144. New Alliance (3)

“Is that the Imperial Army!”

Lantea shouted.

Although he couldn’t trust them enough to form an alliance yet. The Imperial Army had sent a messenger to the Southern Demon King Army, making it clear that their enemy was the Demon Beast Army, not the Demon King Army.

‘Right. Even if they are human, the Imperial Army and the Southern Caceres Army are now separate. I must join hands with them.’

In fact, Lantea had wanted to join hands with the Imperial Army for a while now.

However, the opposition from the Southern Demon King Army commanders was so strong that he couldn’t push it through.

But if the Imperial Army sincerely sent reinforcements like this time. Even the commanders who hated humans would lack the justification to oppose it any further.

“No, it’s not the Imperial Army!”

At those words, Lantea was puzzled. It wasn’t the answer he had expected.

“Then who are they? All the Southern Demon King Armies have gathered here now. The Eastern Demon King Army is focused on the east to defend the capital, so they wouldn’t send troops here…”

“It’s the Western Demon King Army! They’ve driven back the Demon Beast Army!”

And at those words, a great commotion broke out in the conference room.

“H-How? Even marching at top speed, it would take at least 15 days to get from Drotel Gorge to Raensty here! But only 5 days have passed since the news of victory there was delivered…”

“It’s definitely the Western Demon King Army! I confirmed their legion flag! And the Demon King’s flag… they were using His Majesty Lucifel’s flag together!”

“L-Lucifel-peha’s flag, you say?”

“Yes! And a pure white and dazzling flash created by the Western Demon King Army instantly turned the high-ranking demon beasts in the area to ashes!”

“The Western Demon King Army had such a large-scale demon beast weapon? Even General Aytekia wouldn’t be capable of that?”

Everyone buzzed with chatter.

Lantea’s head was also in confusion. He couldn’t believe the name of the Demon King that remained a legend.

Right now, the Western Demon King Army’s marching speed was a mystery.

If they used the spirits of darkness, they could communicate quickly.

Even if they moved immediately after the news of victory was delivered to the Southern Demon King Army, only about 7 days had passed.

‘Then they arrived here at twice the speed?’

It was unbelievable.

Demons like elves and dragons have far superior physical abilities compared to humans.

Naturally, that calculation of 15 days is the demon’s calculation.

Logically, it doesn’t make sense to carry out such an unreasonable march.

Even if they ran at full power, making that speed possible. The stamina and morale of the marching soldiers would inevitably plummet.

‘It wouldn’t be strange if they all deserted or collapsed from exhaustion…’

But the news of victory that the Western Demon King Army had even repelled the Demon Beast Army was delivered.

No, when he thought about it, it was also questionable that the Western Demon King Army had achieved such a great victory against Aquarite’s Demon Beast Army with their forces.

Aquarite was a dragon famous for being particularly strong among the ancient dragons.

He couldn’t believe that there was someone in the Western Demon King Army strong enough to capture that demonized ancient dragon.

‘Even Commander Remiella and General Aytekia certainly wouldn’t be able to beat Aquarite…’

Everyone gathered here seemed to feel the same way.

“Just what… happened to the Western Demon King Army?”

“I heard rumors that someone who called himself the son of Lucifel-peha had joined… could that rumor really be true?”

The generals shouted. But the one who was most curious was Lantea.

‘No matter how hard I tried to find Lucifel-peha’s bloodline, I couldn’t find it until now.’

So the Demon King of the Demon Kingdom remained vacant, and the Council of Elders took on that role instead.

Of course, the Red Dragon Ustina had newly ascended as Demon King. But only the Eastern Demon King Army recognized her as Demon King, and the Western Demon King Army didn’t seem to recognize her.

The Southern Demon King Army was relatively neutral.

Anyway, in such a chaotic atmosphere, they couldn’t continue the meeting any further.

He spoke to the messenger who was standing blankly.

“Alright. I understand for now. Then quickly convey the message to the command of the Western Demon King Army. I will meet with them as the representative of the Southern Demon King Army.”

“Understood!”

And a little later.

Lantea saw the Western Demon King Army, along with the huge flag they were carrying.

The Western Demon King Army was with a new Demon King.

---

The situation in the South was miserable.

The place where the Western Demon King Army joined was the midpoint between the Southern Demon King Army’s headquarters and the Imperial Army’s location.

And that area was full of Demon Beast Army.

The southern part of the Demon Kingdom was a granary.

So the number of demons residing there was higher than in other parts of the Demon Kingdom.

It bordered the southern Caceres of the Empire. As such, the number of Southern Demon King Army stationed here was also high.

But this place had become hell.

Everywhere he went, there were corpses of demons.

And the demon beasts were constantly devouring and defiling the corpses.

“It’s a terrible sight.”

Aytekia also groaned.

It seemed that Duke Pedro’s Caceres Army had trampled through the area.

When he last contacted the Southern Demon King Army’s headquarters. He heard that the main force of the Caceres Army, including the Sentiac Knights, had left for the eastern part of the Demon Kingdom, towards the capital.

Duke Pedro had instead left the Demon Beast Army here.

“So the damage seems to have gotten even worse.”

Remiella’s expression was also dark.

This place had suffered great damage from the Caceres Army. With the Demon Beast Army remaining and carrying out massacres in that state.

Even if they drove out the Demon Beast Army like this, it didn’t seem easy to restore the South.

I felt a surge of anger boiling up from the deepest part of my chest.

‘Pedro…’

The Sentiac Knights and the Caceres Army were famous for being cruel.

Even long before Duke Pedro fell and became an apostle of Knoia.

Even during the Great War with the demons 20 years ago, they were notorious.

In fact, the demons’ intense resentment and hatred towards humans was due to those Caceres people.

The Caceres Army, most of whose elite troops had already become demonically possessed, were each and every one of their soldiers were like bloodthirsty killing machines.

“Aquarite’s Demon Beast Army wasn’t this cruel either.”

Remiella was right.

The Demon Beast Army of Western Lamiare and the Demon Beast Army of Aquarite were also ferocious and cruel.

But in the traces left by the Southern Army, there was a very strong will to annihilate.

It felt like the malice of the demon god Knoia, who extremely hated humans, was permeating this place.

While looking around the battlefield. I saw a crater that looked like a huge explosion had occurred.

The destructive power was like the breath of an ancient dragon. But I sensed the demonic energy remaining around it.

It was a trace of destruction created with Aura, not magic. Perhaps a large number of demon soldiers were annihilated by that Aura.

If he could create power like the breath of an ancient dragon with Aura. He must be at the Grand Master level. It must be the work of Duke Pedro.

‘Pedro. And Knoia…’

I clearly engraved this terrible sight in my eyes.

And as the proxy of the two gods. I vowed to never let them live.

For now, together with the Western Demon King Army, we had temporarily repelled some of the Demon Beast Army that was targeting Raensty Castle.

After drawing Yunir’s blessing on the battlefield to soothe the souls of the dead.

I grabbed the reins of my horse and shouted to the soldiers.

“We won a victory a little while ago, but the Demon Beast Army still remaining in the area is still strong! Don’t let your guard down!”

At those words, the soldiers of the Western Demon King Army all paid attention to me.

“But do not fear! As long as I, Yulian von Reinhardt, Apostle of Yunir, am here, those who will return to the ground as corpses will be that Demon Beast Army! In the name of the new Demon King, I declare to you that we will annihilate the Demon Beast Army!”

Waaaaaaaah-

The soldiers all shouted in unison.

If they witnessed such a terrible sight, the soldiers’ morale would naturally drop. So I deliberately encouraged the soldiers of the Western Demon King Army.

‘And they must become a new light.’

If they had remained on this hellish battlefield. The morale of the Southern Demon King Army stationed in Raensty would be at its worst.

In order to boost their morale as well.

I had to give them the belief that the Western Demon King Army under my command was stronger than any other soldiers.

And I also thought about the Imperial Army that would be stationed not far away.

‘I should meet them soon too.’

A little later. A messenger arrived from them.

I had a meeting with Lantea, the leader of the Southern Demon King Army.

---

Lantea, a high elf and the lord of Raensty.

He couldn’t stop being astonished inside a field tent.

“Y-You’re really His Majesty Lucifel’s son!”

Without realizing it, he knelt on one knee.

A young, handsome man was standing before his eyes.

And his face was very similar to the one Lantea remembered.

The most free-spirited among the high elves.

And, Lucifel, the Demon King of Coldness, who was feared even by ancient dragons, surpassing the high elves.

‘I can’t deny it.’

That appearance could be disguised through magic.

But Lantea was a distinguished magician. He was responsible for the Southern Demon King Army. He was a great magician who had reached the 7th Circle.

There was no way that Lantea would be fooled by a disguise magic like that.

And the demonic energy emanating from that Yulian was definitely similar to the Demon King he had served, Lucifel.

Yulian nodded and accepted the greeting.

He was a very young man. But even the way he received such a polite greeting felt dignified.

That appearance was the complete image of a monarch.

Remiella, the Royal Knight’s commander, who stood side by side with him. And Aytekia, the general of the Western Demon King Army.

They were also sending respectful gazes towards that Yulian.

“I am Yulian von Reinhardt, son of Lucifel, the Demon King of Coldness. As the new Demon King of the Demon Kingdom who carries on his will, I welcome Count Lantea of the South. “

And at those words, Lantea’s body trembled.

‘Reinhardt…’

There was no way he wouldn’t know what that meant.

There was only one family in Islend that used the Reinhardt surname.

The family of Lion Duke Wilhelm von Reinhardt, the master of Essenmund in the northern part of Islend.

So the young monarch before him had confessed about his own lineage.

Lantea felt a sense of unspoken pressure.

The current Demon King of the Demon Kingdom was the Red Dragon Ustina.

In fact, her ascension to the throne of Demon King had not been approved by the Council of Elders.

Cecilia, the Golden Dragon who was a distant relative of hers and from the Demon King clan. The fact that the Council of Elders had forcibly made a contract between the Archdemon and Cecilia had been exposed.

Ustina had purged most of the Council of Elders.

So the lords and Demon King Army of the South were in a difficult situation.

They had served Lucifel as their monarch. But when he was absent, they had followed the will of the Council of Elders.

Still, most of the lords were of the opinion that they should follow Ustina.

Lucifel had disappeared without leaving an heir.

‘But that bloodline… was it continued through a woman from the Reinhardt family?’

He could guess who Yulian’s biological mother was.

Naturally, the lineage of the Reinhardt family was passed down from Wilhelm to the Saintess Agnes.

That meant that Agnes and the Demon King Lucifel had formed a bond.

‘The bloodline is… very complicatedly twisted. But still, in terms of legitimacy… the young monarch before me is ahead.’

Lucifel was the only Demon King who had gathered power to himself in the Demon Kingdom, which had a strong feudal tendency.

Beyond being a simple Demon King.

He was also the one who used the title of His Majesty, which was equivalent to the Imperial Emperor.

That Lucifel was an unprecedented absolute ruler in the history of the Demon Kingdom.

And he was even on the verge of conquering the Empire, which the Demon Kingdom had never succeeded in before.

‘Still… many demons remember that great name.’

Therefore, the fact that human blood flowed in his veins.

The fact that the blood of that margrave, who was once the Demon Kingdom’s strongest enemy, flowed in his veins was not a big problem.

The most important thing for the Demon Kingdom was.

The fact that the only son of that great Demon King existed now.

And if the contents of the news of victory that he had heard from the messenger of the Western Demon King Army a few days ago were all true.

That Yulian von Reinhardt had already awakened as a dragon.

No, he was a transcendent who had already surpassed that realm and awakened as an ancient dragon.

‘Could it be… that the huge white flash that the messenger saw… that white fire that burned so many demon beasts was created by that young monarch!’

Lantea’s body trembled again.

It wasn’t just a political stance.

As a demon. As a high-ranking lord from a high elf background. He was now intuitively aware of who the true Demon King of the Demon Kingdom was.

Lantea opened his mouth again and responded to Yulian’s welcoming greeting.

“Thank you for the welcome, Your Majesty, the great Demon King Yulian.”

Lantea represented the Southern Demon King Army. That meant that the Southern Demon King Army would also serve Yulian as their monarch.

Yulian nodded calmly.

And said.

“Time is short. If Duke Pedro’s Caceres Army has already advanced to the capital Yekares, we cannot guarantee the future of the Demon Kingdom. Therefore, all the Demon King Armies gathered here will quickly repel the Demon Beast Army and head to the capital.”

“Understood, Your Majesty!”

For a moment, Lantea thought of another force stationed here in Raensty. The reinforcements of the Imperial Army.

At that moment, the new monarch spoke as if he had read his thoughts.

“And I will speak directly with the Imperial Army that has come here. I intend to make them true allies of the Demon King Army.”

At those words, Lantea raised his head and looked into the eyes of the young monarch.

‘The Imperial Army… can they become true allies of our Demon King Army?’

There didn’t seem to be a single lie in those blue eyes.

A few hours later.

As he had said, Yulian headed to the headquarters of the Imperial Army unit with the supreme commander of the Western Demon King Army and Lantea.