“Containment complete.”
Alright! With confirmation of the enemy’s total annihilation, we have taken out the most prominent Occupation Force of the Crusaders for now.
There were a few knights in armor showing evidence of their elite status, and several priests from the Crusaders. A full squad of magicians and the rest were infantry armed with spears or bows. It was a standard formation of a Crusader unit, but they were more formidable than the ones that attacked Irz Village.
Back then, I was bruised and battered from facing just that small unit… but now it’s as easy as flicking a sleeve. Moreover, I’m leading a sufficient force. If we approach from the forest and execute a surprise attack, we could annihilate them unilaterally.
Looking outside from the largest Tree House, which serves as the village chief’s home, the battle was already over. We had hidden in the shade of the trees to complete the encirclement, taking out most of the infantry with an all-out barrage from all sides, while the magician squad and knights, led by aces like Sariel and Kai, swiftly cleaned up the rest.
Kai, holding up a head with a helmet, proudly displayed the victory to his subordinates, while Sariel quietly disposed of the corpses.
“————A splendid job, Chrono-sama.”
“Brigit, thank you for your hard work. You made quite a show.”
When I descended from the Tree House to return to the square, Brigit was the first to greet me.
Clad in a battle uniform adorned with gold thread embroidery on black fabric, she looked every bit the priestess. Yet, the sleeveless design exposing her shoulders and arms was already quite alluring.
As was evident from her battle attire, she had also accompanied us this time. Or perhaps I should say she came again. We had charged into the Bugs Brigade’s nest together last time.
Brigit chose to accompany us, bringing only a small elite unit, instead of staying behind as the High Priestess to command the Fahren Army. After all, since the Demon King, who is me, was at the front lines, she might have felt an obligation to follow.
I felt a bit sorry for that, but I already knew Brigit’s capabilities. A part of her power was still etched in the corner of the square.
There stood a white tent, equipped with a simple altar and the cross symbol on top. It was a tent specifically used by accompanying priests of the Crusaders.
Surrounding it was a literal sea of blood. Floating on the blood-red surface were dismembered body parts, scattered to an extent that one could hardly tell how many there once were.
Brigit’s black magic was a simple yet powerful ability that allowed her to launch or extend slashes with blades of sharp magical power. With the treasure sword of the Mistrea clan, “New Moon Demon Blade,” she could cleave through even the defensive magic deployed by a mere priest in a single strike. No matter how many layers of light walls were stacked, the dark blade steeped in the resentment of her homeland cannot be stopped.
“It was merely a trifle. However, I’m glad you remembered my swordsmanship.”
Well, we don’t have anyone in our ranks who uses such a brutal technique to slice and dice corpses. I think I’d manage to kill a bit more cleanly even.
“Chrono-sama seems to have grown even stronger than before. However, it appears the enemy was unable to draw out even a fraction of that power… but taking out the enemy commander was indeed impressive.”
With a radiant smile, Brigit cast her gaze toward the man in powered armor who was presumably the leader of the Occupation Force that I had been dragging along.
What he was wearing was not genuine ancient armor but was likely powered armor crafted by the “White Relic.” Its appearance was almost identical to the one we defeated before. If Simon were here, he could probably discern the subtle differences, but I could not.
I wouldn’t struggle against one piece of powered armor, but it surely was sturdier than ordinary heavy cavalry. Therefore, I crushed its limbs with the “Decapitation” technique to incapacitate it, tearing off its backpack with sheer force along with the armor and pulling out the reactor that served as its power source. Without the reactor supplying ether, it would just be heavy armor.
“He’s not dead yet, though.”
“Shall we kill him?”
Brigit, continuing with her smile, instinctively reached for the cursed sword at her waist, her eyes gleaming with a cold murderous intent.
Why would you say something so simplistic…
“I’m a commander; I want to gather as much information as I can.”
“Then you’ll treat him as a prisoner?”
“… Capturing prisoners is troublesome. Until they fully surrender, I’m not inclined or have the luxury to do that.”
At the very least, I would annihilate the Occupation Force that attacked this village. This guy’s life would be preserved only until I managed to extract as much information as possible. That’s why I opted for such rough incapacitation.
“Neneeka!”
“Yess, back to work, huh?”
With a slightly annoyed expression, the fairy Neneeka fluttered over.
“Can you extract information about the Crusaders from this guy through telepathy?”
“Ehh, that’s really hard, you know.”
“Please.”
“Fine, I suppose for the Demon King, Neneeka will do it.”
“Thanks. Ain, record this.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Ain took over the battered commander, and they moved away with Neneeka. With this, we’d probably gain some insights into the movements of the other Occupation Forces.
“Hehe, splendid work.”
“Feeling relieved?”
“Yes, Chrono-sama is kind. So very kind… I was wondering if you might show mercy even to our enemies.”
After finishing the battle in Alsace, did I have such a face as well?
Brigit was a wise woman, and compared to me, she could far better conceal her expressions and attitudes. Yet, even she couldn’t suppress the emotions of hatred spilling out from her face and entire being.
I had been able to regain hope for better or worse through my encounter with Demon King Mia, but that was after a considerable amount of time had passed.
At this moment, mere words wouldn’t reach Brigit. Especially with the Crusaders, her sworn enemies, right in front of her. In a fury of hatred, she would continue to slaughter the enemy.
That is not good.
It’s not about being morally or ethically wrong. Killing the Crusaders is fine by me. My goal is to drive them off this continent. There’s no point in showing them mercy.
What is not good is if Brigit misjudges when to pull back.
It’s fine to scatter the common soldiers and priests of the Crusaders, but when facing larger and stronger forces, one must engage with the most effective strategies. If an Apostle appears, survival will be nothing but a distant dream.
In her current state, if Ai were to pop out right in front of her, she would undoubtedly attack without thinking of the consequences.
That is not good. That is bad. Brigit is now the last remaining figure capable of uniting the people of Fahren. Prince Shaltra is still a child. Brigit, while also quite young, has the ability and lineage to stand before everyone and fight while leading them. If she were to fall, even if we were to successfully fend off the Crusaders’ invasion, chaos would continue to plague Fahren.
So— I told myself this as an excuse.
“Brigit, let’s take a rest for today.”
“If you were concerned for me, please do not worry. I can still fight. Let’s go help the next village right away.”
“For now, let’s wait here for reinforcements to arrive. We need to gather information and soldiers before moving forward.”
“Please forgive my simplistic words. I could not contain my eagerness to save my kin.”
“It’s fine, you don’t need to worry about that. It’s only natural to feel anxious. But for today, that’s enough. You’ve fought enough. Please rest well.”
“Yes, thank you very much.”
Bow deeply, Brigit attempted to leave, but I called her back.
“If you’d like, how about dinner together later? I’ll treat you.”
“Oh, is that alright?”
With a dazzling smile that was more than just a mere courtesy, Brigit turned around. While I, who lacked telepathic abilities, couldn’t know her true feelings, I wanted to believe she genuinely appreciated the invitation.
“We’ve both been busy up to this point. I wanted to talk comfortably and at length.”
“It would be a great honor. I would gladly join you, Chrono-sama.”
“Yeah, I’ll be waiting.”
With that promise, Brigit returned to her troop.
“Master, leave the preparations to me.”
Quietly, completely concealing her presence, Sariel, standing close by, offered this with her inorganic red eyes fixed on me.
She claims to have no emotions, yet she is overly perceptive about the nuances of human heart. It’s as if she can see right through everything I’m thinking.
Usually, that would be somewhat embarrassing… Well, it still is, but Sariel’s support is appreciated.
“Yeah, I’m counting on you.”
By the time dusk fell, we had finished cleaning up after the battle and prepared to garrison in the village. During times like these, being in a position of authority means I can avoid the grueling work of handling corpses.
I decided to temporarily use the Adventurer Guild, which is the next largest Tree House after the village chief’s home, as our command center.
I heard from Brigit that the dark elf old woman who fell in that hall was indeed the village chief who had fought alone, trying to hold off the enemy using spirit summoning magic. If we had arrived just a little earlier, we might have been able to save the chief. However, without her bravery, the Occupation Force would likely have reached the next village. I suppose we can only think that the sacrifice held some value.
Furthermore, information from reconnaissance teams is being delivered as it comes in. I took my position in the Guild Master’s office and listened to the gathered intel.
“————I see, the count’s third son is in command. This was more productive than I expected.”
Hearing the report from Ain about the results of the telepathic interrogation of the captured commander in powered armor, I nodded in satisfaction at the unexpectedly rich enemy intel gained.
The man who was officially appointed by Cardinal Arus to lead the invasion force into Fahren is Count Davis Wellington. A pure warrior type with a considerable reputation as a seasoned general even within Sinclair.
Thus, the Count’s third son, Dasley, was the highest-ranking among those serving in the Pandora Expedition. The eldest and second sons were entrusted with territories back in the homeland, while Davis and the younger sons had joined the Pandora Expedition to expand their territories, which is a rather commonplace background for Sinclair nobility.
Dasley led the charge for the count’s territorial expansion, pushing forward into Fahren with tremendous momentum.
“A seasoned warrior count, huh. It seems he doesn’t leave any gaps.”
After the fall of the capital Nevan, it would be normal for Davis to maintain his position there as the overall commander of the invading forces, but… he had surprisingly set up his main camp all the way out in Konahat.
If he plans to continue capturing territory east of Fahren, he likely deemed it better to be out in Konahat rather than staying at the capital. Even if the Fahren Army counterattacks, it’s more advantageous to secure Konahat than to guard the open capital.
“It would have been easier if they had bypassed Konahat.”
The Count is well aware of the significance of this location and is personally stationed here. My assumption was that he would keep only a number of soldiers suitable for the town’s scale, but it seems he is seriously fortifying his defenses.
Moreover, if our Empire Army is known to be supporting Fahren, they will likely reinforce their defenses even further.
“If the Crusaders stationed in the capital Nevan are mobilized, around forty thousand troops will likely converge under the Count.”
“With this force, it’s hard to breach a defense of forty thousand.”
I’m just thankful it’s fewer than a hundred thousand.
This estimation of troop numbers was based on information from Dasley. After occupying the capital Nevan, the invading forces were essentially split into four groups.
First, those who returned to Spada with Ai. The nobles had various reasons, from feeling they had reached their limit in the fight to assessing that no further gains could be made, leading them to choose to go back. Approximately ten thousand returned to Spada.
Next, those who moved toward Parthia instead of Fahren. Naturally, they would prefer the open grasslands over the deep woods. It appears that many were quite swayed, gathering to form a force of around forty thousand to begin the invasion of eastern Parthia.
At this point, the remaining Crusaders in Fahren would be halved to fifty thousand.
Around twenty thousand are stationed in the capital Nevan. The other thirty thousand are continuing their invasion toward the depths of Fahren, aiming for Morgana.
It seems around five thousand soldiers have been stationed under the Count’s command in Konahat. They are knights and soldiers that the seasoned Count himself has trained, and most of the powered armor is likely present there. It’s not just any five thousand; it includes the elite.
Excluding the five thousand stationed in Konahat, twenty-five thousand will be the Occupation Forces rampaging through Fahren’s woods.
In this situation, if the Count determines that there is a risk of a surprise attack on Konahat, he could call in troops from both the forces in Nevan and the Occupation Force to bolster his numbers to about forty thousand.
“It seems that we must act swiftly. We need to take Konahat before the Count fortifies his defenses or learns that the Empire Army is on the way.”
“Yes, I believe that is the best course of action.”
Eliminate the Count’s elite five thousand and seize Konahat. Doing so would allow us to sandwich the invading force of twenty-five thousand moving east in a delightful ambush. They are advancing freely along various roads. If we block their front and back, we can take them out one by one.
In Nevan, there are twenty thousand stationed troops, but even if Konahat were seized, it’s unlikely those twenty thousand would rush over immediately. For them, subduing the capital Nevan is the greatest success in conquering Fahren. It’s most likely they would do everything possible to defend this place and strengthen their defenses.
In the worst-case scenario, even if they come back to reclaim Konahat with as large an army as possible, the Empire Army’s reinforcements would join up to secure defenses for Konahat more swiftly. To break through fortifications that have been solidified, we would need to amass forces on the same scale as when we took down Nevan.
The noble alliance invading Fahren is already in a dispersed state along their respective plans and cannot regroup immediately.
“It seems we can’t afford to be too leisurely. I’ll rely on the guidance of the dark elves and the results from aerial reconnaissance.”
Fahren, with its vast forested areas, particularly has many winding roads from the region east of Konahat. Some portions even have sharp curves.
While we generally use the roads for travel, the Fahren people who have lived here since ancient times know about shortcuts and secret routes. These are typically known only to the villagers and townspeople, or the Fahren Army may manage these routes for emergencies, meaning they are not generally disclosed.
And now, as the Crusaders rampage across the land, it is precisely that emergency.
Thanks to this, the Fahren people in the various towns managed to escape without being caught by the Occupation Forces, utilizing shortcuts to gain distance. This aspect can be considered fortuitous, contrasting with the circumstances in Alsace where there was no hiding space.
We also, through the secret shortcuts guided by Brigit and the others, significantly shortened our travel distance to this spot.
Even if it comes to the Crusaders learning of our presence here, the expected travel time to Konahat would be grossly overestimated based on the road distance. Even considering the use of shortcuts, the extent to which distances are shortened is mostly unknown to them. All of it would reside in the realm of speculation.
We should have the advantage regarding distance and time.
Furthermore, after we departed Morgana, Chris is expected to come leading the Dragon Knights. Without Shangri-La, I don’t intend to have them engage in combat. It would only be risky to pit them against enemies hiding in the woods.
However, if they’re only flying in the air, the enemy’s countermeasures will be extremely limited. Unless they dispatch their own dragon knights or Pegasus knights, a battle would likely not ensue.
Thus, I plan to have them fly as much as possible to carry out aerial reconnaissance. This would be coordinated with the valuable aerial forces, the winged beast knights, possessed by the Fahren Army.
I only got a fleeting glimpse of the Gryphon Knights flying during the assault on the Central Hive, but they possess flight capabilities that are at least equal to flying dragons. They should be able to manage aerial reconnaissance comfortably.
After gathering as much intel as possible, we’ll have no choice but to run as fast as we can—
“Master, Brigit is here.”
At Sariel’s call, I exhaled deeply and stood up.
The dinner I had invited her to was left entirely in Sariel’s hands. As she is the proud chef capable of satisfying Fiona, I trusted her culinary skills would be problem-free. I had stored ingredients in my Shadow Space, and tonight we won’t be having the rations derived from carob.
“Thank you for coming. You’re welcome here.”
Using the reception room on the upper floor of the guild as the venue, I welcomed Brigit who had just arrived.
“I am honored to be invited.”
And the sight before me was, as expected, the somewhat revealing priestess outfit.
It seems she came dressed for the occasion…