Episode 73 – Recognition (3)
“What do you mean? A crushing defeat? A new breed has appeared?!”
Despairing news was soon reported, sooner than wished. After all, the news of defeat had to be quickly relayed to the main camp to prepare in advance.
Agor was shocked to learn that the elite troops led by his trusted Zumun had been virtually wiped out, and that Zumun himself had sustained severe injuries, barely escaping with his life.
He hadn’t even considered the possibility of defeat. His only preoccupation had been the extent of victory they could achieve.
However, reality now demanded calculating not how many enemies were defeated with minimal losses, but rather how many of their own forces had been lost.
“Hu, hurry and mobilize the reserve forces! We must hold the bases!”
Despite everything, Agor made a quick decision. Acknowledging their defeat, he aimed to deploy troops to the defensive installations before the enemies could advance, causing even greater damage. With the main force now shattered, there was no immediate capacity for another expedition. Yet, if they couldn’t even protect what they had, they would never dream of revenge in the future.
‘There are still the allied forces led by other generals. The share of the spoils may decrease, but their victory will suffice.’
He placed his trust in the armies sent by other lords.
Their initial strategy of simultaneously advancing on four different routes, intending to eliminate enemy forces and nests completely, was still theoretically valid.
Though the leading troops that were to initiate this strategy had been wiped out, Agor still believed in the possibility of victory.
“I wish they had all come together at once.”
However, the thinking of Agor and the other lords was gradually straying off course.
The victorious legions began a massive counterattack, assaulting the remaining three armies simultaneously.
“Th-they’re coming in overwhelming numbers!”
Their forces were not as vast or strong as Agor’s mobilized army, yet the tide of legion soldiers produced incessantly from the lands they had occupied up until now surged forth.
Included in this massive offensive were the newly proven Wall Ghosts, which covered both sky and land, surrounding and attacking the demon army that was on the march.
‘Her Majesty already foresaw all of this. She’s systematically consuming this world.’
Syla, watching all of this unfold in real-time through her own eyes, trembled while observing from the hilltop as the demon realm lords’ forces crumbled like sand swept by the tide.
Right afterward, the forces led by Syla and Rozalyn struck the disoriented enemies on their flanks, causing the already struggling enemy forces to finally collapse.
An endless cacophony of countless spells, poisonous miasma, and screams created a landscape of hell.
And amidst this inferno, those who appeared to revel in it felt no emotion but lived solely for the hive. As she watched this, Syla became certain that the queen was several moves ahead.
The mysterious entity known as the Hive Mind might be inscrutable, but the queen clearly possessed knowledge that surpassed all others.
“Without their main force, demon lords can no longer send expeditionary units. And relentlessly striking those who can only defend is something we do best.”
“But we must act as quickly as possible. The superior lords, who will react to the damage inflicted on their ranks, won’t be content with mere posturing. We must wipe them out before their teeth start to hurt from the impact.”
At Rozalyn’s words, Syla gave a faint smile.
Even after securing what would later become a great victory, they had no time to rest or play. And in truth, they were a people specialized in fighting without rest.
*
“The alliance of lords suffered a major defeat. The expeditionary forces that invaded through four separate routes were systematically wiped out, causing an emergency in all the territories.”
“Unfortunately, not recognizing the enemy’s flexibility and relying too much on their rigid tactics, a single defeat was enough to render them incapable of withstanding the aftermath. It takes them over ten years to produce even one decent soldier, whereas the hordes come endlessly from the nests.”
Having returned through relentless travel to the central city where Agor’s castle was located, the entire dominion was predictably in disarray.
Not only had the main force been completely destroyed during a grand and public deployment, but the powerful supreme commander Zumun returned semi-paralyzed.
I found it irrelevant, but Cruiger, who delivered the news, sighed while mentioning the atmosphere.
“Isn’t this a familiar picture? Since the day we first met, we’ve fought countless battles against those infernal demons. The process always differed, but the results were always the same. They survive, and we always retreat after our defeats.”
He seemed to feel a slight sense of fatigue. As someone who has fought multiple times against my legions, it was a perfectly understandable emotion.
To him, my soldiers must appear as fearsome entities that cannot be defeated no matter how many times they are struck down. After all, it was all part of my design.
“One must speak clearly. It was the lords who suffered defeat, not us. We have always fought bravely and survived. The proof of that is the group that follows you.”
Naturally, I wanted to prevent Cruiger from becoming too fearful or withdrawn, so I consoled him appropriately.
In reality, while a significant portion of Cruiger’s mercenary band had perished, it had grown in size more than it had lost. Their survival during this battle, coupled with saving the supreme commander, was evidence of their major contributions.
What started as a group of a thousand had now nearly tripled to three thousand. Many of the new arrivals were mercenaries who had come from refugee populations, among them were numerous knights and warriors originally tied to the service of lords.
“Three thousand. Incredible. Though they are mercenaries, many of them hail from knights and warriors once loyal to lords. I never thought I’d reach this level.”
“Perhaps this is just the beginning. Though it seems cautious to say, what might happen if even this Orc count’s territory falls?”
Such words caused Cruiger to nervously glance around despite us being alone on the top floor of the mansion.
“We’ve become famous enough to receive such treatment from the lord himself. If such a scenario unfolds, even more people will gather under you.”
This grand mansion was a kind of gift directly presented by Agor himself.
Granted not only for saving the life of his trusted subordinate but also out of recognition of our formidable strength and an indication of his desire for further assistance.
In our perspective, Agor’s previously unchallenged dominance has somewhat diminished.
“I don’t quite understand it. I keep achieving results beyond my capabilities, all due to the incredible guidance you always provide in choosing the right path. But one must always act within their limits.”
Cruiger’s feelings of responsibility did not fade easily.
As someone who is cautious by nature, he accurately recognized that his growth, along with his followers, was nothing short of excessive.
And that analysis was correct. Indeed, the growth of Cruiger’s mercenary group was due to the combination of special circumstances and chance occurrences.
“Do you think this because you’re too weak internally? Nothing can be done about that.”
Having anticipated such a reaction, I revealed a speech designed to boost Cruiger’s motivation.
“I have an unparalleled elixir. It’s one of the secrets passed down through my family.”
“Is that true?”
“Though it may be difficult to distribute it to all my people if I can only obtain the materials, it could help strengthen the power of you and your close subordinates.”
After all, my own body is a construct made of lies since its very inception—designed to deceive, mislead, and ultimately erode from within.
Crafting a lie like this is effortless. Cruiger, however, listened intently with wide-open eyes, completely hooked by my words.
Due to the countless achievements I had accomplished, he had fully embraced my words.
“Naturally, I’ll help in acquiring the necessary materials. It’s for the benefit of our cause.”
He nodded absent-mindedly, and I smirked upon seeing this.
The material, in truth, can be anything, but there’s only one component I truly need: my own cells.
My cells will subtly infiltrate their bodies, enhancing their magic, optimizing their magical veins, and becoming a powerful elixir found nowhere else in the world. Once they taste its true power, they’ll find it hard to escape its effects, though they’ll never uncover the truth.
“Therefore, you must not back down from anyone going forward. Strive to reclaim your position as lord, and aim even higher. I’ve already decided to make you someone like that.”
“There’s nothing more to be said. I’ll do it, for your sake.”
A grim smile crossed his face as he agreed.
Right at that moment, my hundreds of thousands of soldiers, the perpetrators of the enemy’s crushed expeditionary force, began appearing on various regional borders and started striking the stunned lords.
