Chapter 280

Chapter 280

Otherworld Demon King Survival Guide.

Episode 280: Land War (1)

Baron Helson stroked his beard as he listened to the report from his attendant.

“Hmm.”

There had been a shift in the power structure of the neighboring territory. Baron Pakel had completely secluded himself, and in his place, a Saintess from the Goddess Church had settled in.

“How peculiar.”

Baron Helson and Baron Pakel were not on good terms. No, to be more precise, they were arch-enemies. Since their territories were adjacent, they had clashed over various interests, engaging in numerous large and small territorial battles over time.

Both of them shared the same thought.

The other was someone who must be crushed and stripped of everything. Their relationship had always been like this. They were literally enemies who shared a border.

“It’s a strange thing.”

Thus, Baron Helson was pleased by Baron Pakel’s downfall. He had heard that Pakel lost many soldiers in his recent monster subjugation.

After repeated defeats, Baron Pakel had lost nearly all his troops. His army was annihilated.

This was an opportunity that could not be missed.

Baron Helson was planning to launch a territorial war and force Baron Pakel to his knees soon, but he had temporarily postponed it upon hearing sudden rumors of angels and other matters.

“A Saintess, huh.”

But why had a Saintess appeared out of nowhere?

Surely something had gone wrong with Baron Pakel. That’s why he ordered an investigation into the matter.

What they discovered was shocking: The angels that entered Baron Pakel’s territory had fallen into internal conflict, leading to the destruction of Pakel’s army.

The remaining angels who returned declared their support for the Saintess, and there were signs they were forming an anti-angel alliance.

“How complicated.”

Helson began to calculate.

He hadn’t yet decided whether to side with the angels or the anti-angel faction. Being on the frontier meant he could afford to delay his decision without much risk.

But something was clearly wrong with Baron Pakel, and the Saintess had taken over his castle. She was now gathering the hearts of the people there, delivering speeches, and consolidating her power.

The Saintess was clearly planning to expand her influence.

Helson made his decision.

If he didn’t act now, there was a high chance that the growing Saintess faction would overpower him. The name “Saintess” carried significant weight. Since she was positioning herself against the angels, her following would naturally grow.

If that happened, it would be disastrous for him. It was never a good thing for a neighboring lord to grow stronger.

But crises often brought opportunity.

“Now’s the time.”

The Saintess was still in the process of expanding her power. In other words, she was still weak. With Baron Pakel’s army wiped out, it would be very difficult for her to rebuild.

No matter how much of a Saintess she is, she cannot conjure up an army out of thin air.

It was possible to ally with her, but that would be the worst option. Right now, while she was still in her infancy, it would be better to devour her entirely. When dealing with a weak enemy, the only hand you extend should be the one holding a weapon.

If he could claim the Saintess for himself… both the angelic and anti-angel factions would certainly covet what he had. Thinking about the potential profits from the resulting disputes made a bright future appear before his eyes.

“We must prepare for the land war.”

“But, my lord, I’ve heard the angels by her side possess fearsome power.”

“There’s no need to worry about that.”

How many angels were there again?

It was nothing to be concerned about. If a few angels could wage war, the world would have already fallen into their hands.

Right now, in the center, the angelic and anti-angel factions were fighting tooth and nail. That fact alone proved the individual angels’ combat prowess.

An individual angel didn’t have the power to change the course of a war.

“I know angels are strong, but if there are only a few, they can’t sway the battlefield.”

No matter how powerful an individual was, they could not control a war. Look at knights and mages. They were strong, but none of them could single-handedly defeat an army.

The same was true for angels.

Of course, Helson had taken note of the fact that Pakel’s army was annihilated in a battle with angels. But that happened deep in an unexplored region.

And there were more angels than usual, to begin with.

Fighting against beings who could fly in a jungle would naturally be difficult. That much he could reason out. Besides, weren’t there also monsters on the ground? The combination of such factors led to the army’s destruction. It wasn’t as if the angels performed some legendary magic to single-handedly wipe out the army.

“I see. Understood.”

“Prepare for war. Fetch my helmet.”

Helson had his proud cavalry and a disciplined infantry. With Baron Pakel’s army gone and the Saintess occupying his land, now was the perfect time.

If he could swallow up that land and seize the Saintess, he would reap enormous benefits from the escalating conflict between the angels and anti-angel factions.

“Becoming a great noble isn’t just a dream.”

Great nobles throughout history had used such crises to build powerful forces. The counts and other lords currently in the kingdom all went through similar trials to rise to their positions.

It was finally his turn.

“It’s obvious. Since their army was wiped out, Helson must be thinking of taking them over this time, isn’t that right, Saintess?”

“Ah, of course. In fact, there’s no reason not to attack.”

At my words, the Saintess nodded in agreement.

“In this situation, if Baron Helson attacks the territory and captures me, he will gain significant benefits.”

Indeed.

“Right now, I hold that much value. Both the Angelic Faction and the Anti-Angelic Faction covet me, so there will be plenty of spoils to fall.”

The Saintess was like a jar of honey. A fragile jar that seemed ownerless.

Where there were interests, there would be war.

In such circumstances, war was inevitable. There was something tempting within reach, and what ruler would ignore that?

If they could overlook this, they were unfit to be a ruler in the first place.

“It’s literally like a jar of honey, Saintess.”

“Fufufu, a Saintess being targeted by lustful men. Lewd imaginations never cease!”

“Sigh.”

“Of course, only you can protect this Saintess. Come now, won’t you keep this mother safe? The thought of being kidnapped and toyed with by other men makes me feel sick.”

“Hehehe, naturally, I must protect you.”

I must protect the Saintess.

She was someone who could offer me a lot.

“Fufufu, thank you. You have the power to protect this Saintess. Ah, after all, I am your exclusive sex slave, never to be touched by others—”

“Quiet. Please refrain from flirting during the meeting, Saintess.”

“Ah, Reika.”

Reika stopped the Saintess before she could go on a rampage. Nice.

“Hey. So, can we win? This is getting serious.”

Reika looked at me and spoke.

“I acknowledge you have the talent of a general, but this isn’t the jungle. And we’re short on human soldiers too. But if Helson launches a full-scale attack—”

Reika’s words.

“Hundreds of soldiers will come rushing in.”

Vanessa continued.

“That includes cavalry. Can we really withstand that? Objectively, our numbers aren’t large. Even if we focus on defense, it would be tough.”

A very reasonable point.

“Yes, I’m aware.”

I knew the situation well. I was the Demon King leading my followers. Of course, I had considered this possibility when I came here.

“It will be dangerous. There is no war without risk. But objectively, Baron Helson still has no idea of our true combat strength.”

“That’s true.”

“So, we must take full advantage of that.”

In fact, I recently discovered a very useful fact, and we might be able to utilize it in this war.

“Let’s assume they attack without a doubt. I would have made the same decision in his place. Now, here. As you can see from the map. Vanessa? Here, this mountain range divides the territory, doesn’t it?”

“That’s right. This small mountain range acts as a natural border.”

We immediately started the military strategy meeting.

We analyzed the enemy’s likely infiltration routes and the mountainous terrain surrounding the territory.

After the meeting.

I went to find Juria to confirm the useful information I had discovered earlier.

“Lady Juria. I have good news.”

“Y-Yes?!”

“It’s time to prepare for war.”

“Ah…! War! More war! Where will our next battlefield be?”

“Of course, in the human world!”

At those words, Juria rejoiced greatly.

The Lamia longed for war. They were natural-born warriors and hunters. They could not bear it if they didn’t spill blood.

“Before that, I plan to test whether we can handle enemy cavalry.”

“Ah, you mean the horses.”

“Yes.”

“No problem. We’ve already confirmed that. Please come and see for yourself, my Lord.”

“Hehehe, understood.”

I immediately headed to the stables with Juria and a few other Lamia. As we arrived at the stables—

“He, hihihihihih!”

“Hihihihi!”

“Hiiiiiiiiing!”

The tethered horses began to panic.

“They’re just big, cowardly animals. Kyarrk.”

“Kyak. Prey.”

It was because they saw the Lamia.

“Kyaaaaahhh!”

“Hihihihi!”

Even the agitated horses went into a frenzy at the snake-like cries of the Lamia, trying to escape in terror.

Lamia were the predators of the forest.

Animals were extremely frightened by a Lamia’s wailing cries.

“I thought it would be difficult to deal with cavalry.”

Lamia were highly effective cavalry in the jungle, but they weren’t suited to fighting in open fields. However, that didn’t mean they were weak against cavalry.

If we used the mountain range well…

We might be able to crush the enemy cavalry, even if they wore armor.