Episode 46 – The Art of Ruling (6)
“Aaah… my lord. What have we done to deserve this…”
General Lamia Manuel sighed blankly to the sky alongside the handful of subordinates who remained with him.
They had struggled desperately to survive, abandoning the lands they once protected under divine guidance, along with the resources and people they were meant to guard, all for the sake of saving their lives in the face of relentless pursuit.
But the enemies chased them with unrelenting determination. Although there were situations where the adversaries might have abandoned the chase due to unfavorable conditions, these pursuers were resolved to utterly annihilate them, disregarding any cost or loss.
As a result, nearly all of their forces were lost in their desperate attempts to shake off the relentless pursuit. With only a meager number of soldiers left, any hope of rebuilding the faction was utterly futile; these last remnants were only useful in sustaining the existence of their Player.
“Lord Manuel…they’re upon us.”
It seemed their efforts would fail. With neither the strength to flee nor any soldiers left to fight back, the pursuing Legion finally cornered them.
Though they were close to joining forces with other Lords, there was no way to evade the relentless, single-minded determination of the enemies who pursued them solely to capture and kill.
“What is the meaning of this? What have we done wrong!?”
Manuel finally yelled out in desperation, staring at the monstrous beings surrounding them. To some extent, he had an inkling. The Player they served had always seemed particularly wary of them.
To be honest, it wasn’t just wariness. When these beings dismantled the Demon forces with impossible numbers and rapid evolution, it wasn’t just wariness but genuine fear that took root.
“Demons. You truly are demons.”
What could possibly threaten a deity? In other realms, the Demons, the inhabitants of the Demon Realm, were figures of terror, but even they, in their own world, followed their gods and feared the ‘devils’ who rebelled against them.
Thus, it wasn’t strange that they mistook the attacking Legion for devils. After all, the beings had abandoned all semblance of biological identity, evolving into entities specialized only for combat, guided by a collective consciousness.
‘They’ve completely misunderstood the situation.’
The Queen silently chuckled to herself as she observed their misconception through the eyes of her soldiers.
There was no intention to correct this misunderstanding. After all, the Player’s faction would be entirely eradicated, and correcting this perception would be inefficient.
“Destroy them.”
“Ugh, AAAAAHHH!”
With the Queen’s command, the adversaries closed in from all sides, brutally massacring the Player’s final faction that had put up a desperate resistance. Not a single soul remained.
[Another Player has disconnected.]
An alert simultaneously reached the Queen. The connection of the unnamed Player, who had fought so desperately before, had been severed.
‘For now, we hold the advantage, but we cannot predict the future. Perhaps it’s more favorable to eliminate the Players now.’
Though she had successfully removed a competitor, the Queen’s expression remained far from joyful.
Time was clearly on her side; as more time passed, her Legion grew stronger and more numerous. But it was also undeniable that the Players grew stronger with time. With many yet to secure Lordship, they were destined to become several times, even tens of times, more powerful in the future.
Having played as a Player across various races, she was confident in this inevitable progression.
“Even if I manage to eliminate the Players nearby, those far from my reach will undoubtedly gain Lordship and continue to evolve further.”
Though she had grown to the point where there was no one in this region who could challenge her, she was far from strong enough to dominate the entire Demon Continent.
There were still many Players scattered across the Demon Realm, and inevitably, they would replace the local factions and rise to fight her as time went on.
‘I should probably prepare myself.’
With that, the Queen abandoned any thoughts of wiping out all the Players before they matured. Ultimately, they would confront each other head-on once they had reached the pinnacle of their strength.
*
“This is a rescue mission. We need to help the remaining Lizardman troops escape safely from the fort.”
“Are you confident that we can accomplish this task?”
“Yes. We have a reasonable chance.”
Cruiger disclosed the mission details to his comrades. Instead of joining the full-scale battles happening across the battlefield, this was a task meant to be carried out behind the lines or on the flanks.
“Our Captain is going to great lengths to avoid direct confrontation with the enemy. Does he see no point in such endeavors?”
Grash, the Orc Shaman who had joined the group first, muttered beside me. True to his cunning nature, he accurately understood Cruiger’s intentions—or rather, my intentions which had persuaded Cruiger.
‘If we partake in the full-scale battle, my soldiers will have to endure defeat.’
The sole reason I had persuaded Cruiger to focus on guerrilla and mobile operations was simple.
Joining the frontlines meant that Cruiger’s mercenary band, no matter how strong, wouldn’t have the chance to gain merit.
Cruiger’s mercenary band, although formidable, was limited to a few dozen members. It lacked the power to influence the battlefield dynamics where engagements involved thousands, sometimes tens of thousands, of troops.
The mercenary band gaining no merit in the battle or my forces retreating were both situations I wanted to avoid.
“I don’t see it negatively. If we join the main army, we’re just another mercenary group. We’d have to follow orders blindly and depend entirely on the commanding officers for our success or survival. But if we take charge of our own missions, it’s a different story.”
Loughr, the canine-headed beast-man warrior who joined our group earlier, grinned and added a comment.
Loughr was an interesting character. When he first joined us, he challenged me outright, disapproving of my rank above him. However, my initial puppet incarnation—albeit still formidable—handily defeated him in a single blow.
Thanks to this display, no one within the mercenary band questioned my true identity. Therefore, Loughr inadvertently contributed to my anonymity.
“According to the information we have, there are only a small number of troops stationed near the fort, with the main enemy force having moved elsewhere. We simply need to create a crack in the encirclement.”
“Things are incredibly chaotic. More than anything else, I simply cannot believe how efficiently such vast numbers of these forces move.”
As Cruiger elaborated further on the tactic, Grash sighed softly.
Indeed, in this war arena, involving the territories of four different Lords, countless complexities were unfolding in real-time. My troops, moving swiftly, split and recombined, targeting vulnerabilities and striking efficiently with precision.
This effectiveness stemmed from overwhelming intelligence. Reconnaissance and top-secret data at our disposal painted the battlefield picture as clearly as if it were in the palm of our hands.
Though I strived not to reveal that I was aware of everything, the coalition of Lords, while managing to hold their ground, was gradually being worn down by my Legion.
‘Cruiger’s Mercenary Band is steadily growing stronger.’
Against this backdrop, the Lords inevitably sought out more manpower. Especially those warriors who had proven their strength became increasingly valued.
Among them was Cruiger’s Mercenary Band. Though small, it had amassed considerable merit under Cruiger’s leadership. They had successfully executed numerous operations, defeating many foes and rescuing countless allies.
Over time, Cruiger’s team, building its reputation, became a trusted and disciplined armed unit recognized by all nearby Lords.
“At first, I thought it was impossible. Coming here alone, with only the vague dream of rebuilding our lost territory.”
Cruiger often reflected on the improbable turn of events. When he first arrived with the mere hope of reclaiming his lands, it seemed like nothing more than a dream.
“But now, it seems it’s not impossible. I’ve seen the potential. I… We can do this.”
He nurtured the hope of regaining his territory with his newly formed forces.
I observed his face, choosing not to speak.
Surely, if the Player who occupied his lands wasn’t foolish, they would return, by the time Cruiger does, as an undisputed power in the region.
“All of this has happened because of you.”
Cruiger cherished me these days, treating me as if I were a token of good fortune. However, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly at this.
What expression would he have when the time comes? Would he crumble upon realizing the gargantuan magnitude of the entity he must face, or would he try to stand against this ‘demon’ at all costs just to overcome it?
