Chapter 47

Episode 47 – The Art of Ruling (7)

“There isn’t much time left. If the Satyros army defending the front lines falls back, we will lose any chance of a rescue.”

Cruiger’s mercenaries, renowned for their expertise, naturally earned the trust and support of local lords.

This current rescue mission was also assigned to Cruiger, as Lizardman Lord Turkan chose to send his mercenaries instead of his own warriors.

“To be honest, those Satyros don’t seem like they’ll win. How long do you think they can hold out?”

Grash asked about the expected defense duration. I shared his doubts regarding the Satyros forces.

From the way they were still relaxing, seemingly clueless about the current situation, to the real battlefield where my soldiers are being mercilessly cut down – it was evident that they weren’t performing well, even with defenses like towers and installed magical barriers.

Without special measures, I estimate they’ll last only three days. Within those three days, part of my main force will break through the Satyros unit guarding the pass and advance further.

“I don’t see them lasting much longer either. We’ll move non-stop to complete the mission within three days at the latest.”

I had subtly hinted at these facts to Cruiger, who acknowledged that the Satyros wouldn’t hold out long and agreed on the three-day timeline.

“Three days will be tough, but we’ll follow the captain’s experienced judgment.”

“Let’s move immediately.”

The mercenaries followed Cruiger’s word implicitly, as they had never suffered a loss for doing so.

Of course, they didn’t know that Cruiger was subtly following my orders.

“Hurry! Reaching the destination is our top priority!”

We began a rapid march without worrying about conserving energy. Thankfully, we were still in the rear, an area where my forces hadn’t yet reached, making it relatively safe.

Currently, all the local lords are combining their forces to fight the war, so our main concern is simply arriving on time.

‘Even at this pace, we’ll make it on time.’

Cruiger’s mercenaries, mounted on the large ostrich-like creatures from the Demon Realm called Voltores, galloped towards their destination, the Lizardman fortress.

Even my nearby scouts can see my avatar moving alongside them.

As it stands, they’ll soon encounter the forces surrounding the fortress. Their mission is to break one of the encircling lines, deliver their commander’s orders, and provide an escape opportunity for the fortress’s defending forces.

‘There’s no way they’ll fail this mission.’

Even without me deliberately aiding them, I had designed Cruiger’s mercenaries to always choose the best path.

I was confident they could still break through and accomplish their mission, even if they encountered part of my forces.

*

“That’s right, they are waiting for us to starve. These wicked ones!”

Trapped inside a fortress guarding the frontier, a contingent of Lizardman soldiers ground their teeth in frustration as they watched the enemy forces encircling them.

After wiping out the neighboring Lamia territory and continuing their relentless assault, the enemy didn’t send enough forces to directly capture the fortress. Instead, they blocked the passes with a small defensive formation, effectively trapping everyone inside.

“Commander, we need to try breaking through before it’s too late. We’re almost out of food. We won’t last long like this!”

“Are you suggesting we abandon the fortress entrusted to us by our Lord?”

Furthermore, they couldn’t act on their own without permission. Since the enemy blocked their communication routes, sending messages to their lord was impossible.

Though burdened by these restrictions, the defense captain remained steadfast. Without a direct order from their lord, they couldn’t abandon the fortress.

‘Are these insane creatures truly intent on wiping out everything on this land?’

The defense captain, stationed on the watchtower, gritted his teeth and peered into the distance through a telescope.

The scene magnified in his view was shocking.

To fuel the digestion units that supplied nutrients to the legion, countless workers and a few combat soldiers were hunting and feeding almost every living thing on the surface into their systems.

They didn’t discriminate – from the tough-shelled magical beasts to the deadly poisonous creatures to the thorny plants – nothing was left out. To them, it was just another meal.

The Lizardman soldiers could do nothing but watch in anger as their land was systematically devastated.

Having no knowledge of players or games, they only saw the mysterious invaders from the north as a terrible calamity that had swept in like a sudden storm.

“Captain! Captain! To the east gate! Come quickly!”

At that moment, a glimmer of hope appeared. A soldier observing the eastern side rushed to the captain, excitedly reporting their discovery.

“What is it? Reinforcements?”

The astonished captain hurried to the Eastern Wall. The report wasn’t false – forces were indeed attacking the nearby encamped enemy, piercing through their formations despite the heavy resistance.

“It seems to be a band of mercenaries. The composition is quite varied.”

“Look at that Orc warrior, he’s quite skilled!”

The Lizardman soldiers murmured as they watched the battle. The leading Orc warrior, skillfully wielding a massive sword to split the heads of enemies, left a deep impression.

And it wasn’t just him. Despite their mixed composition, the mercenaries fought exceptionally well.

“Aren’t you just going to stand there watching! They’re clearly allies. Open the gates quickly! We must assist them!”

Realizing instinctively that these reinforcements must have been dispatched by their superior, the defense captain urged his subordinates into action.

“This is our Lord’s order. Abandon the fortress and regroup.”

“Since it’s an order, we must follow. Prepare for departure! Break through the eastern gate and join the main force!”

With the fortress gates open, Cruiger’s mercenaries, with the help of the Lizardman reinforcements, managed to break through enemy lines before reinforcements arrived, successfully delivering the Lord’s orders.

With the authenticity of the order confirmed, the defense captain had no reason to hesitate. Since the order had come down, it must be followed.

The troops, who had already been hoping to abandon and escape the fortress, naturally cheered at the news. Seeing this, the defense captain couldn’t help but smile.

“Judging by your skills, you must be quite skilled warriors. You don’t seem to be from the frontier Orc tribes.”

“We’ve come from the southern regions.”

During this conversation, the captain’s gaze returned to Cruiger, clearly identifying him as an experienced commander.

“Your abilities are not just about strength. You seem quite adept at dealing with these beasts.”

“We’ve faced them multiple times and survived.”

“Though we’re still unclear about what these monsters truly are. Can you explain?”

With genuine curiosity in his voice, Cruiger hesitated momentarily, while the silver-haired woman standing beside him seemed intrigued.

“I doubt anyone fully understands them. Their true intentions and identities remain a mystery.”

Cruiger roughly explained the strength and actions of the current invading forces sweeping through the region.

As the captain listened, his eyes widened gradually.

It was clear that this was far more than the usual large-scale appearance of mana beasts. This was part of a major catastrophe that required the combined strength of all demon lords.

“The lands overrun by these beasts transform into barren wastelands without a single blade of grass. Once lost, it’s impossible to restore.”

“That’s ridiculous. Even if the situation is dire, surely the nearby lords controlling this region can unite and win – regardless, they’re just mana beasts.”

“Our enemies aren’t just ordinary mana beasts. And more importantly, not all the lords have united yet – that’s why our defenses are falling back.”

Cruiger grimaced as he gazed eastward. Each day, the frontlines retreat further, and the areas of wasteland increase. Yet, the Hobgoblin territory remains strangely quiet.

The legions and the Hobgoblins seem to ignore each other entirely, acting as if unaware of the other’s existence.

‘Well, this works in my favor.’

And only one faction benefits from this peculiar situation.