really give advice back then?

“Glad to hear it. Any other questions? The next meeting will be after the morning roll call tomorrow, and it’ll be a busy one.” (Yuri)

For a moment, no one raised their hand.

“Excuse me.” (??)

A voice rose from one of the younger adjutants standing around us.

“If no one else has questions, I’d like to ask one.” (??)

The speaker looked younger than me, a slender man.

“Go ahead, don’t hesitate.” (Yuri)

“It was mentioned earlier that no dragons are expected to appear this time.” (??)

“Yes, for now. We’ve confirmed that there won’t be any reinforcements from the Entak Dragon Kingdom or the Kururuan Dragon Empire. But that doesn’t mean they won’t bring in stragglers.” (Yuri)

“As for the close air support flags that were introduced this time, how reliable are they?” (??)

Airstrikes from the eagles are tricky. Bombing from high altitude, relying on human instinct to judge the arc, makes hitting the target difficult. So, they have to dive at steep angles, practically crashing into the ground while dropping the bombs. Only skilled eagle riders can handle this task. However, with more well-trained riders these days, we’ve started allowing individual units to call for emergency support using signal flags or colored smoke grenades.

“My guess is that, during a large-scale battle, every unit will be overwhelmed and constantly requesting fire support. Won’t the eagle units be too busy to respond to every request? How much can we actually rely on them?” (??)

Well, he’s not wrong.

“To be honest, don’t count on it at all.” (Yuri)

I gave him the blunt truth.

“On the battlefield, it’ll probably be just as you imagined. Even though we’re supposed to limit requests to true emergencies, fire support from eagles is like gold. You can never have too much of it. I’ve already spoken to the higher-ranking officers…” (Yuri)

The senior officers sat in chairs at the front, while those of lower rank stood behind, forming three layers like a commemorative photo.

“…For example, if the left flank is hit by an offensive that could collapse the entire army, of course, I’ll order all support to focus there. Similarly, if we want to concentrate firepower on a point we’re about to break through, I might give that directive. Now, let’s say you’re on the right flank, barely holding the line against the enemy, waving your flag, or tossing smoke grenades, but no support arrives. You’d probably think, ‘What the hell is Yuri Hou doing? If he were right in front of me, I’d punch him in the face!’ You might find yourself cursing me in frustration.” (Yuri)

I joked, lightening the mood. Some could already picture the scenario, as small smiles and quiet laughter spread among the group. It’s better to keep things light the day before a battle.

“Well, if that happens, forgive me. We’ll be doing our best over here too.” (Yuri)

“Thank you. Understood.” (??)

The slender man seemed satisfied, nodding lightly.

“Any more questions?” (Yuri)

Looking around, it appeared there were no more.

“Then, return to your units and get some rest. As instructed, limit the alcohol distributed to the men to just enough for a nightcap. It’s fine to help them sleep, but if they’re hungover tomorrow, that’s a problem. That’s all. Dismissed!” (Dimitri)

With a loud clap of his hands, Dimitri closed the meeting, and the commanders returned to their troops.

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