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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: selkie
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When it comes to proceeding with any task, especially when it is not done alone but rather through collaboration with several people,
I knew one thing: a very important principle that must be adhered to — quickly giving up.
It is far more realistic and wise to not hold onto things that cannot be done,
and instead of struggling to force them to work, it is better to think about what can be achieved with them.
In this regard, those who advocate for a hardline approach, like Samson and the demons, can be seen as such stubborn individuals— those who are inflexible and do not understand compromise.
Convincing such individuals with rational arguments is, from the outset, an impossible task.
I have learned this well through the human groups I have observed in reality and in games.
‘Even if I had sided with Elias there, they wouldn’t change their opinions; instead, they would become even more agitated. Furthermore, they might latch onto the fact that I am human…’
Of course, it wasn’t entirely impossible to forcibly change their opinions.
However, I knew well that it would be far wiser to give up early on and consider what could be gained from this situation and how to utilize it.
In relation to this, I attempted to contact Elias immediately after the meeting concluded.
As a result…
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“Then, since everyone has agreed to start the war as soon as possible, let’s discuss the concrete plans moving forward.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Feeling a sense of surprise at the unexpectedly swift consensus, the Demon King directed the discussion towards more detailed matters.
And right after that…
“I would like to say something regarding that matter, if it’s alright?”
As soon as the Demon King finished speaking, Elias immediately requested the floor as if she had been waiting for this moment.
In response, the Demon King thought that there must be something significant and looked at Elias as she said,
“If you have a good opinion, please share it.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. Then I will now speak about the strategy I have been considering for this war.”
With those words, Elias lightly nodded towards Elisia.
Elias unfolded a map she had prepared in advance and spread it out in the center of the round table.
It was a tactical map marked with various symbols.
With the map laid out before them, Elias immediately began the briefing she had prepared.
“As you all know, our ultimate goal in this battle is to drive out the Allied Races occupying various parts of the Demon Kingdom. As the first step towards this, I propose an attack on this location here, Antioch.”
Elias presented her opinion thoroughly prepared with the map in hand.
In response, Samson and the other commanders showed slight signs of surprise but did not voice any objections to Elias leading the operational meeting.
Unlike Elias, who had come well-prepared with a map, they had only focused on expressing their desire to initiate combat immediately, indicating that they did not have particularly good ideas.
Moreover, since their opinions had been accepted for now, they could only feel somewhat relieved about what would follow.
“Antioch, huh… It’s quite a distance to get there, but I suppose there must be a reason. After all, all we have to do is fight without reservation…”
“It’s war! It doesn’t matter if it’s Antioch or anywhere else! If it’s a place where we can wipe out those filthy bastards!”
Although they didn’t know the exact reason, the demon lords decided to start their attack from the location that Elias had suggested.
Meanwhile…
Seeing them comply with her opinion without any particular resistance, Elias felt a sense of relief and slowly nodded.
‘Indeed, the effect of stepping back a little as the Hero suggested is clearly visible…’
Normally, even if they had come this far, there would surely have been various complaints from the commanders.
However, given the current hardline stance of Samson and others, they had no choice but to take a step back for Elias, who had effectively ‘yielded’ to their wishes.
In both political and psychological aspects,
Elias had successfully pinpointed the attack points and movement routes of the hardliners, including Samson, just as the hero had told her yesterday.
Feeling inwardly relieved that this had been achieved without any significant issues, Elias looked at the hero sitting across from her, thinking about what would follow.
The hero smiled and nodded in approval at the successful first objective.
Seeing his expression, Elias couldn’t help but think that, regardless of the success of the plan, that man was quite unlucky in many ways.
‘I felt this from the first time we met; he really is someone I don’t like…’
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Antioch
Located to the south of the Demon Kingdom, Antioch is a fortified city established in the heart of vast plains.
Before being occupied by the Allied Races, this area served as the granary of the Demon Kingdom and acted as a crucial transportation hub, allowing passage over the Black Mountain range that bisects the kingdom.
Its importance remained unchanged even after the coalition’s occupation.
However, due to these characteristics, what was once a bustling and vibrant place is now enveloped in a gloomy atmosphere, as if shrouded in deep darkness.
“Did you say that Dimode requested more food supplies?”
“Yes… that’s correct, General.”
“There’s also been a similar request from Galatia. If this continues, there’s a risk that all our soldiers will starve…”
“Sigh…”
Today, yet another endless request for food assistance has come in.
In relation to this, the commander overseeing Antioch, Parisecht, couldn’t help but frown.
“It’s frustrating; there are limits to the food reserves we have, and the situation is worsening… Is there still no news of support from the homeland?”
“I’m sorry, we continue to request assistance, but it seems we need more time.”
“Hmm…”
Feeling a headache from his subordinate’s words, Parisecht continued to frown.
Although he was not on par with the three knights of the Falcon Empire, Parisecht possessed considerable military strength.
However, in light of the rapidly deteriorating supply situation, he had no particular alternatives to offer.
‘Damn it… If that woman Cassandra hadn’t let her guard down, things wouldn’t have come to this… It’s not like we have an abundance of food either.’
Parisecht, who is urgently procuring food to assist other regions.
However, despite his efforts, the situation is worsening as the supply line from Rob has completely cut off.
There are limits to local procurement, and while food can be somewhat managed, there is no solution for the shortage of military supplies, including weapons.
As a result, the Allied Races currently within the Demon Kingdom are maintaining a defensive posture and are not allowed to provoke the enemy in any way.
Those who came to fight are now stuck inside, forced to huddle at home.
Meanwhile, Antioch finds itself in a situation where it must provide support to other regions due to its relative abundance of food.
In connection with this, the complaints from Parisecht and his subordinates naturally began to shift towards General Cassandra, who is effectively responsible for this crisis.
“It’s frustrating; if Cassandra had handled things properly, we wouldn’t have ended up in this situation.”
“Indeed. How could someone who is one of the three knights of the empire make such a critical mistake?”
“No one would have expected that even with the Demon King’s attack, she would completely waste the supplies. It’s truly disappointing.”
Thus, Parisecht and his subordinates were venting their frustrations by criticizing their absent superior, Cassandra.
In particular, Parisecht, who had been overshadowed by Cassandra and failed to become one of the three knights, was now expressing the dissatisfaction he had kept bottled up inside.
“That person used to be quite capable, but staying in the rear has made her completely lose her edge. It’s a shame for someone with the title of a knight.”
“We think so too.”
“You should have been one of the three knights, Parisecht.”
The subordinates expressed their agreement with a hint of flattery towards their direct superior.
As he watched them, Parisecht began to think that this might be an opportunity for himself.
‘But… considering the current situation where Rob has been hit, the importance of Antioch has likely increased, which could be a chance for me… If I can navigate this crisis well, perhaps…’
Antioch is not only a military stronghold but also one of the few regions where the Allied Races can self-sustain its food supply, relying heavily on shipments from the homeland.
With supply lines to the front now completely severed, Antioch has become a crucial location that must be defended to ensure even a meager sustenance.
With the eyes of the Allied Races focused here, if something were to happen in this place, it could potentially be a significant opportunity to raise Parisecht’s name.
‘If the demon forces were to invade here, the coalition would likely concentrate all their efforts on protecting this place. And at the center of that effort would stand me, Parisecht… If that happens, I might once again have a chance to aim for becoming one of the three knights of the empire.’
Even amidst the crisis, Parisecht was determined to address the pressing issue of food procurement, harboring his own ambitions.
At that moment…
“Sir! General Parisecht!”
“What is it?”
“Um… It’s the enemy! A large army of demons is approaching here!”
“!”
A soldier spoke in a hurried breath, urgency evident in his voice.
At this, a complex expression began to form on Parisecht’s face, mingling with a hint of joy.
